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NUNEATON
MOUNTAINEERING CLUB
NEWSLETTER 13 August 2005
Edited by Colin
CONTENTS
Can you survive Debra’s trip?
More news from the Ward’s, Name that
car, Skirrid scurrying, The dearest pint in the West? The cheapest whisky
anywhere? The Jungles of Herefordshire, Esc-ce que vous comprenez le
francais? Andrew’s cunning competition
and much, much more.
PROGRAMME AUGUST 2005 –
FEBRUARY 2006 Matt
August 13th – 14th
Climb,
Camp and walk in the Roaches with Matt.
September 2nd – 9th
Spain. Picos mountains with Richard.
September 9th – 10th
Dark Peak navigation weekend. Bleaklow area with Andrew.
October 5th (Wednesday) Committee meeting at Andrew’s
house in Witherley. Open to all
members.
October 14th – 16th Mid Wales and
Offa’s Dyke weekend based at Kington Youth Hostel with Colin.
A
chance to do those hard to get at mountains of mid Wales.
October 20th (Thursday) Annual General Meeting.
November 11th – 13th Lake District. Bell cottage (near Helvellyn). Club pre - Christmas meet with Eileen. The bunkhouse is limited to 16 places so book
early.
December 10th White Peak. Dovedale / Milldale area with David
January 14th – 15th
Camping
/ Bothy weekend in north Wales with David.
February 11th Brecon
Beacons with Nick.
February 17th – 21st
Scottish Highlands. Crianlarich Youth Hostel with Matt.
Other Events - all welcome!
What When Make
yourself known to
Wilderness survival course September (TBA) Debra
French (with a mountain
slant) TBA Andrew
(Weather dependant) Tuesday
Evenings 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 - SURVIVAL
COURSE Debra
Been looking at prices for
the above and it looks like it’s going to work out to be
approximately:
£100 (bring your own food) Bearclaw Bushcraft School.
£150 (food included) Dead fish and rabbits!! Bison Bushcraft.
I've contacted several other companies and I'm just waiting for more
information.
I've also tried the Ray Mears School of Bushcraft but that's fully booked until
half way through October.
Course content covers safe use of cutting tools, sheath knifes (to keep), fire
lighting, collection and purification of water plus shelter building. Course content may vary with different
schools.
Based in Wales e.g. Brecon Beacons. All
based outside for the whole of the weekend.
I need to know numbers ASAP. If we
leave it any later we might not be able to get a weekend in September. I'll update you as and when I can.
Latest Update
Found a course running in the Brecon Beacons either on the 9th-11th
or the 23rd-25th September.
A bit more expensive at £150 but looks comprehensive. See link www.uksurvivalschool.co.uk
I've also looked at the Cambrian Survival School (details that Rachel gave me)
but they don't have a suitable course for the time we require.
My home e-mail address is debra @ commins1969.fsnet.co.uk
Tel: 7639 9138.
Please get back to me to confirm your place.
COMING UP - STAND-UP
COMEDY NIGHT Michele
If anyone is interested in a stand-up comedy
evening to take place from 8pm on Friday 7th October at Bedworth
Arts Centre then please contact Michele ASAP.
COMING UP - FRENCH FOR
CRAG RATS, ETC. Andrew
A few words of detail about
the item on the programme.
Rough plan: Informal
French class (all levels).
Atmosphere: Accepting, supportive, fun, not too
serious.
Time, place: From September, one night a week,
about 1½ hrs, in a home.
Topics: General conversation,
survival skills, but also mountain and outdoor sport theme.
Longer-term: Leading to a visit to France -
climbing, walking, and mountain appreciation - ideally with
contact with like-minded French mountaineering group.
If interested, please see
Andrew.
AUGUST MEET – THE ROACHES (13th
– 14th) Matt
Camp at Hen Cloud and either
climb or walk, whichever takes your fancy.
A day trip is also possible so make yourself known to Matt ASAP.
SEPTEMBER MEET –
NAVIGATION WEEKEND (9th
– 10th) Andrew
When I began hill-walking I
wouldn't leave the paths and I wouldn't venture above the cloud base for fear
of getting lost. But when I learned to
navigate with confidence I began to go wherever I wanted in any weather - day
or night. It marked a change in my
relationship with uplands and mountains - a bit like letting go of the barrier
when you learn to skate.
This weekend is for anyone
who wants to learn to navigate or to practise and extend the range of
navigation techniques they already possess.
I hope a number of experienced club members will be available to share
their skills and knowledge. No pressure
- just do as much or as little as you wish.
Absolutely no previous experience needed.
There should also be longer
walks in the North Peak District for those who want to extend themselves.
If you are thinking of
coming, please let me know within 2 weeks of the newsletter appearing. Would you rather camp or go to a youth
hostel? If we want a youth hostel in
that area we'll have to book it early. (I’m sure this is also suitable for those
wishing to go for only one of the days as the Peak District is not so far
away. Ed.)
OCTOBER MEET – KINGTON (14th – 16th) Colin
Kington is about 100 miles
away in Herefordshire on the A44 west of Leominster and the plan is to stay at
the new youth hostel which is reported to be good. On Saturday I’d suggest travelling about 32 miles west to the
Elan valley near Rhayader to tackle the remote Drygarn Fawr and Gorllwyn.
On Sunday we could have a local
walk directly from the hostel on Hergest Ridge and Bradnor Hill or go to nearby
Presteigne or Knighton where I have never been before and walk some of Offa’s
Dyke.
Day walkers are welcome on
either day but the A44 can be a slow road and you might need to set aside 2 ½
hours travelling time to Kington ready for an 8.30am start. Check for details nearer the time. I’ll be collecting deposits for the hostel
in September.
NOVEMBER MEET – BELL
COTTAGE, PATTERDALE, LAKE DISTRICT
This will be popular as it’s
our pre-Christmas gathering. Cottage
limited to 16 so get your deposit down to avoid disappointment or you’ll be
curled up under a rock on the hill with the likes of Nick and Tony! Enquiries to Eileen when she gets back from
the jungles of Borneo.
COMING UP - HILL WALKING
MILESTONE APPROACHES Colin
Now not that I’m one to blow
my own trumpet (well, sometimes) but an interesting (to me at least)
convergence seems about to materialise.
I now have only four Welsh 2,000ft tops to (climb, collect, bag, knock
off – delete as applicable) while at the same time only seven Marilyns (hills
with at least a 500ft re-ascent) to make the magic 600. As it is possible to complete both lists on
the same day I have decided to ‘out’ myself and give notice that when the
momentous event is imminent I will make it known, and anyone who wishes to join
me for the final walk will be welcome to do so. D-Day is yet to be set, but Y Garn near Dolgellau is a likely
candidate.
NEW OUTDOOR STORE David
A new Blacks store has opened at Ventura
Park (just off the A5- main turning off towards Tamworth with the shopping
complex adjacent to the road). It is
large and well stocked. I was able to
get a 10% discount with my BMC card, but I am unsure whether they would grant
the same discount for NMC members.
WHAT’S YOURS CALLED!? Michele
On a recent trip it was
discovered that many people (including a number of club members) give their
cars names. So did you know that you might have been on a trip in Slobadon,
Leonora or Frank without even knowing it!?
(All you have to do now is match the member with the
car name? And if your car doesn’t have a
name just think what you’ve been missing all this time. Any more car names out there? Out yourself – you know it makes sense. Ed.)
MESSAGE FROM STEVE WARD
Hello all. Just forwarding two messages from Steve
including his email address below. (Matt)
vesseltiggertoo@yahoo.com
1. Should anyone wish to contact me by
E mail, though I only get online about once a fortnight. Much too busy working behind the bar at the
Schooner club, sunbathing, sailing, walking, drinking and planning to do even
more of the same.
Hope everything is fine in the club and look forward to seeing you all sometime
soon.
Steve
Ahoy there shipmates and shiver ma
timbers me old hearties. Looks like
that wos all writ when you wuz in the brig after the Queen’s men got the rum
and bacca!
I also wish to give Keith Hilton credit for getting
the boat name wrong (which is much more fun than blaming myself) as it was him
that supplied the duff information. How
was I to know it was Tigger Too rather than Two or To or 2 or Deux or Tutu for
that matter? - Ed.
MAKE POVERTY HISTORY RALLY Michele
Members of the club have a
wide variety of interests aside from mountaineering, and so it was that I
travelled up to Edinburgh to take part in the MakePovertyHistory rally in
Edinburgh on 2nd July. It was a first for me, as I have never been
to a protest or rally of this kind. Coaches had been arranged from Coventry,
travelling overnight on the Friday night and returning overnight on the
Saturday. There were enough people from Nuneaton that one of the coaches came
via Nuneaton and picked us up at the Bus Station. I travelled with some friends
from church.
It was a good day, with
mostly blue skies and sunshine, without being too hot. There was a main stage
on which various people spoke in the morning and bands played in the
afternoon. There were stalls from all
the supporting organisations e.g. Oxfam, World Development Movement, CAFOD etc.
and a great atmosphere. The number of
people, estimated at 220,000, meant that it took a long while to get out of the
Meadows and onto the march around the streets of Edinburgh but I hope that
people power will push the world leaders into some positive action for the
developing world. It was entirely peaceful (unlike the anarchists who disrupted
Edinburgh a few days later).
If you believe in something,
take positive action, write to your MP, write to the government department
concerned, and join protest groups and do what you can to change things!
Don't
Scurry past the Skirrid Andrew
The Skirrid, or Ysgyryd Fawr
to give it its older name, deserves more recognition. Situated just north of Abergavenny, its main crime is that it is
always on the way to somewhere else. At
486m it is not high, but the mile-long ridge falls away dramatically to the
east, west and north, with an ancient landslip for added drama.
It is also called the Holy
Mountain, and you can just make out the remains of a ruined chapel at the north
end of the ridge. It may have been a
meeting-place for Roman Catholics at a time when this group were persecuted
here.
The views can be
outstanding. Keith Hilton and I went up
there on a Spring day when we could see for miles all round: northward to the Shropshire hills, eastward
past the Malvern’s and across the Severn Valley to the Cotswolds, southward
down the Vale of Usk to the Bristol Channel and beyond to Exmoor, across to
local hills including Blorenge and the Sugar Loaf, and west into the Black
Mountains.
The Skirrid could be included
in a circular walk in the Black Mountains, or for the very fit it could be bolted
on to the Three Castles Walk. You could
stop off on your way to the Beacons and knock it off in no time flat.
But it's God's own country
down there - why go like hell?
(It’s on my list of hills to do in the area. Ed.)
GLEN SHIEL, SCOTLAND 27th
– 30th May 2005 Colin
Nick and Colin travelled up
on the Thursday arriving at about 7pm closely followed by Ann, Tony and Sheila
at the excellent Morvich campsite in Glen Shiel. David was expected on Friday afternoon but in fact arrived at
about 7am after travelling overnight ready for a day on the hill!
Friday morning was calm with
hazy sunshine though rain was expected later.
From the campsite we set off for Beinn Fhada a little known, but very
fine mountain. Climbing was warm work
but once on the ridge there was a light breeze and a number of rocky tops to
traverse. One descending steep rock
step detained us for some time but we eventually got down and headed off for
the summit which was still 2km across a wide plateau. There were still substantial snow patches in sheltered areas so a
bit of the white stuff was thrown around before the cairn and trig point at
1032m were finally reached (now you’re talking). As it was cool on top we moved off for the glen with Nick and
Colin remembering that this was where we had watched John Trow being lifted off
his feet by the wind on a previous occasion.
Early Saturday morning there
was a storm and nothing happened very quickly.
Sheila’s tent looks to be deceased but it survived the rest of the
weekend. Expecting a low level walk on
account of the wind we set off into the forest on the Falls of Glomach
path. At the top of the trees the wind
had moderated so David, Tony and Sheila set off for the Munro A’Glas bheinn
918m which was only 2 ½ km away. Watching
them accelerate up the slope Colin, Nick and Ann wandered down and had a damp
afternoon in Glen Elg checking out the Brochs (Iron Age towers) before looking
into the gloom at the Kyle Rhea ferry crossing to Skye. Meanwhile the Munro baggers reached the top
but had an interesting experience crossing a stream on the descent (which we
had easily crossed the previous day) on account of the storm having filled it
with water.
On Sunday we decided to go
for it even thought the weather was anything but ideal. Nick was going to have a lazy day but drove
us 8 miles down the road so that we could do a linear walk on the Five Sisters
of Kintail. Setting off up the steep
unrelenting 550m ascent slope in drizzle was still warm work but we got up in
just over an hour. Here we were close
to cloud level but by the first top it was threatening to brighten up – sadly
it didn’t. Further along at a rock step
in the mist we called back to say, ‘It’s this way down Sheila’. Only to be answered by a middle aged
gentleman who said, ‘I’m not Sheila!’.
We passed this walker and his friends a number of times during the day
and got quite chatty, as you do. From
here it drizzled and rained a bit and there were even snow showers as we passed
over various Munros to the highest point of Sgurr Fhuaran 1068m – a magnificent
viewpoint, but not today. On Sgurr nan
Saighead there was broken cloud and partial views of the imposing slabs
dropping away into the mist. Eventually
we reached the last sister, still in mist of course, before the steep rough
descent to the track which took us back to Loch Duich. And just to cap things off nicely Nick was
waiting to offer lifts to the campsite and save us that final mile on the
road. Purely out of consideration for
this kind thought Colin and Ann accepted, though the others walked the walk.
For Monday there was only one
choice on anything like a half decent day – The Saddle via the Forcan Ridge. The Saddle is one of the great mountains of
the west coast and even after three ascents by myself will still stand further
inspection. Soon after leaving the road
David began to wilt following his efforts of recent days and decided to go
down. Miraculously however, further up
the hill he caught us up having had a bite to eat and second thoughts. Good choice. After a rain shower we reached the base of the Forcan Ridge where
scrambling and rocky bits began. As the
rock was damp and greasy we stayed on the easiest ground but there was plenty
of interest as we climbed to Sgurr na Forcan.
Mist and drizzle came across from time to time and there were one or two
ascents and descents requiring care but in just less than two hours we
traversed the ridge and made the summit trig (yippee). Views were restricted but the others saw
enough to know that this was a top route to a top spot. Descending to the bealach David, Tony and
Sheila bagged Sgurr na Sgine 945m. On
the steep descent from Faochag Sheila’s knees suffered a bit as they had the
previous day, and there was also a river to cross - so what’s new there. Meanwhile Colin, Nick and Ann wandered down
and tested out the Shiel Bridge Hotel which was deemed suitable for an evening
meal that night and proved to be OK.
SCOTLAND 31st May
– 11th June 2005 Colin
Colin and Nick stayed on in
Glen Shiel as the others left. Needless
to say Tuesday was pristine with warm sunshine, blue skies and fantastic
views. This was our day off before our
hostel and tent backpack starting the following day. The plan was to leave the car at the campsite (we had to leave it
outside the gate!) catch a bus to Cluanie about 14 miles away and walk in to
the remote Glen Affric Youth Hostel which can only be reached on foot.
On Wednesday of course there
was proper rain and we had to pack up and walk two miles to be sure the bus would
stop and pick us up. £4.30 each seemed
expensive for this bus ride but at least the driver pulled over right next to
where the hill track started. At first
the going was easy, but after the track finished we got wet from above and from
the bog below. After 6 miles of this we
were content to get to the hostel and start to dry off.
I like Alltbeithe especially
now there is no need to get water from the stream and they have flush
loos. You have to carry in all your own
provisions but there is plenty of talk of the mountains and it’s dry. Sadly the backpacking was put on hold as the
following day was very wet. Half way up
the hill we were soaked; though we made the col and went on to do the easy
Munro An Socach 920m. On the return by
the same route the streams had filled in only a couple of hours and what we had
stepped across before was now a torrent of white water. Crossing the final stream was inadvisable at
the usual spot so we found a flat area and just waded it – we weren’t going to
get any wetter than we already were. We
spent the afternoon drying out and drinking tea. Not really so bad.
The next day we walked up
Glen Affric and climbed the remote (well it is from the main road) Corbett
Sgurr Gaorsaic and then on to the very fine and prized Munro of Sgurr nan
Ceathreamhnan 1151m. (A pint of foaming ale to the first person to
give a reasonable pronunciation of this Munro under their own steam). Needless to say 300m from the top what
looked like rain for the day arrived and we crossed the narrow rocky ridge in
mist and drizzle. About 100m down the
other side of course the sun came out and we missed the summit views, but at
least it was better than rain for the rest of the afternoon. The walk out to Glen Shiel the following day
took some time but went easily enough. Sods
law again reared its ugly head as only 200m from the car and campsite it threw
it down and we got quite wet!
Moving on to Glenfinnan we
stayed at the independent hostel next to the station which is a converted
railway carriage. Rather cramped but
novel, it made a good base for a few days.
We also met up with my friends Trevor and Sue and together climbed
Streap 909m the following day. Streap
is a very fine mountain but the day was even further enhanced by panoramic
views to the Western Isles, Torridon, Mull, Glencoe, Ben Nevis and lots
more. If days like this could be
guaranteed in Scotland then you’d need to by tickets to get on the hill. We also had the hill to ourselves other than
the deer and ptarmigan.
The following day we saw
Trevor and Sue off on the train to Mallaig for a trip to Knoydart while we
tackled Meall nan Damh and Glas Bheinn just to the south. It was warm work in the valley but higher up
there was a cool breeze. On the summit
of Glas Bheinnn a pair of Golden Plover made it clear we were not welcome and
lower down Nick sorted out the best forest rides and we emerged with an easy
river crossing not far from our starting place.
Moving on to Loch Sunart for
the last few days should have been a good idea but I ended up with a stomach
bug. I will not bore you with what came
out of both ends in the next couple of days but I will pay tribute to Nick who
was content to chill out rather that go on the hill. The campsite at Resipole was very good, right next to the loch,
though there were just a few midges. The area is scenically outstanding with
lots of ancient woodland where we did manage a 4km nature trail at
Strontian. If ever there was a call for
a trip to Scotland without Munros then this would be the place. (Silly me - no Munros - what could I have
ever been thinking).
PORTLAND – DORSET COASTAL
PATH 10th – 12th June 2005 Matt
With Matt, Les, Eileen,
Debra, Mark, Richard, Andrew & Family and Ian & Family
Saturday was a sunny day,
ideal weather for a walk along the cliffs.
Starting from Durdle Door campsite we set off for Swyre Head. Unfortunately there’s a catch, as on most of
the Dorset coastal path, before you climb you drop down to almost sea level, in
this case at ‘Scratchy Bottom’. From
here we set out on the seriously steep climb to the top of Swyre Head. After enjoying the view and getting our
breath back it was steeply down and then steeply up again to the top of Bats
Head. From here it was down once more
and then a more gentle climb to the obelisk, where we sat for a while and took
our second breakfast as tradition demands.
With most of the hard work now done we continued westwards towards the
old coastguard cottages at White Nothe.
The view from the top of White Nothe is excellent, with Ringstead Bay
below. After White Nothe we followed a
path set back from the cliffs to a pub stop at West Lulworth. Here I think I can report the most expensive
beer ever purchased on a club trip.
Richard and myself paid £2.70 for bitter and Les paid a shocking £2.80
for a pint of cider. We decided to get
our own back by flaunting the rules of the establishment and sharing my olives
and salami at the pub garden table. Debra
who decided this criminal behaviour was too much, had her own private picnic on
the village green across the road and waved at us occasionally through the
traffic. Refreshed once again we headed
off for Lulworth Cove, then back on the coastal path to St Oswald’s Bay and
Durdle Door.
Sunday saw us on the
south-west coastal path again. The route was simple - a linear walk from West
Bay to Golden Cap, the highest point on the Dorset coastal path standing at a
massive 191 metres above sea level! Again
steep ascents and descents led us to magnificent views of the sheer cliffs of
the Jurassic coast. After another steep climb to the top of Golden Cap we
retraced our steps to the Anchor Inn at Seatown (not quite as expensive beer as
West Lulworth). All in all it was a
weekend of sunshine, wild flowers and beautiful cliff top walking. Can’t wait to do it again, perhaps
Pembrokeshire next time.
FRENCH ALPS 19th
– 27th June Keith
& Michele
We flew to Grenoble from Luton and then picked up a
hire car to drive 120km east to the Ecrins National Park in the French Alps. Our first 3 nights were spent in the large
village of La Grave. We had our longest
walk (14.5 miles) on our first day, through the Alpine meadows, which were
awash with flowers. Unfortunately Michele had the compass pocket guide to
alpine flowers. This meant we had to
stop at each new specimen to see if it was new to science! The highest point reached was 2365m at the
Col de Souchet, which is on the GR54.
We started the next day by
taking the cable car up to the Meije glacier at 3200m, where we were proper
tourists. After visiting the ice sculptures in the ice cave under the glacier
we escaped the people with a short walk from the mid station of the cable car
to a refuge at 2508m.
Day 3 was a total ‘right-
off’ due to breakdown of our hire car and a resulting taxi ride back to
Grenoble to pick up another car. Eventually,
at 6.30pm that evening we were back where we started and so drove a little bit
further toward Briancon, stopping in Le Monetier les Bains, a resort which
forms part of the Serre Chevalier ski-area in winter. The food at the hotel was very good, so we
decided to spend 2 nights there.
The weather was extremely
hot, even in the villages at 1500m, so we tended to do short events as we would
have been too exhausted (and dehydrated). We did a nice ‘Via Ferrata’ route in the morning at a rockface
above le Bez and returned via a botanical walk. Then it was ‘chill out ‘time, visiting the thermal baths at Le
Monetier.
We then drove the following
day to another valley, Vallouise, further round the Ecrins National Park. We
did another very nice and different Via Ferrata route in the morning. This followed a deep river valley using lots
of cable bridges and ladders. After lunch we walked up from the end of the
valley (1842m) towards the Glaciers Noir & Blanc. The closer Noir Glacier was missing, lost to global warming. We
didn’t get as far as the Glacier Blanc as there were rumbles of thunder and we
did not want to get caught in a storm.
The last day in the Vallouise was the coolest as the
storm had eventually arrived and lingered till the morning. This did mean we
managed a very reasonable length walk. We parked at the top ski-resort at 1600m
and climbed a mountain called La Pendine (2748m). Darker clouds threatened on and off during the day but we only had
our cagoules on for 10 minutes and were in shorts and t-shirts all day. On our way back down we did a loop to a side
valley via a botanical path, which was lovely. Until we reached the side valley we had not seen any walkers all
day!
When we left Vallouise, we drove
back to Grenoble the long way round the edge of the Ecrins National Park via
Gap and back along the Route Napoleon. A
stop was taken for a Sunday afternoon swim with thousands (well, maybe only
hundreds!) of French in a massive lake. Our final night was spent at St Pierre
de Chartreuse in the Chartreuse range to the North of Grenoble, and we managed
a visit to the Chartreuse distillery in the morning on the way back to the
airport!
SUMMER SOLSTICE June 20th
– 21st 2005 David
This year Eddie, Tony and
David made the ascent of Snowdon to welcome the summer solstice. While 20,000
others attended at Stonehenge there were a few hardy souls on the mountain, all
huddled in their sleeping bags or otherwise being frozen to death in the biting
wind. On the whole I feel that we had
the best of it. Who wants to attend an
event with so many others around when compared to the majesty of the mountains?
David & Tony set off from
home at 10 am on Monday night, (20th June) arriving to meet Eddie
for 12.30 am on Tuesday. We ascended via the Pyg track, which has been
considerably upgraded whereby even your granny could now take this route! In less than two hours we were on top,
without using our head torches, just using the moonlight to find our way.
The wind was bitterly cold,
and therefore the use of the four man survival tent was most useful. While
others outside froze to death, we sat inside, and sampled a number of
whiskies. As the dawn approached, a
view was expected but we had to use our imagination for the sun, and returned
to the car in cloud the whole way down whereupon the normal mountain rain swept
in. The descent took just under two
hours.
We are already thinking of
where to go next year.
BLAZING PADDLES REPORT Andrew 
River Wye Descent - July
9th and 10th
Admiral: Andrew
Vice-Admirals: Debra, Michele, Kim, Keith H,
Keith K, Les, Richard, Alastair, Derek, Mark
Logistical Support: Angela (massive thank-you!)
Facts (Sat.) We launched at Mordiford, below
Hereford and camped at Hoarwithy (8 miles downstream).
(Sun.) We
continued down to Ross on Wye (another 10 miles).
Environment:
Beautiful! The Wye is an SSSI for the whole of its
length. Water clean and cool. Wide range of bird life and plants and a
mink. Some beautiful effects of
sparkling water, great shots of back-lit canoeists, especially Mark, who looked
achingly cool in Norwegian trapper hat trimmed with swan's feather. All this against bright water and back-drop
of dark overhanging woods.
Morale:
No-one was thumped. No-one said: ‘It's all your sodding fault,’
at any time. Says it all really. Passed off very peacefully.
Personal view:
I enjoyed it. Lovely to see the boats on the water again. Sorry about the little green bastard. I enjoyed the first day best because the
river was more varied. You had to think
a bit and use a bit of rivercraft.
Next steps:
I'm working on ways of making
the water-tight storage more accessible.
I'd like to do the same again.
I'd also like to tackle some more demanding water. We'd need to get the skills first. No time to open the parasol and play the
ukulele on faster-running water. David
has identified one course at Plas y Brenin.
I'd like to look for one specifically to train us to tackle rapids. Watch this space.
(What, no mention of the Kelly kettle! Reading this I could almost see Bert
Reynolds paddling down the river in ‘Deliverance’ with the sound of Duelling
Banjos in the background. Ed.)
A CHALLENGE David
There has been a move
following the success of the Co-op cheap whisky (single Speyside malt £9.99 for
one litre) consumed in Scotland in February to find the cheapest whisky. On the summer solstice walk, I took another
Co-op special costing just under £8.
Tony now is winning with an Aldi blended whisky for under £7. The hunt is on to see if there are any
cheaper versions. Apart from drinking
they are also good to apply externally on insect bites!
ROUND-UP OF OTHER TRIPS APRIL
- JULY
A bit thin for this edition. If your expedition is not mentioned here it’s either because
you’ve kept it a secret or inertia has prevented you from putting pen to paper
or finger to keyboard. There’s been
more going on, so come on let’s have a full and frank disclosure.
Marlborough Downs 30th
April
Colin headed out from an
Avebury car park full of stone worshipers and hippies straight from the 60’s
onto the Downs where bird song was the order of the day. There were loads of corn buntings,
whitethroat, yellowhammer and linnet as well as wheatear, yellow wagtail and
whinchat – not to mention the common stuff.
After the Ridgeway there was hardly anyone seen on the hill and I had
the ancient Wansdyke almost to myself.
Back at Avebury the car park was heaving with tourists and happy people,
and I stayed just long enough to make use of the nearest ice cream van.
Cloud Trail, Derbyshire 1st
May
Keith and Michele were on
their bikes. Have you been on your bike
recently?
Brecon Beacons 7th
May
Matt, Les, Keith, Michele,
Mo, Brian, Mark and Colin parked at the Neuadd Reservoir at the head of the
Taff valley. It always seems a bit of a
pull at first but once on the ridge there was a steady climb to Corn Du and Pen
y Fan. Here it was blustery but bright,
but by the time we reached Cribyn decidedly cool. Out of the wind however it was very pleasant in bright
sunshine. At Graig Fan Las, the final
top, I took a compass bearing to check the direction and immediately realised
something was wrong – the compass had reversed and south was now pointing to
the north! Once the direction had been
sorted out all was well and there was an easy descent to the Taff Trail and the
cars. Needless to say I invested in a
new compass for Scotland.
Abberley 29th
May
Keith and Michele were out on
these popular Worcestershire hills again.
Ones that Colin has yet to walk!
Northern Carnedds 2nd
July
David, Tony and Colin parked
up at Trasbwll at the entrance to Cwm Eigiau in overcast conditions. Walking to the bothy of Dulyn, where we
might go in January, it brightened up and as we climbed higher there were even
blue skies and sunshine. From Foel
Grach 976m we moved on to Carnedd Llewelyn 1064m where it was cool and
misty. Hoping for views lower down we
moved on to Pen y Helgi Du 833m where the wind became very strong and drizzle
turned to rain. By Pen Llithrig y Wrach
799m it was just as windy and gloomy so we took a bearing and headed for Cwm
Eigiau where it was less blustery but still damp.
Climbing at Markfield 12th
July
David and Les were at a very
hot Markfield Quarry not only struggling with the heat and rock but also an
excess of vegetation in the form of nettles, brambles and gorse. Don’t you just wish you’d had made the
effort to join them?
JUNGLE TRAINING Eileen
Having agreed to lead an expedition to Borneo for World Challenge this
summer I was required, as part of my qualifications, to attend a jungle
training course. The course took place
in the little known jungles of deepest Herefordshire on the last weekend in
June.
It was with some difficulty that I finally found the farm which was to
be our base, despite the two maps they sent me (that’s part of the training Eileen - Ed.) but I finally arrived
for the 10 am start to be met by the two guys, Bob and Steve, who were running
the course, both dressed in army combat style gear. I was not the only one who had had difficulties finding the place
and it was just after 11 am when the final person arrived and we got going.
There were 20 of us on the course, all leaders for World Challenge. We started with a slide show showing jungle
environments and the typical flora and fauna to be found in the various jungles
and rainforests of the world. Bob, the
main man, and owner of the company doing the training, had spent a great deal
of time in jungle locations and was a very knowledgeable and interesting person
to talk to.
After our gentle start in the classroom we moved outdoors to look at
camp site selection. We had to find a camp site location with enough suitable
trees for the hammocks for the whole group, on ground that was unlikely to be
affected by flooding especially flash floods, within reach of running water but
away from standing water and away from animal or insect ‘highways’. Having found a suitable site we were given a
demonstration of how to light a fire in wet conditions. We were shown several ways to start a fire
using various materials, e.g. cotton wool from the first aid kit soaked in
insect repellant, bit of rubber tubing, even gun powder. We were also given a
demonstration on how to erect a shelter and put up our hammocks. It was now lunch time, so we all returned to
the farmhouse for pasta and salad.
River crossing was the first thing on the agenda for the afternoon. We looked at several methods, with and
without the rope and were then informed that in many jungle areas and Borneo in
particular the local people make a bridge over the river by felling a tree and
just walking over it. Having looked at some photographs of these ‘bridges’ which
can be as narrow as a telegraph pole and 4 metres above the water, there is no
way that they will get me on one of those, so I reckon I will be getting very
wet wading across.
We looked at other aspects of camp craft including water collection and
purification and then just to prove that we had been paying attention during
the morning, we were split into three groups, each group had to light a fire,
using wet wood and a single match, fashion a pot stand and boil enough water to
make a cup of tea each. We then had to
select a camp site and put up our hammocks and basha (shelters) ready for the
night.
It was the first time that I had slept in a hammock and was surprised
how comfortable and secure it was. We were then taught other ‘survival skills’
which fortunately did not include having to catch or cook our own dinner. Just to add a bit of reality it rained most of the night but I was warm
and dry and slept well. After breakfast
we looked at personal equipment and then moved on to medical evacuations,
acting out various scenarios, including a helicopter rescue. We finished the
morning with ‘Expedition medicine’ and were shown some slides of horrific
insect and animal bites and various other injuries, which were enough to put
you off going. It was a good session
with lots of useful information and tips on keeping healthy. According to the course brochure we should have covered jungle
navigation, but this was considered too difficult to teach and we were advised
to trust our local guides. Bob, as I said at the beginning, had a lot of experience in jungle
environments and Steve who was a Kiwi ex SAS soldier had a lot of practical
knowledge having spent a good deal of his service in jungles in various parts
of the world. I enjoyed the course which was well run, practical and informative, but
I’m not sure whether having this new information is reassuring or making me
more apprehensive, only time will tell.
OFFA'S DYKE COMPETITION Andrew The old firm - with a couple of new faces - are
tracing the line of Offa's Dyke from North to South. Can you complete their story with the names of towns, villages,
rivers, mountains and other places from along the route? £1.00 to enter.
The usual prize. All proceeds to
Club funds. Entries to reach Andrew within three weeks of date of
issue, please. Caution. A most unseemly incident marred the latter
stages of the walk. People who do not
like this sort of thing had better stop reading when they see this sign (!).
It will not harm their chances of winning. Right
at the start Andrew had to pull out, owing to an infection. "There's no point if you R
h
y l ,"
Michele sympathised. Rachel had no
credit left on her mobile and couldn't work the public telephone. She'd never seen anything so ancient. "P . . . . . . . . ," said Mo, pointing to Button A. After
only ten minutes Richard was already W . . .
H . . . "S . .
. . ," said someone unkindly. An A . . . . path brought
them on to a bare, windy plateau.
"I wouldn't like to spend a K .
. . . . . . here," said
Matt. "Oh, I dunno..."
replied Nick, who was famous for R . . . . . it whenever possible. In
the next town Colin bought a Big Issue
from a girl with a lurcher on a string.
"I don't mind buying things," he explained, "but I don't
like it when they just sit there C . . . . . A . . . " Things
might have turned ugly when David accidentally trod on a C . . . . . . . in a bar, but Rob managed to smoothe
it over. Just outside town, a friendly
group of archaeologists invited some of the group to C . .
. . . . with them, but no-one broke
ranks. "These woods are famous for
dormice," said Eileen, "though I don't think we'll see O . . . this time of year. They'll have started their W . . . . . .
. L . . . by now. Les
started to force the pace as they approached Bronydd. "W . . the
hurry?" asked Ann. "It's
going to T . . . down in a minute
and I want to make H . .
while the sun shines." (!) As they approached the Black Mountains a woman's voice made them all
turn suddenly. "CooEEE! TonEEE!" There, stretched out in the Autumn bracken, was Tony's friend
Astrid from the University of Uppsala Women's Mountaineering Club. She was gazing up dreamily at . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Isn't it magnificent!" she sighed. "I'd seen pictures of it in books, of
course. But nothing could have prepared
me for its sheer size and rugged grandeur.
It's no wonder the club come back year after year. We have nothing half as impressive back home
in Sweden." The
rest of the walk was uneventful in comparison. Yes! I want to enter the Offa's
Dyke competition. I enclose £1.00 Name .........................................................................................................