December ‘04
Members enjoyed another wonderful weekend of glorious late autumn sunshine for the President’s Meet ‘04. President Elvyn announced Kirsty H to receive the President’s Award for her climbing, mountaineering and Gold Duke of Edinburgh achievements throughout the past year. Congratulations to Kirsty, our youngest recipient to date. Unfortunately Kirsty had not been able to attend the meet so the shield was presented to her proud parents. TAT award’s went to many of the usual suspects although one was left behind! See Mark Hardy if you wish to claim it!! We’ve got a packed newsletter and the Club looks forward to 2005 which is a milestone in our history. To mark this special year we’ve got an exciting programme of events including an Anniversary Dinner with Mick Fowler as our guest of honour and after dinner lecturer. Then later that same month Simon Yates is giving his lecture “Beyond the Void”. See articles below for more details. We also have some new meets venues plus other old favourites, regular events such as the skittles match and potentially other surprises to be revealed later in the year... So if you want to walk off some of the Christmas excesses John T is leading a Pud Walk in Shropshire on 27th Dec and Ed’s taking bookings for the next meet at Coniston in January. Merry Christmas – Ho! Ho! Ho!
Coniston 15/16th January ‘05
Bookings now being taken for the hut meet on 15 January. If you didn’t go on any meets during 2004 – now’s your chance – let’s make 2005 a year to remember – go burn some lard. Click to view full meets list.
Simon Yates: Beyond the Void
As part of the clubs 25th anniversary celebrations, we’ve booked Simon to do a slide show / lecture on Wed 23 March 2005, 7.30pm at Lutterworth Grammar (his old school). Tickets will be £7 and we’re expecting it to sell out. I’ve already had quite a few enquiries and the tickets haven’t even been printed. Tickets go on sale January 13th and HMC members will have obviously have priority, but don’t delay in securing your ticket. For tickets contact Ed or any member of the current committee.
25th Anniversary Do
The venue is Hinckley Golf Club (Friday 4th March ‘05) and Mick Fowler will be providing the after dinner entertainment/slide presentation. The menu will be available soon so we hope you’ll come along and support this milestone of HMC - it’ll be a great night. If you’re in touch with former members then we’d be happy for them to join us too. Contact Andrea or Ed for more details.
Xmas Pud Walk – Monday 27th December
Once again John T will be leading the annual “Pud Walk”. This year he’s heading back to his old stomping ground with a walk of around 9 miles in his beautiful home county of Shropshire. There will also be the chance to purchase more pud in the pub at the end of the route.
Elvyn and Marie’s Slide Evening
The Haig’s kindly hosted another successful evening with many members enjoying a meal followed by a selection of slide presentations. Once again there was a great diversity of subjects ranging from images of Westonbirt Arboretum, to trips around New Zealand, Skiing the Haute Route and, to tempt those considering a trip to Italy in 2005, Via Ferrata. Thanks to Elvyn and Marie for their hospitality to make the night possible.
FAB FOUR Bag More (Munros)
Straight after the Presidents Meet, myself, Andy A, AndyT and Paul B went up to Ratagan YH near the Kyle of Lochalsh. This was to be my third attempt at the South Cluanie Ridge, taking in seven Munro’s in a single expedition, and AndyT’s second attempt. Andy A & Paul were new to the area so they didn’t know what to expect.
The forecast was correct and as we set off with a slight drizzle, we wondered whether things were going to perk up or not. Anyway, we bagged the first summit seeing loads of deer on route and, as the day went on, the weather picked up and so did we. You could see all of the tops stretching out in front of us and we had it all to ourselves.
I won’t bore you with the details, but we bagged the lot and came off in the dark. The descent off the final hill was tortuous but well worth the effort. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that just as we were within sight of the car, we had to ford a river and someone fell completely in. We all agreed not let anyone know who it was, as Paul’s already got too many Tat awards as it is!
Next day we slobbed it, and why not too. So we drove over to Skye and had a few beers. Wednesday we bagged another, Thursday we drove down to stay at Pete & Cheryl’s in Oban and Friday returned, although we should have done some more walking – the motorway was dreadful. Roll on Glencoe. Eddie.
Ted’s Presidents Meet 2004 Boot
Saturday - With new members Emma and Paul, Brian K and I headed straight from the hostel up the south ridge of Sca Fell . Paul, probably embarrassed by his tropical white trousers soon decided that they made him too conspicuous on the hill, so, at the first opportunity he plunged waist deep into the first bit of soggy, brown sticky bog. Now, more in tune with nature with his environmentally friendly trousers, he continued the walk. In the meantime Emma, fit young thing that she is, kept racing on ahead and chatting to every walker she met, we understand that she called everyone Brian or Andy, strange that. We soon reached the summit of Sca Fell via Slight Side, weather fine with a little clag on top. Lunch part one here. Decided not to leap off Broad Stand to Mickledore, but descended to Foxes Tarn, just beyond the tarn we noticed a path branching off to the left on what turned out to be a “Climbers Traverse “around the crags of Sca Fell leading up to Broad Stand. Saved a hundred foot or so of extra descent to the path. Up to a crowded Scafell Pike for lunch part two. Returned to Eskdale via Little Narrowcove, on to Great Moss which we left and trekked over the higher path to Scale Bridge and Taw House and a short road section back to the hostel. Time for dinner for, Brian, Emma and me, time for the hostel laundry for Paul.
Sunday - Ted, Brian and Emma. Paul, resplendent in freshly washed trousers, waved us goodbye for this trek up Yewbarrow on the west side of Wastwater. A fine little hill with a very steep ascent straight from the car park. A broad ridge with excellent views, especially of the Scafells with not a cloud in sight. The descent at the north end is a fine scramble down to Dore Head where we met the first walker of the day. Up to Red Pike and return past Scoat Tarn and down the Nether Beck to the car park and the long journey home.
AGM 18.11.04
Thanks to all who attended the AGM. Whilst full minutes of the meeting will be available at the Black Horse, the following key points may be useful to know:
v £15.00 membership for 2005 (due January 2005)
v EGM (for paid up members only) on 3rd February 2005 - changes to constitution as previously circulated
v 16 December 2004 Christmas Do
v Any Other Business - discussion about promoting the Club
The Committee
Following the AGM these are the current committee members. We welcome Andrea E as our Social Secretary. Andrea will have a busy year as the Club plans to mark its 25 years - so be warned she may be asking for your help and will definitely be hoping that you’ll support the club’s events. All other committee members were re-elected.
2004 has been for me a year of major change with some pleasant experiences and others not so. The main event for the year was my move from Lima to Buenos Aires in early April. I had in fact been considering the move since early 2003 and delayed it, but then some unpleasantness with the Peruvian police made me decide that it was no longer healthy for me to remain there so I upped sticks. (That is a story for another day.) Although the two cities are on the same continent they are worlds apart and really Buenos Aires is a European city displaced across the Atlantic Ocean. I would say it is directly comparable to Barcelona (another city I know well) the big difference being that Argentina is incredibly cheap by comparison. I am now well settled here.
Other travels this year have been in February when I spent 5 days at a beach hotel in northern Peru near the border with Ecuador before travelling by bus to Quito for a week visiting old friends there. In early July I crossed the River Plate and had two nights in Montevideo but it rained non-stop while I was there so I didn’t see too much of the city. However, while there I visited the football stadium where the first World Cup final was played in 1930 (won by Uruguay). In September I journeyed back to the old continent and stayed 3 nights Barcelona, 3 nights Loughborough, 11 nights Manchester, 1 night Oxted, and 6 nights Barcelona. The only downside of the trip was the journey on Iberia and the weather in Manchester both of which were foul; the rest of the time was excellent and I saw a lot of old friends.
Since arriving in Buenos Aires I have re-joined the volunteer staff of the South American Explorers (SAE) organisation as their Argentina representative. (I worked for the SAE previously at the Lima clubhouse for a couple of years). The part-time, unpaid position involves researching travel information at the request of SAE members. I no longer design websites but still do free-lance website optimisation (which put very simply means I know how to get a website a higher ranking on Google).
Unfortunately old age has started to catch up on me and my health has deteriorated somewhat this year. In late ‘03 I started getting symptoms of arthritis and this has steadily worsened during ’04. Also during November I had an infection that affected my kidneys and although I have now recovered, water is the only tipple I can manage for the foreseeable future. However, life here is still very bearable and I have been to top class symphony concerts, ballet, opera, jazz, theatre, rugby and football, all at amazingly low prices (in comparison to UK). Shopping is just as cheap so I can live quite comfortably on my UK pensions. The climate is also very similar to Barcelona or other Mediterranean city. The people are nearly always friendly and kind and it is a real pleasure living here. During the coming year I hope to be able to travel more within Argentina to places like Mendoza, Salta, Bariloche and maybe Iguazú (again). I also have an idea to have a holiday in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil which is waiting to be knocked off my list of places to visit.
The last time I went to Dartmoor was the Queens Silver Jubilee week (Queen Elizabeth II that is) 30 years ago. So it was time to pay a return visit with my wife Carol. Stayed in farm B&B in Mary Tavy with the pub, “The Elephants Nest” a few hundred yards down the road. Good beer, good food.
Oct 25. We retraced the footsteps of our walk from thirty years ago, it was still marked on my old One Inch Tourist Map. Having checked that there wasn’t any shooting going on, and seeing the size of the guns makes one wonder on the size of the birds, we left Postbridge and headed over the moor to reach the famous letterbox at Cranmere Pool. Here we signed the visitor’s book left two postcards in the famous letter box (established in 1854). The cards arrived home before we did.
Oct 26, Started from Meldon Reservoir and walked to Dartmoor’s highest point High Willhays and Yes Tor, 2038ft. A very fine day, with a splendid views to Torbay in one direction, Plymouth in another and northwards to the Bristol Channel, Lundy Island and South Wales, all visible to the naked eye. (Note to quiz freaks, Devon is the only county which has two separate coasts).
Oct 27. Weather which had been fine changed to persistent heavy rain. We moved to Princetown, home of Dartmoor prison and the Plume of Feathers pub, which boasts not only a campsite but also a bunkhouse over the pub. Splendid beers and good food.
However before the beer and food, one final walk, this time south to Foxton Mires, the setting for Arthur Conan Doyles “Hound of the Baskervilles”. This is several square miles of absolute sodden man eating bog. It was raining, it was misty, it was soggy and there was this massive dog with blood-covered fangs following us. OK I made that last bit up. So we headed back to Princetown and spent an interesting hour going around the Prison Museum before our last evening in the Plume and Feathers. Dartmoor. Well worth a visit.
Sixteen and a half weeks had elapsed since the birth of son and heir and I was eagerly anticipating my first proper meet since Grasmere (literally a lifetime ago!). I was all set, get a lift with Carolyn the reformed beer monster (to avoid falling asleep at the wheel) and hire a bike, no problemo nice relaxing weekend. Well that was the plan, I got home early and as I walked though the door Carolyn rang to say that she was unable to go on the weekend. Never mind I could drive, plenty of loud music and I could take Ed’s bike, better ring him to tell him the news, and I learn that he isn’t taking his bike and that he has a space in the car. Sorted.
The usual Eddie lift ensues, we narrowly miss getting caught in a huge traffic jam and generally avoid the speed cameras taking Ed’s photo again by me gently reminding him where they were and with him braking furiously at the appropriate moments.
The hut was easy to find, cavernous and a gnats cock from the pub, what a well researched venue! Beers, catch up with a few folk, bed and up, keen as mustard and slightly(?) hung over. Problem was the bike hire shops open at 9.30am. I had decided that rather than risk snapping my venerable old Dawes on the rocky bits that adorn the Coed-Y- Brenin trails that I would hire something with suspension. I knew I was unfit and I settled on the best one I could get without actually having to buy it (A demo Scott something or other). The mountain bikers amongst the group were impressed, so I started towards the front of the pack with a degree of confidence on the sleek machine. After about a mile I heard that Dave P had already had a spill and stuffed his derailleur into his rear wheel (bummer) and he soon retired after catching me up (now at the back) to inform me of his decision.
I knew the day was going to well when suddenly and without much warning the engine packed up. I felt very sick, and quickly diagnosed one too many tops. This was the start of a intermittent engine problems on the uphill bits throughout the day, but I was joined by Andy C for most of my uphills whose only comment was that you could tell those with small children back at home – good observation. The route we were following was The Karrimor Route, 38km in distance and 1110m in height gain, a route according to the brochure that is “only suitable for experienced mountain bikers”, well we had Ken, Callum and Andy A with us who were and everyone else who probably weren’t. But HMC members never let lack of experience get in the way, just look at Ackie whose first (and last) Alpine trip was solely to climb Mont Blanc. The route itself had some fantastic and quite technical down hills (well I thought so), but claimed another victim in Andy A but taking a chunk out of his chin on a flat bit!
The day wore on and we traversed big chunks of Welsh landscape mainly through the wood, but sometimes topping out and getting some good views. A café stop allowed me to analyse the map at about 2pm. And Me, Swampy, Andy C and Paul B decided to call it quits and head back to the start without too much more uphill; cramp was now a serious problem for some people. The remaining crew headed off to tackle the NE corner loop, which I understand had lots of uphill and some very precarious downhill. They called it quits missing out the final loop in the gathering darkness.
The Ed’s meanwhile were rambling sans carte, sandwich ou boisson. Apres quelque heures Ils sont tres perdu. Er indoors et le sprog were not very happy with Ed. He meanwhile was quite philosophical “at least we didn’t come down into the wrong valley. Trowie and crew completed a walk up Cadair Idris and his report follows. The mountain bike centre is well equipped with a bike jetwash station, a café and plenty of Pay and display parking. The riding itself was good and I’ll make sure that next year I’m fit enough to fully enjoy a day out on the bike.
A Hard Day on Cadair Idris
I set off from Plas Isa Cottage accompanied by Brian K, Tim G, and new member Hilary L. After leaving the car park, the ascent along the Minfford Path was immediate and particularly painful for me after the excesses of the night before! During the day we bagged five “Nuttall’s” and from Craig Cwm Amarch, Lyn Cau below us looked a mottled black and silver colour. A slog over Craig Cau brought us to the summit of Cadar Idris at 893 metres for the regulation summit shots. It was freezing on the summit and we were greeted by a flurry of snow. Hilary managed to mug a female Welsh walker for half a bar of Aero. Good move! After a quick inspection of the shelter, and rejoined by Tim after he’d detoured to pick up Cyfrwy, we left for Myndd Moel and a sunny lunch stop there. Moving along the ridge we followed a wall then dropped down to a path. Brian and Hilary set the pace and I hung on in behind them, still suffer the after effects…It was an interesting descent over Gau Craig, scrambly in places. We hit the road again at Bwlch-Coch and had a quick coffee break before we followed the road back to our cottage. After 9 miles and about 3,500 ft, despite the aggravation of being totally knackered my spirits soon lifted after a few cups of tea and homemade cake. John T
Don’t forget to plan your New Year resolutions well. Eg. take more exercise (aka – book onto hut meets); talk to old friends (aka – tell ex-members what they can get involved in for 2005); be motivated and inspired by others (aka – come along to hear Mick Fowler and Simon Yates!); be more creative (aka – write an article for the newsletter) etc. Thanks to all who have contributed to the newsletter and website over the year. Items, articles and/or adverts are always gratefully received in whatever format suits you best (my address and email details are at bottom of page).