Bowden and Millie Black
Bowden and Millie played a major role in the development of the Karabiner Mountaineering Club.
Between them their membership covered almost 100 years and they served as officers for over 40 years.
Bowden was secretary for 12 years and he was the first president chosen from club members.
Millie was treasurer for 20 years and she also served as a vice-president.
Both were keen climbers, walkers and skiers. Bowden was the life and soul of the KMC,
always ready with encouragement for beginners in climbing and fell walking.
Bowden was not a hard climber by modern standards, but he was a life-long enthusiast and
he was involved number of first ascents. Notably, at the Roaches, he made the first ascent of
"Technical Slab" and "Maud's Garden". He also seconded Peter Harding on "Valkyrie". In Wales, he
made the first ascent of "Obsession" on Cader Idris and at the age of 58 he achieved his ambition
by climbing "CB" on Scafell and "Dream of White Horses" on Gogarth.
With her neat frame, Millie was a natural on rock and she excelled on delicate vertical climbs,
leading VS routes such as "Little Inominate" on Laddow and "Bellevue Bastion" on Tryfan. Millie was
the first women to complete the 126 mile Tan Hill to Cat and Fiddle walk, joining the two highest
inns in England. Bowden was the organiser and navigator on this and her subsequent Snowdon to
Breacon Beacon (120 miles) walk and then the Scottish Fours linking all the 4,000ft. peaks in
Scotland (95 miles), plus many others!
Millie and Bowden were actively involved in the earliest days of popular skiing in Scotland
and the Lake District. They were founder members of the Rossendale Ski Club. Millie was an
adept and fanatical skier. She qualified as an instructor and for over 20 years taught
hundreds of people to ski, instilling in them her boundless love for the sport.
Bowden was the eternal optimist and always had some new project in mind. Some of these
were over enthusiastic and could lead to problems. Fortunately, Millie was on hand to
curb his wilder schemes. He was a born entertainer, never happier than at the piano
leading the singing of uproarious songs, or entertaining us with his renditions of
monologues such as "Three 'Appence a Foot", "Noah's Ark" and "Albert and the Lion".
With his ready wit and gift for comic songwriting he was the driving force behind
the pantomimes that used to enliven Club Dinners before discos became the vogue.
He was also an accomplished after-dinner speaker. His amusing speeches, which were
timed to perfection, were the result of meticulous research and planning.
When the Club bought the Powder House at Dinorwic Quarries, Bowden was the one to
organise a giant raffle to raise funds towards the development of the building
- the first prize: a day's climbing with Joe Brown!
Millie died in 1994 after a long struggle against cancer. Bowden died in 1997 in
Vancouver. He was visiting KMC members who live over there and was playing the piano
for a sing song.
Bowden and Millie Black lived their life to the full and encouraged and inspired
so many people in the Club. They enriched the lives of all those they touched.
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