It's Wednesday the 14th, 14:14. The AGM is on tonight: the election of a new committee, and freedom for the old one. It's an important occasion, and I even attempt to pick pretty clothes.  A friend asked me yesterday evening: "How do you feel about the end of your reign as publicity sec?". I don't know to be honest, but I guess the answer is "Sad". You see, being on committee is quite addictive. It's almost like being in a relationship: your phone buzzes all the time, and it's the only thing you can talk about. When you finish Uni, it takes a few years to learn to say no to helping the club out; some seem to never escape. Sometimes you spend a long time flipping through the blurry grey photographs you took on walks, remembering the views, silly jokes, and how you helped someone get out of a bog.  Funny to mention, but I used to get butterflies every time the tickets sold out. I was treasurer last year, and, as we say: "Once treasure...

How to know if Ramsoc is the right club for you: Committing to joining a club at university can seem like a stressful task, especially if you don’t know if you will enjoy it. Answer this quiz to find out if you belong to our wonderful Rambling and Hiking Club! Which description do you fit best? A .      I love walking and am incredibly fit. I am also really great at making conversation, particularly at pubs. I am currently studying engineering. B .      I quite like walking and can make it up Portland Hill without dying. The pub isn’t really my thing but I’d love to make some new friends. I study some kind of science. C .      I hate walking, have no sense of direction, and have to lie down after a walk round the lake. I do love pubs but am much better at drinking alone and watching Netflix. I’m in Humanities, and have no understanding of basic scientific concepts. I have no interests. A Well, of course...

by Joanna van Zeller Think you can only use your walking skills in the Peak District? Think again, as I teach you how I’ve learned to conquer the struggles of city living with everything I’ve learned in Ramsoc.   Sometimes, after the long coach rides and the arguments that don’t seem to resemble English (was that a tor or a fell? A beck or a brook?), rambling and hillwalking can become rather other-worldly. Sundays seem to be on a separate calendar, which is especially true when you see everyone out of their fleeces and in Real Normal People’s Clothes at a Wednesday social. And everything you’ve learned on a walk or weekend away, like how to read a map or take a bearing, can seem completely irrelevant during a 9am on a Monday. But it doesn’t have to be that way! By following these top tips, every day can be a Sunday, and can even make those chores that little bit easier… Find your way out of Ocean! Our Treasurer Dav...

Last year, I took part in the Dark Peak Marathon (DPM), an event Ramsoc runs every year where participants walk 24 or 37 miles around the peak district, seeing some of the best sights, from Mam Tor and Kinder, to Ladybower reservoir. This is a short account of my experience of the DPM. The early start was immediately worth it when we arrived at Ladybower Reservoir- the surrounding hills were picturesque in the early morning sun, and everyone was raring to go. The weather was forecast to remain like this for the whole day, adding to everyone’s excitement, however far they were walking (I was doing the 24 mile route). We were split into groups – so that every group had someone capable of reading a map and any necessary group kit. After a group photo over the Ladybower dam, everyone set out for a day of walking. The first hill was hardest of the day. Halfway up, I was questioning my sanity- why had I decided to do this, was I out of mind? I carried on thinking so before sudd...

DAY 1 Buzz, buzz, buzz, across the bunkhouse, as several mobile phones inform us that it is time to get going for Day 1 of our Grade 3 Training. A hive of activity, several showers, sandwiches prepared and ultimately we are all out for 08:30 (well nearly) as Tom had requested. Into the minibus we go, the day is looking okay. Not exactly blazing sunshine but visibility is good and the mountains of Snowdonia look fantastic. We travel for a little while and the scenery starts to change. ‘You do realise we are driving away from all the mountains here Tom?’ says a perplexed Lee. Suddenly after 40 minutes we stop. Off the bus and its relocate time. Essentially, find yourself on the map, not a lot to go on here haha, a railway line, a lake, an arterial road and a welcome board to a specific area. So we all knew where we were (Rhyd-Ddu) and I guess if we failed here it was going to be a long week! However, we enjoyed it while it lasted for now we were going into the world of micro-nav...

Ramsoc. University of Nottingham Sport: Rambling and Hillwalking. Formerly Rambling and Hillwalking Society and before that: Rambling Society. So far you’ve learnt – if you didn’t know already – how the club came to acquire its name. But for me, to pose the question ‘what’s in a name?’  with regard to Ramsoc reveals so much more than a few rebrands, be they initiated by the club itself or the Students’ Union, and I’d like to explore this and reflect on what Ramsoc means to me. I first joined the club as first year back in September 2012. Prior to starting university, I - like thousands of other sixth-form leavers fresh out of Year 13 - was extremely apprehensive and nervous about starting my degree, moving away from home and building a social life. Granted, I didn’t move far from home, but the University of Nottingham felt like a world apart from the small town I grew up in, grew tired of by my mid-teens but sometime grew to appreciate more after moving away. For a large part ...

I usually don’t go to Ramsoc socials as they clash with my kayaking pool sessions, but anything involving food is worth my time! Especially if I can show off my amazing cooking skills, as I wanted to cook for Ramsoc since the last weekend away I went on. So I said goodbye to kayak and prepared myself for a night delicious food and great fun. I immediately decided to prepare a mushroom risotto, which is one of my best dishes (my housemates can support this!). I wanted to honour my Italian origins with this amazing recipe I found on the internet (I wish I could say it’s from my granddad but all he taught me so far is how to make pasta and it’s very, very, very long to make...). My Wednesday was really busy as I spent the day running from a tutorial to a lecture and to archery practice where I spent my afternoon shooting (a little) and chatting (a lot). As soon as I was home I the sacred process of cooking my amazing risotto; grating the parmesan, chop the many, many mushrooms, gar...