Meets

Low Hall Garth
5-7 January 1996

A poor weather forecast saw nineteen members assemble at Low Hall Garth cooking evening meaL exchanging experiences. As the evening progressed some sat by the fire whilst others ventured to the Three Shires Inn. Saturday dawned fine but with low cloud which remained all day, different groups were away quite early after an excellent bacon and eggs breakfast.

Parties visited the usual Lakeland tops via the well established routes for this traditional January meet. One high level group walked via Wet Side Edge, Three Shires Stone, Cold Pike, Crinkles and Lingmoor and other visited Wetherlam, Swirl How, Carrs, Coniston Old Man, some members visiting tops twice in a day! After, parties circumnavigated the Coniston fells at various levels.

Whatever the activity everybody assembled back at the cottage by late afternoon, by now the weather had deteriorated to the normal wind and heavy rain which persisted throughout the evening.

The well established and ingenious re-organisation of the furniture under the supervision of F.D. Smith enabled everybody to sit down at the same time to a first class evening meal, washed down with adequate amounts of wine and beer.

After dinner a selection of shdes were shown of recent YRC activities overseas. These were made much more enjoyable by the critical comments of the audience whose memories of this event differed considerably. Several members braved the elements and retired to the Three Shires Inn whilst others retired to their bunks.

Sunday morning dawned damp and misty, again a full Enghsh breakfast was enjoyed A few members departed early for home whilst others set out for half and full day expeditions. Another enjoyable meet at Low Hall Garth, our thanks to David Hick for organisation and the excellent food.

Attendance:
Ken Aldred
Alan Brown
Derek Bush (President)
Ian Crowther
Roy Denny
Martin Truler (guest)
Andrew Duxbury
Mike Godden
David Hick
Richard Josephy
Tim Josephy
David Martindale
David Smith
Michael Smith
Derek Smithson
Bill Todd
Martin Woods
Alex Woods (son)

Joint Meet with the Gritstone Club
12-14 April 1996

Early Friday evening the ghost of winter re-appeared on the crest of an easterly wind that carried snow down to the 300m contour. By morning the wind had freshened and wind-chill put paid to any rock climbing aspirations. Plans were moderated to walks over Scawfell Pike, the Dodds, Helvellyn and the hills between Trhrlmere and Borrowdale. It was a day of sombre beauty with blue silhouetted hills beneath menacing skies. Supper was a relaxed occasion in the village hall ably hosted by the Gritstone Club.

Overnight the weather warmed as the wind shifted towards the south-west. A dull morning of limited visibility hinted of rain later. Undeterred, members were out and about early with Eagle Crag, Thirlmere, being the venue for a Grits/YRC quartet who climbed routes Anarchy and Genesis. A YRC duo found excellent snow and ice in Central Gully, Great End, and made an enjoyable ascent. Another party walked up Blencathra whilst others went away to do other things. A fine drizzle arrived too late in the afternoon to affect the aspirations of members present.

Joint meets are a sociable occasion for people of similar outlook and this one was no exception. As the weekend progressed the rapport between the clubs grew. Some members began to talk about future joint expeditions, such was the convivial time had by all.
 
Attendance:

Gritstone Club Chris Ambler, Matthew Ambler, David Bateman, Mike Butterworth, Andy Chapman, Dennis Chapman, Jack Escritt, Peter Green, Andy Grimshaw, Peter Haigh, Edward Hodgson, Malcolm Hopkins, Dave Mort, James Nichols, Pete Roberts, Mike Rose, Andy Sparks

YRC Derek Bush, Ken Aldred, David Atherton, Albert Chapman, Arthur Craven, Ian Crowther, Alan Brown, Derek Enghsh(G), Mike Godden, David Handley, Mike Hartland, George Heeles(G), Jeff Hooper, Tim Josephy, David Laughton, Mark Pryor, Alister Renton, Harry Robinson, David Smith, Derek Smithson, Peter Swindells, Robin Swindells(G), Bill Todd

Ladies’ Weekend
26 – 28 April 1996

It should not be necessary to begin this Meet report with an apology; but this scribe feels compelled to do so. Not, he hastens to say, to apologise that the YRC has a meet with then partners (PC for wives). That, folklore has it, was blessed thirty five years ago by Ernest Roberts, no less. At the committee meeting when it was proposed that there should be a “Ladies’ Evening”, all present (struck dumb) looked to Roberts for a sign: thumbs up, or thumbs down? Roberts pronounced that there had been a Ladies Evening in 1921 and that he ‘been’ there. So with a Nihil Obstat from such an authority, the event entered the club’s calendar of meets and has remained so ever since. No, the apology concerns the patronising word ‘Ladies’ in the title of the meet, which in 1996 is surely redolent with the pre-PC days of 1960’s. In those unreconstructed days, the meet was a kind of “Thank you’ to the Ladies (God bless them!), for allowing then-bread-and-butter providers to go on meets, and to let them see what a jolly good lot of chaps they were in the YRC; and by implication, she had no fear that there would be any danger of hanky-panky. In 1996 the meet surely deserves a better title, one that more suitably expresses the equality of sexes that exists in a meaningful relationship (PC for marriage.)

It deserves a better title because over the years the event has transformed itself. Evening has given way to a Weekend; dancing for walking; and DJ’s and long dresses for fleeces and bags. We still have dinner together on the Saturday evening, and most members wear a tie, but the President this year showed his disdain for neckwear by pubhcly discarding it during the meal. There is now a real equality in those attending. Those who have not yet attended should no longer be put off by the Bertie Wooster title.

The success of this reconstruction is best expressed in numbers. This year there was a record attendance: forty two people came. Twenty one couples, which is in line with meet average attendance. Costs are inevitably double those of the average meet, for obvious reasons. This means that the meet is a bit harder on the pocket than meets with communal catering. Its prime appeal is to those who are ‘unsalaried’ (PC for retired), who either have a lump sum in the bank and can afford the hotel bill, or to those who have spent then lump sum on a caravan, and want to get some use out of it. So the concept lunges upon first finding a good tolerant hotel and second a good caravan site nearby. It is a social weekend, when the prime aim is to enjoy ourselves; it therefore helps if members are still on speaking terms with their wives. But then the After Dinner meet and the Christmas meets are also enjoyable social meets. There are other meets in the calendar where grasp, endurance and sinews can be tested to the ultimate.

It deserves a better title because the event is purposeful and aims to take us to those parts that other meets do not reach. Last year we were in Holnrfirth (quite!). But it gave us an excellent sixteen mile walk. This year we were near Pickering on the North Yorkshire moors. On Saturday some fifteen miles were covered by the main party and on Sunday slightly less, to allow for a later start after the late night festivities. The views over the moors were far and wide, the north wind sharp enough to tingle the face, the sun warm enough to compensate, and we saw very few other people. Ideal walking conditions. The Cottage Leas Hotel, some 2 miles north of Pickering, looked after us well and the dinner on Saturday evening was a splendid confection of formality, (ties and dresses), and informal humour and unconscious wit, (the President’s speech).

For the record, the circular walk on Saturday started at the Hole of Horcum, went via Malo Cross, Blakey Topping, High and Low Bride Stones (on which some members and one wife disported themselves), to Staindale and so to Levisham for en route refreshments. Then on by Skelton Tower, Levisham bottom, Huggitfs Scar, Hudson’s Cross and Yewtree Scar back to Hole of Horcum. On Sunday, the route centred on Wheeldale Moor, and although some rain threatened in the morning, the afternoon gave perfect wanting conditions. Our thanks to Gerry and Margaret Lee for then organisation of the whole weekend.

To close, it should be recorded that there were two couples present who had not been at this event before. May there be more New couples at the New Ladies Meet in 1997, in line with the New political Agenda.

Was it by chance that the Hole of Horcum was chosen for the main walk for this meet? According to Norse mythology the Hole was caused by the Giant Horcum (ahas Wade) scooping up a fistfull of earth to throw, in an atypical moment of temper, at his scolding wife, Bel. His aim was poor and the clod landed to form Blakey Topping.

MS

Gaping Gill Centenary Meet at Lowstern
10 – 12 May 1996

The low temperatures and cold winds which had been a feature of the 1996 Spring continued over the weekend as members met to commemorate the Centenaiy of the first descent of Gaping Gill by Edward Calvert in May 1896. One member had driven through snow on Ms southward journey over Shap and Peny-y-Ghent wore a white mantle on Saturday.

The direct descent into the main chamber was not possible as the BPC were setting up the equipment in readiness for then own Gaping Gill meet the following week. Alternative plans saw eleven members descend Bar Pot on Saturday to enter the main chamber from South East Passage. YRC resourcefulness had triumphed again, and although they could not match Calvert’s two minute descent, they stood on the floor of the ‘gruesome cavern’ almost one hundred years to the day after then illustrious predecessor.

Other members visited Crammackdale and Ingleborough and returned via Gaping Gill where a tented village had been erected by the BPC which would be in situ for two weeks to include the Bank Holiday. Kegs of Fosters “down under” lager were much in evidence on the surface which would eventually be stored on the cavern floor to prevent a recurrence of a previous theft of the amber nectar.

Because of the logistics of raising a group of eleven cavers to the surface, Mike Godden’s anticipated 7.00pm dinner was delayed until around 8.15pm and was then avidly consumed with the aid of copious amounts of Bulgarian Red. Marcian gooseberry crumble was greatly appreciated to follow the main course chicken.

During the repast toasts were given, firstly to John White who had visited Gaping Gill during the day with Albert Chapman. A second toast was to Ian Crowther, who had became a grandfather for the first time on Friday night. Pressure is already being applied by him to have the child christened Thatcher Crowther.

Most of the assembled company then appeared in the New Inn, so perhaps the Bulgarian Red was not sufficient.
 
Sunday morning saw a group of six on Giggleswick Scar whilst other went into existing caves leaving the rest to then digging. I would like to record that as I was unable to go down Bar Pot, I returned to Gaping Gill the following week and was lowered by the BPC whose members then gave me a guided tour of the environs of the main chamber. Many thanks to them.

Dave Martindale

Photography by Richard Gowing

Attendance:
 
Ken Aldred
Denis Barker
Tim Bateman *
Bruce Bensley *
Derek Bush *
Albert Chapman
Ian Crowther *
Mike Godden
Richard Gowing *
Mike Hartland
David Hick *
Richard Josephy *
Tim Josephy *
Harvey Lomas
David Martindale
Alistair Renton *
Graham Salmon *
David Smith
Michael Smith *
John White

Those marked * visited Gaping Gill

The Long Walk
The Fans, Brecon Beacons
21 – 23 June 1996

‘A splendid weekend was enjoyed by all’ is perhaps the most appropriate way to begin the meet report covering the events of this year’s long walk in South Wales.

Accommodation for the walk from the Black Mountains to the Brecon Beacons was finely catered for using the facilities at the Dulwich College Field Centre at Glynetowe.

The June weather had so far been mixed, but hotted up in the week into what most people hoped would continue for the weekend’s walking. Bright and sunny conditions covered most of the country for the journey to South Wales, a journey which some decided to make early on the Friday enabhng themselves time for familiarisation of this quite beautiful part of the countryside. The clear weather allowed fantastic views from the low ground of Fan y Big, Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du.

As usual on the eve of such an event the local watering hole was on most people’s agenda for dinner and hquid refreshments prior to retiring for the night.

The peace of the early morning was shattered at 2:30 am by the fire alarm of the Centre, set off as a result of the well done toast being prepared for breakfast. After breakfast was served, the various vehicled parties set off for the start, some 16 miles away at about 3:30 am. Due to the hour of the day and the fact that the route to the start went off the available maps navigation to the start point on the A4069 Brynamman to Llangadog road proved more difficult than navigation on the walk.

At 4:15 am on a crisp and bright morning the walking party set off on this 36 mile challenge across the southern part of Wales heading in an Easterly direction. The stroll to Foel Fraith was a very welcome way of clearing the early morning cobwebs and the views to the South towards Cardiff and Swansea were invigorating as the route proceeded across good walking country over short grass and low flat rocks to the top of Garreg Las. Low cloud and early morning mist descended as the walkers, slowly beginning to spread out as the fast-lads got into gear, ascended to the Bannau Sir Gaer ridge.

Despite poor visibihty route finding was not too difficult due to well defined paths to Pics Du. From here the route descended steeply before climbing to the trig-point that marked the top of Fan Brycheiniog, at 802m. the highest climb before breakfast. The warm sun soon burnt off the mist resulting in spectacular and far reaching views as the walk crossed Fan Hir and descended to the Centre for breakfast.

High on the agenda for discussion over breakfast was which route to take over to and up Fan Gyhirych. The unappealing option of taking the A4067 north and then climbing the steep route up to the summit was soon dismissed and the conversation focused crossing Glyntawe Common. Once over the old quarry railway the route was straight forward with most choosing to travel north around the wood and take the short climb to the top. A more gentle route was to take the track through the wood which continued almost to the summit. The sun at this point of the walk, at about 10:30 am was very hot indeed but once on the tops the cool breeze refreshed the legs and lungs. From the summit we dropped back on to the track, only turning off at the last possible moment for the scramble up Fan Nedd.

Whoever decided to set up an extra feeding station at the base of Fan Nedd prior to climbing Fan Dringarth deserves a medal. Alan Brown and John Sterland were a welcome sight and perhaps, some may say a vital stop in the strategy of the walk. The section from breakfast at the Centre to tea at The Storey Arms would have been overwhelming. Following lunch the route proceeded east straight up Fan Dringarth where the purists headed north across pleasant walkrng grounds passing wild horses and through a nature enclosure towards Fan Frynych as the majority skirted around Rhos Dringarth to climb Fan Fawr. From the top, The Storey Arms and Harry’s van were clearly visible and provided a boost to the tiring limbs and flagging spirits.

At tea some were ferried back to the Centre, and later regretted the decision as the best of the walk was yet to come. As the hot-dog(s) was digested, the chocolate shared out and the tea guzzled the weather warmed up for the 3:30pm push up to Corn Du. Again both routes, north and east, were taken by various people and both were rewarded on the summit with breathtaking views in all directions. Looking east as far as the eye could see the start of the walk was not visible, even on this clear day. The late afternoon sun continued to bum as the highest peak, Pen y Fan of the Brecon Beacons was conquered.

Loud cheers from a group of four teenagers every 2 or 3 minutes half way up Cribyn were a source of both amusement and confusion. Were the frequent crazed cheers and run arounds on the steep slope because of something in the teenagers temporary shelter or were they the result of some other event? Whatever the answer the thoughts helped to pass the time. Only when we drew level with them did we find out that they carried a transistor radio and were holed up hstening to the England and France penalty shoot out.

Tempting though it was to descend the ridge of Bryn Teg, Fan y Big was targeted and taken and what followed was a feeling of the utmost rehef and accomphshment as the gentle Cefh Cyff ridge sloped down to the low lands and the farms of Rhiwiau, Tynllwyn and the riverside walk into Llanfrynach in the early evening.

Early finishers completed the route by about 4:00 pm, perhaps too early to enjoy the softer tones and cooler conditions created by the declkiing evening sun.

The walk was a huge success which would not have been at all possible without the local knowledge and fine organisation of the meet leader Harvey Lomas. Thank you to Harvey for all his hard work and thank you also to the support team, who must have covered many miles east and west during the 16 to 20 hours that spanned the walk.
 
Quote of the day: “Cribyn is unfair at 6:30 in the evening !”

Michael Wood

Attendance:

Meet Leader Harvey Lomas

Support Alan Brown Ian Crowther Harry Robinson George Spenceley John Sterland

Walkers Denis Barker Adrian Bridge Derek Bush, President Derek Collins P Davis Iain Gilmour Richard Gowing Neil Grant (G)

Mike Hartland Jeff Hooper A Jones (G) Richard Josephy Tim Josephy Alan Kay K Maddocks A Maddocks (G)

Rory Newman Arthur Salmon David Smith Anthony Toon (G) Nick Welch Frank Wilkinson Michael Wood Alan Wood (G) John Woodier (G)

 The Sunday after the Long Walk

I drove to the finish of the Long Walk at Llanfrynach but decided this wasn’t the ideal spot to start and finish my intended walk, so I drove to Llwyncelyn farm where I parked and followed by-roads and field paths to the foot of the north ridge of Peny Fan, which I followed to its top.

I then made the short traverse to Com Du where I had my lunch, finding a new use for my trekking pole in fending off greedy sheep!

I returned over Peny Fan and Cribyn, past crowds enjoying the surishine, to Fany Big which 1 descended by its pleasant NNE ridge to Rhiwiau and by lanes and field paths back to the car.

As I descended the ridge two gliders soared in a thermal rising from its end before making off towards the Black Mountains.

A memorable day which I would have missed had I doggedly pursued the main walk to its end, finishing long after everybody else!

R. Gowing

Dove Crag Cave
5 – 7 July 1996

Those who attended this meet came from the extremities of the North of England. From as far north as Carlisle, as far east as Middlesbrough, a president from the West and a poet from the South, Leeds. Even they were not all there for the whole period and arrived at the cave from different directions. My definition of ‘rambling1 is walking where there are no roads and sleeping where there are no houses and being interested in being there. This meet demonstrated again that we are mostly not in agreement about how we should ramble and this may be an essential part of the character of the Club. The president confirmed this by telling us that only two people found the proposal to go to Iceland irresistible whereas about twenty were expected at Ailefroide. We enjoyed the Lakes and it was perhaps improved by the simplicity of being few in numbers.

Two retired members met at The Brotherswater Hotel, where one car was left without quibble. They then had a pleasant walk over High Street and down to Small Water. The weather reports had promised rain so they had a tent which was erected before there was any sign of rain. The only rain that fell during the weekend happened that evening as the president walked over from Kentmere and erected his tent, but he said it was only light, as the others cowered in then tent. The stone shelters were examined as we walked out the next morning and they would have provided adequate shelter, but not as comfortably as a tent. The three of us walked over Thomthwaite Crag where Ken left us to walk back to his car via Threshthwaite Cove, Hartsop and Brotherswater. We were sorry to lose him, but he had to be home for Saturday evening. The two Dereks continued the high level route that gave views over the eastern Lakes all day with the final view of the day being from Dove Crag Cave. We crossed Stoney Cove Pike, crossed the road at Kirkstone Pass and struggled up Red Screes before crossing Black Brow and descending to the cave. The president being very newly retired had been subject to much advice of varying quality and this did not stop when we reached the cave.  Here a smell of burning paraffin was the first indication that Ian Crowther had made it from the Gritstone Club hut in Thirlmere where he spent Friday night.

The situation of the cave is unsurpassed and we had it to ourselves and we had not spent time together recently, which made it all the more enjoyable. The president had received a spirit flask as a recent gift and carried it so far that it would have been churlish to deprive him of the pleasure of giving us whisky. This did lead to a maudlin discussion of the different attitudes of the soldiers in the First World War to those in the Second and even produced a most affecting love story from real life. The only complaint could be that the wall erected to reduce the wind blowing into the cave, prevented us enjoying the view as we lay in our sleeping bags. We slept late the next morning and, before we had packed up, a group of walkers arrived. They seem impressed that we had come from so many different places to meet in the cave. Then youth made them also impressed by our great age and the number of years we had known each other. We were so late that, even though the sun was shining, we each just walked back to our cars.    The two Dereks   went   together   as   far as Patterdale where the president turned off to go to Kentmere whereas I had only to walk to Beetham Cottage situated on the road side just beyond the turn off to Hartsop.    Ian, I hope, made it to Thirlmere.

D.A.S

Attendance:
Ken Aldred,    Derek Bush, Ian Crowther,  Derek Smithson

Cwm Eigiau
23-25 August 1996

Quite a different meet for us in many respects. Unfortunately not so in one; we don’t seem to get much luck with our weather in North Wales generally, & this was no exception. However, the Cwm Eigiau hut of the Rugby Mountaineering Club which was booked by meet leader Tim Batemen (a member of both clubs) is reputedly the oldest club hut in the UK, having been occupied by our old friends the Rucksack Club from 1912 until 1919. It hasn’t changed a great deal since then in general appearance, and there were photographs from the 1913 Rucksack Club Journal to prove it. It is very cosy and well equipped in a style suitable to it’s remoteness, it being between 20 & 45 minutes walk from where cars can be left according to whether or not you have a key to a locked gate! Everything has to be carried in along a roughish track, but the owners have made shift to provide Calor Gas, fuel for the pot-bellied stove and running (cold) water! It is in a superb location scenically, in an upper valley which is now almost entirely uninhabited but shows much evidence of the work that has been carried on there historically. This includes the reservoir, much reduced in size since the original rather flimsy looking barrage burst in about 1925 resulting in devastation in the Conwy valley.

A disadvantage of the hut is that accessibility to hills is pretty well restricted to the eastern sides of the Carneddau, so after a wet and windy night on Friday parties set off from the hut or their damp tents for the prime target of Craig Yr Ysfa which looms large and forbidding over the head of the valley. The whole day was showery, the tops wet and windy and the rocks slippery. Nevertheless three ropes completed the grand mountaineering route of Amphitheatre Buttress with degrees of competence varying from the energetic to the geriatric, so we can report that over 50% of the attendance went on the crags. The others made various forays upon the cirque of hills around the valley, several of them solo. The cosy hut with it’s stove was very welcoming to the soggy specimens who returned from the hill! Some of the party then made the considerable expedition in the dark in order to visit the hostelry in the Conwy valley and our lone member camping with his canine companion at the valley camp site.

Sunday dawned with the distinct threat of further rain showers, and so after a leisurely breakfast everyone chose to pack up and leave together in convoy in order to facilitate the arrangements for driving out through the locked gate and securing it behind us. Some were going to rock chmb at lower levels, some to walk more easily accessible hills and others to drive straight home. In spite of the pretty unco-operative weather it was a successful meet with a bit of everything done and a good attendance for a meet in August immediately following on the return home of the summer Alpine party. Tim Bateman earns our thanks for arranging a meet in an unusual and attractive setting and which required more effort on the part of those attending than is often the case.

WCIC

Attendance:
Tim Bateman
Derek Clayton
Ian Crowther
Eddie Edwards
Mike Godden
Tim Josephy (President Elect)
Harvey Lomas
David Smith
George Spenceley
Niel Renton (Guest)
Alister Renton

Ennerdale
11 – 13 October 1996

Early in October the organiser of this meet was worried about the small numbers who had sent in then forms. In the event over twenty members and guests arrived on Friday to find the rain falling gently on the Scout Camp hut situated on the very edge of Ennerdale lake. During the night this gentle rain swelled to a continuous heavy downpour. Our sense of cosiness in the hut was emphasised by the knowledge that one of our number was camping by Black Beck Tarn.

After breakfast the downpour had, if anything, increased in intensity and the arrival of the (very wet) camper was greeted with hilarity. However in true YRC fashion the hut quickly emptied. A party intending to do the Ennerdale skyline soon realised the impracticality of this (given the weather) and divided itself into two parties, each doing half One man did in fact walk (or run) the entire round. We can all guess who this was! Simply to walk round the lake was an interesting experience with the path along the southern bank being mostly ankle deep in running water.

The main Ennerdale beck was a raging torrent and could only be crossed by bridges. The bridges however could only be approached by wading. On the tops walkers were blown about to such an extent that ankles, spectacles and noses were damaged. By midday the rain moderated   and   other activities included visits to SeUafield power station, the fleshpots of Keswick, tent drying, a descent of a deep working iron ore mine and an examination of the Georgian architecture of Whitehaven. Saturday was concluded by an excellent meal and good cheer helped by the usual consumption of red wine.

Sunday dawned with a spectacular sunrise. The upper valley was again penetrated and a promising gully explored for use in more favourable conditions. One member drove to Glenridding where he and his wife walked up Hellvelyn. A group drove south and walked up Black Coombe. The ascent of this infrequently visited top in the glorious Autumn weather was a most worthwhile experience.

No climbing was attempted such was the weather.

Our thanks go to Andrew for finding the Scout Hut, the excellent food and the log fires. I’m sure we all felt that we should return there before long.

Harry Robinson

Attendance:
The President, Derek Bush
Ian Anderson
Ian Crowther
Andrew Duxbury
Eddie Edwards
Iain Gilmour
Mike Godden
Richard Gowing
George Heeles (guest)
David Hick
Geoff Hooper
David Laughton
David Martindale
Rory Newman
Frank Platt (guest)
Harry Robinson
John Schofield
David Smith
Derek Smithson
George Spenceley
Bill Todd
Michael Wood
Alan Wood (guest)