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Home >> Joining
Joining
Looking North from Red Screes
The FRCC is a private club, registered as a Mutual Society, which currently has a membership limit of 1300. The Club’s activities are centred on the English Lake District and experience of and an interest in the Lake District mountains are among the requirements for membership. The Club is not a training organisation and all applicants must be experienced climbers or mountaineers. The Club has some of the leading UK climbers amongst its members and especially welcomes applications from young active climbers and mountaineers to continue its traditions of excellence.
Your attention is drawn to the participation statement shown below, which new members will be required to agree to.
The FRCC recognises that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.
What are the benefits of joining the FRCC?
As with other clubs, membership of the FRCC brings many benefits including the pleasures of shared activities with people of similar interests.
Applicants for membership should be competent climbers or mountaineers. Our members are involved in all types of mountain-related activities including rock, snow and ice climbing, mountain walking, back-packing, trekking, orienteering, fell running, skiing, mountain biking etc.
The Club owns five properties in the Lake District and two in Scotland. Members may use these seven huts at any time (subject to availability). Booking is strongly recommended, especially at weekends. There is an extensive programme of meets which occur almost every weekend based on our own or kindred club huts throughout the UK. Overseas meets are also organised several times per year in various parts of Europe.
Who can join?
FRCC welcomes applications for membership from able, self-reliant rock climbers and mountaineers over the age of 18. The Club expects applicants to be competent in the mountains under all weather conditions and to be sociable and considerate towards other members and guests, both in our huts and during outdoor activities. We consider it particularly important to help to maintain club properties at their current very high standard and to accept a fair share of responsibility for communal duties when using the huts.
What level of competence and experience is required?
As a climber, we expect that you should be competent and safe leading and have considerable experience in the Lake District and elsewhere. As a mountaineer, we expect that you can judge conditions and navigate competently and safely in all kinds of weather, including when the mountains are under snow and ice, and that you have the requisite fitness for these mountain activities. You should have experience of walking and scrambling in all seasons of the year in British mountains, particularly in the Lake District.
How to join
As part of the application process, an applicant is usually expected to attend a minimum of three Club Meets (excluding the Annual Dinner meet and joint meets with other clubs). The purpose of this is to allow both applicants and fellow members to get to know each other. Before proceeding with an application for membership, the applicant will require a Proposer and Seconder, who must both be Full Members of the Club, have a good knowledge of the applicant’s capabilities and have accompanied the applicant on meets. Alternatively, an application may be considered without the requirement of the Meets attendance outlined above, if accompanied by letters of recommendation from a minimum of four Full Members, who have a good knowledge of the applicant’s capabilities, in addition to the Proposer and Seconder.
Potential applicants who do not have a Proposer and Seconder should attend an Introductory Meet. A form for attendance can be obtained by email or by post from the Membership Secretary and successful applicants will be invited to attend an Introductory Meet. These meets provide an opportunity to meet some of the Committee and other Club members, to discuss procedures and to seek guidance on how to proceed with your application.
Contact the Membership Secretary
Applying for Membership
An application form and guidance notes can be obtained by email or by post from the Membership Secretary. If successful at this stage, an applicant is normally admitted to Associate Membership.
Progression to Full Membership
After acceptance to Associate Membership, three years usually elapse before application for Full Membership may be made. During this time and in addition to their mountaineering activities, Associate Members are expected to take part in and contribute to Club life. This is one of the criteria used, along with details of rock climbing and mountaineering activities, when the Membership Sub-committee considers requests for transition to Full Membership.