Welcome to RAF Mountaineering Association

Founded in 1948 and the oldest of the 3 British Service mountaineering bodies, the Royal Air Force Mountaineering Association (RAFMA) is responsible to the RAF Sports Board for the sport of mountaineering within the Royal Air Force. RAFMA provides members with a variety of outdoor opportunities – hill walking, rock climbing, ski mountaineering, indoor climbing and meets in the Alps and Greater Ranges. The latest meets itinerary can be found on the Meets Page.

Participation Statement: RAFMA recognises that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.

AGM and Dinner

Thank you to everyone who supported the AGM and Dinner this year. The highlights of the AGM were the welcome return of Sqn Ldr Chris Berryman and Flt Lt Alex Tomczynski to the Executive Committee as the Treasurer and Sports Climbing manager respectively. Bob Appleyard was unanimously voted in as our newest Honorary Member for the outstanding service he has provided and continues to provide to RAFMA and Nick Kurth was elected Honorary Vice President for his continued outstanding support to RAFMA through his contribution to members’ development at meets and lobbying on our behalf in the wider mountaineering community. Lindeth Howe looked after us well and the Dinner was excellent – thanks to WO Stew Boyce for the effort he took in organising the weekend. At the Dinner, Off Cdt Matt Smyth was awarded the New Member’s prize for biggest contribution to RAFMA within the first 12 months of membership, Cpl Al Dixon was awarded the Kurth Quaich for attending the most meets in the 12 months before the Dinner (including an out of area deployment!) and APO Sophie Foxen and SAC Karl Taylor were awarded the Honeypot for their excellent work on RAFMA publicity.

Ian Richardson

Chairman

Inter-Services Rock Climbing Champs 2011

This year’s inter-service indoor rock climbing champs took place at 'The Castle', London. Roughly 60 competitors from the three services competed on some of the centres most challenging routes and boulder problems. Fg Off Jimmy James (RAF Leuchars) captained the team for the first time into battle against the other services and the RAF certainly didn’t disappoint!

Flt Lt Phoebe Denton (RAF Lossiemouth) climbed her way into 2nd place and secured the first of many prizes for the RAF. Fg Off Jimmy James took top placein the U25 secrion and more importantly succeeded in retaining the U25 team trophy along with SAC Ben Bainbridge and Plt Off Dan Goff.

In the O25 category the RAF secured 2nd - Flt Lt Stu Harth (RAF Leuchars), 3rd - Cpl Rob Patchett (RAF Leuchars) and 5th - Flt Lt Al Benson (RAF Benson). With this came the O25 team prize and the RAF finally relinquished the Army of its tight hold on the O25 team trophy. Fg Off Jimmy James also secured the best male boulderer with Cpl Paul Easton 3rd. Flt Lt Phoebe Denton won the best female boulderer with Off Cdt Desi Gillespie (SUAS) 3rd. Off Cdt Olly Pirkis (SUAS) and Off Cdt Chatal Edwards (SUAS) also won the best male and female guest of the day respectively. For the full report click here.

Interservices Climbing