Kinder Climbing Meet, September 2013

End of September, the sun was shining and 2 car loads heading for Kinder, for what ended up being one of the most enjoyable weekend meets of the year. This was never going to be about climbing hard or a high volume of routes, rather savouring the pleasure of empty cliffs and good company, in a great setting and for once the weather was playing ball.

North Wales Meet - Ty Powdr hut nr Llanberis, September 2013

Mike, Ben, Jon, Jeff, Richard & Jamie arrived at drive to the hut on Friday evening to be faced with the Fortress like entrance procedures through the farmyard to the hut. There are 2 locked gates and an intermediate gate to pass through before entrance to the car park is gained. Unfortunately Mike, not realising the significance of the shapes of the 8 keys provided....

Heptonstall Climbing meet - September 2013

Mike, Dave, Tony and myself attended, with Dave's brother Pete meeting us there, as he is a local. With only 2 routes featuring in my 100 Best tick list, Fairy Steps HS and Bull's Crack HVS, it meant there would be plenty of time to explore the other delights of Heptonstall. Unfortunately Fairy Steps was occupied when we arrived so my warm up route was the excellent Bulls' Crack HVS 5a, with Dave following, while Tony and Mike did the rather pumpy looking Curving Crack VS....

Wimberry Climbing meet, August 2013

Wimberry is one of those places I have always meant to visit and despite having 10 routes in the Steve Ashton 100 Best Yorkshire and Peak Grit, I have never quite got round to it. Weather and the long walk are the usual excuses, that and its reputation for brutal man eating crack lines and thick green lichen...
 

North Wales Meet - Capel Curig (Welsh 3000's), June 2013

A small but incredibly lovely party met in the old chapel which is now the Gwydyr Club's hut at Capel Curig, latish on the Friday evening. The horse trading began immediately. Mike and Colin were definitely up for the 3000s on the Saturday, regardless of the weather.....
 

Scotland Meet - Cairngorms, May 2013

The large display of mountain bikes outside the hut gave everyone who hadn't been before a hint about Cairngorms travel arrangements, from the posh affairs with hydraulic thingummies, through Ed's hand-me-down version to my own ramshackle, bought-cheap-for-the-week object. The off-side pedal fell off on Tuesday.....
 

Lake District Meet - Langdale, May 2013

Two men and a dog attended this one - me, Austin and Trudy. As it was in the Wayfarers Club hut, a palace, in the most popular valley in the Lakes, with climbing on the doorstep, this was a bit puzzling, until we realised everybody else had seen the weather forecast. Lightweights. When I was your age I thought nothing of tramping the fells in all weathers - still don't think much of it, as a matter of fact.
 

Cwm Dyli hut at the foot of the Snowdon Horseshoe is a favourite hut for members of the DMC. Our trip in April was attended by 12 members some to climb, some to walk and for one member her first time to N Wales.
 

Lake District Meet - Wasdale, March 2013

Doom and gloom in the forecast again leading up to the weekend meet to Wasdale. “Any snow on the hills” was the cry as people arrived at the hut in their 2’s and 3’s, and of course nobody knew as everybody had arrived in the dark. “Doesn’t look like it” went up the reply....

As we walked out of the door Pete and Geoff walked in. Having made it to the valley road they had turned around and come back. “If it’s that bad down here we’re not going up there, we’re off to Boot.” .....
 

Scotland meet - Alex MacIntyre memorial hut, Ballachuilish - Feb 2013

It was a bit surprising to cross the border en route to Glencoe and find Scotland still visible. For a week previously the forecast on the ‘Beeb’ had been giving us storms of biblical intensity - when I travelled up on Wednesday I expected a level snowfield, starting at Gretna and lashed by blizzards. So it was a bonus to enjoy a fine, sunny, evening t’other side of Glasgow, with the snow level about 2000ft and grass showing through even higher up. The Ballachulish hut was as luxurious as ever, and even had a resident Warden......

The promise of a winter wonderland tempted a few of the DMC to the Agnes Spencer hut in the Lakes in early January. A typically popular meet was this time a little under supported due to many of the stalwart members being away or injured. However, eight of the fourteen places were filled and plans were made for adventure......
 

The Annual Dinner took place on 19th January at the Crispin Inn, Great Longstone and was attended by countless members and families. This doesn't mean there were a lot of people there – it just means I couldn't count 'em due to some kind of blonde beer which proved very attractive, but which would have led to lengthy arguments with Ian in the old days....