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June 1999 Meet Reports
January 24th Local Walk - Derwent Valley Linda Crossley
Present:
Members: Margaret Baldock, Ken Beetham, Sue Brooke, Andrew Croughton, Linda Crossley, David Dillon, John Dwyer, Jim Gregson, Michelle Harvie, Lorna Marsland, Iain McCallum, Lester Payne, Chris Thickett, Peter Walker Frank Williams, Margaret Williams.
Guests: Heather Brooke, Dave?
The bus took us along the western side of Derwent and Howden reservoirs. A brisk pace was then set, walking up to and along Howden Edge.
Lester begged (on behalf of the troops) for elevenses at 12, and Iain set me the challenge of beating his record of "losing" 3 people from the meet.
We slithered down Gravy Clough, jumped the stream, then up to lunch at Back Tor. In the afternoon, we strolled along Derwent Edge then back to the car park via a teashop.
Iain gloated that I'd only "lost" one member (Ken who "walks slowly" and set off 30 minutes ahead of the rest so we could "catch up later" and beat us back by an hour!)
PS The record for "lost" walkers now stands at 4, Iain - Sue, Heather and Dave missed the bus but caught the next one and followed in our footsteps!
February 20th-21st Ty Powdyr (birthday bash) Duncan Lee
Members present: Michelle Harvey, Mary Stuart, Al Metelko, Andrew Croughton, Alan Wylie, Dave Wylie, Sabina Cosulich, Sue Brooke, Roger Mapleson, Bridgit Mapleson, Chris Williamson, Dave Bone, Mark Garrod and Dave Dillon.
Guests present: Dave Walker, Katherine Brooke, Heather Brooke, Chris Ivory, Neil Perry and Matt Moorhouse.
Saturday’s mediocre weather failed to deter folks from venturing out onto the crags and hills. R’n’B and Al climbed at Tremadoc ,ascending One step in the Clouds, Oberon ,Shadrach and Grim Wall . Chris ,Sabina and I spent a couple of hours at Pen Trwyn before frozen fingers stopped play.Sue and the Clan and the Wylies went for separate walks based around the hut.
Saturday evening heralded the arrival of more revellers to partake in the consumtion of large quantities of birthday cakes washed down with a suitably large quantity of alcohol.Wavey, Sue and Kat were all given the correct number of bumps.Hard work!
Sundays weather was truly awful so short walks,climbing walls and the Wavey/Croughton film studio provided the entertainment. Coming soon at a cinema near you: Al scaling the chain in the guarries in full icegear. The mind boggles.
Thanks to everyone who turned up to help celebrate the various birthdays and to help soak up the rain.
March 14th Peak Walk - Lathkill Dale Iain McCallum
Members present: Bob Anderson, Margaret Baldock, Alan Barber, Ken Beetham, Sue Brooke, Virginia Castick, John Dwyer, Jim Gregson, Sandy Gregson, Alan (Hyde) Jones, Iain McCallum, Lester Payne, Alan Peck, Derek Seddon, Dave Summerfield, Chris. Thickett, Keith Williams, Frank Williams, Margaret Williams, Dave Wylie (20).
Guests present: Heather Brooke, David Green, Joan Green, Catherine Firth, Mike Graves, Christine Jones, Neil Perry (7).
Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny contrary to the rather gloomy weather forecast. Derek and I arrived early at Monyash and found many members already waiting to start. Ken Beetham made an early start and was never seen again! The rest of us followed him down Lathkill Dale at 9.45am. Soon we passed the cave from whence the river Lathkill debauches into the dale. After a short halt at the old Mandale lead mine to allow everyone to catch up we carried on down the dale before stopping for elevenses near the river just below Over Haddon. After crossing the river at Conksbury Bridge we followed the track across the fields at the bottom of the dale to Alport with its 17th. and 18th. century cottages before striking up the road to Stanton, an estate village, and then onto Stanton Moor.
Here, we were met by a lady, a local resident, who was trying to prevent two dormant quarries from being re-opened on the hillside below the moor. If the Peak Park Authority grants permission, these quarries would cover some 30 acres and they would operate for the next 40 years! Stanton Moor, famous for its Bronze Age remains would be threatened and the whole area would be affected adversely by noise, dust and heavy traffic. She asked us to write expressing our concern about these developments to John Prescott and the Peak Park Authority.
After passing the "Nine Ladies Stone Circle" we stopped for lunch in a sheltered sunny spot in the middle of the moor. The views of the surrounding hills and valleys were superb. From here we headed for Birchover and the Druid Inn. Here the party broke into two groups, with one group going on ahead while members of the other group stopped for a welcome drink at the Inn. On leaving the Inn we headed for Bradford Dale via Cratcliffe, Robin Hood's Stride and the Castle Ring at Harthill Farm. By the time we reached our next stopping point, the footbridge in Bradford Dale, Frank and Margaret Williams were missing. From the bridge we made our way up to Long Rake above Youlgreave and then across the muddy fields down into Cales Dale, passing through the farm at One Ash Grange and so back our starting point at the head of Lathkill Dale where we were reunited with the rest of the party.
Thanks to everyone for your support. Sorry about the heavy going over last two miles. (Distance - about 16 miles)
March 20th-21st Aite Cruinnichidh Hostel, Roybridge Chris Williamson.
Linda (Yomping) Crossley, Andrew (Romantic) Croughton, Tony (Telemark) Gask, Chris (Sleepy) Ivory, Norah (Dead 'ard) Maddison, Mary (Decaf) Stuart, Brian (Tramway) Taylor, Chris (Leading from the Rear) Williamson, Dave (Precisely) Wylie. Guest appearance - Gavin (Captain Hook) Hogg.
We all know it. Endless paragraphs have been written about it in these very pages. It doesn't stop us, but the fact is - conditions and weather for Scottish Winter Weekends can be awful! Face it, it's a fact. So, there's never a good month to pick for a meet. But, none the less, we're here again. Well, you never know unless you try. So we do …and some times, just sometimes, there's a surprise in store.
Friday night, you know the score. The M6 goes in a blur. The Seventy Four was packed with migratory orange cones; where are they heading, what do they know about the weather? There's the long drag up the A9. Ta Gaeltaght ny h-Albey cur failt erriu - Welcome to the Highlands. Rally practice over the Laggan is optional.
He's threatened for the last three yeas or so, but this year Gavin has been busy. Aite Cruinnichidh is being rebuilt, very nice. Tony Gask and Brian Taylor are here already and appreciating the new kitchen. We all appreciate a beer before bed. Next year, or will it be the year after, tra dy liooar, Gavin may just have got round to finding the right sort of wood to panel the new sauna. Life here passes at break-neck speed. We're warned not to break ours. The man has lost at least one paying guest this season. Tomorrow is another day. Somewhere in the gap between, the remainder of the party ends their long journey and tiptoes into bed.
It's early morning. We're at the end of the tramway; disused it seems. There's not a tram in sight and hasn't been for years; so much for an easy way into the Grey Corries. Three sets of nordic skis, three hopeless optimists and bugger-all snow; well, not quite true. There's snow up there somewhere, we've seen quite a bit of it - in the distance, on the high slopes. Got to be, it was the right colour - white - when we saw it last. It didn't look three or four hours walk away then. Brian and I send Tony out ahead to apprehend it. In fact, we insist he get it to come down to where we are. In the end we all sneak up on it together and the flog is suddenly worth every bit of effort. Conditions are well towards the phenomenal end of the adjectival spectrum. Even the sun deigns to shine. Brian's perpetual smile gets even bigger, but quick, we must catch up with Gask. This is skiing away from the crowds.
Despite brave efforts to skin the precipitous, icy slopes constituting the last hundred feet of Caisteal, we make the summit on foot; a brief stop and then to the hard part of the day, the joy of riding three pin bindings to the tune of gravity. Recent practice in the Dolomites, on the part of Gask and Taylor, is leaving me at a serious disadvantage. My side-slide doesn't have quite the grace, elegance and poise of Tony the Telemark. However, the gradient eases sufficiently to get us on a roll. Gask is the master of coordination. Brian and I make a fair imitation - apart from every third or fourth turn - getting the skis crossed or just face-planting for the hell of it.
We're last back to the hostel. Everyone else has been out on Beinn Teallach. Shocking but true, we end the evening in the pub. Very probably this is some doing of Norah's.
Somewhere in the last few hours before Sunday daylight, there's a fierce hammering of rain lashing the roof. Another Scottish Winter Weekend has caught up with us. The savage pounding outside is encouragement for slumber inside.
Eventually though, bladders and breakfast prise people from their pits in dribs and drabs. Outside, it still drips, though the rain has nearly stopped. There are plans and half plans. None of them involve carrying skis for hours on end - been there, done that. None of them involve getting up hideously early and trudging up the Allt a Mhuilinn to climb on the Ben. Very cunningly, it's too late to do that either. You don't get meet leadership of this quality without lots of practice.
In the end Linda proposes a day on Stob Coire Sgriodain and Chno Dearg. The rest of the party propose a day at low-level around Lochan na Earba to admire Ardverikie Wall. They're still in a state of disarray and breakfast, not to mention there being a certain scepticism about the weather. So, there are just two of us for the hill. I get special dispensation to be able to stop for lunch. After that, all I've got to do is keep up. If you've had a serious day out with Linda, you'll know what I mean. Map in one hand, SMC tick-list in the other and we're off. The day is one for views. There's cloud for atmosphere complementing a vista to a very distant horizon. It's impossible to speculate how far we're seeing or to begin to name the endless white topped hills that appear to stretch beyond the imagination. So we've been surprised again. Breathtaking.
Next year, I guess, we'll be back for more.
March 28th Pennines – Walk/Climb Alan Wylie
Present: Alan Wylie, David Wylie, Peter Walker, Alan (Liverpool) Jones
Perhaps because of the lack of publicity, perhaps because of an abysmal weather forcast, or perhaps because everyone was still working to GMT, only four people turned up for a pleasant walk in glorious sunshine.
We got back to the cars just as the first spots of rain started falling, haveing spotted on the way at least several curlews, lots of mallards, several Canada geese†, a goldeneye (no, not the James Bond Movie), a golden plover, and some frogspawn.
We even got the first gritstone of the season in: wonderfully rough, but my poor hands bear the scars.
† Impossible to tell _exactly_ how many - it might have been just one pair following us around.
April 2nd-5th Easter BH: Wye (Not) Valley, Forest of Dean. Dave Bone
There was not much support for this meet - so little that come the Thursday evening, on discovering I no longer had a climbing partner and with defections occurring, the best option was to follow them and head for the Hut instead! I'm sure the unpromising weather forecast didn't help. There could be an unofficial report from the Marsdens who had at least looked at the crag on the way past in the rain...
Since the meet leader was at the Hut anybody there counts as being on the meet! One morning of sunshine was seen and TreeMudRock was heavily patronised (to keep Eric's empire expanding). A mass 'Striptease' was performed - next time Dave, try facing right like everyone else! Highlights included watching the Dreads being washed on Merlin (yes some rain was experienced)!
Those present include; Duncan Lee, Chris Williamson, Christine Beeston, Dave Garland, Rodger & Bridget Mapleson, the Madisons, Ken Beetham. Apologies to those Missed and who need the tick!
April 11th Presidents Hotpot/Slide Show Rick Kruze
Present: 35 assorted members and guests
A reduced number on previous years (over 60 in 1998) sat down for the Hot Pot at the Swan Hotel, New Mills. The Uptons retired this year so we were greeted (!) by new hosts. The meal and the slide show were held downstairs in the function room which meant a bit of a quick table clearing operation was needed after we'd finished eating.
I feel it only fair to report there were several grumblings about the food; mainly that there wasn't enough. Seconds of the hot pot or sweets was not an option and a few people said they dived into the fridge as soon as they got home! It also appeared to be pot luck as to which sweet you got. Many ran out before the end and a lot of people were left with Hobson's choice. Not an impressive start if they'd like to keep our business in future years.
On to the slide show. Again, as with the meal, numbers were down. The main reason for this, I feel, was that it was the weekend after Easter and a significant number of people were either away on a trip or had been away the week before and so hadn't sorted out slides in time. Unfortunately the initial slot we wanted for the Hot Pot was unavailable and we had to have this particular weekend. With better planning, this event won't be held so close to Easter again.
Colin Maddison was the judge for this year's competition and in my opinion struck the right balance between knowing what made a good climbing/mountain photograph and not being over critical on technical matters. His chosen winners were;
Mountain Landscape: Duncan Lee
Rock Action: Chris Williamson
Mountain Action: Duncan Lee
Human Interest: Andrew Croughton.
Congratulations to all the above and my thanks to Colin for being the judge.
Finally, I hope that next year's Hot Pot will be better attended (for the reasons I've stated above) and that the food will be more plentiful. To that end, if anyone has any suggestions for alternative venues, please pass them on to the Committee. Also with the number of people away on trips it should mean there are plenty of slides next time (get the hint?).
April 17th-18th Rawhead, Langdale FRCC Joint Meet Bob Anderson
Present: Frank & Margaret Williams, Chris Thicket, Jim & Sandy Gregson, Mike Hall(G), Lester Payne, Michelle Harvie, Mark Garrod, Keith Williams, Peter Walker, Pam & Iain McCallum, Bob Anderson – all representing KMC plus 21 members and guests representing FRCC (names can be supplied if anyone is interested)
The early arrivals on Friday managed a few routes on Raven Crag in warm sunshine before retiring to the O.D.G. for a spot of thirst quenching.
Saturday saw everyone out for walks and scrambles on the high tops around the whole of the Langdale skyline, with separate parties covering different sections and meeting periodically during the day as paths crossed. The views on this lovely sunny day over an extensive snow topped landscape were magnificent. Then surprise, surprise, more thirst quenching in the warm evening sunshine at both the O.D.G. and New D.G. Saturday evening saw lots of cross club & cross age group chat and banter between rosy cheeked youngsters and wrinkled oldies.
Sunday again dawned fine but the climbers were rained/snowed off (depending on crag level) by lunch time and a fair number of the walkers wer not far behind. Early home for some via long delays due to closure of part of the M6. For those that persevered the afternoon provided hot sunshine with 20 minutes of hail/snow. Yet again welcome refreshment in warm evening sunshine in the O.D.G.
Another marvellous day on Monday saw activity on the Coniston fells and an easy drive home for those lucky enough to be retired.
April 24th-25th Ty Powdyr – Joint Meet Salford Univ. John Dobson
Attendance: KMC Bob Anderson, Dave Bone, Sue Brooke, Sabina Cosulich, Andy Croughton, Joe Flynn, Jim Gregson, Sandy Gregson, Mark Garrod, Tony Gask, Michelle Harvie, Duncan Lee, Bridget Mapleson, Roger Mapleson, Lester Payne, Chris Thickett, Peter Walker, Chris Williamson.
KMC Guests: Heather Brooke, Tony Field, Catherine Firth, Dave Garland, Mike Howlett, Iain Lee, Neil Perry, Alan Reuben,
Salford University Mountaineering Club: Martin Howard, Tobjas Lilja, Jim Procter, Pam Westgate + one other.
Firstly, many thanks to the many members and their guests who turned up, despite the weather forecast, to give their support to this initiative, and for the efforts they made to make our guests welcome.
Before this meet, KMC members were queuing up to tell me their favourite student horror stories. ‘You know what students are like, whatever they said, they will turn up with at least 50 and you will have to throw them out. This is what happened to me once’. ‘The noise - they will all bring ghetto blasters, and play techno music’[what is techno music ?]. ‘They will be up all night – nobody will get any sleep’. However, I am pleased to say that the reality could not have been more different.
Fifteen students had booked to come in their mini-bus. However, to the consternation of the SUMC organiser, who was extremely apologetic, only five actually turned up on Friday night to meet the mini-bus. It’s good to know that after all these years students are still unreliable. A combination of exams, coursework deadlines, and a poor weather forecast made them [and some KMC members] make some last minute adjustments to their priorities. The five that turned up were so quiet that many of the KMC members probably didn’t even know they were there. And as to partying all night, they had all gone to bed by eleven – it was the KMC members up were up till the early hours drinking whiskey.
We woke on Saturday to find low cloud and drizzle. The SUMC members were up early raring to go, and their mini-bus set off for Tremadoc in search of dry rock, followed quickly by some of the keener KMC members. However the meet organiser adopted a different strategy. He stayed in bed till late – got up and had a leisurely fried breakfast, followed by more leisurely mugs of tea, and for his slothfulness was rewarded with clearing skies, and a really fine mountaineering day. There is a god after all and s/he doesn’t like keenies. And I have been asked to point out that it was not the done thing for the meet leader to climb until the early evening and then go straight to the pub. Can I ask that we move a vote of no confidence in him and ban him from organising any more meets!
Unfortunately, the weather forecast was not going to get it wrong two days running and people did what they could to salvage something. The quarries were popular, Little Tryfan was scaled in the rain, while the fair weather KMC members scaled the Beacon. SUSC members went walking which was a better decision than my trip to Tremadoc.
As to whether this sort of idea is worth developing in the future, I think the University students were amazed to discover that people over thirty didn’t have walking frames and didn’t look and behave as if they were on day release from a care in the community project. And they were very impressed with our hut. This must be the most targeted form of marketing we could possibly engage in. It looks as if we cannot have been too bad because three of them boycotted their own meet and turned up at our Froggatt outing.
Many thanks once again for all your support.
May 1st 3rd BH Pembroke, Camping Al Metelko
Present: Duncan Lee, Sabina Cosulich, Mark Garrod, Michelle Harvey, Cathy Devine, Jeremy Engineer, Dave Dillon, Andrew Croughton, Dave Wylie, Steve Taylor, Neil Perry, Dave Bone, Dave Garland, Rick Davies, Rick Kruze, Ruth Ashton, Kevin Anderson, Joan Stewart, Martin Greenwood, Chris Williamson, Roger Mapleson, Bridget Mapleson, Elaine Beaulieu, Jon Whitham, Dave Marsh and myself
Three almost perfect days for climbing, sunshine, not to hot and low tide early afternoon. The most popular crags where very busy and even then you only had to queue for a handful of routes.
So many good routes where done its almost impossible/boring to list them all but a special mention has to go to; Sabina on her first E2 lead, Martin who new to climbing was able to follow up HVS’s and on one occasion took a massive pendulum and still wants to climb.
On Sunday I was persuaded into the bowls of the earth again (and yes, it was sunny) but it was easier the second time round. A good proportion of the team went north to the St David’s area to do some coastering. They didn’t come back..
Monday, Huntsmans Leap seemed to be the main focus of attention. I was impressed by the cathedral like atmosphere as I abseiled into the zawn for the first time. After watching Sabina on ‘Shape Up’ (the E2) I thought I should give it a go but was thoroughly put off when Roger struggled up it. I also only had 7 quick draws and common sense said I should have more, I didn’t say anything in case someone should offer to lend me some.
Many thanks to all who came and if anyone has a free weekend and wants to go to Pembroke just see me.
June 1999 Newsletter Index.
Copyright © 1999 Karabiner Mountaineering Club
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