CLIMBING SESSIONS at the AU
Our wall is at the Athletic Union, past reception and in the gym. We currently have 4 sessions a week but are hoping to get it changed back to 5 or 6 and will keep everyone updated! There will be committee members at each session to make sure everything runs smoothly and to answer any questions you might have.
Current club wall times:
Monday – 17:30 – 19:00*
Tuesday – 17:00 – 19:00
Wednesday – 14:00 – 17:00
Thursday – 6:30 – 9 am (hangin’ on the overhang)
We have a new AU employee called Jake who will teach how to belay on Monday nights – you get a 1 hour lesson where he will teach you to tie a figure of 8 knot, tie in, use an ATC belay plate, communicate with your climber and let them down safely. A lesson with Jake costs £10
for the hour.
If you can’t make it to the club times, these are public sessions open to the community you can also attend with AU membership. They’re usually quiet, and same as club sessions where you can climb any route when you turn up, there’s just no guarantee club members will be there.
Public sessions:
Monday – 19:00 – 22:30
Tuesday – 19:00 – 22:30
Wednesday 17:00-20:00
Thursday 18:30-20:30
What to bring:
Shoes and a harness if you have them; that’s it! You can rent both from the AU for £3, although it used to be free so we’re trying to get the price reduced again.
If you want to get into climbing long term, it’s a good investment to have your own harness and shoes. Great name brands are Black Diamond, Petzl, Evolv, La Sportiva, but these can be very pricey – a great place to look for these is Outdoor Gear Exchange UK, a Facebook page where people post lightly used gear for low prices:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/usedgearexchangeuk/
BOULDERING
Unfortunately there’s no bouldering wall in St Andrews, but there’s a great one in Dundee at Avertical World! It’s £8 entry for an entire day, and there’s a group of people who go several times a week – get in touch and we can add you to the group chat.
There’s also some good bouldering at the Maiden – a sea stack down the coastal path. The club has a bouldering mat, just let us know if you want to borrow it!
COMPETITIONS
Every Friday there are bouldering competitions at AV(Avertical World). Lots of members go regularly, then make a night out of it and go for drinks in Dundee! They’re completely optional, £10 entry, you compete against locals and other uni students on various bouldering problems.
If you win your group you can win a chalk bag, quickdraws, and other climbing goodness.
BUCS
BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) is an annual national competition in February in Sheffield, historically at The Climbing Works bouldering gym. You represent St Andrews as you
compete against other British universities in bouldering comps. It’s a weekend trip because Sheffield is eons away – you stay in a hotel and get to know other club members verrry well!
It’s completely optional, and people who are keen will climb together in the weeks before to prepare, but it’s a completely individual, no-pressure competition.
