New Member FAQs

The heart of the club is top-rope climbing on the easily accessible local sandstone. Away from home, our members’ preferred disciplines are Trad & Sport climbing. A growing number of us enjoy UK & alpine mountaineering, scrambling, winter climbing, and hiking. Some people meet locally for a walk / trail-run / mtb ride, and of course we climb indoors when it’s wet.

Don’t be put off by the phrase mountaineering in our name, most members don’t own an ice axe. Historically mountaineering was an umbrella term for all mountain activities, but popular variants like rock climbing and indoor climbing are now sports in their own right. Since the BMC’s formation in 1944 right up to 2022 ‘mountaineering’ had to be the primary objective of any affiliated club, climbers kept things simple and put the term in their club name, hence many climbing clubs are MCs. We are TWMC.

Yes absolutely! We would like to meet you several times before accepting your application, similarly, we ask you climb with us locally first, before joining a trip away. After a few sandstone / indoor climbs you will get a feel for whether we’re a good match. You can be a prospective member for a maximum of 3 months, please come to at least two sessions in this time.

We aim to run a New Members Event every month or so, usually on a Tuesday or Thursday evening. Between April & October it will be on sandstone and from November to March at an indoor wall. Let us know you’re coming and we’ll introduce you to some friendly regulars. These are relaxed and social sessions; you’ll meet other prospective members and people who have recently joined. ‘Start times’ are very casual, and people arrive throughout the event. If there’s not a dedicated event on the Club calendar, contact our New Members Rep and we’ll find a day that works.

After you’ve met us, you’re welcome to come to any sandstone or indoor wall meet; please state your competence / knowledge level with anyone you partner with and ask them the same! 

• Harrison’s Rocks car park map. We will try to meet you at the car park, but it depends on who is climbing and what time you’re likely to arrive. Pay for parking, message the group and wait by the wooden noticeboard (on left as you drive in) ///mocked.unicorns.reframe – look out for people with rucksacks! Note: Most members have Forestry England Birchden Wood Membership (unlimited parking) so won’t visit the P&D machine near the toilet facilities. If you know the crag, we may ask you to walk 10-15 mins SW along the base and find us.

• Bowles Rocks car park map. Bowles rocks are compact, just 200m long, and only a 2 minute walk from the free car park, so walk up (around the barrier) and come find us. There are toilets and drinking water by the rocks. The Centre charges a small fee for climbing per visit so please have cash / card – season tickets are also available and are discounted for members.

• Bulls Hollow / Toad Rock map. Park on Harmony Street. We usually climb at Bulls Hollow rocks 2 mins to the South East, not the obvious Toad Rock bouldering to the North West. Meet us on the corner of Harmony Street and Rusthall Park or from here, walk down the small steep path (between the tarmac path and private road), go past some boulders, at the bottom bear right into a clearing to arrive at the base of crag.

• Chimera Climbing High Brooms map. Our local bouldering centre, look out for club t-shirts and say hi. 10 mins from central TW. 
• Volume 1 Climbing East Grinstead map A newish bouldering centre. 30 mins from TW.
• High-Sports Withdean map. Top-rope and lead climbing wall preferred by those South / West of Tunbridge Wells. 1 hour from TW.
• The Reach Woolwich map. Top-rope and lead climbing wall favoured by people working in London or living North / East of Tunbridge Wells. We often arrange to car share. 55 mins from TW.

• As a Prospective Member to come to a New Members Event you will need to have your own harness and some rock shoes – they should be comfortable not painful, try them on in a shop without socks! Volume 1’s shoe fitting service comes well-recommended. Helmets are not customarily worn on sandstone but this is your personal choice and you should understand and accept the risks. Indoor walls will rent you a harness and rock shoes, but independent climbers ready to join a club will have their own.

• As a Sandstone Regular you will need this top-roping equipment, in addition to a harness, belay device and rock shoes. On Club nights, members usually mix-in and share top-ropes. Be sure to read our Sandstone Info page which tells you everything about climbing on these fragile rocks.

• As a Trad or Sport Climber you will need your own ‘rack‘ and rope(s) to lead climb. If sea-cliff climbing, bring a separate abseil rope, (low-strech is ideal) and a rope protector.

• To ‘Second‘ behind experienced climbers, you’ll need a helmet, nut key with leash, 120cm sling & screwgate carabiner. You’ll need to help carry some gear/ ropes, bring a 35~45L rucksack so your hands are free for scrambling. You could also bring your sandstone/indoor rope to rig as a top rope if you’re not yet leading.

• For Abseiling and Multi-pitch climbing, add a prusik loop (ideally 2), either 1.25m to 1.5m of 5mm cord or a pre-made Beal Jammy 50cm plus screwgate carabiners. On long multi-pitch routes, a small rucksack (10-20L – per pair) is useful for taking water, snacks, spare layers & shoes on the route itself. For abseiling, and cleaning sport routes, some climbers use a Lanyard / ‘Personal Anchor System’ (PAS) such as the Beal DynaConnexion or Simond Double Lanyard.

• All Members must carry a First Aid kit and head torch, and depending on the itinerary: a whistle, map, compass, GPS, power bank, group shelter, survival bag, hat, gloves, waterproofs, warm (non-cotton) clothes, walking poles.

• Check out the BMC’s Guidance for New Outdoor Climbers and the BMC’s New Rock Climbers leaflet.

No sorry, there’s too much paperwork involved, we are a community of independent climbers not an activity centre. This is rarely a barrier, as Sandstone requires relatively little equipment and ropes can be shared or purchased jointly. Those who enjoy Trad & Sport, will often start by partnering with an experienced climber with equipment, and later prefer to invest in their own ‘rack’. Members are individually responsible for ensuring they are properly equipped, not just for the climb and descent, but also the weather and mountain environment.

We’re open to independent climbers of all abilities. You don’t need to climb a specific grade. Before joining the club, you should have good knowledge of how to tie-in and belay safely. See ‘Climbing With Us‘ to find out about beginner courses.

As a group of self-organising climbers, we don’t run formal training courses and are NOT setup to teach you to climb from scratch. Some members are keen to share their knowledge and mentor others, we also steer members towards resources to develop their skills. If you’re unsure whether something is safe, please ask! 

Be aware of and accept that members are not necessarily qualified, do not need to be qualified, are not regarded by the club nor regard themselves as ‘technical experts’, but are amateur climbers, walkers or mountaineers with some experience who are happy to impart their knowledge, and view any advice received with this in mind.

It depends. All our members live or work under 30 mins away, or visit often for sandstone climbing, (or did upon joining). Getting along to some local meets on weekday evenings is essential for you to build the relationships needed in climbing. Living further afield makes this a challenge, realistically you’ll need access to a car and some commitment. To ensure you connect with a club that offers the best experience for you, please check out…

BMC Club Finder: https://www.thebmc.co.uk/climbing-wall-finder#clubs

Black Lizard Climbing & Mountaineering Club (South London): https://blacklizard.org

Brighton Explorers Club (multi-activity): https://www.brightonexplorers.org

East Grinstead Climbing Club: http://eastgrinsteadclimbingclub.co.uk

Guildford Mountaineering Club: https://www.guildfordmountaineeringclub.org.uk

Maidstone Mountaineering Club: https://maidstonemountaineeringclub.co.uk

See our Trips section on The Club page for typical destinations. A trip-specific WhatsApp group will be created by the organiser so people can find out more. Affordable group accommodation is usually organised and you may need to pay upfront to secure your spot in the climbing hut (bunkhouse) or campsite. Check the trip is suitable for your experience level before paying the trip fee, ask if unsure.

A sleeping bag is essential for all overnight trips, ear plugs and a pillow are recommended. If camping, add a tent, roll mat & stove.

Travel is lifts in car shares with fuel costs split. Sometimes we can stay extra days before/after, mention if you’d like to go for longer. About a week before the trip, people will make arrangements, use the Our Members page to find members near you. We ask everyone to travel with another member, so you can get to know people, climbing is relationship based.

People usually bring their own food. Ask your driver if they’re planning to stop en-route to shop, or if you need to have everything beforehand. Always arrive with at least breakfast & lunch supplies. In the evenings people cook in small groups (climbing huts have kitchens), or eat out together at a pub, talk with your car share.

Other useful things: Waterbottles, Cash (for parking), sunscreen, midge spray, and on a hut based trip, slippers or flip–flops.

On Sandstone and indoor club evenings we mix-in, so no need to pre-arrange a partner.

On trad and sport trips we like our members to make their own decisions about who they climb with, so partnerships are established organically, rather than determined by an organiser or Committee. Some will find a partner on arrival, some will climb with those they traveled with, but we recommend discussing ideas, swapping experience & aspirations and talking about equipment ahead of a trip.

On the trip, some parties make an early start in the morning, so best to make a plan the night before, at the latest. Some members will only climb as a pair, others are happy to operate as a 3, this may depend on the nature of the climbing.

Very experienced members sometimes offer novices and aspirant leaders the opportunity to climb with and learn from them, usually on a specific ‘beginners trip’ each summer.

On walking / mountaineering trips, we often group up in 4s or 6s. People should seek out appropriate objectives for their skills. Whilst we won’t leave anyone out, the ethos of the club is self-organisation and we encourage everyone to research their intended activity.

Sandstone, the indoor wall, and the pub, are great places to get to know others and start to build that all-important trust. State your competence / knowledge level and ask others the same please!

We use WhatsApp Groups for most comms, there are 2 club groups, the ‘main’ one for chat / photos / gear and a ‘Just Meets’ one for climbing shouts. Club meets are posted on the Club calendar. We have a members-only Facebook Group for photo sharing and an email distribution list for formal club matters, we’ll add you to these if you join.

The BMC’s Combined Liability insurance covers prospective club members during a trial period of up to 3 months as long as we have your details via a membership form. Club members are covered for the provision of advice and knowledge sharing, as long as they are doing so in a voluntary capacity and receiving no payment. Personal accident insurance is not standard, but you can upgrade your Club Membership.  

We endorse the BMC’s Participation Statement regarding risk – see image in footer. All members agree to take part in club activities voluntarily and shall be responsible for their own actions and involvement.

Be aware of and accept that members are not necessarily qualified, do not need to be qualified, are not regarded by the club nor regard themselves as ‘technical experts’, but are amateur climbers, walkers or mountaineers with some experience who are happy to impart their knowledge, and view any advice received with this in mind.

Members must determine, taking into account any medical conditions, whether activities are appropriate for them, and make a self-declaration of fitness. TWMC do NOT keep records of members’ medical conditions, we recommend you make others aware of anything important each time, and carry any required medicines with you at all times.

TWMC issues Digital Membership Cards via our Members Area which are available as soon as you receive a website login. The BMC send a paper membership card embedded in the address front sheet of Summit magazine – don’t throw it away by accident! View and re-print your BMC Membership Card by logging into the BMC’s website.

Your TWMC membership fee includes affiliation to the BMC as a club member. As a BMC club, we must affiliate all TWMC members for insurance purposes, it is NOT possible to ‘just’ join TWMC. Visit our Membership page for benefits, prices, how to join TWMC, and reclaiming multiple BMC Affiliation fees if you’re already a BMC Member. Ensure you provide your BMC number on your membership form, we’ll submit this as part of our entry, allowing the BMC to match your records.

BMC club membership runs from January to December each year. TWMC membership expires on 31st Dec each year. Renewing members need to pay the club in January. February is a grace period for club volunteers to reconcile subs, collate member data (update addresses & emergency contacts), then roll members forward on the BMC’s Membership Services platform. The deadline for the club to submit data to the BMC is end-Feb.

Your new BMC membership card comes with the Spring issue of Summit in mid-March, we believe the card expiry date is 31st March so that club members can still obtain shop & wall discounts using the previous year’s card before the new one arrives.

If you pay and join in January then you’ll receive the Spring edition in early March, the same as renewing members. If you join before end-April, expect the Summer edition in June, likewise if before end-July, the Autumn edition in September, and lastly before end-Oct, the Winter edition in December.