diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 4d430e4..707a3bd 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
         "dayjs": "^1.11.13",
         "lucide-react": "^0.542.0",
         "next": "^15.4.0",
-        "pathcat": "^1.4.0",
+        "pathcat": "^1.5.1",
         "react": "^19",
         "react-dom": "^19",
         "react-grid-gallery": "^1.0.1"
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 287be68..b15a13e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     "dayjs": "^1.11.13",
     "lucide-react": "^0.542.0",
     "next": "^15.4.0",
-    "pathcat": "^1.4.0",
+    "pathcat": "^1.5.1",
     "react": "^19",
     "react-dom": "^19",
     "react-grid-gallery": "^1.0.1"
diff --git a/src/app/about/page.tsx b/src/app/about/page.tsx
index c6e11d7..7cd3c13 100644
--- a/src/app/about/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/about/page.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { pathWildcat } from "@/spanner/api";
 import { Metadata } from "next";
 import Image from "next/image";
 import { cloneElement } from "react";
diff --git a/src/app/join/page.tsx b/src/app/join/page.tsx
index 10421a8..5de5717 100644
--- a/src/app/join/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/join/page.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { pathWildcat } from "@/spanner/api";
+import { spannerPathCat } from "@/spanner/api";
 import { wwlrcClubId } from "@/spanner/wwlrc";
 import { Download, ExternalLinkIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import { Metadata } from "next";
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ export default function Join() {
       </p>
       <p className="mb-3">
         <a
-          href={pathWildcat("clubs/c/:clubId/membership_request", {
+          href={spannerPathCat("clubs/c/:clubId/membership_request", {
             clubId: wwlrcClubId,
           })}
           target="_blank"
diff --git a/src/spanner/api.ts b/src/spanner/api.ts
index f89bc31..5faaa92 100644
--- a/src/spanner/api.ts
+++ b/src/spanner/api.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,36 @@
-import { pathcat, Query } from "pathcat";
+import { base, ExtractRouteParams, Query, pathcat } from "pathcat";
 
-const spannerBase = "https://spanner.wwlrc.co.uk";
+export const spannerPathCat = base("https://spanner.wwlrc.co.uk");
 
-export function pathWildcat(template: string, query?: Query<string>): string {
-  if (!query) {
-    return pathcat(spannerBase, template);
-  }
-
-  return pathcat(spannerBase, template, query);
+function wrap<R>(
+  fn: (path: string) => R,
+): <Path extends string>(
+  base: string,
+  path: Path,
+  ...query: [ExtractRouteParams<Path>] extends [never]
+    ? [query?: Query<Path>]
+    : [query: Query<Path>]
+) => R {
+  return (base, path, ...query): R => fn(pathcat(base, path, ...query));
 }
 
-export function spannerApiFetch(
-  template: string,
-  query?: Query<string>,
-): Promise<any> {
-  const url = pathWildcat(template, query);
-  let p = fetch(url);
-  // TODO: probably worth putting some more fancy error handling here
-  return p.then((response) => response.json());
+function wrapWithBase<R>(
+  base: string,
+  fn: (path: string) => R,
+): <Path extends string>(
+  path: Path,
+  ...query: [ExtractRouteParams<Path>] extends [never]
+    ? [query?: Query<Path>]
+    : [query: Query<Path>]
+) => R {
+  return (path, ...query): R => wrap(fn)(base, path, ...query);
 }
+
+export const spannerApiFetch = wrapWithBase<Promise<any>>(
+  "https://spanner.wwlrc.co.uk",
+  async (path) => {
+    let response = await fetch(path);
+    // TODO: probably worth putting some more fancy error handling here
+    return response.json();
+  },
+);
diff --git a/src/spanner/blog.ts b/src/spanner/blog.ts
index 0d46735..d017cdb 100644
--- a/src/spanner/blog.ts
+++ b/src/spanner/blog.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { spannerApiFetch } from "./api";
+import { spannerApiFetch, spannerPathCat } from "./api";
 import { wwlrcClubId } from "./wwlrc";
 
 export async function getPosts(): Promise<any[]> {