Karabiner Mountaineering Club

June 2001 Meet Reports

December 10^th - Kettleshulme - Len Stubbs and Mike Graves

Members: Neville McMillan, David K Lygate, Sabina Cosulich, Duncan Lee, Chris Williamson, Joan Stewart, Jim Taylor, Vinny Goodwin, Dave Dillon, Pete Walker, Len Stubbs, Lester Payne, Phil Ramsbottom, Alan and Christine Jones, Linda Crossley, Chris Thickett, Iain McCallum, Alan (L) Jones, John, Midge and Jo Castick, Mark Garrod, Michelle Harvie, Andy Croughton, Pete Schofield, John Evans. Jim and Sandy Gregson, Frank and Margaret Williams, Lorna Marsland.

Guests: Tim Clancy, Steve Bowker, Helen Donlevy, Noel Titterington.

Many thanks to Noel Titterington and Iain McCallum for helping me out on this walk, as most of you know on the return from my holidays in the U.S.A my left calf was swollen to twice it's normal size, I had the dreaded DVT.

The walk started in dry conditions and at a good pace, at the first ridge Jim and Sandy said they were going to stay high to avoid the heavy conditions in the valley, as they didn't want to get their boots dirty! The route then dropped down to the Goyt Valley, and so did the rain.

At the Errwood Reservoir the conditions were pretty grim, and Michelle left us as she had some painting to do! In true KMC spirit Iain wanted to carry on with the walk ,wet or dry as every body was geared up for heavy rain, at this point Frank and Margaret Williams decided to go and look at the architecture of the ruins of Errwood Hall.

The route taken was up Wildmoorstone Brook, Edgemoor, Cat and Fiddle, Shining Tor, and back to Lens. Thanks to Len and Eric and Pat Holt who provided the cakes, and all the helpers for the excellent refreshments they were most welcome, and great to see the two Pete's again.

February 10^th - 11^th - Glencoe, SMC Alex MacIntyre Memorial Hut - David K. Lygate

Members present: Vanessa Addison*, Christine Beeston, Lisa Cox , Sabina Cusilich, Rick Davies, Dave Dillon, John Evans*, Sheena Hendrie, Duncan Lee*, David K. Lygate, Neville McMillan, Al Metelko*, Chris Williamson, Mark Wiltshire.

Staying Elsewhere: Tim Clancy, Dave Whittingham*.

Guests present: Steve Bawker, Dave Kenyon*.

Staying Elsewhere: Tim Harkness, Jane Hayes, Jesper Jorgensen*.

* Stayed on in the hut for all or part of Duncan's mid week meet

The Alex Mac hut meet took place after a week of very heavy snowfall and with a very high avalanche risk due to soaring temperatures.

FRIDAY was apparently a perfect day, blue skies with amazing snow and ice. Those that were fortunate enough to get away a day early made good use of these favourable conditions. Tim went skiing, while Al and Vanessa took the long walk in from the golf course for some ice climbing on the Ben. Vanessa led on the waterfalls above the CIC, before they successfully attempted the first two pitches of Gemini.

Everyone else arrived at various times throughout Friday evening, with some having the privilege of stopping at with DKL's Scottish based family for dinner. Dave D., Christine and Rick arrived at 1:20am to receive the standard bollocking from the woman next door, (they hadn't even had time to make a noise or close car doors), this all culminated in a Dave Dillon lost temper shocker (which most thought was an impossibility). Dave D. then slept on the couch and John who arrived even later, spent the night in his car, both selflessly opting not to wake everyone in locating their bunks.

SATURDAY was disappointing, being a dark day with very low cloud, an obvious change in the weather.

Ski touring proved to be the most popular option of the day. Dave D. and Christine played about at White Corries on telemark skis, while a larger group went to Creag Mheagich, which included DKL, Chris, Sheena, Sabina, and Neville. 3 on ski mountaineering skis and 2 on telemark. Even though there was snow from the car park, the conditions were very testing, especially for Sabina who had forgotten her skis and boots, luckily Sheena had to sets so we were away. After ascending with skins on our skis we had only gained half of the mountains height when we were turned back due to extremely poor visibility. The decent was very testing with ice and soft powder sitting together in the low cloud. None of us skied particularly well and DKL was particularly frustrated due to continual binding problems. When we could finally see which way was down, the snow had changed to a very sticky porridge where you could point the skis down hill and they wouldn't move at all or would suddenly stop dead, all this being spaced out between the heather patches. However, it must be noted that Sabina despite having boots a good few sizes too big and never having been on telemark skis before, managed to do her first telemark turn. Also, Neville who had turned back just before the rest of the party, suffered a bad fall cutting his head, however even though the repercussions could have been serious he didn't complain and had to be persuaded to talk about the experience. Luckily we had turned back at the right time and had just skied up to the cars when the weather really turned nasty.

Meanwhile, back in Glencoe, Rick had made the summit of the eastern top of the Ballachulish horseshoe, but descended quickly when he saw the weather was turning for the worse. Duncan, Steve and Dave K. all went to Stob Coire nan Lochan where they found very difficult conditions to locate the route they had selected, but still managed one pitch of something before turning back. John and Dave W. also stayed in Glencoe, going up Coire nan Beith to sneak a look at Bidean. While Tim and Jane went for a walk in the Mamores.

Al, Vanessa, Mark and Lisa went to the Ben, Al and V wanted to finish Gemini, the route that they had started the day before. However, due to the stormy conditions, the plan was changed with Vanessa and Mark following Al's lead up the steepest CIC waterfall while Lisa took the photographs. Tim and Jesper were also drawn to the Ben; they geared up and started but didn't like the conditions so decided to call it a day.

On Saturday night the KMC clearly demonstrated that they are a bunch of curry loving winos and could only be tempted to the pub when all the wine and tikka masala had gone. The walk to the hotel bar next door felt almost tropical with the afternoon's new weather front, this warming feeling was then magnified by the very cold reception that the Bar staff gave us. However not all was lost as we celebrated Jane's birthday and the meet leader could not be beaten at pool.

SUNDAY started slowly, most looked out of the window in the morning with a heavy heart, the cloud was low, the temperature had dramatically risen and torrential rain was still falling as it had been all night. Despite these conditions and the visible melting of a lot of snow, only Al and DKL were optimistic about getting something done.

Tim's, Jane, Chris, Steve and Sabina headed off home, Sheena and Neville went to visit friends. John and Dave W. went on a shoreline walk and saw a sea otter, while Jesper moved into the hut, read the papers and drank whisky.

Al, Vanessa, Dave K., Duncan, Mark, Lisa, John and Dave W. all went up Glen Nevis to attempt some rock climbing and had some success. Dave K. led a wet HVS and two VS's (one with a HVS finish), all in stiff ice-climbing boots, both Duncan and Vanessa led the same severe. Everyone else seconded these routes.

DKL, Christine, Dave D. and Rick decided to head up the lost valley since Bidean was keeping the other summits clear of cloud. Dave D. and Rick turned back just after the snow line but DKL and Christine decided to attempt the summit of Stob Coire nan Lochan via the easy solid snow slopes at the end of the valley, since the avalanche risk was very high. We soon caught up with a party of four in front of us and all commented on a party of three, they were foolishly heading up to the heavily corniced col just bellow Meall nan Sgreamalich. Minutes later Christine drew our attention to all three being swept away in an avalanche, we saw the first climber being swept 800ft over a rock outcrop, but he got up and started to walk back up the mountain, the second didn't go far, stopped and was sitting down on the snow, but the third was buried half way between the two. Luckily they managed to dig him out alive and all three appeared to be intact, despite their experience. DKL and Christine finally made it to the summit but had to spend considerable time helping one of the party of four who was terrified of the strong wind on the ridge and shaken up with witnessing the avalanche. We finally made it down to the lost valley floor where Dave D. and Rich were waiting for us. We did bump into the avalanche survivors who though mature in years, didn't realise how lucky they were to still be alive, one was annoyed that he had lost his ice axe! Also, since none of them were hurt, they didn't think that they had to notify the mountain rescue that they were safe, even after one of the team, who was looking for the avalanched group, passed them going up the valley. Finally, it was reported in the Glasgow Herald, that ironically, one of the party slipped while only 100yds form the A82, spraining her ankle, you can draw your own conclusions.

It was then a quick dram for the car passengers, then back to Manchester via Glasgow and a haggis supper.

March 25^th - Mallerstang - Keith Williams

Along the airy mountain

Members: Frank and Margaret Williams, Iain McCallum, Linda Crossley, Michelle Harvey, Mark Garrod, Roger Dyke, Chris Thickett, Christine Beeston and possibly others to whom I apologise now.

Guests: Kate Sparks, T E Lawrence, Ibn Sa'id, Marco Poodle et al

This meet was hurriedly arranged as an alternative to the distinctly superior venue of Mallerstang Fell in a bid to at least walk somewhere after being effectively under house arrest for some weeks. The initial spirit was well expressed by Chris T's email whichemail, which basically said, "I can't stand the thought of it but I'll go mad if I don't go somewhere".

Thus the 1st Eleven met at Southport pier on a bluish day of dashing sun. Subsequent Elevens had wisely stayed at home. The tide stayed in for a few teasing minutes to add a dash of interest before in leapt back towards Ireland like a time lapse film. The first major obstacle of the day (apart from crossing the road) was the descent of the sea wall - all of 2m. The downward tilt of the feet required for this manoeuvre stirred some vestigial memory in one or two of the company who recalled adopting a similar position sometime in the remote past when they used be mountaineers. Once having reached the beach however, it was plain sailing because the tide had come back in.

Route-finding could have been a major source of interest in thick mist but since this was not in evidence we had to content ourselves with deciding whether to pass on the left or right side of this piece of flotsam or that. Mind you, given the navigation skills of some members this may have come as a great relief. Apart from the continuous talk - which probably contributed significantly to global warming since the tide positively refused to go for some minutes - interest had to be sought in the minutiae of the littoral environment. Thus in the same way as the Inuit have thirty different words for 'snow' so we came to recognise at least thirty different forms of sand. Shifting one's line to avoid the soft calf-ripping stuff that Olympic athletes are reputed in their perversity to seek out, was a real challenge. Well, sort of.

Pressing south past the kite-powered beach buggy fraternity among whose straining wires it would have been quite easy to be excitingly decapitated, someone whispered, 'Ainsdale Hills' and the spirits lifted briefly at the prospect of some relief from the all-pervading flatness. And this was not entirely dissipated by the hauling into sight of three stalwart members of - they insisted - the Southport Mountaineering Club complete with their de rigour hand-held plastic rucksacks by Tesco. They said that they specialised in beach routes but they looked more like a bunch of well-spoken refugees who'd slipped off a container ship at Seaforth and were looking for work in Blackpool for the season.

After about three - or was thirty? - hours on the southern tack we reached the tree line and realised that the really serious decision of the trip would have to be made: to pitch camp or beat a retreat. But where? Had we actually crossed the Equator or the International Date Line; and where was it anyway? Whipping out a sextant and declaring, "I see no ships!" Mark trained his eye on Formby Point navigation beacon, noted a text message from the local coastguard based in Eskdalemuir, and scrauped - this is the Beduin term - a well-heeled line in the sand. Thus far a no further!

So badly exposed, dehydrated and exhausted were many of the party that the message took some time to sink in: they stood around in dejected knots - not to be confused with redshanks - for two or three minutes before turning their faces into the searing wind and heading back up the seven - or was it seventy - miles to the shelter of Base Camp. Now the real value of the training on the outward leg showed up with the party getting well spread out behind the race leaders. Nor was it the young and agile who always dominated: the old hands like McCallum, drawing on every sand grain of his military experience in Egypt, streaked away, the dunes flashing past on either hand - he didn't know which. Others lost time and complained that they'd spent all day passing water, not without some truth.

An attempt to regroup was only partially successful because the tide - which had left long streaks of itself lying around - decided to come in again in the form of a river across our tracks. Different strategies for crossing this led to further fragmentation and only the tantalising mirage of an ice cream van provided a focus for the more exhausted. Thus it was that the leading group found themselves making sand castles until caught once again at the pier by a weary, drooling and white-lipped bunch of clowns - also looking for work in Blackpool?

All that remained was the ascent of the sea wall - all 2m of it. The upward tilt of the feet required for this manoeuvre stirred some vestigial memory in one or two of the company who recalled adopting a similar position sometime in the remote past when they used be mountaineers. Once having reached the road, however . . . they hobbled with the best of them. What blisters, what torn calves, what cramped and aching thighs - it was never like this on real mountains.

April 8^th - The President's Hotpot - Duncan Lee

Due to the failure of my telepathic powers (Millstone open on the 7th) the climbing part of the day's activities was at New Mills Torrs, a scenic little spot tucked under a road bridge in the middle of the town. Lovely. The climbers were lucky (?) compared to the walkers (Pete Walker and Al Liv. Jones) who managed to be fenced in by the ever changing Foot and Mouth restrictions. The brave souls who tested out New Mills best and only crack were Colin Maddison, Sabina Cosulich, Dave Bone, Sheena Hendrie, Rob Allen, Roisin, Chris Williamson and Duncan Lee. We even managed to jibber our way up a few climbs, which included Viaduct Wall (E2), Viaduct Crack (HVS) and Cracked Corner (S).

A variety of other folk braved the delights of walking or cycling on those quiet country roads until the predictable rain arrived thus guaranteeing a brisk trade at the Whaley Café before the Navigation Inn became the centre of operations. Fifty-three members and guests sat down for the meal, which was a vast improvement on last year.

The standard of the slides entered for the competition was also very high thus making the judge's (Harry Kay) job a very difficult one. He certainly guaranteed himself a lift home however by awarding the trophies as follows.

Rock Action winner: Andrew Croughton.

Mountain Landscape winner: Andrew Croughton.

Mountain Action winner: Al Metelko.

Human Interest winner: Sue Brooke.

Anyway thanks to everyone who turned up and helped to make this a successful meet.

April 22^nd - Ravensdale - Joe Flynn

Members present: Joe Flynn, Roger Dyke, John Evans, Sheena Hendrie, Neville McMillan, Sabina Cosulich, Duncan Lee, Mike Hall.

Guests. Jeff and Teresa Seneviratnes and Ian?

The KMC was back in action. My first climbing meet of the real millennium thanks to lifting of Foot and Mouth restrictions at Ravensdale only a few days earlier.

In spite of a dreadful forecast heavy skies, clouds and drizzle in Manchester the enthusiastic bunch of dedicated/frustrated/desperate climbers set off despite the gloom. We were rewarded with an empty crag reserved for the KMC. The meet leader was an example arriving first and leaving last. It might have something to do with my climbing speed. As well as a deserted crag we were rewarded with the spring flora wild garlic, cow parsley, primula and some strange purple flowers that no one recognised. (What do triffids look like?). Roger arrived early and took a few photographs with his digital camera of climbers in action (or was that inaction).

John Evans and his friend Ian arrived walked up to the crag and then remembered a previous appointment in Sheffield. They left but promised to return later - yeah I'm still waiting.

The rest of the brave band followed soon after. There was some discussion as to the temperature of the rock and fingers and although there was no consensus on the issue Neville and Roger voted with their feet and went for a walk on the only legal path in the area the Tissington Trail. (Well that is what they told me your honour)

The usual favourites were climbed Medusa, Gymnic, Amain, Ash Crack and Rockbiter(soft touch HVS according she who will remain nameless).

The weather remained kind the rain that threatened did not arrive until we were leaving the Red Lion in Litton at 6:00.

You climbers who took one look at the Manchester weather and turned over went back to sleep missed a classic day in the peak. A rare opportunity to climb without crowds and have your choice of routes. Climbing restrictions have been lifted on several peak district crags so check the meets list and get active.

May 5^th - 7^th - BH Old Man of Stoer - Michelle Harvie and Duncan Lee

The Stoer, Sterndale, Stanage and Sharpness Meet.

Members present: Cathy Devine, Jeremy Engineer, Chris Williamson (sunbathing only), Sabina Cosulich, Dave Bone, Al Metelko, Neville McMillan, Sheena Hendrie, Dave Dillon, Andrew Croughton, Christine Beeston, Craig Marsden, Sue Marsden, Tony Major, Roger and Bridget Mapleson.

Guests present: Andy and Anna Lidston, John Warburton, Carys and Owen Mapleson, Martin Heaton, Julie Davis, Phoebe and Thomas Marsden and Amanda?

Stoer was not to be. Yet another casualty of the Foot and Mouth epidemic unfortunately but at least the stack will still be there next year. Plan B, devised in the pub the Thursday before, was a tour of The Peak. Aldery Cliff (Earl Sterndale) on the Saturday, Stanage (Wall End area) on the Sunday and a serious case of grit rash on the Monday at Ramshaw Rocks.

Saturday saw a variety of hardy folk (and Chris) out for an active day on the rock and the roads. Cathy and Amanda seemed to disagree with Jeremy on the concept of a gentle cycle ride. Cathy retired early to sunbath and by the end of the 30-mile toil Amanda wished that she had done the same. Chris just sat around. The rest of us blitzed the crag. Routes done include Surface Plate, The Bender, Terrace Wall, The Arête, November Wall, The Fly, Jinbaloo, Broken Toe and the beautifully named Snot Monster (Sabina's idea). The later being a rarity over recent years; a possible new route to report on a KMC meet (details sent to BMC).

The crux of Sunday's activity at Stanage was finding a parking space followed by a tricky move to find an unoccupied climb. Having completed the above tasks successfully avoiding being photographed by Dave and Andrew was impossible. The highlights of the day's rock action were Sheena vicious assaults on Fern Crack (revenge was sweet) and Goliath's Groove. Other routes ascended included Wall End Slab, Fina, Centurato, Wall End Crack, Pullover and Coign. We had to do something to work up a thirst to celebrate Neville's birthday with a wine tasting at The Whaley Café. Mary and Steve swelled the numbers for the alcohol drinking part of the weekend but they are not getting a tick.

Monday saw the brave and the foolish venturing (or limping in my case) out to Ramshaw to lose some flesh. Sheena was the proud winner of the award for the most skin lacerated. Closely followed by Jeremy but then again what do you expect if you climb with Warby. John's ability to pick routes with the words "esoteric jamming" in the route description was highly commendable for the entertainment the ensuing antics provided the rest of us. The day's finest effort however was definitely Bridget seconding Louie Groove (E1) as her first route since the birth of little Owen. Jeremy could still be heard begging for mercy as the rest of us fled whilst Warby was dragging him off towards another hideous looking off width crack.

June Newsletter Index.

Copyright © 2001 Karabiner Mountaineering Club