Scottish Mountaineering Club
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) is Scotland
's second oldest mountaineering
club. (the Cairngorm Club
was founded a few months earlier.) Founded in 1889, in Glasgow
, the private club, with about 400 members, publishes guidebooks and runs a list of Munro
ists.
s living in Scotland who had no contact with like-minded mountaineers. A flurry of letters in The Glasgow Herald led to meetings and the foundation of the club. Contrary to later criticism, the club was initially open to women, but as none joined it took on a male-only persona, only changed many decades later following debate and votes within the club. There are now women members (numbering 6 of just over 400 members), some of whom have served on the club committee and all of whom are most welcome. Membership of the Club remains by invitation only, with candidate members expected to provide referees within the club and a CV of climbing experience, with particular emphasis on Scottish winter routes.
From the very first, there was an air of exploration within the club, as it became apparent to its members that within Scotland there were many challenging mountains and climbs to be found. A Club Journal was started, initially with six issues per annum. It has been published annually now for many years and contains a mix of articles about mountains, reports of new climbs made in Scotland, book reviews etc.
One of the founding members of the club was Hugh Munro
, later Sir Hugh. He compiled the list of mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet which are now called the Munro
s. At present there are 284. The number has varied slightly over the years, both due to improvements in surveying and mapping by the Ordnance Survey, and due to realisations that several fine mountain ridges had more than one Munro. This was compounded by the fact that Munro made no definition of what he regarded as a separate mountain. Obviously, those who attempt to make ascents of all of the Munros have been irritated by the SMC 'tinkering' with the hallowed list. Some of the last revisions were very obvious improvements to the list, long overdue, and most hillwalkers have seemed to be happy with the list.
The SMC are, through the experience and knowledge of their members, the largest publishers of guidebooks to climbing and walking in Scotland. The SMC have set up their publishing arm, The Scottish Mountaineering Trust (Publications) Ltd, in such a way that all profits are returned to Scottish mountaineering. The SMC maintains five mountain huts, available to other clubs to book for the use of club meets, and so on.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's second oldest mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
club. (the Cairngorm Club
Cairngorm Club
-Founding:In Watson the author writes that it was founded at Clach Dhion - the Shelter Stone above Loch Avon in the Cairngorms on 24 June 1887...
was founded a few months earlier.) Founded in 1889, in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, the private club, with about 400 members, publishes guidebooks and runs a list of Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
ists.
History
At the time of the club's founding there were a number of experienced AlpinistAlpinist
Alpinist is a quarterly American magazine focused on mountaineering ascents worldwide. It was originally published out of Jackson, Wyoming and was founded in 2002...
s living in Scotland who had no contact with like-minded mountaineers. A flurry of letters in The Glasgow Herald led to meetings and the foundation of the club. Contrary to later criticism, the club was initially open to women, but as none joined it took on a male-only persona, only changed many decades later following debate and votes within the club. There are now women members (numbering 6 of just over 400 members), some of whom have served on the club committee and all of whom are most welcome. Membership of the Club remains by invitation only, with candidate members expected to provide referees within the club and a CV of climbing experience, with particular emphasis on Scottish winter routes.
From the very first, there was an air of exploration within the club, as it became apparent to its members that within Scotland there were many challenging mountains and climbs to be found. A Club Journal was started, initially with six issues per annum. It has been published annually now for many years and contains a mix of articles about mountains, reports of new climbs made in Scotland, book reviews etc.
One of the founding members of the club was Hugh Munro
Hugh Munro
Sir Hugh Thomas Munro, 4th Baronet of Linderits was a Scottish mountaineer who is best known for his list of mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet , known as the Munros....
, later Sir Hugh. He compiled the list of mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet which are now called the Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
s. At present there are 284. The number has varied slightly over the years, both due to improvements in surveying and mapping by the Ordnance Survey, and due to realisations that several fine mountain ridges had more than one Munro. This was compounded by the fact that Munro made no definition of what he regarded as a separate mountain. Obviously, those who attempt to make ascents of all of the Munros have been irritated by the SMC 'tinkering' with the hallowed list. Some of the last revisions were very obvious improvements to the list, long overdue, and most hillwalkers have seemed to be happy with the list.
The SMC are, through the experience and knowledge of their members, the largest publishers of guidebooks to climbing and walking in Scotland. The SMC have set up their publishing arm, The Scottish Mountaineering Trust (Publications) Ltd, in such a way that all profits are returned to Scottish mountaineering. The SMC maintains five mountain huts, available to other clubs to book for the use of club meets, and so on.
See also
- Alpine ClubAlpine Club (UK)The Alpine Club was founded in London in 1857 and was probably the world's first mountaineering club. It is UK mountaineering's acknowledged 'senior club'.-History:...
- Climbers' ClubClimbers' ClubThe Climbers' Club is the senior rock-climbing club in Wales and England . It was founded in 1898 and publishes guidebooks in the main climbing areas in Wales and Southern England...
- Fell & Rock Climbing Club
- The Rucksack ClubThe Rucksack ClubThe Rucksack Club was founded in Manchester in 1902 and has a current membership of well over 400 men and women. According to the Rules, "The objects of the Club are to facilitate walking tours, cave explorations and mountaineering in the British Isles and elsewhere, and bring into fellowship men...
- Malcolm SlesserMalcolm SlesserMalcolm Slesser was a Scottish energy analyst, scientist and mountaineer.-Biography:Slesser graduated from Edinburgh University. He began mountain climbing when he was young. In the 1950s Slesser joined an expedition to the Arctic...