First WUMC Trip: A Fresher’s Baptism of Fire

When I signed up for my first trip with Warwick University Mountaineering Club (WUMC) in the autumn of ’97, I pictured a weekend of peaceful cragging, fresh air and a chance to make new friends. What I got instead was a chaotic convoy, boisterous hut games and a Land Rover painted like an ambulance. Back …

Sunnyside Jaunts: Climbing, Curry and Cups of Tea in Derbyshire

There are certain places that become spiritual homes over time, where friendships deepen, passions thrive and mishaps turn into cherished memories. For me, Derbyshire is one such place. A quaint little cottage called Sunnyside, perched on the hillside above Matlock, often lay at the heart of these adventures. In the autumn of 1997, newly freed …