GALLERY – Mountaineering Club celebrates 80th anniversary

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Current Club President, Stephen Hicks gets to grips with Stanage Rocks, Derbyshire in 2012. Photo courtesy of David Boothroyd

Liverpool University Mountaineering Club celebrated its 80th anniversary with an Alpine Dinner, attended by former participants from every decade since the 1940s, alongside around 30 contemporary members.

Current President, Stephen Hicks said: “It’s the first time such a reunion-type event has ever been attempted with such a mixture of ages. It was a great success. During the evening, our prestigious ‘Alpine Bursary’ was also presented, to provide funding for a current member to climb in the Alps this summer.”

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Here’s Tony Hyde – without a helmet – climbing at The Roaches in Staffordshire in 1966. Photo courtesy of Barry Grantham

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University mountaineers now have a brand new bouldering wall to utilise in the Sports and Fitness Centre. It was opened following a major refurbishment of facilities in 2013. The Club trains there twice a week

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The old climbing wall first opened in 1966, and was designed by architects, Denys Lasdun and S.Kuszell. It was considered state of the art upon opening, and continued to be used until 2012. Indoor walls are vital for training beginners in the basics of rock climbing before they encounter real rock. Photo courtesy of Barry Grantham

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Club members, Mark Smith and Jack Williams make their way across the Trient Glacier in the Mont Blanc Massif, in September 2012

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Here, former Club members cross the Trift Glacier in the Swiss Alps in 1955. The Club travels to the Alps each summer, applying skills learnt throughout the year to safely traverse tough glacial terrain and ascend big mountains.

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Club members reach a summit of the Scottish Cairngorms, on December 29 2012. The Cairngorms have always been a popular destination to learn winter mountaineering skills, and an annual New Year trip was restarted in 2012/13. Photo courtesy of Robert Normanton

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Club members on the summit of Stob Coire nam Beith, Scotland, on December 29 1958 – same weather but very different clothing. Photo courtesy of Fred Bloore

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Stormé England on the summit of Tryfan, in Snowdonia in 2013. The 918 metre high mountain’s summit is home to two large blocks of rock, known as ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’ and the area around the peak has traditionally been the Club’s main base since formation in 1930. Around 6 trips are run to the area each year. Photo courtesy of Stormé England

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Same rocks – different millenium. A former Club member jumps between ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’ in 1966. Photo courtesy of Barry Grantham

Find out more about Liverpool University Mountaineering Club, by following this link: http://www.liv.ac.uk/sports/sports/mountaineering/

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