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PROGRAMME JANUARY - AUGUST 2007  Matt

February 15^th – 18^th 2007                      Crianlarich, Scottish Highlands.  Book with Eileen. Bag Munros with Matt.

March 10^th 2007                                    Snowdon Horseshoe with that man David again.

April 20^th – 22^nd     2007                        Yorkshire Three Peaks bunkhouse weekend with Keith & Michele.

May 5^th 2007                                          Mendips with Keith & Michele.

May 9^th (Wednesday)                         Committee Meeting.  Open to all.

Mid May 2007 Exact date TBA.         Blair Atholl backpacking weekend with Matt.

End May 2007 Exact date TBA          Canoeing the River Spey with Andrew.          

June 15^th – 17^th 2007                             North Wales camping weekend including instructor lead scrambling and climbing.

                                                                See Andrew for details.

July 13^th – 15^th 2007                              Lake District weekend in Keswick with Len.

August 10^th – 12^th 2007                        White Peak weekend or day trip.  Cycling and walking with Eileen.

September 2007    Dates TBA            Trip to the Mediterranean?  See Debra for sun, sea and mountains.

September 2007    Dates TBA            Cairngorm backpacking?  See Matt.

October 18^th 2007 (Thursday)             A.G.M. at the Liberal Club, Bull Street.

Other Events - all welcome!

Summer camping, barbeque & brewery trip in the Cotswolds. Date and venue TBA.

And there’s much more than this going on.  Visit us on a Thursday evening from 8.30pm at Attleborough Liberal Club, Bull Street for impromptu activities, or ring Andrew on 01827  717 648 or Matt on  024 76 758 322 if you can’t get down. And don’t forget our website at www.nunmc.org

ATTENTION ACHTUNG ATTENZIONE      Big Brother

The best way to draw this to your attention is to come straight out and say it.  Following a recent committee meeting I have been entrusted with passing on the following request to you all.

Hut meets etc. are becoming increasingly popular with club members and we all enjoy the group meals and informal atmosphere.  However, there are a number of jobs that need to be done on such meets and everyone is expected to lend a hand as a matter of course. Group meals need to be prepared, the table set, washing up (more than one lot), clearing up as well as cleaning the hut before we leave.  These meets will only work harmoniously if we all join in.  So, bring a tea towel (and the knowledge of how to use it) and goody, goody gumdrops to all who get stuck in, while an evening in an enclosed space with Jade Goody to those who try to slink off.  Remember - Big Brother is watching!

COMING-UP - CRIANLARICH    FEBRUARY 15^th – 18^th 2007     Matt

The venue is the Ochills MC hut, Crianlarich where we have sole use.

Website at http://www.ochils.com/cottage.htm for the Ochills club and hut.

Drivers and passengers please contact each other to make arrangements for pick up's etc.  I have attached a contact list with e-mail addresses and phone numbers to assist you in this.
All others are making there own way independently.  Anyone who thinks they may be up at the hut fairly early let me know and you can have a key and instructions.  Myself and Ian won't be arriving until approx 8:30pm.

At the hut electric heating and hot water are supplied.  You will need to bring some coal or logs for the open fire in the lounge.  All crockery, cookware and utensils are supplied.  It has been suggested that you bring a tea towel.  Also you will need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow.
Food
Group meals including a haggis night with whisky on Saturday will be provided at a cost of £10.00 pp for 3 nights (payable to me or Eileen in advance).  Thursday night is DIY as usual.
There are 2 x 4 ring gas hobs, a double oven, a toaster and microwave oven.
Also you will need to bring food for breakfasts and lunches.  There is a small SPAR shop in the village that supplies all the basics plus wine and beer etc.  Also the station buffet does a fair sausage and egg cob in the morning.
If you need any more info please let me know.

BUNKHOUSE LOCATION
Inverardran Cottage is the whitewashed building situated at the east end of Crianlarich, next to the Ben More Restaurant.  (O. S. sheet 50, Grid Ref 392250) on the north side of the A85.  The cottage has its own extensive parking area behind the building.

COMING-UP    SNOWDON HORSESHOE   MARCH 10^th 2007    David

We will need to arrive reasonably early to ensure that we have enough time to go on this classic scramble.  The more traditional way is to park at Pen y Pass a tackle the matter head on by ascending straight up Crib Goch.  This is a fairly straight forward scramble but for those who have not been there before, there is an almost frightening view upon reaching the top and realising how narrow the ridge is!  It is not for the feint hearted to walk across the top and most will want to hold on.  This is a dangerous traverse in windy and icy weather.  Once over the top the scramble continues and can be as hard or easy as you wish and most places can be bypassed.  On a clear day fantastic photos may be taken.  A head for heights is an advantage.  The walk then goes over Garnedd Ugain and on to Snowdon and Y Lliwedd with a steep decent and back to the car.  This is a long hard walk, but well worth while.

There are other options.  There is no reason why the walk cannot go clockwise around the horseshoe and in many ways I feel this is more interesting.  Another option is to go clockwise but miss out Y Lliwedd and instead to tackle a shorter grade 1 scramble from the Miners track to Cribau, then up to Snowdon  to go clockwise around the ridge.  Naturally if the weather is just too bad to tackle Crib Goch either way around, there are many other fine options. 

COMING-UP    YORKSHIRE BUNKHOUSE WEEKEND   APRIL 20^th – 22^nd 2007

Keith & Michele

The bunkhouse cottage at the Station Inn at Ribblehead.(www.thestationinn.net) has been booked for the Friday and
Saturday nights.

There are 11 places so it is first come, first served!  Michele is taking bookings now - £10 deposit required to reserve your place!  The total cost for the accommodation will be £18.

COMING-UP    CANOEING & WALKING IN THE SPEY VALLEY   MAY/JUNE
Andrew
As mentioned at the planning meeting, the outline plan is to canoe down the Spey around the time of the spring bank holiday.  Staying at camp sites / wild camping.  Starting just above Aviemore.

The dates I have free are from Friday May 25th to Sunday, June 3rd.  I'd plan to go for about 7 days in all during that period.
At the moment it looks as though there might be places for 6/7 people in open canoes, with unlimited places for kayakers, walkers.
 

THE HILL WALKERS GUIDE TO CRIANLARICH IN FEBRUARY   Colin

Here beginneth the lesson. 

As I’m short of copy you’re getting a piece on what you could do in Crianlarich, whether you want one or not, and thrown in for good measure some of my very own home spun wisdom.

Firstly you need a map or two.  Crianlarich is on OS Landranger 1:50,000 sheet 50 Glen Orchy, but as it’s on the edge it would be difficult to do without sheet 51 Loch Tay.  For more precise navigation you might find the 1:25,000 Explorer series more useful.  Crianlarich is actually on sheet 364 Loch Lomond North, but as it’s in the corner of three sheets you might find you need 378 Ben Lawers & Glen Lyon as well as 365 The Trossachs.  Well that’s your first £35 invested for a start.  PS. If you go to Bridge of Orchy you’ll also need 377.

A lot depends on the weather.  Two years ago in Crianlarich we had proper snow in the car park but also white-outs on the hill.  There was also a day of blue skies and snow as far as the eye could see.  Last year in Glencoe was just fantastic with snowy mountains, clear skies and for the first two days little wind.  Sooner or later we’ll get misty and wet weather but let’s hope not this year.

The Mountains

Here I will focus on Munros in the local area.  If you want to go to Glencoe and climb a gully with Mo then you’ll need to seek information elsewhere.  There is of course plenty of smaller stuff.  Any snowy mountain has the potential to kill you but there are a couple of Munros that need special care.  A steep slope in summer can be a piece of cake but with the ground frozen or a layer of firm snow one slip and you’re careering down out of control. Take my word for it, I’ve been there.

Soft snow can turn to ice very quickly with a change in wind direction and then there are avalanches.  Avalanches are not rare in Scotland and are most common on intermediate slopes between 30 and 45 degrees.  Also assume that there will be a cornice at the headwall of any corrie or along a summit ridge and you’ll not go far wrong.  As I write the news reports a fifth climber/walker has been killed in the Highlands in the past two months.  Have a great time but, ‘Let’s be very careful out there’.

Within walking distance of the hut.    

The nearest is Cruach Ardrain 1046m and even Beinn Tulaichean 946m if you get a move on.  If you intend to do just Cruach Ardrain the obvious round to Stob Garbh is dangerously steep when ascending to Cruach Ardrain summit and should be avoided. Otherwise Cruach Ardrain is a fine hill and perfectly feasible on a decent day.  Beinn Tulaichean requires at least 200m of Cruach Ardrain to be re-ascended on the return route.

Slightly further but still possible from the hut is An Caisteal 995m and Beinn a’ Chroin 940m.  I suggest An Caisteal first so that the steep slope to Beinn a’ Chroin can be ascended rather than descended.  The summit of this mountain has also been re-located and is now the Central Top at 942m (938m on some maps) not the East Top 940m.  If it’s wet the stream at the bottom may well be a paddle (or a wade).

Lastly there is Ben More 1174m and Stob Binnein 1166m.  Ben More is continuously and monotonously steep. The slope is 1 in 2 for 700m.  If wet, hard underfoot or icy it would be a real hazard.  If you plan to do these mountains just ask yourselves when you last put your crampons on and how good you really are at ice axe breaking.  I’ll be giving them a miss and I recommend you do too.

Nearby

(4 miles) Meall Glas 959m and Sgiath Chuil 921m are 3km across rising moor land with no path.  Mostly straightforward if the steep slopes between the summits are rounded.

(4 miles) Ben Challum 1025m is straightforward but the summit area in poor conditions is confusing.  From the South Top go west for a few metres across a hollow and onto the ridge on the far side.  The route is now down the ridge to the north Top summit. 

PS. If you come across a map case with map and compass inside we may know who they belong to.

(4 miles) Beinn Dubhcraig 978m and Ben Oss 1029m ought to be straightforward though a white-out defeated us two years ago.  Sadly a 150m re-ascent onto a shoulder of Beinn Dubhcraig is required for the best return.  No time to linger if you want to get them both.

(4 miles) Beinn Lui 1130m is the finest mountain in the area.  There is a 6 km walk in and a river crossing to consider at the base of the hill.  In summer the ridges of Ben Lui are no problem but in winter they are mountaineering expeditions.  The SMC guide describes them as ‘..quite a serious climb by hillwalkers’ standards’.  If there was fall here it would be difficult to contemplate anything other than very serious injury or a fatality.

A little further away   

(6miles) Beinn Chabair 933m from Inverarnan is an in and out walk by the same route (5 ½ km 920m) unless you can get dropped off, in which case you could also traverse An Caisteal and/or Beinn a’ Chroin and walk back to Crianlarich.

(8 miles) Ben Vorlich 943m.  From Ardlui steep in places but should be OK.

(11 miles) Beinn Dorain 1076m and Beinn an Dothaidh from Bridge of Orchy should both be straightforward in reasonable conditions.  Both mountains have more than one top so do get the right one.  Descending from the col between the mountains in poor conditions might need a careful line.

(18miles) Meall Ghaordie 1039m from Glen Lochay (Killin) is perhaps the most straightforward Munro in the area with even slopes leading to a summit 4 ½ km and 890m of ascent from the road.

Other stuff   

There are plenty of other mountains in the Bridge of Orchy area (15 miles) including the splendid Stob Ghabhar 1090m.  Further on Glencoe is about 35miles.  On the Oban road there is the classic Ben Cruachan 1126m (22miles) two Munros, a tough day in winter and two otherMunros nearby.

The highest mountain in the area is Ben Lawers 1214m (22miles) beyond Killin where there is a range of seven Munros with another alongside.  If you can even contemplate getting them all in one expedition then you don’t need any further advice from me.

Finally there is Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’ Chroin (22 miles) east of Lochearnhead.  Fine hills but very steep ground between the two.

Let the train take the strain

As Crianlarich has a railway station it might be possible, timetable permitting, to catch the train to nearby mountain areas.

Southbound (towards Glasgow) get off at Ardlui for Ben Vorlich or Tarbet for Ben Narnain with a bit of a walk to the base of the hill.

Westbound (towards Oban) get off at Tyndrum, which has two stations, for a variety of hills or further on at Lochawe for a possible Beinn a’ Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich.

Northbound (towards Fort William) you can also get off at Tyndrum or go on to Bridge of Orchy for Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh.  If you want the true wilderness experience then get off at Corrour and try Beinn na Lap 935m which is straightforward being only 540m and 2hours from the station.  Carn Dearg 941m is also possible but Sgor Gaibhre 955m is surely a hill too far.

The last resort

The fleshpots of Callander are 30 miles to the south-east and those of Oban are 42 miles away on the west coast - there being no fleshpots in Tyndrum, Killin or Dalmally to the best of my knowledge.  Glencoe is 39 miles and Fort William 52 miles.

LAKE DISTRICT WEEKEND AT RYDAL HALL   NOVEMBER 24^th – 26th 2006                                     

There were lots of walks over the weekend but sadly only two reports.

David writes

Friday - David, Tony and Richard - After a late start we drove to Skelwith Bridge for a walk around Elterwater as the weather was threatening and we were short of time.  We did however manage to stop off at the Britannia Inn (in a rather wet state) before another wet trip back to the car.

Good impression of the bunk house which provided everything we needed.

Nine managed it to the Chinese restaurant in Ambleside - which was a big was over priced with bland food. Not recommended.

Saturday - There was an early start for the advance party consisting of Richard, Tony, Tim and David.  The forecast was really bad.  It was enough to scare all the old ladies from going outside let alone being on the hills!  We headed up Fairfield.  The forecasters had got it wrong again!  It was however very windy on top and cold.  We made our way into a small snow field for the traditional pictures and moved on to Dove Crag.  We took in the extra top of Red Screes before returning to Ambleside and the pub for 3pm, just missing the heavy rain that came shortly thereafter.  After a couple of pints we raced back to Rydal for another drink before joining the evening meal (great job Matt & Debra!).     A really good day - 6 1/2 hours, 1330m, 12 1/2 miles.

Colin writes

Friday – Myself and Len parked up in Easdale and made our way onto the east ridge of Tarn Crag.  Needless to say it cool and cloudy further up but we enjoyed ourselves with the GPS. We visited the most likely tops before making our way to Codale Tarn which we nearly missed!  By the time we got to the car we were quite wet.

Saturday – Colin, Len, Trevor and Sue parked on the road leading to Kirkstone Pass to ascend Red Screes.  The day was much better than forecast though it was blustery on top.  After the summit we continued down to Middle Dodd but resisted the direct descent to the Kirkstone Pass Inn and so had to re-ascend Red Screes before returning to the car.

Sunday – Fairly gloomy as Colin and Len set out in the rain from Town End, Troutbeck heading for Troutbeck Tongue.  By the time we were at the base of the hill the rain had stopped but on top it was still damp and cool.  Descending the other side we continued the loop through Troutbeck Park walking back to the car in pleasant sunshine!

CASTLETON   DECEMBER 9^th 2006   Colin

Matt, Mark, Len, Paul, Tim, Colin, Sheila and Ann met up in Castleton on a cool and breezy morning ready and willing to brave the elements.  From the village the route lay past Peveril Castle and up a steady climb along the Limestone Way.  By the time we reached the lane at the top it was starting to rain and most people took the opportunity to get their waterproofs out. A group of 4x4 land rovers were on the lane but refreshingly they waited until we had passed before they moved on. We then waited around patiently whilst Ann demonstrated to us all how to use a map and compass. 

It’s not too difficult on the kitchen table but out in the wind holding the map still with one hand needs practice.  And don’t some people need to practise!

Moving on across fields there was sunshine ahead and the rain soon stopped as well.  On Mam Tor it was blustery but the going was much better now as the wind was mostly behind us.  Further on out of the wind it was quite pleasant and the walking went easily enough to Hollins Cross, Back Tor and Loose Hill.

Though still early afternoon the temptations of Castleton proved too much and we wandered down various footpaths to a very busy village below and one of the local hostelries.  Not a tough walk by any means but with good company and an early winter blow it was a very pleasant day out.

BRECON BEACONS  JANUARY 13^th 2007    Colin

David, Colin, Les, Tony, Keith, Michele, Steve, Richard, Andrew, Paul, Tim, Len, Debra and Steve all turned up at the Storey Arms for a day on the Brecon’s.  It was misty, breezy and raining and to top it all David’s drivers door failed to shut properly (or even at all) so he stayed behind to raise the AA.

At the col below Corn Du the rest of us (13 on the 13^th) were well into the mist and it was blowing a gale.  In the gusts it was necessary to brace yourself against wind but we managed to get to Corn Du and on to Pen y Fan without incident.  With the wind from the south-west getting blown over the escarpment was not impossible so the edge was treated with respect.  On the descent from Cribyn the wind probably gusted to its strongest with most of us stationary and braced against the force. Wind speed estimates are notoriously difficult and usually over estimated.  Previously I’ve been out with friends who own a wind speed meter where we measured one gust at 63mph.  These gusts were comparable.  At the col below nobody mentioned going on to Fan y Big so we descended to the Neuadd Reservoirs for lunch in the shelter of some buildings and trees.

The steep climb on the other side of the valley was mostly in the lee of the wind but once on the ridge it gathered in strength until by the time we returned to Bwlch Duwyny for the descent it was back to gale force.  On this route we passed several soldiers carrying heavy packs and rifles clearly in training.  One even got us to give him a GPS position.  Not far below the col we met David who had managed to get a very nice man to look at his car door and the very, very nice man fixed it in seconds! All well, David had gone on the hill and climbed Corn Du and Pen y Fan and by way of filling time was on his second ascent!!  Despite the conditions we were by no means the only ones on the hill and we passed numerous other walkers testing themselves against the elements.  After today not only are the Christmas cobwebs blown away but they’re probably heading rapidly towards Spitsbergen by now.

DAVID’S STORY   BRECON BEACONS JANUARY 13^th 2007

Not one of the best days for myself. Having arrived at the Storey Arms car park, just before we set off, I found that it was impossible to close my car door. Several of the group tried but to no avail. After everyone set off on the walk, I tried to contact the AA. Everything seemed to conspire against myself, including having forgotten my AA card, wallet, poor telephone reception which was some distance from the car, heavy rain and strong winds and the AA could not find the car. Eventually they arrived and quickly repaired the door. By then I was over 2 1/2 hours behind everyone else. I therefore set off towards the ridge with the wind speed increasing dramatically the higher I went. At the ridge it was virtually impossible to stand. It was impossible to ascend Corn Du due to lashing rain and wind. I therefore went around the edge and on to Pen y Fan. I tried to go onto Cribyn, but came to the conclusion that things were getting a little dangerous. I retraced my steps to the top and then on to Corn Du from the leeward side.  I then headed for the Obelisk and down to the Storey Arms and back to the car. As it was still relatively early, I made a second ascent towards the ridge to ensure that I did more than 900m but met the others on the way down just before I reached the top, and then returned to the cars with the group. 3 1/2 hours walk 1045m.

Glad to see David’s getting out more often at present.  Obviously he’s got more time on his hands now that Billy Piper is no longer featuring in Dr Who. Ed.

ROUND – UP OF OTHER ACTIVITIES

December 16^th 2006 Stretton Hills     Colin writes

On Saturday Len, Colin and Shaine started at the entrance to Ashes Hollow in the village of Little Stretton, Shropshire.

Resisting the temptation to walk up the excellent Ashes Hollow we crossed the road and ascended the steep slopes of Ragleth Hill.  Whilst the sky was blue and the sunshine bright there was a moderately cool breeze so we kept moving.  Descending the steep short grass beyond the summit with the ground still wet needed care, but we all made it safely.  Beyond, we took in Hazler Hill with its trig point before moving on to Caer Caradoc which we passed on the west before reaching the pub in All Stretton for a quick drink.  After lunch we walked up The Batch and onto The Long Mynd.  From the summit there was a splendid panorama with views to the Malverns and across to the Welsh borders. 

With the sun low in the sky we made for Round Hill and the wonderful ridge between Ashes Hollow and Callow Hollow.  This really is one of my favourite walks, though today the view into Callow Hollow was into the sun and in shadow.  And so to the end of a fine day as Little Stretton, our starting point was directly at the bottom of the hill.

December 28^th 2006 Brecon Beacons     Keith and Michele write

Between Christmas and New Year, Tony, Steve, Keith K and Michele took advantage of a gap in the poor weather and decided to head to the Brecon Beacons as that appeared to have the best chance of a break in cloud.

We parked at the Car Park at Cwm Gwdi, down some extremely narrow lanes, just to the South of Brecon. To take the hills by surprise we initially walked downhill (just a little!). Then we traversed across north of the hills via paths and lanes to reach Rhiwiau and the start of the Cefn Cyff ridge. We climbed this ridge to the first summit, Fan y Big which was just into the cloud! Generally the weather was fine, but with a strong breeze that was moving cloud on and off the tops. Lunch was taken some 30 meters below the summit to keep out of the wind. Although it was relatively mild for the end of December the wind soon cooled you down when you stopped so we did not hang around for long. As most of you will know, it was then down and up to Cribyn and down and up to Pen y Fan, which is the highest point in the Brecon Beacons. In the saddle between Cribyn and Pen y Fan we stopped at ‘Tony’s mobile bar’ for a quick whisky – guess who was the only person who didn’t partake!

From Pen y Fan we quickly dropped out of the cloud to follow the Cefn Cwm Llwch ridge back down to the car. All in all it was just under 10 miles which we completed just over 5hours. A good day out which helped blow away any cobwebs. The back of the car was full of sleeping souls for the return.

The travelling was very quick and easy as most of the population was at the sales. We did a sneaky detour round the west of Coventry thanks to Steve’s local knowledge to avoid an upside down green car on the M6.

January 6^th   Sparklow, Peak District      David writes

Colin, David and Andrew.  -  We parked at Sparklow (Peak District) for about 9.30 am.  The weather was a bit bleak, windy and cold, which justified putting on the new Paramo.  The walk took us to Pilsbury Castle and up the Dove valley and on to Chrome Hill. By this time it was getting a bit wet. From there we retraced part of our route and headed to the pub at Earl Sterndale, with the evocative name “The Quiet Woman".  Unlike the last time I went there the atmosphere was not particularly friendly.  Colin counted ten notices in the porch of various things that were forbidden, with more notices above the fire!  The guest beer was not very nice; Andrew left part of his, which shows how poor it must have been.  There was then a road walk back to the car.  There were very few people around the whole day, probably caused by the inclement weather.  A good day out with a walk of 5 hours.

January 20^th Cannock Chase     Colin writes

Yes it falls short of Tryfan and Ben Lui but it’s on our doorstep and provides exercise for the walker who can’t find another mountaineer to take to the hills.  A fine day, if still a bit blustery, but with blue skies and none of the wet stuff.

Anything to report by way of trips, expeditions or just gentle exercise then do drop me a line for inclusion in future Newsletter reports.

A TASTE OF BUSHCRAFT   Paul

“I’ve bought you a course for your birthday” she said.  “You like Ray Mears and his outdoor stuff and I’ve booked you on a bushcraft weekend”. I was a little suspicious at first, then even more suspicious when I discovered that the “bushcraft course” was on the outskirts of my home town, Swansea.  But Gwyneth showed me my gift certificate and it confirmed that I had to show up at a location north of Swansea on Saturday 18^th November with minimal kit and be prepared to camp out in the woods for a “weekend of bushcraft experience”.  What can I say?  It was very good, I learned a lot from this short “taster” and it’s inspired me to look more closely at what Ray is talking about.

This was my birthday present and I was expecting some sort of surprise - This was the sight of an old friend of mine standing in the carpark in Penllegaer where I was to meet the instructor from Dryad Bushcraft – at least I wouldn’t be alone on the course.  The instructor was Andy Price, a young Welsh bushcraft enthusiast who spent much of his youth mountaineering and climbing before he travelled the world and became an expert in woodlands skills such as trapping, bushcraft and wilderness food.  This was going to be interesting.

We walked into a small and beautiful wooded valley carrying our small packs and a few extra essentials that Andy had provided – a knife, hammock, folding saw, axe, light tarpaulin, rollmat and a heavy Dutch oven (it seems that it wasn’t all going to be travelling light!).  We were told that a couple of his assistants had already spent the Friday night in the woods.  This had me wondering since I’d spent the night in a Travelodge near the site and it had rained and hailed all night.  My wonder was increased when Andy said that they’d arrived at midnight and had spent the night without sleeping bags or rollmats!  When we arrived at the prospective campsite, we found the two intrepid assistants comfortably sitting in makeshift shelters made from cut wood, old parachute silk, silver emergency blankets and beds they’d made from forest wood.  Between their shelters burned a well-managed fire with a steaming billy-can hanging over it.  We were introduced and the two assistants described setting up the camp in the night storm and the relatively warm and comfortable sleep they had, warmed by the fire between their closely-spaced shelters.  We were impressed.

Bushcraft is essentially carrying the minimum in the way of equipment and instead relying upon knowledge of the environment and plants, using woodcraft skills to make whatever is needed to survive and be comfortable in the wilderness.  Our teachers learned their skills over years spent in the UK, Borneo, Sweden and Canada from such gurus as Mors Kochanski and Ray Mears.  But they still professed to be learning – each trip was a learning experience and they tried to come away from each trip with an improvement in their knowledge and skills, be this fire-making, wilderness nutrition, shelter-making or woodworking.

We spent an hour creating our own camp – setting up our hammocks between trees, erecting a sheet over this and storing our bags in the hammocks, off the very wet ground.  After an obligatory tools safety talk, we were let loose with knives and folding saws to collect kindling and firewood (I didn’t know there was a difference) for the fire we would have to light if we were to be comfortable and have hot food and drink!  We successfully lit our fire using a firesteel and then were carefully guided in building and tending it so that it provided a sustainable and useful source of heat for warmth and cooking.  As the day drew on and the temperature dropped, it became apparent to us just how important fire was to our ancestors.  It is a source of life-preserving warmth as well as providing an amazing feeling of security and comfort in an otherwise hostile setting.

Night around the campfire is a very attractive experience.  A glowing fire, good conversation and a hot cup of tea in a dark wood is something I hadn’t experienced since my early training in the Army (lighting fires is not encouraged in the Army – it tends to give your position away).  Our night in hammocks was a surprisingly comfortable way to sleep in the woods.  Even with gusts of wind blowing rain into my face as I slept, I was warm and relatively undisturbed.

We spent the second day learning how to light a fire using friction (harder than it looks, I’ll have to practice), setting traps (only an exercise, we didn’t catch anything) and exploring the woods learning about sources of nutrition.  One moment sticks in my mind – we were walking past a pool below an attractive waterfall when Andy stopped and pointed to a plant emerging from the boggy poolside.  “This is Meadowsweet” he said and began to dig down with his hands, removing the plant with its roots.  He cleaned the roots and cut away a small piece.  “Smell that” he said, handing us the root.  “Saturday afternoon rugby – liniment” said Bob whilst I was said “Germolene”.  The plant root contains, amongst other things, Salicylic acid.  A plant root which has antiseptic and other medicinal properties – if you run out of aspirin or antiseptic cream.

This was a short taste of bushcraft, but it was fascinating and a very good experience, even though it rained most of the weekend.  I’ve always tended to look on woods as somewhere you pass through on the way to somewhere higher.  I think I’m changing my mind.