Rock Climbing

Whether you're an experienced climber seeking a community of fellow enthusiasts, an intermediate looking to consolidate your skills, or a beginner eager to try an exciting new activity, MUMC has the people and equipment to help you climb and explore the vertical world.

For more information on how to climb with MUMC, please refer to the details at the bottom of the page.

 Climbing with a view at Point Perpendicular, NSW

When multiday climbing trips aren’t possible, we focus on improving our skills and strength at our regular Monday Night Climbing events. These are currently held at Urban Climb Blackburn every Monday from 7PM. More details are posted weekly in the Trips section of the website.

If you’re mainly interested in indoor climbing, there are plenty of opportunities, including bouldering and climbing competitions. We also occasionally offer coaching sessions to help you improve your skills.

Aaron Lowndes climbing Eye of the Tiger in the Grampians/Gariwerd.

Gear Hire

MUMC offers a wide range of gear for hire, including (but not limited to) harnesses, helmets, climbing shoes, ropes, and trad racks (nuts, cams, hexes). For gear hire rates and more detailed information on what we have available, visit the Gear Hire page on the website.

You will need to be ticked off to the required level within the MUMC Climbing Framework before you can hire gear, see details below.

Isaac Miles-Fine climbing at Barden's Lookout, Blue Mountains, NSW

The MUMC Climbing Framework

The MUMC Ropes Safety Management Plan (RSMP) governs all rock climbing activities at MUMC and is overseen by the Ropes Technical Committee (RTC). The RTC is responsible for reviewing and updating the framework and consists of experienced climbers, the Ropes Officer, and executive representatives from MUMC and MU Sport.

The RSMP outlines the preferred practices that must be followed on club trips, as well as a progression pathway from complete beginner to trad climbing and beyond. It also includes material for instructional courses offered by the club and the assessment criteria for these courses.

The system is divided into five categories: Novices, Seconders, Sport Lead Climbers, Independent Lead Climbers, and MUMC Climbing Instructors. Each level requires some form of assessment to achieve and determines what club gear you can borrow, the types of climbing you can engage in, and who you can climb with.

All MUMC members involved in climbing activities must be assessed to fit within this framework. This is designed to ensure that we appropriately manage risks to individuals, particularly in situations where activities involve leaders and dependent participants, for the safety of leaders, participants, the club, and the university.

The complete RSMP, along with information on workshops and assessments, can be found below.

MUMC Climbing Framework and RSMP

Jess Vinnicombe climbing at Gariwerd/Grampians, VIC

Start Climbing with MUMC

New to climbing? The best place to start is at an indoor climbing gym, either with ropes or bouldering. This will teach you the fundamentals and get you started on the right path. You can also borrow MUMC gear to join regular social climbing trips organised by club members, such as Monday Night Climbing.

Already experienced? For outdoor climbing, you can either submit a logbook detailing your climbs or be assessed by an instructor to join the MUMC climbing framework.

Option 1 - Submit a logbook of your experience to the Ropes Officer.

Members with prior climbing experience can submit a logbook of their climbs, which should include the following details: date, location, route name, length, protection style (bolted, trad, etc.), climbing partners, and any optional notes. Any easily readable format is acceptable; most people use a spreadsheet or export their data from thecrag.com. Please keep in mind that the cleaner your formatting, the faster it is likely to be approved, as it requires reading and an email response from each member of the RTC—all of whom are volunteers.

A climber approved solely based on their logbook will enter a “probationary period” until they have completed their assessment. This requirement ensures that MUMC can evaluate an individual before allowing them to take responsibility for others.

Logbook Requirements and Limitations:

Probationary Seconder:

• Must show 200 meters or 6 climbs as a seconder on trad routes
• Must have multipitch experience
• Cannot set up top rope anchors for novices until they have passed their Seconder assessment items

Probationary Sport Lead Climber:

• Must show 500 meters or 10 climbs as a leader on fixed protection
• Can second Independent Lead Climbers and above

Probationary Single Pitch Lead Climber:

• Must show 500 meters or 10 climbs as a leader on trad gear
• Can second Independent Lead Climbers and above

Probationary Independent Lead Climber:

• Must show 500 meters or 10 climbs as a leader on trad gear
• Must have multipitch experience
• Can climb with Single Pitch Lead Climbers (only single pitch) and above
• Remains in probationary period (can only climb with non-probationary leaders) until they have demonstrated rescue skills, guided abseil, and completed trip leader induction.

Option 2 - Complete your assessment with an MUMC Climbing Instructor:

Come on one of the club’s instructional trips to be assessed by an instructor. These trips typically occur a couple of times a year. There’s a few things that can really help this process:

• Speak with the Ropes Officer about the trips and courses that interest you, and to figure you where you currently sit on the framework (if applicable)
• Participate in our social indoor climbing and bouldering sessions. Active participation in club events is a great way to show that you're a keen climber.
• Do your homework before the trip. Review the assessment sheet beforehand, and if you need to brush up on anything, reach out to the Ropes Officer or borrow a book from the club library. Watching online tutorials and climbing regularly indoors will also be beneficial.

Katie Ramsden climbing at Mt.Alexander, VIC

Other Resources

• Learning to climb -  a list of recommended books for beginning to intermediate climbers.
  

That’s a lot of information! If you're interested in climbing, the best approach is to attend a Tuesday Night meeting or join us for Monday Night Climbing. This way, you can have a chat with the Ropes Officer and get all your questions answered.

If you have any questions regarding climbing at MUMC or the Ropes Safety Management Plan, please contact the Ropes Officer at .

Leandro Scholz climbing at the You Yangs, VIC