Meet Report: 7-9 Sep 2018.

The Joint Meet has been on meet programmes for 70 years, with some research, maybe even earlier. For some it is a renewal of old friendships and perhaps for some just a club meet. The joining dates might reflect this, certainly there were many younger Wayfarers, we need to see more from the YRC (who will be in the Dolomites next September!).

Convivial chat always returns to “the old days”. Old days? In 1926 Robertson Lamb represented the Wayfarers at the YRC Annual dinner. Was this the start of joint meet interest? There are references to meets in Langdale, long before RLH was available, and a camping meet at Gaping Gill in 1948 for a winch descent. Wayfarers explored caves long before this and renewed this interest when meets alternated between RLH and Lowstern. 

Prior to 1988 all meets were held at RLH, always oversubscribed, with the overflow accommodated at LHG. The Rucksack Club were a part of the Joint Meet in those days.

Ken Aldred and Harold Mellor provided catering for many years and brought the meet together introducing, with great success, a Saturday night buffet.

Bruce, Mike and John called on Ken and Sheila Aldred on their way back north and found them in good spirits. A call from anyone passing that way to chat about the past and present would be most welcome.

Three ‘chefs’ provided the usual high standard of sustenance for the meet. Colin on Thursday, the unofficial meet start day, Bruce on Friday as Dave arriving late Friday would provide for the rest of the meet. Thanks to all.

It fell to Bruce to run a casualty with more than a first aid cut to Kendal A&E. Bruce was the only member who had not called at an Inn on the way off the hills!

A Friday 7am call got Bruce out of bed to prepare the evening meal and then cycle to Grasmere. Stage 6 (168km) of the Tour of Britain Cycle Race passed through Grasmere on its way to finish on Whinlatter Pass. He witnessed the race leaders and the peloton from a stance on a pub table. Martyn Trasler was also in there somewhere. Cycling was the preferred activity over the weekend. Ben and Jon clocked up a respectful 68km including The Struggle, Kirkstone and Thirlmere. This was most dangerous activity of the meet.

Thursday and Friday were the best days. A pair of CC members stayed for a while, and went to Bowfell to continue their quest to climb all the routes in Classic Rock.

There were many excursions round familiar routes on all three days, Saturday morning was very wet for the early starters, fairer later. Climbers looking wistfully at the hills were told “these crags dry quick”, this was met with a response “’they will if it stops raining.” They made do with a trip to the climbers path on Bowfell and up the Great Slab.

The arrival of Martin Tomlinson solved the problem of the lack of water in the hut system. Blocked filters, a legacy from the dry period and the severing of the feed by a nearby Club were the causes.

Sunday. Wet. All wrapped up and locked up by 1030. 

A new activity emerged. Fossicking. v. to rummage or search. Translates to travel by car going nowhere in particular and not looking for anything. The word new to most but some Wayfarers recognised it and the word was confirmed by reference to an Oxford dictionary kept in the hut.

2019 Joint Meet will be at Lowstern and organised by Alan Clare.

Attendance with Club joining dates:

Wayfarers Steve Crossley (2014), Ian Grosset, Matt Booth, Martin Tomlinson (2001) , Dave Wearing (2016), Colin Smith (1990), Steve Auty (1980), Mike Allan (1989), Bruce Hassel (1978), John Pentland (2005), David Carpenter (2010), George Chambers (1989), Graeme Pennie (2009), Ben Reeve (1991), Peter Ward (2015) and Jon Pinch (1983).

Yorkshire Ramblers Mike Godden (1988), Dorothy Heaton (2015), Richard Gowing (1956), Ian Crowther (1962), Derek Clayton (1967), Martyn Trasler (1988), John Jenkin (2001), Alan Clare (2000), Carol Whalley (2012), John Whalley (1973), Alan Linford (1957) and Ged Campion (1990).