Good mountains. Good company. Great adventures.
A small club with a big love of the mountains.
The Mountaineering Club of North Wales (MCNW) is a friendly, independent mountaineering club with a shared passion for the mountains, hills and great outdoors.
Based in North Wales, our members enjoy walking, scrambling, climbing and mountaineering, both locally and further afield. We organise regular club meets, weekends away and other trips throughout the year, while members also arrange their own adventures and invite others from the club to join them.
Although our home is in North Wales, you don’t have to live locally to be part of MCNW. Our members come from across Wales and throughout the UK, brought together by a shared enthusiasm for the mountains and the enjoyment of getting out and exploring them with good company.
Our regular club meets provide an opportunity to get together, head into the hills and enjoy a day in the mountains. Depending on the group and conditions, that might mean a straightforward mountain walk, a challenging ridge, some scrambling or a day climbing.
Members also organise trips further afield, from weekends in other parts of the UK to adventures overseas.
We’re not a commercial guiding organisation and we don’t have a rigid programme of organised activities. Instead, MCNW is a club where members share their experience, interests and enthusiasm, and where new friendships often develop around a shared love of the outdoors.
MCNW was formed in 1954, originally to organise an expedition to the Himalayas. Since then, the club has developed into a welcoming community of people who enjoy a wide range of mountain activities.
We have been affiliated to the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) since 1957 and have a long association with the mountains of North Wales.
The club played a part in the development of the mountain refuge on Foel Grach in the Carneddau and acquired our present hut at Tal y Braich in 1965, before purchasing it outright in 1974. The hut remains at the heart of the club today.
Our club hut at Tal y Braich is an important part of MCNW.
Set high above the valley between Ogwen and Capel Curig, it provides a fantastic base for exploring the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia). The hut sleeps up to 15 people and has a kitchen, communal area and drying room, while its position gives spectacular views towards Tryfan, the Glyders, the Carneddau and Moel Siabod.
The hut is used by members throughout the year and is also available for bookings, making it possible for other mountaineers and outdoor groups to experience this special part of North Wales.
We’re always pleased to hear from people who are interested in joining the club.
Whether you’re an experienced mountaineer, enjoy long mountain walks, are developing your scrambling or climbing skills, or simply want to meet other people who enjoy being outdoors, we’d love to hear from you.
The best way to find out whether MCNW is for you is to come along to one of our regular meets, meet some of our members and see what we’re about.