Meet Report: 10-12 September 2021.

Times change and with them this meet. Your scribe recalls sodden weekends, steaming aged tweeds worn by seasoned climbers, and the most senior members hunched round the fireplace being characteristic of Joint Meets. Well-known attendees I recall are Ivan Waller, AB Hargreaves, Cliff Downham, George Spenceley and his guest Harry Griffin. 2021 saw plenty of new faces and RLH’s west end impressively remodelled with a new wash-cum-drying room and both mixed and women’s dorms. Even the sharp left turn off the road into the carpark had been smoothed out. Progress indeed.  So, a return to a familiar meet but one with distinct differences.

Though this year’s joint meet officially kicked off on Friday10^th, four pensioners, reeling at the government’s cancellation of the triple-lock safeguard on their state pensions made their way earlier to the peaceful haven of RLH. All were Sheffield Smiths.  PMs Rod and Yayoi tramped the Dales Way from Ilkley to Bowness while Helen and Michael splashed out for half a tank of the new E10 petrol and drove in from Sheffield.

Friday saw the former pair complete their Way in Bowness and get to RLH using their bus passes. The latter walked up The Band, took the Climbers’ Traverse to take the Great Slab’s bouldery right edge onto Bowfell.  Their descent was by Hell Gill.  Neither pair saw any sunlight to speak of until late afternoon with the hills in cloud throughout and well-watered by showers.

Friday afternoon’s arrivals gathered in increasing numbers in the Old Dungeon Ghyll bar. Some old hands ate there and flashed their bus passes to board the 7pm bus back down to RLH where various groups were preparing pasta-based dishes for their evening meals.

From Leeds, John Jenkin missed a train connection in Manchester so was rerouted via Oxenhope where he failed to catch the train to Windermere. With a further long delay in prospect, his patience ran out after two hours and he hailed a taxi to reach Langdale.

There was hope of a drier Saturday but rain at breakfast time dampened any enthusiasm for an early start. The cloud base gradually lifted and there was even some weak sunshine by late afternoon.  A YRC party traversed the ridge west towards Pavey Ark and all the Langdale Pikes encountering a lone Wayfarer on the way.  They enjoyed a pleasant hour at the NDG’s Stickle Barn including perusing the Pinnacle Club’s centenary exhibition in the loft there. Mike Gregg started off with them but went on to Angle Tarn rather than the Pikes.  Seat Sandal and Grisedale Tarn were visited by a lone Wayfarer after driving to Dunmail Raise.

Lower down two YRC PMs walked over by Blea Tarn and inspected LHG returning close to Elterwater. An inter-club party walked from Skelwith Bridge to the ODG via RLH. Two YRC diligently compared hostelries in Coniston and Langdale.  

An inter-club climbing party sensibly delayed their departure and headed for Castle Rock of Triermain to climb some severes.  A cycling Wayfarer was out practicing ready for next week’s Fred Whitton Challenge encompassing Hardknott, Wrynose and Blea Tarn passes.

By 19:30 everyone was changed, well-watered and ready for Pete’s buffet starter followed by lemon chicken with rustic bread then fruitcake, celery and cheese dessert. 

Sunday started damp but the sun made an appearance by midday. Both pairs of Smiths headed towards Grasmere traversing Loughrigg Terrace in opposite directions, one returning by open top bus and the other along the full length of the crest.  Both commented on the intrusive road traffic noise disturbing the rustic scene despite the road being hidden in dense woodland.  Helen Brewitt and Mike Gregg traversed Lingmoor Fell which looms so imposingly in the view from RLH.

Thanks go to the Wayfarers for organising the meet and to Pete for working his magic with the catering.

Attending:

Steve Auty                  Wayfarer

Helen Brewitt             M

Alan Clare                  M

Mike Godden             M & Wayfarer

Mike Gregg                M

John Jenkin                M

Alan Linford               M & Wayfarer

Keith Osbourne          Wayfarer

Dave Omered             Wayfarer

Jon Pinch                   Wayfarer

Rod Smith                  PM

Yayoi Smith                PM

Michael Smith             M

Helen Smith               M

Conrad Tetley             M

Martin Tomlinson       Wayfarer