Castle Mountaineering Club. Reports of 2007 meets.
Black Hill 14 January 2007
Despite the forecast of 25-35 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph and
windchill of -14C a sizable group (11) gathered in the car park at
Digley near Holmfirth and struggled to pull on boots and gaiters
before fingers became too numb and/or the wind blew us over! Apart
from this the weather was superb and we were rewarded with clear
blue skies and a bright, low sun. The start of the walk took us
through ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ territory, along walled bridleways
where much of the programme’s ‘philosophy’ took place. The wind
increased in strength as we climbed to the Isle of Skye road and
turned up the Pennine Way for Black Hill. A deep gully provided just
enough shelter for a break below the summit and we could indulge in
a bit of philosophy of our own – along the lines of ‘what are we
doing here’ and ‘who is responsible for this meet’and ‘why hasn’t
Andy brought his usual pork pie’. However the expanding views to the
north and east were ample compensation for the buffeting we were
taking. A fierce 10 minutes got us to the trig point where we
discovered that Black Hill is no longer black! A seeding programme
and fencing to keep out grazing animals has worked a remarkable
transformation on the once black and quaking morass which used to
cover the summit area. Instead a pleasant green bloom has spread and
turned it into a nice place for a picnic – if the wind was ever to
die down! The way back led over to the TV transmitter on Holme Moss
and then across the road to follow a narrow trod along the northern
edge of Twizlehead Moss and round the head of Ramsden Clough (now
released from aggressive keepering thanks to the CRoW Act), The
views all along this stretch were superb and, with the wind now
almost behind us we could relax a little more and enjoy it. Another
break was taken in an old quarry (source of the materials for the
many dams below us in the Holme Valley) and then we wound our way
down to the valley and back to Digley. For most of us this walk
covered a lot of new ground, something of a rarity for long-term
devotees of the Peak District and this only added to the enjoyment
of the walk.
Steve Warwick
Rivelin Valley walk 28th January 2007
A very well attended meet with a grand total of 17 members/prospective
members.
The morning’s walk took us across the Rivelin dam and almost to
Stannington before a descent by the former King Edward VII Orthopaedic
Hospital into the valley floor ( avoiding the weir which was under
water and somewhat dodgy ).After a pub lunch the height lost was
regained by a slanting traverse from the base of Hagg Hill to the Bell
Hagg Edge.At the end of this a small descent to the Rivelin dam gave
access to the finish up Wyming Brook.
Weather was dry but with light drizzle and increasing wind in the
latter stages.The threatened bad weather failed to materialise,
however, and the party finished dry after an enjoyable exploration of
this scenic local area.
Mike Doyle
Moonlight walk 30 January 2007
On a cloudy but relatively moonlit night a small number of members,
six, were to be found lurking adjacent to the Robin Hood Inn around 7pm
on Tuesday. Despite the obvious attraction we took the long way round
to the pub, over Gardom’s to the crossroads where we picked up the only
woman of the night, who’d arrived late from work. Crossing the main
road we struck out for the Eagle Stone and Curbar Gap. Until then it
had been rather a pleasant stroll, but in face of requests to go the
short way the leader turned right rather too soon to avoid the climb
onto White Edge. Not wishing to dwell too much, suffice it to say that
traversing large, wet grassy hummocks through a swamp by moonlight
didn’t meet with universal approval, especially as it culminated in a
climb over a rather high and not terribly stable wall. There is a gate
in the wall next to a tree, unfortunately the tree we headed for wasn’t
the one next to the gate. Mind you, it did make life interesting for
the CMC pensioner assistance team; the wall was almost high enough to
qualify for ‘Marilyn’ status.
Eventually all were re-united and finally made the pub [apart from
Gavin who was ‘under starters orders’ at home in Burton] after a 10km
stroll over two and a half hours.
Paul Gibson
Lakes week-end 24-25 February 2007
With Gordon joining us on Saturday, a total of 13 members attended.
Saturday saw various parties heading up to the crags near the hut and
climbing a number of routes.Others walked up Pike of Briscoe followed
by a descent to the Wrynose in steady rain.The weather improved,
however, in the afternoon for the return over Blea Tarn.
Sunday turned out to be an excellent day with sunshine and good
views.Various routes were completed which included a “scramble”on
Middle Fell Buttress (more a desperate diff )followed by the round of
Pike of Stickle,Harrison’s Stickle,Pavey Ark and greasy descent of
Jack’s Rake.
Altogether a great week-end courtesy of Fell and Rock and Caroline
Whitehead who kindly agreed to act as chaparone.
Mike Doyle
Bike Meet 25 February 2007
Ten people turned out for the bike meet, starting from the old railway station at Hartington on a cold but clear winter’s day. We virtually free wheeled our way down the Manifold and Hamps Valley, cycling alongside very picturesque rivers, before some ups and downs to Ilam Hall for lunch.We enjoyed spectacular views across this area of the White Peak and spotted our walking route from the week before.At Ilam Hall some enjoyed two courses from the tea shop and others sat and ate their own sarnies! We continued on again with a steep pull up to Thorpe where we joined the Tissington Trail and a seemingly flat trail but, in fact, steady pull upwards, back to the car park, where we started. Glad to get off the saddles to rest weary legs and sore behinds, we enjoyed a cup of tea and an inspection of the old signal box, before departing for home. A very enjoyable day out.
Ali Williams
Kinder Edges 4 March 2007
Despite an appalling forecast (gales and rain) eight of us left the
cars near Upper Booth and headed up Crowden Clough. The waterfall pitch
near the top gave some good sport – not too much water but a strong
wind meant spray was whipping around everywhere. Some of us went for
the direct route whilst others preferred the buttress on the left.
Reunited at the top we were joined by Ali and Marion who, arriving just
after we had set off, had sprinted up the path above the clough.
Unfortunately they brought the start of the rain with them and the next
stretch was extremely unpleasant as we were buffeted by the wind and
stung by the rain. Ali and Marion descended at Oyster Clough whilst the
rest of us abandoned our planned route over to the northern edges and
headed for Jaggers Clough and a walk back along the valley. However we
soon changed our minds again due to the increasing wind and decreasing
visibility which together drove us down above Lady Brook and over to
The Nab and so back to base. Down below the conditions were
comparatively calm although the rain continued in a steady downpour all
the way back. Oh well – we’ll have to try again later.
Steve Warwick
Scramble 11 March 2007
About fourteen turned out for the scramble meet this Sunday with a steady wind but fairly clear sky. In true CMC style a sprint was made to the foot of Oaken Brook Clough, from the old Crowden Youth Hostel. Following an easy river crossing, we made our way steadily up the waterfall over very greasy rocks. The recent dry spell meant that the ascent was fairly passable, with a rope being used on only one or two steps. Steve left us at the top to bag the highest county top in Greater Manchester – not much more than a peat mound – I sense a new list to bag here.
After a walk over to Chew Reservoir we descended down the tarmac track (for lunch) before ascending Widerness Gully East. Again we enjoyed a delightful scramble without rope, with many interesting wee moves.
A trudge across peat moorland and a steep descent led us back to the cars. A great day – with many thanks to Tom for route finding!!
Ali Williams
Artificial whack and dangle 18 March 2007
There were only three of us probably because of the apparent
inclemency of the weather but actually Dovedale was quite sheltered
and Doveholes is a cave.Unlike Thor’s cave it’s not got a hole in
the back so the wind can’t whistle through. The objective was to get
up something so we picked on the Bat which is a bolted route out on
to the lip of the main cave followed by a lower off. Well we did it
in spite of our limited technique, the biggest problem being the
spacing of the bolts requiring somewhat unusual body movements. All
good fun. I lead and Hugh seconded there not being much difference
in terms of severity just different problems i.e the leader has the
problem of reaching the bolts whilst the second has to retrieve the
gear have swung out of reach.
Our third man was Allen Cash, who we hoped would manage the route as
middle man, but after 2/3 bolts decided it was too much for him. Not
surprising seeing as he’s only just taken up the sport and not
climbed outdoors much. So Al if your’e reading this I hope you
haven’t been put off and we’ll see you on a proper climbing meet in
a couple of week’s time.
I suppose the only minor crisis of the day was when Hugh, having got
to the easy bit at the end of the route, got his foot caught in his
new etriers and turned upside down trying to get it out. In spite of
that he looked remarkably fresh when I lowered him off. I think he’s
been training!
Well that’s artificial climbing over for another year. Not sure if
it should be a regular on the calender. You don’t seem to get much
for the amount of energy expended.
All in all a good day with the weather changing from snow to sun.
The drive home was a bit slippy in places.
Steve Belk
It’s a Rockout 1 April 2007
Unbelieveably the first club climbing meet of the year took place in glorious sunshine under a cloudless blue sky. Very favourable, compared to last year. If this is global warming, let’s have more!
A wide range of members and friends attended a less than packed Froggatt Edge, including newcomers, recent members, children and a sprinkling of the more mature element. Many routes were climbed, although I’m not certain the day’s challenge, C.M.C. Slab, HVS 5a, had a ‘clean’ lead; personally I used the ‘arthritic toes’ excuse on the steepest bit and sidled off to the forgiving crack of Heather Wall. However, Vanda and several others did second/top rope the route to ensure that it was cleaned for later in the season. Apologies to anyone who was equal to the challenge.
A fine start to the climbing season and the forecast is good for Tuesday at Lawrencefield, see you there.
Paul Gibson
Lawrencefield 3 April 2007
Whilst not intending to write a report for all the evening climbing
meets, or even attend all of them, I thought it worth reporting on the
Lawrencefield evening, especially as it turned out to be a 2 day affair!
Tuesday evening was absolutely freezing, a 5 layer affair, but a
selection of newcomers [3, I think], recent members and the usual old
crocks turned out and had a reasonably successful evening, marred only
by JB’s party who failed to remove a friend from the belay ledge of
Gingerbread Slab, despite 45 minutes of effort until dark.
However, vague plans were hatched in the pub to return on Weds, by
afternoon Vanda & I thought the weather was sufficiently warm to merit a
return. During the struggles to remove said friend, its owner arrived
hotfoot from lunch with the Smiths. To cut an even longer story short
the friend succumbed to the big hammer treatment and was retrieved.
Meanwhile a brace of young ladies were involved with Great Harry and the
second was finding him rather tough going, so in her best Thunderbirds
voice Vanda called up International Rescue to retrieve the small amount
of gear the leader had placed. We finished off with Vanda doing her
first lead of the year. All in all, an entertaining couple of days.
Paul Gibson
Onich – Glencoe Easter 6-9 April
The meet was fully subscribed with an advance party of Mike
Doyle, Al Cash and me travelling north on the Thursday. The fine
weather revealed that there was little snow remaining except in the
higher northern corries and gullies. Good Friday saw us head down
the ‘Road to the Isles’ as far as Glenfinnan where we set off to
climb the two Munros above the Coire Hully bothy – Sgurr nan
Coireachan and Sgurr Thuilm. Cloud obscured the more distant
panoramas but nevertheless the views into the surrounding glens gave
a wonderful feeling of lofty isolation and space.
Back at the Inchree bunkhouse the rest of the party had begun to
arrive and during the evening we began to make plans for the morrow.
Saturday dawned fine with high broken cloud promising a good day.
Andrew headed off down Glen Dessary for the three Munros which make
up the Rough Bounds of Knoydart, Vanda opted for a quiet solo
exploration of Coire Gabhail (the Lost Valley) and the rest of us
headed for Coire nan Lochan and the promise of some easy snow
gullies. An unremitting two hour slog got us to the foot of the
routes – JB finding the effort a little disconcerting bearing in mind
his approaching departure on a ski-mountaineering trip to NW Russia!
Paul and Simon decided to spend their day honing axe and crampon
techniques on as many gullies as they could fit in (not all the lines
turned out to be complete, resulting in a certain amount of
downclimbing and traversing in order to find climbable snow). The
remaining four of us formed two ropes for a very straightforward
ascent of Broad Gully and then pushed on over Stob Coire nan Lochan
to the summit of Bidean nam Bian. As we rested at the cairn we
reflected how surreal the climbing conditions were – sunshine, ice-
free rock, light clothing and no spindrift being blasted into every
exposed bodily orifice!
We continued our walk over Stob Coire Sgreamach and then along
the NE ridge of Beinn Fhada before making an intricate descent into
Coire Gabhail. Reaching this ahead of the others I stretched out on
the turf and closed my eyes for a few minutes. Shortly afterwards I
was woken by the arrival of a rather tired Mike who declared that the
day had turned into ‘another of Warwick’s walks’ – I chose to take
this as a compliment although I am not sure that it was meant to be!
It had been a big day – not far in distance but plenty of ascent with
heavy sacs stuffed with climbing gear.
Meanwhile Vanda had enjoyed the solitude of her first visit to
Coire Gabhail and Andrew had knocked off his three Munros – only one
to go now so watch this space! Unfortunately he also managed to knock
himself off his bike in the excitement of the ride out but happily no
significant damage was done. Sue and Greg had arrived so more plans
were made for the morrow.
Sunday arrived with a change in the weather – thicker and lower
cloud cover threatening rain showers. Five of us went off to Loch
Quoich for an ascent of Gairich in blustery conditions with the
occasional light shower. The top was reached via a a stalkers path
which traced an unlikely line up some steep ground and we were
rewarded with a temporary lifting of the cloud just as we got to the
cairn. We reached the cars just as the rain became more persistent
and heavy. The rest of the team had headed for Glen Nevis and the
crags of Poldubh where they spent a few pleasant hours rock climbing
before the rain reached there too.
Monday’s weather was poor and a number of plans were abandoned at
various points due to the heavy rain including mine for an ascent of
Beinn Sgulaird down the Oban road – when I remembered at the last
moment that I had climbed it before, also in the pouring rain, an
experience I was not anxious to repeat! Instead John, Mike and I took
the Corran Ferry and drove down to Glenborrodale to visit Dave and
Jenny Kime. It was good to see them looking fit and well again and to
see the wonderful spot they have overlooking Loch Sunart. John stayed
on for a couple of nights whilst Mike and I followed the rest of the
team back to Sheffield.
Steve Warwick
Swanage 4-6 May 2007
A very exclusive meet at Swanage over the May Day Bank Hol w/end – just
Sue & Steve Warwick, Al Cash and myself. [Dave Beynon attempted to join
us but was turned away from the overfull Tom’s field campsite; which
unfortunately is not pre-bookable until Whitsun; not ideal] We never did
manage to meet him.
On Saturday the Warwicks went birdwatching whilst Al was introduced to
the challenging delights of seacliff abseiling and I was forced to lead
a bit [come back Paul, all is forgiven]. I really missed the reassuring
presence of other Castle members who could throw down a top rope if the
gibbering got excessive, but a very nice man offered to do this if I
needed it. However we managed 4 routes, including Al’s first seacliff
lead and didn’t need rescuing anyway!
After all the terror it was nice to be able to relax with the returning
birdwatchers over a delicious cordon bleu fishy meal in Swanage.
Sunday was windy, so went bolted climbing on the easiest cliffs of
Portland Bill [certainly hard enough for us] and then a walk with all
the other bank holiday tourists from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door,
rounded off with Fish & Chips in Swanage.
Rain stopped play on Monday morning so we all de-camped & headed home.
For all those who said it’s too far for a long weekend, it’s only 4
1/4hours back to Sheffield; nearer than Scotland!
Paul Gibson
Southern limestone Dales Walk 13 May 2007
3 members-Vanda,Charles and I-turned up at Weak’s Bridge undaunted by
the forecast of heavy rain.With no climbers in evidence we set out
under grey skies and light drizzle.By lunch the drizzle had become
steady rain.We sheltered in in a conveniently located cattle shed to
eat lunch, bemused by the activities of a nearby rambling group who had
apparently lost one or more of their number!
Undaunted we pressed on into Hall Dale and Dove Dale. At this point we
elected to omit Wolfescote Dale which reduced the walk by approximately
4 miles.We ignored the temptations of cafes at Milldale and the pub at
Alstonefield and pressed on past Wetton Hill before descending into the
Manifold valley and reaching the cars just before 5.30 p.m.in
reasonably dry order.
The really heavy rain then started, but at this point we were safely in
our cars and homeward bound.
A day out in a very attractive area clearly not at its best, but still
worth the effort and and completed before the worst of the weather set
in.
Mike Doyle
Chew Valley 20 May2007
A dozen members plus one guest made the long drive out to Chew Valley
and were rewarded with an excellent day’s weather and climbing. The
approach walk was its usual lung-bursting effort (the guide book time
of 25 minutes is a bit of a sandbag). However we were rewarded with a
quiet crag and the pick of the many classic middle grade routes such as
Nasal Buttress, Cooper’s Crack (Al’s 1st Severe lead – and 4b to
boot!), Central Tower and Answer Crack. The afternoon was particularly
pleasant – warm sunshine and extensive views on the belays, pleasantly
cool and refreshing down below, truly a mountain crag in a beautiful
setting.
Steve W
Kinder Scramble 2 June 2007
Despite a civilised start to allow for the weekend lie in, only five turned up for the ascent of Kinder Downfall from Hayfield. On a bright and sunny afternoon we followed the beck from Hayfield, clambering up the odd small waterfall and then larger boulders until we reached the base of the scramble.We started the mod route on the right hand side, onto two successive ledges. The rock was a bit greasy in places so we used a rope. The step onto the final ledge took us under the waterfall and up a tricky little step, where Alan adopted a slithering snake move – unseen before. However it was effective as he then completed the rest of the ascent quickly and sat on the top twiddling his thumbs for the rest of us.The tricky step led to some grunts and groans, and Chris ended up “au cheval” with legs in mid air, wondering how to proceed. Feeling a refreshingly damp we finished off the last easy scramle onto Kinder Edge and then enjoyed a pleasant descent via Redbrook, stopping off for a tasty pub meal on the way home. A very rewarding half day out!
Ali Williams
Egerton Quarry 3 June 2007
This is the unofficial one in case the meet leader’s forgotten how to
type. First this is the right spelling.
The crag had been chosen because it had received a good write up
somewhere. Well it was OK and we all thought none of us had been
there before. But then, as Andrew ventured onto the quarry edge, he
suddenly exclaimed ” I’ve been here before”. Of course once you’ve
been to Egerton, you become part of an elite group that never
forgets. In Andrew’s case he had managed to avoid a return trip for
about thirty years.
So what’s it like. Well like any other mature overgrown quarry sited
a stones throw from a Lancashire housing estate. Dark, humid, swampy,
full of junk. Lubbly jubbly.
But then amidst all this misery there appears a rock face full 60ft
in height and not bad looking. This is Wood Buttress. So Andrew dives
in and grabs the RH Corner, Wednesday Climb. Leon , our chofer and
meet leader, plumps for Zoot Chute meanwhile I’m left with a choice
of Gallows Pole or God Save the Queen. All starred I might add. In
truth the climbing was pretty good, a bit mucky and the exits were
generally dirty and short of proper handholds. Lower down though
most of the climbs offered sharp incut holds and reasonable
protection.
So if that’s whetted your appetite then there’s plenty more to go at
and it was good to go somewhere new. All in all a good day.
Steve Belk
Dovestones Tor 17 June 2007
Nine club members and two aspirant members met at Strines car park on a
Sunday that though not as warm as some June days I have experienced
promised to be clement. After a brisk 20 minute walk up to the
moorland edge we were able to appreciate the view over Ladybower and
beyond with cloud folding over the distant heights of Kinder and
Bleaklow adding an air of brooding mystery to these giants of the Peak
District.
Doubts had been raised, by a certain person in the party, that the
rock would be in poor condition following the rain of the last few
days, but these were soon put aside as we got to the crag where grass
met rough, sound, and mainly dry, rock.
The majority of us warmed up on the easier routes on the left of the
crag and then got stuck into the long classic climbs (20+ metres
varying in grade between Vdiff and VS) in the middle of the crag.
Melanie led the way on these being the first of three of us to lead
Barney Rubble VS4b, a steep committing climb blessed with large holds
just when needed, but requiring a bold approach to the crux move.
As the day went on the conditions achieved perfection, warm with a
light breeze; the only thing that stopped us climbing at about 6.00pm
was exhaustion!
The day finished with an easy walk back down to the cars. The journey
home was interrupted for eight of us by a stop at the Strines public
house where we rewarded ourselves with beer, pop, nuts and crisps. Just
as it should be!
Andrew Milne
Ashop Edge 1 July 2007
The weather this week meant that inevitably the Kinder crags were not
fit for climbing – this is the third time over the years that I have
organised a meet on Ashop Edge and I still haven’t managed to get on
the crag! Nevertheless at the appointed time four of us turned up,
which was three more than I was expecting. Paul was desperate to try
out (another) new gadget – a sophisticated GPS which displays your
position onscreen on an OS map. As it wasn’t raining (indeed the sun
was shining) we set of for a walk. We headed off up Fair Brook which
was churning down a fair amount of brown water and reached the
plateau’s edge in just under an hour. Still no sign of rain so we
took the short crossing over to the Kinder River disturbing a
mountain hare on the way. Surprisingly the river had only a moderate
amount of water in it and we splashed our way along to the downfall.
Looking at the water cascading over the fall there suddenly seemed to
be a lot more! Al pointed out where the scrambling party had made
their ascent a couple of weeks ago and we decided it was definitely a
wetsuit and snorkel job today. Just after we had left the Downfall
(and just after Leon had suggested we might just get away with a dry
walk) we were hit by the first heavy squall. This didn’t last long
but set the pattern for the next stretch past the ‘Boxing Gloves’ and
along Ashop Edge. Between the heavy showers there was plenty of
bright sunshine which gave us some very atmospheric views across to
Featherbed Moss, Higher Shelf Stones and Bleaklow. The last of the
rain left us as we reached Fairbrook Naze and we headed round the rim
and back down the brook. Al and I took the opportunity to scramble
down the steeper upper section before rejoining Paul and Leon for the
final descent to the road. Crossing the footbridge we had a final
visual treat – the peaty waters of the river shining like burnished
bronze in the bright sunlight.
Steve Warwick
Yorkshire Dales Scramble 8 July 2007
This meet proved to be just what it said on the packet – two fine scrambles in some of the prettiest countryside. Squally showers fell just as we parked up but then some of that yellow stuff shone down (forgotten the name of it!).
Crooks Gill proved to be wet as promised with pools over thigh deep for some – some exciting and slippery short ascents. The grading is exactly right V Diff to impossible! At least two pitches were impassable without a snorkel, so I’m afraid to say this little gem has eluded us again. It needs a surprise attack after a long dry period – maybe waiting a long time for that then! We shall be back.
We strolled over to Strans Gill and enjoyed a much drier ascent of this gully. Plenty of short and interesting little rock steps – this one feels like an old friend! We used a rope for the top short pitch and then squelched back to the cars before teas, scones and cakes but can’t remember which order they came in. Thanks to all who turned up – a very rewarding day.
Ali Williams
Cader Idris week-end 21-22 July 2007
Despite the dire warnings of torrential rain spreading from the south
into Wales and the Midlands, 12 of us walked through the mud and rain
to Bryn Golau having taken the precaution of moving our cars from the
car parking area by the river!
Saturday dawned dry but dull with the cloud base somewhere at the
1,800 foot level.Two parties sallied forth.The larger group,
including the birthday boy, elected for a walking traverse of the
main Cader massif from east to west.The other group set out to climb
Cyfrwy’s arrete-the plan being for both groups to unite in the summit
shelter at 1.30-2pm.
The walking party arrived at the shelter at 1.45pm as the clag
descended and the weather worsened.The climbers, however, were not in
evidence.Contact by mobile established that the party had abandoned
the arrete by abseil in grim conditions to continue the ascent by a
different route.
Bottles of bubbly and birthday cake were then produced causing a
rapid evacuation of the shelter by all other parties!The birthday boy
then produced his master stroke-a portable CD player complete with
CDs!Scenes of depravity then followed with a Mick Jagger
impersonation followed by a group reel and even a Strip the Willow
outside the shelter in the increasing rain and fleeing onlookers.
The party then returned to the shelter to await the climbers after
which more bubbly and cake was consumed,but the dancing became less
skilful.
On returning to the hut we were greeted by a table of food and
goodies Gill had prepared.A night of feasting and drinking followed.
On Sunday the weather began well with reasonably bright conditions
and even a patch of sunshine.Vanda and Paul left early, but the
remainder of the group managed a surprisingly scenic round of the
Maesglase valley and an ascent of Maesglase/Maen Du spurred on by
abundant bilberries.The initial sunshine rapidly gave way to showers,
but the walk was completed in good order and we all left for home
after a memorable week-end.
Mike Doyle
Roaches Skyline 5 August 2007
A very good turnout for this meet with teams busy along much of this
section and rewarded with great weather and the usual superb views out
over Tittesworth Reservoir and the Cheshire Plain. Despite the usual
crowds on the Upper and Lower Tiers we had these buttresses pretty much
to ourselves resulting in a very laid back sort of day – bouts of
climbing interspersed with spells of picnicking and sunbathing (well
some of us!). Not sure exactly who did what but Condor Buttress was
pretty much cleaned up (despite some tricky starts to several routes).
We must do it again sometime!
Steve W
Cycle Meet 2 September 2007
Five turned out for the cycle meet. The first undulating part of the journey led us through some pretty villages, from Crookes to Bradfield. There we sat outside the post office/cafe drinking coffee – sure this wasn’t the location for “Local Hero?.” Recaffeinated we set off for the long slog up to Strines for a pub lunch where we sat at a table with some generous folk, who didn’t mind sharing their precious space with us. We were duly entertained by aninety year old ex-tandem tourer.
Alas, the rain had set in over lunch and the descent back to Rivelin was very damp. We finished off with a steady offf-road climb up Wyming Brook, before a mad dash for home and towels. Hilly local lanes and great scenery!
Ali Williams
Edges Meet 15 Sep 2007
Only two participants on this meet ? Mark & Mel. My apologies for not putting a notice in the club room ? I?m sorry to say I assumed everyone was on the Yahoo Group. Faced with such a huge choice of routes we decided to do only three star routes, thereby guaranteeing a top quality day. It certainly was ? we started on a damp and misty Great Buttress (not a good warm-up), enjoyed a fantastic sunset at Birchens and got back to the pub in the dark, last to finish. The Edale Mountain Rescue, who we were raising money for, had all gone home J
Thank you to those of you who sponsored Mel.
Routes listed below.
Cheers,
Mark Procter
Dovestone Tor – Great Buttress HVS/E1
Stanage – Christmas Crack HS
Burbage North – Knight?s Move HVS
Burbage South – Bynes Crack VS
Froggatt – Heather Wall S
Curbar – PMC1 HS
Baslow – Index Climb S (2* as no 3* routes)
Gardoms – NMC Crack HVD
Birchens – Nelson?s Nemesis VS
Borrowdale Meet 22-23 September 2007
Despite the last-minute decision of the Meet Organizer not to bother
coming, this was a reasonably well-attended and successful meet. Most
of us found our way to the same part of the same campsite on Friday
night, and in good weather on Saturday morning we divided ourselves
into various walking and climbing groups. Prospective member John
joined Simon for some classic routes at Shepherds, while Catherine
headed for Keswick. Pete went off to make a solo ascent of Sharp Edge
on Blencathra, from which he returned unscathed despite one or two
worrying moments on the exposed bits. JB, Gavin, Dave and Chris did
Scafell Pike via Sty Head and the Corridor Route, with detours to
Lingmell and Great End (and to find Gavin’s glasses, which had been
dropped). Charles, Mike, Sue and Greg traversed Green and Great Gables
to Sty Head, where Mike decided (knee problems notwithstanding) that
this was too tame for someone about to undertake a 28-day trek in
Bhutan, and persuaded the rest of the party to continue via Sprinkling
Tarn, Allen Crags and Glaramara. A minor navigational error landed
them back at Rosthwaite rather than Seathwaite (where the car was) and
left two members of the party so knackered that they were unable to go
to the pub that evening. Most of the rest of us ate at the “Lemon and
Lime” restaurant in Keswick (where we advise people to beware of
flying mustard pots) after which we met up at a pub with those other
members not horizontal by then.
The weather had held dry all day with only intermittent clouds on the
summits, and plenty of sunshine, though a strengthening southwesterly
wind. This increased during the night and lashed the tents with
squally rain, so most people packed up on Sunday morning and headed
home, in some cases via the Keswick gear shops, or the Shepherds Cafe.
The Hollows Farm campsite at Grange was a new one for the club, and
though it was rather difficult to find the loos in the dark, it was
reasonably priced at a fiver per person per night. The showers were
about 2 miles walk from the tents, and nowhere near the loos, but were
free, with plenty of hot water, and well worth the journey. Though
there are at least two teashops within walking distance, Borrowdale is
poorly provided with pubs (especially decent ones) the the best bet
seems to be Keswick, though even there finding anywhere with a table
free after 7.30pm can be a problem.
John Barnard
Marsden – Edale 6 October 2007
Herewith follows the ‘official’ meet report! I have been so busy with work (don’t laugh) and family commitments that I haven’t had time to do it until now.
Having failed to find a bunkhouse, hostel or campsite in Marsden I finally had a brainwave (the first for many a long year) – why not hire a cab for the Saturday morning and so avoid the tiresome rigmarole of retrieving transport after the walk? This was duly done and a six-seater arrived promptly at Bents Green for a 7:00 am departure. Although none of us would claim to be at our best at this ungodly hour the fact that someone else was driving meant that we could relax and even indulge in a little conversation and light-hearted banter as we were whisked northwards by our driver. His eloquent grunt after enquiring what our plans were for the day left us in no doubt about what he thought of us.
We were ejected on to the streets of Marsden just in time for an eight o’clock start and were soon heading up past the tranquil reservoirs of the Wessenden Valley. Not a ripple marred the moorland reflections on their glassy surfaces as we walked up towards the Isle of Skye road on the Pennine Way. Charles was now fully fired up (I swear he didn’t draw breath before we reached the trig on Black Hill), regaling us with tales of his summer exploits on Shetland and the frustration of not being able to get out to Foula and thus complete his marathon journey round the ‘relative hills’ of Britain. Black Hill soon arrived, looking even more hirsute than on our last visit under its grassy coating. We took a short break and then left the PW to strike out along the extended ridge of Tooleyshaw Moss before descending to Crowden and a very welcome camper/tea van provided by Tom – a good friend of the club who many of you will know from previous scrambling meets.
It was hard to drag ourselves away but needs must and so we began the haul up on to Bleaklow. The traditional route via the Rollick Stones has been blocked by a clay-pigeon shooting range for many years now and we had a choice of adding extra miles by rejoining the PW up Torside Clough or taking the shorter but much steeper and rougher ascent alongside Wildboar Clough. We chose the latter and after a short break at the top we were soon on the PW again and striding out for the huge cairn at Bleaklow Head. A short distance beyond here we diverted off the PW and took a shorter route down to the Snake Road and in to the woods of Lady’s Clough. The dark confines of this stretch were a marked contrast to the rest of the walk and brought us to the foot of Fair Brook. This was soon crossed and we were soon toiling up the slopes below Seal Stones. This was the toughest ascent of the walk and we were soon strung out on the track. We regrouped at the top and it was at this point that we received news of England’s victory over Australia in the Rugby World Cup (even the non sports followers agreed that beating the Aussies at anything was pretty good) so it was with much lighter legs that we rounded Blackden Clough and were soon over the ‘seven minute’ crossing and gazing down on the ‘Shangri-La’ of Edale. A steep descent was all that was left of our 35 km jaunt and we were soon propping up the bar of the Rambler Hotel whose manager had kindly allowed us to leave a car there the night before (Rob, Freda, Sue and I were forced to spend a Friday evening in the pub to arrange this – it’s tough being a meet organiser). Andy and Rosie joined us right on cue having offered to support us throughout the walk and help with the transport home, so many thanks to them, to Tom and to Mike D and Hugh who both came out with me on reccy walks beforehand.
We took just under eleven hours to complete the route – our leisurely pace underlined by the fact that my GPS showed we had spent 2.5 hours resting! Despite the footpath work, reseeding and lack of mud it is still a worthy challenge for any walker and still a classic of its kind.
Steve Warwick
Night Climbing 9 October 2007
First congratulations to the walking group on the last meet of the
fourth decade. And so to the first meet of the fifth decade.
Alot of interest shown and my phone was buzzing with messages from
folk who wanted to go but the weather was not looking good and as the
day went on it looked as if I was going to be alone. In the end a
small group of stalwarts turned up Paul, Vanda, Mel & myself.
The weather was mixed and the rock was wet but not dripping and not
very cold either. We managed three routes between us Gamma (VD),
Heather Wall(S) & Sunset Crack (HS). Everything went fine till the
last route when the meet leader realised he’d fogotten how to climb in
the wet. But the gear was fab as Paul will point out and all ended well.
We got back in time for a pint which demonstrated we kept to our
schedule . We all felt it was worthwhile and a different sort of
experience.
See you all on next year’s event. You never know it might be dry next
time.
Steve Belk
PS We forgot a camera so no piccies.
Stanage 4 November 2007
A wonderful sunny and warm November day was the perfect setting for the final climbing meet of 2007. Stanage was bathed in the sort of glow you’d normally expect in May or June, with temperatures to match.
Ten of us were present and many routes done, many of the old ‘classics’ and numerous others. Talking of ‘old classics’ Vanda demonstated that Marion’s Yoga classes are having a beneficial effect by leading Central Trinity, a 3 star VS 4c, and it’s been quite a while since she was last seen on the sharp end of any VS!
We stayed until the late afternoon chill descended, but didn’t leave without setting off a solitary firework, albeit it did have 100 explosive whistles and bangs! Just the thing to warm up a November evening.
I’m sure there will be more outdoor climbing this year if the weather stays like today, on the other hand, there are numerous walks and other activities planned for the Winter.
Don’t forget the Clubroom clean-up this coming Thursday, 8pm and the AGM the following Thursday, which this year has NO PARTY afterwards; you’ll just have to wait for the Xmas ‘do’, which still has a few places left, see Andrew.
Paul Gibson
Moonyash walk 18th November 2007
I was glad I’d arranged to give a lift to Marion and Charles; at least that would mean three of us on my walk, despite the weather. I was even more grateful to Charles for pointing out the snow on the distant hills before we set off, so I did actually take some good gloves with me. Marion, rather worryingly, turned up with an ice-axe! In the end, 10 stalwarts set off from Monyash, in somewhat damp conditions which didn’t improve over the day, but Castle members seem to thrive in challenging conditions, and there was only the occasional whinge about the mud and soggy snow. The 13 mile walk was planned to take a wandering course northwards to include Sheldon, Deep Dale, Taddington, Chelmorton and Flagg. Galloping herds of slightly deranged cows and sheep provided some entertainment during the walk, and we were fortunate to find shelter from the falling snow, overlooking Taddington, for a brief lunch-stop, but after 3 hours of slithering around, minimal views and the snow continuing to fall, there were no dissenters with the suggestion of curtailing the walk and taking a more direct route back to our cars. We did 11 ½ miles in the end, followed by a welcome mug of tea and a thawing-out in the café at Monyash. I would like to do the planned walk again sometime; perhaps going the other way round, and in the summer when the stunning views could be fully appreciated.
Vanda Boyd
Three Moors walk 9 December 2007
A pretty poor weather forecast didn’t prevent 11 of us showing up outside the swimming pool at 10:00 am – though nobody was tempted to pay the £4.50 parking fee in the car park opposite. Grey skies and a very light drizzle were a bonus compared to the expected heavy rain and buffeting winds and we set off up towards Hazelbarrow Hall and into the lower confines of Bretton Clough. There was a lot of water in the clough but fortunately we didn’t have to cross it. At Stoke Ford we climbed steeply up to Eyam Moor and skirted round the edge of this and on to Bretton. Realising that the ‘Barrel’ might prove to be a distraction for some I plotted a route which skirted round the back of it and which avoided the welcoming front door.
A little way along the road we paused for lunch near the gliding club. It was a short stop – too damp and chilly to linger. After crossing the fields at the head of Bretton Clough we passed Abney Grange and struck out across Abney Moor. At this point we were in the cloud and it was quite damp for a short distance but we soon dropped out of it as we turned and made our way above Abney and on to Offerton Moor. The cloud was breaking up by now with some hints of blue sky here and there – just in time for us to take in the wide views as we reached the far side of the moor. It doesn’t matter how many times you walk this stretch but from here is always a wonderful feeling of big skies and airy space as you gaze across the Hope Valley to Ladybower, Stanage and beyond.
A steep descent got us down to Offerton Hall and across the fields to Leadmill Bridge and the short stroll into Hathersage. Attempts to get a pot of tea at the Pool Cafe were thwarted by a large group enjoying a Sunday lunch complete with party hats so most of us headed for home.
Steve Warwick