Climbers tend to stick together. If you like to rock climb, mountaineer or hike, a great way to find like-minded trail friends is through your local mountaineering club. The United Kingdom's CHAmois Mountaineering Club offers a nice list of clubs around the world to help you identify a club in your area.

Syd (hubby) and I just spent our first weekend immersion into the land of the Chicago Mountaineering Club (CMC). We'd had our eye on this club for years, but little kids and a 4-year stint in no-altitude Florida stunted our chances. Back living in Chicago, it was time to join one of their guest weekend climbs in Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, a Midwestern climbing mecca.

Saturday morning, a mix of about 25 club members and guests split into two separate climbing groups and headed out. After brushing up on my knots, our group dropped around eight or nine ropes along a variety of routes to fit the raw beginner to the elite. Club rope leaders carefully checked each top rope system. Rain shortened our climb time, but all in all it was an incredible day. Rock climbing with a group offering that many different routes is a Disneyland climbing experience. After the exhilaration of finally making it up a 5.7-rated crack, I happily earned sore muscles that haven't ached in years -- rock climbing is a full-body workout. Thanks to the club, we also met new friends and will tie into another outing soon.