Chicago Mountaineering Club

Are there any members around or anyone familiar with the club?

Familiar with their old traditions and such; no idea if they have joined the real world and 'modernized' at all these days. For 40 plus years, you could count on going through hell and more to be 'accepted' as a member; that's if you could find the right number of sponsors with proper credentials for admission.

Good place to go, if you are not in to streaking threw bon fires,
or in to puking your guts out from to much swill, aka Jack-ness and being duct taped to a picnic table when you pass out, and hanging up side down at the pavilion and drink Jack Daniels,

They were already the "old fogies" in the mid-sixties when I climbed at Devil's Lake, but one assumes they've been renewed with fresh blood by now.

cmcwebsite.org/

rgold wrote:They were already the "old fogies" in the mid-sixties when I climbed at Devil's Lake, but one assumes they've been renewed with fresh blood by now. cmcwebsite.org/

Interesting set of membership requirements:

cmcwebsite.org/listings.asp…

Good moral character? Two sponsors? Sounds like they're still the "old fogies".

I'm just new to the area and was looking for a group to join to get out and explore the local scene. Wanted to know if they were welcoming to newbies and people just showing up on their outings.

They seemed like they might be?

Although there's nothing inherently wrong with swilling a little Jack as far as I'm concerned.

Try the meetup.com webpages. There are a couple good sized groups that hang at Vertical Endeavors in Wheaton/Warrenville area, and climb at RRG every now and then.

If you are planning to climb at Devil's Lake frequently it would be worth your while getting to know the CMC and perhaps become a member--reason being they have a great private campground and you would save a ton of $ as opposed to camping at one of the private campgrounds or hassling with reservations at the State Park campgrounds. You'll also have lots of people to carpool with from Chicago.

?? first time to climb, or first time to Devils Lake? You don't need the CMC to make a first trip up there. Plenty of bouldering to do, or just hike the CCC trail up past the 'classics area at top of bluff and I'm sure you will run into somebody to give you a clue to the place, and a belay.

Alex A wrote:Good place to go, if you are not in to streaking threw bon fires, or in to puking your guts out from to much swill, aka Jack-ness and being duct taped to a picnic table when you pass out, and hanging up side down at the pavilion and drink Jack Daniels,

Yes, the CMC campground has been the scene of some wonderfully appalling behavior over the years. About every other summer, some CMC member would invite the DLFA up to the campground for an evening around the fire. Always an interesting evening as the guests would make sure they surpassed their reputation for rowdiness and depravity. A few of the more adventurous CMCer's would join in, the rest would stand back and be (rightly) indignant and outraged.

Hopefully this fine tradition continues!

Leo Hski wrote: Yes, the CMC campground has been the scene of some wonderfully appalling behavior over the years. About every other summer, some CMC member would invite the DLFA up to the campground for an evening around the fire. Always an interesting evening as the guests would make sure they surpassed their reputation for rowdiness and depravity. A few of the more adventurous CMCer's would join in, the rest would stand back and be (rightly) indignant and outraged. Hopefully this fine tradition continues!

Sounds good to me. Live and learn from the best I say....oh, and drink to puke!

The club is still around. Typically they don't climb the hard stuff. I can get a few to try ten's and eleven's. There are a few young bucks who want to try hard stuff. Mostly they stick to the five's, sixes and seven's. Otherwise it is an easy group to join. They don't care what level you are climbing. You are welcome to join.