Category: On the hill with

Welcome to “On the hill with…” an occasional series of short interviews with members of the Rucksack Club. This week it’s the turn of Nick Wallis, who has a formidable climbing/running/mountaineering CV as you will see… …and Nick [far right] on the first of his big rounds, the Bob Graham Round in 2004 with Olly Stephenson (Carnethy), Jamie Thin (Carnethy) and Steve Aspey.  …and Nick on Stringfellow, Ben Nevis [2005] with Charles “Stan” Halstead. One of many memorable winter days on the Ben. How did you get into walking and climbing?  My parents took me hill walking and camping from quite a young age, one of my most vivid early memories is trying a greater Wasdale round with Dad and my elder brother Rob, I think I was only just aged 10 or so. My parents were also heavily involved in the running of the local Scout Group (1st Hurdsfield in Macclesfield) and so I went all the way through cubs, scouts and ventures (until we were chucked out of ventures for boozing, but that’s another story). So, I suspect like a lot of us, I have my parents to thank for introducing me to a life in the outdoors. Eiger dreaming[…]

On the hill with…Is the turn of Betty Hamer who, as she says later, was one of the  early female members of the Club….having completed the Munros before joining! She has been a very active member of the Club and, amongst other things was hut warden at Craigallan between 2004 and 2012.   Betty on Cul Mor, Assynt last year How did you get into walking? I was brought up in the N.E. near Durham. The Sunday outing and picnic was a part of my early childhood, very often to the coast but when Dad discovered the Lake District on a day’s coach trip to Ullswater life changed; he had seen the hills. He bought a tent for the three of us girls, a mattress to put in the van for the two of them and thus began our regular visits to Parkfoot on Ullswater that lasted all my teenage years. He never took a week off work; we went almost every weekend from Easter until September. My first Lakeland hill was Hellvellyn (at 13), over the edges and wearing Hush Puppies with no tread and I don’t remember any fear! When John and I got together at Sheffield University my[…]

“On the hill with…” meets John Allen who has been very active in the mountains all his life rock climbing and mountaineering including a significant list of much sought after rock and alpine routes. His record speaks for itself and he continues to ‘get out there’ working through the Corbetts [having completed the Munros in 1991]. John was President of the Club 1976-77 and was a Hut Warden 1964-69. How did you get into hillwalking/climbing? Via my parents in the early 1950s, Easter walking holidays at Sawrey near Hawkeshead.  Then, by a twist of fate, the school headmaster was a member of the Alpine Club and I was 15 when British climbers from the AC made the first ascent of Everest in 1953.  I was enthralled. The headmaster, Geoffrey Dixon, took half a dozen of us boys to huts in the Lakes (RLH), and Wales (Helyg, and Ynys Ettws) rock climbing.  In about 1955 he made me lead Eagle’s Nest Direct on Great Gable. Rope around the waist, one sling and crab to belay with, and off you go.  In 1956 he took two of us to Arolla for some really big mountains, which included the Zinal Rothorn and Alphubel[…]

Welcome to another “On the hill with…”. This time it is the turn of Gerry Goldsmith. Gerry was one of the Club’s first female members, joining within a year of the historic change in 1990, and a very active member in all aspects of Club activities as she reveals. Gerry on home ground; 2020 How did you get into walking and climbing? Camping with the Girl Guides got me started. Then lots of walking on Kinder with the YHA Society at Sheffield University, and hitch-hiking (in pairs) to Youth Hostels in the Lakes. A few years later I met Neil, we moved to Stockport and joined the Kinder Mountain Rescue Team (KMRT). They took us climbing (Tuesday evenings) and we were hooked. With KMRT we learnt winter climbing in Scotland and went to the Alps in summer.Gerry climbing on Anglesey; early 1990’s  Lifting heavy stretchers and climbing with heavy sacks ruined my knees, so I graduated to fell-running. It seemed the answer, nothing to carry! My favourites involved running long challenges such as the Bob Graham round, the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon (KIMM…now morphed in to the OMM) and the Derwent Watershed.   Who has had the most influence on[…]

On the Hill (and other RC pursuits) with…Geoff Bell who, as you will read,  has been a serious and successful long distance endurance cyclist, runner and walker over many years. A very active Club member he was President in 2003-04.  How did you get into “being out there”? As a Sheffield teenager I was into cycling. Club runs and time trialling at the weekend and a 7 mile ride to work in the labs at the Stocksbridge steelworks. In all weathers. I carried my bike through the snowdrifts that the bus couldn’t get through. I never got under the hour for 25 miles, but did manage 226m in 12 hours. In hindsight, this was an early example of my being able to pace myself over long efforts. Teens over, I was married to Mary, proud father of three daughters, and living in Glossop with a demanding job ensuring that the superalloys we made were up to spec. Then at 34 came my epiphany. Chris Brasher wrote an inspiring account of the 1972 Karrimor mountain marathon in his regular column in The Observer. I resolved to do the next one, so it was Chris who got me going on foot in[…]

Welcome to “On the hill with…” a series of short interviews with members of the Rucksack Club. This week it is Amy Illingworth, another member who was introduced to the Club from an early age. She, and husband Will, are based in Chamonix and this “On the hill with…” completes the first husband and wife interviews!    Amy on Jebel Rum How did you get into walking and climbing?  My parents met through the Chester Mountaineering Club and they were both keen to spend time in the outdoors. My sister and I weren’t really given an option, though most of my childhood memories are of wild swimming and canyoning, rather than walking.   Who has had the most influence on your mountain experiences?  My Dad taught me to climb and gave me an incredible foundation. My friends from Sheffield Uni days are hugely important to me, we’ve been on so many trips together and they’ve introduced so much fun and laughter into the process… plus one became my husband. I’ve also been inspired by a number of women who I see out leading and enjoying exciting trips, in particular some of the women who I met when I lived in[…]

“On the hill with…” a series of short interviews with members of the Rucksack Club continues this week with another Past President, John Llewellyn [1984/85] who has been a very active and influential member of the Club for over 60 years.  John heading for Pabbay in 2014 How did you get into walking and climbing? I was a schoolboy during the war.  My father worked at Metrovick and was able to have just one week’s holiday a year so we were able to have a short holiday staying at Rowarth, the little village a mile or two north of New Mills.  After some short local walks my father and I got to the top of Lantern Pike  –  wow!  We could see a long dark hill some way away. I was told it was called Kinder Scout and you couldn’t go on it because it was a private moor only for shooting parties. I was only eight but that is a vivid memory and it gave me a strong desire to investigate.  Subsequently I became a boy scout and very fond of camping, walking and then climbing. We firstly climbed on Windgather and Castlenaze. Later, the Rector of Llanberis opened[…]

Our “On the hill with…” series of interviews with members of the Rucksack Club continues with Parminder Chaggar who is now based in the far South West. Parminder having fun in the Alps How did you get into walking and climbing? Having grown up in a ghetto in inner city Birmingham, the great outdoors was a completely different world and one that was not easy to engage with.  I remember climbing Crib Goch on a school trip when I was a young teenager and being completely out of my depth, even on the easier terrain, resulting in a teacher having to hold my hand most of the way.  I think Snowdon may have been first ever ‘big hill’.  My introduction into the outdoors in earnest was via pure serendipity as a young adult when I moved to Sheffield to go to medical school.  Like most city kids, I was into drinking and clubbing, but by chance my housemate started dating a lad that climbed; we got on so he took me out to Stanage one day and I was hooked.  From there I was lucky to get in with a circle of friends that climbed regularly, informally known as the[…]

Our “On the hill with…” a series of short interviews with members of the Rucksack Club continues this week with a Past President Gerry Gee [1990/91], who was in the ‘hot seat’ during one of the landmark periods in the Club’s history. As you will read, he remains active in his late 80’s…an inspiration to us all! Gerry enjoying a brandy on a Wednesday Walkers Alpine Tour, 2003 How did you get into walking and climbing and who was most influential? I started hill walking towards the end of my time at my all-boys secondary school. The main motivation was to set up a joint activity with our all-female twin school. Success in this latter endeavour was limited, but we did do some good hill walks in Yorkshire and Derbyshire. The idea of climbing had never even remotely entered my head, until chance events intervened. Firstly, my oldest friend the late Colin Ludlam, managed to fail his exams at Nottingham University, thanks mainly to his pursuit of the pretty girls that Nottingham was famous for at that time. Hence, he had to fill in for a while with a temporary job at Kelloggs. “Hey”, he announced to me one day, “I’ve[…]

Welcome to “On the hill with…” a series of short interviews with members of the Rucksack Club. This week it is the turn of Ellie Bloodworth who ‘came through the ranks’ so to speak! Ellie…getting out there! How did you get into walking and climbing?  My dad, Robin Bloodworth, is the reason behind my love for the great outdoors. Growing up my mum used to work night shifts as a NHS nurse so Daddy-day-care (aka mum needs sleep!) meant frequent trips to the Rucksack club huts and exploring the hills. One of my earliest memories is learning about gravity whilst sliding down a hill somewhere in my overalls! This love for exploring and being outside has never faded. I guess I never really ‘got into walking’; it’s just part of being a Bloodworth.   Who has had the most influence on your mountain experiences?  Friends, family and other members really. I of course, admire many famous people who have achieved epic feats on the mountains but my influence comes from the enthusiasm of the people around me. Is there anything better than having an awesome mountain day with like minded people? That’s why the club is so epic; everytime I[…]