Our Meets Programme

F.D. Smith

In the formative years of the Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club outdoor meets seem to have been quite rare. There was though in the first year of its existence a day meet at Hopper Lane held on Boxing Day. In the first twelve months there were four evening meets and the first ‘Annual Meet’ at the Ingleborough Hotel on the 9th to 11th October, three days after the first anniversary of its foundation. Despite appalling weather a fifteen strong party set out for Yordas Pot but a terrific rain storm prevented access. The second annual meet was staged at the Lion Hotel, Settle, when seventeen members attended. Hull Pot was descended by a large party.

Meets became more regular prior to the First World War with Easter, Summer and Autumn Meets. Soon after the war local outcrops were also visited, especially Almscliff which was relatively handy for the majority of members who lived in the Leeds area. Of course, alongside meets, members in small groups would visit all the mountain areas that are visited by present day members.

The early thirties saw a fuller programme of meets much as there is today. The first joint meet with the Wayfarers and Rucksack Clubs at the Robertson Lamb Hut in Langdale, was held in 1933. This hut was one of the first huts in Lakeland. The Rucksack Club had a hut in North Wales that was the venue for joint meets with that club. Joint meets were also enjoyed with the Derbyshire Pennine Club, rock climbing and potholing.

Ernest Roberts was a driving force, especially in the twenties and thirties. He instructed Geoffrey Gowing to organise the first ‘overseas’ pothole meet at Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. It was to be the forerunner of many highly successful expeditions when many new underground works of nature were discovered. In 1938, meet leaders names were added to the meets lists, Langdale – Davidson, Newby Moss – Nelstrop, Alum Pot – Hilton and Roberts, Wass – Stembridge.

There was little activity during the Second World War though Chubb organised a camping meet at Mr. Kilbum’s new farm in Chapel-le-Dale. This was the start of the Club’s regular visits to that area and the legendary Hill Inn meets, with activities like revolving round the beam in room 4, or carrying a pint up rope ladders into and across the barn. Arthur Tallon was the undisputed champion at this.

Roberts recruited Cliff Downham to the Club and he was the doyen of meet leaders. Nothing was too much trouble for him, he believed in doing things correctly. The Club was introduced to meet reports. They were a happy reminder of a great weekend and served to keep the less active members in touch with the Club’s activities. John Cullingwoxth was detailed off to produce the first one after the Whit Meet in 1956. He talks of snow filled gullies on An Teallach and the first mention of ‘Munro Collectors’. The second report was by Stanley Marsden, he reported the Lyke Wake Walk, it was only the second time that the walk had been completed.

Those members not able to attend meets like to know how many of their contemporaries manage to get on meets. So in 1959 names of those attending were listed at the end of the report, though in those days names were never mentioned in the text. Mention of the ‘president’s party’ or two of the ‘younger members’ did this, was the only clue to who was doing what. There was no explanation for this cautious reticence. Meets were held at huts, at hotels, in caves and under canvas and always there was a great spirit and much activity.

Meets have been held in almost every Yorkshire Dale, in every valley in the Lake District, in every mountain area of Scotland. In all, the potholing and climbing areas of England, in Northem Ireland, and rock climbing at Lands End. Long walks are an ever popular event, always particularly well attended. The first Ladies’ Weekend was held in 1986, although there are photographs of ladies on pothole meets in the early days. A Ladies’ Evening was sheepishly proposed by Peter Hanis in 1963 at a committee meeting and much to his surprise it was accepted. The redoubtable Roberts gave his approval reminding the committee that there had been such an event during his presidency in the twenties. It was a great success.

Low Hall Garth Meets will always be remembered along with Denis Driscol and snow filled gullies year after year. Lamb stews, apple pies, suet puddings were provided by Denis for over twenty years. Actually Margaret Driscol was the great provider, a fact that was brought to the attention of members at one of the wonderful meets at the Grove, Kentmere, when Margaret was presented with an ancient framed map of Westmoreland. The Grove meets were always the highlight meets of that year.

Cliff Downham made contact with the Grampian Club to arrange a winter meet. The traditional winter meets were Easter but towards the end of the sixties they became poorly attended, probably because of family holiday commitments. Their hut, Inbhirfhaolain, in Glen Etive became a regular event in the calendar. The organisation was handed over to Derek Bush who has arranged this meet since 1970. In two of the nineties years Glen Nevis has been visited. Until the middle Eighties one could guarantee blue skies and excellent snow conditions.

There are now so many popular fixed meets in the year that it had become difficult to fit in many new venues. However a new departure was introduced in 1986 with the first Alpine meet. The success was possible because wives and families were permitted to attend. Each year there are older members, some making their first ascents of alpine peaks and younger members being introduced to the splendour of these great mountains.

From time to time a member puts forward a new idea, the Munro meet in 1983 was one such inspiration. Peter Swindells, slightly tongue in cheek, suggested that the Club try to put a man on the top of every Munro in Scotland in one week. Much planning was necessary, but Whitsun came round and the plan was put into action. Groups of members were allocated areas with one of the older members stationed in a hotel as controller. One by one, Munro after Munro saw the feet of the members. An eighty year old ascended Ben More on Mull, two pairs were given the task of the Cuillin Ridge, traversed in sunshine, another group was snowbound in the Cairngorms. Most members in other areas met with mixed weather, but the meet was an enormous success with 72 taking part, the vast majority of them being members. Commitment was the key to that success, for one failure would have rendered the whole project a failure. Every Munro was climbed with the only resulting injury being one slightly sprained ankle.

With the great improvement in travel the Club has widened its horizons, every four years or so, a meet is to be arranged in a far away place. The first was in Bolivia in 1988 with Michael Smith as the meet leader. Two new routes were created one of them a second ascent. In 1992, the Club’s centenary year several meets were held in Norway under the leadership of the then President, Derek Smithson. Endeavouring to climb many of the mountains that were first climbed by the Club’s illustrious second president, Cecil Slingsby it took many members into areas new to them. In 1995 the intention is to hold a meet in the Himalaya.

The Club in its activities knows no bounds and the central features of meets continues to be activity and friendship.