A Slice of History:
The Yorkshire Climbers Mountaineering Club
Bill Todd
When Ron Hirst was active in the Y.M.C. thirty odd years ago he told me proudly “I was in the proper Yorkshire Mountaineering Club, Bill, I’ll show you some of our old dinner menus.” And sure enough next time Joan and I visited his house at Buckley Avenue he showed us a menu for the Yorkshire Climbers Mountaineering Club Annual Dinner at Horton in Ribblesdale in the late forties. What he didn’t mention was that Agnes, his wife, had baked a cake which was enjoyed by all the members as part of the festivities.
This last piece of irrformation I have gleaned from a YCMC Meets Report Book which has been sent up by former member from Ransley of :-
Westcott, Orchard Gate, Esher, Surrey, KT10 8HY.
With the book, an imposing 262 page hard back “Minute Book”, was a few old letters and papers which are most interesting.
These include:-
List of officers and syllabus (horrible word) for 1942
- Undated letter fiom Charles to Donald with list of 24 members
- Letter from Mr. Kilbum of the Hill Inn, Chapel-le-Dale offering dinner at five shillings (25p) plus two shillings (lOp) per head.
- Letter from Leeds University Mountaineeiing Club dated 8 Dec 1948, accepting an invitation to send two guests to the YCMC Dinner and signed by John Ball, almost certainly the same John Ball who was last man on the N.W. Girdle of Almscliffe.
- Five letters from people interested in joining.
The quantity of information yielded by the Meet Reports Book is not consistent with its weight. There are less than twenty meets fully reported. I find it hard to believe that these were the only meets that took place between the 23 March 1946 and the 3rd June 1950. Perhaps there was a failure of communication between meet leaders. I would hesitate to suggest that, like a well known club at the present day, half the members couldn’t read and the other half couldn’t write. Certainly some of the meets on the 1947 programme are not mentioned in the meet reports book.
But it does contain some gems, The first entry gives details of two new routes at Hebden Gill led by Ron Hirst and J. Greaves respectively. These have been lost in the mists of time and are not even mentioned in Brian Evans’ 1957 Gritstone Guide. I expect they have been renamed and claimed by a subsequent ascensionist.
Quite a lot of the meet reports describe pot-holing. Gingling Hole and Hardrawkin Hole feature in 1947, Sell GUI and Disappointment Pot in 1948. Meets were held at Coniston, Ogwen, Skye and Glencoe. The Glencoe meet was at Christmas 1947 two of the meebmers staying on for Hogmanay. Two magnificent days relieved the general bad weather and members grabbed Bidean and Aonach Eagach.
One of the most successful meets was the January 1947 walking meet where the leader, P.B. Thomson had circularised members and booked accommodation at Malham Youth Hostel. The walk went over Fountains Fell and via Darnbrook House to Grassington to catch the bus home. No cars and vans in those days, not even motor bikes. Youth Hostels insisted on travel by ‘own energy’.
The last entry in the meet reports book is for 3rd June 1950 and the meet is described as the ‘first meet of the now re-formed YCMC’ Perhaps the club suffered a tamporary demise, hence the fact that there are no meets recorded in 1949, an exceptionally good summer incidentally. Something similar happened with the Rock and Ice I seem to remember. It would appear however, that the reformed YCMC. did not rise fiom the ashes like the R&I because I can find no entry after this June 1950 meet.
Of course, there was National Seivice in those days, at least one meet was ruined because the leader, P. Thomson again, was called up. The people I have talked to seem to think the YCMC. just faded away. Many came back from National Service and joined other clubs or no clubs at all. A pity perhaps but our own club has lasted over those crucial years and we should be grateful to those whose efforts kept it going.
Please accept my apologies for any bricks I may have dropped and I would be most grateful for any additional information.
Appendces:
1. Climbs done on Hebden Gill Crag. 23/3/46
2. Summary of Meet Reports Book.
3. List of members, number of times their names appear in the book and what I know about their present whereabouts.
4. Officers and Programme for 1947.
Appendix 1
Extract from Meet Report of the Hebden Gill Crag meet on 23 March 1946.
New Routes Climbed.
“Friction” 60′ V.S.
1. 22′ A slab is climbed for 10′ on meagre holds followed by a fine balance move onto a large ledge. Slight traverse to left and the rest is climbed on two footholds. Belay round large jammed block.
2. The crack is climbed to the summit of the falling/filling? block. Belay round tree.
3. Semi layback to the bottom of overhang which is climbed direct. Very strenuous. First ascent R. Hirst.
“Jerry Wall” 80′ V.Diff
1. 55′ The wall opposite Jerry & Ben’s to large tree belay.
2. 25′ Direct climb up the wall and traverse right for 10′. Awkward move to the end of the overhang. Belay round tree at top.
J. Greaves led Messrs Shaw and Hirst up this one.
Appendix 2.
List of members & number of appearances in meet reports:
H. Almond (1), M.Barmforfh (nil), J.Bloor (12), H.Drasdo (2), D.Fowbert (1), D.Gibbons (1), L.Gibson (1), J.Greaves (4), J.S.Harris (nil), J.Hartley (2), Agnes Hirst (1), Ron Hirst (4), G.Hocken (nil), D.Hopkin (16), Miss J.Batt (1), JJenkin (1), C.Kay (8), G.Kay (4), D.Kaye (nil), A Lewis (1), R.Long (nil, K.Meekley (nil), D.Morrell (7), M.Morrell (5), N.Morrell (1), N.Newman (4), A.Parker (8), F.Poulter (1), T.Ransley (6), K.Reid (2), C.Rhodes
(3) , M.Robinson (1), A.Savage (nil), H.C.Shaw (1), D.Speak (3), P.B.Thomson
(4) , M.Turner (3), J.Wheeler (2), D.Williams (1), G.F.Williams (1).
Of the above Agnes Hirst, Dick Fowbert and Jack Bloor are sadly no longer with us. As far as I know Ron Hirst is still going strong working three days a week at 78 years; Charles Rhodes is still wardening the BMC Hut in Skye; Neville Newman was at the YRC dinner last week. I was talking to Harold Drasdo recently, members may remember Neville Drasdo who is working at Cardiff now.
Appendix 3
Summary of Meet Reports Book
| Date | Venue | Leader | Number |
| 23.3.46 | Hebden Crag | J. Greaves | 11 |
| 6.4.46 | Novices Meet | – | – |
| 20.4.46 | Novices Meet | – | – |
| 4.5.46 | Novices Meet | – | – |
| 19.5.46 | Widdop | C. Rhodes | 9 |
| 2.6.46 | Novices Meet | – | – |
| 9.46 | Douk Cave | D. Hopkin | 6 |
| Christmas ’46 | Coniston Youth Hostel | – | 6 |
| 5.1.47 | Fountains Fell | P.B. Thomson | 12 plus |
| 19.1.47 | Novices Meet | – | – |
| Whit. 47 | Idwal Cottage Y.H. | – | 5 |
| 29.6.47 | Gingling Hole Fontains | D. Hopkin | 6 |
| 5.10.47 | Hardrawkin Hole Chapel le Dale | Mrs.Morrell | 10 plus |
| 20.11.47 | Golden Lion Horton | Annual Dinner | 11 |
| Christmas ’47 | Glencoe Y.H. | – | 6 |
| 4.1.48 | Almscliffe Crag | N. Newman | 12 |
| 8.2.48 | Simons Seat | D. Hopkin | 9 |
| 7.3.48 | Kinderscout | G.F. Williams | 3 |
| Easter ’48 | Coniston | – | – |
| Easter ’48 | N. Wales | J. Bloor | 6 |
| 18.4.48 | Sell Gill | D. Hopkin | 4 |
| 2.5.48 | Widdop | D. Hopkin | 4 |
| Whit ’48 | EskHause | – | – |
| 11.7.48 | Disappointment Pot | J. Bloor | 6 |
| August ’48 | Glen Brittle | – | 5 |
| 3.6.48 | Holmfirth | – | 6 |
Appendix 4.
Officers & Syllabus for 1947
President: G. Hocken Esq. “Moorhouse”, Burley Woodhead.
Hon. Secretary: C. Rhodes Esq. 97 Burley Lodge Terrace.
Hon. Treasurer: D. Hopkin Esq. 18 Westwood Avenue, Eccleshill
| Date | Meet | Accommodation | Leader |
| 1947 | |||
| 2 Mar | Walking | Wood Cottage YH | A. Savage |
| 16 Mar | Walking Novices | Halton East | D. Speak |
| 5/7 April | Easter at Langdale | Wall End | – |
| 20 April | Potholing Novices | Bingley | D.Hopkin |
| 11 May | Climbing | Widdop Wainstalls YH | D.Hopkin |
| 24-6 May | Whitsuntide Lakes | Arrangements later | – |
| 15 June | Climbing Novices Ilkley | – | C. Kay |
| 29 June | Ribblesdale Potholing | Camp | D.Hopkin |
| 12 July | Climbing Novices Almscliffe | – | R.Hirst |
| 27 July | Climbing Stanage | Camping | D.Hopkin |
| August | Grindelwald/Glen Brittle | – | – |
| 30 Aug | Club Gen.Meeting | Burley W’Head | YH |
| 7 Sept | 3 Peaks Walking | Dent YH | K. Meekley |
| 21 Sept | Climbing Novices Ilkley | – | – |
| 5 Oct | Potholing Ingleton Hardrawkin | – | Mrs. M. Morrell |
| 19 Oct | Novices Laddow Walking /Climbing | Wood Cottage YH | C.Kay |
| 2 Nov | Walking Pateley | Hole Bottom YH | L. Gibson |
| 25 Dec | Xmas | Borrowdale | – |
| 1948 | |||
| 4 Jan | A.G.M. | Burley Woodhead | – |
| 18 Jan | Walking | Jerusalem YH | D. Speak |