Milton Keynes Mountaineering Club

As part of our initiative to get as many of our members involved in the club and with the help of one of our ‘regular’ members Steve Scott we have devised a series of Peak District walks designed to increase in difficulty.

Steve has kindly volunteered to organise the walks………

Sunday 12th April 2015, Dove Dale, classic walk everyone should do.

Sunday 10th May 2015, Hope valley, Mam tor, Castleton area…..

Sunday 7th June 2015, Howden Edge. First step into the dark Peaks. Bit of a climb up (600m)

Sunday 5th July 2015, Kinder Down fall. Route of the original mass trespass, plus a section of the Pennine way.

All will involve either licensed premises or café at some point. Meet at 10am and be walking by 10.15. We will send out detailed information about each walk a month in advance so you can plan your diary and organise lifts. Other than the first walk they will be circular walks.

Walk 1 Dove Dale ‘’A classic walk everyone should do‘’! From main visitors car park to the village of Hartington Walk along the banks of the very picturesque river Dove amongst the steep limestone outcrops, The climbers amongst us could use it as a recce. for future climbs. Explore the caves and cross the river via the stepping stones, there is also a footbridge. The navigation is straight forward… follow the river (mostly). Bring the kids, dogs, mother in law.

Contact Details; StevenScott@fsmail.net We hope to see you there. Any questions don’t hesitate to contact Steve or any member of the committee.

Chester Mountaineering Club, PCU Cottage, Llanberis, Snowdonia, North Wales

For the February meet this year the club returned to the Chester Mountaineering Club Hut in North Wales. This converted cottage is situated on the Snowdon’s Llanberis “tourist” path and is about 300m above the town of Llanberis, Snowdonia.

Friday: The first club members arrived in Snowdonia around lunchtime and then headed off into the hills & valleys to make use of the rest of a relatively dry day. Dan & Andy walked form the hut to complete the Moel Eilo range of hills, while Louie headed up the Llanberis path to visit the summit of Snowdon & then scramble along Crib Goch before hitching back to Llanberis and the hut. Little Tryfan was the target for Rae, Mac & David W for a spot of scrambling and practice in ropework while Alan, David H & Ivona headed down to Llanberis to visited the Slate Mines and the lake. The rest of the club members turn up at various times during the evening.

Saturday: Daybreak brought some very cold and changeable weather so after a quick breakfast those attending the meet split into three groups; one going across to Pen-y-Gwryd and completing a transverse of the Glyders returning via the café at Pen-y-Pass (Alan, Andy, Dan, David H, Conor, Ivona, Shane & Jason), another went to the Idwal area in Ogwen to complete a scramble near Idwal Staircase (David W, Rae, Mac & Louie) and the last group also went to the Ogwen Valley and completed a circuit of the Carneddu incl Pen Yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn (Bob, Sophie, Abu & Stuart).

Sunday: The team awoke to very windy weather and a forecast of heavy rain from middle morning, so the more brave members attempted to get up Snowdon via the Llanberis path but turned back because of the high winds (Bob, Sophie, Stuart, Conor & Shane), others went to the Ty’n Llwyn car park, not far from the Ugly House to visit the Swallows Falls & Betws-y-Coed (Alan, David H, Ivona & Jason) while the rest returned home to Milton Keynes following a hearty breakfast.

Thanks to everyone for joining in another excellent weekend in North Wales.

MKMC members attending: Alan, Andy, Dan, Bob, Sophie, Rae, Mac, David W, Conor, Louie, Abu, Shane, Stuart, Ivona, Jason & David H

MKMC Burns Meet 22^nd to 26^th January 2015  at Ochils Mountaineering Club, Inverardran Cottage, Crianlarich.

We stayed in the ‘The Auld Kitchen’ at front of building on a two-tiered alpine-style sleeping platform and shred the large kitchen, separate food store & dining area plus drying room and boot room, sitting room with solid fuel fire with another club.

Thursday: Good drive up to Scotland through some very spectacular scenery. We had dinner & a few beers in the Ben More Hotel next door to the Hut. It was a good evening complete with Scottish folk music supplied by someone that looked like Billy Connelly’s dad.

Friday: The team made an attempt on Ben More. We walked from hut and then headed up a side valley from Benmore Farm aiming for the col between Ben More and Stob Binnein. The team was battered by the weather all day and also had to deal with difficult conditions under foot – big boots and crampons for most of the day. Unfortunately we failed to get to the summit due to the storm force winds that hit us on the final ridge to the Ben More summit making it difficult to stand up let alone more forwards. As the weather was getting even worst we decided to call it a day and return to the hut. Dinner this time was at the Crianlarich Hotel, the food was good but place lack atmosphere.

Saturday: The weather improved and so the target for the day was Ben Vane on the west side of Loch Lomond. We parked at Inveruglas by the Loch side and walked into the hills from there. It was an excellent day in deep snow, traversing two steep snow fields and clambering over numerous false summits before reaching the summit plateau. Once again we were battered by the wind get the top but this time made it to the summit cairn. A brilliant effort by the whole team – an amazing winter mountaineering adventure. In the evening it was back to the Ben More hotel for another dose of Scottish folk music and an outstanding performance of “Black Betty” by Kent (videos available on request).

Sunday: In the morning bad weather returned again, so the team decided to go for a low level walk. We headed up to Glen Coe and to do part of the West Highland Way – Altafeadh to Kinlochleven (6 miles) once again we walked through lots of snow and had some entertaining river crosses as they were hidden under the snow and ice. This was followed by a late lunch at the Ice Factor in Kinlochleven while watching people struggle in the ice climbing area. Upon the return to the hut Alan & his assistants pulled up their sleeves and helped prepare dinner of haggis, tatties, neeps and vegetables followed by a dessert of Raspberry cream with shortbread. Evening of food, beer and tall stories around the fire in the sitting room followed.

Thanks to Alan for sorting out all the food and everyone joining in for another excellent weekend (despite the weather).

MKMC members attending: Alan, Andy, Jay, Kent, Dan, Steve & Gavin

Overall it’s been another very good year for MKMC with club membership again exceeding 70. Club activity has been high with a large number of members attending official and unofficial weekend meets and day trips across venues in the UK and abroad. So it’s worth looking at the website again or our facebook page to remember what a good year it has been.

December 2013 – The Christmas Meet for 2013 was held at the Oread MC Hut in Rhyd Ddu to the south of the Snowdon. It was a wet and windy weekend but people made the best of it and managed to get into the hills around Rhydd Dhu and Beddgelet hills including scrambling along the Nantille Ridge. On Saturday evening a total of twenty one club members attended the Xmas meal in the Cwellyn Arms enjoying both the beer and the food.

January 2014 – Burns Celebration Weekend was in the Lake District at the Fylde MC Stair Hut for the Burns night fare – haggis, tatties and neeps. This hut is situated in the Newlands Valley just west of Keswick, once again the weather was wet and windy but again members made the most of it and headed out into the nearby hills.

February 2014 – This trip was to the London University MC Caseg Fraith hut in Ogwen Valley of Snowdonia. For a third trip running the weather was against us, but yet again club members still managed to get out and about.

March 2014 – When we went to the Malham in the Yorkshire Dales we finally got some sunshine (and snow). Club stayed at The Parish Hall in Kirkby Malham “Basic” group digs, comprising of a large main hall, which serves as the shared sleeping area, a bit like camping indoors plus a large kitchen, toilets, showers, storage space for bikes, gear, etc. Most peope visited Malham Cove, watched the climbers there and then had a look at the limestone pavements. Additionally went to Gordale Scar, scrambled up the waterfall at the back up onto the snowny plateau, across to Malham Tarn and then up onto Kirkby Fell before returning to Malham. In the evenings nearly everyone headed down across the road for drinks & food at The Victoria Inn in Kirkby Malham.

April 2014 – The Celtic Camping campsite at Aberieddy near St. Davids, Pembroke was very welcoming and with stunning views across the sea.The club members that attended the meet had a couple of good days of climbing at Porth-Clais, Carreg-y-Barcud, Craig Caerfai and Main Slab of Porth -y-Ffynnon plus a bit of coastal path walking. The weekend was a great success of a mix of climbing and walking and perfect socialising.

May 2014 -May club’s meet was at the beautiful National Trust Campsite which nestles under the Scafell mountain range at the head of Wastwater, the deepest lake in England, with its distinctive Nordic character and the pyramidal peak of Great Gable reflected in its waters. A few of us decided that we wanted a little more comfort and don’t want to lug all our camping gear up to the Lakes, so took up the Glamping option of Camping pods instead of tents. These are wooden cabins with a porch and windows to make the most of the Lakeland views, plus come with electricity, heating and lighting. Well worth it.

With sunny weather most of the time, those that attended headed off into the fells including Scarfell, Scarfell Pike, Wallbarrow Crag and Gorge plus Lingmell. Additionally some members visited the Napes climbing area on Great Gable. Here they climbed the Needle Ridge a 330ft multi-pitch mountaineering route and climbed two routes on Kearns Knott and ascended the famous Napes Needle. This was followed by evening trips down to the local pub at Wasdale Head and a BBQ at the Campsite.

June 2014 – A glorious weekend of sunny weather was in store. The campsite, Rushmere Farm , Wye Valley., hasn’t been used by the club before, but it proved to be very acceptable with flat pitches and an excellent toilet block. Over the weekend MKMC members climbed at Symonds Yat & Staple Edge Quarry while others went walking, cycling and canoeing along the River Wye.

July 2014 – A large number of MKMC members turned up for this meet at Hardhurst Farm Campsite in the Peak District for a weekend of walking and climbing that also included more importantly a BBQ to celebrate Mark & Melissa’s wedding.

August 2014 – A small group of dedicated MKMC members took part in this adventure and so it was that seven keen rock climbers set sail from Ilfracombe on the MS Oldenburg (aka “Old and Buggered”) for Lundy.

The first destination was Landing Craft Bay, and Shamrock (VS) looked like a good warm-up, so they abseiled in. The problem was that it was high tide and they couldn’t get to their chosen climb, so option two, Cow Pie (also VS) was selected. It was a lovely climb but with a sting in the tail. It finished over steep, loose soil and rocks, and coupled with the fact that it started to rain made the exit truly horrendous. Happily everyone made it out without incident, and reached the camp-site well after sun-set. For the rest of the week the pattern each day was very similar. After breakfast they would pop into the shop for supplies and then head off to their chosen crag. Finding the climbing area was often quite time consuming, and then they would set up an abseil and hope that they were in the right place. In the evening it was back to the camp-site or Marisco Tavern for dinner and a pint.

September 2014 - It was an ‘Indian summer’ weekend at Tom’s Field Campsite nearSwanage and everyone was careful not to get sunburnt. Adventures were had and everyone had a story to tell! Hopefully Swanage will become a regular destination for the club.

October 2014 – The party flew to Cagliari in Sardinia and they stayed in La Caletta, their base for the week.The Crags they visited during the trip were Calamosca, La Caletta, Cala Fuili area near Cala Gonone, Cala Spinosa, Gole di Gorroppu, a local crag at Siniscola & Buchi Arta.The weather was perfect and Sardinian rock hasn’t suffered from the polish that so many other areas have succumbed to, but having been used to temperatures in the low teens in the UK it was quite a shock to the system to be climbing in the low 30′s. If you haven’t visited Sardinia then it’s definitely an area that should be on your hit list.

November 2014 – For this meet the club stayed at Bryn Brethynau Climbing Barn neat Capel Curig in North Wales owned by North London MC. The weather was good so the 18 members that attended headed off into the hills to do a wide range of activities including scrambling up Moel Siabod’s Deaer Ddu Ridge,climbing the classic route “outside edge”, walking in the Carneddau and one member doing the Snowdonia 3000ft mountains over the weekend (including an overnight camp on Snowdon’s summit).

December 2014–The club’s Christmas meet this year was held at Brathray Exploration Group Trust Hut in Lake District near Ambleside. The Friday and Saturday were cold and snowy allowing MKMC members to get the first taste of winter in the fells of the Lake District . Several hills and walking routes were taken around Langdale including the Pike of Blisco & the Crinkle Crags plus a brave team who went to Paval Ark and tackled “the Buttress of Doom” as the called it in very dodge snow conditions. Saturday evening we had an excellent Xmas dinner cooked by Kent who yet again surpassed himself. Sunday saw the return of the wind &rain to batter the Lakes despite this a hardy bunch did a circuit of the Old Man of Coniston.

In addition to above MKMC members have ranged far and wide with trips to Ireland’s Macgillycuddy Reeks, the European Alps, the Highlands of Scotland, bouldering at Fontainebleau in France and night climbing in Qatar plus a whole summer of day trips to the Peak district for climbing.

Trip For 2015

The Hut Meets for early 2015 incl. January to Crianlarich in Scotland, February to Llanberis, North Wales and March to the Wayfarers Hut, Lake District. Followed by Camping Meet in April to the Wye Valley, May to Pembroke, South Wales, June to Wasdale in the western Lake District, July a first trip up north to Northumbria, August back to Snowdonia in North Wales and September a return to Swanage on the South Coast. The October meet will be an overseas trip to Spain or similar. Then a return to Hut Meets with trips in November to Snowdonia and the Lake District for the Xmas Meet in December (hopefully with Kent cooking again).