On The Hills
1954
Fox and Medley were in the Dauphine but were frustrated by bad weather. They were stopped by deep snow near the final tower of Les Bans, but traversed Les Ecrins, going up by the south face and down by the north. After some difficulty in finding the route on the south face they thought they found a new one which involved the ascent of a 120 foot ice couloir with only 120 feet of rope.
Later with Oxtoby, Fox traversed the Chardonnet, going up by the Forbes Arête and down to the Argentere refuge. Bad weather prevented them from doing the north face of the Courtes, but they were able to do the Brenva route over Mont Blanc from the Col de la Fourche in very cold conditions.
Kelsey did the Aiguille du Tour climbs in the Graians and finally retreated from the Brenva face in deep snow. Watts, based on Arolla, after some early peaks, was confined to cols with snow and rain, but visited Prarayé where he found that Roberts and Davidson had signed the book in 1908.
H. Stembridge climbed on ski in April, in the Oetztal Alps, he did Similaun, Windacher Daunkogl, Wildspitz, Hoch Vernagtspitz and Brunnekogl.
Devenish, a one-time Yorkshire Rambler now living in Canada, climbed Mount Arrowsmith in Vancouver Island.
In the British Isles, Holmes did a long walking tour in the Hebrides in constant rain and Kelsey took a hasty trip along the Coolin Ridge.
Anderson, choosing a week-end in September with a full moon, did the Lakeland 3,000 footers from the Little Langdale cottage in 19 hours; 50 miles and 12,000 feet of ascent. It has been alleged that in training for the event he climbed Pendle Hill 50 times before breakfast, but not all on one day.
Maude had a day of warm rock and sun-drenched chmbing on Gimmer — in November.
1955
Fox and Oxtoby camped near Entreves, Courmayeur. They did Mont Dolent from the Italian side, then tried the Aiguille de Leschaux but were driven down from the south ridge by a storm.
From then on it rained solidly for eight days, so they packed up and came home.
Anderson, Large, Smith, Tallon and B. Hartley trained by doing the Pigne d’Arolla, and enjoyed excellent climbing along the Skye-like rock ridge of the Petite Dent de Veisivi. After sufferings at the hands of the chronically smoky stove in the Cabane Bertol they crossed the Col d’Herens to Zermatt. They traversed the Trifthorn to the Val d’Anniviers, climbed the Wellenkuppe and finished with a climb on Le Besso, which reminded them of the Cornish Cliffs at Bosigran. The big peaks were dangerous from new snow.
Fielding, with another party, camped at Arolla, climbed the Pigne and l’Evêque in perfect weather and did the circuit of Mont Blanc de Seilon from the Cabane de Dix in bad visibility. Nobody told him about Rifugio Aosta at the head of the Valpelline, wrecked by an avalanche in 1951, and, being in Italy, not rebuilt. Reaching the hut at dusk after crossing the Col de Tsa de Tsan the party spent the night brewing hourly cups of tea and burning what was left of the hut in what was left of the stove. After a smoky night in the Cabane Bertol they looked down 6,000 feet on to their tents from the summit of the Aiguille de la Tsa. They climbed the north Col of the Auguilles Rouges, and did the traverse as far as Slingsby’s Col. Although they were camping, Fielding’s account of the party’s daily doings often ends with the satisfied sentence, “down in time for dinner at the hotel.”
Slingsby visited Mount Etna, in mild eruption to the northeast of the main crater, and went on to Stromboli where he found delightful sub-tropical conditions on one side, with the mountain blowing steam gently into the sea on the other.
Fred Booth was in Pontresina, Wilson in the Bernina, Allen and Warsop in the Oetztal and Stubaital, all are reticent about their activities and it has been rumoured that they found the absence of mountain railways discouraging.
George Spenceley, as photographer and climber, took part in the Survey Expedition to South Georgia. He found the country like the top 9,000 feet of the Alps in winter. After a trip in an Argentine sealer in rough weather, he spent several weeks on the Kohl-Larsen Plateau and made two first ascents of major peaks well up to Alpine standards.
H. Stembridge climbed in the Lofotens, and Watts skied at Mürren early in the year.
Patchett was with the Anglo-French caving expedition to Labouiche in the Pyrenees.
Nearer home Anderson, in spite of holding decidedly adverse views about the so-called sport of “peak-bagging” spent a day in the Howgill Fells traversing all the tops over 1,750 feet with a high east wind blowing. He covered 22 miles with a total ascent of 6,300 feet.
1956
Wharldall, Anderson, Hartley, Tallon and Jones at Saas Fee again found snow conditions poor. They climbed the Alphübel, Portingrat, and the Egginer-Mittaghorn traverse. They crossed the Monte Moro Pass into Italy, three of them returning by the Theodule Pass and climbing the Breithorn before returning to Saas Fée by the Adler Pass.
The three Smiths, Decort, Haslam, Nicholson and Pat Stonehouse camped at Zermatt and got in some good climbing in spite of poor weather. Wilson and Fielding were in the Oberland and got six peaks. Michael Middleton was climbing in Norway.
F. and H. Stembridge and Godley skied at Verbier in January. Watts was at Gstaad in January and again in June; there was more snow on the Wasserngrat in June than there was when he arrived at Christmas.
Pot-holing meets in July, 1955, and again in July, 1956, were held at Clapham and on both occasions several parties explored the Lancaster Hole—Ease Gill System. This is undoubtedly one of the finest in the United Kingdom and on the Continental pattern. The meet report for July, 1956, gives the equipment needed for the route from Lancaster Pot to Ease Gill.
Main Entrance Lancaster Pot
3-35 foot ladders
Ladder belay rope
Belay rope for block.
1—200 foot life line
Pulley block.
Ease Gill end of Route
1 st Pitch 1—35 foot ladder
1—50 foot life line
1—belay rope.
2nd Pitch 1—35 foot ladder
1—50 foot life line
1—belay rope.
An additional 40 foot ladder would be needed for Stop Pot if the existing electron ladder should be removed or become unsafe. These details do not take into account the fixed iron ladders or fixed hand ropes.
R.M. Middleton has the following notes of a climb between two buttresses in the Twelve pins of Connemara at the Whitsun meet of the Irish Mountaineering Club.
“The first 400 feet were up to difficult standard and provided some delightful climbing with a wide choice of routes at quite a steep angle. Then came a wide ledge where we were joined by the other party whose route had petered out. The exit from the ledge involved a delicate step up to reach two good finger holds and a quick pull up to a small ledge; after that, on to a very exposed move over a little bulge which led to an excellent 30 foot wall with small but clear holds, and so after some 50 feet of scrambling to the top. Altogether a most enjoyable climb of 650-700 feet, up to very difficult standard ; pitons were essential as belays.”