Most Sundays we take a coach with up to 50 people into the hills. We leave Manchester at 9am and try to arrive at our destination at around 11am. Each week there are five walks of varying difficulty available and sometimes a scramble. The options are explained on the coach and we'll help decide if you're not sure what to do (we often discuss routes on the forum beforehand as well). You don't need to be able to read a map and you don't need to be incredibly fit – all we ask is that you bring some basic equipment. A leader is in charge of each hike and ensures that the group always walks at the pace of the slowest member, so no one gets left behind
All of the groups meet up in a pub at the end of their walks, and we aim to be on the coach back to Manchester by 5.30pm, which means we usually get back to Manchester around 8.30pm.
When we get back into Manchester the coach drops people off at the pick-up points. But the day isn't over yet. We always head to Owen's Park bar for a well-deserved drink and some fish and chips. On the coach, someone will come round taking orders and money, so we can phone through a big order in advance. Then some unlucky person will head off to collect your fish and chips and bring them to you in the bar. A perfect end to the day!
Please arrive at you pick-up point at least five minutes early. The coach leaves promptly and we won’t always wait for you if you’re late!
For the cost per hike see the membership page.
See the page on equipment & safety for details of what you need to bring along.
Occasionally we run a hike to the Peak District or Yorkshire and travel on the train. You don't need to sign up for these in advance, just look out for the email the week before which will say where we're going and where to meet. Train hikes are usually smaller and more informal than coach hikes and are a great way to get to know the spectacular scenery that is within easy reach of Manchester.
You just pay for your train ticket (usually around £5/6 with a railcard or a bit more without).
See the page on equipment & safety for details of what you need to bring along.
Weekend trips are a great way to spend some more time in the hills and have general adventures with the club, many of them involving alcohol. Around once a month we organise a longer weekend trip to the Lakes, Snowdonia or Scotland. We stay in bunkhouses and mountaineering huts – basic accommodation but cheap and very close to the hills. We leave Manchester as early as possible on Friday afternoon and travel up by minibus (which can be an adventure in itself).
There is time for a long walk on Saturday and a shorter walk on Sunday. Weekend trips are more informal than coach hikes so people are free to come up with their own ideas for walks. We discuss the options over a drink (or several) when we arrive on Friday night and we make sure there's something suitable for everyone.
Saturday is a chance to get an early start and spend the whole day on the hill. How early depends on how long your chosen route is. Usually people will get up between 7 and 8 and will be walking by 9. When the weather holds, this can make for a great day in the hills.
On Sunday, people usually do shorter walks; the less energetic spend time recovering in a café or a pub, or go gear shopping (this can be a dangerous habit!). We leave early afternoon and get back to Manchester in the evening.
On Friday night, we stop for fish and chips on the journey up. We provide dinner on Saturday night and we always make loads of food. You need to bring your own breakfast and lunch for Saturday and Sunday, as well as snacks/high-energy food for on the hill. The club provides milk and butter. We're often a long way from a pub, so most people bring plentiful supplies of alcohol.
The cost of trips varies depending on where we're going and the cost of accommodation. Trips to the Lakes and Snowdonia are usually around £35, and this increases to about £50 when we go to Scotland. You pay a non-refundable deposit when you sign up to reserve your place and the remainder is payable during the weekend. UMHC accepts cash or cheques (sorry, no credit cards).
We run longer trips during the Christmas and Easter vacations to locations in the Scottish Highlands. These trips last 6 days in total – allowing for two days of travelling and four full days of walking.
In the week before Christmas we always go to a bunkhouse called Nethy House, situated near the Cairngorm mountains in Eastern Scotland. This is the biggest event in the club's calendar and an opportunity for current members of the club and former members ("old gits") to meet up. Nethy House is a very large house indeed: it has facilities to house up to 63 people, and we usually more than half fill it. It has its own bar with everything from real ale on pump to a fine selection of whiskeys, although we have to staff the bar ourselves by taking it in turns. Nethy House is also home to a huge range of amusing hats.
The Cairngorms themselves are one of the largest areas of wilderness in Scotland and boast some superb summits including Ben MacDui, the second highest mountain in the UK. The Cairngorm plateau is sub-arctic, so there's usually plenty of snow around and the chance to learn some winter techniques from experienced members of the club. There is also, depending on conditions, some excellent skiing and winter climbing for those who enjoy that sort of thing.
During the Easter vacation, we run a trip to an area of the Highlands that's too far away to access in a weekend. We often go to the Isle of Skye; other destinations in recent years have included Torridon and Braemar.
To simplify things for everyone, all food is provided on these longer trips (but not beer!).
The vacation trips cost around £100. We think this is pretty good value for all your food, transport, and accommodation for five days.
We run socials every week during term-time. Our social secs work tirelessly to find exciting fun stuff to do around Manchester. Everyone’s welcome, so bring along friends, housemates, course mates and the like.
The club is always on the look-out for people willing to lead hikes. Our leaders are experienced hill-walkers who ensure that their group gets safely around their walk and back to the coach. It can be very rewarding and it looks great on a CV.
There's more to leading than just navigation – leaders need good group management skills. They need to be aware of how everyone in their group is coping and they need to be able to think quickly and make decisions based on changing conditions.
You don't need any special qualifications to do this, just the ability to look after yourself and others in the hills without getting lost. We'll help you to develop these skills and an experienced leader will shadow you for the first couple of hikes you lead to help you out and make sure you're up to scratch.
If you're interested in the leading for the club, or if you just want to learn more about navigation and map reading, speak to one of the leaders on a trip or drop me an email.