June 14 - 15 Tan -Yr-Wyddfa : BBQ
June 18 (W) Midsummer Madness
June 21 H L : BBQ Cancelled
June 22 Summer Stroll: cancelled
July 5-6 Wasdale Head
As indicated in last month's newsletter, I will be running a BBQ at TYW. Wales of course offers some of the best climbing in the UK and I'm looking forward to getting out on the cliffs in brilliant summer sunshine, before a convivial evening eating low calorie beef burgers & sausages! There will be prize for the hardest climbing done on the Saturday, and another weighted for age. Come & join me - I expect a good weekend. There are now only a few places left, so if you want to come please let me know ASAP
Sadly last year's efforts at something slightly less ordinary found few takers, so this year I intend to climb at the infinitely variable Burbage North. In the event of excessive heat (!!), I shall retreat to the coolth of Burbage South. How many of you have climbed the sandbag Roof Route, once V Diff, now steadily making its way through the grades? Afterwards at The Fox House.
I first put these seasonal walks on the Meets List when I was Meets Secretary in the early 90s. These are not exactly "my kind of thing" but the ones I have been on have been some of the best attended events of the Oread calendar. Look guys (© A R P Blair) there is a limit to the amount of disappointment I can take in attempting to recruit leaders. The provisional meets list came out in October last year and there was a specific request for leaders in last month's newsletter. These two meets are cancelled. I wish we could begin to see people taking on some tasks in the club because they want to and believe they might be worthwhile and enjoyable, rather than volunteering at the last moment, "because no-one else will". George Reynolds cannot lead the Autumn Amble which I have had to re-schedule to Sunday 7 September. Please will someone step forward now.
I can't even remember the last camping meet in the Lakes! Thinking about it it's probably a combination of getting out of the habit during the foot and mouth outbreak and the fact that we all seem to have gone soft preferring bricks and mortar. So I expect a large turnout of Oreads to help me reverse this trend and where better to spend a weekend than in the remote and peaceful Wasdale valley.
We will be camping at the Wasdale National Trust Campsite GR183076 at the eastern end of Wastwater. Although no bookings are allowed I am sure that with 120 pitches we should not have a problem getting on.
Surrounded by many of the finest Lakeland Peaks and high Mountain Crags there's plenty to keep us all busy. Weather permitting I hope to have a play on Botterill's Slab and Slab and Groove Route on Scafell Crag. For the evenings the Wasdale Head Inn is within walking distance so see you there on Friday evening!
P.S. Confession time- I'll be in the Campervan - so what's wrong with going soft ?
Although this is advertised on the meets list as a week end meet, common practise now, is that a few of club members who are retired and affluent through age and thriftiness often go down early in the week to make a start on some of the more daunting tasks. Colin Hobday, Chuck & Margaret Hooley and Ernie Phillips stayed on after Easter Monday 21st April. The Squires with Uschi on board returned home. Keith Gregson & son Michael came down on Wednesday that swelled the numbers to 6. It's a good job that our six were there, read the jobs list. By Friday Night only Tim Cairns and John Welbourne had arrived.
The weather had turned nasty on Saturday so Colin, Ernie, Chuck and Margaret, Keith and Michael left for home after lunch. This left Tim and John there for the official w/party meet. We left, leaving Tim painting the upstairs Bay window walls and John bolstering the access track with ashes; I don't know if any more members arrived on Saturday or Sunday. No more ashes please John! The neighbours have phoned; all the ashes have washed away blocking drains further down track.
The jobs achieved the previous week by the affluent six included the following and more.
A lot of the jobs had to be done during the week when the facilities were open but it gives cause for concern at the lack of support at the week end for the house needed a clean throughout; perhaps the week end after Easter was a bad choice?
Now that the new car park opposite the rear gate is ready for use; the management committee would ask that arrivals at Tan-yr-Wyddfa use that entrance and the back door as much as possible, especially late at night in consideration of our Neighbours; the hut key fits all locks.
"A lot of money has been spent on Tan-yr-Wyddfa facilities over the last two years, approx £4,000, mainly on land purchase, car park, rights of access and legal fees. The huts need maintenance to protect their fabric so lets see more of you there at the next working party meets, not too many though ten or twelve each time is all that's needed. "Tempus Fugit"
Your " Septuagenarian" Huts' Custodian and Club Trustee.Chuck Hooley
This list is only correct at time of going to press. Members are advised to check availability with the hut booking secretary Colin Hobday before going to either hut. Note that hut booking dates refer to nights (e.g. Fri/Sat for a weekend), whereas meet dates refer to the days e.g. Sat/Sun).
I am running a trip to Lundy Island from September 6th for one week. If you have never been its Cornwall x 10, loads of 3 star VS and HVS route's with impeccable character. The pub can be attained at around mod and around HVD upon your return. I have repeated this route many times and can recommend its fair that is served all day
The sailing is from Ifracombe at 10.00 am on Saturday and returns to Bidiford on Saturday 13th at 19.30hrs. There is a free bus trip back to Ifracombe to collect the cars.
I have six people booked to date could squeeze in 4 more if your quick enough to come back to me. The price for the camping is 44.50 inc cancellation insurance if the weather is bad!!!!!!!!! The Ferry cost is £40.00
Many of you will be aware that John Dobson fell off Lion Route at Wild Cat on Wednesday 7th May, and sustained a compressed fracture of the skull. He was taken to Chesterfield Hospital, and later transferred to the neurological ward at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. He was successfully operated on, and released from hospital on Monday 12th May. The following evening he joined us in the Smithfield - accompanied by his mother! It is a great credit to his strength of character that he remained cheerful and lively throughout the whole of this ordeal. He is still badly bruised on his back and leg and has a slightly reduced control of one ankle. This control is expected to be regained shortly.
Ellie Roddick, who is well known to many of us, was John's second at the time. John landed on her in his fall, and she sustained substantial bruising to her back and one arm. She was not admitted to hospital on the night, but has been examined by a doctor and is sore but now recovering well.
On behalf of the whole Club I would like to offer our very best wishes for a speedy recovery to both of you.
John would like to say that at the time of his accident, and over the days that followed he was given tremendous support from his friends in the Club. Simon Pape and Sharon followed him to the Chesterfield and then the Sheffield hospitals and supported him through these early hours of his ordeal. Ruben Dakin facilitated contact with John's parents, who were abroad on holiday at the time - thus enabling them to come to his aid. Several Club members visited him in Hospital. John is very appreciative and was much heartened by this support and wishes to thank all those who have helped him. Ed.
Bob has suggested that his Report to the Council of UIAA given on 17th May might be of interest to the Oread membership. At over 1200 words in length it is again too large for inclusion in the Newsletter. However, if you would like a copy of this please contact Bob. Keep up the good work Bob!
John Murray has retired as booking secretary for the ABMSAC's George Starkey Hut, with which Oreads enjoy reciprocal rights. The new booking secretary is: Pam Caswell,
It is also expected that the hut may be closed for part of the summer for major refurbishments. So check availability with Pam, before making too detailed arrangements. Colin Barnard
I have agreed to organise the slide evenings' presentations for the coming winter period, and am aware that club members have been to a number of interesting places over the last few months. If you would like to make a presentation on your recent trip - or even a less recent one, I would like to hear from you. Otherwise all the coming lectures are likely to be from me & my mates. Please get in touch.
"We will be in the Derby area on a regular basis over the next few weeks so the Email or Mobile may be the best bet to contact us."
I have recently received three potential contributions to the newsletter that were all well over 1000 words long. One of these was sent to me typed up on paper - the author's assumption presumably that I would re-type it all! In general I would like potential contributions to be around 300 words maximum in length. Please note that the whole newsletter is usually only about 2200 words long! I would also appreciate contributions in electronic form if possible. I am very happy to type up short notifications such as the one here from Colin Barnard but longer ones take me a long time, as I am no typist. Thanks in anticipation. Ed.
Please ensure that material for the next newsletter reaches me before Thursday 26th June. I would like to hear from Keith Gregson (Pembrokeshire) and Derek Pike & Steve Bennett (if you want to publicise your Dolomites Meet).