Karabiner Mountaineering Club

March 2009 Forthcoming Meets

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

"I accept that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a risk of personal injury or death. I am aware of and shall accept these risks and wish to participate in these activities voluntarily and shall be responsible for my own actions and involvement."

May 9^th/10^th - Bob Graham Fell Run - Dave Bish

Yes there is a reason I ran up Elidr Fach from the hut in the dark twice on the last working meet. It would seem I am attempting the 62 mile Bob Graham Round on the 9th of May just before my 42nd birthday (the BGR covers 42 Lakeland peaks which Bob G. did on his 42nd).

Although those in the know keep asking me about my training and some have even seen me running up hills on meets over the last year, this thing is far from in the bag. I really, really would like the support of some keen walkers and maybe even runners. I still have a couple of training weekends planned (call me to help) and I will need people to act as checkpoints on the Midnight Friday to Midnight Saturday attempt of the round. I especially need a confident person to wait around with a rope on Broad Stand and also am hoping that a few friendly KMC faces would like to man the last few hard tops around Wasdale Head. I have booked spaces in the Brackenclose hut for the Saturday night which I will pay for and I can provide specially printed, laminated routemarked maps. My sponsors "Simpsons Foods" of Urmston have also provided meat pies for anyone who does a bit with me plus I am also trying to get some beers together from Bank Top. I will have at least one camper van in attendance at road crossings and can ferry anyone from the end of a leg back to their car if they are with me for a long stint (the longest leg is 13 miles). This thing is likely to cripple me but I'd like any help that KMCers out there can offer.

May 17^th - Ravensdale - Joe Flynn

A volunteer is now needed to lead this meet, as Joe will be unable to do so. Please contact Heather Brooke ASAP if you can do the honours - thought the meet will undoubtedly take place in any case!

A great location and some fine routes. This is what Rockfax has to say.

'Looking west out over the attractive wooded valley of Cressbrook Dale, Ravensdale crag has a lot to offer the climber operating at the VS and HVS. The tall Raven Buttress, directly above the cottages, contains some long, attractive routes with plenty of exposure and an almost a mountain-crag atmosphere. Further left is a cluster of interesting shorter climbs surround the natural arch of the Flying Buttress Area. There are 32 trad routes from VD to E6' .

Restrictions apply from  1 March - 30 June. Reason - Nesting Birds

Due to nesting birds please avoid the routes Medusa and Via Vita.

Approach

Limited parking below the crag at Ravensdale Cottages so be early and car share if possible. [If coming down the road from the North, the final turn off is very testing].

OS 172737 on Peak Map OL24.

With the primula and wild garlic this the best time of year to visit this crag.

[Bring along a bottle of H2SO4 if you fancy doing Gymnic, Ed.]

May 23^rd/31^st - Skye Week - James Hoyle

Those of you who have already given the meets calendar a scan may have spotted that I am organising a KMC week on Skye for the last week in May. It would be wonderful to see as many members there as possible be they into walking, climbing, scrambling or whatever. At the last count about 16 members of the KMC and guests had contacted me to book onto this meet, which is pretty good going really.

Accommodation has now been booked in the Skyewalker Hostel at Portnalong but some members have opted to camp at Glenbrittle. Should anyone else wish to join us then check out their website and book directly yourselves at £13.50 a night. I do know however that the hostel is now full for some of the time we are there but there may still be availability some nights. The hostel also has a camping ground allowing you to use their facilities like the kitchen.

Various groups seem keen to make attempts on the ridge and climb in and around the Cuillin and sea cliffs but others seem set on enjoying the coastal scenery and rugged walks on offer; so there's plenty for everyone. With a couple of pubs in the area and the facilities available at the hostel the evenings are looking like fun too so if you still haven't decided whether to come dilly dally no longer and give me a call!

Sgurr Alaisdair to Sgurr Dubh in the Cuillin [D. Bone]

June 7^th - Froggatt Edge - Ann Sanderson

Froggatt is one of the most popular crags in the Peak. It is low-lying enough to escape the worst of the weather and is west-facing to catch the afternoon sun.

The main edge is a virtually continuous face of exceptionally clean and quick-drying gritstone of the highest quality up to 17m high. Both natural and quarried buttress exist, giving a variety of climbing styles. Froggatt is home to some of the best slab climbing in the country but also has a great collection of generally well-protected crack climbs. Here is a selection to get the palms sweating and the adrenaline flowing:

Allen's Slab (Sev) - A delight; Green Gut (HS) - Much, much better than it sounds; Sunset Slab (HVS 4b) - Easy, but bold; Hawks Nest Crack (VS 4c) - Exciting jamming; Chequer's Buttress (HVS 5a) - A long arm-span helps get you to a spectacular position; Valkyrie (HVS 5a) - One of the Peak's classic routes over two contrasting pitches; Tody's Wall (HVS 5a) - Squirm onto the block then somehow levitate over the lip onto the slab above; Three Pebble Slab (E1 5a) - Another classic requiring friction and bottle; Strapiombante (E1 5b) - Well protected, but strenuous. A good candidate for a first E1 lead? Brown's Eliminate (E2 5b) - A 2-move wonder route and Great Slab (E3 5b) - Bolder still.

For more details, see these Crag details and access.

Meet at 10:30 at the Downhill Racer area of the crag (SK 2495 7615).

June 13^th/14^th - Ty Powdwr Climbing - Rob Allen

Here's another meet from our excellent climbing base in Snowdonia. For those of you that have paid your £40 for unlimited use of the hut, here's a chance to take advantage of it. I'm not giving an itinerary for the climbing over the weekend because there's so much good climbing in so many nearby areas (The Pass, Gogarth, Cloggy, slate quarries etc.) that I'll let people decide for themselves. So whether you want big multi-pitch routes in the mountains or bolt clipping on the new routes in the slate quarries this is the place to be. Just tell me what you've done at the end of the day for the meet report and I might even believe you.

June 20^th/21^st - Great Langdale Meet - Raven Crag Cottage - Andrew Grantham

Due to climbing restrictions around Malham, there's been a change of venue.

For those who don't know the hut, it is in a superb location close to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel - GR 286062. We've booked 16 places for Friday and Saturday nights - so first come first served. If you want further information please see the BBRCC Raven Crag Cottage Web Page. Please note what it says about parking.

Normal booking conditions for hut meets please, which are that you don't get a confirmed place until I see the colour of your money (or cheque). Cost is £8 per person per night. If those interested can get in touch, I can help to try and co-ordinate transport if needed.

Saturday June 27^th - Marsden - Edale - Phil Ramsbottom

NOTE: this is to replace the Edale Weekend in the handbook.

Please join me on one of the big classic Pennine walks. If you have not done it before - now is the time to put that right. If you have done it before isn't it about time you did it again?

The plan is to catch a train from Manchester Victoria. If you prefer, you can drive to Marsden and meet us at the train station - although how you retrieve your car is up to you.

For the outbound leg, the following train will be used:

07:40 - arrives Marsden 08:11

The train times for the return from Edale to Manchester Piccadilly are as follows:

17:47 - arrives Piccadilly 18:32

18:46 - arrives Piccadilly 19:32

19:47 - arrives Piccadilly 20:32

21:08 - arrives Piccadilly 22:05 (please let's avoid this one)

If you intend to come along please get in touch either by phone or email. Let me know your preferred time, so that I can finalise the details and send out a further update.

The route is pretty straightforward - up the Wessenden Valley to Wessenden Head, cross the A635 and on to Black Hill, over that and down to Crowden. Cross the Torside Reservoir dam, up Torside Clough on to Bleaklow, over this to the top of the Snake Pass. So far it is just the Pennine Way. From the Snake we will pass over Featherbed Top, down Upper Gate Clough to the ruined shooting cabin in Ashop Clough, over the footbridge before the big grind up to Fairbrook Naze. From here it is in the bag, follow the North Kinder Edge to Seal Stones before taking the six minute crossing to the top of Grindsbrook which will lead us down to Edale.

Snoopys bacon butty caravan is usually set up by the site of the old Isle of Skye Inn at the top of the Wessenden valley, which is a nice distance to do before a breakfast stop. After that we will be on our own until we arrive at the fleshpots of Edale.

Return from Edale will obviously depend on the speed of the party, but there are trains at roughly hourly intervals (I will certainly not be running to catch one).

July 4^th/5^th - Peak Camp & Climb - Chris Williams

Saturday 4th July

For those those of you who think nothing of running up a 6b at the indoor wall, now is the chance to put those skills to the test on some real rock! Horseshoe quarry has bolted sport routes for all tastes and ability. From some classic 2* routes such as Megalithic Man (6b+) on Main Wall to a good collection of easier routes on Sunday Sport Area and the north facing walls. I plan to be there from around 10:30 am and will be looking forward to some good sport! Bring plenty of sun screen and water if the weather is hot.

See also these Crag details for Horseshoe Quarry.

Sunday 5th July

For a contrast on Sunday a visit to Lawrencefield is planned. Here an excellent selection of mid grade routes can be found such as Three Tree Climb 3* HS 4b, and for those who fancy a dip in the pool there are some seriously hard free climbs around the Pool Wall. I will aim to be there at 10:30 am, but if it gets too hot in the afternoon a move across the road to Millstone would be an option.

See also these Crag Details for Lawrencefield.

For the serious ones, camping will be at Hardhurst Farm, in between Hope and Hathersage. Great little campsite with good facilities, including a pub just down the road! Cost £4 per night and booking is recommended. Tel: 01433 620001.

Here is some more information on Hardhurst Farm.

July 12^th - Dovestones Fell Run - Roy Lee

This should only take the fit a morning or so, hopefully visiting the Farriers (?) afterwards. Meet in the Dovestones Reservoir car-park (pay and display) for a 10am start. GR013034. The exact route is still in planning so you'll need to be on time for final directions, but the total distance will be around 8 miles. [As long as you all return in better shape than last time. Ed].

July 18^th/19^th - Hut Working Party - James Hoyle

The next working party will take place on the above dates. This is the only working party of the summer so some crucial outdoor work is necessary. The following tasks have been identified by the Hut Management Group.

1. Painting of the eaves which are beginning to see the paint peel from them and are in need of a recoat.
2. Painting and repairs to the emergency exit door and the gas store door
3. New mattress covers to be sewn for 3 of the beds that have become ripped. (They are an odd size, which is why they cannot be bought off the peg.)
4. Redecoration of the kitchen (exact amount depends on the number of members who attend).

A good turnout would be much appreciated and there is plenty of work that is suitable for anyone no matter how good your DIY skills. In the evening we plan to have a barbecue so don't forget your chicken wings and veggie burgers as well as your paint brushes! Sides e.g. salad will be provided and hopefully all the hard work can be appreciated over a glass or two of your favourite tipple. On Sunday I hope everyone will get out into the hills be it for a climb or a walk.

In recent weeks I have responded to members concerns about the fierceness of the speed bumps by asking Sally to lower the two furthest up her track. She has promised to do so and I hope this will solve this matter. Please let me know if they continue to be a problem. She has very kindly offered us some wood for our bonfire in November, which I'm sure will be appreciated.

Finally I must repeat my appeal from the last newsletter. If anyone has a sewing machine and the skills to use it their attendance at the working meet would be most appreciated. 3 new mattress covers are needed. If anyone would be prepared to do this task from their own homes I would be happy to provide information on the sizes required and bring round the material needed. It does not necessarily need to be done during a working party.

Thank you to everyone for your support.

August 1^st/2^nd - 10 Gritstone Edges Challenge - Al Metelko

When I first joined the club this is one of those meets I quite enjoyed but has not been repeated since. It could be seen as alpine training (for those heading to the Alps later in the month) as it involves approximately 19km (12 miles) of walking (between Stanage Popular End car park to Robin Hood Inn car park) and 10 pitches of climbing.

As it's a straight line walk I need to organise transport between the two car parks so it would be useful to let me know if you are going to attend. And if you are on your own, you need to be paired up as I'd rather not have people soloing routes no matter how good they are on this meet. Also if any one wishes to climb only at Birchen Edge or nearby then it would be great if they could bring back people to their cars at Stanage.

It's up to individual teams to decide which route to do on each crag but for those who don't have much time, here's a of possible routes:

CRAG	Distance (km)	diff	MID-GRADE (TD)	LOW-GRADE (PD)
Stanage	0.5	0.5	Heather Wall ** (14m) VS 4c Gargoyle Buttress ** (14m) VS 4b Hargreaves Original Route *** (18m) VS 4c	Crack and Corner *** (16m) S 4b Black Hawk Hell Crack *** (14m) S 4a Black Hawk Traverse Right ** (16m) D Flying Buttress *** (24m) HVD
Burbage North	3.0	2.5	Agnostic's Arête * (8m) VS 5a Hollyash Crack ** (14m) VS 4b Knight's Move *** (16m) HVS 5a	Ash Tree Wall ** (14m) S 4a Sentinel Crack * (10m) D Still Orange * (12m) S 4a Green Crack * (12m) VD
Higger Tor	4.5	1.5	The File *** (10m) VS 4c	Leaning Block Gully (10m) HVD Paddock * (6m) VD Greymalkin * (6m) S 4a
Millstone Edge	6.5	2.0	Great North Road *** (32m) HVS 5a Bond Street *** (20m) HVS 5a Gimcrack * (22m) VS 4c	The Scoop * (35m) D Lambeth Chimney * (22m) HS 4b Brixton Road * (24m) VD Chiming Crack * (10m) HS 4a
Lawrencefield	7.4	0.9	Great Harry *** (22m) VS 4c Excalibur ** (20m) VS 4c	Pulpit Groove ** (28m) VD 4a Snail Crack * (10/16m) VD Nailsbane * (10/16m) VD
Yarncliffe	8.6	1.2	Cardinal's Arête * (20m) VS 4c	Ant's Crack * (16m) S 4a
Froggatt Edge	12.4	3.8	Sunset Slab *** (14m) HVS 4b Hawk's Nest Crack *** (12m) VS 4c	North Climb * (12m) HVD 4a Heather Wall *** 16m) HVD 3c Slab Recess ** (16m) D
Curbar	13.9	1.5	The Brain ** (18m) VS 4c Bel Ami ** (16m) VS 4b	Flying Buttress * (12m) S 4a Flying Buttress Right * (10m) S 4a P.M.C. 1 *** (16m) HS 4a
Gardoms Edge	16.9	3.0	Undertaker's Buttress ** (22m) VS 4c Gardom's Unconquerable ** (14m) VS 4c Oread ** (16m) VS 4c Apple Arête *** (18m) VS 4b	Moyer's Climb * (14m) S 4a Byne's Route * (14m) HVD 4a N.M.C. Crack *** (14m) HVD Apple Crack ** (16m) VD
Birchen Edge	17.8	0.9	Porthole Direct ** (12m) VS 4c Topsail ** (12m) VS 4c Camperdown Crawl *** (14m) VS 4c	The Funnel * (12m) D Sail Chimney ** (14m) S 4a Trafalgar Wall ** (12m) S 4b
Robin Hood Inn	18.8	1.0

A PDF version of the list of routes is available for easy printing.

Meeting up time 9am Sunday or Saturday same time if the weather looks bad on Sunday. Continuing the alpine theme should the weather look good for the whole weekend I can take 3 guests to the CC hut near Froggatt, so the challenge can be done over 2 days with an overnight stay at a hut.

August 15^th/28^th - Saas Grund Alpine Meet - Andy Grantham

At last, it can be announced. This year's Alpine Meet will be held at Saas Grund in the Saastal valley, in the Valais Alps East.

Saas Grund is an ideal base surrounded by several 4,000m peaks including the Lagginhorn and Weissmies on the east side of the valley and the Dom, the Täschhorn, the Lenzspitze, the Nadelhorn and numerous other peaks on the west side. Routes of all standards are available with plenty to do for those with all levels of experience.

Camping is available at the Camping Am Kapellenweg (www.kapellenweg.ch, tel: 0041 27 957 49 97) camp site.

Hope to see as many as possible.

August 22^nd/23^rd - Three Tarns and a River - Midge Castick and Michelle Harvie

Time to put away those rock boots and slip into something more comfortable - water. This meet will be based in Borrowdale. We will be using Stonethwaite campsite (Tel 0176777234) at the end of Langstrath at GR268133. It is a bit basic with a rough approach track but that should keep the hordes at bay. You won't need a shower anyway. I haven't yet checked the need to book but will do nearer the time. There is a pub very close by in Stonethwaite ( its name eludes me).

The walk will start from the campsite on the Saturday. We will follow the main Borrowdale valley to Seathwaite and head off to Styhead and its tarn. Those not swimming are welcome as bag carriers. A short distance leads us to Sprinkling Tarn then over Esk Hause and down to Angle tarn. There follows a long descent of Langstrath with as many swims as you want on the way down . Blackmoss Pot is the main target where, if you are brave you'll jump in, or if not, just cruise through the rocks for two hundred metres of pure magic. Follow the stream all the way back to the campsite either along the path or walking/ swimming your way along the beck. The whole walk is about 12 miles. Unless it is a spectacularly hot day or you're just plain mad (like Michelle), we advise a trip to Decathlon or similar and buy a cheap shortie wetsuit. This should be less than the price of a good cossie anyway. Please take old shoes to swim in.

On Sunday feel free to put your rock boots back on. There is a wealth of good climbing in Langstrath itself plus the rest of Borrowdale of course. If you prefer and your feet are now permanently webbed anyway, how about a swim across Derwentwater...

May Newsletter Index.

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