::Links |
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::MMC Newsletter Jan 2010 The Snowy One:: |
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Hopefully people are getting out and about and making the most of the fantastic winter weather conditions - must even be skiable down in Surrey at the minute, any waterfall ice near boxhill? Kinder is frozen above 400m. People are now back from the Scotland New Year meet and I'm hoping for excellent tales of daring do. Sorry for the lateness of the newsletter but I've been pretty busy recently. Has anyone told Lucy yet? |
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::Social Events |
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Chirstmas Dinner: Venue: Haha Bar and Grill, Cardinal Walk, Cardinal Place, Victoria London, SW1E 5AG Details: 7pm, Saturday, 9th January 2010 If you are still thinking about going to the annual MMC X-mas dinner, you only have until this Friday so RSVP now! We have a solid group of people going who have already RSVP'd (including a handful of newbies!). We are all geared up for some merry making over food, drink and birthday celebrations, so why not join in on the fun! Contact Nancy directly asap as its THIS SATURDAY. |
Anything Else?: |
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::Meets |
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Next Meet: North Wales North Wales: 29th - 31st January Venue: Chester Mountaineering Club Hut Organiser: Valerie De La Rochette Details: The snowdon range within each reach of Moel Eileo and Elidir Fawr. Currently offering activities such as Ski Touring, Ice Climbing and full winter mountaineering. Everything you'd expect from a good alpine town except its Llanberis, its north wales and doesn't have lifts to the top of the nearby ski fields. Currently available for the very reasonable rate of 16£ for the weekend or a mere 8ppppn! |
Future Meet(s): Lake District: 19th - 21st February Venue: George Starkey Hut Organiser: Sarah Waldram Details: The delightful quite valley patterdale. Just round the back of helvelyn and within easy access of the classic routes Striding Edge and Swirl Edge. |
Peak District: 19th - 21st March Venue: Thorpe Farm Bunkhouse Organiser: tba Details: Peaks, you know the usual... grit climbing, valley walking and cycling all easily accessable from London within about 3 hours. Staying at Old Shippon, up stairs. |
Annual Dinner Meet - Grassmere November 2009 Words by Various People |
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Simon MC:- I arrived late with Nick and crew, but not too late for a few beers and a couple of rounds of giant connect 4. Saturday went biking with Nick around Grizedale, the North Face single track circuit was great but too short. The only down side was the wooden bridges were a bit treacherously wet though both Nick and myself fell off. Nick just slipped off the edge with what the kids would call a gnarly rear derailleur grind, I went for it a bit more going ass over tit and breaking my watch but fortunately nothing else. After this circuit we had a quick tea stop at the cafe where I was able to repair the watch. After lunch we went out again for an easier trail that was pleasant but not as single tracky and a bit pedestrian in comparison. Special mention should be given to Jason and Jeremy for actually going climbing, despite the negative vibes from the rest of the group. The dinner was good with big servings and adequate booze. Without Rick the usual after dinner games of contorting your body and stepping over a broom and the other MMC favourite picking up the ever shrinking cornflake packet with your teeth were deemed too unsophisticated and we played scrabble. I think Lena might have won one round and I might have won one. There was even an attempt at chess before deciding that this was a bit too cerebral so we played Jenga instead (but on the carpet to avoid waking everyone up) Sunday was a bit more damp and the head wasn't quite so clear. After a faff that the MMC can truly be proud of we went for a 10k circuit round the lake led by Cath and Sarah. We eventually made it round with everyone returning to the YHA pretty much soaked through. Apart from Jules and Howard who had walked to the end of the road then turned back, they were found exercising their minds playing scrabble. After a change in to dry clothes we piled in a local cafe for a late lunch before returning to London. Nick:- The drive up on Friday was surprisingly painless with all my liftees being in he right places at the right times. On Saturday Ming and I went to Grizedale Forest to cycle the North Face trail. This is an excellent route though it could be a bit longer. The conditions were bright but damp under tyre. This would not normally be a problem but there are a lot of wooden boardwalks to ride and these were desperately slippery and occasionally were further enlivened by having a negative camber on some of the bends. After a couple of spills both Ming and I treated them with the utmost suspicion. The rest of our activities were communal, I think Simon has a couple of biking pics. Jeremy:- Highlights for me would be...actually managing to go climbing...in spite of much doom and gloom from older members around the fire on Friday night, Saturday turned out to be some of the best climbing weather we've had for ages. Jason and I had an excellent day, ably supported by our climbing groupies (you and Howard J). We climbed the 4-pitch Original Route on Raven Crag (S 4a) on alternate lead. Great fun although I managed to go about 15m off route on a horrible traverse with no gear for the whole of it. I think that even Jason, who normally avoids placing gear if at all possible, wasn’t very happy…especially as my appalling route finding (on a climb I did only 3 months earlier) left him with little more than a scramble for the final pitch…sorry Jason! The afternoon session was much more productive with a sighting of a peregrine falcon and a fantastic 2-pitch HS (Revelation) which, although a little damp, was great fun and a good opportunity for us to practice our multi-pitch skills. Highlight of the day was finding you and Howard snugly ensconced in the local pub with a pint of black sheep waiting for as we narrowly avoided being benighted not 100m from the car park :) On Sunday I did something very stupid. Inspired by Robin’s stories of fell running, I went up tongue gill with David on Sunday morning in howling winds, sub-zero temperatures and driving rain and sleet. We made it almost the whole way to the top when we realised that we were freezing cold and horrifically under-equipped with no whistle, extra clothes, food, survival blanket or proper shoes…great fun. Robin :- Saturday saw a large and motley crew of Sarah G, Ian Weir, C O'C, Yelana, AG, Elwyn, Robin plus Meggie went round the Fairfield Horseshoe in a good deal of snow but only after epic faffing in town first. All agreed that it was the most lovely day to be up in the hills and just about the best conditions that could have been hoped for in late November. Everyone got back down the hill just before dark with some sneeking off for some coffee and cake in Ambleside Sunday, Simon, Meggie and Robin headed off to recce the first leg of the Bob Graham round. Unfortunately after three hills the strong winds and white out conditions won, we bailed to the comparative warmth of the valleys via Browndale beck from Watson's Dodd. |
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October Peaks Meet 2009 |
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Saturday a bunch of us went to Stanage. Mike led 'right hand trinity', and spent the rest of the day flailing after simon on four or five other climbs which didn't have any hand holds or foot holds. Simon came up with Bea and Philip arriving later after the worst M25 traffic ever then our shopping stop at the services on the M1 was disrupted by a fire alarm delaying us further. Simon joined the hoards on the way up to Stanage, and started off on the rather damp Central Trinity VS 4C, adequate gear and jamming got me to tht top but it was a rather unnerving experience, Dave and Jason climbed this line later in better style. Simon then followed Mike up Right Hand Trinity (he may have had a pre placed hex as his first runner ;) a brief lunch then in the afternoon I had a go at Rusty Crack HVS 5c but struggled to get any gear in despite it being described as well protected in the guide, Simon bottled the route and stepped right on to Via Media VS 4C, then did Narrow Buttress nice delicate moves on the slab in the middle then great jugs out to the right at the top and finished on Hargreaves Original Route, best route of the day, really nice steady moves. A leisurely start to the day before sitting at the bottom of Stanage popular end waiting for the rock to dry. In the end it did Matt F and Lou appeared. Matt dragged Robin up April Crack, before Robin slogged up Right Trinity - matt making easy work of it before heading off to a party in Shef. Robin seconded Chuck on Central Trinity. Before leaving Chuck eyeing up the virtues of Flying Buttress Direct in fading light. Chuck ably led Catherine and Petra up Right Hand Trinity (S), Christmas Crack (HS). He then led Centre Trinity (VS 4C) with Catherine and Robin Mitton huffing and puffing their way up this marvelously tricky slab. The guidebooks suggested finger and hand jamming opportunities aplenty yet Catherine wondered just how big a pair of hands was required to avoid resorting to the strenuous laybacking alternative. The navigation course was really good and our instructor Rob Keet was really friendly and patient with us. On Saturday Rob, Phil, Nichol and Jules spent the day wading through the heather on the top of the fells nr Derwent overlooking the Ladybower Reservoir doing micro navigation looking for small nitches in the contour lines of our maps to find streams etc and got in plenty of practice with our compasses taking bearings and counting our paceing etc and when it got dark we learnt how to leapfrog our way back to the car! Rob Johnson and Elwyn took their bikes out on the 'Mam Tor Classic', with all of the uphill at the start. Plenty of mud considering that was before Sunday's rain. The route offered a range of rocky ascents and descents through varied terrain. Rob got himself stuck in a mud puddle which was much deeper than anticipated & posed before the camera in his predicament before getting pulled out. A careful ride back after Elwyn's brakes failed partway down a hill two thirds around the circuit. Maintenance required! Saturday night was eating at the Millstone for most, then a pub quiz in the Little John. This brought quiz success for Catherine, Rob the plod, Nancy and Jules, the group walking away with extra-large Halloween tshirts for their efforts. In fact another MMC team took second prize too to almost have a clean sweep of the quiz. It now appears as if maintenance of the club's dignity requires a steady diet of Hollywood output in addition to visits to the climbing wall! Sunday Sunday it was raining quite a lot and after the celebrations of the pub quiz success most chose for a lazy start to the day. Simon went for a 5 mile run with Jeremy getting back to the hut just in time to shower before we were kicked out. Next stop was outside where they met up with Chuck, Wendy and Rob and after a pint of tea the rain had stopped and we went for a walk along Froggatt Edge taking climbing shoes, had a bit of a boulder on a problem near downhill racer, it might have been Joe's Original, after a couple of goes falling off near the top the rain came again and chased us off the problem and to the pub for a late lunch followed by another trip to outside for more tea in outside whilst waiting for those on the courses to finish. Robin and Elwyn headed for the dovedale dash through the flooded roads on Sunday morning. Several miles of running and many lost shoes, Robin finished in about the top 73rd of close to 1,000 runners. Strangely, numbers were down on last year. Can't think why. The navigation course was abandoned by Nichol who had to return to London to pack for a business trip to Australia and Hong Kong, so there was just Phil, Jules and Rob and we went for a walk from Castleton up to Mam Tor and accross to Hollins Cross and back again, Phil navigating the first leg and Jules the second, needless to say Phil did better than Jules, blaming that on the wind and rain and her bad leg! Elywn |
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Rumours abound of Tom turning 40 in the near future and locations being discussed for a bit of a weekend shin dig - South Wales or Peaks current favourites. |
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Training People don't improve their climbing by accident. You need to practice. So if you want to up your grade, start leading come to the wall and practice. Regular sessions take place at the Westway and the Castle as follows:
Sunday afternoon at the Castle contact Patrick Regnault patrick @ themmc |
Club Library The club has an ever expanding collection of books for use by members. These include climbing and walking guides, as well as guides to first aid, navigation, mountain weather etc. For a complete list check out the website. |
Safety There have been some fairly poor practices noticed of late. Climbing is dangerous and accidents do happen. Please look at this section of the website or try and go on a course if you have any doubts about your ability. |
Copy Deadline for copy for the next newsletter is 11ish February unless I'm snowed in still. Please send all copy to Robin newsletter @ mmc. Please contact the organisers directly if you are coming on the meet. Don't forget it is the responsibility for the meet organiser to write the meet report and collect the images (send images direct to photos @ themmc.) |
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