Karabiner Mountaineering Club

July 2004 Forthcoming Meets

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

Sunday July 4^th - Ten Edge Challenge - Rick Davies

	Enjoy climbing?
	Enjoy doing a route or two in the Peak District?
	Up for a bit of a challenge?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above then this is the meet for you!

The Challenge: To complete a route on each of ten specially chosen crags in the peak district, without the use of any form of wheeled transport (other than to get you to the starting point).

So, think you can handle it?

The meet leader apologies that he will not be able to attend and will not be available.

For those who still wish to do a climb on 10 edges should meet at Stanage Popular end at 9:30 for the first climb and then continue on foot to:

• Burbage North
• Higgar Tor
• Millstone
• Lawrencefield
• Froggatt
• Curbar
• Baslow
• Gardams
• Birchins
• Chatsworth

July 11^th - Scramble, Lakes - Martin Heaton

Low Water Beck (Grade 3), Brim Fell (Grade 2).

A spectacular ghyll scramble with some interesting pitches (especially after rain!) up to the tarn, followed by pleasant slab climbing on good rough rock. Various options to follow, depending on time and inclination.

Meet at the car park after the gate on the Walna Scar Road (GR 289 971) at 10:15 for a 10:30 start.

I hope to be at the pub the Thursday before.

PS This will not be as long as last year's epic expedition !

July 17^th/18^th - Ty Powdwr Family Meet - Sue Marsden

This is a meet for children of all ages, including you Kevin!!

It is a family meet with a difference in that it is open night on Craig, there is a significant decade to celebrate Craig is 40. There will be wine and beer aplenty (as long as you bring some!!) and a BBQ on Saturday night, please let us know whether you intend to come so we can sort out catering quantities.

There is a very loose plan for Saturday and Sunday in that it will be a walk on one day and a climb on the other choice to be made dependent on weather and meet attendees.

July 22^nd - Annual Garden Party - Roy Lee

Summer is here and therefore a date for the Annual Garden Party has been set. People are welcomed to arrive from 7.30pm bringing their own drink, something to put on the buffet table and hopefully a few pounds to spend on plants. With any money made going to St. Ann's Hospice.

July 24^th/25^th - Ty Powdwr - Seddon, McCallum, Anderson

Climbing - To be arranged on the day - Leader Bob Anderson

Walk : The Ascent of Cnicht - Leader Iain McCallum

Start/finish: Car park in the Nantgwynant (GR.628506). Route: Nantgwynant - Bryn Bedd - Llyn Edno - Ysgafell Wen - Cwm-y-Foel - Cnicht (689m) - Bwlch y Battel - Gelli-Iago - Nantgwynant. Distance about 10 miles.

Meet at 10am on the car park Map OS Outdoor Leisure 17 Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa

Evening - Birthday celebration with beer, wine and soft drinks.

A meal will be provided at about 7.30pm.

Menu - melon, jacket potato with cold meats and trimmings (There will be a vegetarian alternative) and a sweet.

In view of the catering arrangements it would be helpful if you could let Iain McCallum know by Thursday 22^nd. July whether you intend coming on this meet and whether you require a "Cold meat supper" or a "Veggie supper"

Sunday - Climbing and walking

July 25^th - Curbar/Baslow - Heather Brooke

As a change to my normal Froggatt Meet I decided to move about 1km down the same edge and therefore arriving at Curbar and Baslow. I am hoping to be at the bottom of Eliminate's Wall area at about 11am, depending on weather. Hopefully I'll see some friendly, familiar faces.

August 1^st - The Roaches - Dave Wylie

Come out to play on one of the classic gritstone crags. A fair few of the routes here were put up by KMC members, so it would be a fitting celebration of the Clubs's 60^th year if we managed climb all of "our" routes on this meet!

I should be at the crag, clutching the new Staffordshire guidebook, from about 11am. Try and car-share if possible as there is limited parking.

August 7^th/8^th - Lakes - John Evans

This meet will be based in the Buttermere area, the chosen campsite is at Gatesgarth Farm, grid ref: 191 148. I've been leafing through the new FRCC selected guide and according to this colourful publication Buttermere is 'relatively' quiet. Hopefully the weather will be kind, in which case I'm considering the long walk-ins to Pillar Rock or Eagle Crag, also there is the option of looking at closer crags such as High Crag or Grey Crag. Crags indeed. In the event of poor conditions I will most probably walk a circular route over some of the 'relatively quiet' North-Western fells, including the intriguingly-named Robinson. More concrete plans will be plotted and schemed nearer the time, but with any luck there could be some excellent multi-pitch entertainment to be had!

It would appear that perhaps the most obvious approach would be over the Honister Pass on the B5289 from Keswick then Seatoller, heading down westwards towards Buttermere village, although there are other possibilities.

August 14^th/15^th - The Snowdonia Challenge - Kevin Anderson

The Snowdonia Challenge - a gala event celebrating 60 years of KMC climbing

With the Greenlander's now safely ensconced in the KMC's welcoming bosom, we eagerly await wiling away the wet winter months listening, dewy-eyed (or is it glazed over?), to Duncan regaling stories of epic adventures, daring does and close shaves with the pit latrine. However, whilst the intrepid expeditioners have 'done us all proud' - the club's 60th anniversary year continues with an altogether more sedate and leisurely commemorative meet. Building on the resounding success of the Wylie Roaches extravaganza - horticultural chimneys, gearless slabs of doom and sandy overhanging severes - 'must av bin ard as nails em olduns!' - it's now time for Snowdonia's rock to make its contribution to this celebratory year.

So what's plan??

First, it is important to note this meet is not a competitive event, but rather a gentle amble through a small selection of the Pass's and Idwal's mist-shrouded annals - with plenty of time for those KMCers steeped in club history to reminisce or spend a few moments of quiet contemplation - in between tracing the jams, laybacks and plummets of many an earlier KMC hand and body. Meanwhile, fun of a more hedonistic nature can also be had by the burgeoning ranks of younger KMCers (under 50?) - though whether they'll last the pace - only time will tell!

...and so to the details...

Friday night - camp at the site opposite the Vaynol in Nant Peris

Saturday morning - early breakfast, then stroll up to Craig Ddu for the first route of the day. This is to be followed by a route on each of the Grochan, the Wastad and Cromlech before meandering across to the Mot for a taste of North facing joy. To complete the day a final route on Cyrn Las (perhaps a mass KMC ascent of main wall?) is to be followed by Vaulnaut direct and a well deserved pint or two.

Sunday morning, - body willing - the script is to head round to Idwal - up the slabs (or one of the routes on suicide wall), followed by a route on both holly tree wall and continuation wall then it's a quick hop, skip and jump off to the right to wrestle with one of the very fine (and normally peaceful!) climbs on the Grey Group. This leaves us on top of Glyder Fawr and a pleasant descent back to the A5.

For those folk with a bit left in the tank and without the beckoning pleasure of young ones to tuck in at home, the Snowdonia Challenge meet will finish with some pub grub, which Craig Marsden has generously offered - in true 60th anniversary spirit - to pick up the tab for, at a venue still to be decided.

August 21^st/22^nd - Weekend Birthday Camp/Gaping Ghyll Winch Meet - Lorna Marsland/Sue Brooke

Weekend Birthday Camp

Here are the long-awaited details of the camping meet taking place on 20^th-22^nd August 2004.

CAMPING

We're camping at Woodend Caravan Park at Austwick, near Clapham. Don't be put off by the name. The caravans are far away from us and the setting is very pretty. Camp sites in this area are few and far between and since it is the weekend of the Winch Meet for Gaping Ghyll, it was difficult to find anywhere. There are facilities although these are limited. The site is owned by Edward and Margaret Hird, Austwick, via Lancaster LA2 8DH Tel: 015242 51296.

To find the site, take the B6480 off the A65 signposted for Austwick. Go through the village and Wharfe is less than a mile further on. Wood End Farm is on your right just after the bridge - grid ref : 780691. We have been asked to camp in the field on the left of the gate as you enter, close to the road. The Gamecock in Austwick does good food and has nice beer; I have drunk here after a Tuesday night outing, so can vouch for it.

WALKING

The walk is directly from the campsite, through Wharfe, following the footpath below the crags to Moughton Scar, Thieves Moss, Long Scar and into Clapham, where there are an abundance of cafes for afternoon tea and a pub. Thence we return to Austwick via one of two footpaths. The total mileage is 10 which allows us time for the celebratory imbibing. Map Outdoor Leisure 2 Yorkshire Dales Southern and Western areas 1:25000

For those turning up for the walk on the day, meet at the campsite at 09:30.

WINCH

We're planning to do this on Sunday for those who are interested. Sue Brook is organising this so you'll need to see her if you want to go down (for more details, see below). Descents can be made between 8am and 4pm and you need to allow an hour for the trip, so the leaflet says.

CLIMBING

There is some very good climbing within walking distance of the campsite at White stone (on the map) but known as Crummack Dale. It's pocketed limestone, which is very interesting, although there is little below HVS 5a. Al has climbed there if you need further details.

SWIMMING

Unfortunately Michelle, it's not by the sea, but there is a lake, so bring your cozi just in case the weather is warm enough! I know you never travel without it!

I hope there is something to entice you along, even if it's only the promise of birthday cake and some vino collapse.

Hope to see you there.

Lorna

Gaping Ghyll Winch Meet

Originally this weekend was to be shared with Joe Flynn where he was organising a caving meet and I was planning the walk. Since Joe will be out of the country at this time, Sue Brooke has very kindly agreed to stand in for him. However, without Joe's caving expertise, the Gaping Ghyll trip will be confined to that which is available to the general public and to avoid crowds, anyone interested should contact Sue in advance. The projected cost of the descent into the cave is £8 or make yourself available for a future weekend, helping out at the site.

This as an opportunity for KMC members to witness madness on a grand scale, specifically to allow members of the public direct access to Gaping Ghyll main chamber, without getting wet! Over the course of three weekends a small quiet valley in the Yorkshire Dales is turned into a tented village, compete with pub (Craven Pot Hole Club members Only), with the stream, which naturally flows down the main shaft, dammed and diverted to provide drinking water, bathing, a system to cool the winch, which in turn provides warm water for showering. All this is in order to allow the building of a plat formed structure at the top of the main shaft, down which, for a small price (£8), members of the public can be winched in a bosons chair for a guided tour of the main chamber. The Craven Pot Hole Club have agreed that members may join them at some point over this weekend (to be negotiated), which is also the weekend that Lorna will be celebrating her birthday and will be leading a walk in the area. Because this is such a grand venture anyone wishing to use the winch for free will have to provide assistance in setting up on the previous weekend, in guiding parties around the main chamber or promise assistance with closing down and dismantling. Anyone not able to assist will have to pay the same price as members of the public for the privilege. For more information or to confirm interest please contact Susan Brooke.

September 4^th/5^th - Southern Sea Cliffs Part Two - Rick Davies

Swanage, Dorset - Also known as The Beach Boys Saga!

This is the second part of my sea cliff odyssey this year it was meant to be a trilogy, but like Douglas Adams my numeracy is a little bit on the dodgy side!

Anyway, Swanage is a superb venue for a weekend's summer climbing with vast amounts of sun-kissed limestone by the sea!

So, what's there for you? Well there are routes of all grades, but to get the most out of this meet you really need to be able to climb VS (at one end of the rope anyway), as this is the starting point of the best routes. In the area there are so many quality routes that its hard to pick out some that grab the attention, at VS Freda and Old Faithful are the obvious *** routes, in the HVS range why not try Lightning Wall, Fraggle Rock, Finale Groove The Golden Fleece or perhaps the pick of the crop, Behemoth.

In the higher grades there are at least as many *** routes, Mars and Elysium stand out at E1, Gypsy and Buccaneer at E2, and Soul Sacrifice at E3.

So, where to stay? I'll be camping at Tom's Field (which does have facilities such as showers), which is near to the village of Langton Matravers, from which you can easily walk to any of the crags or most importantly, the pub! Of course if this seems all a bit to stressful there are also some superb beaches in the area which you could take advantage of (or use to soothe the ego if you find the routes a bit nasty!).

As for the weather well... I'm picking up good vibrations; she's giving me excitations, good, good vibrations....

For Further Info call me or email me.

July Newsletter Index.

Copyright © 2004 Karabiner Mountaineering Club