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PROGRAMME FEBRUARY - AUGUST 2006  Matt Liggins

April 7^th (Friday)                                   Old Edwardian’s Rugby Club Quiz Night.  8pm. All Welcome.

April 7^th – 9^th   VENUE CHANGE       Mid Wales weekend camping in Rhayaeder/Rhaeadr with Colin.

A chance to do those hard to get at mountains of mid Wales.

April 27^th (Thursday)                           Trip to Church End Brewery.  See Michele.

May 11^th – 15^th                                      Backpacking in Scotland with David.

May 12^th – 14^th                                       North Yorkshire Coast and Moors.  Youth Hostel trip to Scarborough with Eileen.

May/June                                              Anyone for Scotland.  See Colin.

June 9^th – 11^th                                        Lake District.  Eskdale.  Camping with Matt.

June 24^th -25^th                                        Open Canoe Course with Andrew.

July 7^th – 9^th                                           Snowdonia. Climbing and scrambling. Camping in the Ogwen valley area with Les.

August 11^th – 13^th                                 Howgills.  Camping with Keith & Michele.

August 30^th – September 7^th               Mallorca with Eileen.

February 15^th – 18^th 2007                      Crianlarich, Scottish Highlands.       

Other Events - all welcome!

Climbing at Markfield Quarry!       Starting May 2006

(Weather dependant)          Tuesday Evening’s.  Details for the following week at the Thursday night meet.

And there’s much more than this going on.  Visit us on a Thursday at Old Ed’s Rugby Club, Weddington for impromptu activities, or ring Andrew on 01827  717 648 or Matt on  024 76 758322 if you can’t get down. And don’t forget our website at www.nunmc.org

COMING UP - APRIL 7^th – 9^th Camping in RHAYADER/RHAEADR with Colin                    *** CHANGE OF VENUE***

More difficulties with Kington (the original choice) which I tried to book for October.  On that occasion I rang them two months in advance to find they were fully booked.  This time I rang them three months in advance to find they were fully booked for the following four months!  If popularity equals quality it looks like it will be worth waiting for if we ever eventually get there.

Consequently the new plan is to camp at the Wyeside Caravan and Camping Park, Rhayader, LD6 5LB.  The site is about 400 metres north of the town (the locals don’t like it to be called a village) so is convenient for local hostelries.  Camping costs £1 for each pitch and then £5 per person.  They have a website at www.wyesidecamping.co.uk and they do take groups.  Also try http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/rhayader/ and http://www.rhayader.co.uk/ .

This will be more convenient for our assault on the Elan Valley hills of Drygarn Fawr and Gorllwyn and a walk on Offa’s Dyke near Kington is still possible.  Also of interest in the area are the Radnor Forest hills at New Radnor and Gigrin Farm just to the south of Rhayader which is an all year round feeding station for Red Kites.  Depending on the time of year and weather conditions their website claims they have between 12 and 400 kites on any one day.  Feeding is from 2pm in the winter and 3pm in the summer.  They also have a campsite but there are no showers and they are not too keen on evening arrivals after 9pm, which is clearly difficult for some of our members who have to work for a living.

Rhayader is in mid Wales on the A44 from Worcester or the A470 north to south Wales route.  According to my Auto route, from Nuneaton the distance via Worcester and Leominster on the A44 it is about 120 miles with a travelling time of 3 ¼ hours, and via Shrewsbury and Newtown it is 128 miles with the same travelling time.  Some of the roads are slow going so it may well take this long. 

Please let me know if you would like to go so I can give the site an idea of how many of us there will be.  So, get your tents aired and I’ll see you there.

COMING UP - TRIP TO CHURCH END BREWERY APRIL 27th

Michele

There will a trip to the Church End Brewery, Ridge Lane, near Nuneaton on Thursday 27th April.  This will be instead of the usual Thursday meeting on that night.  We will meet there at 7.30pm. There will be a tour of the brewery, followed by a hotpot supper.  The cost will be £10.  I will be taking names and money from the beginning of March, but put it in your diaries now!

COMING UP – MAY 12^th – 14^th 2006  SCARBOROUGH YOUTH HOSTEL

NORTH YORKSHIRE COAST AND MOORS WITH EILEEN

Our published May event is hostelling in North Yorkshire – organised by yours truly.

As Youth Hostels get booked up very quickly at this time of the year I have pre-booked and paid for 12 places at the YHA in Scarborough.

So the first 10 people who contact me with their £10 deposit will be guaranteed a bed.   At the moment the hostel still has some vacancies, so I can probably get more places if needs be.  But early bookings are advised.

The cost of the hostel is £13.95 per person per night.

This is an area I know very little about but looking at the map and guide book it looks to be a very interesting walking area and a little different to what we are normally use to.  There is a choice of coastal or moor land walks, with lots of myths and legends about the places round about.  So come and visit the Smugglers Inn with the revenue man buried under the hearthstone, the Hole of Horcum, the result of a Giants wrath, the many ruins and strange stone formations that litter the moors, or take it easy on the beach at the famous North East holiday resort of Scarborough.

Should you wish to go please contact me a.s.a.p. with your £10 deposit.

COMING UP - BACKPACKING IN SCOTLAND WITH DAVID MAY 11^th - 15^th

This is an alternative walk to and from Corrour Halt for would be Munro Baggers for the weekend of Thursday 11^th May to Monday 15^th May.

From Corour Halt  it is intended to wild camp for 3 - 4 days and to take in some of the following options:-

Carn Dearg 941m, Sgor Gaibhre 955m

Ben Alder 1148m, Beinn Bheoil 1019m, Base Camp 2.

Carn Dearg 1034m, Geal-Charn 1132m, Aonach Beag 1114m, Beinn Eibhinn 1100m, Beinn na Lapp 937m.

For more information see David A.S.A.P.

COMING UP - SCOTLAND END OF MAY 2006          Colin

Last May seven members made it to Glen Shiel collecting up to 7 Munros in a long weekend.  Anyone for Scotland this year?   Location flexible.  See Colin if you’re interested.

COMING UP – CAMPING IN ESKDALE WITH MATT  JUNE 9^th – 11^th

Camping at: Hollins Farm Campsite, Hollins Farm, Boot, Holmrook, Lake District, Cumbria CA19 1TH

Tel. 019467 23253

A small select site, suitable for walkers and climbers.  Situated in the beautiful Eskdale Valley within walking distance from 3 superb inns (apparently very good for real ale enthusiasts).

Cost per night £2.50 (per person).

More information including a Scafell web cam at the following website: http://www.eskdaleweb.co.uk/

COMING UP – WEEKEND OPEN CANOE COURSE  JUNE 24^th -25^th 2006

Andrew

I've wanted to get some open canoe training for some time, in order to journey on some of the more interesting rivers in the UK.

I recently met an old acquaintance, Chris (Nick may remember him from our navigation on Cnicht.)  He is a very experienced instructor and a good communicator.  When we got talking about canoeing he said that he could set up a course.

I got a quotation today from Chris for a two-day open canoe course in North Wales.  This course does not lead to a qualification.  It aims to give participants the skills and knowledge to undertake safely a journey on Grade I or Grade

II water in the UK.

Day 1 Practice on still water (lake): safety techniques, boat handling skills, moving water hazards and how to avoid them, rescue and capsize techniques, disaster avoidance / management.

Day 2 A river trip, ideally on Grade II water.  If water levels are too high or too low on the rivers, day 2 would be a journey on the Menai Straits.

Group Size: 6 persons max.

Included in price: use of canoes, paddles, buoyancy aids, helmets, wetsuits, canoe cags, tuition.

Not included: insurance, transport accommodation, food (We would camp.)

Previous experience - not essential.

Non-swimmers - accepted on the course, provided this fact is disclosed in advance.

Cost of course: £76.66 for the 2 days.  (Not cheap, but much more reasonable than Plas Y Brenin.)

Please let me know ASAP if you're interested.

COMING UP - MALLORCA AUGUST 30^th – SEPTEMBER 7^th 2006  Eileen

We have finally settled on a date and booked the flight with Thompson, flying out of Coventry Airport.

To date there are five members going, myself, Keith, Richard, Les and Debra.

Debra is looking into accommodation and Richard into car hire.

We are planning to base ourselves in the mountains to the north of the island.  Looking at the Cicerone book there is a lot of good walking to be had and also the beach should we need to top up our tans.

Should anyone else want to join us please let me know as soon as possible.

COMING UP – CRIANLARICH  February 15^th – 18^th 2007      Matt

We have managed to secure a booking for the Ochills MC hut situated next to the Ben More hotel in Crianlarich.

The dates are 15th - 18th Feb 2007.  http://www.ochils.com/cottage.htm

It may seem a little early to be promoting this trip but this is a popular hut and as a result books up quickly.  The cost of the hut is only £6.50 per person per night and we have exclusive use for 4 nights.  There are 18 places available so if you fancy a bit of Scottish winter action a £10 deposit to either me or Eileen will secure your place.

NICK’S WALK IN THE WELSH VALLEY’S  11^th FEBRUARY

Nick, Keith, Michele, Les, Alastair, Keith H, Mark, Colin and guest Richard M eventually met up at Abertillery lakes which turned out to be a good parking location.  The ground underfoot was firm and it was cool and cloudy as we climbed to Mynydd James and then over into Blania.  Across the valley there was a steep climb to Mynydd Carn-y-cefn 550m before we returned to the town again.  The towns are certainly still depressed, as Keith H said, ‘Looking like one continuous Camp Hill,’ but the hills were worth the visit and Nick navigated us around without any serious hitches.  Approaching Coity Mountain 581m we were able to stride out but only Colin negotiated the twin barbed wire fences to reach the highest point – probably to the bemusement of most of the others.  After that it was just an easy descent to the cars and a pub meal at Raglan on the return journey.

THE NAKED RAMBLER        Received from David

Naked rambler jailed for contempt   Naked Rambler Stephen Gough has been jailed for two months for appearing naked in the dock from custody.  Mr Gough, from Eastleigh in Hampshire, completed his second naked trek from Land’s End to John O'Groats last week.  He had been arrested on Wednesday for walking naked into Edinburgh Sheriff Court to face previous charges.  On Thursday, he again refused to cover himself and Sheriff Derrick McIntyre found him in contempt of court, telling him he was "offensive".

Mr Gough and his partner Melanie Roberts, 34, from Bournemouth, reached the north coast of Caithness last Monday after an 874-mile trek which began in June.  He was arrested and jailed on several occasions during his naked walk.

The 46-year-old ex-marine said he wanted to challenge public attitudes to nudity.

Story from BBC NEWS:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/Scotland/4769114.stm

This issue has also been prominent in the pages of ‘The Angry Corrie’ an outstanding hillzine full of serious issues and trivia written impeccably with wit and humour.  http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/tac/

The February - March 2006 issue devoted a whole page to a BBC programme shown on 29^th November 2005 in which much additional material was revealed.  Apparently Steve and Mel had only been together for a month before they decided to bare all before the public and camera.  The programme interestingly focussed on the ‘naked’ rather than the ‘rambling’ with few views of hills but numerous of ‘two pairs of buttocks striding onwards (if buttocks can be said to stride)’.  For those with a weak disposition resist all temptation to read on, but if a lust for further revelation is required then try nakedwalk.org where Steve Gough’s website can be found.

Seemingly Mel rather fancied Steve from his previous TV appearances and met him on the naturist beach at Studland.  Why? as Steve (the programme revealed) believed in open relationships and slept with other girlfriends en route.  The programme also focused on the various reactions of members of the public - from aggression to laughter and empathy to outrage.   There were several arrests and weeks spent in prison in Yorkshire and Scotland.  After repeated re-arrests in Edinburgh he managed to escape the city by agreeing to leave clothed but was later arrested in Dingwall.  Further months were spent in and out of prison. 

At one point he shinned up a CCTV pole to protest, and one of his fellow prisoners was quoted as saying: “We were exercising in the yard when suddenly his clothes were off and he was up the pole.  We were right behind him.”

Source: Review of One Life: The Naked Rambler from TAC 67. Ed.

KNOCKIN SHOP FOR SALE           David

Just as a point of general interest I have noticed for those with an eye for a business or other activities (not to be mentioned) that the Knockin Shop is for sale for a mere £29k!

For the uninitiated this is the village shop in Knockin, Shropshire known far and wide as The Knockin Shop. 

As a matter of interest David do you offer special rates to members for solicitor’s fees and conveyancing?  Ed.

GLENCOE 16^th – 20^th February 2006

Thursday 16^th

Not an especially good day with rain and wind.  David Foster writes:  This year eight of the group travelled by air and five by car. As a concept, air travel was a really good idea, despite the fact that I had not flown for 20 years.  It was quick, very easy, stress free and cheap (only paying airport taxes).  Obtaining the hire car worked well, but it is worthwhile covering as much of the excess as possible (as we had to pay for a lost hubcap).

David, Matt, Ian & Ian - travelled to Inveruglas power station.  There was some concern as to whether there would be snow, as the weather was not good, and it was raining heavily.  We walked up the road to the dam.  At 400m we hit snow on a very steep slope, requiring crampons.  We had set off late and therefore set ourselves a time to turn back at 4pm, as conditions were bad and potentially dangerous.  As it was, we reached within 10m of the top and found an impossible wall of rock and snow.  Although not particularly high, conditions were dangerous and our time had run out. We walked down the track in pitch black.  Full winter conditions.  6 hours, 990 m.  Dinner was at the Drover’s - good solid mountain food in an incredibly old pub full of character and good beer.

Meanwhile, upon arrival in Glencoe at 1.30pm the hostel being closed meant an adjournment to the Clachaig.  Alastair, Mo, Les and Andrew then headed up towards the Pap of Glencoe.  Andrew arrived back at dusk with the others reaching the snowy top as it was getting dark.

Friday 17^th

David, Andrew, Colin, Nick, Michele and Keith drove round Loch Leven to Callert for a traverse of Mam na Gualainn 796m and Beinn na Caillich 764m.  This was a fine day with snow from 500m and plenty of it from 600m.  Ice axes were used for part of the descent from the second top and Kinlochleven was reached at dusk.  While cars were retrieved there was time for a drink at the Tail Race PH.  1050m 7 ½ hours.

David comments: That night some members (not myself - this comment is for Michele’s benefit) had a little too much to drink and suffered the next day - they know who they are!

The other group (Les, Mo, Alastair, Ian A, Ian C, Matt and Tony) started from the top of the pass and headed up to Buachaille Etive Beag.  The far peak of Stob Dubh 958m was taken first in heavy snow with our fine lads being the first to break a trail.  Afterwards the second Munro Stob Coire Raineach was ascended.  On the way down Mo tried a bit of glissading to facilitate a quick descent.  The only thing that happened quickly was that his over trousers were torn to shreds – fortunately that was the only thing that got torn.

Saturday 18^th

Keith and Michele made a prompt start for Buachaille Etive Beag benefiting greatly from a nice trail laid by our brave lads and others the previous day.  There was still plenty of snow to deal with and at the end of it all it was pronounced that this was the, ‘Best day out ever’.  Praise indeed from a couple who have been walking in the States, Alps and New Zealand.

Andrew, Matt, Ian A, Les, Alastair, Ian C and Mo started out with the plan of Bidean nam Bian.  It soon became clear that Matt and Ian A would not be going very far and as Andrew’s car was blocking them in he did the decent thing and offered to go down with them.  For the rest of the day Matt and Andrew went up on the Aonach Mor chairlift while Ian slept in the car.  Afterwards there was a visit to Fort Bill for the gear shops.

Meanwhile the other four reached the rock band in Coire nan Lochan and ascended to the right to Stob Coire nan Lochan.  Here for whatever reason a detour to Bidean nam Bian was resisted.  Nevertheless there were spectacular views with Ben Nevis looking so near.  A descent was then made down the Gearr Aonach ridge where ice axes were required to return via Coire nan Lochan.

David Tony, Nick and Colin made an ascent of Beinn Sguliard 937m via the south ridge in steep snow from the col to the top, which was very hard work and where ice axes only were needed.  Weather conditions were clear but very cold. The best day, which would have been good anywhere in the area.  A big cheer for Nick as this was his 50^th Munro – and a new one for David too.  Finished just as it was getting dark. 1400m 8 hours.

Sunday 19^th

David & Tony set off from Ballachulish heading south to reach a ridge to ascend Sgorr a’ Choise 663m and back down to the Clachaig to meet Matt for a drink.  Very cold wind and snow at 350m.  Strong wind on top, clear.  775m 6 ½ hours.

Colin, Keith and Michele set off for Sgorr nam Fiannaidh 967m directly from the hostel.  Soon Matt caught us up and we continued together.  The snow line was higher but once into the white stuff it was very heavy going uphill.  On top it was breezy and cold but on the return journey we had the wind behind us.  Generally good views though Bidean was in mist all day.

Mo, Les, Ian C, Ian A and Andrew drove of to Ben Nevis with gully man Mo in the van for an ascent of Nº 3 gully.  From the CIC hut the grade 1 gully was climbed in very soft snow with other groups having preceded them.  Locally it was very cold indeed but on Ben Nevis summit there was no wind!  Great day out.

Nick had a relaxing day while Alastair had a go at snowboarding at the Aonach Mor ski centre.

Monday 20^th

Keith, Michele and Tony set off purposefully with the intention of doing the modest hill of Fiarach 652m near to Tyndrum on the way home – provided they could buy the map of the area.  Fortunately the area is on two maps which was a good job as they didn’t have one of them.  Despite its lower elevation there was snow on the top third and it proved to be just about the right length outing for the day.  There are also deer in them thar hills.

Colin and Nick tackled the Corbett Garbh Bheinn 867m from Loch Leven.  The vegetation at the base of the hill was very trying but higher up there was a decent path.  The main slope was very steep and there were a couple of places where care was required but the summit was reached without incident.  As it was cold and windy we didn’t linger and descended to the milder conditions of the valley below.

Mo, Andrew, Alastair and Les parked at the Inveruglas Power Station on Loch Lomond and got some exercise on Ben Vorlich reaching about 500m before having to turn back because of lack of time.

David Foster writes:  On the way back with a view to undertaking a walk, Ian C realised that he had the wrong boots from the drying room, and we therefore had to sort this out.  Thereafter we spent the day in Dumbarton visiting the castle.  

The other half of this story is that another walker had Ian’s boots and spent a day on the hill getting a few rubs and sores.  Ian paid lots of money for a guaranteed delivery of the boots back to Glencoe by 9am the next day with Colin engaged to rescue Ian’s own boots.  Needless to say the Parcel Force definition of ‘guaranteed’ differs from that contained in the Oxford (or any other) dictionary.  The good news is that the other walker was very relaxed about it all and though he did not receive his boots until 12 noon told me by e-mail that he had a good day on Buachaille Etive Beag so no harm was done.

A very successful holiday, with many thanks to Matt for organising the break, upon which planning is already being looked at for next year!

MATT’S WALK IN THE BLACK MOUNTAINS 11^th MARCH

Eileen, Colin, Richard M, Matt, Keith H, Mark, Debra, David and friend Richard met up at Capel-y-ffin, Vale of Ewyas when Matt’s circuitous route eventually brought him to the starting point.  There was no sight of the forecast bad weather but it was cool and overcast with a little snow higher up.  After a steep initial pull the route of Offa’s Dyke was reached which here was also the England / Wales border.  The going underfoot was half frozen peat with occasional flagstones along a gently undulating broad ridge.  At Hay Bluff 671m there was a hazy view to the Wye Valley before we crossed the Gospel Pass to Twmpa 690m and on to Rhos Dirion 713m.  From here a long broad ridge was taken to a marker cairn leading back to the valley.  All embryo Nuttall baggers managed to resist the temptation to gather in the last top which was only a kilometre away – something I would have been unable to contemplate.  “It’ll still be there for another day,” said Matt. “These hills are OK for pottering around on, I’ll save myself for the Munro’s,” said David.  “The Predator could be out there,” said Keith H.  Don’t forget you heard it here first.  With the predicted rain and snow yet to arrive we headed straight home and even managed to avoid the traffic at Crufts.

ROUND-UP FOR FEBRUARY – MARCH 2006

February 5^th Y Lliwedd

Keith, Michele, Nick and Colin started from Nantgwynant on the Watkin path the first part of which has now been constructed alongside the lane in the woods.  Higher up it was very gloomy but at least it was dry.  At the waterfalls the stream on the right was crossed into Cwm Merch and eventually a way was found into the mist and onto Gallt y Wenalt 619m which others in the group told me was apparently a Nuttall.  Self congratulation continued as a combination of an accurate grid reference and the GPS took us to within 5 metres of the summit.  Further on we found ourselves walking into a very cool wind and for the first time there were other walkers as we ascended Y Lliwedd.  By the time we had descended Y Lliwedd time was not on our side so Snowdon was left for another day and we returned to Nantgwant for 4.10pm.  A rather modest 7 ½ miles with about 3000ft of climbing but there was a brief spin around Cotswold Outdoors and a meal at the Three Pigeons in Nescliffe.

February 21^st – 25^th Loch Tay

Colin and Nick stayed on in Scotland after the Glencoe long weekend.

On Tuesday 21^st we drove down to Victoria Bridge near to Bridge of Orchy on a pristine morning.  There was blue sky, a deep blue river and snowy mountains behind.  Climbing to the col between Stob Ghabhar and Stob a Choire Odhair it began to cloud over.  Near the col Nick fell into a hole in the snow and got his foot wedged between two rocks which took some pulling and tugging to extract.  On top of Stob a Choire Odhair 945m there looked to a storm coming in from the east so we moved off smartly.  The weather never reached us but there was clearly fresh snow only a few miles away on the Bridge of Orchy hills.  Lower down it was fine again, a great day to be out.

We had sorted out a bunkhouse on Loch Tay – Culdees at Fearnan.  It was very relaxing and comfortable and plenty of room as there were only two others in.  The bunkhouse owners were heavily into recycling and there was a certain commune/new age feel about the place.

On the Wednesday 22^nd we took the modest option of walking from the bunkhouse and into the forest of Drummond Hill looking for capercaillie.  Needless to say there was a no show so in the afternoon we took a drive into Aberfeldy.

Thursday 23^rd was to be for the Munro of Schiellallion.  At the car park there was a very wintry scene in front of us so after a coffee we kitted up for the less ambitious Dun Coillich.  This was a good decision as even on Dun Coillich 572m there was a cold wind.  Back at the car we warmed up and took a drive down the excellent Glen Lyon and over the snowy hill road back to Loch Tay.

On Friday we moved south to stay over with friends Trevor and Sue in Weardale and Saturday back to the Midlands.

March 5^th Glyders David writes

David, Eddie, Tony and Bob (from Coventry).  A walk in the snow from Ogwen, onto the Gylders.  A very cold and windy day, with full winter conditions, involving trudging through deep snow and ice.  We were rewarded with some of the best views seen from the top, with the surrounding mountains covered in snow and brought out in fantastic relief. Lunch was enlivened with incredible views towards Snowdon and a tipple of whisky supplied by Eddie.  We had intended to walk to Capel Curig, but Bob was a little under the weather and we therefore came down early next to Bristly Ridge.  This involved a steep descent in reasonably difficult snow conditions and a little bit of controlled sliding!   A good day out followed by a trip to the pub in Capel Curig. 7 hours 900m.

March 19^th Capel Curig        Richard writes

A return route from Capel Curig with Richard (a new addition to the group) and two friends.  After finding our route blocked by treacherous conditions (ice and snow) above 500m in the Ogwen Valley the day before, we changed our plans for a lower level hike on the Sunday to the north of Capel.

The day was dry with only high clouds for company, and so we were granted good visibility across Snowdonia.  The circular route passed Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir, down towards the village of Trefriw, across to Llyn Crafnant Reservoir and up and over back to Capel.  The route offered a varied landscape, which was relatively well marked, and which offered stunning views of the Ogwen and Conwy valleys, Gwydyr Forest, Moel Siabod, and the Snowdon Horseshoe along the way.  All in all a highly recommended offbeat walk to the northern edge of Snowdonia.  Distance: 11.5 miles. Time: 6 hours.   

March 26^th Langdale Pikes                  David writes

Walking from the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel up the path leading to Pike of Stickle.  The snow line was at 400m. The conditions deteriorated getting near to the top, visibility being poor.  Although crampons were not required the use of an ice axe was essential on the steep ground.  Thereafter I went over to Harrison Stickle and the top of Pavey Arc.  The descent was very difficult in steep snow often going up to the crutch.  Normally this walk would be straightforward but in snow it made the day very tiring.  Stickle Beck was in spate requiring the second such crossing of today.  I then continued high all the way through snow fields which were pathless until I reached a path going down the side of Raven Crag to the first pub off the route at Chapel Stile for a well earned drink. 6 ½ hours 910m

On this walk I used the new Harvey 1:40,000.  It is waterproof, light and the area you walk up on is contained on a small area, all of which are good features.  It is not so good for close navigation, there is a funny scale to get used to and therefore the jury is out on whether it is recommended or not.

TRIG FEST 2006   Colin

This issue of the NMC Newsletter would not be complete without a report on the annual trig baggers meeting which this year took place in Buxton on the weekend of March 25^th – 26^th.  This may well be a minority sport, even amongst minority sports, but compared to pylon collecting (I jest not) and travelling the bus routes of London in numerical order (seriously) it could certainly be described as mainstream.

Now not a lot of people know this but every trig point has a unique number on a plate called a flush bracket.  Interestingly, these are collectable and recordable and as there are about 6,100 to be going at everyone could start their very own collection whilst going about their normal hill walking activities.  Just imagine the fun you could be have by swapping photos of remote trig points and telling tales of derring-do whilst escaping the attention of angry farmers, gamekeepers and Ministry of Defence security guards in pursuit of that difficult to get flush bracket number.  At one time only train numbers and cigarette cards could entertain the avid collector.  Now there is a whole new world opening up before your very eyes.

The actual weekend started with a meeting at the Cat and Fiddle with 12 members present from as far a-field as Guilford, Surrey and Kinloch Rannoch in the Perthshire highlands.  The meeting contained much technical stuff that might just go over you heads - some of it did mine too.  We learned that as a group we have visited 5,561 of the estimated 6,100 that are thought to still be in existence.  As a number of these are on remote Scottish islands progress may now slow down.  The top of the leader board and Gold medal goes to the legendry Rob Woodall who has 3,260 – this is in about 3 years! (Colin has 308).  Of an estimated 13,000 non pillar flush brackets, these are plates attached to walls and bridges etc. Rob again heads the table with 2,213! (Colin has 43).

Now you might think that this is a pursuit for middle aged and elderly men with nothing better to do.  In part you’d be right but interestingly of the three non bagging partners present two were men supporting their bagger wives.  The afternoon was spent touring various sites of interest, all with flush brackets you might not be surprised to hear, whilst the evening was devoted to food and drink and tales of half hidden brackets.  The next morning there was more bagging initiated by Rob who got up before breakfast and sallied forth to excavate the base of an old railway bridge just out of town to uncover a flush bracket thought to exist there.  Needless to say he found it and then we all went to admire his handiwork and add it to our personal lists.  After more collecting we all went home for tea.  Now aren’t you glad you’ve just read all this.

INFORMATION FROM THE BMC  Andrew

I have received the following:

Annual report, 2005, Members’ handbook, 2006, Details of access and conservation agreements, 2006

Please let me know if you would like a look at any of these.

ON HILL LISTS   Part 1  Trevor L

With interest in bagging (now own up) developing in the club I commissioned a real expert to bring us up to speed.  Trevor Littlewood of Wolsingham, Co. Durham and a very good friend of mine for over 30 years puts us in the picture.

Communing with nature…..Viewing the pristine snows…..Peace and quiet away from the rat-race…..A test of physical prowess in adverse conditions…..Morning & evening ‘alpenglow’…..The glory of an Alpine flower meadow….. The isolated hill camp…. The companionship of the rope or the winding trail.  Are these the reasons we go to the hills?  Of course it’s none of these; it’s to gain ticks on our hill lists!

Here’s a beginner’s guide, (or bearing in mind the authorship, perhaps it should be an idiot’s guide), to hill lists.  It’s not exhaustive – my knowledge doesn’t extend that far but it will cover most of the well known hill lists with a few others thrown in to show just how daft the whole thing can be.  Notwithstanding the tongue in cheek introductory paragraph there will be plenty of hill-goers who do so genuinely and solely for the experience itself; they can stop reading now unless they want to gather a little knowledge about what peak baggers are blathering on about whilst being propped up by the bar.

Hill lists generally, but not always, take account of three things – location, height and prominence.  Location is straightforward; it’s where the hills are and there can be little doubt about it.  Height is again easy to understand though accuracy is less certain, particularly with lists dating back some time.  Prominence is a less obvious notion; this is the least amount ’drop’ needed to descend from a top to a col before the ground starts to rise to a higher point.  Three hill lists familiar to most hill-folk can be considered within the terms of those criteria.  The Lake District Wainwrights take account of location only, The Munros are based upon location and height and The Nuttall’s acknowledge all three criteria.  (More of these lists later.)

The notions of drop and prominence are quite important in serious hill listing, the bigger the drop, the more prominent the hill.  So for example The Wrekin has a very modest 407m of height, but you have to drop 298m before you’re down to a col from where the ground begins to rise to a higher point.  (Please don’t ask where the col is!)  Pen yr Ole Wen has a much more impressive height – 978m, but the drop is only 45m to the col before the ground starts to rise to Carnedd Dafydd.

Enough of the theory, let’s look at some lists.  We’ll start with the listings that will be most familiar or at least of most interest to the hill-man/woman based in the English Midlands.  For some entirely arbitrary reason it’s been long accepted, even in dictionary definition, that a mountain in England or Wales needs a height of 2,000 feet above sea level to deserve that name.  (Though Swiss or Austrians taken to the high point of Kinder would have some difficulty with the idea that they were standing on one.)

There have been many attempts to list the 2,000 foot tops of England and/or Wales; the earlier tries fell foul of inaccurate mapping.  A listing by Nick Wright, (there’s a book), as recently as 1974 gave a total of 345 mountains for England.  Wright counted every point that had a separate (50 foot) contour ring at or above 2,000 feet.  This gave some silly situations such as on Tynehead Fell where in a tiny area on the OS. ‘One Inch’ Teesdale map there were five separate hills, none of them identifiable precisely on the ground - I tried!).  Of course given accurate mapping and a sensible attitude to drop, all listers should come up with more or less the same list and that’s what we have now with the first two lists below differing only in the ‘drop’ criterion.

The Nuttalls:  John and Anne Nuttalls’ listings of English and, separately Welsh hills.  The 2,000 foot qualification is updated to 610m.  The drop required is, (a very modest), 15m.  New discoveries since first publication give 252 hills for England and 188 for Wales.  There’s also Snae Fell on the Isle of Man which isn’t included.

The Hewitts:  Not a well known listing, compiled by Alan Dawson.  Hewitt is no-one’s name, it’s an acronym – Hills in England, Wales or Ireland over Two Thousand feet.  Inclusion is based on similar criteria to Nuttalls, but the drop requirement is more stringent – 30m.  This gives totals: England – 178, Wales – 137. (And Ireland 211.)

The Wainwrights:  Not so much a listing as individual chapters in the well known hand-crafted set of seven books by Alfred Wainwright. This is entirely a Lake District affair, it’s an eclectic list with no height or drop qualification applied – that led to some curious inclusions and some serious omissions. 214 hills.  Coming Soon – The real mountains of the UK – Munros, Murdos, Corbetts & Grahams not to mention Marilyns, Kirks, Alums, Yeamans……….

MUNRO – THE MAN BEHIND THE MUNROS

Sir Hugh Thomas Munro Bart., of Linderis 1856 – 1919 published his list of mountains in Scotland over 3,000ft in the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal in 1891.  Before that time it was not known how many mountains above 3,000ft there were in Scotland with one guide suggesting as few as 30.  Munro listed 538 separate tops of which 283 were given separate mountain status now known as Munro’s (The latest revision lists 511 tops including 284 Munro’s).  The Ordnance Survey had only completed the field survey of Scotland in 1877 with the One-inch series of maps still incomplete for the Highlands in 1883.  Even these maps were inaccurate by today’s standards.  Gone are the days, as Richard Gilbert describes in ‘The Big Walks’, when Munro and his friends of the SMC headed out from Dundonnell with aneroid and prismatic compass to investigate the existence of an unclimbed mountain which was not shown on the OS maps of the day.  Today’s Munro’s Tables credits the An Teallach range with two Munro’s and a further seven tops above 3,000ft.  And this was mapping in the UK not Africa.  Munro’s Tables was a real achievement as many heights were approximate aneroid readings and in some places contours were at 250ft intervals.

Munro was born in London the eldest of a family of nine.  As a child he was a great collector of butterflies, birds’ eggs, shells and fossils.  At 17 he went to Stuttgart to learn German and began an interest in mountains while in the Alps.  After a bad attack of pleurisy the climate of the Cape was recommended and he travelled there in 1880.  He saw active service in the Basuto War before returning to London and then on to Lindertis near Kirriemuir in Scotland where he managed the family estate on behalf of his uncle and father and eventually inheriting.  In 1885 he stood as Conservative candidate for Kirkcaldy Burghs as no one else had come forward but it was a hopeless seat to try and win.  He continued to be active in politics, marrying in 1892 and travelling to the West Indies, Europe and North Africa.  In 1889 he became a founder member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and served as president from 1894-97.  His wife died in 1902 after which further travelling took him to America, Japan, China, Singapore and Ceylon.  Being above military age during the Great War he volunteered for the Red Cross serving in Malta during 1915-16 where he suffered from malarial fever which he never entirely threw off.  In 1918 he went to Tarascon in the south of France starting a canteen for French troops.  Returning in 1919 he got a chill which developed into pneumonia from which he died.

Munro never quite completed his list of mountains.  Carn Cloich-mhuillin had been reserved as the final top but he never climbed the Inaccessible Pinnacle despite being in the area several times.  Interestingly, perhaps this doesn’t count as at the time the pinnacle was not credited as the summit whereas the lower Sgurr Dearg was!  There has always been a great debate, both in Munro’s time and today, as to what constitutes a mountain and a top.  At the time of his death he was engaged in a revision of the tables but he left no criteria as to what distance or re-ascent was required to differentiate a Munro summit from a top.  Hence there have been many revisions, deletions and re-instatements with no guidance from the great man.  Even now there are serious suggestions for new Munro’s!

It was left to the Reverend A.E. Robertson to be the first to complete the Munro’s in 1901.  On his final summit on the Aonach Eagach it is reported that he kissed both the Meall Dearg cairn and his wife – in that order. 

Source: Various editions of the SMC ‘The Munros’ and The Big Walks by Richard Gilbert.

YHA GROUP MEMBERSHIP

David tells me that we have renewed our group membership of the YHA for 2006-7.  This enables groups of 5 or more of our members and guests to use hostels even if they are not YHA members.  So, if you wish to organise an expedition and would like to use a hostel then request the group membership card.

Whether or not you manage to find a hostel that is not Rent-a-Hostel only, closed for the winter or has been closed down and sold by the YHA under the present economy drive is quite another thing.  Also watch out for hostels that make you book both Friday and Saturday nights rather than just the Saturday, take hostel meals and require booking months in advance.  I could go on about the YHA but I’ll stop here.

BMC AND SUMMIT 41  Colin          OPINION

Now it just so happens that as I’m putting the final touches to this issue and there is space to fill, Summit 41 drops through my letter box.  As I flicked through the one thing that strikes me is the overwhelming focus on climbing.  Now climbing and serious expedition mountaineering should certainly be prominent as it’s at the cutting edge of our sport and the work of the BMC.  But every member of the BMC is not at the sharp edge.  How many hill walking members must there be to every crag rat.  Perhaps it’s just me but a bit of balance might go a long way.

NAKED RAMBLER’S SIGHTED

Finally, I can report that a couple of the above sober lads (maybe not while the story was being related) from the trig group actually met the naked rambler and partner on the hill.  The encounter occurred just north of Edale at about 7.30pm.  The two David’s reported that they chatted to the couple who seemed fairly affable.  Nevertheless, as it was evening it was getting nippy, even with a few clothes on.  It was reported that there was rather more eye contact than might take place in a normal conversation, otherwise what else might you be tempted to gaze at.  Nevertheless David’s actual one line summary of the encounter to his wife and then related to us, will have to go unreported here, lest children or the inhabitants of St Mary Mead find these pages on the internet.