Chippings
The Lady Of Scoska.- Half a dozen more bones were found in Scoska Cave on 6th February 1921, during the Club Meet that week-end at Arncliffe. They included the left scapula (shoulder blade) and an astragalus (ankle bone), the remainder being portions of ribs. Only one of them was found in water – a portion of rib; all the others were on dry ground close to the right-hand wall, just where the passage has made a partial bend to the right.
There are still nearly a hundred more bones to be found before the skeleton is completed.
Extract From The “Craven Herald,” 16th July 1897.- Whernside, Ingleborough, and Penyghent. At the beginning of this week, Messrs. Booth, J. Davis, Lowe and Moore, of the Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club, starting from Gearstones, made the tour of these three hills. As they were ascended on the steep faces, and the day was exceedingly warm, the time was not very good-
| Left Gearstones | 10.0 o’clock | Left Ingleboro’ | 2.0 o’clock |
| Cairn on Whernside | 11.20 ” | Horton | 3.40 ” |
| Left Whernside | 11.35 ” | Left Horton | 4.30 ” |
| Hill Inn | 12.30 ” | Penyghent | 5.45 ” |
| Left Hill Inn | 12.45 ” | Left Penyghent | 6.5 ” |
| Cairn on Ingleboro’ | 1.45 ” | Bee-line to Gearstones | 8.30 ” |
Alpine Club.- Professor J. Norman Collie, F.R.S., was elected President for 1920 and again for 1921, to the great gratification of all hard-climbing men. We have little need to remind the Yorkshire Ramblers that he is an honorary member.
Two more Ramblers are now in the Alpine Club, Mr. W. Parsons and Mr. R. F. Stobart. M. Martel was among the group of distinguished French climbers made honorary members in 1918.
Somerset.- The Bristol Speleological Society was formed in March, 1919 (H.Q. – The University, Bristol). Its present outdoor work has been confined to the location and excavation of new caves and the thorough exploration of existing ones on the north side of Mendip, near Burrington Combe, where the Club has a hut.
The principal find to date has been the “Keltic Cavern,” so-called from the remains found there. The discovery necessitated the removal of many tons of clay, and important relics consisting of bones, stone, bronze and iron implements and pottery were found.
The cave was shown to two Y.R.C. men last September and consists of a long rift chamber, 175 feet in length by 27 feet in height, and approximately 33 feet wide at the bottom. The descent is through boulders choking a big bedding plane sloping at the high angle characteristic of Mendip. The situation is in a swallet at the line of junction of the massive limestone and limestone shalcs, but so far the passage or passages leading to the lower strata have not been found. Interesting examples of both water-action and earth movements are to be seen.
J. D. E.
The Lake District.- One of the regrettable effects of the war has been that public opinion could not be sufficiently roused to prevent Manchester seizing another lake as a reservoir. It is now inevitable that Mardale shall be flooded and reduced to steep fell sides and a lake.
We have no objection to Lancashire folk drinking water, but cannot they leave us the Lake District? One shudders to think of the inevitable. From the point of view of municipalities it is much easier to select a natural lake than to create one in some damp corner of the Pennines or Wales. Unless then public opinion can be aroused to say “hands off the Lake District,” we shall certainly see Wastwater extended to the foot of the Sty, and Buttermere one with Crummock Water. The trough lochs of Scotland have their own beauty, but they are many. The beauty of Lakeland suffers by imitation. We look to the Rucksack Club to educate public opinion in Lancashire. The smoke of industrial areas is bad enough for their neighbours, without their reservoirs threatening the most delightful district of this country.
The serious threat of a Sty Head road has once more been averted. It would be a good thing if some of this enthusiasm for unnecessary roads could be diverted to agitation in districts where roads are urgently required and of advantage to all parties. In particular we are sure the North Riding would welcome big legacies for the improvement of the road between Whitby and Saltburn, for a level road from Coxwold into Ryedale, and for expensive road engineering in dales as remote as Wastdale, and containing far bigger communities. Our sympathy is not with the furious motorist, but with the horses of the farmer and the teamster in their struggles on the needlessly steep banks of roads which owe their tracing to ancient chance and not to the engineer. We make bold to say there is only one stiff bank in the eastern North Riding which is ascended by a properly engineered road, and we are not sure about that one.
Lost.- Above the thirteenth milestone from Hawes, one mile below the Hill Inn, on the way up to Mere Gill, the six-inch map marks Spice Gill Hole. Some Ramblers vaguely remember seeing it once upon a time, and for ten years past it has been a joke on wet days, at the Hill Inn, to go and look for Spice Gill. Can anyone lead the way to the exact spot?
The Stainforth Cottage book in Williamson’s possession records a cave in the Scar to the south, but the position of this too has been lost.
We are very doubtful also whether the explorers of New Year Pot (Fountains Fell) could find it again without prolonged search.
Gritstone Pot (April, 1905, F. Botterill and party, 44 feet) is not mentioned in the Stainforth Cottage book. Would some member of the party give the Editor its position or, failing that, the route of approach?
Long Churn, Alum Pot.- There would be good practice in surveying under difficulties if someone took in hand the completion of the plan in the Underground Waters Report (Yorks. Geol. Soc. Proceedings, Vol. XV.). It has been observed of late years that from the end chamber there is an alternative to climbing the old wooden ladder. This bit hardly needs survey, but there is more than one creep from Long Churn to the Diccan Pot stream, and other passages of the minor order are reported.
Maps.- The French are now publishing a. map on the scale of 1¼ inches to the mile (
), which is comparable in execution to the Swiss. The standard French “Ordnance Survey” was previously on the 
scale, and not at all a good production, though an improved edition in brown shades was available just before the war.
The present editions for the British Isles are fine productions, but it is to be regretted that the contours are still limited above 1,000 feet to 250 feet intervals. This is not only confusing, but in the uplands, not necessarily the mountains, is a defect and makes them inferior to the Swiss maps, to which we would see them fully equal.
We regret also that the standard size is now 27 in. by 18 in., too large for use in the field (except in the best weather), and awkward to redistribute. The convenient 12 in. by 18 in. size can only be obtained from old stock.
From M. Martel.- The Librarian has received the following letter-
March 2nd, 1921.
Dear Sir,
Please accept all my best thanks for the kind sending of Nos. 10-13 of Yorks. R.C. J. I am delighted to have my set completed. I waited to acknowledge receipt until I had read the four papers.
You guess how much interested I was with the new feats in Gaping Ghyll, Clapham Cave, and Noon’s Hole, these “old friends” of mine. The accident to Mr. Boyd in Sunset Hole is vividly described. I hope he recovered quite well. Once in Dargilan (year 1888) one of my men had the same sort of narrow escape. I know what it is to drag out an injured cave-hunter.
Mere Gill must have been fascinating, and I understand it is, for instance, the deepest pot-hole in the British Isles, most important for underground water circulation study.
I am always hoping that the progress in Gaping Ghyll shall emerge some day through Clapham Cave – though you do not enjoy in Yorkshire enough dry summers for such an event!
If I were not rather decayed by age (62 years old) – former overwork – and heart disease, how glad I would be to enjoy at least 2-3 days camping at Fell Beck Moor. – “Mais ceci est passé pour moi.”
When you go there the next time please express my thanks for your kind invitation and express all my regret.
My book, “Nouveau Traité des Eaux Souterrains,” is just finished printing. I hope to send it within one month.
Wishing successful underground new trips, I am, dear sir, most friendly and truly yours,
E. A. MARTEL.
Club Alpino Italiano.- The Rivista Mensile is sent us regularly, and renders of Italian can obtain it from the Librarian.
Mr. J. Coulton writes – “With that truly democratic spirit which characterises the Latin races, the C. A. I. has sought and still seeks to enrol under its banner all those desirous of a closer acquaintanceship with the hills, no bar being raised as to age, sex, social position, or lack of rigidly severe qualifications. The number of members is naturally large (over 6,000), divided into a number of sections, all of which have their own independent organisation, but all paying a quota to the central controlling committee in Turin.
It may be argued that such popularisation of the sport would tend towards its deterioration, and that the large numbers would deface the rocks with their multitude and desecrate the peaks with raucous shouts, but after three or four years’ experience I can frankly say such is not the case.
The great majority of the sections exhibit an activity which could well be emulated by many of our British clubs. Almost all sections in the north have members who are habitually in the mountains every week-end, storm or shine, winter or summer. In the November – December issue of the Rivista for 1920, is described a new ascent of the Aig. Noire de Peuteret, a few salient facts of which are indicative of the stamina and skill of our Italian friends.
6th Aug. 1920. – 3.0 p,m. Courmayeur, 7.0 p.m. bivouac at base of peak on far side of Brenva glacier.
7th Aug. – Start 4.50 a.m. Top 7.15 p.m. 14½ hours for a climb of over 1,200 metres, very severe in certain places. Bivouac again a few feet below the summit (3,780 metres).
8th Aug. – Descend by S.E. ridge. Off the last rocks 7.0 p.m.
On my first encounter during my early days in Italy with members of the C.A.I. in the Apuan Alps, I received the maximum of courtesy and a wealth of information, for which I was very grateful. I can assure all who wish to pay a visit to the Italian mountains that they only need introduce themselves as climbers and mountain ramblers to any section of the C.A.I. to be certain of a welcome with open arms, and what is more, of suitable companions with whom to undertake any Alpine exploit, from easy to exceptionally severe.”
Kindred Journals.- We are unable to do more than acknowledge gratefully the receipt of the Alpine Journal, the Journals of the Scottish Mountaineering Club, Climbers’ Club, Cairngorm Club, Rucksack Club, Fell and Rock Climbing Club, and the Rivista Mensile and Bollettino of the Italian Alpine Club.
Reviews.- Owing to lack of space, we are unavoidably compelled to hold over all reviews of books.