I just wanted to start this trip report with a few reasons why the UCET Ladies only trips have been started. I might have mentioned in a discussion about funding a few months ago that the membership female to male membership was particularly poor (at about 16%). I started looking into the relationship between women participants and outdoor activities, and that a lack of confidence and lack of role models is a big barrier for women to join in or continue with outdoor sports, and wondering if this was the reason for our lack of female participation.

With the support from the committee, I organised our First Ladies only trip, with the aims of building confidence in a supportive and encouraging environment, whilst allowing opportunities for our more experienced members to take on leadership roles and hopefully become role models for less experienced females.

Note: I’ve found everyone in the club very supportive and encouraging, throughout my ladder experiences (if you know..you know) ….and general scaredness….I think you are all great.

So on a damp Monday October evening 9 Ladies met in a Lay-by to go for a walk-round of Penarth, a moderately sized slate quarry in the Dee Valley. The half an hour walk up the rather steep hill was met with mostly excitement and but the occasional moan of ‘Are we nearly there yet’.

Only Sam and myself had ever been in there before, so as you get in the entrance the enormity of the caverns is awesome and there were a few gasps from the others. We went left into the first adit with caverns off. We had an explore around, waded around a few wet adits – luckily just under welly depth.

Then down the slippery slope to level 2, exploring all the little nooks and crannies. Back up to the bottom of the incline. Jess had too much energy and ran up it…mad! While the rest of us huffed and puffed to see the most impressive winch of the quarry (handle-less now).

We went further in to spot the tram tracks and old electrics. A few of us split of to do the bum slide hole down to Level 3, a few more artefacts were spotted here with spades, chains and another winch. We headed back to level 2 admiring the sea bed slate roof as we went.

We then headed back to the entrance, where there were giggles galore while we were trying to take a group selfie….badly!

Then back out in the fresh air, and a yomp back down the hill with enough time for a quick pint in a pub! And everyone asking when the next one will be….

Pictures below... Soz some of them are the wrong way round.

Pictures

Pictures

Well done mary. I wouldn’t expect any less from a woman of your stature

It would be a good idea to ask the ladies on the trip to give some feedback about the trip and the trip report

Great trip report Mary!

Dito to what Mike said, it would be great to hear how the other ladies found the trip with their own trip reports

Looks great and thanks Mary for taking the lead on this. Since you started this journey- Female membership has gone up to 23%! no doubt thanks to your hard work. still a way to go but great to see the positive results.

What about putting this report on the Facebook page so the other females that are on the Facebook page can see it perhaps may encourage some to step forward as they won’t see this thread take it’s course. Just a thought.

Brilliant trip Mary, thank you for organising it.

Stevekennedy wrote:
Do you think just a link to this thread.. Or post it... Will do it later when I finish work

Post it. Most people won’t follow the link

JonJoyce wrote:
That's brilliant

Stevekennedy wrote:
Sorted