issue 14 summer `99 £2.00 free to all bmc members

Transcription

ISSUE 14 SUMMER '99
FREE TO ALL BMC MEMBERS
20650_Summit_14_Cover.p65
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£2.00
5/10/99, 1:46 PM
FOREWORD
Inclusive Summits
Since the previous issue of Summit over
sixty-four visitors from 27 countries discovered the joys of the Scottish mountains at the International Winter Meet and
Seminar. And it was a great week: many
great climbs were done - plus an assortment of enjoyable mountain walks. But
what is all the fuss about? We all know
winter mountaineering is great - why have
a seminar about it? Do we need yet more
statements about how to do whatever - is
it all really necessary or just yet more so
called political correctness? Shouldn’t the
BMC just concentrate on the important
things like access instead of using valuable resources on seminars and meets?
If you had been looking at the Scottish
media during the week of the seminar you
might have seen one of the three evening
TV news reports, heard one of the five
radio interviews, and read one of the numerous newspaper reports about the meet.
These news reports were evidence of a
sport that is capable of putting a positive
agenda in the media: Mountaineering
Council of Scotland President John
Donohoe confirmed the economic value
of climbing and hill walking to the Highland economy; BMC National Officer
Andy MacNae explained the basis of our
sport being personal responsibility and
self-reliance; and various overseas guests
described the quality, challenge, and rewards of the Scottish mountains.
One of the points of agreement during
the week was to “Have fun, but try not to
mess the place up”: a clear and simple
message that any climber or hill walker
can relate to. But what does trying not to
mess the place up mean in practice? Providing forums to debate questions like
winter climbing ethics, environmental impact, and transport management is one of
the reasons mountaineering bodies and international meets are important. One of
the more detailed agreements during the
Winter Seminar was to support a draft
paper on the use of bolts in the Alps (full
report in the next issue of Summit). The
draft paper had been prepared by the German and Austrian Alpine Clubs and
adopted as a consultation document by
the UIAA Mountaineering Commission.
Andy Dick from the German Alpine Club
gave a first class presentation about the
reasons why a Working Group had been
set up to formulate a recommendation. He
also gave very well reasoned arguments
as to why the mountaineering community
must be self-governed on the basis of inclusive consensus positions. As he
pointed out if we spend our energies in
public disputes over the use of bolts other
bodies will restrict our activities through
regulations and laws - as has happened in
parts of Germany. The mountaineering
world does not have unlimited resources, and those that
we have need to be carefully
directed, for example, at the
current opportunity presented by the Government
on access to the open countryside in England and
Wales.
The big issue for the Open
Debate during the AGM
week-end was traffic management - a subject that can
prompt some strong opinions. As Michael Meacher
said recently at a conference
on sustainable development: “Solutions are only
solutions if they gain public support”; and the BMC
debate was the first proper
public consultation on the
Traffic
Management
scheme proposed for Snowdonia. The meeting had a
solid consensus based on
Enjoying top conditions during
protecting established private vehicle access while
the winter meet
also improving and encouraging the use of public transport alternaners and success of the BMC’s trading
tives. The BMC’s position is to support
activities the work of the BMC would look
intelligent demonstration initiatives (such
very different indeed. Most of the supas the Stanage Bus), while also arguing
port from other bodies is very specififor any car park landscaping and other
cally targeted, for example, to support
developments to be harmonious with the
expeditions or competitions. As explained
natural landscape and protecting recreain the Annual Report all of the combined
tional access for private vehicles.
support enabled the BMC to run a wide
There has been considerable justified
and varied development programme that
criticism of some traffic control measures
cost £350,000 in 1998. The greatest elethat have been introduced and others that
ment in that work was the cost of the Achave been proposed. Traffic management
cess and Conservation programme (35%
issues will continue to present a major
of the total) which I think the majority of
problem to National Park Authorities and
members would agree is in line with the
also to local and national government. The
organisation’s principle concerns. Howreal traffic problem would seem to be the
ever, it is vital to have an inclusive projourney to work and not recreational use.
gramme that includes meets and seminars
However, I am sure the mountaineering
and other activities such as support for
community realizes that some comprotraining, youth and walls. I was particumises may be necessary to achieve our
larly pleased that at the National Open
overall aim of protecting access and that it
Forum following the AGM that the Chamwill be important for us to have well reaois club got overwhelming support for its
soned and constructive positions. For the
proposal to introduce reduced club affiliBMC to fulfil its role of ensuring that the
ation fees for young members - which
needs of climbers, hill walkers and mounpoints the way to the next step in the Memtaineers are fully taken into consideration
bership Review. It is the sum total of
when traffic management plans are being
these different activities that makes the
drawn up we must be a credible voice in
BMC what it is, and how we can make
the debate, with a constructive contribueffective progress promoting all our intion to make.
terests and the freedom to enjoy our acThe Annual Gathering week-end is altivities.
ways a good time to look back at the success of the previous year and thank all
Have a good summer,
those bodies that support the BMC’s work
and development programmes. Without
the assistance of the various sports councils, sponsorship from many trade partGeneral Secretary
BMC SUMMIT - ISSUE 14
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5/10/99, 1:21 PM
CONTENTS
REGULARS
Welcome to issue 14 of
the BMC members magazine.
Hopefully there is something for
everyone. Opinion, essays and
photographs are more than welcome.
Summit will develop and grow with your
input.
We look forward to
hearing from you.
The BMC offers a wide range of
services to meet the needs of its
members, these include liability,
accident and travel insurance, access
to mountain huts and reduced cost
travel, and a wide range of information
and advice services. For further details
contact the membership services team.
BMC, 177 - 179 Burton Road,
Manchester M20 2BB
Tel: 0161 445 4747
Fax: 0161 445 4500
e-mail: [email protected]
http//www.thebmc.co.uk
News
33 Arena
Extended news coverage and
access roundup
Area news and
meetings
48 Briefing
34 Forum
All the upcoming events and
publications
Visitor pays? Forum examines
this controversial policy.
LETTERS
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR
BMC SUMMIT
should be sent to
ANDY MACNAE
at the
BMC OFFICE.
Climbing Walls: Snap gate krabs at lower offs?
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Several walls which I have visited only offer a
snap connector at the top of routes. I understand that
this arrangement is adequate to lower-off a climb,
but if I choose to top rope, I would like to do this
using a securely closed connector. Many climbing
walls do give this option by either having a single
screwgate or by having both a snap and a screwgate.
During a recent visit to a new wall I saw people top
roping (on ropes provided by the management)
through the snapgate top anchor. As most climbers
are aware; it is very possible for an unweighted rope
to become detached from a snapgate when the climber
is level with or slightly above the snapgate. This has
happened resulting in serious injuries and I know of
a climber who seconded a climb, unclipping the quick
draws, then disconnected the rope from the top anchor as well.
I have discussed this with many people including;
climbers, climbing wall management, heads of outdoor centres, guides, instructors etc. The clear view
is that seconding and top rope belaying should be
done through a secure connector (normally a
screwgate). Any assessor of climbing qualifications
or Adventure License Inspector would condemn any
activity where novices or clients are protected solely
by a single snap connector.
The BMC Climbing Wall Manual (page 49) encourages the use of screwgate for top roping, but the
picture (page 44) shows a ‘typical belay arrangement’ which shows a snapgate karabiner as the only
connection. The suppliers of the ‘typical belay arrangement’ clearly says that this is: ‘particularly suit-
able for top belay lower off use’ yet some
manufacturers/walls offer no option for a
screwgate. Walls know that people top rope
and could give them the option to use a
screwgate at these times.
I feel that experienced climbers can choose
to climb as they wish but those new to the
activity or those who just assume that it must
be OK ‘because it is there’ should be encouraged to adopt good practice. The design of
top belay arrangements can easily incorporate
both options.
Chris Parkin (British Mountain Guide)
Ian Parnell, BMC Climbing Wall Officer
adds:
Chris is quite right to raise the issue of top
roping at climbing walls through only a single
snap gate connector. The BMC’s advice outlined in it’s Climbing Wall Manual is “If the
top-rope is to be connected via a single attachment point, climbers are advised to make sure
the karabiner used is of a locking-type or is
specially designed for the purpose.” And “Alternatively two separate bolts may be provided,
each with its own locking or snaplink karabiner.”
If climbers find that routes they wish to top
rope are only equipped with a single snap-gate
lower off then they should take this up with
their local wall manager. Alternatively climbers
can usually add their own screwgate or backup
to the belay arrangement.
Cover: High on the Aguille Verte, Chamonix
(Photo:Payne)
5/11/99, 11:39 AM
FEATURES
8 The 1999 International
Winter Meet
The best conditions of the decade? Read
all about it.
36 Route Setting
Graeme Alderson describes the new
CWMA route setting course.
26 Expeditions of '99
A full round up of this years BMC
approved expeditions.
14 Walking in the Alps
Richard Ayres, President of the British
Association of European Mountain
Leaders, gives the low down on one of the
worlds great walking areas.
17 Climb99
Ian Parnell on what will be this year's big
(and we mean big) event-Climb99 and the
World Championships.
28 Wizards in OZ
Reporter at large Alex Messenger on how the
Brits got on at Australia's bunfight Escalade'99.
30 A Cautionary Tale
Dave Musgrove on a tragic accident and the
lessons we can learn.
42 Rock Skills-Back to Basics
18 Performance Training
Simon Hale, of Plas y Brenin, on how choosing
the right route and good comunication can
avoid many an epic.
Anne Arran on the evolution of the new
performance training booklet and some
top tips.
44 Rock Skills-Placing Runners
20 First Time-The Alps
Alex Messenger with all the beta on
that first alpine season.
Adge Last and Andy MacNae take a look at this
essential skill.
BMC Membership
LETTERS
Forum Feedback from Stephen Reid: Transport in the National Parks
The radical new proposals for Snowdonia transport do not sound all that new
to me - they have been proposed and rejected in the Lake District on several occasions and they seem to have been formulated by similar idealists with little logical
thought as to why or even if they are actually necessary. There is also the same overriding assumption that something called
public transport is wonderful and private
cars are terrible.
Firstly a comparison. A private car gets
you where you want to be, when you want
to be there, in fair luxury. You can easily
transport skis, ice axes, a tent, ropes etc.
You can even sleep in them. If things go
wrong, you have a wonderful safety capsule on hand to whisk you away to where
you want/need to be, quicker than any public system ever could. Best of all your private car is not funded by the state so other
tax payers do not have to subsidise it. All
you need is somewhere to park when you
get there.
By comparison, public transport, like
most things that have common ownership¸
seems to be governed by the lowest common denominator. It is often unreliable,
uncomfortable, dirty, with poor luggage
storage and unhelpful staff. It requires large
public subsidies that you have to pay for
whether you use it or not. If you disagree
then try this simple test. Imagine you are
an outdoor all-rounder with a like-minded
partner based in Keswick. Now transport
yourselves, climbing gear, camping gear,
two paraponts and a brace of canoes to
Capel Curig for a week and back again.
Plus of course you will want to fly off
Moel Siabod, climb at Gogarth and paddle
the Ogwen during your week's holiday. I
think even the most idealistic would admit
that a few changes in the public transport
system would be needed to enable you to
do this, but on past performance, have these
changes a snowflake's chance in hell of
actually happening?
Now look at the aerial photo of the
Ogwen Valley on a busy day. Several hundred cars are neatly slotted into gravelled
roadside parking areas that are virtually
invisible when the cars are not in them. A
perfect solution as far as I can see, and
one that would make a great difference to
the Pen y Gwryd situation illustrated in
the same article. Much, much better than
massive tarmac car parks - those really
are an eyesore - and yet we are told roadside parking will go in the new scheme.
Logical?! The section in the article headed
Northern Snowdonia Study states that
parking on roadsides is also identified as
a serious problem, but fails to state why. I
can hazard a guess that it is simply be-
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Stephen's letter continues on page 32, where you will also find a report of the Snowdonia traffic debate
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5/10/99, 1:22 PM
Summit news
The 1999 Annual gathering
The BMC’s Annual General Meeting
and Annual Gathering was held in
Llandudno on 16-17 April. On the Friday
night a key debate was held on transport
in Snowdonia. It was exceptionally well
attended and the first real public consultation that has been held to discuss the controversial plans put forward by a consortium of local authorities in the Northern
Snowdonia Transport Study. Some very
strong views were put forward and elements of the plan were severely criticised.
A fuller report of the debate appears on
page 32. Later on Friday things became a
little more light hearted with short slide
shows by Lindsay Griffin, Debbie Birch,
Glenda Huxter and Crag Jones who
looked at some of the BMC’s international
events in 1998/9.
Saturday's AGM voted in a strong new
executive with Derek Walker taking over
from George Band as BMC President and
Cathy Woodhead and Crag Jones replacing Lindsay Griffin and Andy Perkins as
Vice Presidents. Gordon Adshead and
Brian Griffiths were re-elected as (respec-
Cairngorm Funicular –
delays on the line
Like many of our trains the Cairngorm
Funicular is running late. The difference,
however, is that virtually no-one wants
this train to arrive, and the funding bodies
are also now having second thoughts.
Intensive lobbying by Ramblers Scotland, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, the Cairngorms Campaign and the
BMC has driven home the fact that this
project discriminates against mountaineers
- amongst the most important users of the
area - and is not financially viable. In April
the National Audit Office confirmed that
it is investigating the accuracy of the financial projections on which funding was
initially sought. The European Commission is withholding its £2.7 million grant
whilst official complaints against the
project are explored, and the Bank of Scotland (the only private body backing the
project and - co-incidentally? - the Cairngorm Chairlift Company’s bankers) is also
reconsidering its involvement.
Common sense may yet prevail in this
long-running debate. There may yet be a
full, open and honest consultation. For
further details contact Bill Wright at the
Cairngorms Campaign on 01350 727152;
email [email protected].
The new exec: Cathy Woodhead, Crag Jones, Derek Walker,
Brian Griffiths and Gordon Adshead
tively) Treasurer and Vice President. The
meeting both applauded this election and
thanked George, Lindsay and Andy for
their hard work over the past three years.
The AGM also raised subscriptions for
2000 in line with inflation and adopted
two key resolutions. One will allow Summit to be sent to all Club Members (whose
clubs provide the necessary database information), the second resolution allows
club members paying multiple affiliations
to apply for a refund. These key resolutions bring an end to phase one of the
membership review.
The National Open Forum followed the
AGM and its discussions were wide ranging and the forum supported the idea of
reduced club fees for young members. At
the Dinner Kim Howells MP was a very
fine guest speaker and a good night was
had by all.
Bendcrete Boulder
Following on from last issues report on the Hartlepool boulders comes news of a new
boulder, built by Bendcrete, in the grounds of Heely Millenium Park, Sheffield. The
facility is unmanaged and is designed to be as close to a naturally occuring boulder as
possible. The boulder is part of the recent initiative to provide inner city facilities for both
climbers and local residents, whilst introducing a wider range of sport for all ages.
Bouldering for all at Heely
(Photo: Allen Williams)
Mountain rescue report 1998: England and Wales
The report, recently issued by the Mountain Rescue Council, shows incident rates
down by 16 % but sadly fatalities were up on previous years with head injuries figuring
prominently. There were 925 call outs in 1998 involving 53,000 work hours, a tremendously impressive voluntary commitment.
See page 17 for the latest on this years big event-Climb99
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5/10/99, 1:23 PM
Summit news
Kendal Film Festival
October 15-17
The Festival is shaping up to be a major
event with a spectacular mix of films, lectures, exhibitions and entertainment.
There are film awards up for grabs in five
categories-Mountaineering, Rock Climbing,
Mountain Action, Mountain Environment
and Best Film. But it's not just films and
the festival will include lectures by Leo
Dickinson, Alex Huber, Pat Littlejohn, Silvo
Karo, Paul Pritchard, Seb Grieve and Andy
Cave. There will also be an Art exhibition
including paintings and photography and
most riveting of all a BMC debate on some
key national issues.
The whole package looks like a bit of a
must and the programme is designed to suit
all tastes and interests and over the three
days should be something of an endurance
test.
Summerhill boulders
Where are they?
In response to interest kicked off by Ken
Wilson's article in Summit 13 here are
some directions to this unique site.
From the south: A19 to A179 Hartlepool turnoff. Turn R at Hart roundabout,
go 1.7 miles then turn R along Serpentine
Road. After 1 mile Summerhill entrance
is on R.
From the north: A19 to A689 Hartlepool turnoff. At 1st roundabout in Hartlepool turn left along Owton Manor Lane,
strait on then at the end turn R along
Catcote Road. Go straight for 1.5miles,
entrance is on left.
New Hill Walking
Video-Do you want to
be in it?
Following the success of the Climbing
Rock video, the BMC and MLTB are now
beginning work on a Hill Walking video
and booklet. The package will update and
expand on the information given in the
classic ‘Safety on Mountains' booklet and
is due to be on sale early next year. The
video will follow a group of walkers as
they develop their skills from summer
walking to winter mountaineering and we
are looking for budding thespians amongst
the readership to act as part of that group.
The filming will be taking place over a
period of about three months, mainly at
weekends, and walkers with limited experience, who could show the benefit of learning would be ideal. So if you fancy the
idea of being on video and maybe learning
a thing or two into the bargain then please
write to Andy MacNae at the BMC office as soon as possible.
.
Czech exchange
This is the last call for anyone who
would like to be considered for the 1999
Czech exchange. The BMC will be nominating six British climbers to take part.
The Czech leg begins on 20 June and
will last two weeks, the Czechs will visit
the UK in late August. Anyone with
the flexibilty to be involved in both legs
and who enjoys bold sandstone should
apply. Venues to be visited include
Elbsandstein, Bohemian Paradise,
Adrspach and Teplice. Write or email
with a brief CV to Andy MacNae at the
BMC office ([email protected]).
Compass concern
Jindrich Hudecek teaching
Brits to climb on Elbe
Sandstone 1991
(Photo: Turnbull)
BMC Tech Conference
The 1999 BMC Technical Conference
will be on Saturday 20 November at Plas y
Brenin and a fine line up is being arranged.
There will be the usual report on equipment failures and a special update on the
new EN standards by Neville McMillan.
Brian Hall will be taking a technical look at
the walking boot and in particular at boot
soles, Trevor Hellen will be introducing
presentations detailing the findings of several research projects initiated by the Technical Committee. There will be a session
on ropes and on managing equipment stores
and Pit Schubert, president of the UIAA
Safety Commission will be giving the after
dinner speech. Conference tickets will be
available later in the summer (£10 for members, £20 for non members) but to reserve
your place write to Andy MacNae at the
BMC office.
Travel awards
It is good to see the travel industry taking a lead rewarding companies who have
made the extra effort to minimise the impact their tours. In India Ibex expeditions
received the coveted PATA Gold award
and in the UK World Expeditions came
top in the VSO's survey of travel advice.
Avon Gorge - Travellers
move on
The travellers finally moved from the
Main Wall car park in mid-April after a
stay of around 3 years. Bristol City Council has cleared up the site and future management options are now being considered. The BMC will be pressing the Council to ensure that travellers are not able to
take over the car park again in the future.
BMC Technical Committee warns of
compass demagnetisation by security
systems.
The BMC Technical Committee has received a worrying report of a compass
being demagnetised by a shop security
system. The retailer in question is taking
the matter extremely seriously and has initiated a complete review of security systems. The Committee is concerned that
other retailers may have similar systems
and be unaware of this potentially serious
problem.
The demagnetisation apparently occurred when the compass came into contact with a rapid pad security deactivator
(used to deactivate security tags). The retailer was aware that this could happen
and did have an alternative procedure in
place for compasses, but on this occasion
it was not followed.
The Committee urges all retailers to review their security systems with a view
to ensuring that compass demagnetisation
cannot occur. Customers are advised to
check newly purchased compasses prior
to use.
Long Rock Slab, Baggy
Point
The National Trust supported by the
BMC Access Fund is undertaking footpath erosion control work on the heavily
used area above the finishes to Ben and
Marion this summer. The army has already assisted the Trust by transporting
local sandstone blocks to the site and these
will replace the timber steps leading down
to the main descent gully. Some areas have
already been fenced off and turf laid. It
may be necessary to close the routes between Ben and The Ridge of Khazad-Dum
whilst workers are on site to protect climbers against the very real danger of rock fall
in this area. Please check for notices on site
or speak to the warden in the National Trust
car park in Croyde for details.
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5/10/99, 1:23 PM
Access news
Access Legislation
Good news as Government follows BMC approach
The Government’s historic announcement in early March on 'Access to Open
Countryside' has been welcomed by the
BMC. The news was unexpected, rumours
having suggested strongly that the Government would opt for the voluntary approach advocated by the Country Landowners’ Association.
The overall intention is for access to be
based on a statutory right, with restrictions and detailed arrangements agreed at
a local level through discussion and consensus. This framework will need further
development, on which the Government
will consult widely. The measures accord
closely with the philosophy and approach
expressed in the BMC’s response to the
initial proposals.
Key points in the announcement include:
• There will be a right of access on foot for
open air recreation. There is no indication that separate arrangements will have
to be made for climbing and mountaineering activities.
• Access will be to mountain, moor, heath,
down and registered common land. This
will be area-wide. Further consideration
will be given on whether to include cliff
and foreshore, woodland, etc.
• The Public Rights of Way network will
be strengthened and developed.
• Landowners will be able to close land
for 28 days per year, and longer where
this can be justified for management and
conservation reasons.
• Occupiers’ liability – landowners will
owe the same responsibilities as they currently owe to trespassers (i.e. the lower
duty of care).
Local Access Forums will be set up. Users, landowners and managers, conservation
bodies and others will be represented. There
will be a key role in these for the BMC’s
Access Reps. The forums are likely to be at
county or national park level.
The BMC is concerned that the Government has given no indication of when the
legislation will be introduced, stating that
this will done “when Parliamentary time
permits”. The BMC will keep pressure on
the Government to bring the new laws without delay, and will be providing additional
advice to the countryside agencies on extending access to cliff and foreshore, and
other aspects of the proposals.
For more details of the announcement contact: DETR Free Literature, PO Box 236,
Wetherby LS23 7NB; Tel: 0870 122236.
Cheedale
Agreement on future development
Cheedale activists and the BMC recently
met with the major landowner of Cheedale
- Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT), to
discuss future new route development, gardening and footpath erosion in light of ecological concerns. Concessionary ‘climbers access’ notices are being posted on the
approaches to Plum Buttress and Nettle
Buttress to dissuade general visitors, and
the Peak Park intends to construct a new
path leading down from Topley Pike this
summer. Some cliffs may have temporary
restrictions in the future to protect nesting Housemartins. The following measures were also agreed (full details will appear in forthcoming guidebooks):
The Cornice: No further bolting between
Corniceman and Skin Flick. Please access
this area from the left (facing the crag).
Rhubarb Buttress: There should be no
new gardening, and cliff base vegetation (particularly the ferns at bottom of Rainmaker)
should not be disturbed. A marker post is
being placed at the left-hand boundary of
the permitted climbing area.
Chee Tor: A boundary marker post will
be placed at the righthand end of the permitted climbing area (i.e. right of Negative
Earth). There should be no further gardening on Chee Tor East and no new routes left
of Glorious Ninth or right of White Death.
Moving Buttress: Please approach from
the left side of the crag - not direct.
Threads: White or black tape should be
used for any new or replacement threads.
Stac Pollaidh appeal
A major appeal has been launched by the Footpath Trust to raise funds for crucial erosion
repair on Stac Pollaidh, one of the Highlands greatest landmarks. The mountain is one of the
five most eroded in Scotland and the Trust are asking past visitors to the mountain to contribute
to supporting the repair work. The appeal target is £30,000. For information on the appeal or
to contribute contact Rasma Bertz, The Footpath Trust 01349 865 533.
Bird Nesting
Restrictions
Mid Year Update
Brimham Rocks
A temporary climbing restriction has been
agreed between the routes Pig’s Ear and
Reach for the Sty. The restriction is likely
to be lifted at the end of June - please check
the site signs or contact the National Trust
(Tel: 01423 865738) for details.
Notice Board Crag, Conwy
Climbers have reported that a Barn Owl
is nesting close to the descent from Notice Board Crag. All routes are affected.
Please avoid the crag until the end of June.
Main Wall, Avon Gorge
The Peregrine is now nesting on Evening
Light and the BMC has agreed to a temporary climbing restriction between
Mercavity and Pink Wall Traverse until
the end of June.
Helsby
The restriction this year applies to all
areas east of Clashooks Gully, including
all tiers of Central and Eastern Buttresses.
Climbing is permitted from July onwards.
Dover
Anyway visiting Shakespeare Cliff
(Samphire Hoe end) should call the warden, David Holt beforehand to check on
nesting restrictions (Tel: 01304 225649).
Trevallen and Huntsman’s,
Pembroke
The BMC and CCW have agreed a temporary restriction on Trevallen cliff between Meatloaf and Breaking the Habit.
The restriction on the seaward end of
Huntman’s Leap will be lifted once the
chough nest site has been confirmed.
Correction
The rockfall at Sharpnose, which Summit 13 reported to be on South Fin, is
apparently on a minor crag up the hill and
none of the South Fin routes are affected.
6
20650_Summit14.p65
6
5/10/99, 1:24 PM
Summit ne
ws
new
Troll BICC: New British
Champions.
The final event of the Troll British Indoor Climbing Championships was held
at the Bristol Climbing Centre and provided a fitting end to an exciting and successful series. Using the amazing geometry of the Bristol wall the routesetters
devised an intricate series of strenuous
and technical routes to test the competitors. In the juniors Adam Dewhurst
fought off strong challenges from Tom
Lawrence and Alan Cassidy but still
couldn’t clip the final draw and took a
huge swing above the gasping audience.
Abigail Egan kept up her unbroken run
edging out Kim Pearsons and Holly
Reay. Both Adam and Abigail’s victories confirmed them as series winners
and British Junior Champions. The
mens route saw another victory from
Chris Cubitt but despite this Neil Carson
hung on for the British Championship
title. The most exciting event was in the
womens event with Claire Murphy needing to win and Lucy Creamer not make it
into the top three. Claire was first out
and did the business reaching the top of
the finals route. A recent illness left Lucy
Rockit BRYCS success
The British Regional Youth Competition
Series offered a fun opportunity for climbers aged 7 to 15 to try their hand at
bouldering, top roping and leading for the
older age group. Over 250 young climbers
took part, with all those who entered receiving a Rockit chalk ball and the top three
in each age group going through to represent their region at the final. By the time
you read this the regional series and the
national final at The Rock Face Birmingham will have taken place. Full results on
the BMC’s web site.
Claire Murphy wins the
Madmasters
Chris Cubitt dynoing to 1st
place place at Kendal
(Photo: Ian Parnell)
unfit and shaking on the route. Digging
deep she scraped through to second and
secured her British title ahead of Claire
and Karin Magog.
On 3 April Claire won a Masters
bouldering competition organised by the
FFME in Vars, France. Sponsors included
Eurosport and Honda. Claire climbed brilliantly succeeding on all 5 problems. It
was an impressive field including the 1997
World Champion Muriel Sarkany.
Summer Gripped? events
Check out the BMC website for details.
Bonington to present a celebration of five decades of MEF supported expeditions at Climb99. See page 17
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Return to:
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177-179 Burton Road, Manchester M20 2BB
Alternatively request your copy by phone, fax or email:
Tel: 0161 445 4747 Fax: 0161 445 4500 Email: [email protected]
20650_Summit14.p65
7
7
5/10/99, 1:25 PM
The 1999 International Winter Meet
Introduced by Andy MacNae
“Have fun - but try not to mess the place up”
Julie Ann Clyma in
Deep Cut Chimney
(Photo: Roger Payne)
You don’t get many weeks like this. Clear blue skies with the
mountains wrapped in cold air and basking in the winter sun, the
snow deep and settled, ice draped in rare depth and the rocks so
plastered that not even the most die-hard purist could object. What
a week for the International Winter Meet, as if the winter dice man
was making up for the horror of ’97. Did they make the most of it
you ask? These eighty climbers from overseas, from places as
weird and wonderful as Iran and Kenya, Korea and Lithuania,
Ukraine and Georgia. You bet they did, in the company of forty
entirely fired-up British hosts, they indulged in what could well
be the most hardcore winter week since Smith and Marshall did
the business on the Ben. Some highlights; five ascents of Test
Department, three of Citadel, two of Men in Black, Great Escape
(free), new routes in the Gorms and on the Ben. The Le Mann and
Montaz-Rossett strolling up Unicorn (VIII/8) not knowing what
it was and then getting shouted at because it was too black, Takeda
discovering marginal belays on a new Ben 'VI' , Huber’s Great
Escape (VIII/9), Peloquin and Branch with twelve routes in five
days culminating in Men in Black (VII/8), Prezelji and Mali with
one or two 1000ft VI or VII routes each day and of course the
crazy Spanish of whom no more need be said.
But it would be wrong to focus too much on just a few hard
routes and forget the wealth of good climbing that was being done
by everyone else. In general the guests cruised the ice routes and
found the mixed stuff a tad curious. Many adapted quickly and the
boys and girls were really showing their form by the end of the
week. And there was a serious side to it as well. In the evenings
the guests and hosts were dragged from the bar to take part in a
series of discussions and debates. After an easy start on Monday,
with Simon Richardson giving an audio-visual Scottish tour, it
was down to business on Tuesday with Bill Wright and Kath
Pyke looking at some contrasting threats to access and the mountain environment, and Andreas Dick presenting a key draft paper
on fixed equipment in the Alps. On Wednesday the guests were
treated to talks by Pete Takeda, Francesco Cappellari and Graeme
Ettle with the inevitably stimulating discussion of winter ethics
which followed on into the bar. On Thursday Rick Allen, Andy
MacNae and Marko Prezelji looked further afield to the greater
Pete Takeda on the first ascent of
Never-Never Land (VI,6), Observatory
Buttress, Ben Nevis
(Photo: Simon Richardson)
ranges and identified some challenges for the future plus the odd
ethical question. Friday was the final day, a last dash to the hills
was followed by Roger Payne the summing up (the results are
shown in the box) and the inevitable Ceilidh, which was surprisingly lively, suggesting that the guys and girls had as yet untapped
reserves of energy. And with that the end of a fantastic week made
possible by the energy and commitment of the hosts and guests
and the tremendous support given by the Glenmore Lodge staff.
It was a week that allowed a rare positive spotlight to be shone on
winter climbing, where the media reports were of climbers enjoying the hills and not being carried off them, and where the true
quality of Scottish winter climbing was on show for all the world
to see.
The 1999 BMC/MCofS International Meet was hosted by Glenmore Lodge and sponsored by
Marmot. The meet was supported by the UK Sports Council and the Scottish Sports Council.
8
20650_Summit14.p65
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5/10/99, 1:25 PM
1999 International Winter Meet
& Seminar
Statements and conclusions
1.
The 1999 International Meet unanimously supported a
draft UIAA consultation paper entitled ‘Recommendations for the
redevelopment and the first ascent of rock climbing routes in the
Alpine regions’. The paper was presented by Andreas Dick of the
German Alpine Club who explained the background to the paper
which had been drafted by the German and Austrian Alpine Clubs
for the UIAA Mountaineering Commission. The paper will be
circulated by UIAA to all national federations and the Meet encourages climbers world-wide to consider the paper in detail so a
firm consensus based on good practice can be established.
2.
The Meet also agreed a statement directed at first time
winter hill goers that makes it clear that mountains in winter are not
to be taken lightly. The Meet agreed that:
“The Scottish Mountains are a serious and demanding environment worthy of great respect. Conditions are highly changeable
and those venturing into the hills should be skilled in mountaineering techniques and in particular be competent navigators.”
It is hoped that such a clear statement, from a group of world class
mountaineers, will serve to remind all hill goers that at times the
Scottish Mountains can be as serious as anywhere in the world.
3.
Many representatives at the Meet expressed concern that the
national media in their countries have little understanding of climbing,
hill walking and mountaineering and that this led to both sensationalist
reporting and a mixed and often unhelpful safety message. The
British hosts praised elements of the UK and especially Scottish press
for their balanced reporting and called for still closer links between
mountaineering federations and the press. It was agreed that:
“The meet calls on the media to develop an understanding of mountaineering and to work with national mountaineering federations to
present a realistic image of the sport and a clear safety message.”
4.
Ethical standards and environmental responsibility were
discussed in detail during the Meet. All representatives were unanimous in their commitment to protect the freedom of climbers, hill
walkers and mountaineers to enjoy their activities in a responsible
and sustainable way. The Meet recognised that some aspects of
ethics were quite subjective and that many styles of climbing cause
no significant damage to the environment. The Meet agreed that
international and national statements of good conduct are very
important but these must be interpreted by local groups who should
help determine local acceptable practice. The overall feeling of the
Meet was unanimously agreed in one simple sentence:
“Have fun - but try not to mess the place up.”
In wide ranging discussions the Meet also
considered the following topics:
5.
Environment and culture: The Meet called on all climbers,
hill walkers and mountaineers to remember their individual responsibility to minimise any negative impacts whatever their chosen style of ascent (see UIAA good practice codes).
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Name
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6.
Style of ascent: The Meet felt that in a freedom sport no
one style of climbing should be espoused over another. However,
the Meet also felt that whatever the style of ascent the key elements
of adventure and challenge should be preserved.
7.
Scottish winter conditions and ethics: The Meet noted that
climbing during the winter season was not always the same as
climbing in winter conditions. The Meet agreed that reports of new
routes or important ascents that are honest about conditions and
tactics are valid. The following principles for ascents in winter
conditions were noted:
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√ The climb should have a wintry appearance appropriate to
typical winter conditions for the region and location of the cliff.
√
√
Turf must be frozen.
Respect local ethics and traditions.
20650_Summit14.p65
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9
5/10/99, 1:25 PM
Czechs in the Post
International Meet
A short account of a long day on
Creag Meagaidh by Nigel Gregory
I have never been on an International Meet before and the
closest I have come to the BMC is signing up for their insurance, so it was with some trepidation that I put myself forward
as a host on the Ice Meet. Mixing with climbing's equivalent of
Big Brother had never really occurred to me as a desirable thing.
I don’t climb hard, have never been mentioned in High and
wasn’t a Guide. The very fact that I could turn up and have my
card marked by someone ‘in control’ was quite frightening. If I
ever wanted to achieve anything in climbing, my number would
be remembered from this Meet forward.
When I got the list of British climbers attending it became clear
that everyone would know every one else and I would know
absolutely no-one, so it was with some relief that I sneaked in
late and was directed to some unlikely sounding names from the
Czech Republic, here I thought was the chance to relax in the
company of good natured climber folk from other parts of the
world and chat about mountains far and wide.
Martin and Michael the list said...not too foreign thought I, and
we met up at last, ready to plan a day’s activity. There were 8
Czechs in all, fresh in after a long journey, unable to cope with the
nametags and generally comatose. I found the 8 of them in a
cluster, either hiding from the overwhelming buzz of conversation or just happy to be left alone for a while. Distinguishing
which was Martin and which was Michael was not an easy task.
After the first few sentences it was obvious that these boys
knew as much English as I knew Czech, the evening was a long
one. But with the help of a guidebook and a map the day was
saved and we were judiciously pointing at our watches for the
start time the following morning. All was right with the world, I
even got sneered at by some local hero and I began to feel at home.
Next morning, up bright and early for the most stunning day of
the winter, wall to wall blue skies, snow down to acceptable new
routeing level and a fine lack of wind. A serious lack of Czechs
however and so all the watch pointing had been for nothing; my
ride to Meggy left without me, and I was without a partner with
whom to enjoy the best conditions of any winter, ever.
Salvation came finally in the form of another Brit without a
Guest. But as we made plans, the Czech lads turned up smiling
for all they were worth and with a flourish of gestures and some
of the best drawings of my life, I intimated that we 4 should go
en masse, ASAP, with out any further delay or any unnecessary
waiting around, quickly.
James the Brit sped his trusty Rover through the lanes and we
arrived at the car park with me totally pumped to go climbing
without a client. Let off the leash I let my enthusiasm get the
better of me and I jovially asked the Czech boys what they were
up to. None the wiser for my inquiry but more sanguine about
British climbers they seemed happy to make up two Czech/
Brit teams. Hastily removing Czech racks and supplanting them
with more sturdy versions, it appeared that I had got the strong
looking bugger and with out a moment to lose we raced to our
route, the incredible vista before us urging us on.
Finally, here I was at the bottom of Smiths on a perfect day with
a perfect partner. Martin's cursory look at the guide book however did nothing to boost my confidence that we would get the
right line anywhere at any time of the day. And so it was to be.
Missing the first belay we moved together as the ropes came
tight and finally I was brought up on a screw in the snow and axe
draped limply over a projecting rock. More interest followed. I
led up and when this time the ropes came tight with me straining to get to the right stance I heard a shout and we were simul’
climbing once again. And so it went on.
"It all looked too
good to be true"
The crux was over
quickly and all too soon we
were on the top. I had no
idea of the time but with it
being such a nice day I
thought we might try for
another route, and again
drew wild pictures in the
snow. The net result put us
at the bottom of Ritchies
Gully and similar tactics ensued. A complete lack of
communication, poor belays, but lots of smiling.
The day was turning out to
be a riot and with the
weather the way it was, I
could have sat on the plateau with a Martin and still had a good time.
Little had been seen of James and his man during this time but I
imagined his day was being filled with equal amounts of fun and we
arrived on the summit again without a soul to be seen. We relaxed at
the top, waved our sandwiches at each other, and casting longing
looks to white hills all round we set off down Easy Gully for the
walk home.
It wasn’t until we were stood underneath North Post that the idea
came to me, it was still early, the route was there and if we left for
home now we would probably be waiting in the carpark for ages.
I pointed at the route, waved nonchalantly at the Guide book,
knowing Martin would not have a clue what I was talking about,
and then as a last effort drew an arrow in the snow...Martin looked
like he wanted to say “Sorry mate , there’s no chance you’re getting
me on another route..” But he was unable. He looked like he wanted
to say “NO”, but it didn’t happen. And based on the old adage
applied to relationships far and wide, I took a lack of communication to imply tacit agreement, and off we went.
It all looked too good to be true, here I was on my third route of
the day on Meggy; I had done none of them before and there was no
one ahead of us. We soloed up far too far, roped up on far too steep
ground and embarked on the harder climbing when miraculously a
team appeared above us, moving as slowly as they possibly could.
Now I have nothing against people from Birmingham, but as we...
er... I tried to suggest that we might possibly move past on the ice
pitch, they were less than happy. In deepest Brummy the words
“Yow miserable bugger yow” were out of my mouth before I could
stop them and while Martin knew little English, he did understand
body language. Gallantly he tempered my enthusiasm with a move
towards the belay and there we sat for an hour while Midlands’
man savaged the ice from bottom to top.
Surprisingly enough thoughts about the Meet were going through
my head as a possible late night loomed ahead. How on earth does
the BMC expect to run such a large event in winter in Scotland
when accidents run rampant on the hills. The amount of late people
off the hill and potential nasties must be enough to put them off, let
alone that they happily send off people with barely a word of
English in to the hills with people they might not have heard of…me
for instance.
Having shivered enough, we were up and out, pulling through the
steep ice sections as fast as our laser guided Black Diamond picks
would let us, and a plod to the top saw us offer weary handshakes.
I pointed to my watch, it was 5 pm and we had left the car around
nine. Only the long walk back lay ahead and as we slid down Easy
Gully I couldn’t help but look at Last Post, hypothetically of
course. Martin stumbled into my back, pushed me in the direction
of the car and signalled strongly that he was as hungry as he had
ever been in his life and if we stopped again, I would get an ice axe
in the back of the head.
At least, that’s what I thought he meant.
10
20650_Summit14.p65
10
5/10/99, 1:26 PM
The Guests
I R Iran Mountaineering Federation
Romanian Alpin Club
Romanian Alpin Club
Romanian Alpin Club
Club Alpino Italiano
Ukrainian Mount. Fed.
Czech Mountaineering Association
The American Alpine Club
Dansh Bjergklub
Lithuanian Mount. Association
Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV)
Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV)
Norwegian Climbing Fed
Norwegian Climbing Fed
FFME
FFME
FFME
Quebecoise de la M'tagne et de l’Escalade
Valencian High Mountain School
Valencian High Mountain School
FEDME (Spain)
FEDME (Spain)
FEDME (Spain)
FEDME (Spain)
FEDME (Spain)
FEDME (Spain)
Alpine Association of Slovenia
Alpine Association of Slovenia
Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV)
Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV)
Korean Alpine Club
Clube Nacional de Montanhismo
Belgian Alpine Club
Belgian Alpine Club
Federacao Portuguesa de Campismo
Federacao Portuguesa de Campismo
Centre Excursionista de Catalunya
Centre Excursionista de Catalunya
Latvian Alpinist Association
Slovakia
Slovakia
Mountaineering Assoc. of Croatia
Mountaineering Assoc. of Croatia
Dutch Mountaineering & Climbing Club
Dutch Mountaineering & Climbing Club
Georgian Federation of Mountaineering
Singapore Mountaineering Federation
Germany
UK
Kenya
USA
UK
UK
UK
UK
Homayoun Bakhtiyari
Christian Taut
Pop Marian
Gherase Mircea Octavian
Alberico Mangano
Francesco Cappellari
Marco Heltai
Irina Rozum
Ivo Wondracek
Tomas Rinn
Michal Jane
Choutka Martin
Petr Holzer
Vera Holmanova
Jan Herbs
Pavel Toman
Amanda Tarr
Peter Takeda
Christian Beckwith
Jan B’nding
Saulius Vilius
Andreas Dick
Bernd Eberle
Christian Eek
Edvard Middelthon
Erwan Le Lann
Sebastien Montaz-Rosset
Kim Bodin
Benoit Robitaille
Mathieu Peloquin
Frederic Branch
David Garcia
Guillermo Cuadrado
Eduardo Mondragon Vial
Jose Lopez Burell
Javier Sanchez Gutierrez
Jose Gonzalez Carrasco
Jose Palacios Ortega
Carlos Cabeza
Marko Prezelj
Klemen Mali
Jakob Oberhauser
Christian Piccolruaz
Huh Gung-Yeal
Jose Gomes
Joao Ferreira
Joaquim Oliveina
Guy Snauwaert
Peter Rondas
Carlos Araujo
Vitor Teixeira
Eva Ibarrola
Edvard Requena
Janis Ventins
Alexander Buzinkay
Jozef Santus
Kresimir Dozdor
Drazen Pezer
Elwin van der Gragt
Leopold Roessingh
Shota Elisashrili
Kimboon Lim
Alex Huber
Andy Parkin
Kevin Dougherty
Kath Pyke
Seb Grieve
Glenda Huxter
Airlie Anderson
Leo Holding
USA
Kevin Thaw
The Hosts
Rick Allen
Anne Arran
Pete Benson
Andy Cave
Julie Ann Clyma
Kenton Cool
Brian Davison
Nigel Gregory
Alan Hinkes
Crag Jones
Andy Kirkpatrick
Steve Mayers
Ian Parnell
Libby Peter
Dave Turnbull
Geraldine Westrupp
Simon Yates
John Taylor
Hugh Harris
Bill O’Connor
George Band
Andy MacNae
Roger Payne
Lindsay Griffin
Pete Takeda
(Photo: Bill O'Connor)
Scott Muir
Simon Richardson
Chris Cartwright
Sam Chinnery
Paul Schweizer
Graham Ettle
Lorraine McCall
Julian Cartwright
Di Gilbert
Liz Fraser
Phil Swainson
Rob Milne
Hannah Burrows-Smith
Willie Jeffrey
Wilson Moir
Bill Wright
Jonathan Preston
Alan Mullin
Steve Paget
John Donohoe
Fran Pothecary
Kevin Howett
Stefan Miller
20650_Summit14.p65
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11
5/10/99, 1:26 PM
Alpine Walking
An Introduction by Richard Ayres
Walking in the Alps or the Pyrenees can be an exhilarating change
from walking in this country. The weather is usually more predictable – there is warmth, sun and blue sky. Well graded paths take
you effortlessly to points where the views can be breathtaking.
The scenery is varied: glaciers, cliffs and sky; alpine meadows full
of flowers and butterflies; glimpses of chamois and ibex with the
air peppered with the shrill whistles of marmots. Rugged and
impressive terrain is not the preserve of the alpinist or climber.
Many ancient trails created by hunters, traders, soldiers and herders lead along ridges; cliffs are negotiated by improbable looking
traverses; high cols lead into picturesque valleys. If you have
never attempted an alpine walking holiday it is something that you
should not put off for too long.
The classic multi-day walk, 8 – 10 days, is the Tour du Mont
Blanc: a walk with great variety and tremendous views of Mont
Blanc. A tougher route is the Corsican High Level Route, 8 – 14
days, trekking through granite mountain scenery and pine forests.
If you wish to keep the walking to one, two or three day trips the
Vanoise National Park in France is a good place to go with guaranteed views of marmots and herds of chamois. Similar areas can be
found either side of the border in the Central Pyrenees near the
French town of Luchon and further west, Gavarnie. Also highly
recommended are Zermatt and the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Dolomites in Italy.
"Well graded paths take you effortlessly to
points where the views can be breathtaking"
Where to stay
Camping; try to find sites with trees, the shade that they offer is
essential. Camp away from streams and rivers because they rise
rapidly during stormy weather. Pre-booking is not required but
during the main season (mid July to end of August) it is wise to do
so.
Hotels, gites and self-catering accommodation; need to be
booked some time in advance. Information can be found from
your local travel agent or by contacting the local tourist office in the
area that you wish to visit.
Staying in the mountains; bivvying under the stars is fun but
starts to pall after sitting out several storms in a row. Backpacking
is popular. High level camping is tolerated so long as the “minimum impact” ideal is adhered to and tents are pitched only between
the hours of sunset and sunrise! Leave no litter and take care to
dispose of excrement well away from water, the path and campsites. In national parks, away from civilisation and established
campsites, camping is not permitted at all and can lead to trouble.
For a fee, camping is often permitted near to mountain huts and
refuges; arrive early to obtain the best spots. Camp inside any
electric fenced enclosures, which offer protection from animals
e.g. cattle or wild pigs.
Mountain huts or refuges; reserve your bed spaces by telephoning a day or two in advance. The telephone numbers can
easily be obtained from the local tourist office. All you need to
carry is a light pack with your clothing and lunch for the trip.
Sleeping bags are not needed since blankets are provided at all huts
with a guardian. Simple meals are available. You can cook your
own food but expect to share a small kitchen with many others.
Take your own gas stove – if your stove uses a re-sealable cylinder
it may only be used outside. Be prepared to sleep sharing a long
mattress with several others rather than in a bunk. At popular times
you may be asked to sleep 5 or 6 in 4 bed spaces!
Clothing and equipment
Keep your rucksack as light as possible. Waterproofs need only
be light-weight and the continentals tend to use capes.
Clothing needs to be light, cool and UV resistant yet easily adjusted for warmth to cope with cool winds and lower evening
temperatures. Easy-care fabrics are best. Early and late in the
season more warm layers will be needed. In mid-season the
walking uniform is usually shorts, T-shirt or long sleeved shirt
and a sun hat with a fleece for warmth in the early morning.
High factor sun cream, a wide brimmed sun hat, lip salve and
good sun glasses are essential.
The popular paths are usually well graded and in good repair.
Wear thick trekking socks and use walking boots rather than
stiffened winter walking boots. The latter will only be required if
your intended route is being attempted early in the season (midJune to mid-July) and crosses a lot of late lying snow. In these
conditions take at least one ice-axe and rope in the party to safeguard traverses across gullies.
Always carry at least 1 litre of water, it is advisable to carry
more, dehydration is a serious problem. Be very cautious about
which streams water is taken from, only trust those that are high
and well away from bivvy sites, picnic spots, huts and farmed
land.
The amount of ascent and descent is much greater than in the
UK; it is not unusual to ascend or descend 2,000m in one go. Use
a pair of trekking poles to spare one's knees and back.
Special precautions
Early in the season try to avoid large snow patches and snowy
cols. Paths often traverse steep and exposed snow filled gullies,
which later in the season offer simple scrambling. Snow filled
they are hazardous places; a fall or slip will be very serious.
Remember that the snow is usually very hard in the morning and
very soft and slushy in the afternoon.
Be aware that even if the path is clear of snow the slopes above
it may pose an avalanche risk. Danger areas are well known; up
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5/10/99, 1:27 PM
to date information about the conditions and safety of paths can be
obtained from the local “Bureau des Guides”. If they advise using
a longer detour – take it!
Start your alpine walking day early, rising as it is getting light
and starting the walk well before sunrise especially if the route
climbs out of a valley. Complete as much of the uphill work in the
cool of the morning before the sun rises and shines onto the path.
Starting walking late is acceptable if you are already at a high
altitude or the route is predominantly in the shade. The advantage
of starting early means that the day finishes early allowing you to
secure your hut places, sun-bathe or explore local sights.
Weather
Sections of path may be
equipped with chains,
cables or ladders
In the Central Pyrenees and the Alps
the weather is usually hot, sunny and
dry during the day with cooler nights.
Often the weather is settled for several
days, deteriorating gradually with increasing cloud build-up culminating in
a storm, which clears the air. The process repeats itself. Storms are far more
frequent and occur earlier in the day in
August (another good reason to start
and finish the day early). The best
month for walking is September because it is cooler, the air is clear giving
sensational views and the paths are almost empty.
In the Southern Picos de Europa the
weather tends to be dry. This cannot
be said of the Northern Picos or the
Western Pyrenees where the influence
of the Atlantic Ocean brings with it that
all too familiar rain.
Maps and Route Planning
All European mountain areas are covered by 1:50,000 and
1:25,000 scale maps but they are not all of O.S. quality in terms of
accuracy. Spanish maps are notoriously inaccurate, those for Italy
are suspect too. The French maps are good in terms of detail and
accuracy but do not have grid lines. The most accurate of all are
the Swiss maps.
In the Alps and the French Pyrenees paths are usually clearly
marked. Signposts often indicate the start of a path and contain
information about the destination, distance and walking time. The
path itself is likely to be marked with paint splashes in red and
white or yellow on prominent rocks. Be warned such markings
can lull you into a false sense of security – I once followed red
paint blazes off a Pyrennean mountain only to discover later (following a Herculean struggle) that they were foresters’ lumber
markings! There is no substitute for using the map and good
navigation. Paths in Spain are not usually marked and are similar
to those in the UK in this respect – keep that map handy!
A useful aid to route planning are route maps in the style of ski
resort piste maps giving a clear indication of the level of difficulty
as well as the usual time to complete the walk. If they are available
Bibliography
Harper, Andrew
Liebermann, Marcia
Marsh, Terry
Reynolds, Kev
Reynolds, Kev
& Edwards
Unsworth, Walt
Véron, Georges
Walker, Robin
Tour du Mont Blanc
Walking in Alpine Parks
100 Walks in the French Pyrenees
Walking in the Alps
Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees Spring
100 Walks in the Alps
Classic Walks in Europe
Pyrenees High Level Route
Walks and Climbs in the Picos de Europa
they can be obtained from the
local tourist office.
Sections of path may be
equipped with chains, cables or
ladders. Some paths may almost entirely be protected in
this way and are called Via
Ferrata. Specialist equipment
is needed for these. Many
paths have very short sections
of awkward ground protected
by a cable or chain handrail to
aid balance, and do not require
specialist equipment.
Acclimatising to
the weather and
the altitude
Use the first few days
of your holiday to get a feel for
the area, the weather patterns,
the heat and the altitude. Do
not try to complete very demanding walks early on unless
you have been working hard
on your walking fitness at
home. Over the first few days
gradually increase the distance,
ascent and altitude of your
walks. Be prepared to take
regular rest days. Climb high
but sleep low.
Drink plenty of water regularly and do not allow yourself
to become dehydrated.
Use of Guides or
Accompagnateurs
You can hire the services of
well qualified mountain guides
or walking guides called
'Accompagnateurs' by calling
in at the local Guides' Bureau,
alternatively you can make arrangements with a British
Mountain Guide or a British
European Mountain Leader
before you start your holiday.
Contact the UKMTB for details or the BAMG and
BAEML websites.
Richard Ayres is the
outgoing President of the
British Association of
European Mountain Leaders.
He has been walking and
climbing abroad for more
than 20 years. European
Mountain Leaders are called
Accompagnateurs
en
Montagne Europeen in
France.
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20650_Summit14.p65
Stockist details
15
15
5/10/99, 1:27 PM
Climb 99
A celebration of climbing and the World
Competition Climbing Championship
Ian Parnell gives the low down on the years most exciting
event. Much more than just a competition…….
The Climb97 wall, this year's
will be even nastier
December 3, 4 and 5. Book
it in your diaries now for the
Birmingham National Indoor
Arena will once again be host to the year's biggest gathering of
climbers - Climb 99. This year's event is in effect a celebration of
climbing; a festival for all climbers and mountaineers offering lectures, attractions and events for all ages and tastes as well as the most
important climbing competition of the year.
Climb 99 will incorporate the main event of the competition calendar with the World Championships attracting the very top competitors from over 30 countries. Each year the competition wall has got
steeper and steeper, kept top secret expect this years design from
Entreprise to be the wildest yet. Also expect to see the legendary
Francois Legrand,Yuji Hirajma and Muriel Sarkaney climbing across
the 10 metre roofs on the difficulty competition route and then dynoing
from hold to hold in the exciting speed event. It may be a surprise to
most to find out that the French don’t have it all their own way. The
current European Champion is Lancashire lad Ian Vickers and amongst
the women Claire Murphy recently won an international bouldering
event beating the reigning champions. Other members of the British
team to look out for include super strong Welsh man Neil Carson and
the graceful Lucy Creamer both recently crowned British Champions.
Climb 99 will be much more than just a climbing competition though.
A festival of the best speakers in world climbing and mountaineering
will inspire throughout the weekend. Some of the world top rock
Five decades of British
stars are being lined up to
speak on Friday and Sunexpeditions at the NIA
day. On Saturday the Mount
(Photo: Changabang by Payne)
Everest Foundation and
BMC host a totally unique event celebrating five decades of MEF
supported expeditions. The all day show will be compéred by Chris
Bonington who will also be one of the key speakers. During the day
the audience will be taken all the way from Everest ’53 to the expeditions of ’99 via some of mountaineerings landmark ascents. This is a
one off and a must see. A full list of speakers will be announced soon.
The trade show which was such a success at Climb 97 will make a
return with more new products and bargins to be had. The Climb 99
festival will include a whole range of events open to all. A come and
try it wall, a youth festival including a fun competition, film shows,
educational workshops and a speed climbing event. The Ackers
Trust are also planning to launch a new initiative for young able
bodied and disabled climbers, plus the BMC/ Pathway Centre Adventure Challenge Project will be launched to provide coaching and
training for young women.
Climb 97 was a great success with over 4000 people attending
during the weekend. If you want to be part of the largest gathering of
climbers and mountaineers this year then look out for the ads as they
appear in the Summer magazines.
The 1999 World Championship is to be sponsored by Entreprise
and is supported by High/OTE, Snow & Rock and Lyon Equipment
with other sponsors expected to sign up soon.
20650_Summit14.p65
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17
5/12/99, 12:06 PM
Performance Training
Anne Arran introduces a new booklet being developed by the BMC
The coffee was going cold but still the remnants of dark sludge
High
remained at the bottom of the mug. Walkers and climbers wandered in and out of Outside in Hathersage leaving wastefully large
amounts of food on their plates while the sun shone in through the
windows. We had been gathered here for the last 3 hours working
on final amendments to the BMC performance training handbook. Thinking of such inspiring stuff it was very easy to dream
of rushing outside, putting it into practice in a tropical setting of
immaculate sun-baked limestone. I was up there on a route appropriately named Stalagasarus, in a fun world characterised by heel
hooks and leg wraps on extravagant but interestingly placed tufas.
Thailand faded and a quick visit was then paid to The Red Pillar
of Blatière in the Alps to remember the intense discomfort of
being perched on a brutish slab focused in on a small collection of
quartz crystals, wondering whether the calf muscles would hold
out. Only another 6 pitches to go! This brought my mind quickly
back to the strength and endurance chapter, specific targets and
serious mental preparation.
Well only 30 seconds away
and it is back to a table full of
chapters, sandwiches and
self-appointed training gurus; well aren’t they all?
Luckily we have a willing
band of booklet police to look
it over, including a sports scientist, proof readers, typical
climbers (of both sexes) and
a professional trainer.
Well if we are honest we all
want to get better at something.
on Thaiwand Wall, Phuket Wouldn’t you like to be able
(Photo: John Arran)
to stop and put that runner in,
rather than continuing desperately to the haven of a ledge? Controlling that disco leg is always a winner and still having enough left for
the next pitch is a bonus.
When talking about training most people think of massively overhanging walls and microscopic holds, which most climbers can
only partially identify with. But the same principles that will take a
finely tuned athlete from E6 to E7 will also take another climber
from HVS to E1. This new booklet will be for those climbers with
a desire to develop their climbing in a structured rather than a piecemeal way.
Climbing is a complex activity where improvements in performance do not come easily unless you are either massively talented or
plan your programme carefully. In 48 pages of diagrams and text
we focus on planning a programme, warming up and injury prevention, technique, strength and endurance, flexibility, mental training, nutrition and climbing ‘on the sharp end.’ But we are determined not to fall into the usual trap of assuming our readers enjoy
dry, factual information, so there will be a lively spread of cartoon
images, photos, climbing games and helpful case studies.
Impossible (it's not really) Slab, Stanage
(Photo: John Southworth)
‘On the sharp end’ puts it all together, maximising those training
gains on the real thing. Before starting to train some things remained a mystery: Why do we climb much better on some days
than others? How can someone who has weaker arms climb routes
that are more strenuous? How can I transfer my ability from a
boulder problem to a long route?
Some people believe it is not cool to train and that climbing is a
spontaneous activity that can only be tamed or diluted if it is organised in any way. But let’s face it, feeling vaguely under control when
faced with a huge ‘snap your legs‘ ground fall cannot be a bad
thing, nor can making efficient flowing movements on a well protected mountain route, and in doing so saving enough energy to
manage the descent in time for last orders. Is it really more laudable
to achieve your objective in a pair of outsized boots, with a hemp
rope or even a nasty finger injury excuse?
Better to read this book and grapple with the nuances of resting,
tactics, circuits, pyramids, visualisation, pacing, thus greatly enhance your chances of having a brilliant day out. Reaching the top
of that mega route X will no longer seem that daunting and that
plateau you have been sitting on for the last five years will suddenly
start to crumble away.
The Performance Training booklet is supported by the UK Sports
Council and will be on sale in the Summer direct from the BMC
office.
18
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5/10/99, 1:29 PM
The Alps
So you’ve read all the training books, had a good Scottish
season, bought some extra little pieces of kit, packed it all up
and headed out to the daunting world of the Western Alps
First Time
By Alex Messenger
So you’ve read all the training books, had a good Scottish season, bought some extra little pieces of kit, packed
it all up and headed out to the daunting world of the
Western Alps. Although you’d like to go on a training
course, it's just too much money, and besides you’re
confident that you and your mate will manage to pick it
up pretty quickly. After a quick consideration of venues,
Chamonix was chosen, although the Ecrins might have
been more suitable. Too much has been heard about
“Cham” and you just want to get out there, tick off those
classic lines, then relax in the sun outside the Bar
Nationale.
"good choices"
The coach journey passes relatively painlessly and before you know
it you’ve been deposited outside Chamonix train station, with Mont
Blanc looming in the background. A quick stagger through the town
finds the Guide's office (via a patisserie or two) and the meteo is
checked. It’s Grand Beau Temps for the next 5 days, so you quickly
move off to the campsite to start planning. The campground is packed,
but a small space is found and you relax and take in the scene. Not as
hectic as the legendary Snell's field of earlier years, but this is coming
pretty close. There are plenty of sunburnt wild eyed individuals around,
obviously just down from a route: you can’t wait to get up there and
lose that new arrival look.
Whilst a bottle of the cheapest red is consumed, (you want to get up
early, but can’t resist a small celebration) the guidebooks are out and
some serious planning commences. Your mate wants a rock route
since she would feel more at home, but you’d rather have a more
snowy experience. A compromise is reached, the Midi Plan Traverse
first, then after a rest day a rock route in the Aiguille Rouges. Taking
a step back, these are good choices, neither route is too technical or
suffers from excessive objective dangers, both are relatively short
and at a moderate altitude.
The Midi Plan Traverse will accumulate good snow movement
skills whilst the Aguilles Rouges will get you both used to moving
swiftly on rock. On the downside neither route is likely to provide a
wilderness experience, but on balance you would prefer a well trodden trail, giving yourself more leeway on this first alpine route.
After packing your sacks carefully its time for an early night. Six am
sees you clomping up to the Midi telepherique station and buying
your ticket, at over £30 return it's not that cheap, but a small price to
pay to avoid the walk. Although the first ride up isn’t till 7am, you
have no wish to be queuing behind holidaymakers, so tickets in hand
you grab some pain au chocolate, and wait. Soon your ticket numbers
are called, and it's time to be whisked to around 3800m in only 40
minutes. After taking off your pack to avoid spiking unsuspecting
tourists with the threatening axes, you board the cable car. Some
alpinists are already kitted up in their harnesses, a good timesaver
which you mentally note for the next time. Time slips by as you take
in the awesome views, and before long the cable car is bouncing into
the top station. Everyone quickly piles out, and this is it - the start of
your first alpine route.
“Danger - Alpinistes Only!”
You cross over the connecting bridge between the two station buildings, then spot the entrance to the ice tunnel, with its ominous yet
exciting sign “Danger - Alpinists Only!”. Then it's time to gear up, on
go the crampons, out come the axes, and the rope is arranged for
moving together. A few steps down the ice tunnel and you’re out on
to the amazingly exposed snow ridge; at first acquaintance its a little
worrying to say the least, the sharp snow arete leads down into the
distance, covered with fellow climbers. Joining this cosmopolitan
On the Midi Plan
mix you proceed with caution, both glad of that time spent last winter
becoming familiar with snow work. Now and again you allow yourself a quick pause, reluctantly dragging your gaze away from the task
in hand to take in the fantastic views, and shudder a little at the
exposure before moving on.
"less exposed than before"
The sharp ridge ends without mishap, and now you’re on a flatter
section: its still a ridge though, and you follow it with “intermittent
interest” to quote the guidebook, but it is far less exposed than before,
and only the occasional rock step slows the pace. After a brief chocolate and water stop, the descent continues, before ascending slightly
and skirting some gendarmes (rock spikes) to reach the Rognon du
Plan. From here the end is in sight, the small but perfectly formed
Aiguille du Plan. An abseil is required to reach the Col Superieur du
Plan, but since this route is extremely popular, finding the line and
anchor takes little time.
"this is only halfway"
At the base of the abseil, you gingerly pull the rope through, and it
runs free. The sun is heating everything up now, so thoughts turn to
the end, neither of you wishes to hang around so it's a quick dash up
the snowy col, before a short rock section slows you. However it
quickly succumbs to some confident leading from your team mate,
and you soon join her on the small summit. A welcome break for
photos and more chocolate follows, but as you well know, this is only
halfway. Some parties descend the Envers Glacier from here, but a
more popular option is simply to retrace the route back to the
telepherique. Looking at the complex glacier tumbling down towards
the hut you’re glad that you too have decided to retrace the traverse.
A small abseil takes you both back down to the Col, which is
crossed without difficulty, until the crux of the route is encountered reversing the abseil back up to the Rognon du Plan. The pitch is about
Severe, but it feels harder at this stage in the day. Once again your
mate takes the lead, following the signs of passage left by countless
other parties. Soon you’re following-it's not technically hard but the
wide crack feels precarious. Completing this section is a good confidence boost, and before you know it the sharp ridge rising to the
telepherique station beckons.
Going uphill, although harder, seems less intimidating. This is no
place to relax though, and not until the tunnel is reached do you allow
the feeling of satisfaction room to grow. Beers and cakes are only a
short cable car trip away, and now you know you’ve really earned
them.
"Your metamorphosis into an Alpinist has begun...."
Later that day sitting in one of the many bars sipping drinks a rest
day is proposed for tomorrow, maybe taking in a few of the valley
crags. This sounds great, but you both know something has changed,
low level crags just aren’t enough anymore - a creeping feeling is
telling you to get back up there, into the high mountains.
Your metamorphosis into an Alpinist has begun....
20
20650_Summit14.p65
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5/10/99, 1:30 PM
The Information
General Contacts
British Mountain Guides, (BMG) Tel: 016907 20386 Web:
www.bmg.org.uk
Plas y Brenin, The National Mountain Centre, Capel Curig,
Conwy, LL24 OET Tel: 01690 720214 Web: www.pyb.co.uk
Plas y Brenin run a series of Alpine training courses
International School of Mountaineering, Switzerland. Contact
the UK office; ISM Hafod, Tan y Graig, Nant Gwynant, Gwynedd LL55 4NW Tel: 01766 890441 / Fax 01766 890599, e-mail:
[email protected] Web: http://ds.dial.pipex.com/ism
Eurolines Coaches, Tel: 0990 143219, Web: www.eurolines.co.uk
For details of coach travel throughout Europe. Remember BMC
members get the under 26 rate - but only if booked through the BMC.
Alpine Club Library, 55 Charlotte Road, London, EC2A 3QT
Tel: 0171 613 0755
Expedition or historical research
If your local bookshop/climbing shop cannot supply what you
require, try the following for guidebooks & maps:
Cordee, 3a De Montfort Street, Leicester, LE1 7HD Tel: 0116
254 3579, Web: visitwebcom/cordee
West Col, Goring, Reading, Berkshire RG8 9AA
Tel: 01491 681 284
Cicerone Press, 2 Police Square, Milnthorpe, Cumbria LA7
7PX Tel 01539 562 069
Edward Stanford, 12/14 Long Acre, London WC2 9LP Tel:
0171 836 1321
The Map Shop, 15 High Street, Upton on Severn, Worcs WR8
0HJ Tel: 01684 63146
Latitude, 34 The Broadway, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Herts,
EN6 2HW Tel: 01707 663090 / Fax 01707 663029
Greenshires Publishing Ltd, (High/OTE Mountain Library),
Tel: 01536 525550
Ernst Press, 8 Reheboth Estate, Llanfelog, LL63 5TS Tel: 01407
811 098
General guidebooks
Walking in the Alps, Reynolds, (Cicerone) - New definitive guide
to alpine walking areas
Alpine 4000m peaks by the classic routes, Goedeke (Diadem)
The High Mountains of the Alps, Dumler & Burkhardt (Diadem)
The Eastern Alps, Seibert (Diadem)
Walking the Alpine Parks of France and NW Italy, Mountaineers Books
Alpine Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering, Whitehead
100 Hikes in the Alps, Spring and Edwards
Walking the GR5 (3 Volumes)
Textbooks
Alpine Climbing Handbook, Barry
Alpininsm - An Introduction to safe alpine mountaineering, Cliff
The Handbook of Climbing, Fyffe and Peter
Alpine Dictionary, English, French, German, Italian
The Avalanche handbook, McClung & Schaerer
Glacier Travel and Crevasse rescue, Summers
Lightweight Alpine Climbing
Narrative
Alps 4000, 75 Peaks in 52 days, Moran (David & Charles)
In Monte Viso’s Horizon, McLewin (Ernst Press)
Walking and Climbing in the Alps, Ardito
Scrambles Amongst the Alps, Whymper - Classic, now reprinted.
Fifty years of Alpinism, Cassin (Diadem)
Flammes de Pierre, Sauvy
Videos
The BMC Alpine Skills video covers the skills and equipment
that you need to climb safely in the Alps. Available from the BMC
office at £10 to members, £11.50 to non members..
Web sites - A few starting points
www.cnn/weather - Weather forecasts worldwide
www.thealps.com - Ski & Snowboard site, + general info
www.zermatt.ch -Zermatt info
www.in.pi.cnr.it/icehome.htm - Full of iceclimbing info
www.cs.berkeley.edu/~qtluong/mountain/chamonix - Chamonix
& Mt Blanc
www.eclimb.com - Hosts Alpine conditions noticeboard
www.thebmc.co.uk - For more links & information.
Look out for the
the BMC Skills Lectures
The Winter Skills lectures take place in November and the Alpine
Skills in April. Winter details will appear in Summit 15.
Top tips
Guidebook time and how to beat it.
This infamous phrase conjures up images of fast, hard walkins, soloing easy ground and impossibly slick technique, out of
reach of the struggling British alpinist. Almost all guidebooks
give an indication of anticipated route times, and it is crucial to
remember that this is an average time for a party competent at the
grade. When planning your routes, initially pick the shorter ones
with low guidebook times - get to know your speed. With practice, fitness and efficiency you should soon be moving at a good
rate. Some of the following points have been covered countless
times before but are well worth reiterating:A significant proportion of the day comes from the approach
and descent, so fitness and acclimatisation are important. Set an
Alpine pace, steady, but not too fast. Keep it unrelenting, every
stop takes longer than planned.
The second greatest time saver is efficiency when travelling
over glaciers, easy ground, and moving together. Practice these
techniques.
Shave further time off by carrying a light pack, take what you
need for the route and no more. If on a rock route it is still best for
both climbers to wear a sack, as opposed to the second carrying
one large heavy one. If not, the second will quickly get very tired
indeed.
Get used to climbing rock pitches fast, they should be completed
in approximately 20 minutes per pitch (15 min to lead and 5 min to
second). If you catch up with a slower party en-route, ask politely
if you can go past. In most cases they will agree, if not then
overtake anyway. If you don’t you may fall badly behind time. If
you’re being overtaken, remain calm and do not slow down further. In practice the time pressure on everyone can lead to bad
feeling and even aggression. Try and be polite and considerate,
don’t deliberately prevent others from overtaking, but equally do
not be pushed around.
When route finding go by natural features and more often than
not, signs of passage and tat, rather than lengthy descriptions - it
all saves time. Beware of “pitons d’erreur” though, lonely pegs
signalling an off route retreat. However if a peg is festooned with
tat, it’s a good bet that it serves as a common abseil point. Remember the grade of your route, if it feels much harder you are undoubtedly off-route - check around the corner. Parties in front
often point the way - but are they correct as well?
As for ethics, some avoid pulling on gear, others do it as a matter
of course. Few have a problem when it comes down to significant
time savings.
Adapted from the BMC Information Service Alpine Pack. This
comprehensive Alpine info pack costs £4.00 to members and
£6.50 to non members. Orders to the BMC Office.
20650_Summit14.p65
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5/10/99, 1:30 PM
Expeditions of 1999
Once again British teams are planning to attempt a fascinating array of objectives. Some of them are
at the cutting edge of difficulty, some are tremendously exploratory and a few are both. For those of
you that follow Summit's reporting of British Expeditions, it will come as no surprise to learn that
according to the UIAA expedition listings British teams are responsible for the most first ascents.
The Eastern Pamirs, venue for Paul Deegans trip, from the Osu-Khorog City highway
(Photo: Tim Simpson)
Trips that have gone and come back
Lows Gully Big Wall
Steve Long and team attempted this massive granite wall in March/
April but relentless rain put paid to their efforts low down.
Fitzroy West Face
Andy Cave and Dave Hesleden visited
Patagonia in January to make an unsuccessful
attempt on the unclimbed West Face of Fitzroy.
Scottish Latok III North Spur
Muir Morton’s team of six will be making the first attempt on this
impressive and high standard objective. The spur is steeper than the
well known North Ridge of Latok I but is fortunately somewhat
shorter. Received Lowe Alpine and Nick Estcourt Awards and fourth
place in the Lyon Equipment awards. Supported by the Scottish
Sports Council.
Ak-Su Region Sheffield
The primary objective of Nick Wallis’ team is
the first British ascent of the North Face of
Piramildany (5507m), a challenging mixed
line. The team also have secondary objectives
on nearby rock peaks.
Expeditions of 1999
NE Greenland
Helen Bostock’s team of five will be visiting
Louise Boyds Land and attempting a number
of unclimbed objectives as well as carrying
out scientific work.
Edinburgh University MC Bolivia
Mark Crampton and team have three months
in Bolivia and plan to climb in the Real, the
Quimsa Cruz and the Apolobamba. Supported
by the Scottish Sports Council.
Greenland, Rignys Bjerg
Brinley Mitchell’s team of four will be attempting first ascents in this rarely visited east
coast area.
Hindu Kush
Ken Findlay, Paul Hudson and Karl Zientek
will be visiting the Hindu Kush and attempting to make the first British ascent of
Saragahrar (7349m)
Rodebjerg 2140m,
Schweizerland.
Lightning Spur
Sandy Britain and Dave Green will be attempting this fine line, which was attempted
by a BMC supported team in 1997. The team
plan to take big wall and alpine gear so that
they can attempt what is likely to be a very
difficult route in an appropriate style.
Karavshin-Lailiak
Ian Parnell’s team includes some very talented rock climbers who will attempt to free
difficult aid routes in the Lailiak and Kara-Su valleys (Ak Su).
(Photo: Jim Gregson)
British & Canadian St Elias
Alun Hubbard’s team will be sailing into Yukatat bay and skiing up
the Turner glacier to reach the Mt Cook area in the St Elias Range.
The team will attempt new routes on Mt Cook.
British Jomo Chu (Tibet)
John Town and friends will once again visit the Western Nanchen
Tangla Range and will aim to make first ascents of several 6000m peaks.
British Lemon Mountains
Richard Pash’s young team has previous experience in Greenland
and will be attempting some good unclimbed objectives in this relatively well visited area.
Ak Su Valley
Jonathan Garside’s team of four will attempt new rock routes on
pt4810 and Bird Peak. The routes look to be of E1/A1 standard and
follow good lines. Supported by the Welsh Sports Council.
Wales Quimsa Cruz
Sue Savege and team will spend three weeks in this rocky alpine
region of Bolivia. They will be looking to make several first ascents
and will also hope to sort out who’s done what in this poorly documented area. Supported by the Welsh Sports Council.
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5/10/99, 1:31 PM
British Baffin Island
Mike Turner’s team of four will make the first attempt on the huge
wall of the Citadel in the Stewart Valley. This is a remote and serious
objective, but the team have good past knowledge of the area.
Pamirs
Paul Deegan’s team will be making the first mountaineering visit for
many years to a remote area in Kyrgyzstan at the eastern end of the
Pamirs range. Several unclimbed 6500m peaks have been identified.
Sangemarmar
Allan Pilkington and team will attempt to make the first British
ascent of the Japanese route on the fine looking 6949m peak in the
Pasu massif (Hunza).
British Alaska Alpine Fest
Dave Wills and Dan Donovan have identified impressive unclimbed
lines on the North Face of Thunder Mountain and on Mt. Hunter.
Mt Hunter N Buttress
Andy Parkin and Francois Marsigny will be looking to add another
hard line to this hugely impressive buttress.
British Transhimalaya
Julian Freeman-Attwood and friends will be attempting some splendid and remote objectives above the flat plains of Tibet with their
main objective being the first ascent of the south face of Loinbo
Kangri (7095m). The team has received the top Lyon Equipment
Award.
Scottish South Greenland
Malcolm Thorburn and Douglas Campbell will be attempting a
traverse of the southern ice cap and ascents of several nunataks are
planned.
British Arwa Spires
Mick Fowler’s team of four will be making the first visit to these
fine looking rock spires in Garhwal. These peaks have only been
photographed once and lie in a sensitive inner line area. Took second place in the Lyon Equipment awards.
British Apolobamba
Simon Cooke and team plan three first British ascents in the southern Apolobamba.
British Doko
Dave Wilkinson’s team will attempt this fine looking unclimbed
(6000m) objective from the Arandu valley, Karakoram.
FIRST TIME
Welsh Big Wall Madagascar
Ray Wood’s trip to the stunning granite walls of Madagascar is the
first British climbing trip to the Island. Several major lines are likely
to be attempted. Supported by the Welsh Sports Council.
Altar of the Gods
Patagonia Winter
Paul Ramsden and
friends will be making
a rare winter visit to
Patagonia. No specific
objectives have been
identified but the team
hope for relatively stable, if cold, conditions.
British
Schweizerland
Al Powell and team
will be attempting new
lines on the steep walls
of
Tupilak
and
Rodejerg, as well other
attractive looking eastern Greenalnd peaks.
The disturbingly impressive north
face of Thunder Mountain
British Police
Alaskan
Jonathan Wakefield’s
(Photo: Dave Wills)
police team will be attempting new routes in
the remote Hubbard and Kennedy massif which lies on the Alaskan/
Canadian border.
Hucho Alchori
Mary Twomey and team plan an exploration of the Hucho Alchori
Glacier (Western Karakoram) and first ascents of sub 6000m peak's.
Reo Purgyil (Kinnaur, India)
Julie Ann Clyma and Roger Payne were refused a permit for this
objective in 1998 but are hopeful that this year they will be able to
attempt the peak's North Face.
Hubbard Glacier
Paul Knott and Ade Miller have visited this remote part of Canada
before. Their planned route on Mount Vancouver looks pretty committing.
International Makalu
Ginete Harrison's International team is currently in Nepal hoping
to make the first British female ascent of the peak.
Terekty
Paul Mann and
Tim Lello are planning an ascent of Pik
Kirov plus first ascents of 5000m paks
in the Terekty valley,
Kyrghzstan.
British Indian
North East
Frontier
Doug Scott was unable to get permission
in 1998 and is trying
once again, this time
with Greg Child, to
visit the fascinating
peaks of Arunchel
Pradesh.
Grants:
Some useful ddresses
Mount Everest Foundation
(also for BMC and MCofS support)
Honorary Secretary, Gowrie, Cardwell
Close, Warton, Preston, PR4 1SH
Nick Estcourt Award
Secretary, 24 Grange Road, Bowden,
Cheshire WA14 3EE
Alison Chadwick Memorial Grant
Administered by the MEF
Lyon Equipment (Expedition Awards)
Rise Hill Mill, Dent, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5QL
Lowe Alpine Adventure Award
Expeditions of 1999 Ann Street, Kendal,
Cumbria, LA9 6AA
One of the big unclimbed objectives in
Arunchal Pradesh (Photo: Balwant Sandu)
Polartec Awards
Andrea Pickard
Clark & Company, Landmark House,
32 Park Place, Leeds LS1 2SP
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27
5/10/99, 1:31 PM
Wizards in Oz
British raiders take the biannual Australian climbing festival, “Escalade 99”
by storm.
by roving reporter Alex Messenger
In a country where it’s dangerous just walking to the crag, let
alone poking your finger into a cobwebbed mono, it takes a lot to
impress your average Ozzie climber. In fact if you will believe
the hype, they all think nothing of wrestling a few crocs before
cruising a gnarly 25 (E5) in 400C heat. And that’s all before a
liquid breakfast. However all it takes to make them snap to
attention is one magic word. Sheffield. Yep, hard to believe that
the surly northern campus board production centre will grab the
attention of the cork hats in a place so big you could put England
down and lose it. Yet raised on a steady diet of Power, Power,
and more Power it’s every ozzie crankers dream to visit the
magic city one day and worship at the high altar of strength.
Bearing this in mind, it is no wonder that visitors at Escalade 99
were more than excited to see a British Double Billing of the
“Hard Grit Crew” and the one, the only, the UK legend, Johnny
Dawes.
"how the Brits worship failure"
We weren’t though. Imagine the situation, one day you’re basking in your staggeringly well appointed tarpaulin set up at the
Pines campsite, Arapiles, mindlessly filling the endless sequence
of sunny days with fire tricks, juggling, doing nothing, and occasionally climbing a few of the 2000 classic route. The next your
idyllic retreat has been invaded by the Hard British Boys. Suddenly the 22 (could be E1 could be E4, find out!) you cruised
seems small (and slightly warm) beer. If breakfast is timed wrong
you’ll be the only person munching museli not to have climbed
8c or above. And don’t get try and get involved in discussions
about the hold on The Very Big and the Very Small either. Some
would probably respond to this bizarre situation by sycophantic hero worshipping, Lynn Hill for example trailed an entourage
of 20 behind her when she “Did” Arapiles. But being English we
simply sipped a bit of sugary tea then ruthlessly took the piss.
When Steve McClure (Sheffield again) ticked Punks in the Gym
(32) in 2.5 hrs, the fastest ascent so far, he was reeled down to
earth with a solid thrashing at pool. Johnny Dawes’s plans for
new routes were brought to a sudden halt by a two day rave in
a wood, and Neil Bentley was refused lifts due to “excessive
shoulder width”, therefore denying him access to the famous
Taipan wall. Ah, how the Brits worship failure.
"the world evangelists of Hard Grit"
But Failure never hurt anyone until now. Well that’s the message touted by the world evangelists of Hard Grit - the double act
of Richie Heap and Mark Turnball. They stormed on stage at
Escalade accompanied by the thumping Full Monty soundtrack,
launched into a breathless explanation of what grit is (starting
point being the slide of Sheffield Dole office) then pressed play.
Suddenly the audience stood up and took notice. This was no
normal climbing film. A hushed silence fell over the 500 plus
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20650_Summit14.p65
28
5/10/99, 1:32 PM
The author and friends basking in the well
appointed tarpaulin
crowd as Jean Minh slipped off Gaia, and that was it - hooked. To
say it went down well is a classic English understatement. They
loved it. If this audience reaction was anything to go by, Hard Grit
will become a world-wide phenonenom, so get ready for more a
cosmopolitan feel to Stanage. Later that night we sneakily changed
our post codes to S7, thereby gaining about 100 new friends. Mike
Robertson, the SW activist went one stage further though and
showed the crowds what the Full Monty really was. Sorry Mike,
but reckon you should get some more training in.
"an irrepressible schoolboy"
The next day saw a battle of the titans, and who would get the
biggest crowd? Lynn Hill with her well polished and awesome
film about free climbing the Nose, or the random improvisations
of Johnny Dawes? In the end they both packed out the main
marquee, but it was Johnny’s talk that provoked the most response. Billed as a unique improvisation show, it was a bold
effort at combining slides, films, a movement workshop and
humour. He pulled it off as well. Just. Bounding onto the stage
like an irrepressible schoolboy, for three hours Johnny was our
guide into the world of movement. Previously unseen footage of
mad bounces around grit, and an incredible one handed solo of
Downhill Racer gave plenty of food for the feet. The ozzies were
alternately awed then bemused at this strange character, but like
Stevie Haston slideshows, you’ll not forget going, even if you
hate it!
"how useless feet really are"
And whilst everybody with a UK accent attempted to blag
their way to glory on the back of these two rollercoaster shows,
Escalade ground on. Garth Miller showed just how thin you can
be and still climb 32 (8b+), Hans Florine gave everybody serious
thoughts about just how useless feet really are in the Speed
Climbing Finals, and the Gear Sellers sold whilst the Story tellers
told. All in all a unique climbing event, not least because it took
place over three days of glorious weather.
After this double barrelled assault of British climbing culture
half of the 5000 strong crowd just outside Sydney never wanted
to even hear the phrase E9 again, whilst the other half were on
the phone to their Travel agents. So if you’re looking for an
empty place to climb this year try Oz.
If you're
looking for an
empty place
to climb this
year try Oz.
20650_Summit14.p65
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29
5/10/99, 1:32 PM
Sport Climbing in the Sun
A Cautionary Tale of Perceived Safety
by Dave Musgrove
In May of 1998 David Chester, an experienced 30 year old
British rock climber was killed when he fell around thirty metres
from a stance half-way up Le Belleric, Orpierre in France - one of
the best equipped and most user-friendly sport climbing crags in
Europe. Following an investigation by French police officers
(one of whom was a mountain guide), and further enquiries in this
country a coroners inquest was held in Huddersfield close to
David’s parents home town. Several witnesses gave evidence but
the exact reason for David’s plummet to earth could not be established with absolute certainty. The coroner recorded a verdict of
misadventure but the circumstances leading to the fatal fall are
worthy of publication if only to serve as a reminder to us all that
climbing is an unforgiving sport and that serious accidents can
happen in what we may think are the safest of environments.
The accident happened on the third
day of a holiday organised by a
group of 8 climbers of differing
abilities and experience all based in
Aberdeen. On the afternoon of the
tragedy David was leading a route
called Violence and Passion (F6a).
His belayer was long time friend Bill
Stephenson and also present at the
foot of the climb, David’s girlfriend
Shelley Farrar.
David was the most experienced
sports climber within this group. Bill,
who described himself as more of a
mountaineer, had some previous
sport climbing experience and had
climbed on similar routes with David
in Spain the year before. Shelley was
relatively in-experienced and this
holiday was her first taste of boltprotected limestone. Both David and
Bill were well capable of leading a
route of this standard.
slightly harder route. Bill didn’t know anything about the climb
other than its name and grade but David indicated the general line
and Bill could see a stance and chain a little over half way up the
face. There was no communication between the friends as to
whether it was a one or two pitch route or as to how they would
climb it or descend but David simply set off with Bill belaying
using a friction plate device. Whilst belaying Bill was chatting to
Shelley and David had no apparent difficulty with the technicalities of the climb. He shouted down once for directions where the
bolt line divided and Shelley consulted the guidebook to clarify
his route. As he got near to the stance Bill noticed that the half-way
mark on the ropes had passed through his plate and once on the
stance Bill estimated that David was around 28 metres above the
ground.
Exactly what David shouted on reaching the stance is not certain. Both Bill and Shelley believe
he only shouted the word “Okay”,
or something along the lines of
“That’s it, its done”. But a Frenchman climbing nearby made a statement which, when translated, read
…. “I think the climber had finished
the climb and that he said he was
anchored (secured, fixed to the cliff
face) and that he said to his belayer
he was safe”. Despite the length of
the pitch there was no obstruction to
the line of vision between climber
and belay and no significant wind or
road noise to obscure verbal communication.
"He assumed ...."
Bill was aware that David was leaning back from the stance but that no
tension was transmitted to his belay
and he assumed that David had tied,
or clipped himself, onto the fixed
equipment. He assumed that David
"very safety conscious"
would, therefore, be preparing to
During the preceding two days
bring him up to lead through on the
David had climbed with both Shelley
second pitch, or be arranging to tie
"serious accidents can happen in what we off the ropes to abseil, being more
and Bill on several routes, some single and some multi pitch, and permay think are the safest of environments"
than 25 metres up the cliff. Either
haps significantly, on some multiway he believed he would be climbpitch routes he had lowered off from the first stance (which is not
ing the pitch next and so took off his belay device to go and put on
an uncommon practice). On another longer route he had abseiled
his rock boots which were in his sack a few metres away. Mofrom the second stance. The team were all climbing with doubled
ments later he heard a scream and turned to see David falling. He
50m ropes. Both Bill and Shelley described David as being very
made a grab for the ends of the rope but couldn’t hold them and
safety conscious and Shelley, in particular, told me that David had
David hit the ground head first and was killed instantly.
been very specific with her about the methods of rope work he
Undoubtedly there had been a serious lack of communication
was employing and that he was a patient teacher. Bill admitted that
between the two climbers and each, apparently made assumptions
he felt less confident than David and that when climbing together
about the intentions and understanding of the other. Shelley had
David always appeared comfortable and relaxed. Both gave eviassumed all the time that David would be lowering off after the
dence to the inquest that David would invariably check that the
first pitch. What she knew, but Bill didn’t, was that although the
belayer was ready before he lowered off, but neither could repitch was a little over 25 metres long David had descended from
member any specific form of words he would use.
a similar height on their two previous climbs (just to the left). The
first few metres of rock at the base of the crag was an easy angled
"no communication"
slab and, with the stretch in the rope and by landing on the slab,
On the day of the accident David had done several easier routes
the ropes were just long enough to reach safety.
with Shelley whilst Bill had been climbing elsewhere on the cliff
with another team. Around 4pm Bill walked across to speak to
David and Shelley which gave Shelley the opportunity to have a
refreshment break and David co-opted Bill to hold his rope on a
"no failure of the belay bolts"
The report from the French police indicated that there was no
failure of the belay bolts or chain and that David’s ropes were
30
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30
5/10/99, 1:34 PM
clipped independently through two separate anchors. Poor quality
photographs which accompanied the report did not, however,
show clearly whether David had left any other equipment on the
belay and no one appears to have checked or made a note of
whether any knots or quick-draws were tied or clipped through
his harness which may have given a clue as to whether he was tied
on to the belay at some stage.
As the advisor to the coroner in this case I was asked to clarify
several technical points and give my opinion as to the most likely
intention of David Chester when he reached the stance. I was also
asked whether there were any accepted conventions regarding the
respective responsibilities of the climbers in terms of communication and/or actions when climbing in such circumstances.
"he didn’t wait for confirmation"
I had to explain that although the French police report concluded
that David had intended to lower off but failed to communicate
that to his second, I felt that the available evidence didn’t justify
such a conclusion with absolute certainty. Though his friends
thought it unlikely, David could have made a mistake in either
tying or adjusting his belay. There was no evidence at all that he
shouted his intention to lower off, unless the “Okay” heard by
Shelley and Bill was a question as to Bill’s readiness. If it was he
certainly didn’t wait for confirmation before leaning back and
letting go - as most of us probably think we would?
I also explained that the long accepted convention of calls between leader and second in most traditional British climbing situations didn’t readily translate to sport climbing but that it was
usual for the leader, being the person in the most vulnerable position, to communicate his intentions clearly and to double check by
calls of “Have you got me” and “Take in tight” (or similar phrases)
before letting go. I am sure we all believe we also make a visible
check if this is possible as well. I also explained to the coroner that
the belayer should never disconnect his belay until he is sure his
leader is safe but, although one would normally expect the second
to verbally seek confirmation from the leader in this regard, there
was no absolute convention that was universally adopted. In this
case Bill was sure David was safe but will always, I’m sure,
regret that he didn’t make that extra shout to check.
"knowledge of this incident can prevent a
similar tragedy"
It is not the duty of the Coroner to apportion blame during an
inquest and Mr Whittaker did not do so in this case. He did
however accept that poor communication was a critical factor in
the tragedy. I received full support, co-operation and honesty from
the climbers and witnesses I spoke to during my investigation and
feel that rather than recriminate about what should or could have
been done differently we should all reflect on what we ourselves
do in these relatively relaxed and apparently non-threatening holiday-rock situations. If knowledge of this incident can prevent a
similar tragedy in the future then it may be of some small comfort
to the family and friends of David Chester.
ANYONE COULD
IMPROVE ON
OUR COURSES.
You don’t have to be a beginner to benefit from
coaching. We’re confident any climber will
progress on one of our courses, whatever their
standard. Because we know you won’t find
better instructors, equipment, facilities or
accommodation at any other outdoor centre.
At Plas y Brenin, we’re committed to maintaining
the highest standards in every department. The
key lies in our management set-up. These days
Plas y Brenin is run by the Mountain Training
Trust, a charity set up by the BMC, MLTB and the
UKMTB with one aim, not to make money, but to
offer excellent outdoor opportunities at the most
affordable price possible.
The result is a busy programme of courses
ranging from hillwalking and climbing to ski
mountaineering and big wall climbing at prices
that couldn’t be better.
If you’d like a free colour brochure simply clip
the coupon below, telephone 01690720214, or
check out our website on http//:www.pyb.co.uk.
Summit would like to thank Dave, who is a senior
investigator with the West Yorkshire Police, for this
piece and for raising awareness of a key issue.
The crucial lesson to be learnt from this incident is
that on sports climbs always assume that the leader
will lower off, and in any climbing scenario the belayer
should always maintain the belay until clearly told
otherwise by the leader.
Clear communication is vital to efficient and safe
climbing. It is further discussed by Simon Hale on page
42 and in the Climbing Rock Booklet.
Please send me the 1999 Plas y Brenin Brochure.
Name
Address
S/MAY
Postcode
PLAS Y BRENIN
National Mountain Centre Canolfan Fynydd Genedlaethol
Capel Curig Conwy LL24 OET Telephone 01690 720214 Facsimile 01690 720394
20650_Summit14.p65
31
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5/10/99, 1:35 PM
......cont from page 3
cause proper parking spaces do not exist and that cars end up
blocking the road. The solution would seem blindingly obvious.
Now the crunch question. How many of you have been stuck
regularly, totally stationary, for more than a few minutes in a
traffic jam in any National Park? How many on a motorway?
How many in a city? Catch my drift? Traffic jams and parked cars,
whilst they cause chaos in towns, are only a real problem in
National Parks in the eyes of a few hopelessly idealistic folk who
believe that the parks should be forever Mrs Tiggy Winkle Land,
and that cars, particularly everyone else’s cars, are evil. I mean,
look what they do to the view! The true facts are that in the end
private transport will limit itself. If the roads become clogged,
people will stop using them of their own accord, and any better
solution will win the day. Meanwhile, a lot of bleating is going on
to no purpose. And the idea that by making it far more awkward
for vistors to travel around Wales you will get them to spend more
when they get there, is such patent rubbish it is unbelievable that
anyone dare print it. Visitors are far more likely to go somewhere
else instead.
What is needed in the Lake District, and I am sure also in Snowdonia, are more car parking spaces, not less. But these should be
near-invisible ones with low or non-existent charges, that will
encourage visitors to park their cars and leave them, switched off
and un-polluting, whilst their owners use their legs for once.
Stephen Reid
Ambleside
For further details of the proposals for Snowdonia contact
Snowdonia National Park Authority, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd LL48 6LF. Tel: 01766 770274; Fax: 01766 771211
The Snowdonia Traffic Debate
The Open Debate on the proposed traffic management scheme for
northern Snowdonia, organised by the BMC as part of the AGM
festivities, was the first real opportunity for public discussion.
The meeting, held at Llandudno in mid-April, attracted climbers
and walkers from across England and Wales, and well as many
concerned local people. Presentations by representatives from the
National Park Authority gave climbers and walkers their first
opportunity to hear and discuss with the authorities the extent and
nature of the Park & Ride proposals announced recently (see
report in Summit 13). A lively and constructive debate left the
National Park Authority in no doubt that mountaineers have severe reservations about the practicality of the scheme and the need
for such draconian measures. The most frequently raised comments included:
• Traffic problems (parking more so than congestion) occur mainly
on Bank Holidays and some summer weekends. Imposing
restrictions at other times is unnecessary.
• The quality of life for local residents will be severely affected by
the proposals.
• Improvement to the public transport system is needed. At present
there is little option but to use private cars.
• The national transport system needs improvement if visitors are
to be encouraged not to come by car.
• Climbers, hillwalkers, mountaineers and other recreational users
such as fell runners have different needs from less energetic
visitors.
• Insufficient public consultation has been carried out so far.
In conclusion, it was agreed that some traffic management changes
would be beneficial but not as extreme as currently proposed. The
BMC will circulate a record of the debate to all who attended and
will publish a fuller report in the next edition of Summit.
Order your copy NOW
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or send a cheque to GreenShires Publishing
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5/10/99, 1:35 PM
ARENA
Arena
Roger Payne reports on the recent management meeting and on the National Open Forum
Management Meeting 16 April 1999: Summary
An increase in grant support from the UK Sports Council was
noted and a grant application response from the English Sports
Council is still awaited.
Iain McMorrin was appointed Chair of the Access and Conservation Committee. It was also agreed to put Iain forward for
membership of the new UIAA Access and Conservation Commission. A report on the use of the Stanage bus was noted. A
revised Equity Statement was adopted. A position paper on a wall
registration scheme was discussed.
Six new clubs were accepted for membership. A misleading
and un-authorised title for a junior bouldering competition was
noted. A report was heard on the potential for a national mountaineering exhibition near Penrith.
George Band, Andy Perkins, and Lindsay Griffin were all thanked
for their hard work and support for the Management Committee
during their three years as BMC elected officers.
National Open Forum 17 April 1999: Summary
Issues about disabled access to huts were discussed. There was
an update on access to the open countryside in England and Wales.
There were reports and questions on plans for the ‘millennium
crag’ and a national mountaineering exhibition. The Chamois
club proposed extending the subscription concession for young
individual members to affiliated clubs which had overwhelming
support. Similar proposals for over 65 year olds and honorary
members received very limited support. There was discussion
about access issues at Range West and Craig y Forwen.
BMC Area meetings
CLIMBING WALL
MANUFACTURERS
ASSOCIATION
Other regional and club news
The Count House - new security
system
Due to a spate of recent burgularies, the Climbers’ Club has
fitted a new alarm system in the Count House. Anyone visiting
the Count House should ensure that they are familiar with the new
system beforehand.
South West Access Booklet
The BMC and CC have recently published an updated version
of the South West booklet (entitled ‘Climb South West 1999’)
which incorporates 17 pages of selected new routes from around
the region. Copies are available from the BMC and local climbing
walls. Many thanks to John Willson and Dave Viggers for their
work in compiling and editing the booklet.
Rockhoppers Recruiting
Rockhoppers MC is looking for new members. Any walkers/
climbers interested should visit the Yorkshire Grey, Greys Inn
Road, Holborn where the club meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month or contact Andy Veitch on 0181 442 1462.
The club has a hut in N.Wales.
Tuesday CC looks for new members
New members, climbers and walkers of all abilities, are welcomed from London and the Home Counties. Meets are held
monthly in winter, and twice monthly in summer to all parts of
the UK and Europe. Social meets are held on the first Tuesday of
every month in London SW1. For info contact Pat Cocks 0181
349 0563 or Steve Miller 0181 944 8167.
THE PROFESSIONAL BODY REPRESENTING
BRITAINS LEADING CLIMBING WALL
MANUFACTURERS
Thinking of building a climbing wall ?
Are you concerned about :
- Standards ?
- Quality ?
- Safety ?
then CWMA can help.
Only four companies have achieved the high
standards of Quality and Safety required to join
CWMA. For professional advice on all climbing
wall issues please contact :• Rockworks : 0191 230 3793
• Entre-Prises (UK) Climbing Walls : 01756 797978
• Bendcrete Climbing Walls : 0161 338 3046
• DR International Climbing Walls : 0113 2842 369
OR for further Information about CWMA contact :
The Secretary
Climbing Wall Manufacturers Association
Graeme Alderson
26 Neill Road
Sheffield S11 8QG
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5/11/99, 11:31 AM
FORUM
ARENA
Forum
Visitor Payback Schemes
An opportunity to improve access or a step
towards compulsory payment?
Susanna Perkins writes: The number of people visiting Britain’s countryside is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Many popular
destinations are receiving more visitors, without necessarily having sufficient resources to cope with the associated extra costs. Some
National Park Authorities and other land management bodies are considering ‘visitor payback’ schemes as a means of raising
additional funds.
In March the North York Moors National Park Authority announced “a new visitor Payback Scheme …. to link participants in
active recreation to help to fund access improvements for those with more limited mobility and improving access in general. The
scheme will use voluntary levies on entrance fees to mass events such as mountain bike challenges, orienteering and motor sports in
the National Park to bolster funds aimed at removing barriers to peoples’ enjoyment of the moors”.
Should authorities have to rely on this approach to manage a public need? Does visitor payback amount to payment for access? –
or is it a step in that direction? If successful, will the Government see this as an opportunity to reduce funding support still further?
What is ‘Visitor Payback’?
‘Visitor Payback’ is the process of encouraging tourists to give money, or other help, voluntarily towards the management or
conservation of the places they visit. Public funds are already a major contributor towards these ends and are likely to remain so.
However, conservation and management must increasingly compete with other essential demands on the public purse, such as
education, health and social welfare.
In many areas, income or property taxes on tourism businesses are simply added to general budgets and are not directed at conservation or management activities. Visitor Payback seeks to tap the tourist’s spending power and link this directly to specific local needs. It
could help visitors to relate the contribution that they are making more closely to improving facilities or the environment, and help
increase awareness of the environmental impacts of recreational activities.
David Brewster, North
York Moors National
Park Authority, writes:
main reason is the fear that it is the thin end of
the wedge, and that a voluntary system will
be replaced by a compulsory one. The North
“Visitor payback is not a new concept,
York Moors National Park Authority is howpeople have been making voluntary contriever firmly opposed to a general admission
butions towards the management of the archarge as this would undermine the principle
eas they visit for many years. After all is not
of access for all, irrespective of ability to pay.
an honesty box a simple form of payback?
Visitor payback should not be seen as the
Contributions need not necessarily be finanpanacea for cash strapped National Park Aucial as visitors can assist directly in the manthorities; experience to date shows that its
agement of tourist areas through mechanisms
returns are modest. It will not, nor should it,
such as conservation holidays. Visitor payreplace core Government funding, but it can
back has developed into a more effective
significantly aid the development of carefully
technique in recent years, in particular
targeted projects. We are developing a project
through the addition of supplements when
to remove barriers on public rights of way
making a special purchase. This can be a
for people with disabilities, and any funds
charge made by the tour operator on the purraised through visitor payback will be directed
chase of a holiday or relate to a specific purtowards this vital work. Working with Whitby
chase or service made at the destination, such
Disablement Action Group we will initially
Llanberis Pass in the
as additions to hotel or restaurant bills.
be approaching organisers of mass recreamorning
light
The ethos, however, has remained the same
tion events to seek voluntary contributions
over this period, namely that visitors voluntarily contribute towards
from participants. Next year we will be expanding the scheme to
the specific management needs of the area concerned. It also has the
long distance walkers. Initial reaction has been very favourable advantage of enabling visitors to relate personally to the project to
people are supportive of giving a better deal to people with disabiliwhich they are contributing. Similarly, participating tourism enterties and are prepared to put their hand in the pocket to further this
prises feel they are doing something practical to help their local
cause.”
environment. So if everyone gains why is it controversial? The
The BMC believes that:
•
•
•
•
Access to countryside on foot for quiet, informal recreation should be a basic right to be enjoyed by all.
There should be freedom of access to open country, provided such freedom is exercised with due
consideration of the needs of conservation and land management.
Recreational visitors should not be required to pay for access to the countryside.
Greater resources, principally from public funds, should be made available both to maintain and improve
existing public access and to increase access provision.
[Extracts from the BMC’s Access Charter]
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Charging for Access
A survey in 1995 amongst
BMC members found that:
47% believe access should always be free
38% believe it is sometimes
appropriate to pay
15% not sure
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5/10/99, 1:38 PM
“Visitor payback is a good example of National Park Authorities
using innovation in order to fund important project work. In the
North York Moors visitor payback schemes are being used to
fund projects to improve access for the less able, which is a very
important initiative and should be welcomed. After all, National
Parks were established for everyone. Such schemes are also very
relevant to the Government’s objective to tackle rural social exclusion.
However, it is important to remember that the success of schemes
such as visitor payback should not in any way be seen to diminish
the need for a continued and adequate resourcing of National
Parks by the Government. This is particularly true for the Welsh
Parks".
In 1998 the three National Parks in Wales received a standstill
budget for the second time in three years. This represents a cut of
5% in real terms for the parks which have suffered historically
from under-funding. Cutback measures have reluctantly been
approved by Snowdonia National Park Authority, including grants
for farmers’ conservation work, litter clearance, public access and
footpath maintenance, and issue of free publications on good rural
practice.
At the same time, the Welsh Office is to
A survey by the Wales
Tourist Board for 1997 found make £3 million available between the Parks
that, of visits to tourist attrac- over 3 years to be spent on sustainable
tions, only those to ‘Coun- projects, but this will not necessarily go ditryside & Natural Attractions’ rectly into the National Park Authorities’
and ‘Historic Properties’ in- budgets.
creased from the previous
year, the former showing the
Ken Wilson writes:
greater increase. All other
“I would regard any question of payment a
tourist attractions (e.g. rail- philistine anathema akin to paying to go into
ways, museums, craft cen- art galleries which I also strongly oppose (I
tres, wildlife attractions etc) am glad to see that there is now a rethink on
had fewer visitors.
that policy). There are certain things that
constitute quality of life, and free “open air
and mountains” is similar to free culture or free just strolling
about. This is an idea so odious that it should not be entertained
and certainly the BMC should refuse to even discuss it!!!!!! The
National Park people are proposing it solely to keep themselves in
a job. If they have not enough money they should lay people off.
We never had all these Park wardens in the past."
FORUM
Ruth Chambers, Policy Officer at the
Council for National Parks, writes:
Ed Douglas writes:
"There is an immediate and instinctive reaction from climbers
when they face new charges for what they had once taken for
granted would be free forever. To be honest, it depresses me,
because despite all our heartfelt words about the environment,
when it comes to acknowledging that our access to it has costs and
consequences, we are grudging in our response.
One of the fundamental mechanisms for the way our countryside looks is the surreal and labyrinthine Common Agricultural
Policy which for decades has put a premium on devastating
biodiversity at a high cost to the
tax payer. If climbers want to get
angry at the state charging us
On the future of Visitor Payback,
money to ruin the environment then
a pamphlet from The Tourism Comthey should focus on bigger things
pany (tourism development and
than whether the Peak Park is so
marketing consultants) states: “In
strapped for cash it has to start
the longer term, to make an impact
charging for parking. If the counat a national and European level, the
tryside is to survive in a recognisconcept of Visitor Payback needs
able form then new ways have to
to break through the credibility barbe found to generate income from
rier. This will only happen if visiit and tourism is a likely candidate.
tors begin to see voluntary giving
If we want rights, then we have to
towards conservation as a natural
contribute something more than
activity on holiday and one which
petulance and vandalism.
they come to expect and anticipate
When Dennis Gray was at the
in their destinations. This will also
BMC he took a call from a woman
give tourism enterprises more conwho was trying to reach the Britfidence to participate. To achieve
ish Motor Corporation. Perhaps
this recognition, visitor payback
she got the right number after all?"
needs to be promoted and spread
systematically. National Parks and
other protected areas provide a good
And finally
starting point.”
Susanna Perkins adds: "It has
been suggested that the British Upland Footpath Trust should promote a Visitor Payback scheme to
raise funds for footpath repair. Would this conflict with the BMC
policy that access to the countryside should be free? How else
should BUFT raise badly-needed funding for erosion in the uplands? Should the BMC object to Visitor Payback schemes which
remain voluntary, for fear of the precedent they set, or welcome
positive moves to raise money for access and environmental improvements? Is there some way in which an assurance can be
built in that a voluntary scheme remains just that, and then let the
individual decide whether to contribute?"
Access - free of fee?
At a UIAA Access Symposium in October 1995, Dr Hansjorg Blochliger, BSS Basel, summarised the potential benefits of
paying for access: [Note: these comments were made in the context of compulsory payment for access, but the principles apply
equally to Visitor Payback]
no reward for maintaining its quality. He may choose alternative
Charges or access fees can have benefits – they discriminate
uses for it from which to earn an income. These may be detrimenbetween those who want access and those who do not. This leads
tal to the area’s initial quality.
to two major advantages:
1.
Avoiding overuse - If something is for free it is liable to
Fees for entering National Parks are applied in the United States
be over-used. This ‘pricelessness’ is one of the reasons for enviand in South Africa. There are other ways of introducing charges,
ronmental degradation. For example, environmental goods like
such as contract arrangements with a group of users or as some
clean air, pure water or natural habitats are treated as free goods
form of visitors’ tax. The problem is who benefits from the
and are becoming increasingly scarce. The polluter pays princicharges – there are many examples where the only beneficiary is
ple would, in theory, give environmental goods a value, but is
the central government and not the local mountain community.
very difficult to apply. The same holds true for the resources that
Conflicts can arise between access and environmental needs.
climbers and mountaineers use. As long as the facility is free,
More frequent use of charges may help to ease the controversy
there is always a tendency towards its overuse, especially near
between mountaineers and environmentalists by helping control
densely populated areas.
numbers of visitors and raising revenue to restore overused sites.
The problem with introducing charges is that no-one likes to pay
2.
Stimulate supply - all land is owned by somebody. If the
for something he used to get for free.
owner does not introduce prices for use of his property, he gets
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5/10/99, 1:38 PM
Route Setting
Solving the problem
Ian Parnell writes: There has been an increasing recognition recently amongst climbing wall
managers and climbers that the standards of route setting practice at some walls can be
improved. Below Graeme Alderson describes a recent initiative by the Climbing Wall Manufacturers Association (CWMA). As Graeme points out the BMC is developing a Wall
Registration Scheme which will cover the issue of route setting particularly in terms of safety.
The CWMA route setting course is one of several training initiatives for route setters available. The BMC do accredit national competition route setters but do not feel a national
qualification is essential for the provision of recreational routes at climbing walls. While the
BMC doesn’t support any particular course it does feel it is important to raise the issues of
safety and good practice. Several walls already provide comprehensive in house training for
their staff and have a high reputation for good routes. Other smaller walls are not in a position
to be able to employ specialised route setters and rely on volunteer support from their users.
Rather than imposing any qualification the BMC is keen to assist these walls with the development of good practice and safe techniques. Further information can be gained from the
BMC Climbing Wall Manual priced £20 or £10 for members.
Graeme doing the rescue bit
(Photo: Dave Simmonite)
Graeme was appointed as CWMA’s first Development Officer in late 1997. One of his key tasks has been to develop a
route setting qualification. Graeme reports:
Many people have asked why does anyone need a route setting
qualification and why are CWMA involved? The first question
is very easy to answer if you have travelled round a large number
of walls and seen some of the route setting practices that occur.
A qualification that incorporates a high standard of training allows walls to employ a route setter with confidence. Route setting is a job that carries risks, risks to the route setter whilst
working, risks to the public while the route setter is working and
just as importantly risks associated with the finished product.
And to top all of that off your route setter also has to set creative
and interesting routes to try and satisfy one of the most critical
groups of recreation facility users in the country. What is a five
star classic to one person is the biggest bag of… to the next
climber.
"Your route setter also has to set creative
and interesting routes"
CWMA believes a qualification ensures that route setting is
done in a professional manner, with due regard given to the
safety of all those concerned. An understanding and awareness
of health and safety legislation is essential. Remember that route
setting is a job, the level of payment is irrelevant, and the local
Environmental Health Officer or Health & Safety Officer will
treat route setting as a job, regulations that may apply to recreational users of a climbing wall will not apply necessarily to those
working there. In a wall manager’s vocabulary a good route
setter is one that sets routes quickly, efficiently, safely, to a specified grade, in a specified colour and at a specified time.
So what does this course offer? Three days of fairly intensive
training with plenty of time spent on the ropes. Health and safety
legislation banged into your brains. How to rescue an unconscious route setter from fixed ropes - 'why do this?' is a common
question, well you might be okay at The Foundry where there
are always plenty of climbers on hand to assist but what happens when you’re at East Anglia Leisure Centre where the nearest climber is fifty miles away and the receptionist thinks that
Brian Blessed is the best climber in the world. How to set good
routes, or rather how not to set bad routes. Bad clips, good
moves, choice of holds, type of bolts. The list is endless, in fact
it is so long that the course is a full three days long culminating
in a day long assessment.
The course has been put together by myself with input from
Chris Plant and Dave Towse. Dave is an independent safety
assessor by virtue of being an Industrial Roped Access Trade
Association (IRATA) Assessor and performs the comprehensive rope safety assessment. Much of the course utilises techniques perfected by the Roped Access Industry.
Currently there are no national formal guidelines for route
setting. The BMC is currently working on a Wall Registration
Scheme which will contain guidelines for route setting, and recognise that the CWMA Route Setting Course represents current
best practice and that CWMA are leading the way in developing
safe working practices. The Association of British Climbing
Walls (ABC) have some very limited guidelines but are developing some more comprehensive guidelines over the coming
months. The CWMA Route Setting Course conforms to the
current ABC Guidelines and has been pitched at a level that will
probably exceed the new guidelines.
Further information on CWMA Route Setting Courses or regarding any other aspect of CWMA can be obtained from Graeme
Alderson, 26 Neill Road, Sheffield S11 8QG. Tel 0114 2678359
or email [email protected]
(Photo: Dave Simmonite)
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5/10/99, 1:39 PM
Back to basics
Route Choice and Communication
Simon Hale of Plas y Brenin looks at two key areas
Much has been written recently regarding safe climbing strategies,
and recent Summit articles have examined belay devices, leading,
rope work and belaying. These ‘Technical Areas’ are very important
but we should not forget that many an epic begins with something as
simple as choosing the wrong route, a simple mistake often compounded by that old bugbear-poor communication. This article will
look at what can and does go wrong, and suggest some simple coping
strategies.
Route choice
Early season strategies: It is very easy to talk
yourself into a route that’s probably going to be too
hard when sat in the pub, or at home by the fire, but
especially early season give yourself a chance and
climb well within your grade. Get some climbing
under your belt, single or multi pitch and check out
how you and your partner are moving. A well-protected dry sunny route will inspire confidence, and if
it’s not too steep, why worry? The steep routes will
keep; lot’s of climbing is the best practice for climbing. Perhaps climb a route you have done before, if
not choose a route which follows an obvious line on the crag, so it’s
easy to find and to follow. This removes the potential for starting up
the wrong route or getting off line further up, the cause of many an
epic.
For some people it works to get straight out on a hard route. The
theory behind this is that even an easy route will feel difficult, so it is
psychologically more positive to struggle on a difficult route! This
strategy probably only works for a few climbers and most of us have
to accept that at the beginning of each season we need to re-introduce
our minds and bodies to the stresses and joys of leader-placed protection routes. Common sense suggests that you should stack the odds in
your favour by choosing your routes wisely. Well protected routes,
routes you have climbed before, less steep routes and those where
route finding is easy – anything that reduces the stress and increases
the chance of getting flowing is a good idea.
Reconnaissance: The guidebook is there to help. When locating
your route why not make use of the written description and crag photo
or diagram. Try to identify your route from a distance and look at the
whole route, note any features on or near the climb and generally get
a feel for the terrain the route passes through. Read the description and
match it to the crag, and if possible locate the belays. This reconnaissance time is always time well spent, and it may be an opportunity to
plan the approach to a mountain crag, as well as checking out the
decent route, or in some cases the line of the abseil. It may also be
worth noting if an escape to an easier route is possible, in case problems are experienced or the weather changes unexpectedly.
Complicated approaches: If you are abseilng in to the base of a
route, sometimes the only option when visiting sea cliffs, don’t forget
a knot in the end of the rope. Great care is needed to approach in the
right place, watch out for loose rock, and double check your abseil
anchor. Think about using a prusik knot to protect you as you abseil,
and be sure you’re at the right route before pulling down your ropes.
It is worth considering leaving a rope in place just in case you cannot
climb out, or you’ve got the tide times wrong, and the route is wet.
Vertical grass and scree climbing to get out of a wet sea filled zawn is
not the greatest or safest way to finish the day. If you are not feeling
confident with abseiling or route finding, it might be wise to leave sea
cliffs alone at the start of the season, until all the winter cobwebs have
gone.
Keep an open mind: It is always worth having a few route options, so that when you arrive at the base of the route to find half the
world has decided on your chosen route, don’t wait, go and climb
somewhere else.
Always take your guidebook at least to the base of the route, and on
most multi pitch routes it is worth taking it along. Finally don’t be
shy, ask other folk at the crag what routes they are doing, there’s often
a local expert.
Stars: Many guidebooks have star ratings for routes. These are
often routes of quality but as a result are often busy. Lots of unstarred routes are very worthwhile, so don’t limit your choice to only
those climbs the guidebook writers like. Develop your own judgement from what you can see and use the guidebook as an aid rather
than as a rule book.
The choice of route is a crucial starting point to the day so
think and don't blow the day this early.
Communication
Good communication is fundamental to the teamwork needed between two climbers. Although you cannot expect to be able to develop a rapport immediately, as your experience develops you will
find less need for verbal communication between yourself and your
climbing partner. This is very important, because in all but the most
ideal situations it is difficult to talk to each other when on either end
of a rope! Plan the likely communication you will need – slack rope
for clipping runners, taking in, paying out, route finding advice etc.
Once you know what is likely, then you know what you are listening
out for. In time verbal communication can be replaced with a “sixth
sense” as you can see and feel what is going on through the rope.
This close communication not only contributes to safety, but will help
with your partners confidence too.
Belayer a is in sight of second
- easy communication
Belayer b is out of sight and hearing of second
- poor communication
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5/10/99, 1:40 PM
Good teamwork means
good communication
A NEW video and booklet from the BMC
Coping strategies
Often you cannot keep pitches short,
so plan and discuss what you intend
to do if you think that you will not be
able to hear each other. Two simple
but important tips are: 1. On a busy
crag call your partners name before
giving the instruction, and 2. Always
turn to face the direction of your partner before shouting – even if you cannot see them. Sound is surprisingly
directional and calling towards your
partner can really help.
Knowing the pitch length helps the
belayer know when the lead climber
should have reached a stance. This contributes to looking out for
signs of particular types of rope movement that can give a clue as to
the actions of the leader when they are both out of sight and hearing
range. Some people develop a system of tugs on the rope, but
climbing ropes are so elastic that this does not always work on
longer pitches with lots of runners in place. A basic rule to establish
is whether the second should start climbing when the rope comes
tight – and in most cases this is a simple, but effective thing to agree
before starting on long routes. Rather than a system of coded
messages depending on tugs on the rope, the different type of rope
movement from taking in rather than climbing is a clear indication
that the lead climber has got to a stance and is belayed. If you have
lead a pitch and cannot see or hear your second, try taking the rope
in in a very distinct rhythm – this should be a sure sign to your
second that you are belayed.
What crisis?
If the first time you try to communicate non-verbally is in a
serious situation where there are no other options it will feel frightening. Try minimising or even eliminating verbal communication
altogether in your regular climbing – thumbs up instead of a shouted
“OK”, reach for the rope and hesitate for a fraction of a second
before pulling so your second can feed some through, instead of
shouting “give me rope!” etc.
When you are seconding, think of the sequence of actions your
leader is doing…. They are at the top, they are momentarily relaxing and enjoying the success, they are moving around looking for
anchors, they are fiddling some nuts into place, taking rope to
construct the belay system, still not time to take them off belay, they
are shouting something, can I take them off belay?, there are regular hard tugs on the rope, I can free the rope for them to take in, they
are pulling the rope in, it’s tight on me and the tugging has stopped,
I’ll clean my boots and check my knots and buckle while they put
me on belay, the rope is tight again and I can hear a muffled
shout……..
If you try this on a clear windfree day on a single pitch crag, you
have the opportunity to check that you guessed right before you
finally start to climb. If the first time you have to do this is for real,
you will second the pitch with your heart throbbing in your head
because you don’t know whether you can afford to fall…..
Next issue
Some simple self rescue techniques for when things do go wrong.
Simon Hale works for Plas y
Brenin, the National Mountain
Centre. PyB runs a full programme of
courses to suit all levels of ability and
experience, from courses specially
designed to help indoor climbers progess
smoothly to climbing confidently outside right
through to advanced courses like big wall climbing.
PyB is run by MTT, a trust set up by the BMC, MLTB and UKMTB.
BMC
In Partnership With:
EXPERIENCE ERROR - WITHOUT TERROR
Climbing Rock is designed to help you recognise the common
errors and inefficiencies in your climbing.This entertaining
video comes complete with a Technical Booklet which helps
you identify problem areas and make progress to achieve
your potential.
Marlow, Animal, Berghaus
✃
Please send me
copies of the NEW Climbing Rock video and booklet at
£15 (non members) £12.50 (Members).
I enclose a cheque for £ ............ payable to British Mountaineering Council.
Please debit my Access/Visa account,
Card number:
Card expiry date:
/
BMC membership number:
Name:
................................................................................................................................................
Address:
................................................................................................................................................
Postcode: ......................................
20650_Summit14.p65
Send to:
43
Daytime tel no:
............................................................
BMC, 177-179 Burton Road, Manchester M20 2BB.
Tel: 0161 445 4747 Fax: 0161 445 4500
5/11/99, 11:43 AM
43
Placing runners
Essential Skills
In an article adapted from the new 'Climbing
Rock' booklet , Adge Last and Andy MacNae
take a look at one of rock climbings key skills.
Placing good runners is a real skill and takes time to learn, but it
is worth the effort. If you are able to place good runners, and if
you know that they are good, then you will be able to climb at your
best with confidence.
Confident climbing is closely linked with the question of trust: a
good climber is one who has developed a realistic faith in good
runners and healthy mistrust of the bad. To reach the stage where
you can accurately assess a runner’s quality takes time and practice. Fortunately runner placement is one aspect of climbing that
you can practice at ground level and time doing this is never
wasted.
There are two distinct elements to placing runners, where you
place the runner and how you place it. A good runner in the wrong
place can be worse than no runner at all. It may lead to terminal
rope drag or make the rope run so as to lift out other, possibly
crucial, runners. A poor runner is sometimes better than nothing
but only if you know it’s poor and don’t put too much faith in it.
What’s the gear like?
Good/bad placements
Spotting cracks that will take a good placement and knowing the
piece of protection that will fit best is an essential skill at the heart
of climbing rock. Inexperienced climbers will climb past many
suitable features where a cunning leader could engineer an excellent placement. A common error is to look for a placement when
you feel you need one rather than where you might find one. As
the rock rarely responds to requests for runners (no matter how
urgent), what you must do is take advantage of placements as they
appear, preferably at points where you can rest while protection is
arranged.
Remember – it is not only how stable the placement is in the rock
relative to the direction of pull that matters, it is also the quality of
the rock itself that is important.
Camming devices are often easier to place quickly compared to
different forms of nut. It cannot be over-emphasised that despite
their ease of placement you should only rely on camming devices
with caution until you have a good understanding about how they
work.
Trusting protection
Learning to evaluate the reliability of protection takes time. This
is not a simple evaluation of quality as it is often impossible to get
absolutely perfect placements. Often judgements have to be made
about the combined strength of several poor placements and clearly
it is wise to err on the side of caution. Other than leading and
seconding routes, you can gain experience by testing ground level
placements by standing in slings clipped to them (watch out for
popping gear and unexpected falls, a spotter may be useful). Remember that it will be valuable to try all different orientations and
marginal as well as good placements if you are to develop your
skills.
Place good runners and
climb at your best with
confidence
(Photos: Ian Parnell)
Slings fray and degrade over time; pegs and some bolts will corrode, and there is no guarantee of how well they were placed; in-situ
nuts may also originally have been poor placements. In the case of
crucial placements it is good practice to back up in-situ anchors. The
main problem with all in-situ gear is that there are hidden elements
to them that you cannot be sure about.
Is it in the right place?
The first runner
In order to avoid large impact forces because of a fall, placing a
runner as soon as possible after leaving the belay is always good
practice. This first runner is in many ways the most important runner
on each pitch. On multi-pitch routes it protects the belay against the
worst case scenario which is a leader fall directly onto the belay. This
first runner not only serves to prevent this extremely high impact fall
from happening, but can also strengthen runners higher up the route
by helping to align the rope correctly and also by absorbing some of
the impact transmitted along the rope.
A fall with the important
first runner
In-situ protection
.... and a fall without it !
This may take the form of pegs, slings, bolts or nuts. Whenever
in-situ protection is encountered, a judgement must be made as to
its integrity and by no means all in-situ protection is to be trusted.
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5/10/99, 1:42 PM
Protecting the second
When leading you need to be thinking not only of yourself, but
also of the second. In particular on traverses you need to place
runners with the protection of the second in mind. For example:
when leading a traverse you would aim to place a runner before a
hard move for yourself, but having completed the move if possible place another runner so that the second will be protected when
they are on the move having taken the first runner out.
Protection and direction of pull
The way in which you place protection has a great bearing on
rope drag and rope cutting. Protection should be placed to keep
the rope clear of constrictions and sharp edges. The direction of
pull on a runner should also be considered to avoid the runner
being pulled out.
On a traverse a well placed pre-crux runner for the
leader and a post-crux runner for the second
climber is important. Also note alternate clipping to
reduce rope drag, the rope carefully stacked on the
stance and the directional belay.
√
√
Tips
Anticipate the direction of pull and arrange the protec
tion with this in mind.
Consider placing protection that is multi-directional
(threads/cams) to protect other protection further up
the route from being pulled out .
Rationing protection
On even a medium length pitch you may well have to ration the
runners that you place. Very well protected climbs may take a
runner every metre and so to avoid running out of protection you
will need to be selective with your placements. This is where your
ability to judge quality and trust a few bombproof runner placements will really help.
Hopefully the advice given here will prove useful next time you
are on the rock. For more top tips and advice get hold of the
Climbing Rock Video and Booklet.
Climbing Rock
Video and
Booklet £12.50
(£15 to non
members) direct
from the BMC
office
20650_Summit14.p65
45
45
5/11/99, 11:47 AM
Fifty years on
Sir Chr
is Bonington, President of the Council ffor
or National PPar
ar
ks, reflects on 50 yyear
ear
Chris
arks,
earss of
conser
vation w
or
ar
ks and consider
icult issues ffor
or the future
conservation
wor
orkk bbyy the National PPar
arks
considerss some diff
difficult
"I never cease to wonder at their beauty or to feel gratitude to the group of far sighted activists
who campaigned for the formation of National Parks"
We had just walked round a bend in the road past the Royal
Hotel (Now Plas y Brenin National Outdoor Pursuits Centre),
just outside Capel Curig. The two of us, Anton and I, had hitch
hiked from London on our first visit to the mountains of Snowdonia. We came round a bend in the road, and there, eight miles
away, was a magnificent triple peak clad in snow. It could have
been Mount Everest in that pristine snow covered landscape and
certainly was to us two sixteen year old school boys on their first
expedition. In fact it was the Snowdon massif, the glorious triad
of Y Lliwedd, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and Crib Goch, from the
end of Llynnau Mymbyr, and for me one of the most memorable
views anywhere in the world.
"far sighted activists"
It was January 1951; just two years after the National Parks had
been set up by Parliament and the year that Snowdonia was designated a National Park. Since that day I have climbed and wandered over all our National Parks, yes, I’ll confess, I’ve even
boated on the Broads, and have lived in the Lake District for over
thirty years. I never cease to wonder at their beauty or to feel
gratitude to the group of far sighted activists who campaigned for
the formation of National Parks and the Government which made
it happen in the aftermath of the Second World War.
I find it fascinating to look back at what those campaigning for
National Parks were saying 50 years ago: their worries and their
aspirations seem so relevant to us today. For example, speaking
in Parliament in March 1949, the Minister for Town and Country
Planning said:
“Today four out of every five are living in urban communities, and
this has resulted in an almost complete separation of town and
country. Yet with the increasing nervous strain of life it makes it all
the more necessary that we should be able to enjoy the peace and
spiritual refreshment which only contact with nature can give.”
"a lasting investment"
The post-war generation recognised that the National Parks
would be a lasting investment. During the same Parliamentary
debate Mr Lipson MP said:
“The beauty spots of our country represent a national heritage,
and we, as the heirs for our generation, have a responsibility, in
particular, to see that that heritage is preserved and enjoyed by as
many people as possible”.
That is the task of the National Parks Authorities today which
manage the Parks, and the Council for National Parks of which
the BMC is a member. CNP is the only national charity dedicated
to the protection and enhancement of the National Parks, and the
promotion of the understanding and quiet enjoyment of them for
the benefit of all. There is no doubt that access to crags within the
National Parks is much better than in most areas outside their
boundaries. The National Parks were designated for the benefit of
the nation, yet now, as fifty years ago, there are threats to them.
"the long-term survival of these unique
landscapes"
New and subtler problems have been added to those of longstanding concern. At the Council for National Parks we often feel
like David fighting Goliath. Although the interests damaging the
Parks are often large companies and even government departments, we are able to win and make a difference time after time,
because we stand up for the long-term survival of these unique
landscapes. National Parks are also places where we can find
answers to the challenges of modern life: problems such as traffic
congestion, agricultural malaise and the rapid consumption of
natural resources.
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5/10/99, 1:43 PM
"confrontation"
Chris adds:
Peter Mould took a major part in the work of CNP as Chairman
of the BMC’s Access and Conservation Committee and was also
a member of the Pembroke National Park Authority. Inevitably
there are times when people living in the Parks or using them for
their recreation are either frustrated or restricted by the regulations
of a National Park Authority. It’s almost inevitable through the
nature of any government organisation. One such confrontation
occurred over 'pay and display' car parks in the Peak District and
at Stanage in particular. Whatever the rights and wrongs were of
that dispute a positive end emerged with the bus service for climbers from Sheffield City Centre to the crag. It’s introduction was
largely due to the efforts of the BMC.
There is an enormous opportunity to tackle difficult issues in
National Parks because of the emphasis on environmental solutions. All of us who care about National Parks need to ensure that
the Government lives up to its declarations about National Parks
being role models for sustainable development. The complexity of
managing the Parks is as challenging as ever, but the stakes are
even higher now than when the Parks were first designated.
Please join me by becoming
a Friend of National Parks. For
only £10 per year receive
CNP’s magazine 'Viewpoint'
and information on how to take
part in campaigns to protect and
enhance the National Parks for
current and future generations.
For further details of CNP’s
activities please contact:
Council for National Parks
246 Lavender Hill
London SW11 1LJ
Tel: 0171 924 4077
Email: [email protected]
CNP’s web site is at http://
members.aol.com/cnphq/
(Photo: Graham Little)
The BMC and National Parks
The BMC is a Council member and supports the CNP’s work. The BMC endorses the CNP’s policy to promote quiet enjoyment
in National Parks.
In particular:
•
National Parks should be places where people go to find spiritual refreshment, inspiration and physical challenge against the
elements.
•
Quiet, non-motorised recreational activities should be promoted, in which people challenge themselves against nature, and
where there is no irreconcilable conflict with conservation objectives.
•
National Parks should be places where people can escape the noise and mechanisation of the modern world, whilst respecting
the legitimate day to day activities of the local community.
ORDER YOUR
COPY OF
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Please add £2.80 UK p&p. Overseas £5.00 (surface) / £10.00 (airmail)
TO ORDER CALL US ON 01536 382500
Trade Enquiries Welcome - Call For A Quotation
20650_Summit14.p65
47
5/10/99, 1:43 PM
47
Briefing
New BMC Insurance:
Cover You Can Trust
The new BMC insurance package
BMC
is now available with improved benefits. Policy options have been revised
to provide cheaper cover for trekking
routes,Via Ferrata and worldwide alpine mountains. Medical cover has
also been increased to £5 million to
give peace of mind wherever you
choose to travel. Drawing on experience of the mountain world and feedtravel & activity insurance guide
back from members the BMC is con1999 · 2000
fident the new package offers unbeatable value.
The 1999/2000
You can put your trust in compreInsurance
Guide
hensive cover that is free from unreasonable exclusions and restrictions. Cover is designed to be transparent and policies can be obtained that include search and rescue,
solo climbing, no altitude limits, no upper age limit and no restrictions for unclimbed peaks. In addition, a whole range of other activities can be covered including all forms of skiing (including boarding), canoeing, caving, pot-holing and even bungee jumping.
Annual policies offer excellent value for money with the security of
knowing that you are covered all year round for your chosen activities. Applying for cover is easy and straightforward. There are no
complicated premium calculations and the forms are the simplest you
will find anywhere. Applications for cover can also be taken over the
phone, by fax and online via our website www.thebmc.co.uk.
On The Buses
The popularity of the Sheffield to Stanage bus service has led
to the service being repeated this year. The service is being subsidised by the BMC, the Peak Park and Patagonia. The service
will provide a low cost convenient alternative to the car.
A bus timetable showing pick up points is available from the
BMC or from climbing walls and shops in Sheffield. The service relies on the take up by climbers and hill walkers. Judging by
last year it promises to be a continued success.
British Competition Climbing Team
gets new kit
The British Team is working in partnership with Phoenix Mountaineering to kit out members with a range of fleece garments.
Future initiatives include the development of special garments
specifically for team members.
1999 Climbing World
Championships and Climb 99
The Climbing World Championships are coming to Britain for
the first time between 3- 5 December 1999. The British Mountaineering Council and the National Indoor Arena are working
together to stage this international climbing event. The weekend will also include Climb 99, which will be a show to celebrate climbing, and mountaineering. The show will include
retail and display stands, crowd participation activities, lectures, exhibitions and slide shows. The event will be officially
launched in the coming months so watch out and don’t miss out
on the biggest climbing event to end the millennium. See page
17 for more details.
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48
5/11/99, 12:15 PM

issue 14 summer `99 £2.00 free to all bmc members

Transcription

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