LUUMC The Journal

The Journal is a collaborative non-profit publication run by students of the Leeds University Union Mountaineering Club. It has been in and out of print since the 1950’s, and has the aim of documenting the stories and voices of the climbing scene in the club, West Yorkshire and beyond. It seeks to explore the climbing community’s history, celebrate achievements and offer inspiration to readers, with contributions from both members of the club and the wider community.

ABOUT US

Leeds University Union Mountaineering Club (LUUMC)

The Leeds University Union Mountaineering Club (LUUMC) is one of the oldest societies at the University of Leeds, and among the longest‑running university climbing clubs in the UK, with roots stretching back to the 1950s and even earlier.

Over the decades, LUUMC has helped shape a strong climbing community in Leeds and West Yorkshire. Many former members have gone on to make significant contributions to the wider climbing world - as professional and competition climbers, mountain guides, and writers, and the club has remained a place where skills, experience, and enthusiasm are shared across generations.

The club is also closely linked to an important milestone in climbing history: in 1964, the University of Leeds installed what is widely regarded as the first modern artificial training wall, created by lecturer Don Robinson. This innovation not only helped lay the foundations for indoor climbing as we know it today, but also gave Leeds climbers a new way to train year‑round, contributing to the progression of climbing both locally and more widely.

Today, LUUMC continues its longstanding traditions of regular indoor training, weekend trips around the UK, club meets abroad and active engagement with the climbing community. Alongside this, the club’s publication The Journal has helped record and preserve the club’s history history, documenting the people and stories that have shaped the club over the years.

Click below to read the full digitised collection of The Journal archives, or click here to learn more about how to join the club and to find out about our regular scheduled events.

Read the archives

LUUMC The Journal 1987/8
Rachel Nicolson climbing the Roger Stevens building, University of Leeds

Thank you to everyone who joined our launch party! 🕺

We had a super sick time showcasing our new magazine to the world, and getting to catch up with all of you at the Lab - even some LUUMC alumni dropped by to say hi!

Our magazine, posters and T-shirts are now for sale in our link in bio - remember to fill in the order form for T-shirts which shuts end of tomorrow!

📸 @dylanonthewall

INTRODUCING the ‘friends in high places’ Journal tee.
To celebrate the launch of Volume 4 we’ll be releasing this limited edition shirt. Ft. a reworked archive LUUMC graphic printed on a ‘coffee’ heavy cotton base. There’s only a few of these going, so make sure you head down to the launch tonight to grab yourself one! 🍯

The Journal Vol. IV launches today! 🥳

We’re looking forward to seeing all of you later today at our launch party, and don’t worry- if you can’t attend in person, we’ll have all of our goodies available for sale online as well. (subject to stock in case we sell out today 😉)

Big climbing love,
Nik & The Journal team x

We’re super excited to be able to spotlight some amazing UK-based climbing charities in our latest edition of The Journal.

We highly encourage you to follow their social media pages, check out their websites, and get involved with or support their events in any way you can!

@climboutfest
@circularclimbingcollective
@uk.paraclimbing.collective

We can’t believe it’s launch week already! 🫣😆

We thought we’d share with you a little bit of the behind-the-scenes production work we’ve been getting up to over April. Riso poster printing? Laser cutting for stickers? Cryptic crossword answer sheets put into each copy? Check check check.

See you all on Wednesday 29th at @theclimbinglab !

So at long last, here it is. The latest iteration of The Journal is on its way to the printers and will soon be out in the world! This one feels pretty special; after 2 years of work, Volume IV is jam-packed with some class articles, accompanied by great photography and design work.

To celebrate, we’ll be throwing a launch party on Wednesday April 29th, hosted by our friends over at @theclimbinglab from 6-9pm. We’d love to see some of you drop by to get your hands on a copy, and join in celebrating the community behind the project with a live DJ throughout the evening and a limited supply of free food and drinks 🤙.

The launch party is open to the public, and NO TICKET IS REQUIRED to attend! If you would like to climb as well as attend, please purchase gym entry and complete any waivers on the day as usual. If you are not climbing, you are welcome to join for free - however we kindly ask you to not go on the matting area below the walls 🕺.

Finally, a huge thank you to all of our contributors for their time, creativity, and support in bringing this issue to life.

Editors:
@nik.dam @jo3fraser @hannahgprince @sebiwillia

Designers:
@nik.graphics @jrafferty.design @bethfoxdesign

Photography:
@dylanonthewall @tudorshoots @aidans.shots

Articles by:
@celeste.cks @nik.dam @felixdjackson @_manonhenderson_ @sacha._.laurent @ste_mcclure @jimpopeonarope @hannahgprince @reynolds_023 @bethrippin17 @beth.saxo_ @samuel_shepperson @sebiwillia @hollybxkxr @maxdoww @betty.hoon @jamespagn @joe_williams5002 @vildurrhildur

See you all very very soon… 🐐
-The Journal team x

The Journal website is finally live! 🌍📰

As a team, one of our goals this year was to help digitise previous editions of The Journal and build a strong foundation for those who will continue the project in the future.

Our new website now hosts The Journal archives, documenting our club all the way back to its roots in the 1950s, and making them accessible to everyone.

This has been a huge team effort, and we are incredibly proud to help preserve and share the history of @luumountaineering with the world.

Take a look through decades of writing, big sends and student voices. Link in bio 🤙

-The Journal team x

We’re still buzzing from our last launch party 🕺

The Journal Vol. III launch party may feel like a while ago now, but the team behind The Journal magazine are still feeling the energy, as we make preparations for the launch of our next edition, Vol. IV.

Drop a comment below to let us know if you’re excited for our next launch, and if you have any thoughts or recommendations for the event! 👇

🕺For better or for worse, @luumountaineering has a tendency to wear tight and bright to the crag (although more recently limited to the annual Wales trip).

Thank you for your patience with The Journal Vol. 4. The team have been busy over the holiday break and are currently in the design process for the magazine. More details to come later in February!

Photo 1: LUUMC team at Pembroke, circa 1987
Photos 2 & 3: Club Wales trip 2021
Photos 4 & 5: Club Wales trip 2022
Photo 6: Club Wales trip 2024
Photo 7: Club Wales trip 2025

From The Big Greeny to Tufted Crack, the Horn of Upernavik in Greenland to the SW Ridge of Annapurna III in Nepal, members and alumni of Leeds University have been responsible for some landmark first ascents.

While nowadays some lament that there is nothing new to be done on the grit, others continue to delve into increasingly esoteric, downright silly, or occasionally brilliant bouts of first ascensionism.

We want to shine a light on some of these stories for the upcoming edition of the journal. So… If you’ve ever dabbled in the dark art of new routing, we want to hear from you. Tell us about the climb you’ve put up ( or attempted to put up ), its name, and a little description of your experience on the route & any pictures you might have. You can send it across to us by email at luumcthejournal@gmail.com or drop us a Dm here.

WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS IN THE JOURNAL!!
thank you to everyone who replied to our call-out for editors! we are now in the process of sending out articles to begin to pull the magazine together - as well as writing, we’re looking to showcase photographs by LUUMCers and those affiliated with the club. If you want to see your photography in print, submit your work to the link below alongside your name and a little info about the photos: https://forms.gle/gAgMe5wCPYQ6gsS18 (This link will also be in our stories /bio)

Hi all, The Journal has been lying dormant while its committee have been off summer cragging… but not to worry, the weather has turned and we’re ready to finish up this edition of the magazine!

We need a little help though… we’re looking for people interested in doing some editing and design for Volume 4’s articles. If you’ve got a creative flair and an interest in design then drop us a dm or shoot an email to luumcthejournal@gmail.com 🍄‍🟫 Pictured: A day out at Attamire Scar, near Settle, June 2025. Shot on film by @hannahprince.art

Hello lovely climbers… you might have noticed its been a little quiet on here recently.

Other commitments have had to take priority recently and as such i’ve taken a step back from work on the Journal for the time being. As a team we’ve therefore made the decision that the launch of Volume 4 of the Journal will be postponed until this September. The rationale for this is that The Journal is a passion project, and we want to do it (and the contributors) justice by making it sick af for you guys, and giving it the love it deserves.

We understand this will be disappointing for some of you (we hope it is, i’m pretty bummed at least):

But here’s a few important things to know:

1. Yes, Volume 4 will still be happening, all of you who submitted great articles & photos, dont worry, they will see the light of day ;)
2. If you’ve got things to submit or ideas to share with us, feel free to send them over to us, but they’ll likely be saved for Volume 5…
3. This hopefully won’t impact on the production of Volume 5, which is due to take place next academic year - it’ll just be a return to 2 issues a year (lucky you).

In the meantime we’ll be working on it through summer, and hope to have some exciting stuff planned for a September launch. So, keep your eyes open for more info about it in the next few months, keep taking photos and keep writing up your stories & ideas!

Peace out,

Joe. 🦉

We’re beginning to receive submissions in the journal inbox and it has been very exciting seeing what you’ve all written / made! Submissions open til the 2nd of December by emailing luumcthejournal@gmail.com ✨🧗💫

MEMORIES

What do you think of when you hear ‘memories’?

Is it golden days spent at the crag? Time passed with friends running around projects, exploring new places together for the first time. Or those times when things didn’t go to plan - you got washed out, sandbagged, entirely lost (all of the above)? Maybe it brings to mind the legacy of climbers past, the pictures, articles and films of pioneer first-ascentionists - or the stories handed around over pints in a warm pub after a day out climbing.

… whatever it is, we want to hear about it. As we’ve previously said, this theme is just an idea to get you started, so don’t worry about deviating from it or making it your own!

There’s still two more weeks until the deadline for getting your work in The Journal volume IV. Keep sending your photographs, articles, designs and ideas through to us (at luumcthejournal@gmail.com):)

Pictured above: Hannah and Daniel (dad) on the summit of Bynack More (2023) and topping out at Reiff after a first trad second (2011)

The Journal Volume 4 is open for submissions!

Have you been on a cool trip, know someone you’d like to interview or just have thoughts about climbing you’d like to write about? ...

For this edition we’ve selected the theme of “Memories”. We’d love to hear what this means to you, but please treat it as a jumping off point for whatever it is you want to write about or explore in an article / submission. This does not have to be limited to the written word, so please send us any art/photography, or other creative work, you think would fit with the project.

Deadline for submissions for this edition will be December 1st, so get your ideas into us before then. To submit your work, or ask us any questions, email luumcthejournal@gmail.com or drop us a dm on the instagram.

Looking forward to seeing what you have to share! 🦥

Hi all! The Journal is back for 2024/25 ! we will be at the luumc social on wednesday to chat more about the project and will be having an open group brainstorm at old bar next week - we’d love to see you there! details to follow (keep an eye on our stories and posts for updates). We’re excited to see where the journal will go this year.

Going climbing this summer?

First of all, we’d like to give a warm thank you to all those who bought a copy of the Journal, and continue to engage with the project. Your support makes all the hard work worth it. A huge congrats to Nik, Alice and Sebi for pulling off an amazing third edition to the Journal and creating a great community event to celebrate.

Now… remember to keep the Journal in mind when you head out to your adventures this summer, we want to hear your stories! It goes without saying therefore that the Journal will be returning this September. So dust off your camera, keep pen and paper at hand, or typewriter if that's your thing, and let us know what you get up to or what you’ve been mulling over in the climbing world. 🌏

On our side, we have some big ideas for the next edition and a lot of psyche. We’re excited to see where the project will go from here and we would welcome any feedback and ideas you have. Until then, we hope you get up to some cool adventures in the coming months and keep watching this space…

The Journal Team ☀️

Come and make riso-print posters with us!
We have limited stock of these posters so get your hands on one while you can at todays launch:)
•
Riso-printing or risograph printing uses special soyabean oil and rice oil based inks. 🎨 This type of ink is extremely vibrant, and is also much more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional toner based printing! ♻️ One oddity is that you can only print one colour at a time, and it takes about 2 days for each colour to dry before you can do the next coat, so patience and a bit of colour creativity is needed! 🌻

The Journal Vol. 3 is (finally) fully printed!
See you all at the launch on 6th of March :)
-The Journal team x

We’re hosting a launch party for volume III at @theclimbinglab on Wednesday 6th March, 6-10pm! 🪩

Be the first to get your hands on the new magazine, and join us for an evening of exclusive readings, a raffle (with goodies from @rocktechnologieschalk and @sgurr.shop !), DJ set, free pizza 🍕, and of course some climbing!

The latest edition is jam-packed with articles — from the icy peaks of Ben Nevis ❄️ to the sweltering heat of Wadi Rum 🔥. It includes exclusive interviews with the likes of 17-time Everest climber & mountain guide (not to mention Leeds Alumni) Kenton Cool @kentoncool , and Team GB paraclimber Abbie Robinson @abbie.paraclimbing , as well as articles providing heartfelt reflections on inspirational experiences, community and fatherhood.

For those unfamiliar:
The Journal is a collaborative non-profit publication run by students of the Leeds University Union Mountaineering Club. It has been in and out of print since the 1950’s! 📰 It has the aim of documenting the stories and voices of the climbing scene in the club, West Yorkshire, and beyond. It seeks to explore the climbing community’s history, celebrate achievements, and offer inspiration to readers, with contributions from both members of the club and the wider community. 🏔

We look forward to seeing you there!

Just a little announcement to say that The Journal will be continuing this academic year!

We will be taking over from Joe, Sahara and the rest of the Journal committee while they are abroad this year. While we will put our own spin on it, as a whole we want to continue the magazine as a documentation and celebration of the climbing scene in Leeds and West Yorkshire.

As with previous renditions of The Journal we will rely hugely on contributions from members of the society (past and present), so start getting ideas if you’d like to write for us! We’ll have more info about a theme in semester one, but the heart of the journal will remain much the same, so please do make note of your climbing adventures, people you’d like to interview, any climbing related issues you’d like to address or anything else you think would fit in the magazine.

We will also be looking for people to help out with other aspects of The Journal so do let us know if you’d like to get involved!

Alice and Nik x

ps. if anyone has yet to grab their copy of volume II we’ll be back in Leeds in late September so shoot us a message :)

image: Hannah Williams at Kilnsey

Time to get your hands on the Journal Vol II!

We are excited to announce that you can now purchase your copy of the Journal and limited edition screen prints for collection, drop off, or delivery via fixr (see link in bio).

For those of you based in Leeds, select collection/drop off in the checkout and message us to arrange this. The committee will be making door to door drop offs in the coming weeks, and collection points will be organised at local climbing gyms. If you live further afield, we can post your copy to you, just select delivery at the checkout and message us with your address.

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to our launch party last week, this was a great success and it was wonderful to see so many old and new faces. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading the magazine as much as we enjoyed making it and are excited for the rest of you to see it too.

The Journal committee x -photo: hannah on s crack at ilkley

HISTORY OF THE LUUMC JOURNAL

The Leeds University Climbing Club Journal was a respected periodical first published in 1956 and produced annually until circa 1973. The Journal has experienced multiple revivals since this period, notably with the eye catching issues of the late 80’s put together by a prolific Journal committee (Martin Newman, Rachel Barker, Nick Phillips… to whom we owe much).

In October 2022 the Journal experienced its first revival since 2012. Its focus was on commemorating the history of the club, bridging the gap between the old and new, and shedding light on some contemporary topics in climbing. We’re extremely excited for the release of the second edition of the new Journal, launching tomorrow with a party in town (LINK IN BIO FOR TICKETS!). For this edition, we had a particular question in mind – why do we climb? The collection of articles, artwork, and photographs which culminated from this question demonstrate the unbelievable breadth of talent that hides behind the curtains of our little climbing community in Leeds. The history of the club lives on and will continue to inspire for generations. Highlights of the Journal Vol II include an exclusive interview with James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini, Ben Wilson’s experience soloing, and a conversation with LUUMC alumnus Harriet Ridley.

Join us at the launch party tomorrow to get your hands on a copy! An online link will be released shortly to make payment for magazines and posters – we can then arrange drop off, collection, or postage depending on what suits you best.

We can’t wait for you to see what the last few months of hard work have gone into and hope you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed making it.

The Journal committee x

(photos:
1: manon at ilkely, 2: front cover of the Journal 1974, 3: LUUMC winter trip 2023, 4: ‘new routes’ in yorkshire gritstone circa 1970s)

SPOTLIGHT: I had the pleasure of talking to professional climbers James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini about Why We Climb for this upcoming edition. We had a really interesting conversation, spanning adventure, parenthood and the value of rockclimbing in our lives. They are two people who inspired me into first climbing, not just for their ability but the approach they take to the sport. Look out for the full interview in Volume 2 of The Journal!! - joe

JOURNAL VOL II LAUNCH PARTY

It’s time for the Journal Vol II! We’re very excited to announce that the A/W 23 edition of The Journal will launch next Thursday 8th June, with a party at @eatyourgreensleeds in town. The launch will start from 8pm, with live music, drinks, and a few special words. You will be able to collect or purchase your copy of the magazine plus posters and more exciting stuff! We are super excited for you to see what the last few months of work has been going towards and to have a boogie with you. Stay tuned for more info about tickets (free)!

Love,
The Journal committee

SAVE THE DATE
thursday 8th june
more info coming soon 🧿

make journal posters with us!! (also poster reveal teehee - these will available to buy alongside the journals!) much love to @rosie0baker for documenting + helping with the process

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