Clwb Dringo De Cymru
www.southwalesmountaineering.org.uk
Newsletter, June 2002
Notes from the editor
Summer
is here!! This year, members will be (or already have) visited
What
will you be doing? Will you keep a journal? I bet you’ll take photo’s.
The
web site and picture board at the Barn need your climbing pics. Other climbers
want to read about your travel accounts, be they epics or otherwise.
Why
do we climb? Why do you climb? Tell all and the best letters will be published.
(I expect the not so bestest ones will as well)
Have
a good summer trip, keep safe and tell us all about it.
Reports
from the committee
The
committee last met on 14th May and the following matters are reported.
Anyone
who wants to see a copy of the club’s accounts should email the treasurer,
Nichola Bowden at nicholabowden@hotmail.com
The
new guidebook is gathering pace (as opposed to dust). Anyone who has details of
new routes should forward them for possible inclusion to Gwyn Evans at Gwyne@globalnet.co.uk
Editors
note: Will the guide include Chris
Wyatt’s comments? See later!
New
keys are now needed to access the Barn. Throw away all your contraband keys as
they are no longer any use to you. There is a suggestion that the combined
weight of all the “naughty” keys could fetch a few quid at a scrap-yard and
committee members will be watching stocks and share prices for scrap metals in
the hope of tracking the bad key bandits down.
On
a similar subject, those people who owe money for using the barn should pay up
immediately. You know who you are, we know who you are and the
rest of the club, (together with the international web reading community) will all
know who you are unless you pay up before the next newsletter. On a more
serious note, if any member has genuine difficulty in paying what they owe,
they should discuss the matter with a sympathetic committee member. If you’re
just plain tardy or villainous, your cheating the club, your fellow members and
ultimately all users of the barn.
Other
matters were discussed which will be reported upon as they develop.
The
committee will next be meeting on
Letter
from the barn warden
More of a postcard this time because I am writing this way past submission date. The barn is still being used quite heavily by outside groups but there are no major bookings over the summer other than by members: all is revealed on the website on the hut bookings page, which is well worth checking before you go.
We
have new keys. Probably by the time you read this I will actually have changed
the padlock. Make sure you have one of the new keys before you go up to
No
great changes in the barn. Anyone got an old Vax-type vacuum cleaner they are
prepared to pass on?
Club
Meetings
Tim Hoddy and numerous other members will be colonising the Dauphine Alps during the summer hols. All are welcome to drop in and out whenever. Contact Tim for details.
Last years “One Club” meet, postponed from the autumn due
to foot and mouth will hopefully be rescheduled for September 2002, taking
place in Mid Wales. The meet will be for climbers of all abilities and is
designed to forge stronger links between
Put these dates in your diary today!
|
Date |
Meeting |
Venue |
|
2.8.02 |
Wedding party |
|
|
Most of the summer |
|
|
|
Sept 02 |
“One Club” |
Mid |
|
Nov 02 |
AGM |
|
|
Nov/Dec 02 |
Annual Dinner |
|
BMC Dates and Info.
|
Date |
Event |
Venue |
|
28.09.02 |
ACW Meeting |
WICC |
|
30.11.02 |
ACW AGM |
Plas-y-Brenin |
(ACW
Area committee for Wales)
Letters
from members
A
Beginners Outlook
Having
recently joined SWMC, I couldn’t wait to experience my first weekend away and
first multi-pitch climb. Joining other members in St Just over the May Bank
Holiday, we made our plans over a few Saturday night pints. Five of us planned
to climb the Land’s End Long Climb, a supposed V.Diff classic.
Sunday
morning started well with a hearty campsite breakfast and glorious sunshine
(well sunshine at least and no rain). Setting off later than planned, we found
ourselves in a short queue at the bottom of the climb but were entertained by a
friendly seal while we waited. Feeling slightly nervous about the multi-pitch
route I was glad to get underway. A large chunk of rock breaking off in my hand
as I was learning how to place gear didn’t settle my nerves! We climbed in two
groups; Neil and Kim setting off first with Stuart, Jen and myself following.
The first few pitches went well but my growing suspicion that V.Diff was fairly under the mark came when we had to negotiate first a jump, then a spot of bridging and to top it off, an overhang! My suspicions were however confirmed when the next pitch was a choice between an evil looking traverse and an 8ft jump across to a small ledge! At this point, we decided to stop for lunch and consider the next move whilst watching the group following us take the lead. The group consisted of two marines (missing a few marbles) and a girl called Ally. The first marine took a run up and cleared the gap (without being attached to a belay or any kind of back up in case he fell). The second also jumped well clear, trying not to let on that the impact of jumping such a distance in rock boots was fairly painful on the knee and ankle joints. Ally then made the jump but unfortunately landed off-balance and fell, badly injuring her left ankle in the process.
The marines had by this time set up a belay point on the top of the cliff and were making their way down. Neil and Kim belayed Stuart across to the ledge to help bring Ally back onto our side of the gap. Stuart and the marines then set about devising an elaborate pulley system (officially called a tyrolean traverse I’m told) to bring Ally across to where the rest of us were, from which point there was an easy walk off, fortunately near the cliff top.
Having got Ally to safety, we all left the climb. For my part I felt mixed emotions - shock at seeing someone fall and hurt themselves; relief that no-one was seriously hurt; curiosity as to whether or not I would have had the nerve to make the jump given the opportunity; and not least, happines in the knowledge that I was climbing in safe and experienced hands. Needless to say the epic was recounted over a few beers that night with fellow climbers.
Saturday morning brought clouds, wind and surf and the desire to return and complete the Lands End Long Climb soon.
Liz
Wild
Linda Jensen would like some new pictures to display
on the website. Please send her your climbing photos in jpeg format. Preferably
of climbing areas in South Wales but anywhere considered. Linda.Jensen@ntlworld.com
Jo
Franklin wants to buy a stichtplate, size 5 climbing shoes and a head torch. If
anyone has similar for sale will they contact her via email at:
Chris Wyatt’s List
I was reading some climbing web site the other evening when I chanced upon a selection of Top 10 climbs by various people. Anyway I thought it would be fun to turn it around and find the worst 10 climbs people have ever done. Here’s my Gower (S) hit list for your entertainment.
1
Some Mothers
(HVS):Trial wall: The climb itself is OK but try getting off the top safely.
2
Ra (HVS): Fall
bay buttress: Every other hold loose including those on the crux.
3
South East
Diedre (HVS): Fall bay buttress: Another loose monster on this otherwise
delectable crag.
4
Sidewinder
(HVS): Rolly Bottom Buttress: Boring apart from 1 move.
5
White Edge
(V.Diff): White Edge: We thought we’d finish off the evening by using
this route to get to the cliff top. Big mistake. The whole top section will
fall down soon enough. This is the scariest V.Diff I’ve ever climbed.
6
Kleine (VS): Block
Buttress: Total sandbag with no gear. A route designed to kill someone.
7
Balrog (HS):
Paviland: Percy Thrower’s delight.
8
Direct (HVS):
Great Tor upper tier: Loose Sandbag with little gear. The problem
is, it looks like a great line.
9
Scavenger (VS):
3 Cliffs: A very polished slab route where most of the moves are the same.
Totally eclipsed by Arch slab, its neighbour.
10
All routes on
Tor Gro: Because they’re all exactly the same.
Chris
Wyatt
Editor’s
note: The views expressed are those
of Chris Wyatt and not SWMC. Your home is at risk if repayments secured upon it
are not kept up.
Coming
soon
The
next newsletter will be published in September 2002. Please submit any items,
requests or pictures by 1st September to n.and.l@ntlworld.com
All
submissions will be considered for publication and almost definitely printed.
Remember,
the submission date means the date for inclusion in the next newsletter.
Any item can be sent to me at any time for future publication.
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