About Breakaway
Introduction
We are Breakaway the hillwalking society for the University of St Andrews
We go on regular excursions out of St Andrews, either by car or by bus, to the farthest reaches of the Scottish highlands and islands. We run walks of all shapes and size, from flat leisurely strolls through the glens and around the coasts to challenging climbs up the Munros. There is something for everyone on every trip, no matter how experienced you are.
Trips
Below you can find information about how we organise our trips and how you can access them. Further information about the dates of each trip and location can be found on the trips page.
If you have any other questions refer to the contact page and feel free to email or contact us via our other forms of social media.
Day Trips
Day trips are by bus and cost £10-15. We leave around 7am on Saturday mornings and return at around 8pm. Make sure you bring a packed lunch and some money for the pub at the end of the day!
Weekend Trips
Weekend trips cost around £40 - £70. This covers transport, accommodation at a hostel and one meal every evening, except the evening of arrival. For most trips we leave on the Friday and return to St Andrews on Sunday with two days' worth of walking in between, and sometimes an additional day depending on arrangements. Drivers will receive a 20% discount on trips and all petrol expenses will be covered by Breakaway. If you own a car or want to drive a rental for us, please get in touch.
Walking Levels
Our walks are usually divided into four levels: Low, Low-Medium, High-Medium and High. To avoid incident, new members who have not yet attended a breakaway event will not be permitted to attend a High walk and as a general rule you must have completed a Medium walk to attend a High. This is a rough guide for what to expect from each level. Due to time constraints on day trips, lower walks might tend to be slightly longer than stated here and higher level walks shorter.
Low
Largely flat walks along coastal paths or glens. 5-10km distance. No more than 300m ascent. Total time 2-4 hours.
Low-Medium
Walks with some ascent, but easy terrain. 10-15km distance. Up to 500m ascent, sometimes to summits, but not Munros. Total time 4-6 hours.
High-Medium
Walks with significant ascent and occasionally challenging terrain. Scrambling not required except very low grade in good conditions. No use of crampons or ice axes, and technical experience not required. 15-25km distance. Up to 1000m ascent. Total time 6-8 hours.
High
Walks with challenging, prolonged ascent. Low-grade scrambling often required. Crampons, ice axes and light technical ability expected in winter conditions. 15-30km distance. Up to 1500m ascent. Total time 6-10 hours.
Membership
We currently offer two types of membership:
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Semester membership costs £20 and allows you to attend all walking trips for one semester.
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Full Membership costs £30 and grants you access to all trips for one academic year. It also gives an oppertunity to register as a member of Mountaineering Scotland, which comes with a whole load of perks, such as shop discounts and access to superb value mountaineering courses.
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More Information on the Union Website including Membership! CLICK HERE FOR MEMBERSHIP!
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If you would like to join our mailing list, please tick the 'Interested in' box on the union website!
Trip Signups
Our trips run roughly every two weeks alternating between day and weekend trips.
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Both day trips and weekend trips need to be paid for upfront at signups. You must be a member of Breakaway to come on a trip. Signups for day trips are done online - you will receive a link to the online form via email in the week before the trip. Signups for weekend trips are usually done a week or two before the trip, and will be done via an online ballot - more specific signup details will be posted before the trip itself. If you have signed up but cannot come please tell us as soon as possible, since we cannot refund your payment unless we find somebody to take your place.
Socials
As well as hillwalking, we also hold several social events throughout the year including treasure hunts, pub hikes, meals out, and ceilidhs. Weekly socials tend to occur throughout the semester and are a good way to get to know other people in the club other than the our trips. The best way to keep up to date with our social events is via our facebook group.