Newbury Mountain Club Journal 2009
Click on any photo thumbnail to see the full picture.
10 Jan -
AGM
16-18 Jan - Tintagel
6-8 Feb - Grasmere
20-22 Feb - Wales
6-10 March - Morzine
20-22 March - Exmoor
9-13 April - Scotland
1-4 May - South Downs
22-25 May - Swaledale, Yorkshire
5-7 June - Dartmoor
25-30 June - Orkney Islands
31 July-2 August - Snowdonia
14-16 August - Lake District
2-4 October - North Devon
10-11 October - Bath-Newbury Bike Ride
13-15 November - Tyncornel, Wales
4-6 December - North Wales
10 Jan - Annual General Meeting
New venue, slightly different format. This year we took over the ground floor of The Square and held the whole event in one room. The meeting got through the accounts and elections swiftly and efficiently - the new committee, which bears a remarkable resemblance to the old committee, was unanimously elected as follows:
President: Dan Unwin
Treasurer: Richard Spraggett
Secretary: Andrew McLay
Committee: Sarah Davies (Webmaster), Martin Butler, Marion Foster, Keyna Garner, Dave Hall, Bob Hotchkis, Richard North, Andrea Postles, Claire White
The meeting included discussion of the best methods for Club communications, after which the formalities were declared complete and dinner was served.
After dinner there was no President's speech, as the President was away on a ski trip. Instead Sarah, Andrew and Richard presented the following awards, with a few photographic highlights (thanks to Mike for the projector):
Absolute Altitude Award: Lee Farmer, who summited Everest in May 2008.
NMC Altitude Award (highest point reached on a Club trip): Dan Unwin and Andrea Postles, for the Vignemale in the Pyrenees (3298m).
Mountaineering Achievement: Pam Westgate, for summiting Ama Dablam and Denali, and also logging at least 60,000m of altitude during 2008.
Most Improved Climber: Steve Collard.
Best Trip: Dan Unwin, for the Pyrenees.
Miss Popularity Trip Award (for consistently running well-attended trips): Rhoda Bashford.
Sartorial Elegance Award: Bob Hotchkis, for his attire in Ireland and the Gower.
Golden Underpants (temporarily renamed Human Poohstick Award): Keyna Garner, for her plunge on the Christmas walk.
Most Trips Award (for most meets attended during the year): Sarah Davies (yes, Bruce came second for once).
St Bernard Award (for courageous rescue): Dave Hall, for getting Keyna out of the raging torrent.
The evening continued with a slide show of some of the year's photos, and a DJ. Nearly everyone was spotted on the dance floor, and rumour has it some of the hangovers the next morning were as epic as the dancing...
16-18 Jan - Tintagel
Present: Andrew (organiser), Claire, Alan, Richard S, Fiona B, Dave H, Nicola, Andrea, Fiona S, Sarah, Bruce, Shaun, Keyna, Adriana, Evgenia, Mick, Ange, Ayla
Location: Tintagel YH
The first trip of the year took us to Tintagel, and a youth hostel clinging to sea-lashed cliffs. Previous occupants had very kindly left a keg of beer in the kitchen, and we obviously needed no further invitation. The most difficult part of Friday evening was battling with the YHA's new bedding policy: wrestling a duvet into a too-small cover in a severely limited space is obviously something of a dark art.
Saturday's walk started with blue skies and a hint of sunshine, as we set out on the 11 miles or so to Crackington Haven. This section of the South West Coast Path apparently boasts some of the finest coastal scenery in Britain, and certainly the strong waves were doing their best to make it look all rugged and wildly picturesque. The ups and downs of the route and the prevailing winds made it good exercise. When we reached Boscastle, we found a wall to shelter behind above the town and had some lunch, after which the group split into three. The largest contingent carried on to Crackington, while a breakaway faction climbed the steep hill out of Boscastle and caught the bus back to Tintagel to discover that traditional Cornish idyll: a pub that served cream teas. A third group retraced their steps to the youth hostel, arriving at the same time as the bus-and-pub contingent. By that stage the wind had picked up further and it was raining as well - this caused a power cut in the youth hostel, which was thankfully short-lived.
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The evening had a Mexican theme, starting with slightly lethal margaritas and progressing to chilli, extremely spicy Mexican chicken, and chocolate pudding. The remains of the beer keg were consumed (hopefully nobody was planning to come back for it) as part of the usual drinking into the early hours.
On Sunday, those that got out of bed did a shorter walk down to Trebarwith Strand. Again, it was bright and windy, and very easy to get soaked by surprise sea spray if you weren't paying sufficient attention. We then cut inland to Treknow and Tregatta before returning to the hostel for leftover chilli.
6-8 February - Grasmere
Present:
Martin B (organiser), Olga, Andy M, Si, Matthew, Bruce, Sarah, Alan,
Dave W, Paula, Andrea, Simon P, Evgenia, Adriana, Pam, Martin L
Location:
Grasmere Thorney How YH
Despite the blanket of snow over southern England, everyone who signed up for this trip did make it to the Lakes, and we were justly rewarded by the conditions. Andy, Si and Matthew's planned early start was slightly hampered by Andy taking two hours to get from Pewsey to Newbury, a journey that required snow chains. On arriving in Cumbria there seemed to be minimal snow at lake level, but the higher ground looked more promising. Friday evening was spent in the pub, followed by celebrating New Zealand day back at the hostel with a variety of delicacies supplied by Paula. As the last person to book in, Pam had ended up with a room to herself for the night - the downside was that when she failed to take her key with her on a bathroom trip in the small hours, there was nobody to let her back in and she ended up sleeping on a sofa downstairs...
First out of the door on Saturday morning, Si and Andy headed over to Langdale for some winter climbing on Bowfell. They headed up The Band towards Three Tarns but then broke off the main path to follow the climber's traverse. The plan was to follow the traverse to one of the gullys on either side of Bowfell Buttress and then climb to the summit. Conditions on the traverse were quite interesting, particularly for Si on his first full day winter climbing, so rather than risk all for glory, they picked a scrambling line up the front face of Bowfell and reached the summit in poor visibility. A cold lunch stop followed before heading down into glorious sunshine. On the way down, Si spent time practising crampon footwork on any steeper snow slopes that could be found.
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The rest of the group departed the hostel at 9.30 for a circuit taking in Easedale Tarn, Sergeant Man, High Raise and Helm Crag. The day started clear, but once past the tarn the conditions underfoot became noticeably icier and by the time we reached the lunch stop at Sergeant Man, the snow was beginning to fall. A short time later, walking poles were swapped for ice axes and everyone put on crampons - a first for some in the group, and a rarity in England for everyone. There were a few slips and stumbles, but everyone seemed to enjoy the experience. After we reached High Raise, the downhill was an opportunity to practise ice axe arrests and digging snow holes - and, more frivolously, snowball fights, snow angels and sledging on survival bags. Pam enjoyed the latter so much that she ran back up the hill to do it again.
Once we reached the western end of Far Easedale the group split, with the instruction to "follow a Martin" - half the group went with Martin B down the valley and back to Grasmere, while the other half followed Martin L up to Helm Crag and dropped down from there. Everyone arrived back at the hostel within half an hour of each other.
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In the evening Martin B cooked plov, an Uzbek dish "with a Georgian twist", and we all crammed into the small lounge with its fire for more beer and wine and some gentle dozing off. After the day's exertions, it wasn't a particularly late night for anyone.
On Sunday, there was rumoured to be heavy snow from mid-morning onwards. We didn't let this put us off. First out of the door on Sunday morning (are you spotting a theme here?), Si, Matthew and Andy headed up to Thirlmere for some winter climbing on Brown Cove Crags at the rear of Helvellyn. The walk in was considerably shorter and safer (apart from Andy falling over in the icy car park!) and the base of the crags was reached quickly. Matthew left the others at the base of the crags and followed the main path to the summit of Brown Cove Crags. Si and Andy then had to choose a route to climb. The classic central gully had climbers swarming all over it so they headed to the end of the crag to a 300' grade I gully. After fitting crampons, they set off unroped, and in almost perfect snow conditions gained height quickly. The cornice that had obviously been at the top had long since broken away and left a near vertical exit so they edged sideway on increasingly steep, rocky ground to the top. They arrived at the top at the same time as Matthew and all had a spot of lunch before heading back down. Time for tea!
Simon, Evgenia, Adriana, Pam and Martin headed for Seat Sandal, on the opposite side of the valley from the youth hostel. The conditions underfoot were excellent, with frozen ground and snow patches on the way up, and a continuous snow slope all the way down to Grisedale Tarn. For some, this was the first real experience of crampons, but others preferred the "sitting glissade" (bum slide). The clouds only let though the occasional ray of sunshine, but the predicted snow did not arrive. After lunch at Grisedale Hause, Pam and Martin continued on to Fairfield while Simon, Evgenia and Adriana returned to Grasmere down Tongue Gill - the first flakes of snow started to fall as they reached the road.
Meanwhile Dave, Paula, Andrea, Alan, Sarah and Bruce drove to Ambleside and completed a 3-hour walk over Loughrigg and back via Rydal Water and the "Great Cave". Hardly any snow, but some fantastic views. They then had a late lunch in Ambleside and left just as the snow started to fall a few hours later than forecast.
See below for a video of Andy's weekend, starring Simon "stopping is for girls" Kirby and co-starring Matthew Carter. (3 minutes long, has audio.)
20-22 February - Wales
Present: Claire (organiser), Alan, Maggie, Sarah, Bruce, Simon H, Keyna, Shaun, Trudi, Evgenia, Richard C, Geoff, Rhoda, Annie, Dave H, Nicola
Location: The Wain House, LlanthonyFinding our weekend's accommodation in Llanthony caused Maggie much distress "we can't stay there, it's just a cow barn", at which point we had to explain to her the definition of a camping barn. But The Wain House turned out to be a warm, cosy and very comfortable barn which suited us well. We appreciated the gentle neighing of our neighbours, and hope we didnt disturb them too much with our usual revelries on Friday night.
A prompt start on Saturday morning in glorious sunny weather took us up behind the priory and along Offa's Dyke to Hay Bluff, across to Lord Hereford's Knob, and then along the Black Mountain ridge to Bal Mawr and back to Llanthony, arriving just before dark a total of 15 miles though some argued that it was 18!
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Saturday night was a Caribbean theme extravaganza, some participating in full with colourful shirts (thanks Alan and Geoff) and we enjoyed tequila sunrises (Claire), delicious Jerk Chicken (Keyna), and a very potent rum trifle (Sarah). Reggae music was courtesy of DJ Bruce. It was very difficult to fit in Sarah's birthday cake, but not so difficult her birthday prosecco.
Sunday was another fine day and we set out on a shorter circular walk of 7 miles back onto the Black Mountain ridge but on a rather more direct route up, hanging on to tree roots for dear life. We enjoyed a long leisurely lunch in the sunshine with great views back down into the valley before returning back to the barn to pack up. In Keyna's rush to get away she left behind her rucksack, and returning it to her along the M4 is another story...
6-10 March - Morzine
Present: Dave H (organiser), Nicola, Sarah, Bruce, Richard S, Fiona B, Dave W, Paula (plus a few of Nicola's friends)
It was another of those stupid o'clock starts, but the drive to Heathrow was easy and we were all excited about the skiing, especially with more snow promised on top of the huge amount that has already fallen this winter. Our transfers were waiting for us at Geneva, and it took just over an hour to reach Morzine, where our accommodation was in two chalets within 200m of each other. Friday afternoon was spent sorting out ski hire and lift passes, before an exploration of some of the bars the town had to offer and finally, an Italian restaurant willing to fit our large group in on a busy evening.
On Saturday, enthusiastic plans to get the first bus for the first chair lift didn't quite materialise, but we were still out at a reasonable time and heading up on the gondola. Over the next few days, we explored most of the runs in the Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz area. There were a wide variety, in excellent snow conditions (although some of the reds and blacks did get a bit "mogul"y as the day went on) and mostly good weather, with the occasional stop for "une petite biere" or "un vin chaud" or to puzzle out the slightly confusing piste map. The main exception to this was Monday, when the majority of the group skiied at Avoriaz in a blizzard. We just about managed to ski into Switzerland without extending the limits of Dave and Paula's lift passes, but on reaching the highest point (Mossettes, 2277m) on possibly the coldest chair lift ever, we were highly relieved to find the cafe open and hunched over hot chocolate for a while hoping the snow would desist. It didn't, and we skiied a very slow blue run down, barely able to see the ends of our skis.
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When not skiing, we were mostly eating and drinking: beers at the Buddha Bar (including one successful attempt on a yard of ale) while swapping stories of the day's exploits, and trying some of the restaurants in Morzine. Most places served huge amounts of food: on Saturday evening Bruce and Dave W were defeated by gigantic calzones, and on Sunday the raclette ensured several people didn't want to see cheese again for a very long time. Sunday was Nicola's birthday, which was celebrated with cake, kir royale all round, and a very unexpected live firework.
On Tuesday evening Dave W, Paula, Richard and Fiona came home, while everyone else stayed until Friday for more skiing and some quiet nights in with the chalet's fantastic cuisine.
20-22 March - Exmoor
Present: Marion (organiser),
Mark, Bob, Rhoda, Richard N, Adriana, Maggie, Evgenia, Sarah M, Trudi,
Helen, Sue, Simon H, Steven, Mick, Ange, Ayla, Simon P
Location: Exmoor Basecamp
Back to the popular NT bunkhouse at Countisbury in Devon. This was a fabulous weekend with Friday in the pub next door to the bunkhouse catching up and meeting our new members Steve, Sue, Trudi and Helen.
Saturday dawned with brilliant sunshine and we set off at about 9.30 heading east on the coastal path. In fact, we repeated the walk we did 2 years ago with complete opposite weather. The sea was like glass, the sun was shining and we had to put sun cream on for the first time this year. Bob led the walk and added some interesting information along the way, pointing out various birds and trying to spot a whitebeam tree. A bit hard at this time of year, with no leaves on the trees. Bob and Adriana found a spring known as Sisters Fountain, where Joseph of Arimathea reputedly stopped on his way to the Glastonbury festival. The rest of us were too lazy to move from our elevenses resting spot in the sun to admire the spring. The walk progressed later, by heading inland in the valley of the Lyn river. Some of us headed into Lynmouth at the end of the walk searching for ice cream while others headed to the pub to see Ireland win the Six Nations and Triple Crown.
| Dinner was Italian with
silly hats and plenty of wine and merriment. Sunday morning had plenty
of discussion on who snored the most, a few tired folk about as a
result! Sunday, we continued on the coastal theme with a walk east of Purlock, again in brilliant sunshine with a light breeze. The visibility was excellent and we had discussions on where in Wales we were looking across to. Barry Island we guessed. The weekend was finished off sitting out on the lawn of Selworthy NT tea rooms having various teas, ice creams and cakes. |
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This was a very enjoyable weekend, great company, scenery and food even though technically we didn’t walk a mountain but we gained 500m in parts! We got sunburnt and had to put aftersun cream on when we got home. Never got sunburnt in the British Isles in March before! Thanks to all who came along.
9-13 April - Scotland
Main location:
Corran Bunkhouse, Onich
Present: In the bunkhouse - Sarah
(organiser), Bruce, Alan, Claire, Dave W, Paula, Belinda, Will, Martin
L, Sue, Annie W, Maggie
In other accommodation around Onich/Glencoe - Pokey, Annie P, Isobel,
Trudi, Barry, Bob, Rhoda
The bunkhouse occupants arrived at various times on Thursday - Sarah, Bruce and Martin were able to join Pokey and Annie at the pub for a couple of drinks, before having to dash back and let in the first arrivals from Glasgow airport (Claire having driven along Loch Lomond a little faster than anticipated). Paula and Dave were last in at 2am, and there was a small party still up to welcome them. The bunkhouse met general approval, and might have set unrealistic expectations for future trips - it's not often we get twin rooms with en-suites.
On Friday morning the bunkhouse group, plus Trudi and Barry who were staying nearby on the first leg of their local accommodation tour, set off at 9am for the Lost Valley. As we passed through Glencoe, it was chucking it down with rain; however, this lessened as we set off on the walk into the valley. Somewhere we missed a crucial river crossing, which meant a long trudge up and over scree, all the while with a clear view of the real path on the other side of the river. Once we reached the valley, there was a steep climb up to Stob Coire Nan Lochan at 1115m, which culminated in quite a lot of snow. It was decided not to attempt the munro at the far end (Bidean Nam Bian, 1150m) because of the snow conditions - instead, the bulk of the group headed off to the right over the ridge for a steepish descent. Will and Belinda had already headed down towards the Clachaig Inn by that stage, and Sarah, Trudi and Paula also decided to retrace their steps, a route which was probably just as difficult as the snow-covered one. That river crossing really was well-hidden... The heavens opened again at the end of the day, and it was nearly 6pm when we all congregated damply at the Clachaig for a drink and some chips.
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Friday night's dinner was multiple vats of chili con carne courtesy of Claire, followed by equally vast amounts of chocolate sticky toffee pudding courtesy of Sarah. For some, the chili was appreciated for breakfast the following morning - never let it be said we don't use up our leftovers.
For the rest of the weekend, we split into smaller groups for the walks. On Saturday Bob and Rhoda (who had arrived in the area on Friday afternoon) did the Pap of Glencoe along with Trudi. Just to add a little variety to the already-mixed weather conditions, they experienced a snowstorm on the top. Dave, Barry, Martin and Sue went for the Ring of Steall, a classic route in the Mamores that includes four munros - despite the blizzard they completed it in an impressive 7 hours, which certainly got rid of all Sue's excess energy.
Everyone else, including Pokey and family, had a day trip to the Isle of Mull via two ferry rides. The first of these was a simple matter of leaving the bunkhouse car park, turning left and driving onto the Corran Ferry; the second was a 40-minute drive to Lochaline and then 20 minutes across to Fishnish. The weather on Mull was better than the mainland, and the group did a coastal walk from Carsaig round to Nun's Cave, a wide and shallow cave where the nuns of Iona took refuge after being expelled during the Reformation. Alan was most disappointed to discover the cave was occupied by sheep rather than nuns these days. There was also a 20-minute flying visit to Tobermory (which Maggie mostly spent in the Spar buying overpriced wine), and lots of driving around narrow roads. The occupants of Claire's car were well entertained by 107.9 Bruce FM, and Maggie's perennially entertaining take on life (just don't mention the beavers...). Directly behind, Will spent a good proportion of the day working out how he could overtake Claire for a spot of Top Gear-style driving, an endeavour thwarted by the roads and oncoming traffic, including an unfeasibly large bus. Having arrived back at the bunkhouse at 7.30pm, it was off to the pub an hour later for dinner. By this stage there were a few aching limbs in the group, and having two sports massage therapists on the trip proved to be quite useful.
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Easter Sunday dawned with clear skies. (It's entirely possible that the "Scotland virgins" on the trip got a somewhat rose-tinted opinion of Scottish weather.) The quartet of Barry, Martin, Sue and Dave took their weary bodies up Glen Etive for another two munros including Ben Starav. At one point they encountered another group and were somewhat startled to be greeted with "Are you Newbury Mountain Club?" - turned out to be Rhoda's cousins. The largest group parked above Loch Leven and Claire led them up to bag Stob Coire a'Chairn (a very nice lunch spot with views of Ben Nevis) and Am Bodach. The former was the first munro for Sarah, Belinda, Will and both Annies, and Izzy is officially the Club's youngest munro-bagger - her dad was very proud. She celebrated by having a nice snooze during the descent. Some of the group dropped down early for a drink in Kinlochleven, and an encounter with the most miserable barmaid ever. The chips were nice though.
Meanwhile Bob, Rhoda, Bruce and Maggie did the Aonach Eagach ridge, one of the most famous hillwalking/scrambling challenges in Scotland which also includes two munros (Meall Dearg and Sgorr nam Fiannaidh). Club members, including Bruce and Bob, last did this in 2003. It was a long day, although the ridge was remarkably quiet in such good weather conditions: the group joined up with one other couple to complete it successfully. They chose to avoid the treacherous Clachaig Gully in favour of a longer route down, and Bruce and Maggie returned to the bunkhouse just as Pokey and his kitchen skivvies had got dinner ready. Both were justifiably proud of their achievement, but neither feels the need to do it again! Dinner was chicken in a cream/white wine sauce with pasta and veg, followed by apple crumble and the remains of the sticky toffee pudding, and all accompanied by plenty of beer and wine. Alan was last to bed as usual, having had mixed success at persuading people to stay up beyond midnight.
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On Monday morning those who had driven up mostly left first thing, in an attempt to avoid the inevitable M6 traffic jam. Those who had flown up had weren't leaving until late, but Claire, Alan, Sarah and Maggie set off south before 10am with the intention of climbing Ben Lomond, the most southerly munro, on the way to Glasgow. While passing through Glencoe, Maggie pointed out the location of the previous day's exploits, although it mysteriously became the Anaconda Ridge when she talked about it. The group successfully bagged Ben Lomond in windy conditions, and were rewarded with wonderful views of Loch Lomond before heading down and driving to the airport.
It was an excellent weekend - great bunkhouse, great walking, great weather, great food, and great value for money for Maggie (long story). Nine munros were bagged in total (two of them twice, by different groups) and there is still so much more to do in the area. Easter 2010, anyone...?
1-4 May - South Downs
Present: Keyna (organiser), Claire, Alan, Simon H, Geoff, Kath, Catherine, Maggie, Trudi, Joanne, Steve, Dan, Beckie, Maisie
First camping trip of 2009, run by the very capable Keyna.
The first disaster was finding the campsite. No signs, and no-one in the village of Alfriston really knew where it was. Simon ended up sleeping in his car 200 metres from the campsite. While Keyna did try to leave him a voicemail with specific directions, he didn't have his voicemail set up or his phone turned on - or even with him... Toilets and showers were a 200m walk from the tents. Oh well. We all got used to that over 3 days. At least the showers were red hot.
All others managed to find the place by asking locals in the know, and having listened to Keyna's voicemails on better directions, and a grand total of 14 plus a splendid baby turned up for a drunken evening. Alan managed to crawl into bed at 5.00am. Good effort Al!!
Despite the hangovers, everyone was ready to go by 9.30am (took a LOT of rounding up actually with Maggie being the worst) and we walked along the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs to Beachy Head then back inland across the rolling hills to make a lovely 15 mile circuit. Great BBQ for the evening and all asleep by midnight.
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Sunday saw more sunshine and a 12 mile walk that went across the top of the South Downs and the views were magnificent. England at its greenest. Sunday night was an evening in the 500-year-old George Inn. Very civilised. Kath turned up in a very posh top. Everyone else looked quite ordinary.
On Monday everyone was up for yet another walk - this time 8 miles through a number of "bottoms". There were plenty of horses, the Wilmington Long Man, wild garlic, some purple orchids, bright green beech forests and a load of other spring flowers.
22-25 May - Swaledale, Yorkshire
Present: Dave H (organiser), Nicola (co-organiser!), Keyna, Shaun, Martin L, Ian, Annie, Isobel, Mick, Angela, Ayla.
Friday saw us all heading northwards for a predicted sunny bank holiday weekend - and it was well worth the effort! For those of us who had never before visited this part of the Yorkshire dales, it was a revelation - an amazingly beautiful and unspoilt area. Our campsite was in the heart of the valley and part of a working farm, complete with vocal guard dogs (none of us went close enough to find out whether their bark was worse than bite ) and a barn full of cows, as well as slightly "limited" bathroom facilities... The late afternoon was spent setting up tents and exploring the local area (Muker village pub).The surprisingly warm, though slightly damp evening was spent barbecuing and sitting around the firepot (with the promise to collect more sticks the next day...).
On Saturday a number of splinter groups set out on different missions. Keyna wanted to try out her new toy (a bicycle so light, it almost floats) so she and Shaun pedalled off into the drizzle. Dave, Nicola, Mick and Martin took on Great Shunner Fell (the third Highest peak in the dales), and Ian and family explored some of the Pennine way. Ange and Ayla were bridesmaid dress shopping and had yet to turn up! A notably cooler evening saw us barbecuing and huddling around the roaring fire bucket, now being fuelled by a multitude of sticks and assorted experimental objects.
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Sunday dawned with clear blues skies and bright sunshine. This was the day of the big walk, aiming cross-country for the Tan Hill Inn - the highest inn in the country and returning via the Pennine Way. Nicola, Dave, Martin, Ian, Keyna and Shaun started the walk, leaving Mick, Annie and Isobel to wait for Ange and Ayla's arrival. We set out in spectacular weather and scenery, encountering rabbits, grouse and countless sheep on our way. The route took us through some "interesting" terrain, including steep slopes, bogs, gulleys, and thick heather, not to mention a couple of unplanned detours... The eventual sight of the inn in the distance was as welcome as an oasis in the desert. We joined up with the rest of the group and spent an hour enjoying a pint or two of Black Sheep and were "entertained" by a man-with-a-banjo and a box of ducklings in front of the fire! All but Annie and Isobel set off on foot for the return journey along the Pennine Way, which in part followed the river Swale, and passed the lovely waterfalls above the village of Keld. We eventually arrived back at Muker after an 18 mile round trip, in time to eat our own body-weight in pub grub and stagger back to the campsite for bed.
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Monday morning saw nobody moving anywhere very quickly, but eventually camp was struck and people headed off in various directions (such as on to the Lake District to purchase walking boots!). A few of us headed into the local historic town of Richmond to check out the castle, and found it in full-swing holiday mode, complete with a fun-fair crammed into the town square. The most surprising sight in the town was at the River Swale, which was mobbed with underwear clad locals having a whale of a time swimming, paddling and hurling themselves off waterfalls. We even spotted a rubber dinghy...
All in all, a really enjoyable trip to a truly lovely area. Definitely worth a return visit...
5-7 June - Dartmoor
Present: Andrea (organiser), Claire, Alan, Mike B, Andy, Bob, Catherine, Trudi, Dave B, Simon H, Simon P
Friday brought the 11 of us together at the Plume of Feathers in Princetown, our base for the weekend. After the initial shock of the rather 'cosy' bunkhouse, we all caught up over a few vinos and beers in the pub courtyard before venturing over to the campsite to join Simon H in his new purchase, a huge tent! Although only 10pm, we were disheartened to be told to keep quiet by fellow campers, who were taking part in the 'Discover Dartmoor Ultra Marathon' the following day. So, back to the pub we went where we were entertained by a very drunken Jim, who was about to run his 100th marathon!
Saturday we were woken really early by the runners getting ready. The day looked promising, despite weather reports and we were all in a positive mood for the navigation training ahead. At 9.30 we saw the runners set off and we drove to our start point.
Split into two groups (Andrea, Claire, Alan, Simon H, Andy and Mike) and (Dave B, Trudi, Catherine, Simon P and Bob), we set off on our respective routes planning to meet half way for lunch.
The navigation in Andrea's group started off well until the heavens opened. It was cold, wet and the bag of jelly babies that Mike brought along were proving to be more difficult to eat than setting the compass. It was just miserable! We eventually made it to the half way point, White Tor, to be told that the other group were still miles away. We managed to have lunch behind a boulder and were treated to yet more jelly babies for dessert. Claire rejoiced when Alan finally admitted that the weather was actually appalling and we chose to cut the walk short and head back to the cars, putting our new found navigation skills to the test walking through the fog, bog and streams!
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Back at the bunkhouse, we were met by Dave B, who had chosen to walk back ahead of his group and we all had showers and kept the kettle going with endless cups of coffee and tea, as we waited for the other group to return. Whilst sat there, the ultra-marathon runners were already returning and put us to shame when we compared out 6 mile walk to their 32 mile run!! Alan of course was like a cat on a tin roof as England was playing Kazakhstan and he was determined to watch it, so he drove to Tavistock with Claire, whilst the rest of us caught up on the newspapers and said bye to Andy, Mike and the jelly babies as their duties of 'Navigation mentors' were over and they had to return to Newbury.
As for the other group, David, Catherine and Sarah had plotted a route that would take them on a 6.5 km hike to rendezvous point of White Tor via Great Mis Tor and the heady heights of Cocks Hill (501m!). Unfortunately Sarah could not make it to Dartmoor but they were joined by Simon and Trudi instead; Bob kindly volunteered to be their mentor. Right from the off the group agreed that they were more interested in practicing their navigation techniques rather than reaching the rendezvous in the shortest time possible. And so spent the next few hours finding 'aiming off' points, practicing pacing and allowing Bob to get them deliberately lost so that they could have the fun of trying to get themselves back on track.
The group became so absorbed in their navigation that they lost all track of time until they were informed that we had already arrived at the meeting point and had decided to call it a day. The group however, decided to soldier on and Bob achieved hero status when he produced an 8-man shelter from his rucksack for the lunch stop at the summit of Cocks Hill. This meant lunch was a reasonably pleasant and enjoyable affair, while the shelter took the brunt of the wind and the rain. However, eventually their enthusiasm reached its limit and they too decided to head back. En-route, Bob decided to demonstrate "how not to navigate" by leading everyone straight across a marsh (yes, that's what the blue squiggly lines mean!). And Catherine found a particularly springy piece of sphagnum moss to bounce up and down on. Most of the time though was spent wading through water which added to the adventure. It really was surprising that the Ultra-marathon runners back at the bunkhouse were not more impressed with our efforts!
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Saturday evening we had dinner in the pub, followed by several games of cards, where Alan proved that there is no honour among arseholes and so earned himself his new nickname of Alan "Two aces" Tinkler. As the group retired for the evening, Alan and Andrea decided it was time to put their dance moves to the test and joined the marathon runners' disco. Songs such as Sweet Home Alabama spring to mind...
Sunday, we were pleasantly surprised to find the sun shining. Up by 9.30am and ready to depart by 10am, the remaining eight of us chose to do different things. Simon P went for a long walk (in preparation for the Pyrenees next month) south of Princetown and Claire, Alan, Simon H, Dave B and Andrea went on a six mile walk from Dartmeet. Claire very kindly led the walk and it proved to be a fabulous day with stunning wild flowers, forests, tors and delicious Devonshire cream teas! Catherine and Trudi decided to have a tourist day and took in the sights of Dartmoor Prison, the Buckfastleigh Butterfly farm and Otter Sanctuary, a pottery studio, had the obligatory cream tea and made it to Hound Tor (of Hound of the Baskervilles fame), before the torrential rain finally drove them out of Devon.
See below for Andy's video of the navigation session, including proof of just how good we are at river crossings... (3 mins, has sound)
25-30 June - Orkney Islands
Present: Keyna (organiser), Shaun, Simon, Ali, Richard & Jan
We couldn't believe our luck. 22 degrees and cloudless every day. And no midges!
We flew up to Kirkwall on Thursday, and went straight to the supermarket for a big shop. Great pasta nosh-up and plenty of good beer, cider and wine for dinner. Our cottage was brand new and really really nice.
Friday we did a walk from Skara Brae (5000 yo neolithic village) to Stromness - 26kms. Fantasic cliffs and the first time we watched the hundreds and hundreds of birds that live in the Orkney cliffs. They include guillemots, cute little puffins, kitihawks, white- and yellow-headed gannets, various seagulls and a whole load of birds that people didn't know! When we got back we had a welcome beer and fish & chips on the peer at Stromness. Another nosh-up meal at our lovely cottage. Some embarrassing sunburn for Keyna - rudolf nose!
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Saturday was the free day. Simon and Ali went exploring the island in their little Micra, as did Richard and Jan. Keyna and Shaun hired bikes and rode south for the day. Another great nosh-up in the evening: some weird sausage and bean mix I can't remember the name of, cooked by Richard and Jan. Brilliant!
Sunday we all caught the ferry to the island of Hoy, then a little minibus to the hike start by a very isolated Scottish bothy. We hiked up high and across to the Old Man of Hoy, which is a stunning sticky out rocky thing. Around the Old Man there was another huge bird colony. As we went on to climb one of Hoy's little mountains, we all had to walk across a saddle where the Great Skuas were ground nesting. This was the best case of being divebombed ever! These things were huge and they come in at chest height! In the evening there was a nosh-up with all the leftovers. Felt like breakfast but great stuff!
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Monday we all caught the ferry to Westray which is an island further north. Keyna and Shaun took the bikes up to Noup Head to birdwatch at one of Orkney's largest birding cliffs, and Richard, Jan, Simon and Ali took a walk around the headland to sleep in the sunshine and watch the puffins close up. Nice posh dinner out on the waterfront.
On Tuesday we flew home. Will be voted by all as best trip of the year, but we might lose in the numbers game!
31 July-2 August - Snowdonia
Present: Claire (organiser), Alan, Simon H, Trudi, Catherine C, Martin L, Pam, Si, Ali, Martin B, Olga, Caitlin, Joanne, Steve, Andrea, Mark, Peter, Paula, Glenis (Paula's mum)
It was a typical weather forecast for an August weekend in Wales: heavy rain followed by light rain, followed by heavy rain. Friday night was a joy, with many of us squeezed into Claire and Alan's tent at the soggy Llwyn Celyn Bach campsite. No fear of getting reprimanded tonight for making too much noise the wind and rain would drown out an AC/DC concert. But to our delight, the heavy rain and gales that continued through Friday night cleared by 8.30am on Saturday, so we set off to catch the 9.15am bus from Llanberis to Pen y Pass as planned.
Whilst the crowds exiting the bus turned south towards Snowdon, we set off behind the Youth Hostel up onto the Glyders, with hardly a soul to be seen. The views weren't bad, with the mist clearing every now and then to reveal some stunning mountain scenery. Some of the group ventured on to Glyder Fach for some playful scrambling, following later the rest of the group traversing Glyder Fawr, Y Garn, Foel Goch and Elidir Fawr. For those who did Elidir Fawr, let it be noted we really did not like the knee jerking descent.
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We were concerned that whilst out on the Glyders we had not encountered our brave group of three Mark, Peter and Andrea who were attempting the Welsh 15 three thousanders in one day that's all 15 peaks over 3,000 feet, a route of 27 miles with 13,000 feet of climbing! After stopping for dinner in the slowest place in Wales (it was an hour before the food even turned up) they set off at 11pm on Friday from the car park in Aber aiming to camp at the first summit Foel Fras. However, the gales and rain got the better of them and so they set up camp at 1.30am just off Drum to get some shelter, so 30 minutes away from Foel Fras. Saturday started off wet, and the planned dawn departure became a 7.30am one. Mark overslept due to jetlag, and there was no caffeine or magic porridge to start the day as Peter forgot to bring a lighter! The 7 peaks of the Carneddau range were completed in good spirits and time and the sun even decided to shine. The Glyders range were a bit more challenging especially after a navigational error when ascending Tryfan, resulting in them losing precious time. There were also numerous stops to have a brew once a lighter had been procured. So they completed the 5 Glyders peaks after the rest of us, and the team decided to call it a day and give the Snowdon 3 peaks a miss this time. Crib Goch wasn't sensible in the dark though in the dark you wouldn't see the drop on either side. So with blisters and aching bodies, they made the long and tiresome descent of Elidir Fawr, and through the slate mines to join us at the campsite for the big BBQ and plenty of booze. But very well done to them for even setting off in that horrendous weather and 12 out of 15 ain't bad! Quote from Mark "it's a bloody hard thing to do South to North, and North to South is harder if we'd camped before midnight on Foel Fras, got up at 5am, not faffed with the stove, we may have made it. No-one said it was easy. Next time.".
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Sunday's weather was also looking hopeful, so Claire, Alan, Catherine, Trudi, Simon, Pam, Martin, Paula and Glenis set off on the same bus again up to Pen y Pass. This time it was a double decker, which when arriving at Pen y Pass was overheating somewhat. Pam and Simon did the Crib Goch route, the rest the Pyg Track, all arriving at the summit at the same time. Despite good views on the ascent, the mist descended over the summit. We squeezed into the new summit cafe (the official opening had been just the day before), and from what we could see through the crowds it looked very impressive and a vast improvement on the old one. We then queued to get a chance to touch the summit cairn, before setting off down the Llanberis track, following the steam trains back to the campsite. Si and Ali went climbing at Clogwyn y tarw/Griben Face near Idwal Cottage, and a special mention to Joanne who with Steve, achieved her goal to climb Snowdon (from the Llanberis path). For a number of the group, today was their first ascent of Snowdon. As for Mark, Peter and Andrea, they decided they had had enough of the hills (or maybe some of them were struggling to walk!) and decided on a leisurely and scenic drive home, with a lunch stop in Chester!
14-16 August - Lake District
Present: Sarah (organiser), Bruce, Simon H, Pokey, Annie, Isobel, Kath, Alan, Andrea, Trudi, Martin L, Martin B, Olga, Ange, Mick, Paula & parents (plus Richard, Dave H, Nicola and Caroline in a caravan nearby)
Typical, isn't it? Last summer we spent a weekend in a camping barn in the Lakes and had such glorious weather that we wished we were camping. This year, as a result, we booked into Great Langdale campsite. And the weather? Well, fortunately we're not exactly inexperienced at putting tents up in pouring rain on a Friday evening, and everyone was able to squeeze into Pokey & Annie's tent and porch afterwards.
Saturday did not look a very inviting prospect for walking, with gusty wind, rain, and heavy grey skies. However a number were willing to brave the elements no matter what, and there was an optimistic belief that it would clear up in the afternoon.
We set off from the campsite, aiming for Stickle Tarn and High Raise. The first main part of the walk involved following the river, a stepping-stone crossing and scramble up the side of the waterfall. The volume of water and increasing rain added an interesting "edge" to the experience, especially given walkers descending from other directions, offering such gloomy advice as "well, it's up to you..." Eventually we emerged on a plateau, at the side of Stickle Tarn. A real beauty spot which would have been well worthy of a stop and a paddle, if we hadn't all been so wet already.
The walk continued with a couple of detours and changes of route, due to water avoidance, and possibly the fastest lunch stop ever, sheltering under a ridge of rock (and an unwelcome return back to the elements, when we re-emerged). The highest point of the walk was reached soon after at High Raise (762m) which in good weather would have given us some of the best views in the Lake District (unfortunately our view was limited to 20 metres!) On cue, the rain finally stopped as we arrived back at the Stickle Barn pub... Time to relax with a beer and/or a warming glass of gluhwein.
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Later on, some people also convened in the Old Dungeon Ghyll for a few more drinks and perhaps a bowl of chips - by this time the skies were looking clear for an evening BBQ at the campsite. Some still decided that food in the pub was a safer and warmer option. We got a few fires going in BBQ buckets and did our best to stay awake until midnight to properly celebrate Bruce's birthday. Paula proved once and for all that wine glasses don't fit in the arms of camping chairs - still, the wine was Australian so she didn't mind the spillage too much. Mick and Ange arrived late and pitched their tent right in the path of Pokey's route from his tent to the bathroom block - however after a few beers, he didn't really appreciate this fact until there was an unfortunate Pokey/tent collision, with swearing. The broken tent pole was anchored in place by a crate of the remaining beer.
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On Sunday morning the drizzle had returned intermittently, and there were also a few hangovers on display. While a number of the group set off towards Blea Tarn and Bowfell, others decided that a low-level walk along the valley to a pub, or alternatively gear shopping in Ambleside, was the more favoured option.
Campsite or camping barn (or even caravans!) in the Lakes next summer? Watch this space...
2-4 October - North Devon
Present: Rhoda (organiser), Bob, Alan, Claire, Sarah, Bruce, Catherine, Tarinee, Joanne, Steve L, Trudi, Keyna, Ange, Mick, Ayla, Paul, Steve C, Maggie, Paula, Richard N, Simon H, Belinda, Will, Annie, Fiona, Matt, Luda
Location: Lower Campscott Farm, Lee (near Woolacombe)
This trip probably deserves the accolade of "fastest to sell out in 2009" - maybe the upgrade from static caravans to cottages shows the accommodation preferences of the Club these days? We arrived to find a selection of stone cottages and wooden lodges - most people convened in the largest lodge for a few drinks, feeling rather as if there should be snowy mountains and ski lifts outside instead of coastal path.
It was a prompt 9.30 start on Saturday morning, as the majority of the group joined Richard to cross several fields and then pick up the coastal path west towards Mortehoe and Woolacombe. The weather couldn't quite make up its mind: sunshine and showers meant plenty of gear faffs with waterproof jackets. That section of the coast path was popular with charity walkers: we passed, and were passed by, a full set of Reservoir Dogs (or were they the Blues Brothers?) and Scooby Doo. The latter was hailed enthusiastically by a group of excited schoolchildren at Rockham Bay. En route to Morte Point, where we left the coast path and headed inland, Bob's sharp eyes spotted a few seals trying to camouflage themselves on the rocks below. Maybe they were out of the wind; we certainly weren't!
After drinks and food for some at a pub in Mortehoe, the group divided: some returned to the coast path and went on to Woolacombe before heading back inland, and the rest skipped the Woolacombe part. The route back included a steep, skiddy downhill into the woods of the Borough Valley, followed by steps to emerge again - Ayla particularly enjoyed those. The first group got back to the farm around 4pm for tea and cake, followed by the rest an hour or so later.
Meanwhile the climbing contingent of Steve C and Paul had a slightly more leisurely start, top-roping on Promontory Slabs at Baggy Point at 4:30pm. This was more or less at high tide, so no ledge to start from...
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The evening involved the usual culinary extravaganza, with the inhabitants of each cottage planning and cooking their own meal. There was still plenty of visiting between houses, with sharing of starters being quite popular.
On Sunday there was a variety of activities planned. Bob, Tarinee and Maggie headed for Baggy Point, to abseil off the sea cliff at Promontory Slabs and climb a Severe back up again - a first for Tarinee, who enjoyed the challenge. Steve and Paul did Shangri-la on Long Rock Slab, a little earlier in the day this time. A group of walkers (Alan, Claire, Steve L, Joanne, Sarah, Bruce, Paula, Trudi, Mick and Ange) also parked just outside Croyde and walked to Baggy Point overland via Middleborough Hill and a big post for Mick and Bruce to climb, arriving just in time to encourage Maggie as she started her abseil. It was then back along the coast path for a spell on the beach, ostensibly "helping" Ayla to build a sandcastle but in reality using that as an excuse to build NMC's answer to St Michael's Mount. All very well until the tide came in... There was then a cream tea stop before heading for home.
10-11 October - Newbury-Bath Bike Ride
Present: Keyna (organiser), Shaun, Dan, Beckie, Alan, Claire, Andrea, Fiona, Dave H, Nicola, Bruce, Andy M (Saturday only), Steve L (Sunday only)
Trip report coming soon. In the meantime, here's Andy's video from the Saturday (has sound).
13-15 November - Tyncornel, Wales
Present: Dan (organiser), Bruce, Sarah, Keyna, Alan, Claire, Annie, Alastair, Paula, Simon H
The weather forecast was not promising. However, as usual we didn't let that put us off. Dan, Bruce, Sarah and Keyna met up in Llandovery early on Friday evening for a visit to the chip shop (and the pub, while we waited for the chip shop to open), by which time the rain was already heavy. As we journeyed deeper into Wales, the planned convoy quickly split up as Keyna's satnav took her and Dan down some random B roads to an encounter with an impassable ford. A few U-turns later, they eventually arrived at Tyncornel about half an hour after Sarah and Bruce, whose satnav had taken them straight to the front door with only a few encounters with deep puddles. We all took up residence as close to the log fire as possible, listening to the gathering storm outside and awaiting the arrival of everyone else. A few beers and small red wines were drunk as the evening progressed, and unsurprisingly, it was well after 3am by the time the last people went to bed.
Just a few hours later, everyone was woken up by a persistent, Keyna-shaped alarm clock: "It's 8am people! Time to get up! And look - " (opens window to chorus of grumbles) " - it's not raining any more!". Some reacted better to this than others: for the first time in living memory, Claire was up before Alan. The originally-mooted departure time of 9.30 came and went as the rain started again; shortly afterwards, frustrated with all the faffing, Keyna, Alastair and Paula set off to walk to Dolgoch (which is just as remote as Tyncornel). It was windy, raining, cold and miserable. They couldn't chat until the afternoon as they couldn't hear each other for all the weather and their hoods right up to protect from the rain!
They didn't even make it to Dolgoch in the end: about 800m from their destination, the floodwaters thwarted them. They couldn't cross what would normally be a little stream, now a flooding torrent threatening to wash them into the flooded river below and to certain death. They had cursed the quality of the path that followed the bigger river on the way in. On the way back they lost the path and the tussocks, flooded with water, were really exhausting to navigate through. When they found the path again, by comparison it was a sweet walk in the park - no more complaints! And of course the good thing about leaving early was that they were back at Tyncornel before dark.
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The others opted for Plan B, which was to set off just as soon as everyone was out of bed. Dan got up 15 minutes before the 11.30 departure and was still ready to go first. It was still raining, and the showers remained heavy and persistent until the last hour or so of the walk. The group headed south east along the same track as Keyna & co some time earlier, but then branched off south to follow the side of the valley with the Afon Doethie flowing below, looking like a candidate for some scary white-water rafting. At the river junction they picked up a wide track for a steep uphill slog to the standing stones at Cefn Cnwcheithinog (the woolly mammoth skull was still there, but the wind and rain had picked up so they didn't stop for long) and then down to Bryn-ambor. Here Dan, our chef for the evening, opted for the route back through the former forest at Bryn Mawr (felled since our last visit), which was shorter but had unknown terrain. Everyone else took the road option, and got to see a red kite in impressive close-up. They arrived back at the hostel after 5pm in the dark, a couple of hours later than the other walkers.
There isn't a lot to do at Tyncornel in the evenings except eat, drink, and feed the fire. With this in mind and in memory of Keith Floyd, Dan served up a 5-course gastronomic feast, preceded by mulled wine. Quite an impressive feat considering the kitchen boasted only six hob rings of varying efficiency and a table-top oven. Despite frequent protestations along the lines of "I can't eat another thing!", everyone did justice to the courgette and parsnip soup, pork satay, chicken Celestine with mash and vegetables, and chocolate sticky toffee pudding, and were still going strong on the cheese and biscuits close to midnight. Bruce's iPod kept us musically entertained; Alan learned how to drive it and we were fortunately spared his threat to get out his cassette player to give us some "real" music. Once again it was a late one, with Paula doing a sterling job in tidying up both crockery and people in the wee small hours.
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On Sunday morning the weather looked more promising (you could see the hills, for a start), and Keyna, Claire and Alan departed on a 32km bike ride. To quote Keyna, "If you want a couple of intrepid biking buddies, go with Alan & Claire. Slow but steady." Alan was a little prone to falling off - completely over the handlebars on one occasion, which would have been funny if he hadn't hurt his elbow. Keyna fell off in slow motion later - in sympathy to Alan more than any other reason such as incompetent riding.
4 km of the route saw them pushing the bikes up the same very very steep hill that the larger group had walked the day before. Alan pretended to be having a heart attack in order to get a rest, but received only laughter from his companions. Slate paths were washed away by flood waters, there were five-inch deep puddles on the top of the hill, and wet feet all round. The road around the reservoir was absolutely beautiful. The weather, however, was varied: the sun came out three times for about ten seconds and it rained about ten times for five minutes at a time. There was also hail...
By the two-thirds mark of the ride, Alan was walking up the all the hills. By the nine-tenths point, so was Claire. Keyna, unperturbed and still on two wheels rather than two feet, raced back to grab a quick shower before anyone else even had to queue.
For the rest of the group, Dan cooked bacon sandwiches, and although preparations were made for a short walk, the sudden downpour was somewhat offputting and coffee shops might have become a priority instead...
4-6 December - North Wales
Present: Richard S (organiser), Dave H, Tim, Bruce, Sarah, Si, Andrea, Bob, Richard C, Angela, Claire, Alan, Mark C, Tony, Dave W, Paula, Pam, Martin L
Location: Snowdon Ranger YH
The promise of winter walking in Welsh mountains enticed 18 people up the A5, with a few chip-shop and pub stops along the way. We had the whole hostel to ourselves, which meant an embarrassment of choice when it came to bunk-bagging, and plenty of room to spread out on Friday evening with drinks and maps.
On Saturday morning we split into three walking groups: Snowdon, not-Snowdon, and Mark. Mark set off at 8am with the intention of tackling Crib Goch - however, after reaching the top of Snowdon and being blown off his feet at Crib y Ddysgl, he changed route to the Miners' Track instead. Having summitted Snowdon for the second time on his return route, he was back at the hostel by mid-afternoon to stick a couple of birds in the oven for the evening meal.
The Snowdon group set off just after 9am up the Snowdon Ranger path, with the intention of summitting well before the rain came in (scheduled very precisely at 2.30pm). A few showers arrived impolitely early, and the wind also picked up as they gained height. The path eventually joined the railway line and the group was on the summit, along with several other people and a considerable amount of snow, by 12.30. They took shelter next to the (closed) new cafe before starting the downwards walk through more snow and ice on the Rhyd Ddu path. For the final part of the route, they decided that walking along the closed Welsh Highland railway line was preferable to a dark narrow road, only to encounter a maintenance train with a driver who wished to engage in some earnest discussion on the merits of their plan.
The not-Snowdon group elected to go in the opposite direction, to scale the ridge on the other side of the reservoir, around Mynydd Drws-y-coed. It was a full day of excellent walking - however they chose to stay high up for as long as possible, a decision that cost them when they did drop down because they had to go further than they wished. For the latter part of the walk, they were in the unenviable position of being able to see the lights of the pub in Rhyd Ddu but being unable to get at it. Some careful navigation was required through the forest, and there were a few wet feet by the time they finally got to the pub and spread soggy gear over a wide area. As there seemed to be a large amount of ironing going on in the pub, they didn't think it would matter...
The evening took on a festive theme, starting with mulled wine and nibbles and then moving on to Mark's feast: goose, an impressively large ham, and all the standard trimmings, Christmas pudding and brandy butter (with a few blind taste tests to establish whether the Tesco or Lidl offering was better), and cheese and biscuits. We also got to see some (or all?) of Pam's Everest photos.
On Sunday approximately half the group took advantage of the improved weather and set off mid-morning on a short walk up to and around the reservoir. The other half of the group set off towards home (via the assorted gear shops of Betws-y-Coed), some of them quietly praying for rain to assuage their guilt at leaving early...