This is my first Newsletter; I face this task like a climber facing the first pitch of a route on an unfamiliar crag, well aware that others have gone before, vacillating between confidence gained from past endeavours and fear and trepidation at the task ahead and knowledge that the previous ascentionists have been men of valour. I hope you will guide my efforts and provide your articles and letters as without your input this newsletter will be the poorer. Our newsletter has been a monochrome epistle to date, would you appreciate colour? Or photos? Your comments would be most welcome.
The meet's base is the Cae Du campsite at Rhosllefain, Tywyn SH568060. The entrance to the site is on the steep bend and is easily missed! Our camping will be in the field on the left after the farm, near the cliffs. The campsite is on the coast with fantastic views, and a small climbing crag on the beach. We hope to have a campfire and barbeque on the beach if it's not snowing. The site is within easy reach of Bird Rock with it's "dragons" and both sides of Cadair. Sand castle building and dolphin watching are available for family entertainment.
This area of Yorkshire does not seem to be visited by the Oread very often, so here is your chance to walk the moors, cycle, or climb on some of those well known, and not so well known gritstone and limestone crags. For the tourists amongst us there are the well known hotspots of Malham, and its Tarn, Bolton Abbey and for those who have tasted steam on the Welsh Highland Light Railway and want more, there is the Embsay Steam Railway. I hope to climb - probably at Crookrise (gritstone) if I can get off the ground! A box to stand on at the start could be a help to getting up the crag.
Camping, Campervanning of caravanning will be at Mason's Camping Site in Appletreewick grid ref. SD047602. The village boasts two pubs: the new Inn and the Craven Arms, which is only a few minutes walk to the East of the campsite, where we shall be on Friday evening. I hope you will join us there. This is a very popular area and consequently the number of campsite places we wish, need to be confirmed and booked two to three weeks in advance.
We are booked in again at Trevaylor campsite which is between St. Just and Botallock - so come along for the Bank Holiday or longer. We will be in the second field as before. There is plenty of climbing, walking, cream teas, beer and hopefully plenty of sun. I will be arriving sometime during the previous week and staying until the following weekend.
By popular request we have resurrected the Forest of Dean Meet. As in the past we have booked the Lodge which adjoins the Fountain Inn at Park End. Since our last stay, sadly there has been an increase in the price of the accommodation, which is now £11.00 per person per night. We are hoping to organise a three-course evening meal at the Fountain Inn. The cost will be approx £10.00; details nearer the date. The Forest of Dean should be at its best this time of the year and offers climbing (Wintors Leap), walking, cycling and canoeing. For those intending on climbing, please check restrictions due to nesting season. I have already had quite a few advance bookings, so don't leave it to the last minute if you want to go. First come, first served.
A total of twenty friends from the Oread and DMC attended the meet to help Gill celebrate her "significant" birthday on Saturday 15th April. After several sunny days it dawned cloudy and damp and many opted to visit Montpelier. Together with Roger, Gill and I chose to visit the spectacular cave, "Grotte des Demoiselles" a few miles to the north of St Martin. Later we toured the surrounding countryside of Languedoc and viewed from a distance the massive overhanging crag of Hortus. Everyone gathered in Pete and Jude's mobile home to present Gill with a suitably inscribed cake from the village and a prezzie - a genuine surprise and well appreciated. We then walked to the local restaurant and enjoyed a great birthday meal with a lot of wine being drunk. The restauranteur was a suitably Gallic figure, slightly scruffy with an ever present cigar, but he entered into the spirit of the occasion by providing a free glass of the local firewater for everyone and presenting Gill with a full bottle to take home.
The early arrivals over the first weekend had fine and sunny weather - Roy and Chris arriving from the Camargue. We then had a couple of damp days, but enjoyed fine walks through the "Ravine des Arcs" on one day and the "Gorge de la Bueges" the next day - truly great countryside. When the weather became sunny we returned to climb at "St Jean-de-Bueges" - an unspoiled crag with some reasonable routes in spectacular position above the valley and the 12th Century village. We enjoyed this so much we came back again later in the week to climb 3 pitch routes on the "Pilier du Chateau" on the same crag. Afterwards we gathered in the village square to enjoy a couple of beers in a relaxed ambience.
The rock of the area is limestone typical of the south of France, but we also took a journey of a couple of hours to visit the "Gorge d'Heric" to the west of the area. This delightful valley has many granite crags and pinnacles and has been compared to Borrowdale. It seemed more compact than the Lakeland valley to me, but certainly had a huge amount of rock. Climbing with Anthony and Regina, Gill and I climbed the modestly graded "Le Rocher Marre". Although I managed to go off route in search of unnecessary difficulty it was a fine route with a beautiful crux pitch involving exposed climbing high above the valley.
The most extensive climbing within easy reach of the camp site was the "Falaise du Thourac" and we went there twice. First on the "Secteur Grotte" close to the show cave with mainly single pitch climbs, and also "Secteur Benje" which had some longer routes.
Several people brought bikes and the area is ideal for mountain biking as well as walking. We felt we had only scratched the surface of possibilities. The camp site was very pleasant and run in a laid back style by Patrick and Brigitte. On Easter Sunday they invited the whole campsite to enjoy aperitifs and nibbles and Patrick introduced us to a hilarious competitive game that had us all, but Pete Scott in particular, reeling across the boules court in total disorientation.
Gill and I had to return home immediately after the holiday weekend, but leaving most people to enjoy more activities in this delightful part of France. I'm certainly looking forward to returning there again soon.
Thanks to all who came on the meet: Roy & Chris; Anthony & Regina; Mike & Sue; Pete & Jude; Richard; Alan & Gill; Roger & Claire; Alistair & Ruth; Chiz & Rue; George & Mike.
Many of us have been active on the climbing walls over the winter looking forward to some spring evenings on the rock. As is our tradition, we ventured to Harborough for the first Wednesday evening outing of the Spring on the first Wednesday after the clocks moved to BST. The weather was initially damp with an air of uncertainty - shall we climb or retire to the Wirksworth climbing wall? John Gresty led the way walking up to the crag and soloing the first of many routes; our courage (or was it shame?) grew, and we strolled up to the crag and enjoyed cool rock and a fresh breeze until the grey clouds increased and the daylight decreased to a tipping point - the point at which the call of the pub drowned out the "call of the wild" (the urge to climb).
Wildcat has often been a natural second Wednesday of Spring venue, and so it was this year. The adhesion and camaraderie of the Oread is such that one can turn up the base of a familiar crag and ofter find someone to climb with and an enjoyable evening's climbing without a lot of pre-planning, and so it was. I climbed with Sally and on the way up our first route we gained Nigel. The three of us enjoyed two routes before decreasing light turned us homeward.
The Peak District National Park Authority have issued a temporary stop notice which means quarry operator MMC Mineral Processing Ltd must cease quarrying at Backdale on Longstone Edge. This comes following the cancellation of a public inquiry into quarrying at Backdale after the Authority's previous enforcement action was declared null by the Government.The temporary stop notice came into effect on 7 April and will run for 28 days, during which time the Authority will carefully consider its next course of action.
Daryl Kirk and Jackie were married on the 22nd April at Llansantffraid Church; The Toast "To friends and adventure" was most fitting. (Surely not another tankard! ED)
Chris & Heather Seaman are proud to announce the safe arrival of Isabel Louise at 6lbs in the QMC on Easter Monday. All three are well and Heather and Isabel are now at home. Chris is already planning her first climbing trip!