Click here for some useful notes for new and prospective members.
If you fancy a go, or have an idea for a future weekend (be it walking, climbing, or another outdoor activity) please get in touch with the Weekend Coordinators (see Contacts). Being a weekend organiser does not mean that you have to plan/lead walks or do all the catering. It is normal to delegate these tasks to the participants on the weekend if you wish.
As a token of thanks, members organising a weekend receive a £5 discount on their membership for the following year. This is subject to certain conditions.
Deposit cheques are normally banked only if you do not show up for a weekend, otherwise they are returned. For some special events (e.g. training or week events), we may ask for a special, non-refundable deposit which will be banked in advance. Please make all cheques to the Club payable to "Ibex M.C."
Many huts charge a fixed amount for a weekend, so the actual cost per person depends on the number of people who turn up. Ibex does not guarantee the cost per head, except that it will ensure a maximum charge of around £15 per person per night. Of course, if a hut is full, the cost per head will often be substantially lower. Please contact the weekend organiser if you need more details of the likely costs.
There are various costs involved in taking your car on Ibex weekends - fuel, wear and tear, depreciation, extra insurance premiums to cover co-drivers etc. - and all car owners have their own preferences as regards charging their passengers. As a general rule, we recommend something around 20p per mile, divided between the people in the car, as being a reasonable and straightforward method of dividing up the costs.
Volunteer to organise weekends - it's not difficult (a set of detailed notes tell you exactly what to do).
Apply for events early. Applying at the last minute is a headache for the organiser (e.g. arranging lifts, food, etc.).
Passengers should contact their allocated drivers at the earliest opportunity and be prepared to travel to meet them at the time they specify.
Volunteer for tasks during the weekend if required (e.g. preparing food, washing up).
Help clean the accommodation before departure (leave it as you would like to find it). This is important so that Ibex is allowed to re-book the accommodation in the future.
Be well prepared and self-sufficient for the activities you plan to participate in (e.g. walkers should have waterproofs, boots, rucksack, spare clothing, maps, compass, food, survival bag, etc.).
If joining a walk do not get ahead of the person leading the walk unless you have consulted in detail with the leader about the intended route - the route to the destination may seem obvious but the leader may have an alternative route planned.
If you do not ask for the emergency services correctly, delay may be caused. Mountain Rescue are in the best position to decide how best to reach the casualty, expecially if you give them the precise location in the form of the grid reference. If the Mountain Rescue decide that an airlift is necessary, they will need police authorisation, yet the police do not automatically attend an emergency call-out for the ambulance service. Therefore, to avoid delay, when you dial 999, specifically ask for Mountain Rescue. Give details of the incident, and let them decide the best course of action and who to send out.
We have a club membership card for the YHA, which means that you can use it at any youth hostel, providing there are at least 5 people (and at least one Ibex member) staying in the hostel. As long as you have the card with you, the other members of the group do not need to join the YHA. Please contact the Weekend Coordinators to get the card.
Don't forget that being a member of Ibex entitles you to discounts at certain retailers, usually 10%. Just show your Ibex membership card to obtain a discount. Discounts apply in-store and sometimes by telephone mail-order, but are not available on-line. Please note that discounts do not usually apply to books, maps and sale items.
Retailers include Cotswold Outdoor Ltd, Field & Trek, Snow & Rock, and YHA Adventure Shops. For a full list of retailers (almost 40), click here.
Mile End Wall, Haverfield Road, Bow E3 5BE, 020 8980 0289, www.mileendwall.org.uk
Westway Sports Centre, 1 Crowthorn Road, W10 6RP, 020 8969 0992
The Castle, Green Lanes, N4 2HA, 020 8211 7720
Michael Sobell Sports Centre, Hornsey Road, Holloway N7 7NY, 020 7609 2166
Hendon Youth Sports Centre, Marble Drive, London NW2 1XQ, 020 8455 0818
Brunel University Sports Hall, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, 01895 203305
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, Ledrington Road, Crystal Palace, SE19 2BB, 020 8778 0131
Lee Valley Leisure Centre, Picketts Lock Lane, Edmonton N9 0AS, 020 8345 6666
Redhill High Sport Unit, 6 Orchard Business Centre, Bonehurst Road, Salford, Surrey RH1 5EL, 01293 822884
Of these Mile End, Westway and The Castle are considered to be the best. If you are on your own Mile End is the most suitable as there is a lot of bouldering available as well as lead walls. Westway and The Castle are chiefly for leading/top roping.
Some of the centres do introductory climbing courses, such as Mile End and the Michael Sobell Centre.
If you would like further information contact Jim Nevill (via a committee member).
See Cliff's list of recommended pub stops for somewhere to stop for a bite to eat on your next Ibex weekend away.
As a token of thanks, members organising a weekend event (or longer) receive a £5 discount on their membership for the following year. This is subject to the following conditions:
The discount applies to the following year's membership upon renewal in January.
The discount is paid to members via a cheque from the Club's Treasurer after membership renewal.
Only one discount applies per member per year, irrespective of how many events a member organises.
If an event is organised by more than one member, the discount is split between the number of organisers.
To qualify for a discount, the instructions on the Ibex Expense Form relating to the amount of "rounding up" must be followed (the "rounding up" amount helps fund the discounts). Discounts are not applicable if "rounding up" is omitted from an event's expense calculations or an incorrect amount of "rounding up" is used.
A long time ago in the land of far away........ actually in London in October 1984 a small group of friends who had met at one of London's multi-activity clubs decided to form their own mountaineering club. Their ambitions were modest in that they anticipated an eventual membership of around 80 to 100 people with the main remit being to maintain the friendly and hospitable atmosphere of their previous club. The aim was for the club to comprise of competent walkers, mountaineers and climbers who would welcome newcomers both on the mountain and in the social and culinary aspects in the evenings in a variety of huts and locations.
By the end of the first year the Ibex Mountaineering Club (the original name) had blossomed beyond expectations with membership eventually rising to over 200.
New ambitions developed from this and extended to guided trips to the Alps and one week holidays in Scotland as well as continuing with the staple fare of monthly newsletters and pub meets, and slide shows.
Whilst many of the original members are no longer active in the Club due to having children they have still retained their membership and have occasional family meets, demonstrating their continued allegiance.
With this in mind it is hoped that the Club continues to stay faithful to its founding principles and provide a warm welcome to both old and newcomers interested in roaming hills and mountains.
Click here to see the Club's constitution.
Click here to go to the British Mountaineering Council website to find information about becoming a full individual member of the BMC.