Milton Keynes Mountaineering Club

Next Wednesday’s Social will be at a different venue due to refurbishment works at The Galleon in Old Wolverton.

The February Social will be at…….

Ye Olde Swan, Newport Road, Woughton on the Green, MK6 3BS

We will still start at 19:30hrs and everybody is welcome.

It is a great opportunity for members and their partners to come along to eat, drink and share stories, discuss future trips or just to catch up with people they haven’t seen for a while.  It is also a great opportunity for prospective members interested in the Milton Keynes Mountaineering club to come along, say hi and find out what the club does both at the local climbing walls and during our monthly meets in locations such as Snowdonia, Peak District or Lake District.

Burns celebration weekend

Friday 25^th January – Sunday 27^th January

The meeting at the end of January is when MKMC traditionally celebrate Robby Burns birthday. And so it was that 14 members filled the little Welsh miner’s cottage in Bethesda belonging to the Wellingborough Mountaineering Club. Accommodation comprised lounge / dining area with gas fire, galley kitchen, two sleeping areas and an external shower block.

The first group to arrive in the afternoon was Andy, Jay and Alan. Having worked out how everything worked in the cottage they set off for a little jaunt in the wind and rain. Their quest took them through the shifting spoil heaps down to Bethesda (where they briefly spotted Ian passing through the town in his limo), and then back along a scenic stream and up the hill side. The rest of the party started arriving after 5 o’clock with Bob and Jamie the last to arrive at midnight.

On Saturday the weather looked more promising and the party split into three groups. Alex, Ian, Bob and Wayne set off for the slate quarries in Llanberis and a bit of exploring; their mission was to do a route called “Snakes and Ladders”. Liam and Constanza did a linear walk from the cottage along Cwm Pen-Llafar in the direction of Ysgolion Duon (Black Ladders) cliffs. The rest of the group drove to Aber Falls and did a circular walk taking in Foel-fras and Drum in the Carneddau range. Once the group got higher up, low cloud spoilt the views, and the wind on Drum was ferocious.

In the evening everyone pulled up their sleeves and helped prepare dinner of haggis, tatties and neeps (mashed together to make Orkney Clapshot).  Dessert was Raspberry cream and shortbread and a number of members brought along a variety of whiskies to sample. Part way through the proceedings Alan read “Ode to a Haggis”, and then everyone read a Burns poem. To round off the evening a variety of activities took place including the ever popular ‘table traverse’. (This year there were no broken bones).

On Sunday Liam and Constanza went off to explore the Aber Falls area. Some went to the Beacon for a spot of warm indoor climbing, while others simply decided to have a leisurely day in Pete’s Eats or head for home.

MKMC members attending: Alan (organiser), Andy, Jay, Constanza, Liam, David H, Gareth, Jamie, Emma, Ian, Mark, Alex, Wayne and Bob. It was lovely to see Constanza who had flown over from Germany to be on this trip (that must be worthy of an award).

Selection of pictures in the Gallery

MKMC Christmas Meet 2012

Friday 7^th December – Sunday 9^th December

Heathy Lea, an old saw mill on the Chatsworth estate near Baslow, was our destination for the weekend, and it turned out to be very popular with club members. This was a new, untried venue for our winter meet. It was advertised as having 12 bed spaces in the house and a further 8 in an outside barn, but the accommodation was really quite compact. Dan, David and Alan were the first to arrive on the Friday, and once unpacked went for a walk around the Chatsworth Estate. Kent and Simon arrived shortly afterwards, and after unloading the Quattro went off to investigate the local hostelries. Others arrived over the course of the afternoon and evening.

Saturday dawned very cold, but dry, and Barry, David, Alan and Dan set off on a walk along the gritstone edges of Birchens, Froggatt, Curbar and Baslow. Many other club members did a circular walk from the cottage to Baslow Edge. Meanwhile Kent, Simon and Alkesh continued their research of the local pubs.

In the evening Kent and his team did a sterling job preparing Christmas dinner. It was a tight squeeze getting everyone into the lounge, but we did it. Emma arrived around 9:00 pm after everyone had finished their Christmas dinner, but there was still some left. At the end of the evening people retired to bed – most in the cottage but Alan, David, Graham and Joanne volunteered to sleep in the barn and Nigel and Gillian opted to sleep in the comfort of their car!

Sunday dawned very windy. Kent had business to finish in the local. Mac and Ian went for a walk around Chatsworth Estate. Alan, David and Dan went to Stanage for a stroll along the edge and to say hello to Alex P, Frazer and Wayne who had come North for a days bouldering. Many others decided to make an earlyish return.

MKMC members attending: Kent (organiser), Simon, Alan, Dan, David H, Karen, Peter, Alkesh, Ian, Mac, Graham, Joanne, Barry, Emma, Nigel and Gillian.

Selection of pictures in Gallery

The MKMC February 2013 meet will be a return to Chester Mountaineering Hut of Pen Ceunant Uchaf, (PCU) near Llanberis (Home of the famous Pete’s Eates), North Wales during the weekend of February 15th/17th 2013. If club members are interested in coming please speak or email Andy Russell for more information – andy@mkmountaineering.org

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