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About the Northumbrian Mountaineering Club (NMC) The NMC is a meeting point for climbers, fell walkers and mountaineers of all abilities. Our activities centre on rock-climbing in the summer and snow and ice climbing in the winter. Meets are held regularly throughout the year. The NMC is not, however a commercial organization and does NOT provide instructional courses.
NMC Meets The NMC Members’ handbook (available to all members) and the NMC website list the dates and locations of all meets. This magazine lists the meets arranged for the next few months. Non-members: Are always welcome to attend meets.
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BMC Public Liability Insurance for climbing incidents. Discounted NMC guide books. Discounted entry at certain indoor climbing walls and shops. Access to the extensive NMC library.
Join the NMC Download a Membership form from: www.thenmc.org.uk Send the signed and completed membership form with a cheque made out to the NMC for the membership fee (see below) to the Membership Secretary at the address shown on the membership form. Membership Fees •Full £25 •Prospective £15.00
Magazine articles This is YOUR magazine so please keep it running by writing about your own climbing experiences. Even beginners have something to write about. Send Contributions to: magazine@thenmc.org.uk
Note: Winter indoor meets require a minimum of prospective membership (see below) due to venue requirements for third party insurance.
Membership Details Members are Prospective until they fulfill the conditions for Full Membership (see membership form.) Full membership is valid for one year from the end of February. Prospective membership expires at the end of March each year. Membership gets you: • Copy of the quarterly magazine. NMC County Climber
Black & White Photos? If you received this magazine as a paper copy, then you are missing part of the picture as the download version of the magazine is in colour. To arrange for email notification that the latest issue of the magazine is ready for you to download, contact the membership secretary at:
taken by the author of the article.
Committee 2010/2011 President – John Mountain Vice Pres. – John Dalrymple Secretary – Caroline Judson Treasurer – John Earl Membership – Sam Judson Access – Colin Matheson Hut Co-ord. – Neil Cranston Hut Bookings – Derek Cutts Magazine Ed. – Peter Flegg Social Sec – Eva Diran Librarian – Sam Judson Web – Ian Birtwistle General: Malcolm Rowe, Peter Bennett, Ian Ross, Gareth Crapper & Andrew Shanks.
As an affiliate to the BMC, the NMC endorses the following participation statement: The BMC recognises that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.
Copyright The contents of this magazine are copyright and may not be reproduced without permission of the NMC. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the NMC.
secretary@thenmc.org.uk
Cover Shot
Photos
Lucian Peterca & Piotr Bamberski Great Wall, Great Wanney
Unless otherwise stated all photos in this issue were October 2010
page 2 of 20
What’s in this issue?
Weekend meets
Wednesday evenings meets ......................3 Weekend meets.........................................3 Grit Virgin ................................................4 Byker Boulder ..........................................4 So it goes ..................................................5 A Walk Along The River Northumbria - Part 1.....7 NMC News .............................................10 Bowderstone hut – update .....................10 Severely punished...................................15 Corse 2008 Diary....................................18
The follow list shows the weekend climbing or social meets currently arranged.
Wednesday evenings meets The NMC has the excellent wall at Burnside Community College, Wallsend booked for exclusive NMC use on Wednesday evenings from 18-21hrs. Bring all your own equipment. Note: For college insurance purposes all climbers at the wall must be either an NMC Full or Provisional member. Members MUST show their membership card at the reception desk, pay the £4 entrance fee and sign-in at the desk. The entrance to the wall has moved and is now via the Leisure Centre, the new building left of the school entrance. We usually adjorn to the Shiremoor House Farm pub for beer, food and chat.
Weekday socials Wed 8 Dec 10
Friday 17 Dec 10
Christmas Quiz—a great annual event organized by Barry Imeson, test your local and international climbing and general knowledge. Held upstairs at Burnside,8pm Christmas gathering meet for a drink at the quayside before moving on for a meal—Eva Diran 07824627772
NMC County Climber
You MUST contact the meet leader in advance, as any accommodation may be limited or already fully booked. Note: A deposit may be required to reserve your place on a weekend trip.
9 Oct 10
North Yorkshire—Chris Davis 07967 638 826
31 Oct 10
MTB Meet—Neil Cranston 0191 270 2648
18 - 21 Nov 10
Kendal Mountain Film Festival—DIY
05 Dec 10
Presidents Walk—John Mountain 01670 505 202
22 - 26 Nov 10
Wildtrak Discount week— 20% off RRP (not books, maps)
7-9 Jan 11
Winter skills course held in the Northern Cairngorms—Tim Hakim 01434 606 825
14 – 16 Jan 11
Milehouse, Kincraig—TBA
11 – 13 Feb 11
Black Rock Cottage, Glencoe, Ballachulish—TBA
TBA Feb 11
Ceilidh a fun get together in a local pub were you can show off your dancing skills—Eva Diran 07824627772
4–6 Mar 11
Raeburn hut, Laggan, Ballachulish—TBA
18 – 20 Mar 11
Alex McIntyre hut, Ballachulish—TBA
Guest speakers There will be a host of exciting guest speakers at Burnside this winter. Keep an eye on the website and the monthly eNewsLetter for further details
October 2010
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Grit Virgin Andrew Shanks
This year's Peak meet was one I couldn't afford to miss. Until then my experience on “God's own rock” had consisted of a couple of youthful flirtations with Brimham grit, which could hardly be compared to the wonders of the Peak. So I was brimming with anticipation, when I bundled into the car with Piotr and Robin. We arrived at the hut, as light was fading, to find Gareth, Iain and Lucian already well established there, making plans to head out to the pub just across the road (a well situated hut if ever I saw one.) After a brief planning session in the pub, I scurried out to find the curry house before it shut, having been too hurried in my enthusiasm to have remembered dinner.
to stand up on smears was improving, despite the damage to my shoes. I also managed to lead Flying Buttress, which I am told Gareth later climbed in heroic fashion, nursing a bleeding finger up the last few moves. Finally, Robin and Piotr took on Left Unconquerable, which I followed in my standard E1 style, falling and resting every three moves – I left the crag with my shoes utterly worn out.
Byker Boulder Rick Barnes
Following months of extensive ‘gardening’ a new climbing venue has been un-earthed in Harbottle Park, Byker, an area that is rapidly becoming the hub of North East climbing. The boulder, which provides a rich variety of problems at all grades, sits on a ridge above the Tyne Valley and from its top commands views south across the rolling countryside of Gateshead and upstream to the bridges and beyond.
The next morning, we breakfasted on rapidly softening poppadums and headed out to our respective crags. Gareth and co. started at Burbage, along with Karen and Simon who had made a late night journey on account of Karen's work, while Robin, Piotr and I went straight for the main event at Stanage. I spent the first day dodging showers and struggling to second my more experienced partners – at times I thought the reason for gritstone being called “God's own rock” was due to the miracle needed to get off the ground. Nevertheless, they managed to drag me up Inaccessible Crack, High Neb Buttress, Where Did My Tan Go? My choice for a lead was Tango Crack. Piotr soloed it while I was gearing up and declared it too easy. In the meantime, the crew at Burbage did Steptoe, Burbage Buttress and Overhanging Buttress before coming round to Stanage for Heaven Crack.
Rather than spending your winter as a troglodyte in the caves of the indoor walls get out into the fresh air, you might even find that the locals will provide you with a bit more adventure realism – stonefall could be an objective danger!
On Sunday we all went to Stanage, where my party started the day off on Queersville, followed by Norse Corner Climb, Inverted V and Leaning Buttress Direct. My ability NMC County Climber
Byker Boulder
October 2010
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So it goes Jim Rigg
“You can stay overnight at our place. Leave your car in the village and I’ll come down in the VW to collect you. I’ve got snow chains fitted.” Thus spake the man in the know. Our host indicated that the place to go was Honister, “It’s plastered and few people seem to have twigged that conditions at such a low altitude are wellnigh perfect.” Bright and late next morning, we’re out and about with a belly full of Cumberland sausage providing enough energy to keep us going for a week. Driving too fast down the track for my liking, we’re soon in the village removing the chains from the car. The roads are clear, and having picked up Martin Nicholson, we’re soon speeding down Borrowdale. Chains are re-fitted (with some difficulty!) at the bottom of Honister Pass and without further ado we head for the white wonderland.
that?” ‘That’, we soon found out, was a now useless snow chain that had broken with an explosive report. Colin Downer was not amused. “You buggers get pushing and we’ll see if we can get up the steep bit.” Predictably, our efforts led to no improvement in the situation. Indeed, I was convinced that the car had slid further back down the road! Picture the scene: the car’s stuck, pointing up the hill and completely blocking the road. (Not that that mattered much – who else was daft enough to try driving up the pass in such conditions?) It turns out that Martin is no slouch in the driver’s seat. In no time, he’d allowed the car to slide before executing a perfect hand-brake turn that saw the car parked in a passing place and, pointing downhill! John Spencer and I were gobsmacked. As we trudged up through deepening snow and howling spindrift, it became more and more apparent that we’d ‘got out of jail’. Only a vehicle with caterpillar tracks would have made it to the top of the pass. We passed the ‘ghost town’ slate mine buildings and eventually geared up in one of the gantry tunnels. “Colin, I’ve only got two ice screws, can you lend us a couple of yours?” “****ing hell, I give you bed and breakfast and now you want my gear!” John spoke soothing words to restore calm and somehow negotiated the loan of two further screws, thereby doubling our protection possibilities.
So far, so good. “What the **** was
by John Spencer
NMC County Climber
October 2010
“You abseil down there and get the ropes sorted.” I thought it expedient to do as I was told and I was soon at the bottom of Cable Gully staring at one impressive sweep of ice. Muck fe! “We’ll head up here and you can take the line on the left.” Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, this met with the approval of the team. As a tentative ice climber (I like to think of myself as more of a mixed man), I made bumbling progress up the line. Although modern ice screws are technologically far superior to those I was weaned on, I still don’t trust ‘em. page 5 of 20
“I don’t think I’ve ever been driven at 60 mph down the Borrowdale valley.”
Tunnel shelter
The sequel to this outing is only partially recorded: Dave Birkett climbed “Long bendy straight things”, this is documented in an article on the UKC website. However, little is known of Colin and Martin’s return visit, but it certainly involved another epic car journey and a successful ascent of
by John Spencer
Nevertheless, with a screw in place further progress was made via an icicle thread and a rock placement to a small stance. With the comfort of a rock belay, I began to unwind as John made rapid progress up the pitch. A steep icy corner led onwards and upwards. A hefty spike runner allowed a measure of relaxation and I soon reached the next stance. Ice screw belays soon put paid to any calmness as concern crept into the reckoning. Speaking of reckoning, the final 5m or so of the last pitch provided just that. A drive-in hammered into turf of doubtful strength provided the only protection as one negotiated a tottering pull-out in the line of a partially frozen spring. I felt a slight twinge of sympathy for John who found little purchase in what was left. That said, he did have a top rope and we were soon back in the gantry tunnel enjoying coffee and cakes.
another icefall. Five days after our climb, the thaw set in and the icefalls disappeared. So it goes.
Magazine articles
All the talk was of the quality of the routes and good fortune. Here we were at an altitude of around 350m enjoying conditions typical of those found high on the Ben. And, we were the only ones there!
Articles for inclusion in the December issue of this, the County Climber magazine, need to be submitted by:
December 7th: Fotos: DO NOT send small ‘sample’ fotos, please send only large (ie over 200KB) files. Send each foto in a separate email. Text: Email the text file separately from the fotos. Submit text only in DOC, RTF or TXT format to: magazine@thenmc.org.uk
On our return to the car, Martin (“You’re a better driver than me”) took the wheel. Back at Colin’s I remember saying NMC County Climber
October 2010
page 6 of 20
A Walk Along The River Northumbria - Part 1
The Walk Begins
John Dalrymple
The Scene
Three hundred and fifty million years ago, at the beginning of the Carboniferous era, Northumberland was on the barren southern edge of an equatorial continent. The continent was drifting and it was a region of many earthquakes which scarred the land with rift valleys. A giant unnamed river system flowed from granite mountains far to the north east, picking its way through the rifts and dumping vast quantities of sediment over the land. Let's give this river a name - the River Northumbria.
We start off from the Back Bowden parking area and walk to the top of the hill to the north of the crag. If you're really interested in this kind of thing, this is the top of the Holborn Anticline, a giant fold in the rocks created by later earth movements as the continent drifted northwards. Crocodile Skin and Worn Out Rock
Carrying on south towards the first rocks, we arrive at the Child's Play bouldering area. The rock hereabouts is easily eroded because it contains a lot of the softer feldspar. The strange looking hexagonal patterns on the rock - known as "crocodile skin weathering" - are where rain has etched out the feldspar. It's quite common in Northumberland. When you see it, you know the rock will be soft - just look at the erosion on the popular problems. It's ironic that some of the best bouldering is on the rock which is least suited to bouldering!
By happy chance the 500 or so metres of Bowden Doors has been carved out along the exact line of one of the channels of the river. So if you walk along the crag from the north eastern bouldering end to the south western bumbly end, you are following the river downstream and walking alongside a giant mural showing a fossilised riverbed. This mural contains as rich and rare a collection of sedimentary features as are found at any place in the world and is a godsend for geology students as well as climbers. It is why Bowden Doors is an SSSI. The Rock
The "granite mountains" bit I mentioned in the first paragraph is important. Granite contains several minerals, but by far the two most plentiful are a soft mineral called feldspar and a hard one called quartz. This means that by the time the sediments reached Northumberland they were made up of mostly quartz with a bit of the soft feldspar. This is the recipe for fell sandstone and explains why parts of Bowden are soft and parts of it are hard. Where there is a lot of feldspar in with the quartz it's soft and where it's almost all quartz, it's hard.
NMC County Climber
October 2010
page 7 of 20
Floods and Slowly Flowing Waters
Strange Goings on at the Riverbank
Moving on a few hundred metres we reach a wall which has a smooth base and a heavily featured upper band, with a clearly defined break between the two. This is the dominant feature of Bowden Doors and it runs the entire length of the crag.
Moving on to where the routes start, beside Evening Wall area there is an inconspicuous sloping mark running from
The lower featureless bit is the result of a sudden dumping of huge quantities of sand, probably as a result of a flood. The sand had no time to sort itself out into layers as the river suddenly lost energy and the sandstone dropped to the bottom of the river in an unsorted thick bed.
The upper layer was deposited much more slowly so the sand got sorted into layers, each with coarse sand at the bottom and fine at the top. The layers are not flat, they slope from top left to bottom right as the current flowed from left to right, like underwater dunes. The whole thing is known as "Current Bedding" and the posh name for one of the layers is a "Foreset". You'll have seen this on just about all sandstone crags, but they are fabulously well shown at Bowden. There's a special bit at Bowden as well - many of these Foresets are twisted into convolutions, you can see them as leftward pointing 'V's above the break in the photo above. One explanation for these is that the river flow wasn't constant and as it suddenly flowed faster it bent the tops of the Foresets over. The posh name for them is "Deformed Foresets".
NMC County Climber
right to left. This inconspicuous little mark is VERY important. Almost as important is the owner of the arm in the shot - this is Dr Brian Turner, the geologist who's the expert on all of this stuff and who's work I am plagiarising here. However, I digress, let's get back to the little mark. Notice that there's some of that “Current Bedding” to the right, but to the left the sandstone is featureless. What's going on here then? Well that little mark is the right-hand half of one of these, which is on Wave Wall.
I don't mean the chalk mark on the boulder problem, Vienna, I mean the big 'V' shaped thing above it, capped by the left-hand end of The Wave. It's a channel that's been cut through some “Current Bedding” during a big event such as a flood. But there's a problem - the channel is at right-angles to the river and floods October 2010
page 8 of 20
don't go that way. There are only two other places in the world where these are found and no-one has completely explained how they are formed. The thinking is that the bank of the river has collapsed, maybe during an earthquake, and slumped across the river carving out a groove as it went. The lines which follow the edge of the 'V' around are where the sand has slumped down. The fact it slopes less steeply on the right is because the river flow was left to right. Nine of these have been identified
at Bowden, but this one is the daddy of them all - probably the best preserved in the world. Good job there isn't a route up it! And while we're here notice the patch of “Deformed Foresets” to the left of the top chalked handhold of Vienna and the normal “Current Bedding” above that. I'll educate you lot yet. To be continued - in the next instalment we'll see a Volcano in the sand. We will look at:
Winter Skills Course
- Using climbing axes - Climbing in crampons - Stances - Rope management - Gear placement in the winter
A Beginners' Winter skills weekend is being held on the 7th/9th January 2011. Location: Northern Cairngorms, Aviemore area If you want to try the Scottish Winter Experience for the first time the NMC is running another winter skills training weekend at the start of this winter. Based on previous experiences we have changed the format so that it will cover more options. The weekend is split into two parts: Saturday 8th January 2011 - 6 places Basic winter skills day for those who've never been out in winter before. This day isn't about climbing, more the basic movement skills which will cover: - Winter clothing - Ice axe & crampon use for walking - Emergency techniques - Avalanche theory (intro) - Winter navigation (intro)
Requirements for Sunday: Basic winter skills (e.g. attend Saturday's course) + reasonable fitness Instructor: Tim Hakim (MIA, Winter ML, MIC Trainee) Bookings: Tim Hakim, preferably by email, Beyond.the.horizon@lineone.net Note: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 01434-606-825. Please state in your email whether you want Saturday's course, Sunday's course, both days or accommodation only. Bookings are only confirmed with full payment. Costs: To be fully paid by 15 December 2010 • Saturday's course + 2 nights' accommodation: £54
Requirements for Saturday: Reasonable fitness with summer walking experience Sunday 9th January 2011 - 6 places Intro to Scottish Winter climbing. A day spent winter climbing which will depend on the wishes of the participants but is aimed at beginner winter climbers.
• Sunday's course + 2 nights' accommodation: £14 (no charge for instruction) • Saturday and Sunday's courses + 2 nights' accommodation: £54 • 2 nights' accommodation only: £14 This course is subsidized by a grant from the BMC.
NMC County Climber
October 2010
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NMC News
test, at the site of our proposed soakaway, which indicates suitability.
Bowderstone hut – update John Mountain, President
You need to read this! In the June issue of ‘County Climber’ I explained the dilemma faced by the Club following the National Trust’s (NT) proposal to replace the sewage system at the Bowderstone hut. The situation reported then was that the Club was investigating the possibility of an upgrade to the existing system, rather than incurring huge capital and recurrent costs
Our endeavours were duly reported to the NT, who requested that we formally submit our proposal by the end of June. This was done. The next step is to hold a site meeting with the NT, the Environment Agency (which needs to be satisfied that the system will meet statutory requirements) and Natural England (which is responsible for SSSI1 sites). The date for the meeting has yet to be agreed; clearly the holiday period is a factor in trying to get so many people together on the same day. No assumptions can be made about the outcome of this meeting. Whilst the NT may well look favourably on our proposals, their consultants (who perhaps
The Bowderstone Hut
with an all-new system, which was recommended by the NT’s consultants. Work has continued apace. The water meter fitted to the incoming water supply has shown that our existing settlement tanks should be capable of handling the current levels of output. David Ladkin, our consultant, has carried out a percolation NMC County Climber
have a commercial interest) may argue strongly against. If we do fail to win the day, it is not clear how the NT will respond to our assertions that we should not be liable for the costs.
1 October 2010
SSSI = Site of Special Scientific Interest page 10 of 20
Members' opinions wanted
I wish to remind you that the Club’s lease on the Bowderstone hut ends in March 2013. The Committee will consider the pros and cons of seeking to renew the lease and will take into account the views of Club members. A recommendation will be made to members at the AGM in January 2011. When reflecting on the lease renewal you should also give some thought to the following: a) previously the NT has suggested that the hut requires a connection to the water mains (at our expense), b) despite significant roof repair work done less than 10 years ago (at joint NMC/NT expense), it is likely to need further major expense in the medium term, c) the continuing workload and cost that would be necessary to bring the building up to current standards and keep it there.
In my opinion, if the Club chose to retain the Bowderstone hut after March 2013 then we should seek a shorter lease with specific clauses that would limit our liability. Whether the NT would consider such a lease is as yet unknown. So, over to you, the NMC members. Renewal, or not, is a really big deal for the Club. Maybe you feel that the Hut should be retained, despite all the caveats listed above. Maybe you think the time has come to say goodbye. If you have a strong view either way, make your view known. The website Forum which raises the issue of lease renewal has had 39 ‘views’ with no replies. Please use the Forum to get a general debate going, or you can get in touch with me or any other committee member, preferably by email or mail. The Committee will be debating this in the autumn, and a proposal will be put to the AGM in January 2011.
The Hermitage
NMC County Climber
October 2010
page 11 of 20
NMC News - continued Happy Birthday to‌
Annual Dinner The NMC annual dinner was held in the Blue Bell Hotel in Belford at the beginning of July. About 45 members attended the event. After the speeches the musicians of the club joined forces (see picture below) to entertain the merrymakers.
Muriel Sauer Founder member Muriel Sauer has recently celebrated her 90th birthday.
WildTrak Discount Week The committee wishes her all the best on behalf of the club.
Wildtrak are offering NMC members a discount of 20% off RRP for all items except media (books, maps etc.) during the week of
The president has sent Muriel a birthday card.
22-26 November 2010
NMC musicians play at the annual dinner NMC County Climber
October 2010
page 12 of 20
Mingulay Neil Morbey
Getting to Mingulay was amazing - I had been buzzing with excitement since boarding the fishing boat to get there. It is a magical place and Tim Catterall and I were climbing pretty well together on the first day there, where I even managed to put up a new E2 on Skippisdale wall. The rock was immaculate, the weather was great and the camp offered a view of the beach while tucking into a pasta dinner.
smelling, putrid fish juice which sticks to your skin/clothing for the rest of the day (and probably the rest of the trip.) I took his advice and took a rightwards line. I got an early bomber nut and was just about to proceed when Tim pointed out that if I went back into the line my left rope may flick the bird, so I put a large cam in to prevent that and I now had two good placements.
On the last pitch of any sea cliff, I am always on the lookout for loose holds. However, I wasn't able to predict what happened next. Four metres above the gear My second day on the island was the I began to come back left, into the line of start of a new adventure (just like every the climb – it looked about VS climbing. other day). We were off to do some multiHanging on good holds, I put my left foot pitch climbing on the east side of the across and island. After a then my brutal up hill left hand walk, being out to a attacked by sea nice hold. birds and As I fearsome winds at transferred the top of the crag my feet we caught up with through, I a couple of the put my other climbers right hand from our group, on the and then located a man-size suitable spot to rock in abseiled in. front of my The weather torso, but Craig pulls through changed suddenly dramatically as I something came over the top, was not right; I realized my right hand was sunshine and a calm breeze greeted me as I still moving, involuntarily! descended towards the ocean, 100m below. Time slowed. My brain unconsciously Once Tim had arrived we started up what realized that the rock was coming out and we thought was an E1, but later we found down against me. At this point I had two out was an E2, Pavement Pizza. thoughts going through my head; my I climbed first and it was luscious spatial awareness detected that Tim was climbing on perfect rock. Balanced moves 6m directly below me and anchored in led to a small overhang with easy jugs and tight - he couldn’t move. I also realized good gear. We moved quickly and that I had a good hold with my left and my effortlessly up the crag and finally came to body was in the way of the falling rock. a belay at the base of the third and final My brain, working on its own, quickly put pitch. Tim had warned me of a Fulmar just two and two together and gripped my left up to the left, which was protecting a nest. hand tight and pushed against the rock to Steer too close to these angry gulls and try and hold it in or deflect it away. This they will spit a vomit concoction of foul whole activity lasted about half a second as NMC County Climber
October 2010
page 13 of 20
the large rock easily pushed back and my left hand was ripped off the rock. I was now being sent head over heels and could actually see the rock in front of me as the sky came into view. The next ten seconds are a blur. I heard thumping and crashing below and I had pain on my forehead, left hand and right shoulder. I was in a curled up position hanging next to Tim and breathing hard. Sounds began to come back to me and I could feel heat on my forehead as I saw a small pool of blood collecting on the rock. Soon I became normal again and started to worry about trivial things like my fleece getting bloody!
group feared it needed stitches. We waited for Al Horsefield, an A&E consultant, to arrive and once he did the operation began. I was laid on the grass, surrounded by 20 intrigued, smiling faces as Al expertly injected a local anaesthetic and stitched me up. I've been told I was grimacing throughout and tensing my hands, but to be honest, it didn’t hurt at all.
The next morning I was up early and despite a headache, black eye, broken nose, grazed shoulder and skinned fingertips, my overriding feeling was to Neil after the reconstruction work have as much fun as I could. I knew that I'd be a little Tim was calm and quick thinking - he tentative back on the rock, but as I checked me over, debated about taking off emerged from the tent I saw Tim playing my helmet (given the blood) and checked in the sea and I HAD to join him. The the ropes and gear. Fortuitously we had doctors were all saying no, bad idea - must decided to pack a small first aid kit (finger keep the stitches dry - but I had a solution. tape and gauze!) and Tim expertly bound Rubber hat, duct tape and wetsuit were my head. Once we both realized how lucky applied and I ran off to have one of the we were we began to laugh - in these best swimming mornings ever - with the situations your perspective on everything seals! The rest of the holiday was like a changes. dream, although people did treat me a little differently, most probably because of the I was anchored in and Tim led on to way I looked. It was only a week later, find the easiest way out. As he was back on the mainland that I realized why. climbing and I was taking in the situation Staring at myself in the bathroom of a pub and feeling quite overwhelmed. I climbed on Barra, was quite shocking. I'm just glad easily on second and was pleasantly we didn't have mirrors on the island! surprised that, despite the large laceration on my forehead I was pretty much unscathed. We trudged back to camp slowly. Later we debated how to dress the wound. Gail, one of the four doctors in our NMC County Climber
October 2010
page 14 of 20
Severely punished – six of the best Dave Hume Transcript of conversation between prospective article author ('D'), and an imaginary County Climber editor ('Ed'), September 2010.
Ed. So what's this article you're offering? D. You remember that Ron Fawcett once did 100 Extremes in a day, but it wasn't in the County was it? Hardly counts. I thought that an equivalent for me would be 50 Northumberland Severes in a year, and my article would be a personal selection of my favourites. My first working title was "Severely Challenged", but I've come up with a better one "Six of the best severely punished in the Coonty". This would give me a chance to open it with a bit of a jokey comment, something like "this article is about climbing, not the closet habits of certain NMC members." What do you think?
make comments about the clandestine erotic behaviour of our members, even though we know it's true of (***** and ****** - tape scratched out here.) There's no need for smut. So what routes would you include? There won't be space to write about all 50, that would just end up as a list and what use would that be? D. Well, I'd choose routes that lent themselves to a bit of humour. At Bowden for example, I thought straight away about Sue, something like - "I've always found it hard to get started with Sue, that rounded bottom, until you get up a bit further when it becomes pure pleasure..."
Ed. OK, this kind of selected tour has been done before, but not for a while, and I am a bit desperate for articles this issue. The title works, but you can't
Peter Bennett on Idiot’s Delight (Severe) at Great Wanney by John Dalrymple
NMC County Climber
October 2010
Ed. Right. Stop there. I said no smut or innuendo. You are a bit of a dinosaur in that respect if you don't mind me saying, and I'll just cut that kind of stuff out. D. You're no spring chicken yourself, Ed, but OK. What about Black and Tan? It's a favourite of mine when I remember how to get off the ground after I've had a pint of Guinness, you know trouble from the start followed by an uprising, then a quick march across the traverse, finishing with a page 15 of 20
frontal assault on the headwall crack. I could easily make a link between the name and Irish history.
Deception Crack, and Conifer Direct. Think about them. And what about the Wanneys?
Ed. It's got nothing to do with Ireland. It's because the colour of the rock is a bit black and a bit tan. You'll have to steer away from sensitive issues this time - I had no end of complaints about your unashamed national stereotyping in that Kalymnos Geriarty piece, which I wish I'd never allowed. What else?
D. Aye, a thuggy and juggy place at that grade, although you couldn't call Main Wall juggy, it's as thin as a Scotsman's wallet. Sweethope Crack, that's thuggy all
D. I suppose for Bowden I could think of something for Exhibition Crack, making an exhibition of myself first time I climbed it, or Flake Crack, where the same thing happened. Or Grovelling in Grovel Groove? I find that talking myself down is a good way to deflect the scorn of others. Ed. It doesn't. They assume your self-deprecation game is pretty accurate. You can't just do Bowden what about other crags? D. Kyloe then. It's packed with great Severes. That Flake Crack is a goodie, well protected with just the one thoughtful move, but Chris's Arete is more varied and harder, scuttling out right under the overhang before you commit to the arete, brilliant. Ed. I heard you only seconded that. D. True, but it wasn't my turn to lead, and no-one would know apart from the two old guys I climbed with. I could just lie. Ed. They've already told everyone that you lie all the time anyway, so you can't choose a route you haven't led yet. D. Well, Trinity then, I've led that before. It would be VS easily in the Peak. Lots of scope there - Trinity means threesomes you know, start slowly but you have to hug tightly to finish, don't forget the protection... Ed. Enough. It's a VS already anyway. You could include Saint's Progress, Parity, NMC County Climber
Martin Cooper, Wall & Crack (Severe), Back Bowden by John Dalrymple
right, at the top anyway, I was sweetly hoping I wouldn't pop out. Idiot's Delight is a good one to include, despite the birdshit. Definitely a VS outside the Coonty. Wasn't that named after our esteemed colleague *********? (Tape scratched out here). Crag Lough, now I recently did Face Route on Monolith Wall which unfairly has no stars, but it's very different to other Severes there, nice and open and a bit thin. I'm sure I could write something about Hadrian's Buttress, with October 2010
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his best bits falling off in the cold thanks to short Roman kilts, turning it into a VS even in Northumberland. Sunset and Grooves at Peel are hard for the short and short for the hard, I like them, but can't think of anything funny to say. Ed. I'm rapidly going off the whole idea now. Everyone knows all these climbs, has done them loads of times, and I can't see the point of writing about them just to hang some not very funny and non-PC one liners on. D. Well what if I pick out some less well-known Severes on some of the minor crags? At Wolf Crag I redeemed myself in the eyes of my fellow pensioners when I saw off the top of Bread Knife with a gymnastic thrutchy layback-jam-sloper, a flag for style followed by an aesthetic flop. Then there's Flying Mac and Senapod Corner - the perfect laxative - at Ratcheugh, both classic Northumberland sandbags that I defy anyone from 'outside' to climb in style, unless they know how to do a Gancho. I'm sure I did other Severes there - Itchypaw, Flippertygibbet and Stormer, but it was hard to concentrate thanks to the constant fall of brambles, branches and the NMC gardening team of JDal and Freefall when I paid my visit. At Curtis, my reputation for gnarly top outs was secured on Fair Game and something else - could have been Sitting Duck. Is there some kind of theme to the names there already? Isn't Glorious Twelfth a clue? Ed. Obviously, and it's not exactly uncommon. How long have you been climbing? I can see possibilities in covering the lesser known routes. What else have you got? D. Back Bowden! Thin pickings for bumblies, but Wall and Crack's excellent, you just bomb up the first crack, forget hanging about for pro, then a lovely move up and out to the edge. Ignore the stuck Friend at the top, it's been mashed by loads of people trying desperately to liberate it. Quarry Face is a Severe that's re-emerged since the tree felling, and it's like a miniNMC County Climber
Tremadog crack system, and of course that makes it easy enough. Speaking of easy, there's Berryhill. Ken McDonald told me that they used to call this crag the 'Hold Factory' when he was active in the County in the 70's, on account of it's generous supply of jugs. (He also swears he never called 'Marcher Lord' by that name. Someone will know.) Eastern Arete's juginfested, even if it is airy and short on protection; Slanting Crack is nicely sustained, and Hi Diddle Diddle's a bit harder, and gives you a good look at Marcher Lord for future reference. Hey I keep remembering others! The Plonka and Overunder at Corby's, the Corner and Holly Tree Wall at Selby's Cove, which is the home of all sandbags. The Arete at East Woodburn, and High Board at Jack Rock - I've got a great photo of me on that in my custom T-shirt. Ed. What colour is the T-shirt? I ask for photographic reasons. D. Yellow, just like the E9 ones. I had mine made specially. Ed. Well, I know that E9 would be a bit of a fantasy option for you. What does yours say? D. There was supposed to be room for VDiff, but I chose too big a font, so it's just VD. I've had some funny looks mind, but it does attract attention at the crag. Next issue then, would you like something called "Very Severely Punished"? I've got some good ideas - how I got spanked by Lorraine, Tom's Peeping at Callerhues and Peeping Tom's at Simonside, there's material to go at there surely... Ed. Aaargh, spare me... D. Well, how about "Hardly Very Severe", a tour of VS's outside the Coonty... Sounds of further swearing and exasperation by Ed...
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Corse 2008 Diary Lewis Preston
19 August 08
Up early for the flight from Newcastle to Nice. Take the bus down to the port to get the fast ferry (4hrs) over to Calvi on Corsica. Watch a still Mediterranean with the sun setting behind the citadel. Strike lucky and get a lift from Calvi over to Calenzana (start of the GR20 walk), arriving there in the dark but manage to find the Gîte bivvy site. 20 Aug – GR20 Day 1
Sleep late in my bivvy sac, the other campers are all up and gone. I explore the town of Calenzana before hobbling to the start of walk – I’ve still got blisters from my Cape Wrath, Scotland, walk from the previous week - up through a forest to the ‘Bocca’ (Corsican for col) with stunning views over the Mediterranean and Calvi. Arrive at the Refuge d’Ortu di u Piobbu (1570m) and rest on the terrace. I get talking to Adrian from Paris who sells me his GR20 maps and a bottle of gaz so I can make soup for supper, then I bivvy out beneath an amazing Milky Way star heaven. The temperature drops from a high of 41°C during the day to 14°C that night. 21 Aug – GR20 Days 2 & 3
I head south to the col then drop into a deep valley and up to the Bocca at 1940m. Then I follow an amazing high-level ridge
NMC County Climber
traverse before dropping down to Carozzu where I am able to refill my water bottle. Take a cool swim in the pool below the bridge at Spasimata, then continue alone up a spectacular ravine to Lac de la Muvrella, a hidden jewel, where I skinnydip and dry on the rocks before four Polish walkers arrive. I head up to the next col where I decide not to descend to Asco but to try the high-level ridge with some difficult scrambling over to Punta Culaghia. Finally I descend a scree shoot to an upper cwm below Lavu d’Altore where I bivvy in the last light at 20.30hrs. There is no supper but I do find water in a cave – a very lonely night! 22 Aug – GR20 Days 4 & 5
My French is so bad that I thought ‘Bivouac Interdit’ meant ‘interesting bivvy site’ but a German walker later corrects me. I am quickly up to the Bocca Tumasginesca on the edge of ‘La Cirque de la Solitude’ (Hanging Valley of Desolation.) The cirque is meant to be the highlight of the GR20, and is certainly of an impressive scale. I scramble down and then back out to enjoy views south and the sun (ie escaping the ‘prison’ of shade.) Paglia Orba (the ‘Matterhorn’ of Corsica) dominates. It is steeply down to the Refuge Tighjettu (1683m.) I share food with a French couple and brew tea. We pace ourselves into the next stage through beautiful Corsican pine and larch forest with the ‘Matterhorn’ towering over us. It
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is a very steep climb up to the Refuge Ciottulu à i Mori (1991m) the highest overnight of my trip. I have just enough time and energy to race up Paglia Orba (2525m) before supper in the hut. The climb involves a difficult scramble with one pitch (in-situ rope) with ‘Severe’ graded moves. Fine views emerge opposite the ‘window’ (hole in the rock) through Capu Tafunatu. The views cover the west coast to the mountains in the east with many amazing summits. A cold shower, a hot supper and a disturbed bivvy: an animal makes off with my billy-can and flask bag (which I find again in the morning.)
I therefore drop 200m down a steep scree shoot to Lavu Bellebone. Next climb steep scree to ‘Le Fer de Lance’ before a scramble to the summit (second highest in Corsica) at 2622m where there is a shelter and memorial to Helbronner. For the first time in five days clouds begin to swell up from valleys on all sides. I am very alone here and am feeling exhilarated. I scramble down and skinny-dip in the beautiful Lavu Bellebone out to a mini-rock island, dry myself in the sunshine and re-ascend the ridge to a point at 2448m. Finally I traverse and then descend to the Refuge de Petra Piana - a timber A-frame structure on what appears to be the edge of the world!
23 Aug – GR20 Day 6
25 Aug – GR20 Days 8 & 9
I walk alone down the Golo valley – a beautiful place with pools and mature trees - but go wrong in the forest above Col di Vergio. I meet two hunters both bloody, each carrying a wild boar (one a huge male the other a young boar) - I realise last night’s visitor was the boar. Off route I continue up Capu â Rughia (1712m) to the view for a lunchstop where there are windbent trees above the shrine to San Pedru. Later I drop to Lac du Ninu with a fresh spring to drink from. Feeling tired, I continue on to Bergeries and then to the Refuge de Manganu. I take a skinny-dip wash in a refreshing pool before a pasta meal with fellow walkers, on the timber terrace with fine views. An English couple lend me some superglue to fix my running shoes (my shoes are suffering but my blisters are now ok.)
I’m up early after a very broken night’s sleep in a refuge (my only night inside) due to snoring old men but feel inspired by fabulous early dawn cloud-inversion in valley below. Breakfast inside (too old outside) then I’m off on the last double day to reach Vizzavona, via Murace and the Corbini ridge-line to the Bocca d’Oreccia and Refuge de l’Onda. I climb fast to meet the French boys at Muratello and continue on a solo variant up to the summit of Monte d’Oru (2389m.) It is a scramble to reach the summit where I have fine views back north over the peaks of the last six days of walking the fabulous GR20 trail. Feeling tired, I retrace the route with clouds forming and descend into a beautiful wooded cascaded valley – it is too late to enjoy Cascade des Anglais. I trudge out to find the boys at the free bivouac at Vizzavona Gare. We celebrate with ‘Wild Boar de Corse’ for €10 at a cafe.
24 Aug – GR20 Day 7
From Refuge de Manganu (with another wild boar visit during the night) I climb into a high cirque and then up steeply to ‘Brèche de Capitellu’ (2225m) with spectacular views east over peaks to come. Walking with three Lyon residents, I descend and traverse with views to Lacs de Capitellu and de Melo both in hanging valleys (see drawing.) At Bocca Muzzella (2206m) I solo east and north to explore the Monte Ritondu massif. At point 2519m I decide the traverse of the Cuillin-like ridge is not an unroped solo expedition so NMC County Climber
26 Aug – Last Day
The boys continue south but I (very satisfied with my walk in the Haute Corse) take the train through the spectacular scenery of Corte and Ponte Leccia onto L’lle-Rousse (The Pink Island.) I enjoy the 40°C heat there and surf, swim and dive in clear water. I dry out on the rocks, read and relax before starting the journey home.
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The website includes various discussion forums, a photoarchive for members’ climbing photos, online guides for most Northumberland crags.
Indoor climbing: £1 off the standard entry price at: • Sunderland Wall. • Durham Wall. • Climb Newcastle (Wed. nites only). • Newcastle Climbing Centre (Byker) • Morpeth Bouldering Wall Also winter season Wed. nights at Burnside college, £4 entrance fee, open to NMC members only.
NMC Website The NMC has a very informative website
NMC Guidebooks NMC members pay a discounted price for any guidebook published by the NMC. Currently available are the following guides: • Northumberland Climbing Guide Definitive Guide to climbing in Northumberland. £12.50 to members (RRP £18.95)
For the above 2 guides add £2 P&P if required. Contact John Earl on 0191 236 5922 • No Nobler County A history of the NMC and climbing in Northumberland. Now ONLY £2.00 Hurry while stocks Last!!! Contact Martin Cooper on 0191 252 5707
T-shirts and Fleeces Various styles of T-shirt with printed NMC designs and fleece tops with embroidered logo are available. Order direct on the website (www.thenmc.org.uk) or contact Ian Birtwistle 07828 123 143.
• Northumberland Bouldering Guide The new guide, £12.50 to members (RRP £19.95)
www.thenmc.org.uk
Doug Blackett at the Wilder Pfaff Glacier, Stubai Alps
NMC County Climber
October 2010
by Alison Jones
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