Members’ Holidays In 1909
It has been suggested that the following short particulars of how some members spent their holidays would be of interest, and perhaps of use to others, and it is hoped that even more will contribute their experiences in future.
Dr. Tempest Anderson:- Made an extended tour round the World with volcanoes as his principal objective. The following is a summary of his trip:-
Nov. 13 190& New Zealand vid Teneriffe and the Cape. The Cold Lakes in South Island. Cruise to the Sounds. The Wanganui River. Rotorua. Wairaki and the Hot Lakes in North Island.
March 30 1909: Auckland to Ttongatabu (Friendly Islands). Vavau and thence to Apia (German Samoa). Spent nearly a month at the Island of Savaii (German Samoa) for a visit to V the Volcano Matavanu. Returned to Apia and thence to Levuka and Suva in Fiji Islands.
May 17: Suva to Honolulu (Hawaian Islands). Spent two months in the Hawaian Islands with three weeks at Volcano House, Kilauea, and an ascemliof Haleakala (a night in the crater) in Maui.
July 20: Honolulu to Vancouver, B. C. Spent four weeks in the Canadian Rockies on the way to Winnipeg Meeting of British Association. Home viâ Montreal, Quebec and Liverpool.
G. Winthrop Young:- Was climbing in the Oberland and at Chamonix:-
Aug. 1. Unter Bachhorn: Traverse and first ascent by S. ridge.
Aug. 4. Nesthorn: Traverse and first ascent by E. ridge (21 hours).
Aug. 7. Finsteraarhorn: Traverse by S.E. and N.W. ridges. From Concordia Hut and back (17 hours).
Aug. 9. Jungfrau from the S. Descent to Bel Alp (18 hours).
All these without guides. The following with Joseph Knubel as guide:-
Aug. 13. Aiguille Verte: Traverse and descent by the Moine Ridge.
Aug. 15-19. Bivouac for the Aiguille du Grépon. Ascent by the E. face (partial), and the Col des Nantillons (partial first ascent from the Mer de Glace, beaten by storm 600ft. below the Col.)
Aug. 21. Aiguille de Chardonnet: Traverse from S. to N.
Aug. 24. Aiguille du Grépon: Traverse (icy conditions).
Aug. 30. Traverse of the Weisshorn, first ascent of the N.E. corner from the Bies Glacier.
J. J. Brigg And W. A. Brigg:- With Mr. Eric Greenwood, spent the first fortnight of August in the Tarentaise and had “three fine days and a thunderstorm” kind of weather.
Aug. l. Modane to Plan Sec Chalets. Dent Parrachée and by Col de l’Arpont to Pralognan.
Aug. 4. Grande Casse by ordinary route in high wind, and walked next day by the Vallon de la Leisse and the Col de Fresse to Val d’lsére, where they found the Hotel Moris as comfortable as ever and at times full.
Aug. 8. Up and down the Tstanteleina from the Hotel before lunch.
Aug. 11. Drove down to Les Brévieres, slept at the Granges de Martin and (with Frederic Rond of Fornet as guide) traversed the Mont Pourri from the Bréche Puiseux and down to Ste Foy. (H. Mt. Iseran).
Aug. 13. Ste Foy to St. Bernard Hospice by Le Chatelard and, through mistaking the route, the Traversette Forts; Courmayeur, two nights at the Refugio Torino on the Col du Géant in bad weather and to Montanvert in heavy rain.
W. A. Brigg was also at the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe at Easter with Messrs. Haskett Smith, Greenwood and Scott Tucker, and climbed Bidein nam Bian and with Messrs. H. Raeburn of the S.M.C., and Scott Tucker the gully to the N. of the Crowberry Ridge of Buchaille Etive, (second ascent), under very bad conditions. “The old snow in the gully was good and firm, but it was snowing nearly all the time, and the fresh snow kept pouring down and was heavy enough to sweep out the party without careful hitching. The pitches near the top were difficult owing to ice on slabby rocks. The last pitch was turned by a traverse which was somewhat difficult under the prevailing conditions. The climb took four hours and twenty minutes.” (S.M.C. Journal, x. 342).
At Torver in September with Messrs. W. P. Haskett Smith and Eric Greenwood and climbed Great Gully and Woodhouse’s Climb in Dow Crags.
J. J. Brigg was also in Madeira in January and camping in the Holy Land and Philistia in Spring.
G. W. Lloyd:- Spent a fortnight in the Tarentaise and Riffel Alp with the Rev. E. A. Aldridge.
Aug. 4. Dent Parrachée from the Plan Sec Chalets with a guide – turned back within 20 mins. of the top owing to the extremely cold wind and came down to Termignon.
Aug. 4. Termignon to Bonneval.
Aug. 6. Bonneval to Val d’lsére by Col d’Iseran.
Aug. 7. From Val d’lsére ascended Pointe dé la Galise and by Col de la Galise to Ceresole.
Aug. 16-25. At the Riffel Alp: Climbed the Riffel Horn (a) by the Sky Line Route (with a party of five), (b) by the Ordinary route with two others, (c) from the Gorner Glacier by the more Easterly of the two chimneys (with guide).
From the Riffel Alp by Findelen Glacier to Stockhorn – and along the Hohthaligrat and Gornergrat with five others and a guide.
From the Riffel Alp to the Théodule Pass, along the Furggengrat to the Furgg-joch and Breuil and returned by Théodule Pass. Furggengrat, returning by Schwarz-See (With a party of five and a guide).
Sept. 26-27. Ingleborough and Clapham Cave.
E. E. Roberts:- April 24. Survey of Hardraw Kin (Far Douk) to top of first pitch (with Payne and Erik Addyman).
May 30-31. Gaping Ghyll.
June 3 and Sept. 19. Sunset Hole: Passage leading underneath Braithwaite Wife Sink Hole explored, drop l00ft., length 600 yards (with Addyman).
August 4-16. In the Mont Blanc Range with Messrs. Davidson, Gppenheimer and Fox: Climbed the Pic du Tacul, several points on the ridge of the Charmoz and the Dent du Géant (in a thunderstorm), and traversed Mont Blanc from the Dome Hut.
June. Walker’s Gully, Shamrock Chimney, &c., with F Botterill.
A. E. Horn:- June, 1908. Whitsuntide Camp at Braida Garth, Kingsdale:- Bull Pot and Jingling Pot (with C. R. Barran, H. Brodrick, J. H. Buckley, L. Chappell, C. Hastings, G. L. Hudson, Lewis Moore, W. Robertshaw, P. Robinson and A. Rule).
September 1908. Club Meet at Kirkby Lonsdale:- Rumbling Hole (with Booth, Buckley, Seatree and Wingfield); Gavel Pot (with Booth, Parsons, Seatree and Wingfield).
H. Brodrick:- Easter, 1909. Cong, Co. Galway, Ireland, with Belas, Bassett, Hicks, Rule, C. A. Hill and B. P. Hill, exploring caves and pots between Lough Mask and Lough Corrib. Descended several pots, none of a greater depth than 80ft., also several caves. Pidgeon Hole (Clonbur), Ballymaglancy Cave, Cat’s Cave, Captain Webb’s Hole (45ft.), Kelly Cave, Pidgeon Hole (75ft.), Trou Sans Nom (90ft.), 60ft. pot, four pots near Lough Mask, about 50 ft. deep, and The Lady’s Buttery and Horse Discovery. Owing to the flooded condition of the country complete exploration of many of the caves was impossible.
August, 1909. With Ireland and Rule at Zermatt. Weather very bad for big excursions, spent most of our time walking and glacier pottering. Brodrick and Rule did the Mettelhorn, the Wellenküppe being impossible owing to fresh snow. After Brodrick left, Rule crossed the Alphubel to Saas Fee, joining Ireland at Stalden. Rule and Ireland then went on to Chamonix.
W. H. Greenwood:- New Year. Snow Gullies on Ben Nevis and Carn Dearg.
Easter. At Ogwen. Tryfen Buttresses – North, Central, South, Milestone. Idwal Slabs, Clogwyn Du Gully.
Whitsuntide. Wasdale Head – Moss Ghyll, Pinnacle, Eagle’s Nest Ridge, Needle Ridge, Arrowhead Ridge.
Midsummer. First “Round Tour” at Gaping Ghyll, i.e. entrance by new “Flood Entrance” and exit by Main Shaft.
Midsummer. North Wales – Hanging Garden Gully, East Gully, Glyder Fawr, Great Gully, Craig yr Ysfa, Slanting Gully.
Midsummer. At Arolla – Pigne d’Arolla, Dent de Satarme (wretched weather), Petites Dents de Veisivi , (including direct ascent, the second recorded, of -the Red Gendarme).
Christmas. At Wasdale.- Eag1e’s Nest Ridge, Kern Knotts Chimney, Lower Kern Knotts.
Cuthbert Hastings:-Did next to nothing chiefly owing to the weather, but last Easter with Leach and Hudson found a cave, which is believed to be new, in Chapel-le-dale, ._ at a place marked on the Six Inch Ordnance Map Haws Gill Wheel. Inside there is a fair sized chamber with the stream (Chapel-le-Dale Beck) flowing through it. The cave is roughly speaking 20 yards long, 1Oft. high, and 10 yards wide.
J. W. Puttrell:-Visited the Dauphiny Alps (La Béarde) last June but the unsettled weather prevented anything of note being accomplished.
C. R. Wingfield:- In the storm of March 1909, did what is probably the longest ski-run in England yet recorded (96 miles), viz:-
March 2. From Nelson over the moors to Skipton.
March 3. From Skipton over the moors to Grassington.
March 4. From Grassington over Great Whernside to Buckden.
March 5. From Buckden over Buckden Pike to Aysgarth.
March 6. From Hawes Junction over Wild Boar Fell to Kirkby Stephen.
March 7. From Kirkby Stephen over Nine Standards Rig to Kirkby Stephen.
March 8. From Kirkby Stephen over The Calf to Sedbergh.
April 9. Y.R.C. Meet at Coniston.
April 27-30. In North Wales:-Cefn Cave near St. Asaph. Caves and Old Copper Mines on Great Ormes Head. Gloddeath Cave and Gwrych Caves near Llandudno.
March 18-23. In Derbyshire:- Matlock: 3 show Caverns (with guide). Castleton: Peak Cave, Speedwell and Blue V John Mines (with guide); Giants Hole near Blue John; Deep Dale Caves (two). Green Lane Fissure, Buxton (first descent, 80ft. in depth). Reynards Cave, Deepdale.
May 28-31. With Y.R.C. at Gaping Ghyll.
July 10. Green Lane Fissure, Buxton (too much water).
July 10. All holes and sinks, &c., from Perryfoot to Giants Hole.
Note:- Perryfoot, Derbyshire, nearly at the West End of the Odin Fault between Rushup Edge and Eldon Hill. Manifold Cave: A dry stream intake, small though interesting, about 200ft. The water runs from here to Castleton underground. The surface slopes W. from top of the Wynnats. Jack Daw Pit might go in dry weather. There are several sinks along this line.
Giants Hole, W. of Blue John Mine, is interesting but can only be done in dry weather, as at about 200ft. from entrance there is a crawl under a bedding plane 50ft., about 100ft. beyond it ends in a syphon.
Green Lane Fissure, Buxton, now, I believe, closed, was found when laying a pipe line. It is near to and a part of the Pools Cavern to Wye Head System. 80ft. down is an old stream bed partially choked with clay, and very small.
Ju1y 17 and 18. With Y.R.C. at Gaping Ghyll.
July 31-Aug. 1. London to Cowes. Motor Boat Race.
Aug. 17-Sept. 10. On “Gwynfa” 60 ton yacht (amateur crew), visited Falmouth, Plymouth, Brixham Cavern, Ryde, Newhaven, Dieppe, Boulogne, Dunkirk, Ostend, Amsterdam, and Brightlingsea.
Sept. 11-14. On “Edith ” 8 ton cutter (friend and self), visited Ostend, Dunkirk and Dover.
Oct. 10. 90 miles per hour on 100 h.p. motor car.
Nov. 1. At Inauguration of Shropshire Aero Club.
W. G. Ledgard and L. A. Lowe spent Easter at Seathwaite and climbed Gimmer Crag (the Face Climb viâ Amen Corner), Raven Crag Gully, Kern Knotts (West Chimney), and the Needle Ridge.