Welcome to Hiking

Please see our own website at luuhc.com for EVERYTHING you need to know! Below is just the nitty gritty and any other questions you may have are likely to be answered on the website.

At Leeds University Union Hiking club the outdoors is our passion and enabling you to explore it is our aim. Whether you enjoy a gentle stroll in the Yorkshire Dales, a demanding scramble along a Lakeland ridge or a winter epic in the Scottish Highlands, there is something for everyone. As an incredibly active club, we provide ample opportunities for you to leave the smoke behind and embrace the great outdoors!

 

Sunday Hikes

These trips are where we discover the beautiful places of the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District and North York Moors. Sunday trips consist of a gentle day of walking, then finishing at a pub for a well earned pint or hot chocolate. There’s always a variety of routes from a gentle walk to a day long hike and even the possibility of a scramble! It’s a chance to leave Leeds, switch off from university life and spend time with a great group of friendly people!

 

Weekend Trips

On our weekend trips you get to see the glorious hills and mountains all around England, Scotland and Wales. The hikes on a weekend trip are generally longer and more challenging than Sunday trips, but we make sure members of all ablities are catered for by offering walks of varied difficulties. Transport, accommodation, Saturday evening meal and breakfast is provided within the cost of the trip. Weekend trips are a chance to leave Leeds behind for the weekend and explore somewhere new in the UK. Locations include: Snowdonia, Lake District, Brecon Beacons and more.

 

Winter Trips

Two winter trips are held in February, where we travel to the Cairngorms and the Glencoe area in Scotland. Winter walking means you will get to use crampons and ice axes! We provide you with these and our experienced leaders will teach you how to use them and you will leave feeling like a true mountaineer. 

Please Note: To attend winter trips you must have attended a weekend trip and the winter briefing in December, as well as having B2 rated walking boots - See the full winter trip kit list (luuhc.com/gear/winter-trips)

 

Summer and Easter Trips

Every year we also run easter and summer trips, these are generally longer (7-15 days) and the destinations vary: 

  • Past Easter Trips: Snowdonia, Torridon and more.
  • Past Summer Trips: Backpacking in the Lake District, and camping in Glenshiel and Skye, and more.

 

International Trips

We also do International Summer trips; in the past we’ve done an epic 15 day trip exploring the mountains of central Norway, two weeks in the French Pyrenees, mountain hikes in the Austrian Alps, a two-week trek backpacking through the wilds of Iceland and two weeks camping in the beautiful Swiss Alps. In 2019, we headed off on our first International Trip outside Europe to Morocco for a week of hiking and scrambling fun!

 

Gear

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing"— Sir Rannulph Fiennes

For everyone’s safety the club has rules on gear that you must have. Please refer to our website for a full & comprehensive kit list (luuhc.com/gear/sunday-hikes)

We cannot take people on hikes if they do not have the correct gear – it is at the discretion of the committee & leaders on the trip whether you are dressed appropriately and have the necessary gear (i.e. hiking boots with ankle support, waterproofs, food and drink), but if you follow the advice on the website there shouldn’t be any problems. We will not give refunds to those who come to the hikes unprepared. If you have any questions send us an email before a trip and we’ll be happy to help.

 

How to Join

If you are interested in joining LUUHC you can contact us for more information using the contact details above or by coming along to a social. Join up online by clicking on the membership tab and selecting the type of membership you require.

Please note: the LUUHC does not have insurance cover for our members. Therefore it is the responsibility of each member to provide their own insurance if they want it. Personal insurance can be bought from a number of companies, a good one being the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), visit their website for more information; thebmc.co.uk.

 

How to Sign up for Trips

YOU MUST BECOME A MEMBER BEFORE YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO SIGN UP FOR ANY OF OUR TRIPS.

Every week on Mondays you will be notified of upcoming hikes and events by our secretary via email and our weekly news Facebook post.

Trip and Event sign up takes place online:

Tickets are purchased through the events tab on the LUU engage hiking page. 

  • Sunday Hikes - Tickets are released one week in advance (From 8pm Monday Evenings*). 
  • Weekend Trips and Winter Trips - Tickets are released two weeks in advance (From 8pm Monday Evenings*). For weekend and winter trips there is an option for ‘2 days’ or ‘3 days’ for each trip.

*Refer to calendar page and weekly email for exact release times, dates and costs for each trip as there are exceptions

  • On the shop menu on the union website may be a few options so please ensure you select the right trip/product option to add to basket. 
  • Once you have placed the trip in your basket you will answer a few questions, via drop down menus, before you pay - please pay particular attention to them, but don’t be too slow - your place is not reserved until you’ve paid.
  • Tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis, if you get the notice ‘purchasing limit reached’ the trip is probably sold out due to high demand.
  • If you do not manage to get a ticket, do not despair! Email our secretary Alice to be put on the reserve list - luuhc.secretary@gmail.com 

 

Socials

We run weekly socials every Thursday at The Library pub at 7.30pm.

We also host a number of other socials throughout the year, including:

  • Freshers Welcome Social (at Roxy's in 2019)
  • Christmas Party
  • The "Fridge to Fridge"
  • Pub Quiz
  • AGM and meal (followed by a club trip to fruity)
  • Film Nights
  • Summer BBQ
  • And more