First an apology, I'm sorry about the very early last date for newsletter items. This is due to my being in Cornwall until 2nd of May. We have a treat this month, the story of a mountain traverse in Morocco by Pete Kennington. Those who know Pete and Ali will be aware that they are great travellers and should be an inspiration to the rest of us!
The clocks will have changed allowing us rock-hungry climbers to head out onto the real stuff. We'll stick to the tried and tested formula of Harborough Rocks, where there are plenty of easy routes and bouldering, followed by refreshing drinks in Brassington at the Olde Gate. The wet weather option will be the wall at Wirksworth and the Royal Oak. See you all there.
It seems a long time since the club had a meet here. In previous years we have climbed and walked many of the excellent hills around such as Causey Pike, Sail, Grasmoor, Grisedale Pike etc. It's also not too far to drive into Borrowdale for some of the great rock climbing there. Troutdale Pinnacle in clear April light should be great. Then there are the crags of Shepherd's waiting to be climbed. It's a long time since I did Little Chamonix, so I would be up for that if anyone is interested. The hutte is owned by the Fylde M.C with whom we have reciprocal rights, and is situated at G.R. NY 2372 2106. I have ordered some warm Spring sunshine and the daffodils should be out. It is about 1 km. to the Swinside Inn, where I shall be on Friday evening, enjoying a pint or two of Jennings. Give me a ring if you would like to come. I shall be going up on Friday morning to unlock.
Although the Meets List shows a blank for Easter, there will be activity taking place. Some are heading to Swanage but an order has been placed for the best weather to be in Cornwall where it should be hot dry and sunny all Easter week. A small but growing band of Oreads will be staying at Trevaylor Caravan and Camping Park, Botallack, St Just, Penzance, Cornwall TR19 7PU (Tel: 01736 787016,... Email: trevaylor@cornishcamping.co.uk) from Saturday 11 to 18 April. Apart from the fantastic and varied climbing, the area has walking, beaches, pubs, some of the best chip shops around, and so the list of superlatives goes on. It will be well worth the drive, so please come and join us.
This is a joint meet with the Gloucestershire Mountaineering Club who will be thirsting to get their hands on grit - a rare commodity in Gloucestershire! It's a great opportunity to not only use the Derbyshire Hut, but to meet another club and share thoughts/knowledge of favourite routes and local crags. We've been looking to get Heathy Lea back in the picture, so let's have a good response from all you Oreads! Tony R will be in the Robin Hood Friday evening, and on Saturday after climbing we can decide whether to relax at the pub later on, or around a bonfire. Currently considering Curbar / Froggatt for the Saturday (but Stanage / Millstone are contenders), and walking distance crags ( Birchens / Gardoms) for Sunday - let me know what you favour. Look forward to seeing a good turnout - the sunshine is already booked………… To book a place contact Tony Raphael If you have any difficulty getting me then contact Mike Wren (See you there)
As I'm organising the first May Bank Holiday meet -I've decided it's going to be in South Devon, within reach of the granite moors of Dartmoor, and the limestone sea cliffs of Torbay.
One of the main venues for climbing in this area is The Dewerstone, just north of Plymouth, with over 130 routes, from Diff upwards - with grades to suit us all. Just one piece of information -
there has been a rock fall around Climbers' Club Ordinary, so that area is apparently dangerous to climb on. Shame about the Classic Rock tick, but there is plenty besides that, and it is in a very pretty location.
See links:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=206
http://www.rockfax.com/databases/results_crag.html?id=351 online guide:
http://javu.co.uk/Climbing/Guides/Dewerstone/Dewerstn.pdf
Other crags of interest will be Haytor and Lowman , Chudleigh (said to be polished, but also apparently a good 'bad weather' crag - not all hard grades) and the seacliffs . There is a bird ban restricting any climbing on the Old Redoubt,
but quite a lot of Berry Head is available.
See links:
http://www.javu.co.uk/Climbing/SouthDevon-Dartmoor/index.shtml
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=410
Main guidebook: South Devon & Dartmoor by Nick White published by Cordee. I have made a group booking at Parkers Farm campsite, where Oreads can be together in one area. Cost per pitch for one tent,
one car and 1-2 people: £9 per night. Child in addition: £2 per night. (This is on a 'standard' pitch if you look at the website where tariffs are clearly marked). http://www.parkersfarm.co.uk/touring.html
Booking your place. Because it is a Bank Holiday, if we wish to be together, we will need to book with a deposit. They require £25 per person, if for 3 nights (as the total would be £27 anyway, it might make sense to pre-pay all of it). They require individual booking forms. I am happy to do your booking for you, if you let me know that you are definitely coming and let me have the deposit. Alternatively you can book online individually, but make sure you mention Oread so that you get into the Oread area (assuming you want to be!) If you look at the web link - http://www.parkersf arm.co.uk/ commoninfo2. html and scroll down to the plan of the site, I believe we have all of the "S" terrace reserved at the moment, but I would like to secure this as soon as possible.
Main points about campsite: Located just off the A38 about halfway between Plymouth and Exeter. New shower and washing blocks - free hot water. Level sites. On-site restaurant/takeaway and shop (but nearest village just 30 minutes walk away for more interesting hostelries). Able to arrive and set up until 10 pm Friday night (no later). Drive to crags: Dewerstone - 45mins. Haytor - 20 mins. Chudleigh - 15 mins. Berry Head - 35 mins. Please contact me by any of these means to express interest/reserve a place: Hope to see you!!
Well the transient white stuff has almost gone - it's now time for sun rock (well May/June). We're doing a spring trip to Croatia again - good for the penurious as it's not in the Euro zone. The duration will be a week or so preferably mid week - flights to suit the parsimonious. The climbing has everything - sports routes but better multipitch bolted routes and also traditional routes. Many in the lower grades. Accommodation will be in Stalingrad where robber Dan can rip Irwin off again. Availability last week May but mid week to perhaps mid June. Anyone interested let Chris Wilson know before the end of April so we can finalise details of exact dates.
What with a 60th birthday approaching and nothing planned, a wet summer with nothing done, dark nights and cold weather looming, a dry and sunny mountain location was required. We didn't relish the thought of a long haul flight, so what was close and interesting enough to make the effort? We spotted the Traverse of the High Atlas in Morocco, 18 days walking, a 200 mile journey with three 4000m peaks on the way, lots of camping and only £695 each excluding flights, seemed ideal so we booked. We arranged our own flight into Marrakech and arrived early to savour the ambience of the souks and to meet up with the trek leader who, a few days earlier, had been blown off Toubkal with her group. A mini bus took us to the remote village of Idouklan a 6 hour drive from Marrakech and situated in a verdant valley full of apple and walnut orchards ready for harvest. Some rain the night before had washed part of the road away and our donkeys were late arriving but our group assembled and with muleteers, guide and cook, our small team eventually set off. It took us two days to reach Tarkeddit at 2900m after crossing the first of many 3000m passes. We camped here but there is a small refuge, as the ascent of Mgoun (4069m) is becoming more popular, due to its grand setting, with a long rocky ridge (4km) and views to the Sahara. It took another 12 days to reach the Toubkal Refuge, travelling through small Berber villages all busy with the harvest but subdued for the period of Ramadan. The trail traversed rocky gorges and small mountain paths requiring our full attention. High passes provided well earned views across the extensive Atlas Range and the sun beat down on us most of the way. A storm on my birthday provided a few exciting river crossings, no mere paddle but full raging torrents, something to be wary of. Now here's a peak I'd never heard of and could hardly pronounce that provided the most interesting rock scramble of the trip. Situated next to Toubkal, Ouanoukrim (4089m) provided a worthy summit (with snow) but an early start around 5.00am and 6 to 8 hours walking saw it off. No rest for the old man as next day we were up at 4.00am to beat the crowds up Toubkal ( 4167m) In contrast to the previous day the tourist route to the summit was rather dull but it is after all, the highest peak in North Africa and needs to be done. The trek ended in Imlil where a minibus took us back to Marrakech in a couple of hours.
Trip details It can be very hot in the summer and snow covered in the winter, September/October was comfortable with warm days and cold nights, much of the trek is over 2000m We flew Manchester direct to Marrakech with Thompson's for around £200 return. We camped most of the way with a few nights in village gites arranged by KE Adventure. Apart from the Toubkal area, maps detailed enough to find the route are difficult to come by. The guide and most of the muleteers knew the best trails and alternatives if the route has been washed away as happened to us! A set of photos showing the changing scenery is on Facebook if anyone wants more details. Pete and Ali Kennington
We are looking for people to take part in our sponsored abseil down Derby Cathedral tower and we were wondering if Members of Oread would be able to help? Would be so kind as to forward this to all your members as a once only.
People who did the abseil two years ago said "I was made to feel relaxed", "the people at the top did a superb job", "I want to do it again! Again!!"
Abseilers will need to be aged 14 or older, and will need a minimum of £100 in sponsorship or £60 in sponsorship if you are not in full time employment. So please join us and share in this very exciting and fulfilling experience. To participate in this event, please see the website below. There is a £15 registration fee (please make cheques out to 'Derby Cathedral Chapter', this pays towards the insurance, administration and all additional equipment involved for the abseil, so every penny you raise goes to both charities. I have also attached information sheet about the Derby Mountain Rescue Team and Derby Cathedral Chapter on the great work they do for us. Registration is filling and we have limited time slotted places for the weekend, first come. Please help us raise important funds for both charities, we look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Nic Berry See us online - www.DerbyCathedral.org or www.DerbyMRT.org.uk Cathedral Abseil - 18 / 19 Iron Gate , . Derby . DE1 3GP
Each month, as secretary, I get numerous emails with "special" offers. These usually find their way into the recycling bin but just sometimes they have interest. One recently came from a student at Bangor University trying to recruit participants for a research project. The study is looking at lead climbers placing their own protection (i.e., Trad. climbing), and how differing relationships between the climber and their belayer affect performance and anxiety levels. Participants would only be required to lead one route of their choice, at one grade below their current maximum grade. They would be asked to fill in a few questionnaires, taking no more than 20mins, some before and some after the climb. If anyone would like a questionnaire posting/emailing to them please contact Andy Miller (tel 07917061309) (email.peu47d@bangor. ac.uk) or Ollie Rowley (07871886248) (peu40d@bangor. ac.uk). Chris Wilson.
Thank you all for attending the indoor meets this season. We had a better year than last year. We made a small profit on the season of £86.30 and the average attendance over the 6 evenings was about 48 per night. I would now like you to think about next season's programme.
I plan to begin the season again with a Members' Evening where about 8 or 9 people will present some of their pictures, each in a 10 minute slot. The other 5 nights will I hope be either presentations by professionals, interesting non-members or by individual Club members. In some cases a split evening might work well.
That is, where two members each talk for half the evening. So, if you would like to:
· make a presentation one evening
· do a half-evening talk
· do a 10 minute slot at the Members' evening or
· suggest a potential professional or just a non-Oread speaker
then please get in touch with me as soon as possible. Please tell me which of the above you would like to do and what your subject matter would be.
It was very nice to see some 'golden oldies' at some of the talks again. Can I suggest that since we no longer have Tuesday evening meetings at the pub,
then a monthly meeting with your old mates & other newer Club members at Ockbrook would be a very pleasant evening and a good chance for many of us to meet as a Club. I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Best wishes, Tony Howard.
I have agreed to organize an Alpine meet this summer - if possible. I would like to know who is interested, where you would like to go & when you are available to go. For many of you this will depend on when the school holidays start: some have to go then,
others would like to avoid crowds & go earlier. If there are a lot of people interested, we might even find it best to have a 'rolling' meet that starts before the schools break up & finishes in August some time. So can you please tell me ASAP:
If you would like to go & how many you speak for (e.g. Hayes might =4)
Where you would like to go (feel free to make more than one suggestion)
When you would like to go preferably stating -
Your latest return date (your last possible day in the Alps).
Also please feel free to extol the virtues of your preferred venue in terms of:
The climbing
The campsite
The quality of the scenery & the walking
Family suitability, restaurants etc
All this might help others to warm to your choice - I will pass this information on.
Once I get some idea of numbers & a shortlist of ideas, we can discuss options collectively & I can start to put plans in place, book a campsite etc.
I look forward to hearing from you ASAP,
Tony Howard.
Spring is sprung. The grit is warming up and the President's fingers are itching for more real rock. The clock's have gone forward and Oreads will soon start appearing on local crags in the evening sunlight. If you want to join them, the best way is to join the Oread email group. Failing that, feel free to phone or email me and I will enlighten you as to where we'll be climbing. Simon
We have negotiated with The Junior Mountaineering Club of Scotland (Edinburgh section) for reciprocal rights at their huts. They are:-
The Alpine Club's Spirit of Mountaineering Initiative, is designed to recognise and encourage selfless behaviour on mountains. The link is http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/alpineclub/AlpineLeafletFull.pdf
Victoria Bate has applied for membership of the club. Will anyone with views about her suitability, please speak to the committee.
Thank you for paying your subs a little earlier this year - this has made my job easier, and has enabled me to finalise the membership list earlier than last year.
Your individual BMC membership numbers are shown on the list. If you have joined relatively recently, we have not yet been informed of your number by the BMC, but be assured that your BMC membership and 3rd party insurance are valid as soon as you pay the Oread.
Oread pays £11.75 on your behalf to the BMC in respect of your club membership of the BMC. If you are a member of more than one BMC affiliated club, or are also a full individual member of the BMC, this fee has been paid more than once. You can reclaim this money using the application form attached to this newsletter. You do not need to fill in the form if you reclaimed last year. There are also details of how to upgrade to full individual membership of the BMC.
Details of your BMC 3rd party insurance are set out in the attached "take cover" piece.
Please note that hut fees should always be paid to me and no one else.
We would like to say a special thank you to the members on the Oread meet at Tan-yr-Wyddfa in March,who gave up a lot of their time, not to mention the effort involved in cleaning the hut after the builders. H.S.C.