Minutes of meeting 28 November 2009

[Jeff Horton]

Please see attached file

[Malcolm Anderson]

Mob minutes 11.11.09

Will mentioned that we need to update the Mob list so Geoff Horton offered to take this on board and send out the last members list, so members can check their details and email back to confirm or send in any changes.

Annual side comp is on the 9th Dec. Derek to speak to Geoff Davies regards judging the evening. Butties have been order usual formate “why fix what isn’t broken”
Please can you get your 5 photos to Ian Brewster at the next meeting or via post or email.
Try not to leave it to the evening if you can help it as give Ian more work to do

The Mob YHA is due for renewal, Derek to make sure it get sorted.

Rick is to speak to Jacko and take over as Mob equipment office, Jacko as done a good job for a good few years but due to working nights can’t take as active a role in the club.
Thanks to Jacko for all his hard work. Rick is to check over the kit and report back to the club.

The web site is now being regularly used and up date which has brought a few new members in recently. 88 have now logged on.

With regards to the moneys collected at the Mob 30th to be donated to North West Ambulance. We have made contacted with them and are arranging the transfer of the money and acknowledgement to be sent to Mike Sadulas Sister. We are also going to right to her to thank her for the kit she donated.

Sundays Mob winter walk was organized by Rick who had put a lot of work into it even doing some NIGHT reconnoitering. It was lovely to see a strong turn out (22 of us) with members coming from as far away as Cambridge, and a few new members coming along as well. As usual for that neck of the woods the going under foot was boggy at times and hard going negotiating the peat ruts. Although it did not rain we had bad visibility most of the day with it clearing up towards the end to give some lovely views down to Glossop. The 10 mile Route started from Old Glossop and took in the Waine Stones and the Crash site of a boomer from the war. Coincidentally it was remembrance Sunday and we spent some time at the site contemplating. All in all a good day enjoyed by everyone even Ann who took the back marker most of the day and gaining a large blister by the end of the walk. Many thanks to Rick for his effort.

Dave Dixon had done the Shepherds Skyline fell race. He confessed that he only has to wait a couple years to start wining his class again as he’ll be in the Super Super vets, keep it up Dave there chances for us all yet.

The indoor walls have been proving very popular with plenty of lads getting to most of the venues. Jonti had been for the first time in 10 years.

A group of us had been to see Andy Caves Letcher (Learning to Breath) at the Albert Halls Bolton. “Well worth seeing”.

Rick and Derek had had 4 full days in Pembroke climbing, see web for a favor of the exciting climbing on offer at this extensive climbing area.

Over the years I’ve had 5 full weeks climbing in South Pembroke visiting most of the crags ticking off lots of the classics in the area, from VS to E3.
It had been about ten years since I was last down there so it was nice to get back down with Rick. We where very lucky with the weather being mild and quite dry all be it one wet day when we only managed to do one route. On the afternoon we got down there only having a couple of hours day light left we went to do Deirdre Sud a lovely classic Server corner crack reached via abb, a good route to blow the cobwebs off.
One thing we had forgot to check was the access as some of the crags are restricted due to the firing ranges, and with it being short days it meant we didn’t have the time to go there late in the afternoon. On our first full day we visited the cliffs at St David, an area that I had not been to before with some nice slab routes and a good selection in the easier grades. Our first full days climbing we manage 6 routes from Server to HVS, a good start to the week.
Day 2 we went down to Mother Carry’s Kitchen (nicknamed Mother Scary’s Kitchen). Looking at the guide book we spotted a couple of VS’s and a Server, so routes with in our range. When you abb in you know why they call it Mother Scarys Kitchen as it got plenty of atmosphere and is very steep. The route I had picked ended up being a bit damp to say the least and it took some determined climbing to get off the starting ledge and continue to the top. Rick also climbed a nice Server on the same wall, exciting climbing traversing over the see following some steep crack lines.
The day was finished off with a pleasant MVS on an upper part of the crag in a less intimidating setting to give my nerves a rest.

Day 3 was our wet day. Sat at the top of Mowing Word waiting for the rain to pass and stay dry enough to make a dash abb to do one of the VS we wonder whether we might be biting a bit more off than we could chew. Eventually after a short respite we set up the abb and Rick went down to take a look, the idea being I could always top rope him on something to get out if it was to wet. “Seemed like a good plan to me anyway”.
After getting the nod off Rick I followed down to a dark damp cave! “He was must be feeling confident as it was his lead it thought” I belayed on the abb as that was our tick out of there if the things didn’t quite go to plan. The MVS that Rick had planned to do turned out to be just to wet so he continued up the neighboring route all be it a grade harder at VS, the lesser of to evils. He was making good head way until he reached the crux overhang and he arms gave out, and the situation got the better of him. I had hope he might have continued by prusicing up the abb rope to make our escap, any hopes of that where soon dashed as he clipped on the rope and abed back down to join me on an even danker belay. It was now my turn to breach the wall and bid our escape, at least Rick’s runners were in place up to the crux meaning I would be was reasonably fresh to give it my best shot. I was glad of the good runners as I pulled through the roof and onto quite an intimidating head wall and thankfully the top. With our will to climb battered out of us we used the remaining light to go and check out the routes on St Govens which is always open to the public at the weekends. St Govens is the main area at South Pembroke with a large concentration of routes with a couple of crags with some classic routes in the VS category. While scouting out these routes we found an abundance of field mushrooms which we gathered and made a mushroom, tomato and Salami stew for tea. But not before Rick make a point of getting them checked with the lady we where staying with before tucking in to his tea.

Last day proved to be the nicest day of the trip with some well needed sunshine. Rick had spied a classic server on Steinis Head with an interesting first pitch which traversed around the front face to reach the left hand arête. As with all traverses you need to protect the second, as I was doing, but the rope ended up snagging and Rick ended up traversing around with the rope coiled around his neck. The hanging belay over the sea in lovely sunshine made a good setting watching Rick finish up the final arête in an exciting situation. Some position for a SERVER grade route.
Not wanting to waist the day we didn’t waist any time in locating our next route a Top 50 VS with and exciting free absile to get to yet another hanging belay. Although the climbing was never hard it kept coming with some great moves on lovely white limestone. We just had time to nip another one in before the 5 hour drive home so Rick finish our successful trip on yet another classic VS.

See the Web for photos and short video clips

Derek & Rick