Events

Our regular indoor Bouldering session at The Climbing Station in Loughborough. Bouldering is a great way to build your technique whether your a complete beginner or experienced climber. Come and join our friendly group of club members, share tips, idea's, and of course encouragement to complete the next challenging route!

For more information contact Andy Potter (07796 220055).

Whilst we wait for the long evenings to return so we can climb outdoors on a Thursday we will keep ourselves entertained with indoor climbing at The Tower Climbing Centre in Beaumont Leys, Leicester. Come and join our friendly group of club members, whether you're a novice or a seasoned climber there will be something for everyone!

For more information contact Andy Potter (07796 220055)

Our annual Mountain Biking weekend will be on the 4th/5th of November this year. We are off to the Lake District staying at the Lowick School Bunkhouse which is a mere 8 miles from the excellent MTB trails of Grizedale Forest. And of course there are many other MTB routes around the Lake District.

We've exclusive use of the Lowick School Bunkhouse from 4pm on Friday 3rd November until 12pm on Sunday 5th November. The bunkhouse has ample parking, showers, log fire, etc. Make sure you read this guide to staying at the bunkhouse. Please note that we have been specifically asked NOT to bring any fireworks. Also be aware that the family who run the bunkhouse and live next door will be having a fireworks party with their friends on Saturday night so there will be lots of extra cars and people around (we are welcome to use the fire area of the bunkhouse to have our own fire and watch their fireworks from there as well).

The cost for the weekend will be £35 per person. This includes Friday and Saturday nights accommodation, Saturday night dinner which we will cook at the bunk house, plus breakfast (porridge and toast) on Saturday and Sunday mornings. So all you need to bring food wise is your packed lunches and whatever drinks you would like.

The bunkhouse does not provide bedding so please bring your own pillow, sleeping bag and towel, plus some indoor footwear for wearing inside the bunkhouse.

There are 20 places available and these will likely go fast so you can book your place(s) right now with your Paypal account, or just using a debit/credit card (there is no requirement to create a Paypal account if you don't want to). Just click on the 'Buy Tickets' button to book your place.

Any queries please contact Andy Potter (07796 220055)

The social event of the year is of course the Bowline Climbing Club annual dinner. This year we are returning to the Belmont Hotel in Leicester on Saturday 18th November from 19:00 until late. We have our own private room with bar, and we will be enjoying a delicious three course meal, costing £25 per person. See below for the menu choices.

We have a maximum of 50 places available and we need to have confirmed our booking by the 31st October. Get your places booked right now by clicking on the 'Buy Tickets' button above. Please only book one place at a time as we need your menu choices individually. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Any queries please contact Zoe Pickering.

NB: v = vegetarian, gf = gluten free

Starters

• Lightly-spiced butternut squash soup with creme fraiche (v, gf).
• Chicken liver parfait, port & cranberry chutney, brioche.
• Warm goat's cheese with a hazelnut crust, beetroot salad (v, gf).

Mains

• Corn fed chicken, creamed leeks, fondant potato, mushroom sauce (gf).
• Salmon, basil crushed new potatoes, tomato fondue (gf).
• Braised blade of beef, creamed mash, Bourguignon sauce (gf).
• Pea, asparagus & smoked cheddar risotto (v, gf).

Puddings

• Sticky toffee pudding, toffee sauce & vanilla ice cream (v).
• Apple & pecan crumble tart, toffee ice cream (v).
• Passion fruit & creme fraiche tart.

Followed by Tea, coffee & mints.

As is traditional the exact location of this years Chairmans walk will be revealed nearer the time. But we can tell you that it will be in the Peak district and we will be starting the walk at 10am. There will be a pub lunch to enjoy once we've walked up an appetite. You'll need to make your own way to the start point and we'll circulate details to help you co-ordinate lifts. Let us know you are coming by indicating your attendance here on the website using the RSVP option (you'll need to login to RSVP).

Come and share your adventures with fellow Bowliners at this years annual Slideshow. Of course we don't use slides these days instead we will have a projector and laptops so that you can share with us your favourite pictures and tales of adventure.

It doesn't have to be just climbing or about a club trip. Perhaps you have been travelling to interesting places, cycled/walked/paddled somewhere and would like to spend a few minutes telling us about it. The pub does good food and drinks which you can enjoy whilst getting inspired by tales of adventure.

We'd like to hear from as many people as possible and you don't need to talk for long (5-10 minutes would be more than enough). So start searching out those photo's and interesting/humourous tales and we look forward to seeing you there!

Get ready to have fun and test your skills against your fellow Bowline Boulderers at our annual Christmas Bouldering competition on Tuesday 13th December, 19:00 at The Climbing Station in Loughborough. With pizza's to share afterwards and fun prizes it's the place to be! 

The competition kicks off at 19:30 sharp and you'll want to warm up first so we suggest you get there for 19:00. This year we will have two main competitions, one fun competition with a handicap system to make it as fair as possible. And a 'serious' points based competition for those like that kind of thing. In both cases you'll need a partner to climb with and you'll get 50 minutes to complete as many routes possible.

At 20:30 we will have the speed climbing competition set by Mr Richards, this will be the same format as last year with pairs of climbers racing to be the fastest across the wall. There will be a prize for the winner of each of the main competitions and also the speed climbing competition. Then at 21:00 there will Pizzas and drinks upstairs.

It costs £5 to enter. Cash on the day please (ideally the exact amount).

Having visited Joshua Tree in 2015 I can confirm that it is a trad climbing paradise with enough routes for multiple lifetimes in a beautiful setting, with nearly year round dry weather. I'm planning to head back there this New Year for two weeks of climbing. This will likely be mostly in Joshua Tree but I may well be tempted to visit Red Rocks near Las Vegas again as the multi-pitch climbing here was also amazing. Possibly also be tempted to spend 1 or 2 days skiing in the mountains near LA on the way back.

Visiting this part of the USA is super easy which is one of the things that appeals. I'm planning to fly direct from Heathrow to Los Angeles, hire a car, drive to Joshua Tree and go climbing, simple!

Flights from Heathrow to LA are currently around £400 return. Car hire will be around £120 per person (based on 4 sharing a car for two weeks). Park entry is around £40 per vehicle for two weeks, camping around £15 per pitch per night (but a pitch can be 4-6 people). So depending on the number of people sharing a vehicle it's probably around £800 per person including food/drink/fuel/etc.

If you're interested in coming along get in touch with me (Andy Potter), sooner the better as flight prices will likely rise.
 

The Bowline Climbing Club are pleased to be hosting the 32nd Charnwood Hills race on Sunday 4th February 2018. This is a FELL RACE under Fell Running Association rules. The course is approx 14 miles long and follows public footpaths and open country involving 1200 feet of ascent over Bradgate, Broombriggs and Beacon Hill Country Parks.

Entry for the race will open online at 8pm on Wednesday 8th November via the Entry Central website, the entry fee is £16 (please note entries usually sell out extremely quickly). Please ensure you've read the race prospectus before completing your entry. All details entered into the website are kept secure and only used for the purpose of organising and running the race.
 
The race is limited to 350 runners. No entries are allowed on the race day.

Entries are non refundable, however entries may be transferred by contacting us up until the 31st January.

If you have any questions about the race or the online entry process please email us or post your question on the race forum.

This map shows the race route (you can click the map to view an interactive version):

The unique bouldering mecca that is the 'Foret de Fontainebleau' in France is our destination once again for a spring bouldering trip. As the name suggests the main activity for this trip is bouldering, although the area offers pleasant walking and cycling too. 

As usual this is one of our 'self-service' meets. So groups of members are organising their transport/accommodation for the trip and then meeting up to boulder together each day. There is a variety of accommodation available including camping, static caravans, gite's and hotels. Several groups have already got gite's booked in our usual area near Milly-la-foret, and there is also camping and static caravans at the nearby La Musardiere campsite.

Early spring is a popular time to visit Fontainebleau as the weather generally at it's best for bouldering. Hence it is a good idea to book early!