Evening everybody and welcome to our 2017 AGM. I’d like to start by thanking all of you for attending – I’m sure the pizza has nothing to do with why you’re all here!
In some of the apologies for absence tonight there were a couple of votes of thanks to the committee for organising trips and just as importantly writing the reports as members do enjoy reading them. I’d like to add my thanks to all of my fellow committee members for all the work they do behind the scenes organising trips, social gatherings and all the other things that go on. Thanks folks.
What have we got upto in 2017, well this new ‘committee’ year started with the December Christmas meet at Fallcliffe Cottage in the Peak District. With another of Kent’s legendary Christmas meals on the Saturday evening. Kent, I’m sure I speak for all those who attended when I say thank you for your cooking.
January was the Burns meet at Chester Mountaineering Club hut in Llanberis.
February was Little Langdale in Lake District.
March back to North Wales and Caseg Fraith in Ogwen Valley. Over the weekend we had five different groups summiting Tryfan by different scrambling and climbing routes. There was a trip to Plas Y Benin on the Saturday evening for a bar meal and one of their talks. Fantastic weather for March, so different from last year’s March trip!
April Clapham Hut in North Yorkshire.
May was a bitter/sweet joint meet at the Chamois Mountaineering Centre, in North Wales, with the Cleveland Mountaineering Club to remember Fraser Campbell who sadly died last year. Martina organised a trip around the DMM Factory complex on Friday morning. It was really interesting seeing how all the shiny stuff we rely on to keep us safe is made. I’ll remember the thump of the hot forge presses and the heat as the big oven was opened. Saturday evening saw a traditional three course Scottish meal, neeps, tatties and haggis – naturally. Tom from CMC gave an excellent address to the haggis. After dinner there was a Robbie Burns poetry reading competition between tables. Both winners came from MKMC! I can only remember the last line of the poem, “I wud ne give a buttn for her!” Alan M read a moving eulogy to Fraser.
June first camping trip of the year to Eskdale in the Lake District.
July was an introduction to rock trip in the Peak District camping at Hardhurst Farm in the Peak District. Introducing some of our newer members to the joys of outdoor grit climbing.
August was the trip I’d most liked to have joined to Chamonix. I was really envious when uploading the trip photos and report to our website. It sounded such a glorious adventure.
September saw a return to huts in south Snowdonia unfortunately damp weather put paid to my plans to climb Cadair Idris by Cyfrwy Arete. So we all walked up it instead! On the Sunday the guidebook description of a, ‘boggy col’, did not do justice to the ground we crossed. There were wooden planks so the bog did not swallow you whole. At one point Jason put one of his walking poles into the water, the handle got wet and the pole hadn’t reached the bottom!
October was another wet weekend in Wales at the Karbiner Mountaineering club hut. We paid our dues for the excellent weather in March.
November saw a return to the Lake District, Seawaite in Borrowdale this time.
As well as these trips we had monthly film showings at the Chrysalis Theatre – thank you Martina for arranging them on our behalf. Gill and myself also went to Abingdon for the Banff Film Festival World tour. I’ll be going again this year, anybody is more than welcome to join me. Hopefully, it will be a straightforward journey home this time.
We’ve had some committee members attending BMC training events at Plas Y Brenin and YHA Lee Valley. Interesting events where we learnt a lot. I discovered a whole host of things to think about at the Lee Valley Committee Member training day. Hence an item later on the agenda.
We do have Andy, Stuart, Alan and Ang stepping down from the committee today. I’d like to thank them for all they have done for us while serving our club on the committee. If you’d like to join us on the committee please do volunteer, it’s only one meeting a month.
Alan and Jason took the cable car to the Brevent and climbed the tremendously exposed Frison-Roche (TD-6a) after a tricky approach. Louie, Shane and Lexie enjoyed great views from the 2,965m summit of the Aiguille du Belvédère (PD-3a) and a bracing swim in Lac Blanc.
Shane and Lexie prepared to depart for Germany while Alan, Jason and Louie hiked in for multipitch sport on the slabs of Les Cheserys. The early hours of Thursday morning saw the most dramatic event of the whole trip. A drunk Australian (Shane not guilty on this occasion) mistook Alan’s tent for his own. However, before the intruder could climb inside Jason, bravely fended him off.
With the threat of rain in the afternoon, Jason and Alan decided to seek out a roadside crag in the form of Servoz, just a couple of miles down the valley. They found excellent climbing; steep but with positive holds. Louie teamed up with a random American to enjoy Voie Caline, a 350m bolted scramble at the gentle grade of 3c.
Jason and Louie caught the Montenvers train and descended exposed ladders onto the Mer de Glace. Using crevasse rescue skills practised on a metal post in the campsite the night before, they navigated their way up the glacier to some spectacular views and a great day out. Alan waited at the camp site for Juan (who had flown in to Geneva late the previous night) and the pair completed some more multi-pitch routes at Les Cheserys.
On the last day of the trip, Alan, Jason and Juan caught the Flegere cable car to the start of Via des Evettes. This newly-installed via ferrata finishes with a “heart stopping” 50m Himalayan wire bridge. The intrepid trio continued onto a Via Corda, which they rated “great fun” and completed just in time to catch the last lift down.
Great trip and some quality climbs. And some extensive abseil practise!