Tyneside Loipers – Cross Country Ski Club

About US

Tyneside Loipers is a cross country ski club in northeast England. Established in 1982, and covering mostly Northumberland, Durham and Tyne and Wear The club now have about 55 members who are active across all types that of nordic (freeheel) skis. Many of us also ski during the summer season with roller skis.

The club owns a selection of touring skis with a metal edge that are available to members. Members who are new to the club are always accepted and can receive assistance and guidance on how to go skiing.

The conditions for skiing that are ideal in the NE do not happen all the time of the year, but there are some days that skiing is feasible on areas like the N Pennines or the Cheviots or within the Lake District. The club also organizes short breaks and holidays to foreign countries or across the globe. Some of the most popular trips include ski telemarking throughout the French Alps as well as track-skiing, Nordic-touring throughout Norway and telemark-touring within the Silvretta Alps of Austria and Switzerland.

Why are ‘Loipers’ so popular? ‘?…

We have cleverly re-used this Norwegian phrase ‘ loipe‘ using an explanation from Wikipedia: ‘ Cross-country skiing trails (also known as loipe) is a path designed, constructed, and maintained for cross-country skiers‘. The name has stuck , and we are often called by other clubs as ‘The Loipers’..

Tyneside Loipers started life in 1982 under the name of Tynemouth College Cross Country Ski Club. The founding members Helen Charlton and Sylvia Dowd quickly gained the following of over 100 members. The name was became Tyneside Loipers to reflect the greater membership. It was the time of greater snowfall in winter.

From the 1980s to the end of the decade, the club ran a series of winter winter events throughout the Border Forest and the Cheviots. However, the snow was less frequent and the number of members diminished.

Premier Cross Country Ski Club

One of our most frequent Scottish locations was the Glenfeshie Hostel. From the time we got there until 2000, we’d usually organize a club night at the Hostel on the first week of spring Bank Holiday with sometimes a dozen members in attendance. There was always enough snow at the Cairngorm ski slope, or on the tops surrounding it or maybe within Lurchers Gully.

The club is currently home to an enviable membership of around 55 members, assisted by the lower cost of air travel and the possibility of skiing within the Alps or Scandinavia. Members can ski throughout the N Pennines and other areas of Northumberland and Durham in the event of good weather, but can also join club trips to experience ski cross country Nordic touring, telemarking and nordic skiing.

The constitution of the Club (Word document) can be read at this link.

Join us now! Form for membership to download ( Word or pdf). More details on the membership form is available here.

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