Report from OCD for 2019, from Rod Dalitz, the OCD Man
OCD cyclo climbing 2019 OCD CLAIMS SUMMARY FOR 2019 2019 was perhaps overshadowed by politics, but dispite this many members went out into Name AUK No RANK, date Lifetime 2019 total 2018 2018 total 2017 the mountains and enjoyed some fine cols. ABBATT Fred 6086 Honourable 19 533784 8590 524994 105102 419892 Some were at home in the UK, many went to France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Majorca and ACLAND Ken 5752 Officer 14 167053 2472 164581 31442 the Canaries. More unusually, two cycled in ALDRED Mark 14956 Officer 05 235078 10071 225007 35967 189040 Greece, and one headed to Portugal. Some ALLAN Douglas 11101 Honorable 16 568573 21520 547053 riders have an advantage, Harald Eichmeier ANDERSON Alan 6938 Member 19 51603 318 51285 1216 49069 lives in southern Germany and can hardly leave his house without claiming a col. Paul Harrison ANDERSON Fraser 16690 4936 318 4618 1216 3406 BAKER Peter 6594 Commander 19 157743 118509 spends much of his time in Corsica, an area BATE Ben 11108 Honourable 19 572209 27030 545179 44463 500716 some members know well – Raid Corsica is recommended. Peter Baker racked up a massive BRABBIN Thomas 12364 120152 36169 83983 37735 46248 claim spending more than four months touring DALE Peter 6186 Commander 19 219271 20292 198979 11682 187297 the Alps, including Mont Ventoux three times. DAMPER Bob 14064 Commander 15 293632 13251 280381 15379 265002 Jeff Rowell started slowly with a few British cols DONALDSON Bob 13904 48011 15639 32372 32372 years ago, like some of our current members, EICHMEIER Harald 11156 Venerable 11 1788517 91959 1696558 98544 1608014 but after he retired, he took on a new lease of FOX Tom 1066 Commander 19 120423 11209 109214 life, claiming many hard cols like the Col GRACE Steve 13959 Officer 19 144770 19937 124833 62541 62292 d’Izoard… I have not the space to do him HARRISON Paul 11181 Venerable 09 1567645 61499 1506146 64052 1442094 justice. The total col height claimed this year is HICKS Nigel 15978 18343 9305 9038 9038 more than a hundred times the elevation of the HODGES Chris 18478 12717 2495 10222 10222 South Col of Everest (7,906m) and I can assure HOOD Andrew 1842 Member 1289373 10605 67386 you no-one has ever even thought of taking a JOYNSON Dave 11203 Venerable 03 1295886 6513 1289373 10605 1278768 bike over it. LAVERICK Martin 2411 Officer 19 142216 142216 On the other hand, some long-term LISTER Terry 2526 Commander 15 296052 13044 283808 22238 261570 members have, sadly, suffered illness and MORRISON Dave 12405 Officer 16 140610 4492 136118 5775 130343 injury, and had to cut back on cycling. I wish them well, and look forward to their claims for NEILSON David 15714 5158 1133 2020. NELSON Martin 16781 24367 24367 In 2019, 12 members achieved a new rank. PINTO Mark 5743 Commander 19 122495 24439 98056 9389 88667 Certificates will be posted out shortly. PRESLAND Kevin 740 Commander 13 573384 55489 517895 80155 437740 2019 brought a new challenge – how to handle e-bikes? AUK voted to accept riders with PRINGLE Laura 2451 41550 16082 25468 11714 13754 ROWELL Jeff 16975 Officer 19 140543 48113 92430 20802 71628 e-bikes on calendar events, and the website SMITH Andy 6190 Honourable 19 594415 69350 525065 44605 480460 FAQ says “Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPCs) may be ridden in Brevet Populaire (BP) SMITH Mike 15387 3266 835 2431 events, but they are not eligible for validation.” I VENES Richard 1118 Commander 19 201081 28395 172805 28571 144234 encourage all riders to enjoy the mountains, but WADDINGTON Ivan 46 Commander 05 359639 8057 351582 22148 329434 OCD claims (like AUK points) are really a reward WATERTON Robert 11283 Honorable 07 791223 3524 787699 33696 754003 for effort. Perhaps there should be a separate WATERTON Helen 11282 Honorable 08 809382 5705 803687 33696 769991 category, to encourage e-bike riders to go WATTS Bob 1870 Honorable 16 713355 18405 694950 55773 639177 further and higher. A few riders have mentioned the book Cols think that he is working on his own definition of I would not recommend it as a source for and Passes of the British Isles by Graham Robb. a col or a pas, which does not quite match the identifying OCD cols. Although I respect this as a fine work by a OCD or Cent Cols Club definition. I came to the Finally, please note that the cutoff for dedicated man, I should point out that Graham conclusion that this book is really no help to OCD publication in Arrivée is 20 January 2021. It is an acclaimed historian and biographer, and a cyclists – cols need to be organised as blocks would help if you could make one claim for each Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. between the major valleys, rather than by county year, and to send it around the end of December, Although I recognise that he is a cyclist, I feel he or country. Robbs book is fun, and interesting, but or first week in January. is writing more from the literary viewpoint. I www.audax.uk
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