Welcome to my first attempt at the Oread Newsletter. I shall be making this in Word 2000 format for all future editions. If you could let me have your write ups etc as word documents this would make life easier, however if not, I can accept anything, even snail mail! The last date for publication each month will vary, due to my work and climbing commitments, so bear with me and I will do my best to ensure a constant flow of information. Sorry last date for June is so early, Spring Bank Week etc.)
Roger Gibbs & Mike Mowbray have applied for membership of the club. Will anyone with views about their suitability, please speak to the committee.
This meet is still going ahead as planned. We are booked in again at Trevalor campsite between St Just and Botallock. So, for the people who want sun warmed rock, walking, swimming or building sand castles, this is the place to be. I will already be down there sorting out the good weather. Please ring me before May 16th so that I have some idea of numbers.
The lighter evenings are with us again and it's even started to get warmer. Oreads are starting to emerge from their winter climbing walls and touch real rock. If you would like to know where they'll be on a Wednesday (or any other evening) feel free to give me a call or drop me an e-mail. Better still, let me have your e-mail address and I can add you to our Yahoo group and you'll be able to find out directly.
This year's alpine meet will be in the Dauphine Alps at a campsite to be decided. The dates are 26th July - 9th August. More details will appear in the newsletter in due course: in the meantime, please get in touch with me if you're interested in going.
This years Bullstones was held in the quiet confines of the Black Mountains in Wales. Friday started nicely enough with a few pints of ale in the Llanthony Priory bar (Crypt). Outside, in preparation for the forthcoming battle, the leader discovered he had mislaid his walking trousers and had to manage with a lightweight pair brought for the hut on Saturday night. The President, not to be outdone, had not brought a jacket and had to borrow one from a kind member. Later on Saturday another member had to borrow a pair ofunderpants, so things could get worse and did! The weather forecast was bad, but Bullstones is Bullstones and we sallied forth anyway. A walk up to 600 mtrs on the ridge by the Offa's Dyke path, found the leader and some of the members bivvying in a nice soft hollow. Others carried on and slept near the forest at the end of the valley. The morning saw rain, snow and high wind making progress very difficult out to Hay Bluff before the descent to the Gospel Pass. At this point the usual chaos was making itself known. Mike could not see, due to not wearing his glasses and the party was badly split up. We waited to regroup, and then all eight of us discussed what to do. There was a unanimous decision to walk down the road to Llanthony and take the cars round to the hut. The condition of the road was appalling. We waded through, water that was six inches deep, making the bogs of Offa's Dyke seem dry by comparison. As we arrived at the hut in our cars, a wet and bedraggled set of members were struggling to get up the final slope to comfort. Renderings of "we are not walking to the pub tonight" were heard. The hut was warm and comfortable, made even better when Mike, James and Nick had finally, after two hours, two kitchen knives and a gas stove had been used, got a lovely fire burning. We had treated ourselves to a curry cooked on site by a friend of Jane Peacegood, from the village of Llanbedr. It was excellent, and thanks to Kev and Ruebin going to the pub in the car, we had some drinks as well. There was only one problem - Derek Pike was not there! At virtually the last moment, Derek walked in looking very tired and wet. He had done a shorter variation of the planned walk coming down the central ridge and over the end, up to the hut. The full team of 19 was finally safe around the table and the craic began, which lasted until after midnight. Sunday was abandoned, lifts given and a very relieved group set off back north. We now knew why the SAS use this place as a training area. Thanks to everyone who came including non members Kev and his son James who travelled down from Scotland to join us. Although we did not achieve our original plan, the setting of the Priory, the Farmhouse Hut and the atrocious weather made it very memorable.
I was all alone on the bus as it left Matlock, which didn't seem like a good start, but four more clambered aboard in Calver and in a few minutes we were piling out in Hathersage and striding across a couple of fields to the first obstacle. The River Derwent was flowing fast and the stepping stones were a foot under water. Undaunted, our gallant quintet returned to Hathersage and crossed by the Leadmill Bridge. It was then on to Mount Pleasant and Offerton Moor. The hour we had lost was half made up by the time we reached the pub in Foolow. More Oreads joined us here, but only for the craic! Chris and Gill had arrived by bike, as had Brian. Jack and Janet were on foot. Chuck and Margaret, Keith and Rock were there too. We stumbled out of the pub and then more quickly past the desecrations of Longstone Edge and so to Calver. It was an excellent walk in indifferent conditions. Many thanks to Rusty, Tony, Keith & Ali who joined me for the whole outing. RT.
'Good lead Youth.' 'What?' 'Good lead Youth' came the words from below. I thought I'd check that I'd heard correctly. I don't hear that much nowadays. It was the penultimate pitch of the last route of our holiday, and the best pitch of the week ……. so far! Simon joined me at the belay, followed by Steve a little later. The next pitch was to be a fitting climax to the week. Steve set off up a steep groove, which allowed an equally steep traverse right beneath a bulge. Ice screws were inserted like the winding of a clock, and progress was smooth. This gave access to another short groove and an exit left on brittle 'glass' to easier ground. Simon followed on blue; I brought up the rear on yellow. The stance was spacious, the belay was bolted. 'La Colère du ciel' was in the bag, and all that remained were two abseils and a snowy descent to our sacks. It had been an excellent week. We had climbed every day; save for the scheduled rest that followed the late night of blues at our Hotel!
It had not started so promisingly though. We flew out to Geneva on Sunday and drove to the Auberge Edelweiss in La Grave. Monday saw too many parties on 'Le Pylône' and only after a long struggle through the trees, did we find & climb Les Mauvaises Années; a route of limited quality and one which was rapidly disappearing under the steady fall of snowflakes. It snowed throughout the evening. Next day we tried 'La Gorge', which followed a gully of smooth rock walls curtained in ice and punctuated with deep pools - the second of which was just that: deep water, no ice! There was no way round. The word was, others had not been so lucky - avalanched from their route, pride dented.
On Wednesday we changed our strategy; drove to Briançon, 'discovered' a new guidebook and followed the yellow brick road south to Ceillac, where conditions were superb on the north-facing right side of the upper valley. The day was advanced but there was still time for an easy ride up 'Easy Rider': two good pitches up clean firm ice and a short walk off the back. Just like Scotland eh? Next day we returned for more of the same, despite the 1½hour drive each way. 'Holiday on Ice' is the left branch of a 'Y' gully and this was our aspiration. In the event there were fewer people on the right branch - the pragmatically named 'Le Y (Branche de droite)' - same length, same grade 250m II/3+ and the same straightforward walk off the back. Throughout the day, under clear blue skies, we looked down on the bright clean sunlit ski slopes on the opposite side of the valley. It really is like Scotland isn't it? The Auberge Edelweiss is a French hotel and restaurant, with a German name, run by a Brit and his Dutch wife, staffed by Swedes as well as French and discovered by Simon. It was superb! The food and the wine were as good as you would expect in France. The conviviality was excellent. The drink flowed steadily each night. But Thursday night was special. I'm a keen blues fan and Thursday night is blues night. 'Back Door Blues' a duo from Briançon braved the Col du Lautaret to entertain us till the early hours. We rested on Friday and on Saturday, with conditions much improved around La Grave; we climbed 'La Colère du ciel'. Holiday on Ice? It certainly was, even if 'Holiday on Ice' will have to wait till next year. Tony Howard
Write ups needed - none. Leaders for Esoteric Grit and Summer Stroll please.
Details on the proposed furniture for the lounge at T-Y-W., for committee approval. www.furnitureatwork.co.uk Palmer chairs Blue/Burgundy. Chairs for the bookcase end of the lounge green, With beech arms, choice of left, right, both, or no arms.Prices quoted are plus V.A.T.www.espo.org sell the same furniture at the same price. Chairplan, page 1204 in the catalogue. Ikea . www.IKEA.co.uk Karlstad sofa 3/4 seater,Blue, as on the cover of the Ikea catalogue 2008, or page 4.Ikea ingolf bench 3 seater with cushions, for under the window. TOTAL PRICE £2134 approx. Extras, Cushions for bench. Delivery charges. Van hire. All the above subject to fine tuning by the H.S.C. Any questions please contact me. Colin Hobday.
Please note that hut fees should always be paid to me and no one else.
Will anyone who has used the huts in the last few months and has not paid their hut fees, please forward them to me ASAP. Thanks. Colin Hobday.
Thanks to everyone for renewing your membership. You should by now have received your membership card for 2008. If you have not, please let me know. Two Oreads - Paul Gardner and Freddy Phillips - have kindly informed me that they have regretfully decided, for very valid personal reasons, to discontinue their membership. I think we will all wish them the very best of luck in the future. However, it's not a complete farewell - we will keep in touch through the newsletter regardless. I have prepared a full list of all Oread members and other contacts, which has been sent out with this newsletter.
The list of members also shows your individual BMC membership number. Please beware that the BMC have this year "cleaned up" their membership records, which has resulted in a significant quantity of membership numbers changing. The number printed on your membership card may therefore be wrong; the correct number is shown on the list.
The Oread pays £9.75 on your behalf to the BMC, in respect of your club membership. 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, or direct the BMC to refund it to the club, using the application form attached to this newsletter. Honorary Members please note that you can also make this reclaim. There are also details of how to upgrade to full individual membership of the BMC at reduced cost. To reclaim your multiple subscriptions, write to the BMC at office@thebmc.co.uk or Membership Services, BMC, 177-179 Burton Road, Manchester, M20 2BB, stating your name, address, postcode, telephone and email addresses. Tell them your BMC membership number and list all the BMC affiliated clubs of which you are a member. You also need to indicate whether the refund is to be paid to yourself, or to which nominated clubs. If you claimed a refund in 2007, the BMC will automatically make the same refund in 2008 as soon as the relevant clubs have paid your subs. If you wish to upgrade to full individual membership, contact Lynda Buckley on 0161 4456111 BMC Insurance Details of your BMC 3rd party insurance are set out in the attached "take cover" piece. Reuben Dakin.