Baslow meet report 27th August 2023

The meet was moved from Castle Naze to Baslow due to the poor weather forecast. Five of us climbed and another couple turned up to watch. Short and sweet climbs on rock wafted dry by a stiff breeze between showers. Come 2.0pm all but two of us had chilled out. Josh [new member] and I wandered over to Curber and grappled with PMC1. A worthwhile day given the weather. Castle Naze awaits another time. Geoff.

Not the Wimberry climbing meet, Sunday 20 August 2023

Following a poor weather forecast the Wimberry Rocks meet was moved to Wharncliffe, further east and at a lower altitude. It turned out to be a good move with 14 of us enjoying generally warm and sunny conditions the whole day.
Classic routes were climbed in the Himmelswillen, Hells Gate and Long John’s Stride areas. The routes do not get any easier!
Welcome to Josh and Travis who climbed with us part of the day.
David

Saturday walk, Sheffield to Foolow, 19 Aug 2023 – report

Four of us set off in bright sunshine from Encliffe Park, busy with Saturday Park runners, to be joined by a fifth member at Forge Dam.
Up the Porter Valley Trail onto Houndkirk moor, where we competed with a large and enthusiastic off road biking group all the way to Fox House.
Snacks and banter while awaiting the arrival of our sixth member ( plus two excited Terriers, whose clear aim was to 1. lead the pack and 2 .Try and keep us together).
Grindleford Community cafe afforded more time for banter and pots of tea before a final yomp up the steep hill from Froggatt Bridge, along the closed road to Eyam and across the fields to Foolow.
Having made such good time, a certain member of the team managed to down two scones, jam and cream before going for an early bus…which never arrived….so it was necessary to support the Foolow well dressing village hall teas next door, where the gallant band drank more tea and ate cake, in support of Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Lots of calories eaten and burned up on this 22k walk (13.67miles).
Thanks for great travel companions, good weather and always stunning views.
Hazel.

Coombs & Castle Naze walk-report 13 Aug 2023

7 members attended and set out from Coombs towards Castle Naze- just after the welcoming rain had stopped.
Once on the top we were treated to panoramic views of the whole area.We pressed on along the edge towards Coombs Moss undaunted by the strong wind and the odd passing shower-however the showers were brief and no-one felt the need to don waterproofs.
A delayed coffee stop (and lengthy chat) was taken just by the locked building on the edge of Coombs Moss (the nearby refuge was not inviting).We then pressed on as patches of sunshine appeared.Reaching the western end of the plateau we took a second break/lunch stop with more expansive views .
A steep descent then led us off the plateau to join the path leading to the White Hall Centre,but with the worst mud patch of the day-fortunately with enough strategically place rocks and an escape ramp to avoid disaster,especially for those without gaiters!
Pushing on ,by now in full sunshine, we enjoyed views of Errwood reservoir and the Goyt valley before continuing north above Fernilee reservoir.Field paths then brought us to Wythen Lache farm and the return to Coombs.A small deviation enabled us to climb to the an excellent view point with dramatic views of the Castle Naze wall and Coombs Moss with the valley and reservoir below.
The day was then rounded off, by some, with a traditional end of walk drink in the pleasant “Bee Hive” pub in Coombs.
Thanks to all who came with your great company.
Mike Doyle

French Alps 8 – 22 July 2023

14 members embarked on Ailefroide in the Ercins National Park in the southern French Alp, spread over a 3 week period.
The early arrivers managed to secure a big enough area on the campsite to house us all in.
The main activity was the multi-pitch sport climbing crags which littered the area within walking distance. This was mainly on granite slabs so a few of us decided on the single-pitch crag first to get used to the rock (and the heat!). Luckily there’s enough for everyone in terms of grades and if you wanted to top up your tan or stay in the shade.
Other activities people got involved in were the local via ferrata 3 miles away and another at Vallouise which was a Grade 3 and up up up, rather than in the gorge.
E-mountain bikes were hired by Lorna and Simon for the day to test out and although they weren’t a fan of the bikes, the tracks and trails were all a must.
The local walk took you to the Alpine meadow on the way to Clapouse, this was less than 2 hours walk from the campsite and had stunning views, a small snow field, beautiful meadows and the usual chamois. Gemma ran back down the mountain but later confessed she got overtaken by 2 kids!
More adventurous hikes took you on a loop to Lac d’Euchauda which involved a bit of scrambling.
A couple of mountain huts were stayed in including the Refuge du Glacier Blanc, Refuge de Pelvoux and the Refuge du Ecrins. Different parties took on different expeditions from the huts although the overall outcome was the ground was loose and melting. The guides and hut guardians told us that many weren’t going to the summits due to the conditions being harder now due to warmer temperatures. And even those that had visited the area 15-20years ago noticed that the glaciers had receded dramatically.
All those that took part in the expeditions made it back to the campsite in one piece although it was only Gemma that took to the cold-water therapy of late afternoon dips in the glacial melt water stream that ran through the campsite.
All in all, a brilliant venue for sport climbing for all abilities as well as access to the mountains of the Ecrins. No doubt the club will be visiting again in the future (before all the snow goes?!).
We should start and have an annual summer abroad trip for mountaineering and climbing so all get your thinking caps on for a 2024 venue….  Kial

It should also be noted on the Ailefroide Meet Report that club members accomplished many successful summits – Montagne des Agnaeux, 3664m (Geoff, Pete and Phil), Mont Pelvoux, 3946m (Kial, Adele, Mark, Geoff, Pete and Phil), Roche Fario, 3730m (David, Pete and Kial) as well as numerous multi pitch rock routes above the campsite. Phil, a friend of Geoff’s aged 70+, was a lovely guest on the meet who showed that age is no barrier to achievement and good humour. If we get the weather we deserve, then we surely did. My apologies for missing the other peak the intrepid Geoff, Pete and Phil did, within barely 24 hours of arriving at camp, as I don’t recall it’s name! Thank you Kial for organising such a truly successful alpine meet. Mark Proctor

Walk Report Saturday 22 July 2023

Despite persistent drizzle, 7 of us set off down Cressbrook Dale from Wardlow. We made an early scramble ascent of Peter’s Stone – also a gibbert stone that displayef locally executed criminals as late as 1815. Tried to listen to a local folk song about the history of the area (supplied by Dave C). We continued down dale, overshot turn off, retreated and then ascended to a higher level path with fine views. In a brief let up of the rain we sat for food and drink before the onward summit bid of Wardlow Hay Cop. Photos at trig point completed, we retraced our steps for about half a mile before exiting back to cars. Much needed coffee in a warm cafe ensued. Thank you fellow explorers for an enjoyable Saturday adventure.
Ali

Meet Report: Sat 15th July 2023

Seven of us defied the rather dire forecast of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Fifteen minutes after leaving Biggin this seemed a tad foolish as the heavens opened and waterproofs were hastily pulled from rucksacks. Nevertheless we enjoyed expansive views northwards over the upper reaches of the Dove as we descended to Hartington. The rain stopped before we reached the village and we were able to enjoy the riparian delights of Beresford Dale and Wolfscote Dale with only occasional light rain and plenty of sunshine. Swathes of harebells imparted a pale blue haze to the steep valley sides and the angular outcrops of limestone provided a stark contrast. Lunch was taken at Coldeaton Bridge with thunder rumbling around the dale and another short-lived shower. We followed the narrow side dale to climb steeply to the farming hamlet of Coldeaton and on to the road from where we had a good view of Liff’s Low. This late neolithic burial mound was one of the very few intact sites to have been excavated in the 19th century, its skeleton and grave goods having lain undisturbed for four thousand years. From there it was a short stroll through the fields to return to Biggin.
Cheers everyone, for making a potentially poor day into a very enjoyable one.
Steve W

Sunday Walk 2nd July 2023 Moors, Rocks, Vineyard

Three members, 2 prospectives, and 2 dogs benefitted from the cooler walking temperature today.
Completed 14.8 miles, taking in the best of the peaks varied terrain , bilberries almost ripening, and foxgloves still with their heads above the parapet. Stopped in Hathersage en route to scoop up a CMC member and sample GALA Charity Tea and Scones at Moorland House. Very enjoyable walk, great company. Thankyo. Fiona

Harpur Hill Climbing Meet Report Sunday 2nd July 2023

Ten of us and Weaver the dog braved the rather wintry conditions in the Sanctuary area of Harpur Hill quarries today. We found most routes quite hard for the grade – or perhaps sports climbing in Mediterranean sunshine has made us all soft! The bolts were quite widely spaced so there was some deft use of clipsticks. Biggest challenge of the day was retrieving a quickdraw left halfway up a route after a failed attempt. It was eventually reached by an impressive pendulum when lowering off an adjacent route. Typically the sunshine arrived just as most of us had run out of strength and were about to leave. Paul.

THE CASTLE CHRONICLE (2nd Edition)

Here is Edition #2 of a newsletter to let you know what your committee has been up to and give you some other club news:
CLUB MEETS:
• Recent away meets to the North York Moors and Lundy Island have gone well – with the latter trip including an exciting helicopter journey to the island!
• An enterprising group of club members will soon be off to the Alps.
• The club’s Munro baggers will be kept happy by trips to Torridon (October), Crianlarich (New Year) and Braemar (May 2024).
• After the success of the Easter meet at Capel Curig we are planning a repeat visit next Easter.
• The Christmas meet is booked for 1st – 3rd December up on the East Lancashire moors.
OTHER NEWS:
• We recently had a well-attended maintenance day at the clubroom organised by Vanda and Paul. A lot of clutter was removed, Gordon did a heroic job removing cobwebs from the roof beams, David scraped bags of moss off the porch roof and much sandpaper was used preparing window frames ready for painting. Vanda is sorting out heavy-duty matting for the entrance area.
• After the success of the recent New Member’s Meets Gordon, the club’s equipment officer, has purchased three extra climbing harnesses which can be used for future meets and training sessions.
• Mick Fowler will give a talk to club members about his extensive worldwide mountaineering experience on Thursday 16th November. More details to follow.
• The AGM will be held at the Norfolk Arms on Thursday 23rd November.
MEMBERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION:
• The club’s membership process is currently being fine-tuned to comply with BMC guidelines for prospective members.
• Thanks to everyone’s’ willing response to the request to complete the Membership Renewal Form we now have an almost complete membership database which can only be accessed by committee members. For the first time the database includes emergency contact information and indicates those who don’t want photos published on social media.
• For climbing meets only we are planning a trial of MeetUp, a digital event-planning platform. Organisers of climbing meets hope that MeetUp will be especially helpful when assessing what support may be needed for new members attending meets and will avoid confusion by ensuring that communications about meets aren’t spread over multiple platforms.
We welcome any feedback on our activity as well as suggestions for future events. If you think you would like to play a more active role in club organisation by organising meets or joining the committee then please let one of us know.
Paul Embley