This month's newsletter has a delightful write up of the Swanage meet. Reading the report first makes me wish I had been there, and second, shows the essence of the all inclusive Oread meet - good climbing, a great atmosphere, a range activities good humour, and great weather. Mentioning weather, now that Sharon has demonstrated her powers of not only organising a great meet, but able to procure "on demand" the right weather, I'm sure we will all want to join more of her future meets!
I know Rob's got a splendid meet to Skye, but since I'm neither retired nor taking a year off, I find I haven't got the spare holiday to go. So I'm offering to lead a meet for similarly disadvantaged Oreads to somewhere closer to home. I was thinking of heading to South Wales, either to the Gower or to South Pembroke. If you're interested in coming along, let me know which you prefer.
Another classic T-y-W meet is in the offing; if Sharon isn't on the meet be prepared for unplanned weather!
e are booked-in, as usual, at Trevaylor campsite which is between St. Just & Botallack - so come along for the Bank Holiday or longer. There is plenty of good 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. Please ring me so that I can have some idea of numbers.
It is a long while since the Oread had a meet for climbing and walking in the upper Ennerdale area. It is ideal for the classic routes on Pillar and Engineers Slabs on Gable. The classic walk is the Ennerdale Horseshoe, an ideal shortened version of which can be done from here. The hostel does meals if you require them and has showers and most conveniences. It is the nearest thing we have to an alpine hutte in England. I think that alcoholic beverage is also available if required. (The nearest pub is rather a long way off!!) I have booked 8 beds for this meet at the Black Sail Youth Hostel for Friday night 6th and Saturday Night 7th of July. Non members are welcome but have to pay a supplement of £3 per night. For 2006 members pay £10.95 per night.
If you would like to go please let me know ASAP. I have already had 4 bookings and if the demand is there I will try to book a further 4 beds if possible. Please let me know if you are interested. It will be on a strictly first come first served basis. A deposit of £8 per person would be appreciated.
Many Oreads will be familiar with the Dolomites. There is a wide range of multi-pitch rock climbing, single pitch sports routes, via ferrata scrambling, and loads of mountain walking. If that's not enough, all this is in Italy, home of pizza, pasta and ice creams. The wine is cheap too! We're going to base ourselves in the Cortina area. I imagine most Oreads will want to camp and we're looking into booking a campsite. We're also investigating apartments or static caravans for anyone who doesn't want to camp. Interested? Please get in touch with me or my linguistic specialist Sally Dipple, who is sorting out the accommodation.
Fourteen Oreads, two aspiring members, two guests and assorted non-climbing groupies descended on sunny Dorset for the Easter weekend. The forecast was fantastic and most managed to arrive at the campsite without too much fuss. This didn't include Simon and Maggie, however, who had to trundle down at 50mph after a blow out just south of Derby. The meet leader also failed to arrive before the campsite barrier was locked after a stop en route for refreshments and baby photographs. Some of the team had decided to begin the holiday early and had already bagged some classics at around VS at Guillemot Ledge before most had left work. I think the tales of terror were designed to encourage the latecomers.
Friday dawned gloriously sunny and we had to hurry our bacon butties, such was the feverish level of excitement. Ignoring protests that the Oread was an adventurous club, and that "sport climbing is neither", virtually the whole team headed for Blacknor to sample some European style bolt clipping. Lots of routes across the grades were ticked from the beautifully situated slabs by the sea to the stiffer challenges on the main crag. A few logged flight time, but at least one F7a was on-sighted, and everyone had a good time. Saturday split the team with some taking a rest day on the bikes, some heading for more bolts, some getting down to some serious sunbathing and an intrepid few abseiling into Boulder Ruckle. Billy Pigg (E1) and Sinbad (E1) provided exciting challenges at the grade, while the classic HVSs Finale Groove and Jo provided wodges of exposure and BIG holds. The "suspect block" on the top pitch of Rattler (E1) caused some alarm when it turned out to be the size of a camper van with no visible means of support. The alarmed leader pulled gingerly past it with a sigh of relief and fiddled in a good wire. He then realised that this was not a great idea as the runner he had just placed was in the suspect block! The lads were left cold and hungry on Saturday night as the meet leader had seduced the wives into the badly mis-named Silent Woman for "a quick half".
On Sunday many of the team returned to Portland for more sport climbing in the sun. Somehow Saturday's adventures had cooled the ardour of the Ruckle team. Many fine routes were ticked including the superb Reptile Smile, F6a+. The locals, warning us about polish, obviously haven't been to Stoney. Our aspirant secured his membership with a determined onsight lead of "the easiest F7a on Portland." It still counts! In the process he ensured he won't be burnt off by his 13 year old son for another few months at least! One well-known Nottingham climber came within a whisper of a hat trick at F7a, including the memorial to German legend Herr Gullich, Wolfgang "Forever. England's Dreaming", F7a+, held out to the bitter end but finally went clean on the second redpoint. Finally, as the sun set, one of our guests upped the ante once more with a fine effort to tick Twangy Pearl, F7b.
The meet leader lacked the stamina for another hard day climbing so she headed off for biking and the long drive home. Other, braver souls joined the crowds at Subliminal. Apparently the proposed tick list was changed at short notice due to unexpected flight time. Lots of beautiful sunsets, several beers in the Silent Woman (not many of these elusive species were spotted) and plenty of chip suppers completed a grand trip. Some Oreads extended their stay while others had to return to work. Sharon is definitely in charge of booking the weather again next time!
This was our first attempt at gathering together those lucky enough to be available mid week and members of the club. To this effect it was a reasonable success but the weather certainly did not help! Wednesday was miserable and damp with high wind. The meet leader went to look at the slabs on Carnedd yr Filiast with a view to soloing a moderate with Chris Jonson. We failed, so it will have to wait for another time. Pete, Ali and John Fisher walked from the hut and onto the Watkin path into Beddgelert . Richard and Steve went climbing, while Graham climbed Myndd Mawr. The evening was spent in the café eating home made steak and mushroom pie and drinking wine. Thursday saw the weather greatly improve. It was a lovely day. The meet leader seconded Tennis Shoe on the Idwal Slabs with Chris Jonson, he had forgotten just how hard it was! Thanks to everyone who came, hope to see you all and more in the Autumn.J.Green.?
The President surmised that our route could only warrant grade 5 if it ascended the steepest sections of ice. We approached the left hand side of the buttress, just below the Vemork bridge. A steep, rightwards slanting groove cut through this area, offering an obvious line. However, the President, apparently an admirer of Comici, started a few metres right of this and set off up truly vertical ice. Two ice screws and 20 metres later he met the aforementioned groove, where he placed a third screw before re-asserting his intention to engage in vertical pleasure. After a further five metres the angle relented and he disappeared from my view. My turn arrived, but after removing his first screw it was clear that my training on hotel breakfasts, business dinners, airline travel and relentless key board tapping had honed different muscle groups to those required to reach his second screw, let alone to hang on and take it out! I traversed left into the groove, where the climbing was much more to my taste and steered me to the top. The President had belayed in a cave high on the left, where I joined him.
Pitch 2 took a line of steep ice that began about 10 metres to our right and 5 metres below us. The President descended on loose snow and traversed to the thick firm ice that took him to the top. I followed. The position was superb and although the climbing was steep, it was possible to take most of my weight on my feet when removing his protection. A delightful route! It was Friday and my fourth day of climbing. We took the afternoon off.
We had discovered Rjukan two years ago, with Chris & Gill: Stanage on ice - some of it, although there are some very long routes. Situated in southern Norway, the Rjukan valley is a deep cutting, running east/west through the Hardangervidda. It does not get much direct sunlight in winter. The valley is quite industrialised, with an aluminium smelter and a hydro-electric power system, made famous in World War II through its production of heavy water - sabotaged by the 'Heroes of Telemark'.
The return match plan began with Rjukan veterans Neil and Mr Blobby plus Simple Simon. The President would join us via a ski crossing of the Hardangervidda. The advanced trio arrived courtesy of Ryan Air on Sunday night. In the very early hours of Monday we were awakened by the campsite owner, Mirjam, who told us that our friend had failed to reach his intended hut destination on the Hardangervidda. Did we know where he was? Would I talk to the police? We knew that the plateau is featureless, that the weather can be severe in winter and that he was on his own. But he's a big boy, he had a shovel and he was not due at the campsite yet! We said he'd be OK. The police, Mirjam and we went to bed! Not the same bed! Four days later, two guys died of exposure on the plateau - but the President is made of stronger stuff. His GPS skills might not be the best, but his snow-holing skills are. He arrived on Tuesday afternoon.
In the meantime, on the Monday the trio climbed at Ozzimosis: four single pitch routes graded 2/3. On Tuesday at Krokan Neil showed his burgeoning mettle on a route with poor snow and ice after Simon and Mr Blobby had backed off one each. On Wednesday, with the Pres in tow we discovered the lower gorge. We all climbed Camilla, with obvious jibes at royal expense, after which Neil, Mr. Blobby and the Pres soloed Skrotfossen (Grade 3) as a way out to the road. The afternoon saw us ascend two routes at Susses Veil above the old power station. Neil flashed his mettle again on a steep little ice wall.
Thursday saw the four of us back at Ozzimosis, with the club elders climbing the route of that name and some other bits, while the young turks flashed several slab routes with arboreal protection.
On Friday Simon and Neil climbed Lettvann, a three-star, three-pitch grade 2, while the Pres led Mr Blobby up Vemorkbrufoss, under the Vemork bridge - which was where our story began. Saturday saw the old trio back at Krokan with one lead and one top rope on different parts of Bullen - a grade 3. The Pres spent his morning looking for the start of the 17 pitch Gausta Marathon, but due to the occasional avalanche relaxed in the afternoon, to be joined later by the rest of us. In the evening we celebrated our holiday with a meal at the campsite restaurant. Our appraisal: a great place with reliable ice conditions, generally not serious, though serious routes can be found. We'll be back next year. Come and join us! Mr Blobby.