Feb. 2016
18-20 March
Carlisle
Mountaineering
Club - Newsletter
www.carlislemc.co.uk
www.facebook.com/#!/groups/169637216412918//
Chairman’s notes [email protected]
I am pleased to hear that most people have rejoined
already & many have set up standing orders which
makes Dave’s job a lot easier. Well done Dave for
getting on top of the job so quickly & providing the
very stylish new membership cards.
Winter meets have been popular & I must
congratulate Tony on his timings – the reports from
up north sound fantastic – best conditions for years
for the Glencoe meet. Look forward to receiving an
article of two for the next newsletter.
Tony has also produced the meets list for this year &
is looking for one or two volunteers to act as meet
leaders – get in touch with him if you can help.
Welcome back & thanks to Phil Tinning for taking on
the treasurer’s role again – much appreciated. Dan
will be assisting / learning the ropes from Phil.
Welcome also to Sue Walker who joins the
committee for the first time.
Newsletter - Keep sending your articles to: [email protected] & inc. Pictures if poss.
Dave Greenwood – Funeral
For those who have not heard already, I must bring
you the sad news that Dave Greenwood a former
member & past chairman of the club has died. See
below for tribute.
The funeral will be held on Monday 7th March - 10
am St Augustine’s, 11 am Crematorium & afterwards
at Carlisle Golf Club for buffet.
Sue Greenwood has asked for a good send off from
CMC so hopes lots of you can attend.
Tribute to Dave Greenwood by John Holden
We will all have been saddened to hear of the recent
demise of our good friend Dave Greenwood, but in
settling to put down these few words I have found it
hard not to smile when I look back at the man and his
Newsletter editor - Mike Tinnion
31st March
7th April
10th April
14th April
17th April
21st April
28th April
Eden Rock
King Kong
NOTE
NEXT CLUB EVENTS
Roybridge
Armathwaite
Kings Meaburn
Newcommers meet – Shephersds Crag
Bramcag Quarry
Meikle Ross
Shepherds Crag
Castle Rock
OTHER EVENTS
10% discount on entry fee with CMC card
£6 with CMC card
Meet leaders – see page 5
life and particularly his association with Carlisle
Mountaineering Club.
Dave (and Sue) came late to climbing, unusually
following in the footsteps of their children. Alan Greig
remembers meeting them when they were top roping
at St Aidan’s and then being persuaded to take them
out to Langdale and having a great time on Original
Route and Centipede at Raven Crag.
Dave was a sometimes nervous climber, but was noted
for his neat footwork on easier routes like The Brown
Slabs at Shepherds but, I think, he got as much
pleasure from the camaraderie, comradeship and the
sharing of beautiful locations that he got from being
out on club meets.
Typical of his generosity was volunteering to drive to
Almscliffe on a club meet, doing a couple of easy
routes with Alan and then spending the rest of the day
watching and encouraging the others climbing.
In later years, as David’s health began to limit his
activity, Alan particularly remembers a wonderful day
taking the gentle walk into Cwm Idwall and climbing
Hope with David, who had no problems whatsoever
on the route and thoroughly enjoyed a fabulous day
out.
Many climbers in the club have mentioned the "great"
coaching they received from Dave at the climbing
wall and at the crags, often delivered from his position
as belayer, on routes that he had no intention of
demeaning himself by "giving it a go"....and again
typical of his generosity in making it possible for
others to do what they wanted to achieve.
Of course Dave was not just a master coach but he
worked tirelessly for the club and proved to be a
superb organiser as both Chairman of the club and as a
committee member, and was always happy to give a
hand with organisation if one of the other officers of
the club was a bit overwhelmed with work. His great
skill was in facilitating the work and success of others
and he clearly gained much pleasure from helping
others.
Many of us will also remember his other important
role as “Club Butler”, many has been time when we
have returned, tired from the hills, to find a roaring
fire in the grate and the hut or bunkhouse neat and
tidy. Also we should not forget his sterling efforts to
persuade "unattached" climbers at the wall to join the
club, be that a young tiger or sometimes a pretty girl.
We may not always have taken Dave’s coaching to
heart, but if we listened courteously and followed
Dave's example in life, we will all have become better
people. In short David was both a gentleman and a
gentle man.
beautiful if prickly locations usually beside dramatic
seascapes awaited us. The grades are not as soft as
Spain or Kalymnos we found, however the climbing is
excellent with good friction and pockets galore. Go
armed with ‘Climb On’ as it is exceptionally sharp,
especially on the mountain routes. All the crags were
easy to access usually a 10 minute drive, another 10
to walk in past megalithic tombs, Euphorbia forests
with exotic lizards and birds of prey to spot.
A range of grades from 5a to 6c was generally
climbed and mid week a heroic team (Dave, Ian &
Graham) set off early to climb an 18 pitch 5c
described as type 2 fun. Mike and I, and later in the
week Sue and Jayne climbed a 6 pitch trad 5a, with a
couple of testing HVS sections but otherwise
following a beautiful arête up the Pizzo Monaco – the
highlight for all I think. The last day found many of us
at Cala Mancina, we liked the Zoo somehow a user
friendly stunning crag with more amenable grades to
lead, for me anyway – would have been a good crag
to start the week on.
Thank you David and God Bless.
Sicily – Rock by Dorine Tinnion
A plan was hatched to find some elusive winter sun
after a depressing season of wind and rain and
February half term found the usual suspects
converging at Manchester airport from Cumbria and
Wales. A cheap flight to Catania and smooth pick up
of hire cars, saw us driving the 4 hours across the
island to the N.W. tip and San Vito Lo Capo, where
most of the good climbing is concentrated. Thanks to
Dave for seamless organisation!
Cocodrillo 6a
Limestone rock like cinder toffee and Tufa’s mostly
well bolted (with some trad multi pitch thrown in,) in
Near the campsite
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San Vito was strangely frontier town with strays
galore and an odd collection of cake shops cum bars.
The climbers bar (YMCA climbing house) had great
tunes and atmosphere but was closed most of the
time – so we made the most of the cake shop bar and
the abundant tapas! Marvellous communal meals
saw us scurrying with pans and dishes between
apartments especially after the electric socket in our
flat set alight and the meals produced were amazingly
good given the limited shops.
Graham and Tony ran over the nearby mountains,
Gary set off up them and just kept going despite
having not much with him until he met a slavering
pack of wolves er sheep dogs. Rae, Mike and I had a
fabulous walk in the Zingaro national reserve just up
the road with much evidence of past times,
porcupines and wild boar.
As always the day we came home was the most
stunning and we caught great views of Mt. Etna
smouldering away and some things never change – it
was raining in good ol Blighty.
GR20 - Corsica by Rachel Botterill
It might not be rock climbing, but traversing the
jagged peaks of Corsica under your own steam must
be one of the greatest adventures you can have
within a 2 hour hop of the UK.
The mythical status of the GR20 and its reputation as
the 'toughest of the GR routes' has made it a draw for
hardcore trekkers from all over Europe and the world.
My attraction was no different. Having done a section
of the GR5 with mum (Dorine) the summer before, I
was curious about the more remote, demanding and
vertigo inducing GR20.
Not wanting to carry heavy camping gear due to a
knee injury, I booked refuge accommodation for the
whole trip about 3 months in advance on the PNRC
website. The refuges get booked up early especially in
high season (June-Aug) so advance booking is
essential. You can also book ready-pitched tents
(though not suitable for anyone other than the
vertically challenged!) Basic camp spots ('bivouac') for
those feeling strong enough to carry their own
camping kit are in reasonable supply although you
have to set off early if you want the best spots and it
is not always possible to buy food.
Many people use budget airlines to fly into Bastia
and then find a way to cross the island to the start
point of Calenzana (near Calvi) in the north-west. As
time was in short supply for us, we booked an Air
France flight from London (via Paris) to Calvi which
was a little more expensive but incredibly convenient.
We landed in Calvi at 9.30am, grabbed our bags,
hopped in a taxi, and were dropped at the trailhead
by 10.30am ready to start the first day's hike.
Pizzo Monaco 6 pitch trad route – graded 5a
The start point, the village of Calenzana, is a
gorgeous French hilltop village with winding cobbled
streets and plenty of old locals looking at you like
you're mad. 'You're hiking the GR20?!' one elderly
madame asked us incredulously as the thermometer
hit 30 degrees. The excellent Spar-shop-cumcamping-store in the village allowed us to purchase
gas, cold drinks and last minute supplies (extra sun
cream!), before we headed off onto the trail.
The trail is incredibly well marked (unlike parts of the
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GR5) and whilst I recommend the Cicerone guidebook
as a handy reference, it's not necessary to get the IGN
maps for the whole route.
Day 1 was one of my favourites due to the sheer
number of different habitats encountered. You leave
civilisation, climbing through shrub forests, passed
charred pine trees, rocky outcrops, all the while
having spectacular views over the valley below, the
fortified coastal town of Calvi and the Mediterranean
Sea beyond. You zig zag through pine forests, over
high passes, and traverse the first tricky slab section
(fixed with chains) before spotting the tiny Refuge
d'Ortu nestled among the rocks on the other side of
the valley.
Drenched in sweat, sun cream, and dust, I have never
been more grateful for a shower, even if it was
freezing cold. For once being of the fairer sex paid off,
meaning a 10 minute queue for the shower rather
than an hour (sorry blokes!)
A basic three course meal (soup, spaghetti, cake) set
us back €20 a head and cold beers were about €8
each. This was the case all along the trail however
note meals were only guaranteed for those staying in
the refuge, not campers.
la Solitude (Day 4) meaning this section was out of
bounds and a diversion had swiftly been put in place
over the summit shoulder of Corsica's highest peak,
Monte Cinto (2706m). At the time of writing, it is not
known when the Cirque will re-open but the diversion
is equally challenging and not for the faint hearted.
Many people opted to take a bus transfer to a forest
trail on the other side of the pass, a short hike from
the next night's refuge.
Days 5 and 6 were much different, with scenic valley
walks and less brutal ascents. Night 5 offers the
opportunity to stay in the Hotel Castel Vergio, with
private rooms, hot showers and good food. The
stunning Lac du Ninu and Bergeries de Vaccaghja
serving fresh bread and cheese are a highlight on Day
6.
Days 2, 3 and 4 were what can only be described as
'epic'. Mind blowing scenery in every direction and
jagged peaks as far as the eye can see, until they hit
the horizon and drop into the deep blue sea. Never
ending ascents of up to 1500m each day with gravity
defying descents were exhausting but served to make
the sense of achievement and appreciation for the
views all the more rewarding.
Rachel enjoying one of the many scrambling sections.
Ten days before we departed in June 2015, a storm
caused a huge landslip killing 5 hikers in the Cirque de
Day 7 ranks amongst the most dramatic with
impressive views of the Lac do Capitellu and Lac du
Melo from the highest point of the GR20, Bocca alle
Porte (2225m). You will encounter a lot of day
trippers on Days 6 and 7, suspiciously eyeing your
large rucksack and general dishevelled state, as you
stare longingly at their fresh sandwiches and clean
clothes.
Accidentally stumbling upon the annual
'transhumance' (shepherds bringing the 1000s of
goats down off the mountains) at Bergeries de Tolla
on Day 8 was a highlight of the trip, followed by a
refreshing dip in the crystal clear Ruisseau de
Manganellu.
Day 9 marked the last day on the trail for us as we
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followed the rocky path down from Punta Muratelli
and past the impressive Cascade d'Anglais to the
eerily deserted former colonial resort of Vizzavona.
Despite the difficulty of the previous 9 days and our
utter exhaustion, we felt sad to be nearing
civilisation. It's funny how appealing trail life can be.
Nine days on the trail amounted to 'only' 104km, but
8,280m of ascent and 7,420m of knee jarring descent.
Still, I can't recommend it enough! Perhaps another
CMC member can fill us in on the southern section
from Vizzavona to Conca...?
Meet leaders – for meets shown on front page
Tony Morley <removed for web copy>
Dan Bulman <removed for web copy>
Phil Tinning <removed for web copy>
Dave Ferguson <removed for web copy>
Dorine Tinnion <removed for web copy>
BMC Clubs Workshops 2016
The 2016 programme is available on the BMC website with
more courses recently added. These courses are
subsidised by a grant the BMC receives from Sport
England and are specifically designed to support members
of BMC affiliated clubs.
Find out more about the courses and book your places via
www.thebmc.co.uk/clubscourses
Training Novice Club Members Weekend
th
This popular training weekend is back on Friday 13 –
th
Sunday 15 May at Plas y Brenin in Snowdonia. For only
£50 for the weekend (including full board accommodation
and all instruction) the weekend is a great deal for club
members who take novices in to the outdoors and want to
develop their skills to provide the best training experience
they can. Limited places remaining so book now via
www.thebmc.co.uk/training-novice-club-members
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