|
|
Gwent Mountaineering
Club
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DAVE SUMMITS CHO OYU 8201m or 26,950ft!!! |
|
|
|
|
|
A Few Comments from Chris Barber Club Chairman
|
Welcome to the latest GMC Newsletter
The hottest news of course is that Dave Bingham has returned slightly lighter, slimmer and bearded from his trip to the Himalayas. For those who are out of touch - Yes! He made it to the summit of Cho Oyu - which according to one of my mountaineering books translates as 'Godess of the Turquoise'). It rises on the Tibet / Nepal border and at 26,950 feet is the 8th highest mountain in the world. The first ascent was by an Austrian team in 1954 so Dave's team were appropriately tying in with the 50th anniversary. Was this intentional I wonder? Dave is to be congratulated on his achievement and now holds the altitude record for any GMC member past or present. It is also his third Himalayan summit to boot! No doubt there will be an illustrated talk on the programme some time in the future and I am sure that Dave will have a fascinating story to tell us of this successful expedition in which I understand all 10 members of the party reached the summit.
After that announcement anything else seems rather dull but our members no doubt have enjoyed many interesting and satisfying days on the mountains, at home and abroad, during this year’s summer - even if they were considerably lower in altitude. In September the GMC Challenge Walk (which I organised to replace the old annual Mystery Mountain Marathon) was held and all the entrants completed the 20 mile route with 4,500 feet of ascent. It was a linear route with a mini bus laid on to take us from the meeting point to Hay-on-Wye. We traversed the North escarpment of the Black Mountains, Mynydd Troed, Mynydd Llangorse and Buckland Hill to finish at the Coach and Horses, Llangynidr. I was disappointed that only 16 out of our 100 plus membership took part but otherwise it was a great success and enjoyed by all concerned. Next September I will organise another similar event in a different location but with the option of 20 and 25 mile routes.
Our Thursday evening lecture programme has now started again at the Horseshoe Inn, Mamhilad and we have some interesting speakers booked. If you are one of those members who have never been or rarely come to these evenings then I can only suggest that you give us your support for they are much appreciated by those who do attend on a regular basis. If you are interested in coming to the Club Dinner, which for a change is in Yorkshire this year, you will need to get your booking in with Robby as soon as possible. There are only 40 places and at the time of writing quite a few have been taken already. Finally, many thanks Terry for producing this edition of the GMC Newsletter and also thank you everyone who has contributed articles and pictures to make it possible. |
|
Summit Day on Cho Oyu 26 Sept 2004
Cho Oyu 26,950ft
The NW Tibetan face of Cho Oyu looms above Advance Base Camp
Cho Oyu seen from the site of Camp 1 at 6350m
|
Words by Dave Bingham
2.50am and my heart pounded as I shuffled around the tent getting ready for summit day on Cho Oyu, an 8000m peak on the border of Tibet and Nepal. There were many voices outside from others on the team who were also getting ready. I had been told the evening before we were starting off at 3.30 but sensed others were nearing the end of their morning preparations. I poked my head out of the tent vestibule and sought clarification: ‘3’ I was told – starting off in ten minutes time at 3am! ‘Don’t start without me then’ I yelled. I quickly shuffled my legs into my down salopettes, donned my boots and fitted the harness. The oxygen cylinder was the last item in the sack and then I was out of the tent and into the cold darkness. There was a commotion of people still sorting themselves out, fitting crampons, sliding oxygen masks into place, fiddling with clothing. At a time close to 3.30am after all everyone appeared ready, my oxygen flow rate had been set to 2 litres per minute by a helpful Sherpa and as a group we shuffled forward on the track in the snow and took those first few tentative paces up the slope. The presence of the oxygen mask pressing against my face was claustrophobic and on a few occasions I dropped the mask further down the face to expose my nose and breathe outside air through the nostrils. The flow of pure oxygen still found my mouth efficiently and was just as beneficial. The percentage of oxygen at high altitude is the same as that at sea level: 20%, but the mask creates a micro-climate of more oxygenated air for the climber to breathe. (Air is also drawn through a valve at the front of the mask so the air pressure in the mask is the same as that outside however). Within 30 minutes or so I approached the rock-band at around 7500m and clipped into the first bit of fixed rope with my jumar and safety line. The ice axe was stowed away in a holster on my pack freeing both hands, one sliding the jumar up the rope and the other pulling the rope through in one simultaneous movement. In this fashion I walked up the slope and then one by one members of the team ascended the rock-band in the dark, hands on the rocks occasionally, crampons scratching on the rocks, energetic pulls on the jumar. My heart rate raced away and my glasses fogged up so that even with the torch light the rocks disappeared from my view. I adjusted the mask down and hurriedly cleared my lenses so that I could get going again. At last the angle eased and I moved my jumar onto another section of fixed rope and climbed a shallow gully above. With a gentler angle my rhythm on the fixed ropes improved and I had a good pace for the remaining sections of fixed rope. The sky lightened as the dawn arrived and I glanced around at the sharp peaks on the horizon. A beautiful sight indeed and the weather looked promising too; clear skies all around. Now off the fixed rope I tried to keep a steady pace up the steep snow slopes, my ice axe in one hand and a walking pole in the other. At a snowy shoulder which had taken ages to gain I paused for water prior to the next steep slope. My first water bottle was jammed tight (because of a cross threaded top as I was to discover later) but thankfully my second bottle opened fine. After two short mouthfuls from the bottle I drew in frantic breaths as the air was so thin at around 7800m. A few more mouthfuls and some chocolate and I shouldered the pack again and adjusted the mask into place. I was going again, following others up the steep slope. A short fixed rope aided people over a short rock step and then we were on the final slope to the summit plateau. I was doing well for time and although my body was working hard, things seemed in control. But a few patterns played across my vision and looking up at the final snowy horizon above I wondered how clear that horizon was. Almost all problems with vision up high are caused by cerebral problems, that is water accumulation on the brain and I felt only something like this would stop me now. I had no spare energy to worry about this but continued upward, slow step by slow step. Some summiteers passed me on their way down as I gained the summit plateau and words of encouragement and congratulations were exchanged. I paused again for water as did Lydia, one of the guides. Glancing around, I was happy that my vision was fine and gave it no further thought. Everyone had understood the time required across the plateau to the summit to be around an hour for a distance of around 400m. 400m was the distance from Corn Du to Pen y Fan, a distance I regularly did in 7 minutes with a brisk pace but in this surreal world of high altitude, times on training routes and challenge walks over the last few months had no relevance now. Step by step I made my way along the track. Lydia was slightly ahead. The first woman up Everest without oxygen in the late eighties she might have been, but the big mountains pay no heed to reputations. Every ten steps or so she paused and slumped over the handle of her walking pole whilst I endeavoured to maintain a steady pace and stop less often. Nearby a couple of men on another team not using supplementary oxygen took a series of steps and would then crouch on the ground to recover. In this bizarre fashion tens of people slowly made their way to the prayer flags, which marked the summit. And then the snowy horizon was broken with two sharp peaks, the left one noticeably higher. I knew straight away: Everest on the left, Lohste on the right; and knew as well that clearly I was running out of higher ground! Within minutes the track took its final few sweeping curves and people gathered at the summit prayer flags could be seen just ahead. Dean the other guide that day was the first to offer congratulations and I was soon flooded with hand shakes from others as well. All clients reached the summit, nine on this day and one the next. Camera and video shots followed taking care not to lose gloves and not allow the oxygen mask to drop to the snow and freeze. Everest stood proud, the impressive North Face on the left and the Western Cwm straight ahead, the South Col too, the Hornbein and Great Couloir splitting the North Face. These features which had lived for me on book pages until now did exist and were laid before my eyes. It would be a view that I would glance at for about 30 minutes and then it would be gone. A unique passing moment in my life. You are only brief visitor on a big mountain summit and this is never truer than when over 8000 metres. You would eventually become seriously ill at this altitude but in the warm sunshine and gentle breeze which we had you could be forgiven for forgetting this. I shouldered my sack and still on the supplementary oxygen made my first steps back along the plateau. Steep slopes, fixed ropes and an abseil down the rock band awaited… A final note from Dave: I would like to thank everyone for their interest in this recent adventure of mine. In particular receiving best wishes (in email messages) from people whilst I was out there gave me a great boost. I know (all being well) we’ll have another member having a crack at another Himalayan peak next spring, and this will be really great. I shall be following this with interest! Good Luck. |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING! Just a few Examples of club activities |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
Alps Trip August 2004
Barre des Ecrins
Monte Viso Summit
|
Words and Pics by Trefor Beese
This year we started off in Ailefroide, in the Ecrins National Park, south west of Grenoble. Keith had been to this part of France 20 years ago, but it had changed a lot in this time. It was new to everyone else. The plan was to acclimatise, climb the Barre des Ecrins, then move into Italy to climb Monte Viso. Jeff and Dave were then going to climb the Italian ridge of the Matterhorn, and descend into Zermatt. Keith and Tref would return to the Dent d’Herens, then…… Ali was just spending one week. The first Sunday we were very tired from the long drive, and the weather was unbearably hot. We started with a rest day! Next day we went up to the Ecrins hut, but the weather turned on us, it rained a bit. The Glacier Blanc was in fact a dirty black crevassed sheet of ice, and many of the fine snow slopes shown in my 1987 guide book and the current photos in guide office were grotty rock or ice. Next morning we failed to notice until after our early breakfast that it was pouring with rain. Back to bed, and with a poor weather forecast we reluctantly went back to the camp site later in the day when it had stopped raining. Never even saw the Barre des Ecrins.By mid morning the next day we decided to do a hut walk, and the day turned out to be dry and sunny, not like the weather forecast at all. After this, Jeff and Dave decided to move to Italy nearer the Matterhorn, and get acclimatised nearer their target. From Ailefroide we did a half day walk, god weather again. That evening we had a text from Dave that it was raining hard at their camp site; we got the bad weather in the night. Three of us returned to the Ecrins hut in cold, clear weather. The summit rock ridge of the Barre was covered in snow, not a good omen for the ascent. The following morning there was fresh snow at the hut, and it was actually still snowing! Most other parties set off anyway, so we followed along. It kept on snowing, strong winds creating spindrift, which completely filled in the track in the snow of the party 50 metres in front. Eventually after a long queue at the bergshrund, we climbed up to the ridge. No one attempted the Barre; it was still snowing, with quite strong winds. We settled for the ‘top’ of the Dome de Neige de Ecrins. This is a simple snow dome a few hundred meters away. It snowed most of the way down as well, no views at all. We had now spent over a week trying to get up the Barre, it was time to move on. Ali visited relatives, Keith and Tref drove to Italy to Monte Viso. It was a wonderful sunny day! We eventually found the right access valley, and bought a decent map to supplement our route description off the internet. We were the only camper van in pub van park that night, a great contrast to the crowded French camp site. The hut walk took only two and a half hours, few people around, but it was very hot and sunny. We sunbathed the rest of afternoon at the Quintino Sella hut, but by the evening it was cloudy. Next morning at 4.30 a.m. it was pouring with rain again. After breakfast it stopped raining, and 30 odd people set off to climb the 3841 metre peak. It was cloudy and windy. After an hour and a half it started raining hard again, everyone got soaked. We were the best off, out in the lead we reached an emergency bivouac hut and sheltered there for a few hours till it stopped raining. Even so it rained some more on the way back. Just four of us stayed at the hut for another day, drying ourselves all afternoon. Next day we reached the summit on one of the best days of the year (so described by the hut guardian). We could see all the big Alpine 4000 metre summits, from Barre des Ecrins, Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, to Monte Rosa. The Matterhorn seemed to have a lot of snow on it. Sure enough, when back in mobile phone territory, we heard from Dave and Jeff that the Matterhorn was a no go area. They had climbed Castor and Pollux on two separate days, but after that the wind was so strong that nothing more could be done. So we all had a good holiday, even if we didn’t climb so many peaks as usual.
|
||||||||||||||||
|
North Wales Meet
Amphitheatre Buttress on theMay BankHoliday
|
Words by Dave Bingham
Kay and I joined the meet on the Saturday evening; other members had being active of course during that day. On the Sunday morning I got news that Amphitheatre Buttress, a long Vdiff on Craig Yr Ysfa in the Carneddau was on the cards, and with this having been on my wish-list for some time I needed no persuasion. 6 of us went to climb it, myself, Keith, Elli, Colin and two non-members Alan & Carole Usher. Kay’s foot injury forced her to seek bike hire elsewhere, much to her great disappointment. The climb needs a long walk-in, from the A5 in the Ogwen Valley, over Bwlch Eryl Farchog and a drop into Cwm Eigiau. We roped up in pairs, Alan and Carole starting up the route first, then myself and Keith, finally Elli and Colin. Keith tackled the first two pitches and then I led through, my first lead outdoors for some time – and what a classic climb to do it on – a superb long mountain route of 960 feet. I was a bit rusty and was quite pleased when Keith led on the crux pitch, especially as the starting moves were well polished and the exposure into the amphitheatre was all too evident. Elli was climbing well and chose to lead all the pitches. Alan and Carole having not climbed for several years save for a recent club meet by Carole had thrown themselves into the deep end! The route levelled and crossed an airy arête, which I was chuffed to lead. Bad gear placement though created bad rope drag over a tower, not particularly welcome when I was tentatively crossing the sharp arête with gaping drops beneath my feet! Keith and the rest of the party followed and then the six of us finished the broken buttress above in a couple of pitches to complete a memorable climb. As is usual the food and drinks and friendly chat at the Prince Llewelyn rounded off another great day in north Wales. We went separate ways on Monday; I went on a tough mountain walk around the Llanberis pass on the next day, Elli and Colin did Christmas Curry at Tremadog after rain prevented a harder climb commencing, and Keith and Dian went south in search of more Welsh Marilyns (tops with 150m on all sides). Speaking personally the long Amphitheatre Buttress climb was the biggest highlight of the weekend full of good moments.
|
||||||||||||||||
Welsh 3000’s |
Words by Hugh Woodford
Dave, Kay and myself headed to Nant Peris for another attempt on the Welsh 3000’s. Both my previous attempts had been unsuccessful, while Dave had finished 1 out of 4, in 1995. Unfortunately, Kay was out of action but had offered to act as our support along the route, for which we were extremely grateful. After a full day’s work on Saturday, Dave broke all records to drive from Cardiff to Nant Peris in just under 4 hours – an hour less than anticipated. Weather the previous weekend had been ideal and the forecast this time was for early showers, but getting better as the day went on. At 1am the showers started and woke us in our tents. For the next couple of hours they ranged from light to very heavy, making us wonder if we would be fated yet again. Up at 3am, we ate breakfast before leaving for Pen Y Pass and our 0400 start. Kay wished us luck and said she wished she was going with us as we set off up the Pyg track. Snowdon was “clagged” in as we reached the summit at 0524 as was Carnedd Ugain. Crib Goch was clear and our descent via the north ridge to Llyn Glas went smoothly. From there to the A4086 rain clouds chased us, emptying their light drizzle upon us. The campsite was reached 0752 where Kay was waiting with food and drink. Supplies were replenished and rucksacks reloaded before setting off up Elidr Fawr. Again, we made good time and reached the summit in an hour and a quarter. A good pace was maintained to Y Garn, from where we could see storm clouds approaching rapidly from the South West. It was on with waterproofs just in time. No matter how good you feel after the first range, the Glyders always sorts you out and is the “make or break” section on the route. All the training and preparation can count for nothing as a combination of weather, terrain injury and navigational problems can scupper any attempt I was beginning to flag by Glyder Fawr, so lunch was eaten to regain lost energy. The rocks on Tryfan were greasy so we made a very careful descent to the A5 where Kay was waiting. By now, my knees were screaming out to stop and I was thinking of having to finish at this point. Dave’s extra training meant he had no such problems. Thankfully after more food and drink, including pasta and 25 mins rest, I felt ok to carry on. Half way up Pen yr Ole Wen we suddenly realised we had been concentrating so much on food, drink and clothing that we had both left our head torches in the car. In spite of me saying that we would be ok as long as we stayed ahead of schedule, Dave was anxious to press on quickly as possible in case we encountered any problems with navigation, particularly on the final descent. Again, the biggest ascent was made in excellent time. With the forecast of a clear evening we were optimistic of a good finish. Yr Elen seemed to go on for longer than expected but the weather changed as we reached the summit, back on with the waterproofs. Carnedd Llewellyn was found easily enough, and as we went on towards Foel Grach it began to clear. Looking back to Yr Elen, the clouds around it looked spectacular. The remainder of the route ahead and to the east was clear in the warm evening sunshine and we arrived at our final summit Foel Fras at 19.38. As he had done on all previous summits, Dave text Kay so she knew how we were progressing. In her reply, she congratulated us and called us “fit gits”, much to our amusement. The pressure was now off and we had plenty of time to make a safe descent, reaching Kay and the car at the end of our epic day at 21.02 – a full hour and a half ahead of schedule, still in daylight, but very tired and footsore. Dave and I were both elated and relieved that we had been successful. Although walking 30 miles back in South Wales is well within many people’s capabilities, in North Wales it is a totally different ball game. We were back at campsite before 10pm and in bed before half past. I could hardly walk for 2 -3 days afterwards, and took the best part of a week to recover. I would say the walk is harder than the South Wales Marathon even though it is only two thirds the distance. Finally, Dave and I would like to thank Kay for her support. It made the walk much more manageable, being able to pick things up, leave things with her and have fresh socks and clothing available. Stats: Distance 30 Miles, Ascent 12,200 Ft, Total time 17.02 Hrs Summit to summit 14.14 hours, Snowdon Group 3.52 hrs, Glyders 6.01 hrs and Carneddau 6.21 hrs.
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Galapagos Wildlife Adventure
A blue-footed booby parading
Swimming with Sea Lions
|
Words & Pictures by Peter Salenieks
In The Voyage of the Beagle, Charles Darwin writes: “the natural history of these islands is eminently curious, and well deserves attention.” He describes this volcanic archipelago as “a little world within itself”, featuring a variety of species that make it uniquely suited as a laboratory of evolution. Air travel has shrunk the world. The flight to the islands proved much less arduous than the voyage across the Pacific Ocean that once daunted early visitors. Guerba arranged the journey, which took me from London to Quito and onwards to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. A panga took five of us out into the harbour to join the Darwin Explorer, which was to become home whilst we cruised from island to island. My shipmates included a varied mix of Americans, Europeans and Australians, each with stories to tell whilst chatting over dinner or relaxing in the stern bar. We awoke to a colourful sunrise after a night passage to Rábida Island. Frigatebirds circled overhead, looking almost prehistoric against the backdrop of volcanic cones. A few days later, we visited a frigatebird colony on North Seymour and saw the males at close quarters, watching them inflate their bright red pouches in a bid to attract passing females. Every island offers something that sets it apart from the others: brown pelicans nesting beside the shore on Rábida; lava flows at Sulivan Bay, Santiago; the summit trail and a classic view towards Pinnacle rock from the hilltop on Bartolomé; colonies of waved albatrosses and the dramatic courtship displays of blue-footed boobies on Española; even collecting postcards to deliver from the barrel in Post Office Bay, Floreana – continuing a tradition that started around the time of Captain James Colnett’s visit in 1793. Above all, one is struck by how easy it is to approach the wildlife, free from a fear of humans that is engendered elsewhere. The park authorities work hard to maintain a delicate balance between access and conservation. A scuba diver in our party kindly explained the basics of snorkelling, helping me to see marine life from a new perspective. There were tropical fish in abundance, with starfishes and sea urchins amongst the rocks and on the sandy bottom. We glimpsed one shark whilst swimming through a submerged caldera; the divers encountered more sharks and rays in deeper water. It felt very much like flying to swim above a sea turtle, dropping back as it surfaced for air. The highlight was snorkelling with young sea lions in the turquoise waters of a sheltered bay off Santa Fé. One swam right up to me and there was a magical moment as we glanced curiously at one another. If I could only choose one from a kaleidoscope of impressions, it would be standing on deck at night, listening to the surf and the calls of sea lions, whilst the light of a full moon picked out the sandy beach as a luminous band between sea and sky. It cast my mind back to a moonlit night beside the South China Sea and memories of another journey. All too soon the cruise drew to a close and the pleasures of the harbour beckoned. Not always ships that pass in the night.
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Return to Bryn Hafod
Bryn Hafod Below the Cliffs of Glasgwm
The Monochrome World of Arran Fawddwy
|
Words & Pics by Peter Salenieks
Storm warnings for the Irish Sea and fallen trees in Mid Wales did not deter a small band of members as they set off for Bryn Hafod one weekend in March 2004. It is a true mountain hut, situated at the head of Cwm Cywarch and overlooked by the brooding cliffs of Glasgwm. Little seemed to have changed in the three years since our previous visit, even though the outside world had moved on. The hut was a haven.
On Saturday, I set off for Cadair Idris and followed the Minffordd Path up through the woods. A brief foray onto Craig Lwyd was sufficient to show that the gusting winds were strong enough to preclude a high-level circuit. The downdraught whipped across Llyn Cau, sending lines of spray across the wave-capped surface of the lake. After dinner, it was a pleasure to relax in front of the coal fire, gazing into the embers whilst talking about the day that had been. Keith and Dian spent the day climbing Marilyns (mountains of any height with an all-round 150 metre drop) and 'ticked off' Long Mountain and Moel-y-Golfa, both near to Welshpool.
It was brighter at first on Sunday morning. Keith and Dian set off for Carnedd Wen, south east of Dinas Mawddyy, another 'tick', whilst I locked the front door and walked into the Arrans. The path up Hengwm afforded good views as patches of sun raced across the hills. The weather turned as I reached Drysgol. Stinging hail could be felt through hat and waterproofs and I entered a monochrome world. Arran Fawddwy was buffeted by the elements and left carpeted in white. Gray and green gave way to a broader pallet of colours during the return to Bryn Hafod. After a final cup of tea in the hut, it was time to drive south, reflecting on a weekend of contrasts.
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Annapurna Circuit
Stupa at Chame
Thorang La Pass at 5416m
Dawn over Machupuchhre from Poon Hill |
Wordsand Pics by Terry Delbridge
Despite the doom and gloom about Moaist terrorists, malaria and rabies…I was really keen to experience Nepal, especially Kathmandu and the Himalayas. The “troubles” had definitely affected the tourist trade with bookings well down and Tea houses empty. The trip did eventually run – but with only 3 of us (me and 2 ladies……!!!). Kathmandu lived up to its reputation of bustle, exotic Durbar Sq. temples, and almost any “designer label” you wish...(all “hooky” of course). The trek started in Besisahar at about 1200m and slowly progressed North along the Marsyangdi river (first explored by Bill Tilman on route for an attempt on Annapurna 4). This was delightful, easy going, gradually acclimatising, and enjoying life. We had 2 Porters, 1 sirdar and an asst, with 3 Trekkers… making an excellent singing group, and entertaining all around with renditions in several languages …none of which I had a clue about. The fun started close to Pisang, where we could see wonderful views of Annapurna 2(7900m), 3(7555m), and 4(7525m) way across the valley. We had entered the Manang District and the altitude was encroaching 3500m. A 2 day stop in Manang gave us a chance to catch up with the world, the washing and to visit a monastery. Here we were given a blessing to help with crossing the Thorang La pass, where good weather is essential. From Manang the altitude gradually became serious with stops at Yak Kharka and Phedi (4450m). An early start from Phedi saw us at the Thorung La (the highest altitude I had been so far at 5416m) before mid day in glorious weather, (100 rupees blessing well spent.). We took an hour at the pass…congratulating ourselves and getting a serious headache from the altitude, before a swift descent down to Muktinah at 3800m. Gasston Rebuffet (part of Maurice Herzog’s Annapurna expedition) was probably the first westerner to cross the pass as part of the Annapurna reconnaissance. Another way between the 2 valleys would be to traverse Tilicho la close to the lake and Grand Barrier where Herzog camped. We had wonderful views of Gangapurna 7454m, Annapurna 3, Glacier Dome 7193m and Tilicho peak 7134m. We followed the Pilgrim Trail down the Kali Gandaki Gorge (explored by Maurice Herzog on route to the first ascent of an 8000m peak), which lies between Annapurna and Dhulgari. We eventually reached Ghorapani at 2750m where we were able to ascend Poon Hill at 0300 to see the sun rise over the Annapurnas, Machapuchhre, and Dhulgari; A wonderful sight I shall never forget. The final yomp down a couple thousand steps to Pokhara was easy going and delightful, probably due to the apple brandy we discovered on route. We enjoyed Pokhara with not a moaist in sight…Lucky I guess, since the town was closed to tourists shortly afterwards. The trip took 19 days, reached 5416m at the Thorang La crossing, covered some 175km with an ascent of 6258m and descent of 5984m. It served as a wonderful introduction to Nepal and High altitude trekking. I took some 400 Digital pics all of which I intend to inflict on you on Feb 3rd in the Horseshoe (before taking my daughter to Everest BC in April) . |
||||||||||||||||
|
South Wales Marathon
|
Words by Alison Rothwell
The walk began at 0430 and true to form - I only just got to the start after sitting rather too long over my breakfast. It was misty as we set off from Llanndeusant and I was worried, amongst other things, about the extra difficulties involved in navigating if the visibility remained poor. Everybody was in a group as we left the hostel, but soon it was just Dawn, Colin Jen and I on our way up to the first top Bannau Brechinniog. As we came up towards the trig point, we walked out of cloud cover in time to see the sun rise above the ridge, one of the most magical moments I've ever had in the hills. By the time we reached Cray Dam the mist had lifted and our spirits were high. We were doing relatively well time-wise and all felt fit and confident. The ground was boggy, but due to several weeks of dry weather, not as bad as it could have been. We reached Llethyr and then Storey Arms without undue problems. Robbie and Ian were waiting at Storey Arms with refreshments, giving us the determination to tackle the next hurdle - the Brecon Beacons. We managed to reach the Gap, just below Cribyn ahead of schedule and up until that point I felt really good. On the next section I began to suffer a bit and by the time I reached the lunch stop definitely felt worse for wear. Bill Morris and John Ellis were waiting there to cheer us on and even walked part of the next section with us. That combined with a fantastic stew and trifle (plus 10mins with my socks off) improved my spirits no end. We knew by now that a few people had dropped out, and that Richard Rosser was, as usual storming ahead and was expected to finish at 6:30pm (how can anyone walk that fast?) The dreaded road section was next, and it was every bit as bad as people said. We had a "moan clinic" half way along this section - all 4 of us comparing aches and pains in our feet. We had been chatting on and off for most of the day up until this point, but gradually the conversation died down to absolute basics as we all began to save what energy we had left for getting to the finish. Reaching Pen-genfordd was a big boost. Dawn and I had spent a great deal of time worrying about if we would manage to reach this checkpoint before the cut off time of 1930. Thankfully we were there by about 1900. Ian Tucker was waiting for us as he had offered to keep us company on the next section. After climbing up onto WaunFach we struggled to find the route down to the Grwyne Fawr Dam, but in fact this was one of the only difficulties we had with route finding. By now we had all slowed down considerably, and it was dark when we arrived at the dam. Chris had arranged a checkpoint with a lantern on the top of Chwarel Y Fan, and what a welcome sight it was. Just get up there and you've cracked it, I thought. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case, as the descent down to Carpel Y Fin is rough and stony, and I felt like a crab with my stiff legs and sticks. I had been warned that the road section would seem endless, but several of the checkers and sweepers walked with us and talking to them made the time pass easily. We eventually reached the hotel at 0030 tired, but elated. It had taken us 20 hours to complete 47 miles. What was the best bit of the day? Taking my boots off at the end of course! Despite all the aches and pains, I had a fantastic day, and was really elated to have finished the walk. A big thank you goes to Chris and all those who had helped make the day possible - it really is a wonderful event.
|
||||||||||||||||
Exploring wild places and remote summits on Fforest Fawr
|
Wordsby Ted Bumford
We began our walk from Storey Arms in light drizzle and headed north along the Taff Trail descending through a lightly wooded area. It seemed strange to begin the first strenuous walk of the summer programme going down hill, especially knowing that our leader was in training for something a little more ‘severe’ later in the year! We got on to a path near Lawny y Ceylon and headed west making a steady but quite demanding climb of about 350 metres to Fan French. By now the rain had stopped, the cloud was clearing and we could take in the views all around, a lovely sight I must say. Carrying on towards the Roman road, we stopped for a well-earned break in the valley below. Much drier conditions prevailed as we continued to Lethe, spotting a red kite on the way.
Quite a yomp to Fan Ned saw the group begin to spread out a bit as we began to realise this really was going to be a toughie! A long plod around Fan Faith seemed to go on quite some time, stopping for lunch and enjoying the views on the way around to Mean Lila picnic site. We were all starting to feel the pace a bit by now and still about 2000ft to go – awash!!
The last leg of Dave’s walk took us over Fan Lila and into the Ystradfellte valley skirting Fan Fawr on the way back to the car park. A very enjoyable day out in the Beacons
|
||||||||||||||||
|
MISCELLANEOUS
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
KENDAL MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVALPatron Sir Chris Bonington 2004 Festival 13th - 21st November
See the details at: www.mountainfilm.co.uk, Here’s a sample:
An audience with Dr Charles Houston - The Brotherhood of the Rope Saturday 7.00 pm Leisure Centre Price £6 We are honoured to welcome Charlie Houston, who is 91 and whose presentation will incorporate film and comment, He is a legend of mountaineering who began climbing in the Alps in 1925. In 1936, he co-led (with Bill Tilman) a British-American Expedition, which made the first ascent of Nanda Devi in northern India. Then, in 1938 Houston led the first American expedition to K2 in Pakistan. |
||||||||||||||||
|
Wilderness Lectures
|
Bristol Wilderness Lectures
Peter Salenieks has kindly passed on the following website for the wilderness lectures. The future speakers include the following. (See: www.wildernesslectures.com)
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Alan Hinkes Lecture
|
A note from Ian Tucker Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University Fri 10 December 7:30 pm Alan Hinkes lecture. Britain's most successful extreme altitude mountaineer talking about Challenge 8000 and his amazing stories from Dhaulagiri, as well as providing insights into his whole outlook on climbing and life in general. Tickets £8-50 Box Office 01792 602060
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
Thank you all for some really great stories and pics.
Don’t forget to drop me a note with anything you get up to over the winter. |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
