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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.
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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:
Non-members: Are always welcome to attend meets. 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
magazine@thenmc.org.uk
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: secretary@thenmc.org.uk
Photos Unless otherwise stated all photos in this issue were taken by the author of the article.
December 2011
Committee 2011/2012 President – John Dalrymple Vice Pres. – John Mountain Secretary – Caroline Judson Treasurer – John Earl Membership – Sam Judson Access – Richard Pow Hut Co-ord. – Neil Cranston Hut Bookings – Derek Cutts Magazine Ed. – Peter Flegg Social Sec – Eva Diran Librarian – Sam Judson Web – Ian Birtwistle General: Peter Bennett, Malcolm Rowe, Gareth Crapper, Andrew Shanks & Ian Ross.
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.
Cover Shot John Dalrymple, NMC President, on 1st Arete, at secret location, aka: ‘Bumbly Crag’
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What’s in this issue?
Weekend Meets 2012 You MUST contact the meet leader in advance, as any accommodation may be limited or already fully booked.
Wednesday evenings meets .......................... 3 Weekend Meets 2012 ................................... 3 Malta March 2011 ........................................ 4 Bowderstone Hut: ......................................... 6 A small bite of El Chorizo............................ 7 Burnside Blues............................................ 12 Winter Skills Course................................... 15 Pleading for Wings ..................................... 16 It might have been different........................ 19
6-7 Jan
Mill Cottage, Feshiebridge Richard Pow – 07831-216-024
3-4 Feb
Wednesday evenings meets
Inbhirfhaolain, Glen Etive Alastair Boardman - 07768-268850
2-3 Mar
Raeburn hut, Laggan - Gareth Crapper – 07768-464-396
17-18 Mar
Hut Working Meet – Neil Cranston 07907-298-147
23-24 Mar
Alex MacIntyre hut - Bryn Roberts – 07921-436-955
14 Apr
Northumberland – The rarely visited crags: Padda and the Tipalt – John Dalrymple –07591242-339
13/14 Apr
CIC hut, Ben Nevis - Eva Diran – 07824-627-772
The NMC has the excellent indoor wall at the Hadrian Leisure Centre, Burnside Community College, Wallsend booked for exclusive NMC use on Wednesday evenings from 17.45-21.45hrs. Bring all your own equipment. Note: For college insurance purposes all climbers at the wall must be either an NMC Full or Provisional member.
Note: A deposit may be required to reserve your place on a weekend trip.
Members MUST show their membership card at the reception desk and pay the £5 entrance fee. The entrance to the wall has moved and is now via the Leisure Centre, the new building left of the school entrance. After climbing we usually adjorn to a pub (eg the Shiremoor House Farm, The Cumberland Arms or the Cluny) for beer, food and a chat. Indoor climbing continues up to and including Wednesday 21 March 2012. The first outdoor meets are schedules as follows (the post climb pub is shown in italics): 28 Mar 12
Shaftoe – The Ox Inn
4 Apr 12
Rothley – Dyke Neuk
11 Apr 12
Curtis – The Ox Inn
18 Apr 12
East Woodburn/Wolf – The Ox Inn
25 Apr 12
Jack Rock – Northumberland Arms
NMC County Climber
Hut Overnight Fee increase Hut fees have had to be increased to cover operating losses. The new hut fees are: £5 for members £7 for non-members. These increases are effective immediately.
December 2011
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Malta March 2011 Neil Moreby
Last Spring I was considering where to go for some European sunshine, but I was sick of clipping bolts and craved some Trad! I’d heard Malta has some decent Trad and an amenable climate in March, so off to Wildtrak to buy the guidebook. Returning slightly woozy from the shop and feeling a light-weight wallet, I was amazed at the possibilities in Malta: Trad, Sport, Deep-Water Soloing, Hard grades, Mild grades, Single or Multi-pitch... I was sold. I gathered together a motley crew including the missus (Cat Mills), Sarah ‘Überschnell’ Follmann, Polish 'Pete' (Piotr Bamberski) and two friends from Sheffield, Simon and Ben.
for the remainder of the trip. Utilising a wire coat hanger, we also concocted some ‘prodders’ to aid our threading adventures. Ghar Lapsi is a lovely crag, by the way, but quite windy and, although it overlooks the sea, it is not in the most beautiful setting. This is often the case for crags in Malta. Il-Gawwija Slabs, for example was an amazing, soaring 50m slab, with some
A short flight from Newcastle and we arrived on the tiny island of bumpy roads. Apparently when the Pope was due to visit, the government improved all the roads within his planned route. Unfortunately they forgot the rest – which makes for some interesting car journeys. We’d had some luck – our hastily booked Villa Neil belaying on a VS at Il-Gawwija Slabs turned out to be a castle with a very cold pool and an enormous wild sea views, but it had become a kitchen. The local stray dog had even left a rubbish dumping ground, being situated on ‘welcome present’ on the doorstep! Soon the end of a dusty road. Still, we did settled in, we headed out to the crags and manage to do some beautiful VS/HVS found them to be interesting and varied. It lines there. had been recommended that we bring lots Weid Babu was one of the exceptions, of short lengths of cord (for the numerous and one of our most frequented crags as it threads) and a set of tri-cams (for the had everything in one lovely setting; a pockets). I would concur about the cord, gorge leading out to the sea. Despite but upon testing a tri-cam at the Twin getting some annoying parking tickets, this Caves crag at Ghar Lapsi, it popped-out crag was near perfect. I felt some of the into my teeth. I left them back in the Villa NMC County Climber
December 2011
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phone the rescue service, picturing the worst in my mind. Just as I spoke to the controller, Simon popped over the hill! His story was truly shocking... at one point his footholds crumbled away and he was left dangling... we were very glad to have him back! We spent many an evening traversing the stone walls around the pool – our substitute for the real DWS. The sea was too chilly really, as we found out when we visited the island of Gozo, in the north - a stunning place, with some beautiful beaches and fun swimming spots. We didn’t do much climbing, but I managed to down four ice creams! Piotr Bamberski on a 6a at Wied Babu
‘Trad’ lines were compromised by the proximity of a bolt from the neighbouring route. It’s hard to push on an E3 when a bolt, 1 metre to the right, removes all risk. Simon, like a true adventurer, decided to try some sea traversing (sans ropes) from Weid Babu. Ben and I went down to the sea with him, but we decided against it after nearly being taken out by the choppy waves. “Another day Si,” I said. But it was too late – he was around the corner and having too much fun. Nothing I could do, so I left Ben to wait for him, while I crushed some more 6c’s on the main crag. Simon had not returned for 45 minutes and we began to worry. We scanned the coastline for him and shouted his name, but as it became pitch black I decided to NMC County Climber
On the final day of the trip Pete, Sarah and I went to do Continuation Wall – a big, serious sea cliff; 2 pitches of 45m each, E1 5a, 5c. It was a glorious day and sharing a belay with bikini-clad Sarah was most entertaining. I got to lead pitch two and it was a beauty; just enough gear and fine, thin moves. There was even a logbook – halfway up the pitch! – which we all signed. Six months later... Edward Sciberras, a Maltese working in Newcastle emailed me out of the blue. He had seen my note in the logbook and found me through the NMC website! It is a small world after all.
December 2011
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Overall I would highly recommend Malta. Not all the crags may be as beautiful as some other European spots, but the people are friendly, it doesn’t take an hour to cross the island, so every crag is close and there is plenty of choice in terms of grades and types of climbs. Where else can you get sunny Trad within a short flight from Newcastle during March? Lundy next time...
Mountain Art Artist Susan Dobson (wife of NMC member Bill Renshaw) reports that she has had a busy year with trips to Annapurna Sanctuary, Nepal Himalaya, in February, the Eiger and Dolomites in July, and Nanda Devi, Indian Himalaya, in September! You can read about both Himalayan trips on the Berghaus website by following the links below.
Winter Skills Course Not done much winter climbing? Want to learn the basic skills?
For Annapurna Sanctuary: berghaus.com/community/?p=3126
Then sign up now for the Winter Skills meet on 6-7 January 2012
For Nanda Devi: berghaus.com/community/?p=5515
For more details see page 15 Susan currently has work included in the Biscuit Factory Gallery, Winter Show at Stoddart Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. The Winter Show runs until 29 February 2012.
Bowderstone Hut: Two major steps forward! Vice President, John Mountain
I realise that you were all disappointed not to see an update in the September issue of County Climber! I can only apologise for taking so many holidays this year. (I went into my local the other night and was asked to produce my immigration papers.) Back to more serious matters; in the Summer issue of County Climber, I told you that our application for a ‘Permit to Discharge’ had been lodged with the Environment Agency. Well, after some clarifications, the Agency has now granted our Permit. Our target date to get the new system installed is July 1st 2012. Whilst the above was being progressed, I wrote to the Lake District National Park Authority, and Allerdale District Council to give them early warning of our proposal. Both have now been advised that the EA NMC County Climber
has given its seal of approval. Allerdale Council is responsible for checking compliance with Building Regulations, and having completed the necessary paperwork, we have now also obtained their written approval. The National Park Authority is responsible for granting Planning Permission where it is needed. Having spoken to the planning officer, it seems that we do not need to seek formal approval. Written confirmation of this is awaited. So, the tedious job of sorting out the paperwork is almost at an end, and we can look forward to seeing some physical transformation take place at the Hut. The time for you to wield a spade, dear reader, is nigh!!
December 2011
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A small bite of El Chorizo Dave Hume and Cliff Robson
Some NMC members may believe that a climbing trip is all about the climbing. Not everyone sees things this way. It could be a function of age, ability or personality, but our recent visit to El Chorizo, that well-known destination in Southern Spain, proved that there is more to climbing than climbing. Firstly there is the sense of feeling incredibly lucky to be there at all. This too could be a function of age and decrepitude, but it's also a result of stuff that just happens. Our planned October trip so nearly became a game of Last Man Standing. There were more bad omens flying around than in a production of Macbeth.
d'Azur, we settled on El Chorro for an autumn outing. One of our party quietly wondered how we could ever get away again without having to take Trevor and his SatNav, and hey presto, the man himself obligingly dismantled his shoulder joint on Gimmer, at considerable cost to the taxpayer. (Get well soon Trevor!). Four down to three. Dave found he had two hernias, and the date for the operation was only eight weeks ahead of departure. Three down to two. Surgeon reckoned it would be OK to climb by then. Two back up to three. A quick search for subs found Dave's son Ross with a pass-out for a week's climbing as a reward for being a good new husband and daddy. Three back up to four.
As departure date approached, Gary, the bionic man, unexpectedly went on the It all started in May. Fresh from our medically unfit list in Italy. Four down to French Polishing successes in the Cote three, again. Our best hope for a fourth had broken his ankle and nearly amputated his thumb thanks to sharp Lakeland slate. We were resigned to a threesome. (I never expected to write that sentence, ever). Only four days to go, and Dave's missus slipped a disc, and Ross's missus had a family bereavement. Suddenly, and unknown to him, Cliff was going to Spain alone. But the good fairy came good, and Dave and Ross turned up at the airport to enjoy the two-hour delay thanks to a strike by French air traffic control. Even more amazingly, a day after we three arrived in El Chorro, we had a surprise text from the effervescent Gary asking if we needed any help with that lamb. (Now those of you who have bothered to read any of our previous geriatric trip reports will know that the Brosnan has a Gary traversing on El Camino del Rey bit of a reputation with NMC County Climber
December 2011
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leftovers, having been brought up to clean his plate. This is so embedded in his psyche that he extends it to anyone else's plate nearby). So Gary turns up a day late at Alora train station, after finally getting the medic's permission to drive again, which he instantly interpreted as meaning "OK to fly and OK to climb". Three back up to four. Alora was our base. This is a working Spanish town equidistant from El Chorro and the climbing area of Valle de Abdalajis. Our town house had a great roof terrace with a mountain view where we could watch the sun come up as we had breakfast and watch the stars over a glass of Rioja in the evening. The only downside was a bunch of fatos slagos and their kids who occupied our doorstep in the afternoon and evening festooning the pavement with sunflower seed shells and assorted rubbish. When they were otherwise engaged, doing who knows what, our doorstep was the preferred resting place of the local drunks, who, with some help, were willing to move enough for us to enter and exit the house. Now a word or two about the climbing. Valle de Abdalajis is a great warm up crag. Plenty of mellow grades, an open aspect, nicely featured slabs, a short walkin, and a village on the doorstep for post-climbing refreshment. It was so good, we came back later in the week to mop up the starred routes we had missed first time. As you all know so well, starred routes can mean so little. Ross and Dave headed for a Rockfax Top 50 route that let us down on four counts: (a) it wasn't where it was shown on the photo (b) the lower-off was in a silly place (c) it was at least 2 NMC County Climber
grades harder than claimed and (d) it wouldn't get into the Top 50 even if there were only 50 routes at the crag. On the other hand, the description of Artelo Martelo (5+), a 30m "allconsuming, never-ending, left-leaning crack" was accurate enough, and worth 3 stars. Another description that proved correct was Fisura devoradora, (the devouring crack), an off-width that nearly had indigestion when Dave 'udged' up into the depths of its awkward section. Ross willed his way up the testing finger crack of La Bavaresa, unaware that his belaying Dad had just been stung by a huge wasp. Gri-gris could well have been designed for such a moment. Further right on this crag are some pretty stiff shorter routes without stars, yet deserving them. We had to send Cliff up some of the trickier bulges to show us how.
Dave at Valle de Abdalajis
December 2011
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One thing we hadn't bargained for however, was mid-October temperatures of 33/34 degrees which shocked us into the unheard of step of getting to a crag by 9.00am to beat the heat. Just as well we could have a siesta. And we did. Next stop, Frontales. Being allergic to long walk-ins, we started out close to a parking spot for Sector Castrojo, hoping that the translation wasn't what it sounded like, or a prediction. Here we mopped up the easier grades on a strange area of rock, but it wasn't going to keep us busy all day so we hiked up the hill to Sector Austria where we found some pleasant routes and one desperate one with recent rockfall halfway up that gave Dave and Gary a wakeup call. The heat forced us to retreat to find that the Station Bar was surprisingly closed, giving us no choice but the La Garganta Hotel, which sported some loud English ex-pats boasting to their holiday visitors. Escalera Arabe involves a pleasant 30 min walk-in through the woods. We began at Sector Sergio with some short routes, the start of one being a steep pull up to some 'proper' layback flakes, and a couple of others that had sketchy finishing moves to the chain. Here we briefly had an audience of walkers, one of whom explained to the others how we got the rope to the top without dying, although Dave was not so sure that he would. Ross and Gary picked off the 3 star Sergio and Antonio, 6a, confirming its quality, despite being named after hairdressers. A walk right to Sector Suiza fitted in with an early lunch, and here we met Keith Partridge and family - Keith did a talk for the NMC earlier in 2011 on adventure photography. His two kids, aged 7 and 4, were climbing well, the oldest as well as some of us. Funny to think that they were enjoying their very first decade of climbing, while three of us were, well, you know... it can't be spelled out for fear of tempting fate. Later, over towards El Navegador PIllar, Dave and Cliff found "the best 5+ in the world" - Kiwi - a steep wall of cracks and horizontal breaks that would be the perfect NMC County Climber
trad route. Ross and Gary joined us and we sashayed up what we could before succumbing to the heat again, but this time the Station Bar was open, so we quenched there amongst proper gnarly climbers. We decided to spend our rest day scaring ourselves by doing the walkway that goes through the gorge and scary it was. Most people know that it's a thin strip of steel and concrete pinned to the rock which over the years has gradually fallen into disrepair. However, the recent ban on walking through the tunnel to Los Cotos has meant it's now the only direct official way from El Chorro to the other side of the Gorge. We ambitiously carried all our climbing gear with the intention of climbing at Los Cotos, but recent rainfall meant the river was too deep and too fast and too cold for us, despite Ross's offer to swim across with a rope and set up a line. Cowards we are, and proud. The walkway was completed in 1905 after four years of construction to provide easier movement for workers and materials. It gained its popular name, El Camino del Rey, when King Alfonso XIII walked round it in1921 to open the dam (contrary to our previous understanding that a load of people spent years building it and he never turned up). Plans were developed recently to upgrade the whole thing and turn it into a pukka country park with ice cream vans and tapas stalls but the recent downturn of the Spanish economy has scotched that. So at the moment you can walk round and still get the true crumbling walkway experience. It's basically a load of railway lines stuck into the rock and then covered in concrete. However, in some places there are large holes in the concrete or just no concrete at all, in which case you have to shimmy along a bit of railway line and try not to look down. On the plus side there is a wire, some of it still with all its strands, all the way round which enables you to clip in via ferrata style. You can make the circuit even more interesting by missing out one part of the walkway and going through two tunnels instead. We actually thought the
December 2011
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The rest was centred on food and refreshment decisions, senior moments, and no small amount of banter. Now a trip with a father and son component has a dynamic of its own - "Have you had a wee before we go?", "Changed your underwear today?", "Shall I carry your rucksack for a while?," "Can you stop moaning, we'll soon be there?", "Would you like to try this easier one instead?" how I used to ask these questions years ago, and how embarrassing to have them asked of me now. , Then the senior moments - three of us managed to lose an important Dave shows concern about having a nun belaying item at one time or another, causing consternation and worst part was the beginning where you retraced steps, only to find it in our climb almost vertically up a sort of rock rucksack later in the day. Deciding staircase with some large steel brackets whether to cook or eat out was a daily stapled into the rock. It all looks a bit dithering test. Alora doesn't offer much improbable as you head down towards it choice in this important aspect of a trip, from El Chorro but when you get there all but we splashed out twice at a restaurant is revealed. It certainly should be one of just behind the Veracruz Church and also the world's 501 Great Experiences. If some decent tapas at The Old Post Office, you're lucky your trip will be accompanied despite its ex-pat clientele. The universal by a strong wind, spray and rainbows and Italian pizza joint was hearty but shouldn't be missed. You also get your unfriendly, so the culinary highlights were only Grade 1 tick in the Rockfax guide. back at base - Cliff's chorizo extravaganza It seems then that there was quite a lot and Ross's chicken breasts wrapped in of climbing on this climbing trip after all. NMC County Climber
December 2011
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serrano ham, while Dave and Gary acted as sous-chefs. Life in a declining Spanish economy isn't always attractive. Our corner of Alora seemed to have a head start in leading the downturn. There's the litter, groups of men sitting outside cafes and churches drinking from litre bottles of Cruzcampo beer 'hidden' in supermarket plastic bags (how close we came to blending in), the abovementioned fatos slagos on our doorstep, ex-pats running seedy bars, cars with
sensible dents and scratches that made our shiny hire car the obvious goalposts for youths on the plaza, who were only too willing to oblige. For all that, it's warm till 11pm, car hire, food, beer and wine is cheap, there is plenty of rock to go around, and enough routes at grades suited to those of us who are slowly working backwards through the scale of difficulty. What's not to like?
Bryn Roberts on Vicarage Slabs, N.Devon
NMC County Climber
December 2011
by Richard Hardwick
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Burnside Blues Martin Cooper
It’s good to be back: it’s very good. Burnside Climbing Wall, Wednesday nights, pull on your harness and climbing shoes, chalk bag (optional) climbing partner who will inspire, cajole and increase your self esteem (optional), sweat, filthy hands and upward movement for an hour and a half. The colours of the holds dazzle, if you can make the colours out. And to think that only a few short weeks ago, I was dreading the return. Now I’m back where I belong, institutionalised,
forming relationships with the staff, chatting to the inmates, hoping for a longterm incarceration in a supply teaching post in the school, dreaming Hadrian Leisure, swimming, five a side football and badminton. But, you ask, didn’t I enjoy my summer’s climbing? Well, I did actually and thanks for asking, Pete. A brief session with my therapist, luckily for you, has prevented total loss of recall. Pete (my therapist) recommended writing some of it down, said it would be useful for my long term recovery. Of little value to anyone else, of course. Please, if it gets into the wrong hands (yours), don’t for goodness sake read it. Eight months, twenty one crags. Where to start? At Berryhill, early March, Gary took time out from sun-rock training to accompany me on some easy routes to kick the season off. A fortnight later Joe (my eldest son) asked, a bit too late, if I had brought rock shoes for a weekend in Glencoe. Saturday, we descend Broad Gully on Stob Coire nan Lochan in crampons, Sunday we climb on rock in Glen Nevis, me in my walking boots. Excellent stuff.
Martin, looking happy, at Bowden…….by Jeff Breen
NMC County Climber
December 2011
April and the NMC Wednesday night summer season begins. At Curtis Crag, where the cold, damp and wind provided the usual shock, ‘summer’ begins. I stuff Turkey Shoot full of far more gear than a Christmas turkey but get up it anyway .Magnum, V Diff, is a struggle. The sun comes out at East page 12 of 22
Woodburn and to avoid the televised wedding, I go on the club meet in North Wales; it turns into the best climbing trip of the year. North Wales, dry rock, warm sunshine, an excellent hut and sitting out in the garden with tea, cakes and beer suggests that we were having our own celebration. We weren’t, I have wanted to climb on the East Face of Tryfan for years and Pinnacle Rib Route, climbed with Peter Bennett and Alistair Boardman, did not disappoint. Milestone Buttress, Rowan Route is well worth doing. Rhianne was exceptionally patient while Heather and I took a little longer than anticipated. On the Sunday, hordes of people descended on the Idwal Slabs, where Peter, Andrew and I enjoyed the fantastic rock and the easy angle of Hope. Back at the foot of the crag, dozens of people are eyeing up routes, picnicking, having a good time. Children chase other children and dogs chase themselves. Only the true poets (Peter and me) are aware of a serene moment as the shadow of a raven glides across the sunlit crag. What an excellent meet it was, particularly for Lucien. Not content with a recent winter ascent of the North East Buttress on The Ben, he arrived in Wales hot on the heels of a successful traverse of the Cuillin Ridge NMC County Climber
and proceeded, on his first day in North Wales, to climb Cenotaph Corner. Time to climb elsewhere Lucien, (nothing personal, mate but most British climbers wait a life time to do those three.) After that he wanted to climb in Christmas Corrie - it’s not in Wales, Lucien. May provided mixed weather and a mixture of routes. Simonside was a memorable outing for Kay as she completed her first two outdoor routes for a year, after recovering from a broken ankle. Her enthusiasm kept Alex and I going for the next few weeks. The first of four visits to Kyloe Woods brought Joe’s Italian fiancée, Mimma, into confrontation with the start of Christmas Tree Arete.
Martin, not looking happy, at Tryfan
December 2011
by Peter Bennett
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This was only Mimma’s second climbing visit to Northumberland and was she not going to give up. ”Nonne possible per me....” and the rest was Italian swear words that, fortunately, I didn’t understand. The route succumbed in the end. In June I struggled with my leading and I can’t put my finger on why. Struggled to get my fingers on the holds as well. July came and I hadn’t yet climbed in the Lake District. A beautiful hot weekend at the Fell and Rock hut at Buttermere led to bad decision making. Joe, Mimma and I climbed Great Gable on the Saturday, a fantastic day of wonderful views and sunburn. Where to climb on Sunday? It would be good to be next to a lake, we decided and walked to Ling Crag, on the shore of Crummock Water. What a chossy pile of shite, (fortunately, I don’t know the Italian for 'chossy'.) We climbed just the one route, on which the thick layer of moss was at least dry. Nice views though. Next came a break for family duties and an Italian holiday (“Nonne possible per me... molte, molte, molte gelato!”) It was August and I still hadn’t climbed a decent route in the Lakes; Gary came to the rescue. We drove across for a day and a half’s climbing in Borrowable, arriving at Shepherds Crag late in the afternoon. The rock was in immaculate condition but I’d left my rock boots in the garage at home. We improvise and get up three good routes. By 9.03 a.m. the next day I have purchased a new pair of rock shoes in Keswick and we head up to Lining Crag, below Greenup Edge According to the guidebook the rock here is “Excellent” This is patently not true, added to which, most of the crag is damp and some of the routes look vegetated. Nice views though. We made the best of an aborted trip with three routes at Snail Shell Crag, Carrock Fell where the granite rock is excellent but the routes are very short. Perhaps you wouldn’t drive all this way for such a small snail shell of a crag. Nice views though.
NMC County Climber
By late August, the ice cream, the sun, the absence of paid work on the horizon, fire up my level of motivation and I hit the crags bigtime: Bowden, Curtis, Wannies, Wolf Crag, Kyloe In, East Woodburn, Raven Crag, Borrowdale (a good long route in The Lakes at last), Back Bowden, Corby’s and Corby’s again. I’m fitter, stronger, more confident, leading better than I have for a while, enjoying the range of fantastic crags we have in Northumberland, and some routes that are really worth doing: Wall and Crack and Straight Crack at Back Bowden, Crack of Gloom and The Elf (which Alex nearly led and I couldn’t finish) at Kyloe In. Northumberland is unbeatable; it’s such good training. The summer ends, watching Ed take flight in the dark. And now the therapy is over. It is all just memories, all just words. I shake myself down and chalk up my fingers. You mean, all of that was just training for this?
Magazine Deadline The next issue of this magazine is due in late-March 2012. Articles for inclusion need to be with me before the end of the second week of March. Send photo files and text separately. Send text only in DOC, RTF or TXT format. Send to:
December 2011
magazine@thenmc.org.uk
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Winter Skills Course 7 - 8 January 2012 The NMC is organizing another of these great courses this winter, based at Feshiebridge in the Cairngorms. The course is aimed at those with some fell walking and possibly summer climbing experience, who want to learn the basics of Scottish Winter Mountaineering. It’s a two night residential course. On Day One you will learn about the basic winter skills - clothing and equipment, weather, cramponning, ice axe arrest, cutting steps and general movement skills plus avalanche awareness. On Day Two, the activities are depend on both the weather and the course participants’ progression, but the aim is to look at mountaineering skills and put the day one skills into practice. If possible, we will climb a mountaineering route (approx grade I or II) but it does depend on a wide variety of factors. As we hold the course early in the season the conditions vary: previous years have seen us struggling to find snow to slide on one year to being almost snowed into the hut the following year!
Membership Expires Your membership expires on 31 January 2012. Please pay your membership renewal fee (£25) to the membership secretary, Sam Judson, either by cash if handing over the money in person or by cheque if sending in the mail. Unfortunately we are unable to accept payment by Direct Debit. The membership fee must be paid promptly if you want to be sure of third party insurance cover by the club’s BMC affiliated status. Confirm your details When contacting the membership secretary, please also confirm your postal and email address, your home and mobile numbers and whether you want to take the magazine by electronic download from the club’s website.
The important thing to realise is that you won't be climbing steep and soaring icefalls on this course. It's more about giving you the foundations to be able to develop your winter climbing as you see fit and to give you the basic skills to be able to join in on other NMC winter meets.
Sam Judson 31 Kenmore Close, Wardley Tyne & Wear NE10 8WJ sam@wackylabs.net 07793 522 261
The final cost will depend on numbers (six people max at around £30 each), but the course is heavily sponsored by the BMC so you won't find a cheaper one out there! Course Instructor: Tim Hakim, MIC assisted by Richard Pow.
NMC County Climber
December 2011
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Pleading for Wings Trevor Langhorne Cliff Robson wrote about our October 2010 Kalymnos Trip in an earlier addition of County Climber. He politely stepped around my part in the ascent of Wings for Life. Here is a more complete account of that day.
Saturday night, tomorrow is our last full day of climbing for this trip and what to do had been the subject of several days of inconclusive discussion. We had all been keen on doing the 11 pitch sport route called “Wings for Life” (6a) on Kalymnos’s close neighbour, the Island of Telendos; however my poor fitness level and climbing form had led me to seriously doubt my ability to manage the route. After dinner we retired to a local bar, once the drinks had arrived Gary rose, slightly unsteadily, to his feet (due to his consumption of a Greek intoxicant called s Five Star Metaxas) and began an impassioned speech articulating all the reasons why we should go and do Wings for Life. I tried a flanking ploy and suggested the other three go and I would have a nice rest day, my bluff was called when they declared that either we all go or no one would go. The speech continued, to spare anyone from losing the will to live, I capitulated on one condition, Gary would carry our rope and I would take the quickdraws. Sunday, 8.30am, we wait at the jetty for the first boat over to Telendos. There were other climbers waiting and I convinced myself that they will not be NMC County Climber
going for “Wings”. Once on Telendos we set off through the village towards the South Face cliffs, emerging from a lane at the village edge we come across the other climbers from the boat who are heading in the same direction as us. Over the next few minutes the pace of the walking gradually accelerated as an undeclared race to be first on the route was developing. Eventually a conversation revealed that we did not share the same target, they were heading for a route called “Wild Country”. We could relax and slow down allowing the other team to forge ahead. Finding the route started to become problematic; it follows the right arête of a very large cave before traversing left and climbing the headwall above the roof of the cave. Unfortunately large and very similar looking caves were spread along
Gary on pitch 9 December 2011
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the South Face at regular intervals. I optimistically thought it was the first cave (i.e. least walking required), sadly it turned out to be the last one and the walk seemed rather longer than the 70 minutes claimed by the topo. Finding the start was easy as there was a painting and the route name was painted on the rock. Dave and Cliff arrived a few minutes after Gary and me.
are absent; then I spot a good hold on the right wall and I soon made full use of it by clipping a sling in and standing in it! A longish stretch reached an identical good hold; making similar use of this allowed me to clear the roof with my feet. Careful laying away and bridging soon had me on the stance. Judging by the kerfuffle below, Gary also enjoyed the pitch! We were now on a nice big ledge so a spot of luncheon was in order, consumed to the background scuffling and profanities as Dave and then Cliff master “The key to Heaven”.
Above the ledge the rock reverted to the wonderfully crozzly limestone that Kalymnos is famed for. A superbly delicate and fingery pitch lead up to a tufa bulge, the stance was just above. As Gary climbed we heard an almighty WHUUMPH - an area of sea the size of a tennis court Dave and Cliff arriving at the top appeared to be boiling. The whole of this coast is tectonically active, are we The first section of the route gave six about to experience an earthquake? Then a scrappy pitches in the 4b – 5b range, Gary small black boat appeared and headed for set off and we alternated leads. As we the boiling water, the sound was nothing approached the cave roof, things turned more than the locals doing a spot of steeper and sterner, at the sixth stance I (illegal) dynamite fishing, there will be took over the leading. The seventh pitch is fresh fish for the restaurant barbeque named “The key to Heaven (6a)”. The rock tonight! and climbing style changed dramatically, gone was the friendly, rough and hold The distraction of the fishing kept me covered limestone; replaced by marble from looking too closely at pitch nine smoothness and a wide corner crack which featured more tufa to climb as it leading up to and splitting a three foot roof rose left and up. The exposure was not far below the next stance. Moves made impressive and the moves engaging delicate by the slightly flaky rock led to the (“technical climbing leads up and left into corner crack which was steady up to the hyperspace”). I moved round a rib onto a roof. Now what? The rock glistened holds NMC County Climber
December 2011
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tiny hanging slab, a bulge guarded access to the next hanging slab, the handholds were small, the footholds tiny. Pulling through the bulge I could see the good hold but couldn’t let go to reach it, a quick pull on another of those special holds. Immediately things eased and elegant climbing leads to a sensational hanging belay above the cave and below a wall called “Climbers Heaven”. The topo notes say it all; “Heaven on Earth climbing now lies above us, dolines, handles, chicken heads and handy overhangs follow on the best rock.” All too soon we arrived at the abrupt end of the climbing. I looked and felt knackered; food and water did little to help as we wait for Cliff and Dave. Still at least it is only an hour down to the bar and a nice cool Mythos.
although I did the route the style of ascent was flawed. The next day I was so stiff that the best I could do was to stagger down to a café and enjoy the sunshine. As for the route, it had good climbing but I felt a bit let down – perhaps I expected too much from the hype?
Gary and I set off down a little before Dave and Cliff, unfortunately the descent began with a pathless uphill section leading to the island’s summit ridge. The pathless theme continued as we descend steeply down the other side, every piece of vegetation seems to be designed to tear clothing or puncture skin. Eventually we reached the tiny Chapel of San Constandinos. Opening the chapel door reveals some superb Greek Orthodox painted icons which are just about visible through the haze of incense – a bit like a kipper smokehouse. We had used our hour for the descent and were barely half way back. A path snaked steeply down the hillside to meet the coastal path. Once on the coast path our pace picked up and we soon rounded a headland – but no village – then another headland – more disappointment – this was getting monotonous. Eventually we rounded a final headland; the bar was 50 yards away. We struck lucky the bar is about to close for the winter, we buy some beer and crisps then more comes for free. Cliff and Dave arrive to join in the bounty. A great way to finish what the new guidebook describes as “a major day out”.
The NMC Annual General Meeting is to be held on
Was I right to be concerned about going on this route? Yes, my concerns about form and fitness were well founded; NMC County Climber
Thanks to Dave, Cliff and Gary for a memorable day out.
NMC AGM Wednesday 18th January 2012 The meeting starts at approx. 20.15, at the Burnside Community College upstairs Lecture Theatre (ie after the usual Wednesday evening climbing meet.) The meeting will, among other things, review the minutes from last year’s AGM, hear the Treasurer’s financial report and elect new officers to the NMC committee. Note: to stand for election to the committee you need to get a proposer and seconder and be registered with the president John Dalrymple before the start of the meeting. john@dalrymple.me.uk It would be good to see you there and even better to hear your opinion on the running of YOUR club. Note: A copy of the AGM Agenda and the draft minutes of last years’ meeting are enclosed with (or attached to) this magazine.
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It might have been different John Spencer
Bowden Doors, 20 September 1981
A bright, breezy autumn afternoon, clouds scudding, a sunburst now and again, occasional spits of rain, fabulous views across the Vale of Wooler to the Cheviot Hills – a classic Northumberland scenario. Ralph and I had just returned from a week’s climbing in North Wales, the Pass and Gogarth. On the first day we hit the Cromlech, polishing off Cemetery Gates and Cenotaph Corner, my first lead of the latter, having seconded the late Tony Wilmot on his 19th birthday ascent a dozen years previously. I dropped my helmet (bright orange, Joe Brown) off the top of the crag, luckily missing everybody on the big platform at the foot of the
Corner, before it bounced off down the scree. It was still in one piece when I found it, albeit with a hole on one side (I wore it for the rest of the week; looking back, undoubtedly unsafe in the light of the structural damage sustained, but we knew no better). A rainstorm of tropical proportions broke as we got back to the car, drenching everyone and everything in sight. As with a tropical downpour it only lasted 10 minutes or so, but at its peak, there was a waterfall streaming down the line of Direct Route on Dinas Mot, and some well bedraggled climbers stranded on various ledges on the face. We too were completely soaked, but happy. At Gogarth we opened our account on Castell Helen, with a clamber on Rap and Pel. Later, we danced across the Dream slab, whooping with delight as we topped out. The crack at the bottom, and the hanging belay in slings at the top of Resolution Direct proved, respectively, savage and exciting experiences. Mousetrap in the morning and Red Wall in the afternoon was a particularly pleasing day out, finished off with a swim in the sea. So confidence and fitness levels were high. At Bowden that afternoon we went through the usual routine: Scoop, Black and Tan direct finish, Runnel, Banana Wall, a Leaning Groove or two. I led Main Wall for the first time (it was a slightly different prospect in pre-cam days – and I had yet to acquire my first one). Everything was going swimmingly – our week’s training in Wales was obviously paying off! However it was getting breezier and cooler, so we decamped to a more sheltered spot, the bay that contains three Northumberland classic cracks: Canada Crack (OK so long as you don’t hesitate), Jackdaw Crack (short and brutal, especially if there’s a nest to avoid); and Long Crack. We despatched Jackdaw and were to
On Red Wall NMC County Climber
December 2011
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finish on Long, my first look at the route. It wouldn’t have much of a profile in the Peak District, but is one of relatively few crack lines in Northumberland that require, or are at least best tackled using the dark art of jamming. I led it, with the customary thrutch and scrabble, but rather than sit at the top in the breeze to bring Ralph up, I decided to lower off and top rope him; that way I’d get a better look and be able to jeer at his efforts more effectively. I placed a single nut (a MOAC) for a belay, clipped in, shuffled toward the edge, leaned back and weighted the rope. I don’t remember the fall or the impact except for a loud crunching thud and jangle of gear, and some Tom and Jerrytype stars in front of my eyes. Obviously the MOAC had popped. There was no pain at first, but I was completely winded, and crawled around on all fours, grunting and uttering gibberish. I tried to stand up but that precipitated a searing pain in my low back and right foot, and I fell back to the ground. Ralph, who had trained as a police cadet, took control, gave me a big hug – yes the man-hug was alive and well 30 years ago – and made soothing noises. Well, I was alive and conscious, and could move. Clearly, however, I was badly injured, so time to get help. He bundled my
NMC County Climber
lower half into a sac, wrapped me in cagoules and ran off to phone for an ambulance, which in the pre-mobile era required a drive to Belford. So there I lay, in the bay, contemplating my fate. What you should know is that, some 15 years earlier, Phil, one of our gang of three who had started climbing together at school, had fallen 60 feet from the top to the very bottom of a route in Wilton Quarry near Bolton, stripping all his (badly placed) gear, sustaining a fracture-dislocation of his spine resulting in paralysis below the waist. Not the best thing to happen to an athletic and ambitious 16 year old with his life ahead of him. As I lay there, feeling first a bit shivery and shaky, then as my legs started to tingle, I couldn’t help thinking back to that day in the quarry and my memory of being in the ambulance with Phil, racing down the road to Bolton Royal Infirmary with blue lights flashing, and him suddenly announcing that he couldn’t feel his legs... Anyway I didn’t have too long to ponder my fate. Ralph reappeared with two ambulance men who wrapped me in blankets and stretchered me off the crag. An uncomfortable 20 minute ride (Can I still feel my legs??) took us to Alnwick Infirmary where I was X-rayed (“You’ve
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crushed two vertebra and broken your heel”), given a shot of pethidine, thence whisked to the Royal Victoria Infirmary to face a somewhat freaked-out Gail who was 6 months pregnant. To cut a long story short, I spent a week in hospital and three months on crutches. I didn’t climb again for about a year, and then somewhat tentatively for another year or two after that; Ralph gave up climbing for good. Bowden Doors, 19 September 2011
Thirty years on. A bright, breezy autumn afternoon, clouds scudding, a sunburst now and again, occasional spits of rain, fabulous views across the Vale of Wooler to the Cheviot Hills – a classic Northumberland scenario. I had recently enjoyed a long weekend’s climbing (well, two days out of three) in North Wales on the Clogwyn Hut meet, at Gogarth (Lighthouse Arete and Rap above a very high sea – we got wet), and Tremadog (a greasy Craig y Castell after 24 hrs rain, for Creag Dhu Grooves and Mensor). I’d had been having a bad time with my back during the previous few weeks, and had been worried it would cause problems, not least with abseiling and hanging belays. In the event, no problem, indeed the hanging belay was surprisingly comfortable, even therapeutic – a new approach to physiotherapy for back problems, perhaps? At Bowden that afternoon Jim and I went through the usual routine: Scoop, Black and Tan direct finish, Runnel, Banana Wall, a Leaning Groove or two, Main Wall (my favourite Bowden route). Although not planned as a 30th anniversary outing, and in any case one day short of the actual date, it seemed appropriate to have a look at Long Crack. I’ve climbed it a few times in the intervening years. A large cam helps to protect the top moves, but I’m not sure any other development of the last 30 years – sticky rubber, chalk, ultra light quickdraws, for example - have made the route any less of a struggle. Even training on the wall, which we didn’t really take very seriously ‘in them days’, doesn’t help all that much, except one is a bit stronger NMC County Climber
thus able to hang around a bit longer on the crux. Anyway, I led the route fairly swiftly and reasonably smoothly, belayed and brought up a grumbling Jim - he doesn’t like the route one bit but had graciously agreed to second it. As ever, belayed in the cave, I reflected on how lucky I had been that September afternoon. Eleven metres is the kind of height you don’t really want to be falling from onto hard ground - nastier things than 2 or 3 crushed bones and a winding often happen to a body that does so. Life in a wheelchair or severely disabled would have been different – probably no less fulfilling, just very different. The story of my schoolboy chum has a happy ending in that respect. Sir Philip Craven, as he became, has had an illustrious life in the world of disabled sport, notably wheelchair basketball, and is the current President of the International Paralympic Committee, with no regrets about the fateful day. Thirty years of backache for me has been a small price to pay. In terms of climbing, since the fall I have always placed more than one anchor point, unless there is no alternative, a habit vindicated a decade later when one of two belays popped at the top of Dove Crag just as my second, a large chap, fell off the crux of Extol. That too could have been interesting, but thankfully the other one held. No more profound reflections were forthcoming or indeed warranted as I sat there, staring across to the hills, listening to Jim’s protestations and grunts. But it did feel like some kind of ‘closure’ (to use that rather hackneyed piece of psychobabble). And not just for me - as we coiled the rope and sorted the gear, Jim said “That’s the very last time I will ever need to climb that <expletive> route!”. I think I share his sentiment.
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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, £5 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 Various styles of T-shirt with printed NMC designs and logo are available. Order direct by contacting Ian Birtwistle 07828 123 143.
• Northumberland Bouldering Guide The new guide, £12.50 to members (RRP £19.95)
www.thenmc.org.uk Our president… shows why he was considered crazy enough to take on the Presidential role
NMC County Climber
December 2011
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