Scottish Women's Climbing Meet

In 1987 the Mountaineering Council of Scotland initiated the first meet concentrating solely on women climbers. It was a subsidised meet, at a time when the pre-eminent club in Scotland, the Scottish Mountaineering Club, did not accept proposals for membership from women climbers, although other clubs did exist for women climbers such as The Ladies Scottish Climbing Club and The Pinnacle Club (based in England). It was recognised, however, that not all climbers wish to be part of a club scene, and prefer to act independently. For these women it was far more difficult to make contact with like-minded women climbers. The reasons for the meet were:

• pleasure
• to generate an increasing awareness of women's involvement in Scottish Climbing
• to allow women, from different parts of Scotland, to meet, climb together and to discuss their motivations.

Grahame Little, then President of the MCofS launched the meet, held at the Alex MacIntyre Memorial Hut in Ballachulish on 13th and 14th June, as the 'token male'. Justifying the meet against a few criticisms (including from women) he said "the real value of the meet was that it marked a changing attitude in Scottish Climbing circles towards women's independent activity; the 'portable belay' syndrome hopefully being a thing of the past. Climbing has a habit of transcending cultural, political, age and colour barriers (although I can't promise membership of the SMC). I think that climbing can also transcend sexual barriers just as effectively".

Some of the younger members of the Ladies Scottish Climbing Club were part of the first meet, and it's success is indicated by the fact that it has continued independent of the MCofS ever since, now acting as a network of women climbing contacts. It is not a club, nor does it have a single contact for membership (there is no membership). The women hold two meets per year (summer and winter) and advertise through the outdoor press, However, contacts forged through the 'Meet' allow women to get in touch with other women to climb with at any time of the year.

This is not a meet for novice climbers or beginners. The two organised events of the year give a chance for committed women climbers to get together and climb with like-minded others without their male contemporaries.

Contact the National Officer at the MCofS Office for more details.