Karabiner Mountaineering Club

May 2008 Forthcoming Meets

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

Saturday May 10^th - South Pennines Walk - Mike Graves

This should be a delightful walk of about 11.5 miles, with some great views of the South Pennines. The walk starts at Worsthorn, and parking is on the Gorple Road, just after the church. SD 877 324 the route follows the Gorple Rd before dropping down the Hurstwood Reservoir 889 318 and passing the Cant Clough reservoir 897 310. We then join the Burnley Way near the Widdop Reservoir 926 324. Soon we cross Exwistle Moor, passing Swinden Reservoir, through some pleasant woods and back to Worsthorn. At least we should see some water!

Sunday May 11^th - Bamford Edge - Ann Sanderson

This magnificent crag overlooking Ladybower Reservoir is now open thanks to the CRoW Act. Because of past access difficulties the gritstone is superbly rough.

[Please note the landowner has been granted a 5 year ban on dogs].

There is a magnificent selection of routes, such as the pleasant Bamford Wall (S), well protected jamming in Brown's Crack (HS), the delicate and photogenic Wrinkled Wall (VS), the spectacular finish on Gargoyle Flake (VS), the superb finishing move on Quien Sabe? (VS), the almost too well protected Bilberry Crack (VS 5a) and Neb Buttress (HVS) requiring careful ropework.

Meet at the Neb Buttress area of the crag. I will be there from 10.30am.

May 17^th/18^th - FRCC Brackenclose meet - Chris Thickett

9 male and 6 female places have been booked for KMC members at £5 per night each. Please contact Chris Thickett to secure a place. Pay at the hut.

Arguably the best hut in England at the best location. Some of the best climbing, walking or scrambling.

May 24^th/26^th - Tyndrum - Keith Williams

Another old-fashioned Scottish meet hopefully early enough in the season to avoid the worst of the midges. There are around fifty Munros within twenty miles of Tyndrum. To the south you'll find the Arrochar Alps with Ben Vorlich and Ben Vane among them. Travel east via Crianlarich and Ben More and along Loch Tay to Ben Lawers and Meall nan Tarmachan or west to the Dalmally horseshoe and Cruachan. To the north you've got the whole of Glencoe with the Buachailles, Aonach Eagach and Bidean so there should be enough there to keep you out of mischief for 3 or 4 days.

Venue - By The Way camp site adjacent to Lwr. Tyndrum railway station. Full details on their web site at www.tyndrumbytheway.com. This site offers a variety of accommodation in addition to camping.

The campsite facilities include shower and toilet block (showers included in price), camper's kitchen and dining room, good drying room and laundry facilities. Camping costs £6 per person per night. You will need to make your own booking arrangements to stay there if you want to use their wigwams, huts or hostel. Otherwise, I would just ask folks who intend to camp to let me know not less than two weeks beforehand so that the owners can earmark an area of the site for us.

Sunday June 8^th - Dovestones Fell Run - Roy Lee

This should only take the fit a morning, with lunch at the Farmer's Arms. Meet at 9am in the Dovestones Reservoir car-park (pay and display) at 9am for a 9:30am start. GR013034. The exact route is still in planning so you'll need to be on time for final directions. The general idea is to set off up past the three reservoirs, up onto the tops, across to the main road, and back via a fly past the Pots and Pans, and Alderman.

Saturday June 14^th - The Roaches - James Hoyle

As a relative newbie to the world of rock climbing I'm still working my way through grit classics in the lower grades. I will therefore be climbing in the Black and Tans area of the Roaches from about 10 or 11 O'clock. There must still be something at the Roaches for nearly everyone so even grit gurus could pop along and say hello before moving off to quieter parts of the crag. If you're still to do the climbs in this area or fancy revisiting them then the more the merrier and I look forwards to seeing you there.

June 21^st/22^nd - Llanberis Pass: Cwm Glas Mawr hut - Al Metelko

Situated in the heart of Llanberis Pass, surrounded by crags galore, right in the centre of Britain's climbing Mecca is the Cwm Glas Mawr Hut (GR 620 569). Adventures of many kinds can be had from here; Door step climbing with the nearest crag a mere 150m away, Journeys in to the high mountain crags of Cwm Glas, which in turn could be combined with a route or two on Cloggy what could be better than that on the longest day of the year.

There are only 10 places available and £6 per head secures a space. Book your spot early to avoid disappointment.

Below are a number of ideas to whet the appetite -

• The Anderson Challenge: one route per crag (not sure what the record is but this is the weekend to break it).
• Distance climbed (guide book heights added up): good > 400m, excellent > 700m and superb > 1000m
• Linking scrambles: for example - Jammed Boulder Gully -Clogwyn y Person's Arete - Lliwedd West Buttress.
• The Almost Two Horseshoes Walk: North Ridge of Crib Goch - Crib y Ddysgl - Snowdon - Lliwedd - Miners Track to point 993 Bwlch Glas - descend Gyrn Las ridge to the hut.
• Or just a nice easy day out on the boulders, crags and surrounding hills above and below the hut.

June 28^th/29^th - Welsh Mystery Rock - Dave Bone

The mystery here was which crags should I choose - and I'm talking about the Meirionnydd guide (mid-Wales, not North Wales). There are many good ones here without the crowds and some wonderful settings. You have to walk (& up) to most of them though. OK so I've made an arbitrary choice and it's time to dispel some of the mystery. The plan is to drive out to mid-Wales early on the Saturday morning.

You can camp out somewhere on the Friday night if you prefer, but it is only around 2.5hrs.

Day one is "Craig y Merched" on Landranger124 at 690233. Head for Dolgellau and take the A496 Barmouth road. 2mi after the A470 turnoff, take the first side road on the right. Park near the road end and take a walk through the forest - you will need the guidebook. There are four crags - let's start at the middle - Rhino's Buttress. This has some very good VS routes. There are routes from VS to E2 and a VD. Who knows, this time I may make it up to the Upper crag for the HVS and E1s there.

When you're done here, it's back into the cars for the drive over to the campsite, handy for the next day's options (and because I like the place). Back past Dolgellau, and take the A470 to Dinas Mawddwy. Keep on the main road past the village to the bridge at the foot of the hill and turn left into the Celyn Brithion Caravan and camping site (GR 861139)- keep right for the camping area in back of the farmhouse. You'll know you're at the right place by the giant rabbits in hutches and the array of animals. A small site with reasonable facilities - details on www.celynbrithion.co.uk (01650 531344) - £6.00 per person + £1 for the car (so please keep the number of cars down). From here it's a 10min walk back into the village up the street with the Swifts screaming overhead for the highlight of the evening, the fine Red Lion Pub.

Day 2: Still an air of mystery here so you'll have to turn up by 9am on Sunday to find out. I'll make a choice on the weekend. Landranger 125 will be handy too. Number one option could be Cwm Cywarch only 4 miles away where there are routes for all, or I could take people up to the very tops of the Arans. There is even a nice south-facing low level option on a route home. And if you see more than another team, be surprised? You'll like it, honest!

July 12^th/13^th - North Devon Climbing - Mark Garrod

It's a long way to go, but we have aimed for the weekend before the main holidays to minimise traffic and maximise the sun and warmth. The climbing at Baggy Point is the main focus of the weekend, along with the requisite sea dips (with you know who), and campsite socialising as ever. I have not yet managed to check the tides, so I'm not sure whether the low tide routes will be accessible am or pm, but there is plenty of light to catch them at some point. Anyone who fancies surfing is also is the right place. For those who want to extend the stay, Lundy is just over the water.

The plan is to base ourselves in Croyde to have easy access to both sea and Baggy point. The campsites here are somewhat pricey; £13 per night per night per person plus £3 for a car, and you need to book for both weekend nights, to stay at Mitchum's village campsite, where we intend being. Rules abound in all campsites around here; this one only allows 2-3 man smallish tents, not frame tents or equivalent, and doesn't allow camper-vans or pets. Please contact me with definite bookings 3 weeks before the weekend, and I will book the site, otherwise please book direct or take your chance. Campsite grid ref is 441397, directions are get to Croyde whichever way you want, then take Jones Hill off the B3231 going north toward Putsborough for 200m, then turn left on Moor lane which heads out toward Baggy point. The campsite is a short way (100-200m) along Moor lane.

Saturday will definitely be climbing on Baggy point as the main focus. Sunday can more flexible, with some (limited) potential for other climbing in the area, although Baggy point should keep most people happy for 2 days.

Please contact me if you are thinking of, or definitely, coming.

Mark

July 19^th/20^th - Family Meet (Ty Powder) - Bridget Mapleson

Some may view this as a public service warning but KMC family meet will be as usual at Ty Powder 19th/20th July. On Saturday 19th a possible stroll along the Nantlle ridge such that by the afternoon when the sun is in the shining one can enjoy the pond under Cwm Silyn. Parking of a car or two at each end would allow the walk to be in the area of 6 miles long with a bit of up and down. The beginning of the walk should start from grid reference 566525 where there is lay-by parking on/near the right hand bend as you go from Rhyd Ddu at about 10:30. If the weather is badly off the mark (i.e. likely to cause serious aversion to future hill walking/climbing) maybe a coastal walk will be in order.

If acceptable we could celebrate a successful walk with a communal dinner at the hut. Please let me know if you would like to join in. I will look for some suitable climbing on Sunday along the lines of friendly crag, shortish walk-in, a stream/pond to paddle in, sun etc. All people most welcome. Bridget.

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