Karabiner Mountaineering Club

July 2010 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."

July 10^th/11^th - Ty Powdwr, Cloggy - Colin Maddison

Right, this is the meet you've been waiting for; God's own crag - Cloggy; Clogwyn Du'r Arddu; The Black Cliff.

It's been said that, 'Cloggy is a cliff on which all climbs are great'... Well, certainly, you'll find one of the finest collections of mountain routes in these isles. Just the place to tune up for the alpine meet.

The guidebook abounds with starred routes. Just a few personal recommendations - Shrike E1 5c, Lithrig HVS 5a (enjoy the pendulum), Curving Crack VS 4c, The Corner HVS 5a, The Boulder E1 5a, Longland's Climb VS 4c, White Slab E1 5b, Great Slab VS 4c. For a pint, I'll tell you the best way to do the lasso on White Slab.

I'll be at Ty Powdwr on Friday evening and aiming to be at the crag by 11.00am on Saturday. The usual approach is via the tourist track from Llanberis and the crag comes into full view as you crest the rise beyond the Halfway House, then keep right along the miners track past the old copper mines and continue along the path that contours round below the crag. It should take you about an hour [more practise for the Alps, Ed.].

My plan is to climb on Cloggy on the Saturday and another mountain crag on the Sunday (yet to be decided), but, weather permitting, those in full alpine training mode may fancy a bivi by Llyn Du'r Arddu, to get in two days on Cloggy.

Anyone fancying a big day out might consider a route on Llechog, followed by a route on Cloggy. Best approach is from Rydd Ddu. Gear up at the top of Llechog, descend and climb back to your sacks. Then over Snowdon. Gear up at the top of Cloggy. Descend and climb back up to your sacks. Walk out.

The sun will, of course, be cracking the slabs... except on Cloggy, because it's north facing, so only gets the sun in the early morning and the evening (perhaps another reason for a bivi).

This is a mountain crag, so be prepared for all that entails - multi-pitch routes, sometimes tricky route finding and it's share of loose rock. But also be prepared for some truely great routes. Most of the routes are VS and upwards, but there are some worth while routes at lower grades on the Far West Buttress; although they are still long mountaineering routes.

If the weather lets us down, then we have plenty more options from Ty Powdwr.

Look forward to seeing you. Give me a call if you need any more information.

July 24^th/August 7^th - Alpine Meet, the Mont Blanc Massif - Duncan Lee & Colin Maddison

I'm sure I don't have to say anything about this stunning range in order to sell this meet so I will leave that to Colin, all I will say is that the planned campsite is "Camping des Montets" over the Col de Montets from the hustle and bustle of the Chamonix valley. Anyone who has climbed on the Vallorcine slabs (routes from F4 - 6c and up to 4 pitches ) has walked past the campsite and will know that the nearest crag is well worth a visit despite being a bit busy at times. The peaks at the northern end of the Aiguilles Rouges, such as Praz Torrent and Cornes de Loriaz, are also accessed from here, as are several newly developed multi-pitch routes on some of the crags in the side valleys. There is also lots of fine walking in the vicinity of the campsite as well as mountain biking, bouldering and horse riding. Check out www.vallorcine.com for more details.

If all that is not enough it's only 20 minutes in the car, or a couple of stops on the train, to the Chamonix valley and all that it has to offer.

The campsite has 50 pitches for tents and it is not possible to pre book these, we tried. The owner gave the impression that if you turn up in the early afternoon you would be very unlucky to find them fully booked. Otherwise, there is a larger campsite down the valley towards the Swiss border and the delights of the fine crags at Barberine.

How do you sum up the Mecca of alpine climbing in a paragraph or two! Well, let's quote my guidebook:

"There is no doubt that the Mont Blanc Range provides the alpinist with some of the finest quality routes in Europe, whether it be along the delicate snow crests, on rough granite or steep ice."

Mont Blanc Massif, Vol 1, Alpine Club, 1990.

There is something here for everyone. Some 4000 routes according to my guide; and that's 20 years old! From classic introductions to alpine mixed climbing such as the Cosmiques Ridge on the Aiguille du Midi, to the great north wall of the Grandes Jorasses with its magnificent Walker Spur. Major high level alpine rock routes like the Gervasutti Pillar or the shorter modern rock climbs around the Envers Hut.

But that's just a tiny flavour. Take a look at the guide. The Alpine Club Guides give a wide selection of routes throughout the massif, but there are also a number of topo guides to the rock routes. To get a good flavour of the range try and get hold of a copy of Gaston Rebuffat's "The Mont Blanc Massif - The 100 Finest Routes".

But please remember this is a major alpine range, with all that means in terms of altitude, objective dangers and unpredictable weather. Competence on snow, ice, rock and glacier terrain are essential depending on your choice of route.

August 1^st - Froggatt - Roger Dyke

Park at the National Trust's Haywood Pay&Display car park just off the A625, 400m S of the Grouse Inn. Free if you put your NT Membership card behind the windscreen. Or if you are early enough, free off the A625 near the start of the track to Froggatt Edge at SK255775. Fifteen minutes gentle level walk to the crag. Or if it is absolutely tipping down, 5 mins to the bar of the Grouse - and don't panic, the crag dries quickly after a shower and indeed after heavy rain.

Just for once I'll have a mobile with me. Meet below Tody's Wall, 10.30 onward. Move to Allen's Slab later?

Something for everyone here - twenty routes at Severe and below, some superb HS's, several days' climbing at VS and above: and classics at all standards. Six of the top 50 routes in Eastern Grit are here.

Scene of several of my minor triumphs, of one or two exciting moments, and a lot of just plain fun. Plenty of trees to give shelter from the sun, and it's child- and dog-friendly too.

Sample the well-protected delight of Sunset Crack HS 4b, or the unprotected thrill of Sunset Slab HVS 4b. The juggy delight of the steep Terrace Crack, another HS 4b. Or take a rest anywhere on the classic VD, Heather Wall.

Entertain the crowd as you struggle to gain the slab of Tody's Wall HVS 5a (guess why we're meeting there?) or test your nerve on Three Pebble Slab - another classic HVS 5a.

Show off your jamming skills on the superb HVS 5a, Valkyrie - or if your jamming is no better than mine, on Diamond Crack HS 4b.

To the right of Diamond Crack, Broken Crack VS 5a demands better jamming or a good first-aid kit. Further right still Sickle Buttress S 4a only needs one jam but does need confidence in friction on its little ramp, and careful thought to leave the comfortable ledge at the top of the ramp. It may only be Severe, but the route is far more polished below the ramp than above it?

Lovely open climbing with delicate moves on Allen's Slab S4a: in contrast, two athletic moves get you up Trapeze Direct HS 4c. Or traverse right for Trapeze itself - the popular well-protected VD.

Toward the RH end of the Edge is "arguably the best line on the crag" which our own Nat Allen and Bowdon Black dug out of the ferns in 1948: Green Gut HS 4a.

Further right, a good collection of strenuous high E numbers (more Elastoplast) then a final classic - the delightful Chequers Buttress, HVS 5a, which gets my vote as the best route on the crag. Pity I always fall off the move onto the arête?

Now, before we go home, there are the Froggatt boulders?

August 7^th/8^th - Langdale (Rawhead) - Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly has gamely stepped in at the last minute as meet leader for the above weekend at the Rawhead hut in Langdale.

The Great Langdale valley, in the shadow of the magnificent Langdale Pikes, is of course a time-honoured climbing and walking location. Climbers can get to grips with routes of various grades on the Lakeland rhyolite of nearby Scout and White Ghyll crags, while a longer walk-in leads to classic mountain routes on Pavey Ark and Gimmer Crag; other crags worth a visit in the area include Raven Crag (Walthwaite) and Black Crag. Meanwhile the Langdale Pikes, Bow Fell, Crinkle Crags and Pike O'Blisco should offer plenty of opportunities for walkers and scramblers to enjoy a grand day out. Local refreshment possibilities include the Old and New Dungeon Ghylls and the Sticklebarn.

Accommodation is at the FRCC's Rawhead Hut, Raw Head, Great Langdale (grid ref: NY304067). At the time of writing there are apparently only 6 spaces remaining - please contact Sean as soon as possible for exact details of bargain price and breakdown of male/female spaces available, and to secure your place at this cosy and beautifully situated hut!

If you don't manage to get into the hut but would still like to go on the meet there is also the National Trust Great Langdale Campsite (slightly less cosy but with good facilities) further along the valley at grid reference NY287058.

August 14^th/15^th - Wild Wales - Midge Castick & Michelle Harvie

This is a camping based meet at Cwm Bychan SH646315, 5 miles inland from Harlech. Alternative stay at Harlech YH as campsite looks fairly basic. Main swimming/walking day Saturday with a view to swim in Llyn Eiddew's Bach and Fawr plus some walking. You will need cossie and or wetsuit plus shoes to swim in are useful. You could go for the whole skinny dip thing but personally I don't want to display my wrinkles! More opportunities to swim on Sunday south of the campsite. Very rugged walking I'm told so distances will be short.

August 21^st/22^nd - 24hrs Welsh Climbing - Christine Stark/Al Metelko

Venue: Trevor Rocks (Clwyd).

Start Time: 10am.

Essential Equipment: climbing gear, bivi gear, food and drink, umbrella.

Aim: to climb as many routes as possible in 24 hours (SAFELY).

Unessential Equipment: BBQ stuff.

Contact email: membership@karabiner.org (non members are welcome too).

I had the idea of '24 hr climbing meet' a while ago - an extension to Al's 10 Gritstone Edges Challenge.

The idea is to try for continuous climbing over a 24 hour period. To keep it safe, fun and not too strenuous, not everybody needs to be climbing all the time - there should be sufficient time for breaks, food and a snooze (hence the bivi bags and the bbqs) as long as somebody is on the rock at any point in time. There might be a bit to do for support people who don't want to climb but are happy to hang out and provide hot drinks and / or food or who entertain themselves otherwise in the area during the day and join the climbers overnight to boost morale.

As an encouragement and to make it (even more) worthwhile for attendees I would like to use this as a fundraising opportunity. After some deliberation, I decided on Claire House Children's Hospice as the charity of choice. See: www.claire-house.org.uk

Claire House looks after children aged 0 - 23 years with life threatening or life limiting conditions and their families from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man. Services include specialist respite care, palliative and terminal care and bereavement and family support for the whole family in a home from home environment where the needs of the children and their families come first.

While I don't have any personal connection to Claire House and its mission is not very climbing / mountaineering related, it is hopefully a cause KMCs as well as the general public can relate to.

I have created an account and website with justgiving to make it easy for everybody to donate and to spread the word amongst colleagues, friends and family.

So, attend the meet, make a donation and tell your mates!

September 12^th - The Roaches - Chris Williams

What can be said about the Roaches that has not already been said! From Rockfax " The Roaches is the finest and most popular of all the Western Edges and with good reason". It has to be a must do meet where there are climbs for all tastes and abilities, ranging from classic routes such as Black and Tans and Valkyrie to a host of no less demanding but entertaining routes. I plan to be around the Wombat Area on the Upper Tier from about 10:30 onwards. Hope to see you all there!

October 3^rd - Annual Fell Race, Patterdale - Mark Garrod

Advance notice to get the Annual Fell Race into your diaries. For those note familiar with this club event, all walkers, runners, and check-pointers (those who want a more relaxed walk, a rest half-way round, and the chance to laugh at the those going the wrong way) are welcome. The format is of a fixed course comprising a number of check-points, the route between each being of your choice, and walkers are set off earlier than the runners to smooth the arrivals at check-points.

The event is on the Sunday, with climbing or other options available Saturday from the excellent Beetham Cottage Fell and Rock Club hut in Hartsop, Patterdale. The hut has been booked for the Friday and Saturday, but if you can't make the weekend, Patterdale is easily do-able in a day from Manchester.

All weekend hut bookings to me please. More details in the next newsletter.

October 24^th - Berwyn: "Pistyll Packing" - Jim Gregson

Another varied walk in a little-visited (by KMC) range of hills to tempt you out for an autumn day a week before the end of British Summer Time.

Maps needed - OS Landranger 125 Bala or Explorer Map 255 Llangollen & Berwyn

Start Point: Car Park (+ pub. convs.) in village of Llangynog at Grid Ref SJ054262. Meet at 0915 for prompt 0930 start.

Due to complex geography, 2 possible approaches to Llangynog in the Tanat Valley:

A) From the E via Wrexham bypass,A483 then A5 to Oswestry. Turn W onto B4580 thru' town then W to Llanrhaeddr-ym-Mochnant. Go uphill on minor road to drop into Tanat Valley at Penybontfawr, turn R and on to Llangynog. From S Manchester allow 1hr 30 minimum for drive. If this looks too complex consider:

B) From the W (final stretch). This involves first going to Corwen, either via Llangollen or Ruthin. From Corwen go on B4401 thru' Cynwyd and Llandrillo then to junction at Grid Ref SH985365. Turn L AND L up very steep lane over hill to join B4391. Turn L and follow SE over Milltir Gerrig Pass then down to Llangynog.

Walk Route --- Leave Llangynog on "Melangell Walk" lane towards Cwm Pennant for 1.5 km. At SJ039258 turn R onto drive which climbs gently above plantations, heading NW (sometimes visible here - ornamental Reeves Pheasants, exotic birds native to China). Track climbs up thru' Cwm Nantewyn onto moorland of Hafod Hir, and works over to reach road B4391 at Milltir Gerrig SJ019301. Go NW for 200m then the track to Berwyn leaves on R through heather and hummocks. This track leads NE for approx. 5km - some of it on wire-meshed sleepers - all the way to summit of Moel Sych at SJ067318. Go 1km NNE to tick trig point on Cadair Berwyn SJ073327. Backtrack to Moel Sych then leave summit heading S by fence, dropping over Trum Felen to reach edge of wood at SJ073296 - over stile to get view of top lip of Pistyll Rhaeadr, one of Wales' most impressive waterfalls. Back to stile then down zigzag track to Tan-y-pystill below falls. With luck the cafe will be open. From cafe go to footbridge directly below falls for a closer look, then head SE thru' lower edge of wood below rocky slopes of Craig-y-Mwn. Head up past old workings on tracks leading past another waterfall to cross SW over ridge at SJ073279 to find track down into Cwm Glan-hafon (big right of way zigzag on map). At SJ065270 bear R to make final exit from small valley to reduce tarmac finish to a final .5km back to Llangynog. Total distance approx. 23km -- take headtorch if likely to flag!

(If weather on the day is not so favourable the walk can be adjusted by omitting short leg out to Cadair Berwyn, and making more sheltered descent from Moel Sych via Llyn Lluncaws and Nant y Llyn. BUT you are supposed to be mountaineers.)

Special note for Dave Wylie ---- the ONLY filling station anywhere near will ONLY sell petrol to local residents, not to foreigners.

Croeso! Jim Gregson.

November 13^th - 2010 Annual Dinner - The Committee

This year our annual dinner rotates back to Wales and the committee are delighted to welcome you to the Royal Goat Hotel in Beddgelert for our annual dinner, speeches, awards ceremonies and shenanigans.

The evening's three course meal in the hotels' 'chandelier room' is a bargain at £19.95 (drinks not included).

Annual Dinner 2010 Menu

Starters

Homemade Leek & Potato Soup

Oven baked Goat cheese wrapped in Parma Ham with cranberry sauce

Homemade Thai Fishcakes served with a sweet chilli dip

Chilled Parisenne of Melon served with a Melon liqueur.

Mains

Grilled Minted Welsh Lamb chops served with a redcurrant sauce.

½ Roast Chicken with all the trimmings.

Grilled fillet of Seabass served on a bed of caramelised red onion, cherry tomatoes & figs.

Homemade Vegetable Wellington served with a red devil cheese sauce.

All of the above served with potatoes and vegetables of the day.

Desserts

Homemade Sticky toffee pudding served with vanilla ice cream.

Homemade Chocolate Terrine.

Homemade Raspberry and white chocolate Crème Brule served with a shortbread biscuit.

Ice cream trio.

Coffee or tea with Mints.

Bed and breakfast accommodation is also available at £32.50 per person (single supplement of £10.00).

Post-dinner there will be a late bar at the hotel (residents only after hours). Real ales on tap including the Porthmadog-brewed Snowdonia Ale.

With the great deal on accommodation we hope many members will want to stay in this comfortable hotel. A perfect venue to launch our Sunday activities from.

There will be climbing and walking meets on both the Saturday and Sunday (one of which will involve a short steam-train ride). Details will follow but please get in touch if you have suggestions or wish to lead one of these forays.

For those who do wish to stay at the hut, shared driving arrangements can be made to/from the dinner or a six-seater taxi will cost around £25 each way. Alternatively there is a very nice Forestry Commission campsite in Beddgelert at £8 a pitch.

July Newsletter Index.

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