Author: Ian Helliwell

As history was made, technique improved, and knowledge and confidence increased. A great tradition of guides was built up. Men began to climb from a physical and aesthetic delight in mountains and mountaineering, and they found companionship and humour in growing social contacts. The conquest motive was soon swallowed up by a higher rival stimulus of adventurous hedonism; peak-bagging became less and less desirable, and mountaineering came to be regarded as an end in itself. The mopping up of the lesser peaks often yielded far more exacting and satisfying experiences than the earlier conquest of the giants, and this combined with a predilection for guideless climbing, gave impetus to the new approach. New ridges and new faces yielded routes of greater character and variety, and the standard of climbing was pushed up nearer and nearer to the limits of the possible. Great feats were coupled with great names : Whymper, Dent, Mummery, Zgismondy, Purtscheller, Javelle, Ryan, Young, Lepiney—to mention only a few. Alexander Burgener, Franz Lochmatter, Joseph Knubel, Joseph Georges, and a host of other famous guides were even more responsible for the advance in technique and performance. During this period the deliberate taking of risks was frowned upon, turning[…]

As history was made, technique improved, and knowledge and confidence increased. A great tradition of guides was built up. Men began to climb from a physical and aesthetic delight in mountains and mountaineering, and they found companionship and humour in growing social contacts. The conquest motive was soon swallowed up by a higher rival stimulus of adventurous hedonism; peak-bagging became less and less desirable, and mountaineering came to be regarded as an end in itself. The mopping up of the lesser peaks often yielded far more exacting and satisfying experiences than the earlier conquest of the giants, and this combined with a predilection for guideless climbing, gave impetus to the new approach. New ridges and new faces yielded routes of greater character and variety, and the standard of climbing was pushed up nearer and nearer to the limits of the possible. Great feats were coupled with great names : Whymper, Dent, Mummery, Zgismondy, Purtscheller, Javelle, Ryan, Young, Lepiney—to mention only a few. Alexander Burgener, Franz Lochmatter, Joseph Knubel, Joseph Georges, and a host of other famous guides were even more responsible for the advance in technique and performance

The full story, which, happily, did not get into the papers, is as follows. When my companion and I were on Dow Crag we did not suspect the presence of other climbers on the cliff until we were actually fumbling with our ropes at the top of D Buttress. I had found considerable difficulty owing to cold, mist, driving rain, and squally wind and I only caught sight of the two climbers through misted glasses. They were on a small ledge high above us, and there was no reason to suspect that they were in any difficulty. In a few seconds the mist blotted them out, and we hurried down Easy Terrace and then made for the Walna Tear track speeded by the thought of dry clothes and tea.

The name Los Encantados—the Enchanted Mountains—had often excited our curiosity, and while spending a few days in the Val d’Aran in 1930, two of us decided to have a look at them, though we had only two days in which to do it. We made an early start up the Aiguamoch valley by a well-marked track. According to the map there was a path nearly all the way up the valley, but we soon found that the map was incorrect, as the French maps often are across the Spanish frontier. The path soon faded out, and we made but slow progress. We had planned to take in the Grand Pic de Colomes on our way over, but two o’clock in the afternoon saw us toiling up the last steep snow slopes to a tiny nick in the ridge—the Traouc del Rat, and we had still a long way to go. The valley had been beautiful—we had skirted numerous tarns of all sizes, many of them hidden by surrounding woods and rocks—but it was nothing, compared with the view from the col. We were in the midst of a veritable Lake District. Around us in nearly every direction shapely peaks soared to[…]

Do you remember that chapter of C. E. Montague’s entitled ‘ When the Map is in Tune’ ? Some weeks ago I had to refer to my maps of the Pyrenees, and chanced upon one of Los Encantados. I opened it, and as I read the familiar names, Estany, de San Mauricio, Pic de la Ratere, Grand Pic de Colonies, Pleta de los Gavachos, Portarron d’Espot, Grand Pic de Peguera, Vallee d’Espot, everything came back to me, and I lived again the delightful days I had spent there. Could it possibly be ten years ago ? It seemed incredible. Yes, the map was in tune. To plan a holiday which you know you will never take may be fascinating, as Montague suggests in another chapter—I have never put it to the test, though I’ve often built castles in the air. But to look back over a perfect holiday spent with a perfect companion, when everything went right, when the weather was good, and you did nearly all you had planned, that is certainly a delight.

Here is some sample text from the 1942 Journal: I have been very lucky in the matter of rescue parties, in fact, until I helped in the recovery of the two bodies from Dow Crag last October, I had only been concerned in one of these painful expeditions. The occasion I refer to was on the last half-day of an Easter Meet at Fort William, when Pigott hauled a number of us out of bed at five o’clock on a cold, dark morning to search for the bodies of our members, Staleman and Ellhoe, who had been last seen high up a gully in a very precarious situation just before nightfall the previous evening. By about 7-30 we were hot on the scent and well up the snows of’ The Ben,’ when news reached us that the bodies had been discovered in the coffee-room of the Waverley Hotel making considerable havoc with the bacon and eggs. and here is a picture  

Great forecast for tomorrow. Meet in front of the visitor centre cafe at 10:00 (SD940153 pay and display).  For those who don’t like paying for parking, there is free parking at SD9386 1626 and its a very pleasant mile to the visitor centre. From the carpark, go NE along the canal bank for a couple of hundred yards before crossing the lock and following the path E in front of the terrace to meet the track. Turn right and follows this alongside the stream all the way to the visitor centre car park. Note: the walk will pass within half a mile of the free car park on the return leg. more details in the calendar entry  

John Payne is handling the distriubution of the late Arthur Howcroft’s comprensive Mountaineering library. John writes… After the passing of Arthur Howcroft I agreed with his niece to collect and distribute his substantial library of mountaineering books on her behalf. This library is now available to view in my garage…… You are cordially invited to visit and take any books you wish. I propose to keep these available for approx 1 month to the first week in June. When I will put them in the hands of any charities who will take them. To avoid me staying at home every day for a month you will be welcome to view and collect them by phoning me to arrange a mutually agreeable time, day or evening. These visits can not be Tues am or all day Wednesdays. Types of books. There are perhaps well over 100 to chose from. A4 or larger ‘Coffee table’ hard backed, high quality colour. Costing originally around £20 or more each. To make it clear there will be no money asked for or collected. If members wish they may donate to a charity of their choice. Some of the authors. Bonnington, Hunt, Shackleton, Messner, Rebuffat, Cleare,[…]

Marsden-Edale 7th January 2022 Due to the planned train strike for 6-7 January the Marsden-Edale will, once again, be a challenge in more than just the usual sense. However, in the words of Baldrick “I have a cunning plan…”   Given that it is highly likely that there will be no rail services on the day it is probable that a number members will find it difficult/impossible to arrange appropriate transport for the single. Given that the Meet is so popular, along with the social get together afterwards at the Ramblers, one option considered is whether some members would like to do a ~20 mile walk from Edale starting at 8am going via Ringing Roger, Madwoman’s Stones, Upper Ashop, Alport Castles, Grains-in-the-Water, Hern Clough, Bleaklow Head – then return to Edale via the traditional M-E route… the aim would be to meet up with members doing the traditional M-E route at Bleaklow Head around 1pm. Given mobile phones/GPS this should be very possible! If any members are interested in this alternative could they get in touch with me and I can then arrange for someone to co-ordinate this “Two halves make a whole” route allowing a good day out of[…]