Karabiner Mountaineering Club

April 1999 Forthcoming Meets

All note the following small print when taking part in meets :-

March 20^th-21^st Aite Cruinnichidh Hostel, Roybridge Chris Williamson.

Once again, the bumper fun Scottish winter weekend with something for everyone.

This ever popular meet has moved to mid-March, for 1999, in the hope of usable white-stuff. We have fourteen beds booked. The full fee of sixteen pounds, pressed into my hand, reserves yours. Cheques to the KMC preferred.

For those who aren't in 'the know', your money buys you a single bunk and duvet, central heating, hot water, all mod cons and somewhere to plug your hair dryer in - what a rufty-tufty bunch we are. If that isn't enough, it's about two minutes from Hostel to Hotel.

... and of course, all the attractions of Lochaber are there for you to enjoy, from walking, though both varieties of skiing, to the really frightening stuff. Need I say more?

Location: Aite Cruinnichidh Self-catering Lodge is at GR300810 on OS 1:50 000 sheet 41, Ben Nevis & Fort William.

March 28^th Pennines – Walk/Climb Alan Wylie

Yorkshire Walk and Boulder - Hebden Dale and Widdop and Gorple Reservoirs

Car parking to be scouted out for the next newsletter, but will be on the minor road running NW from Hebden Bridge past Widdop resevoir.

Meet at 9:30 for a 9:45 departure. Approx 15km

Volunteers to lead "Reservoir Dogs" greatly appreciated.

(ED: clocks go back an hour, less time in bed, as British Summer Time begins)

April 2^nd-5^th Easter BH: Wye Valley, Forest of Dean. Dave Bone

At this time of year it has to be either "Winter" routes in Scotland or rock climbing in a winter sun venue. As a past frequent visitor to the area, I'd recommend it as the latter. Quick drying, west facing sheltered Limestone. Good array of routes from *** VD up, loads of VS's. Try the cliffs of Wintours Leap with multi pitch routes (Zelda ***HS, Central route X ***VD-VS, KingKong ***HVS), Wyndcliffe and the single pitch with abseil descent Shorncliffe with some *** slab routes (Laughing Cavaliers ***HVS), or Ban-y-gor with bolts. If that doesn't prove enough, trundle along to the Gower, or cross the water and evade the Travellers at Avon gorge to test your nerve, or read your Tolkein at Goblin Coombe (excellent sheltered venue). There's even the Bristol Climbing Wall if the good weather bribe doesn't appease the gods. We'll be camping at the Beeches (OS162 GR549006), a basic but large & quiet site high above the Wye. Directions will be supplied (you'll need them)! Unfortunately the nearest Pub is 3.5 mi away - the Rising Sun in Woodcroft (Wintours Leap) which does good food. So wye not come down for some or all of the weekend? It shouldn't take more than 3hr to get there, so see you there!

April 11^th Presidents Hotpot Rick Kruze

The Annual Fell Race and Presidents Hotpot

The Fell Race is being organised again by Kevin Anderson. See below.

The Hot Pot and Slide show is at the Swan Hotel on Buxton Road (A6), New Mills. The doors are open at 6pm and we will be sitting down to eat at 7pm. The cost is £5 for the meal and I need to know numbers at least a week before. Also when booking could you indicate if you want a vegetarian meal.

The Slide Show will follow so please get your slides in early (if possible). The categories are;

Mountain Landscape,

Rock Climbing Action,

Human Interest and

Mountaineering Action.

The slides should have been taken during the last year with people submitting a maximum of 3 slides in each category. Please mark all you slides with your name and the category in which you are entering.

This year, after the official slide show we'll be having an informal showine. There'll be a maximum of 15 slides per person or 15 minutes to display them, whichever is the shorter. So bring along some holiday snaps and we'll make our own entertainment.

Booking for the Hot Pot to me at the pub or at my address in the handbook.

Rick

P.S. Will all trophy holders please bring along their silverware so that we can present it to the new winners.

April 11^th Annual Fell Race, Glossop Kevin Anderson

Kevin assured me he would gladly organise this year’s race again, after his return from his post PhD chill-out in Oz. This meet preview is therefore by proxy; confirm details nearer the time with the man himself.

Start location is again the Wheatsheaf Pub car park, Old Glossop, scene of last year’s notorious "Anderson AndyCapping". 1pm prompt is the latest time to gather, as Kevin thought a one-way run was a good idea. Fortunately for us, he is proposing to ferry everyone to a "distant" start and get us to find our way back, rather than despatch us from Glossop to the depths of Bleaklow, never return. However, I have a suspicion we wont be dropped quite at the top of the hills.

Entry requirements: At least 1 working leg, an ability to find checkpointers dressed in bright red cagoules in open country, and a bit of adventurous spirit to GIVE IT A GO - it is a good laugh. Walking is quite acceptable, and probably faster than most runners running. Kevin should be organising showers at Glossop sports centre, so that you are ready for the evening Hot Pot without those trendy PeatBog leggings.

Volunteers to man the checkpoints, or validate the weigh-in at the start, would be most welcome.

Late news: Rumours suggest 2 of last year’s cup winners may still be chasing Orang-Utangs as training when the day comes, so pot hunters - clear that space on your mantelpiece!

April 17^th-18^th Rawhead, Langdale FRCC Joint Meet Bob Anderson

A chance to luxuriate in a fine hut in Langdale. For those who don’t know it is next door to the Achille Ratti hut. The hut holds 33 and I have reserved half of it for the KMC, that is 10 places for men & 6 for women, although there may be more available if not all the FRCC member places are taken up.

Langdale must be one of the best valleys for climbing with loads of crags both high & low level with routes to suit capabilities. Ring me to reserve a place or just turn up & hope for the best, you know you will enjoy it.

April 24^th-25^th Ty Powdyr – Joint Meet Salford Univ. John Dobson

Background One look round the room at the last AGM revealed the KMC had a problem - talk about ‘last of the summer wine’(with the exception of the present reader of course!). What we needed was new members, but not any new members; we needed lots of young girls for the old men and lots of young men for the old women. Where to find them, that was the question. There was some discussion about turning the KMC into the KWC (K.Wall Club) but we liked our mountains and were not going to give them up. So the Committee were given the job of finding lots of young people (or at least not quite so old anyway). The Committee decided that all we had to do was to flaunt our assets. We just had to find groups of young things who like to go to the mountains but haven’t got anyway to stay and then seduce them with our hut. No problem, our wise and wonderful committee instantly found a solution - joint meets with the local university clubs. So our Meets secretary was given the job and the job was duly delegated. Two meets with University Mountaineering Clubs have been included in this years programme, and this is the first.

A joint KMC/Salford University Mountaineering Club meet. The SUMC will turn up with a minibus full of young things. So please put this date in your diary, turn up, be nice to them and show them that ‘just because you are old, doesn’t mean your past it’.

May 1^st-3^rd BH Pembroke, Camping Al Metelko

Camping as usual at St Petrox on the B4319. Follow signs out of Pembroke heading towards Castlemartin. After 2/3 miles lookout for a lonely church on the right, the campsite is right next to it.

There is something here for everyone: sea cliff climbing, walking, running, swimming, beach games, canoeing, jet ski’s, army displays of world war one/two, bird watching, site seeing, tea shops and probably lots more.

Needless to say I’ll be going for the climbing on some of the best sea cliffs in the country. All grades are catered for although some of the easier grades are harder to find when not climbing at Saddle Head. See me in the pub on Thursdays to find out what climbing there is in your grade.

May 9^th Froggatt Susan Brooke

This fine quality gritstone crag is relatively sheltered and has a SW aspect, so catches the sun. With 165 routes of all grades, many of them classics, it has something to offer everyone, ranging from thrutchy off width cracks to some of the best slab climbing on gritstone. My intention is to park at the National Trust campsite, south of the Grouse Inn, at about 10.00am, with the aim of being at the crag (Grid ref 249763) from 10.3Oam.

May 15^th-16^th Working Party Meet Dave Wylie (Hut Manager)

Time for yet another working meet at Ty Powdwr!

Continuing on from the previous working meet in February, we intend to finish off putting up the new ceiling in the hallway and the Ladies Loo. There are various related items of work that need doing, such as sorting out the lighting. The Ladies can then be decorated if there is sufficient time. We also intend to finish off the panelling of the far end wall of the Gent's loo.

A smaller job is to put up a blackboard (possibly a suitable piece of slate) in the front porch. This was suggested at a recent meet and would be for leaving messages such as what time people are expected back off the hill, what pub they are likely to be in etc. Putting it in the porch means that messages can be left by/for people with no key to the hut.

There are also several other jobs, which may get done if we have enough time and people:

• Survey the lower dormitory floors to plan how we are going to insulate and re-cover them
• Put the donated "historic" ice-axe and hemp rope on display in the Lounge
• General cleaning
• Trample any bracken sprouting in the field

Another suggestion made recently is to paint a mural round the kitchen walls, showing the surrounding hills. We won't be doing it at this meet but if you have any thoughts on this idea, or if you are a budding Michaelangelo who wants to take this on as a project, then please let me know.

As usual volunteers are welcome, but please let me know in advance if you are planning on coming along.

May 23^rd Yorkshire Grit Rick Kruze

It's difficult writing about a forthcoming meet in May on a cold, wet and windy February afternoon but here goes....

In my continued attempts to educate these red rose types to the superiority of white rose rock I will be leading a meet to Crookrise this year. This crag sits high on the moor overlooking Skipton and the Vale of Craven. It's a bit of a walk-in by the standards of Peak Gritstone so it might even appeal to the "mountain types". Those of you put off but the prospect of having to walk to a crag, it is only 15 minute walk if you run.

Crookrise has some brilliant climbs; Slingsby's Chimney at HVD (**) is a traditional classic. It's right next door to Hovis (E1 ***) a Joe Brown testpiece where you can just about keep falling off the crux and landing safely. The slab routes are excellent: Arsenic Slab (S), Old Lace (VS), Walkover (E3) and if your feeling luck punk, there's Slip 'n' Slide (E6) - remember it's only 6a! The crack climbs are also great. Ian Bennett will delight you with his tale of The Sole; a must-do climb if a little tough at the start for HVS.

Parking is in the Sailing Club car park at the reservoir. Take a left turn along Pasture Road at the Elm Tree Inn in Embsay (2 miles north of Skipton). See me for more detailed directions if you need them.

So put on your boots, shoulder your rucksack and sing the Manchester Rambler on the approach (but not too loudly as it could upset the natives).

May 29^th-31^st BH Islay & Jura Tony Gask

A few facts/ideas by way of an advance notice, so that I can get feed back, particularly as there may be a need to book accommodation, etc.

JURA has the best hills, not that high, but rugged. Little accommodation. 5 minutes ferry from Islay.

lSLAY. Interests include tough low-level walking, dramatic coastline, antiquities, whisky, a little sea cliff climbing (anyone got a guidebook?) bike hire. Possible accommodation: private hostel/camping at Kintra 3 miles from Port Ellen where ferry goes to, in south west corner of island. Also youth hostel.

Transport: 2-2½ hours DRIVE from Glasgow to Kennacraig (Kintyre). About 2 hour ferry crossing. From the l998 brochure ferry times are 0715 (P. Ellen) and to Port Askaig in the east: 1250, l800. Cost: £35 for car, £6.65 per person.

Idea: camp/doss on Thursday night, get first ferry Friday morning (28th May) piling luggage into one car (per five people) to Port Ellen (only 10 minutes to Kintra) Return on the Tuesday maybe. Again from 1998 book: return times are 0955 (from P. Ellen) or from P. Askaig: 1530, 2015. NB P. Ellen to P. Askaig is about 20 minutes. Straight road.

Do tell me what you think.

June 6^th Millstone Roger Mapleson

A classic gritstone venue with grades to suit most abilities. Routes include, Great Slab (S), The Mall (VS), Great North Road (HVS) and many more. This is an excellent place to hone your jamming skills and, if you are so inclined, to practice your aid climbing. Millstone is all of three minutes walk from Surprise View car park near Hathersage. Weather should be perfect i.e. not too hot for Goose’s sweaty palms. Meet in Surprise View car park 10.30 or at the crag.

June 13^th Derbyshire Limestone Dave Dillon

Beeston Tor is a suntrap with a delightful aspect. It has grades from around HS upwards, though there are some VDs lurking around. Get there before the droves. GR SK107541 in the Manifold valley. From Manchester ? through Buxton and down the A515, beyond B5054 head for Wetton then Grindon but stop at the bottom in the valley. Either park there or turn left and park nearer the crag. See you there.

June 19^th-20^th Ty Powdyr Joanne Goodwin

What can I say about this wonderful area that hasn't been said before... correct.absolutely nothing! All are welcome to indulge in walking, climbing, mountain biking, horse riding, swimming, fishing, knitting....whatever takes your fancy! I will be in the pub the Thursday before to finalise travel arrangements etc.

June 26^th-27^th Northumberland Coast Camping Michelle Harvie

Michelle has promised more details for the next newsletter but I guess, with the meet being by the coast, there will be some swimming and maybe some running and even some cycling. (a triathlon meet!). But there might be a crag or two for us boring people, maybe.

Copyright © 1999 Karabiner Mountaineering Club