UMIST Hiking and Mountaineering Club (UHMC)

The History of UMIST Hiking and Mountaineering Club
=Name of the Club=
 * This page is work in progress!**

=Annual Traditions=


 * Throwing outgoing and in-going chairmen in a "pond" at the AGM.
 * Throwing wet sponges or firing waterpistols at outgoing committee members as they made end of year speeches.
 * The downing of a yard of ale by incomming social secretaries at the AGM.
 * The pentapedal pub crawl - a five legged pub crawl, which started at the top of the maths tower and was a race. This started as a RAG week event and became a race against MUHC. It is stated in meeting minutes that teams could use the lift to get to the top of the maths tower.
 * Bogle - a 55 mile sponsored walk around Manchester (still run by RAG today), which the hiking club used to organise.
 * The camel seems to have been a mascot taken on hikes by the camel bearer. The camel does not seem to have been a camel, it is documented as being Lavinia the hippopotamus, Mrs Hippo, on one occasion.

=Hikes Destinations=

Over the years the hiking club went to the following places. Some for a day, others for a weekend or longer in the holidays. Transport was usually by coach and there was no advance sign up (certainly untill the early 1980s). All communication to club members was carried out by poster in the days before email and internet was widespread.


 * Bakewell
 * Forest of Bowland
 * Grasmere (weekend tour)
 * Malham
 * Pendle Hill Night Hike
 * Clocaenog
 * Anglezarke
 * Sherwood Forest
 * Kinder Scout
 * Sherwood Forest
 * Bolton Abbey
 * Langdales (Considered a long way for a day trip in 1982)
 * Roaches
 * Berwyn Mountains
 * Stiperstones
 * Rochdale
 * Formby (end of year seaside hike)
 * Ladybower

=Membership=

It seems that students of UMIST and students of the domestic science college (Domski) which became City of MAnchester College of Higher Eduacation, made up the membership of the hiking club. Membership of TCHHC automatically made you a member of the Victoria University of Manchester Hiking club, MUHC. Joint socials were held with MUHC, these included barn dances, football matches and the Pentapedal pubcrawl.