Hello, and welcome to the QUT Cliffhangers Rockclimbing Club, you have just joined Queensland’s most active rock-climbing club, and QUT’s largest social/sporting club/society. Hopefully over the next few months you can get involved in all aspects of the club, including Kangaroo Point Top Roping, coming on trips and attending social events. This brief intro will give you a run down on how the club runs and how you can get involved. We hope that you get as much fun and memorable times out of this club as we and the hundreds of people before us have.
- Adam Gibson -
Club President 2009
Contents |
The true cost of the club
By now you will have paid your six-monthly or yearly membership, and you might have even done the sums to figure out that you are getting some awesome value. For $2/night you’re getting rock-climbing at KP, gear hire, and training – and we haven’t even looked at trips or social functions yet. How can we afford to run so cheaply when the private operators run at ten times the cost for just the climbing?
As a university club we rely entirely on volunteers to make the club run, as such members are expected to give back to the club by contributing to setting up the ropes, and becoming more involved in the running of the club.
Kangaroo Point Climbing
The easiest way you can get involved is to help setting/packing up the ropes at Kangaroo Point, every Monday/Wednesday. Firstly the ropes must get to the cliff – this requires someone with a car to pick up and deliver the ropes by 5:30pm. This is a really easy task and is a great way to make sure you end up at the top of the cliffs when the setting up happens.
Setting up the ropes is another great way to help, our experienced members will show you how to tie all the knots and set the ropes for top roping – this is an excellent introduction to the basic rope skills you will need as a rock climber. Aim to arrive at the top of the cliffs by 5:30pm and look for club shirts. Even if you’re later and no ropes have been set, head up to the top to see if the setters need help. If you haven’t been happy with the are ropes are being set, or you want to work a climb, bringing and setting ropes gives you more power to say where the ropes should be set.
Conversely at 9:00pm we call last ropes and we require help to pull & coil the ropes, put the gear into bags and move the gear to a car. It is also very important that we get helpers assisting with packing up of the ropes at the top of the cliff, so look for someone heading up and get in and help – sticking round for that extra 15minutes makes all the difference.
Club Trips
Whilst KP can be good fun, the real climbing is to be had away from Brisbane. As many weekends as we can, our dedicated trips coordinators plan trips to far off places for climbing adventure. You can get involved by jumping on the Forum and posting in the trips section, or telling one of the coordinators at KP before a trip. Some skills will be required for some trips, but for most you should be able to pick up the skills by simply going along.
End of year trip to the Blue Mountains
Our biggest and most awesome trip – so much so it deserves its own title. Three weeks in the Blue Mountains at the end of the year. Climbing on glorious sandstone, living in a house with 30 people, thousands of climbs and hundreds of areas to choose from, all for around $20/night. Stay tuned to the forum and emails for details on when and where to sign up.
Social Functions
Whilst climbing is our passion, we would not be a very successful club if not for the social side; all social functions are open to new and old members, and even non-members. The form a great way to get to know the people you’re climbing with – and for many great long term friendships are formed. The hardest part is turning up – don’t worry if you come along – just start talking to us, we don’t bite!
Cocktail Party
Our glitzy and glamorous cocktail party is held in second semester. For one night of the year we dress up in our finest suits and frocks and sip cocktails that get delivered to your hand for the cost of a small entrance fee. A night not to be missed!
Club Gear
Joining the Clique
To the new member, the core group of climbers can seem very cliquey - however in many ways it is not so. If you have read all the that is written above, and your keen, help out, come on trips and go to social functions, you will very quickly find that membership to the in-crowd is not as exclusive as it may seem.
Also have a quick look at the Ten tips to better interaction with the club which may help to ease you into things.
Staying in Contact
Email List
You should shortly be added to the email list, and be receiving emails related to trips, meetings and general club business. If you haven’t seen any emails after about a month since paying – chat to the treasurer, webmaster or send the execs list an email via execs@qutcliffhangers.com
Club Forum
Mastering the forum is the key to getting yourself on trips. Located here You will need to register to be able to see the trips section and post. We recommend picking a nickname that reflects your real name, it makes it very hard to figure out who’s who when people choose names like “climbingprincess89”.
Webpage and Wiki
The Webpage is still very much a work in progress, but there is lots of information there for new climbers about gear, trips and all facets of the club. If you think something’s missing, sign up for a wiki account and add it in!
More stuff
- Climbing Skills
- Climbing Dictionary
- Recommended Book List