A glorious weekend of sunny weather was in store. First to arrive at around 10:00 on the Friday morning was Alan’s car with passengers Stuart and Jonathan. The campsite, Rushmere Farm, hasn’t been used by the club before, but it proved to be very acceptable with flat pitches and an excellent toilet block, all for £6 per night. They pitched, paid their dues, and then set off to Symonds Yat. A number of classic routes were climbed with lots of stars bagged. While Stuart had started the last route of the day, and Alan was belaying, a call was had to assist with an accident. A climber had fallen near the top of Golden Fleece and hit a ledge on the way down: a suspected shattered hip and possible broken back. Jonathan leapt into action and was helping the fire service and helicopter rescue teams. The injured climber was eventually air lifted to hospital.
Back at the campsite the rest of the group had turned up, and while some went to the local hostelry others sat around and chatted.
On Saturday morning the climbers headed to Staple Edge Quarry and enjoyed a fruitful day. The rock there is compact sandstone with a fair few pegs dotted around and lower off staples at the top of most routes, so although it is trad climbing, there is an element of sport climbing to be had. A bonus was that the quarry was shaded which helped save the climbers from being frazzled alive. Meanwhile, Steve and his party cycled to Symonds Yat for a spot of canoeing on the River Wye.
In the evening everyone dined at the Gamekeepers, although there was a very long wait before some of the party received their grub!
The final day saw everyone back at Symonds Yat, and Steve and his party came to watch before heading off on a cycle ride. The pinnacle was conquered and Sarah was so impressed that she has booked herself on a climbing course at Big Rock. Jonathan took “flight” while leading Flight (VS) and at the end of the afternoon some of the party attempted to top rope The Wasteland (E3 6a). As Alan’s car group were leaving they bumped into some of the rescuers from Friday evenings drama who were pleased to report that the patient hadn’t broken any bones, and apart from some severe bruising, he had been discharged from hospital the following day.
Another successful MKMC trip and once again, an excellent choice of venue by Emma.
People attending: Emma Choudhury (organiser), Alan Mountford, Stuart Phillips, Jonathan Gabris, Michael Bartlett, Tomasz George, Steve Scott, Bridgitte Scott, Geoff, Sarah, Roger.
Was an absolutely great weekend. Plenty of fun to have been had by all.