Peterborough Mountaineering Club In/2008 Autumn.pdf · The Roaches and Lud’s Church. 14 –Best...

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In this issue:How to combat altitude sickness

Your ‘Best bits of kit’

And the secret life of Nick Livesey revealed!

News: p5-125&7- Wedding bells– PMC members gethitched...10 – Ethical gear.

Features13 – Fave walks –The Roaches andLud’s Church.14 – Best bit of kit!15 – Tips ‘n’ Tricksfrom Christelle onaltitude sickness.30 – An underwaterparadise in Sinai,Egypt.

Profile19 – PMC NewMembers Sec, NickLivesey.

Climbing32 – Slab Happy inWales!

36 – The Skyline.

Expedition21 – Artic Wilderness expedition for young people.

Mountaineering23 – Malcolm Flatt goes to theEastern Alps.26 – LeeFarmer somehowgoes from Somerfield to the Sahara.

Dates foryour diary:p40

Take In! – The Peterborough Mountaineering Club MagazineAutumn 2008 3

ContentsAutumn 2008

Cover photo: NickLivesey and “Nobz” at the

foot of Left Edge,Carnedd y Filiast’s Cwm

Graianog, Wales.

6

p13

p5

P15

DON’T FORGET TO RENEW YOURMEMBERSHIP BY THE END OF

THE YEAR – OR YOU’LL LOSE ALLYOUR BENEFITS,

INCLUDING YOUR QUARTETRLY TAKE IN!

p19

p32

p30

Take In! – The Peterborough Mountaineering Club MagazineAutumn 2008

4

PMC contactsPresident: Clive OsborneTel: 01733 [email protected]

Chairman: Will KimberleyTel: 07802 [email protected]

Treasurer: Tony [email protected]

Secretary: Jon DarlingPOSITION VACANTinfo: [email protected]

New members secretary: Nick LiveseyTel: 07954 [email protected]

Events co-ordinator:Tom [email protected] Tel: 07917 735271

Newsletter Editor: Christelle TarchalskiTel: 07849 [email protected]

Website editor: Kevin Trickey/Val TaylorTel: 01733 [email protected]

Cottage bookings: Robin PhillipsTel: 01248 [email protected]

Produced by: Publisher: Jenna MaryniakTel: 01733 [email protected]

We needYOU!

Many thanks to all our con-tributors this issue. Wewould love to receive yourarticles and pictures forthe next issue – but youdon’t have to write a wholearticle, you can also justsend us your ramblings, let-ters, news, best photos,“Can’t-live-without” gearreviews, or tell us aboutyour favourite walks /scrambles / routes / MTBareas! We can even adver-tise items wanted/for sale...

The next deadline is:

*20th JANUARY*– so e-mail them to us:[email protected]

(N.B. Text should ideally besent as Word documents andpictures should be high reso-lution jpgs – send them attheir original size and makesure your camera is set tohigh quality, so we can printthem big!)

www.peterbo

roug

hmc.or

g.uk

www.peterbo

roug

hclim

bing

wall.c

o.uk

New PMC website!


The official magazine of thePeterborough Mountaineering Club (PMC).

Printed by:

90 Peterborough Road, Farcet,Peterborough PE7 3BN. Tel: 01733562372. www.kengirvan.co.uk

If you don’t keep your copies ofTake In for-ever andever, make sure yourecycle them!

Contact us by e-mailing [email protected], ortelephone 01733 260009.

The PMC website is undergoing a few changesand a fresh lick of paint, thanks to JacRowlands! These changes, including a newforum, photo-commenting and ratings are com-ing very soon and expected to go live in thenext few weeks. Keep an eye out for what’scoming soon ... here’s just a flavour:

* A Fresh New Look;* Articles;* News / Announcements;* Events;* Photo Commenting;* Photo-Rating with average score system;* Automatic photo resize for posting pics;* Members Forum – with topics on Events, PMC,Climbing Wall, Mountain Biking, For Sale /Wanted Ads or just General Chat;* And a Full Site Search.

with more to come ...

New PMC website!

NEWS

Congratulations to our president, CliveOsborne and Ingrid (nee Rijks) on their recent

wedding. The couple married at HinchinbrookeHouse on 12 October 2008, writes Malcolm Flatt.

They met about six years ago in a Youth Hostelin Lincoln, when Clive was on a first aid courseand Ingrid was on a holiday in the UK. They havea three-year-old son, Tim. It was definitely aclimber’s wedding. I have done a lot of climbingwith in the Alps with Clive and was best man, andthere were many other guests there from thePMC. We provided an arch of ice axes for thecouple to walk under, even the wedding cake hadclimbers on one side!

Despite the fact that the wedding was inOctober the weather was excellent, and the

guests were able to enjoy the grounds atHinchinbrooke House while the photographswere being taken. The couple took a trip on theOrient Express for their honeymoon. We wishthem all the very best for the future.

Wedding bells ringing

www.peterboroughmc.org.uk

Clive and Ingrid.


6

The PMC is a friendly, successfulclub with around 200 membersof all ages. We hold regular tripsto the Peak District, Wales, LakeDistrict and Scottish Highlandsto walk, climb and mountainbike.

Each year we also organisemany club events, including tripsto the Alps, sunny Spain andFrance, plus training sessions,courses, socials, master classes,etc. (you get the picture).

The club owns a luxurious hutin Snowdonia (hot showers/fittedkitchen/drying room, sleepingupto 30 people) and the climbingwall in Peterborough. The wall isopen 7pm – 10pm weekdays,1pm – 9pm weekends and is atthe Sports Club (and bar) besideEdith Cavell Hospital (Clubnights – Tuesday).

Non-members are very wel-come to join us at most eventsand you are welcome to use theclimbing wall at any time.

About the PeterboroughMountaineering Club

NEWS

For more info, contact the new members secretary, Nick Livesey on 07954 277665, e-mail [email protected] ask at the wall.

Membership benefits:• Save at the climbing wall (£4members; £5 non-members);• 10% discount on accommodationat the club’s Snowdonia cottage inNorth Wales;• Third-party BMC mountaineeringinsurance for up to £2 million;• 10% discount at climbing shopsacross the UK;• Trips to the Lakes, Peaks, Scotland, Alps, Spain, Italy,Fontainebleau.• Training and expedition grants to subsidise your personalmountaineering development;• Take In! magazine – every quarter;• Annual magazine from BMC entitled – Summit;• Membership of the club bar and use of changing rooms atthe climbing wall;• Opportunity to meet like-minded and adventurous people;• Social calendar of training courses, events, dinners, bouldering competitions and BBQs, etc.;• Library of books, maps, videos, etc.• Equipment library of helmets, harnesses, ice axes, crampons, boots, rucksacks, cagoules, etc.;• A source of walking an climbing partners.

�RENEW YOURMEMBERSHIPBY THE ENDOF THE YEAR!

Membership costs... price freeze on individual memberships for 2009


In the middle of September amonumental event occurred.Mat Green, a long standingmember of the PMC, was mar-ried.

Mat met his new wife Sam justa year ago and they been prettymuch inseparable since. It wasafter only a short time togetherthat he popped the questionand Sam happily said yes.

They held the wedding in thevillage of Glatton, Mat’s homearea. About 60 guests weretreated to wonderful weatherfor this special occasion. Matand his best man (me) lookeddashing in our morning suits

and Sam was stunning in anuncomplicated white dress thatshe carried off to perfection.

The reception was held at theStibbington Inn where severalmembers of the PMC joinedthem to celebrate and enjoythe rather untraditional hogroast. This was also the onlytime I have seen Mat nearly lostfor words whilst giving hisspeech.

They then spent a two-weekhoneymoon in Thailand to starttheir married life together.

I am sure everyone would liketo wish them all the very bestfor the future.

MAT GREEN GETS MARRIEDJon Darling reports on a tragic loss to the female population…

Mat and Sam Green.

Val and Kev left the UK in early September, andalthough Val has been back a couple of times tosort out affairs, they have now moved in and willprobably be there for about three years.Fortunately, through the wonders of SKYPE, wecan speak to them often (albeit at rather oddtimes of day).

They have yet to bump into any bears, but haveseen bison, beavers, coyote and Bob Dylan (spotthe odd one out ... I know that’s not easy!) Theyhave also been kayaking, and visited Jasper (theRockies are just two hours away – just imagine!),and they will soon be able to ski and ice climb.

For friends who would like to keep up withtheir news, visit Val’s BlogCowboytime.spaces.live.com

I know they would really appreciate friendsfrom the PMC keeping in touch. Above is a pic-ture of them just before they left – how they gotthrough immigration is a mystery ;-)

VAL & KEV’S BIGADVENTURE

Kev and Valbefore settingoff toEdmunton,Alberta inCanada.For all the PMC members who

know Val Taylor and Kev Yallup, LinMarsh updates us with the latest, fol-lowing their move to Edmunton,Alberta in Canada

NEWS

Gear news

Other news

8 Take In! – The Peterborough Mountaineering Club MagazineAutumn 2008

Namaste!And a very warm welcometo this Autumn edition ofTake-In! We hope that youhad a great Autumn, and

enjoy reading about all theescapades of PMC members.

This edition is rich inadventures from the four

corners of our lovely planetearth, going from Morocco

with the ascent of the Tubkal,the Alps with the Studlgrat,and many more! You will alsodiscover more than you maywish to know about our new

secretary, Nick Livesey!In this edition, we have

been slightly short on articlesand would like to encourageyou to send us some smallarticles and pictures. You donot have to be a “born”writer and write a book!

We wish you a happy reading and we hope to hear

from you!Have a Merry Christmas and a

Happy New Year!Christelle

From theEditor

Christelle

Discount on gearOriginal Outdoor Gear – www.originaloutdoorgear.co.uk – isgiving members 10% off to PMC members on all products ontheir website for the foreseeable future.

To claim your discount, you will need the discount code:DCCLUBS10 – just enter the code on the ‘Checkout’ pagewhen placing your order.

Original Outdoor Gear claim to be retailers with a difference– not selling any product unless they have tried, tested and eval-uated it in the great outdoors!

PMC members can now join the PMVC Facebook group totrack each other down and share photos.

To join search for ‘Peterborough Mountaineering Club’on www.facebook.com

The PMC is now on Facebook!

Outdoors ShowThe Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show isreturning to the NEC from 27-29 March 2009.www.outdoorsshowextra.co.uk

BMC at No. 10On 8th October, a reception was heldfor the BMC at No. 10 DowningStreet in celebration of British moun-taineering.

The reception will took place from5.30pm to 7pm and included speechesby BMC President Charles Clarke andLeo Houlding.

The event was being held in recognition of the work ofthe BMC, of all British mountaineering activities and thecurrent role our sport plays in contributing to a fit andactive nation in the 21st century.

9Take In! – The Peterborough Mountaineering Club MagazineAutumn 2008

The Peterborough Climbing Wall nowhas a lovely new website. Check it outat www.peterboroughclimbingwall.co.uk

Wall prices are now as follows:PMC members – £4Non-members – £514-18s – £3Under 14s – £1.50

Six-month season tickets:PMC members – £75Non-members – £100

12-month season tickets:PMC members – £135

Non-members – £180The Wall is run by PMC members. Ask at thewall about becoming a wall supervisor if youwant to save loadsa money!

Open:Monday to Friday: 19:00 - 22:00Saturday & Sunday: 13:00 - 21:00

Christmas opening times

* The wall will be closed 24th-28th & 31st December and1st January this year.

Climbing WallPics: Jac Rowlands

Take In! has been spon-sored by Rock Blok, whowill also be providing somefantastic discounts to PMCmembers, including:* 20% off Rock Blok activities & cycle hire.* 10% off bikes and frames in Rutland Cycling;* 15% off Rock Blok climbing gear & clothing

Terry Wrights Cycles in Deeping St James arealso supporting the magazine with an advertand will be giving members:* 10% off in the shop;* A free inner tube for your bike if you men-tion the Take In! advert in store.

Make sure you support these local businessesif you can – as they are ensuring the continua-tion of the colour version of Take In! – withoutthem we will have to go back to black andwhite (noooooo!).

Morediscounts formembers!

Money off

We need a new honorary secretary!Jon Darling has resigned from the position ofhon sec and the committee would like tothank him for all he has done for the PMCover the past two years.

So, we are now looking for a new hon sec!If you are interested in joining the PMC com-mittee, duties include attending monthlymeetings, preparing the meeting agendas,keeping minutes, receiving club communica-tions – particularly from the BMC, sendingclub communications – particularly info toBMC, helping to organise events, keeping infoup-to-date (notice board, website, Take In!,etc).

If you’d like to get involved contact Clive onTel: 01733 560303, [email protected]

Renew it or lose it!Don;t forget to renew your PMC membership – or you will lose all yourbenefits, including discounts and yourquarterly Take In!


10

ROCK BLOK ADVERTORIAL

The importance of ‘where things come from’ isa growing concern in today’s society. Naturalproducts are better for us, better for theenvironment and wewould all rather ourclothing was manufac-tured in an ethical andsustainable way.

Icebreaker

With these concepts inmind, Icebreaker, a smallNew Zealand-born out-door clothing company, haslaunched an online system,“Baacodes”, allowing customers totrace each individual garment theymake through its production stages.You can find out exactly where everyIcebreaker garment began. And it isn’t anoil well. Whereas synthetic base-layers are oftenmade from oil-based synthetics, Icebreaker’sproducts are all made from Merino sheep’swool.

Nature knows best too: humans have yet toinvent a fibre so perfect. Icebreaker’s Merinosheep live in the Southern Alps of New Zealand,trotting about under temperatures ranging fromextreme cold to baking hot. They’ve evolved withan ultra-thick coat of ultra-fine fibres. It’s warm,it’s breathable, and the fine, supersoft fibresaren’t itchy. Merino is also great at wicking mois-ture and holding warmth even when wet.

Icebreaker stakes its business on ethical prac-tices and sustainability. Rather than buying the

fabric already manufac-tured, as most garmentmakers do, Icebreakersigned long-term con-tracts with 120 sheepfarmers in NewZealand, giving thefarmers security.

Each Icebreaker item nowcomes with a “Baa-cod” thatcan be typed into their web-site. The code traces eachgarment through every stepof its production process,back to a sheep station inNew Zealand. You can learn about the

ranch your item came from:how many sheep they have on

how many acres, how long thefarmers have been there, how much wool theyproduce and what kind of life they lead. You can’tnarrow your search down to one sheep stationand definitely not to one sheep, however, sorry.

Tester’s opinion

Icebreaker make the best baselayers on the mar-ket. They make your life easy because they areso versatile and breathable that you don’t haveto worry about the weather. Not itchy at alleither!

The Range

Body fit 150The 150 is the lightest and finest all season base

Inspired by nature, ethically manufacturedSarah Stirling introduces the Rock Blok’s new green and eco-friendlyclothing range

TheIcebreakerrange

�Don’t forget,PMC membersget 15% offRock Blok clothing &climbing gear


layer available.

Bodyfit 200The lightweight base layer, per-fect for mountain biking, hikingand everyday use.

Bodyfit 260The warmest and most breathableperformance base layer in the world. Also idealas a warm solo layer in the summer months.

Páramo: Inspired by feathers, fur andleaves; made by an enterprising nun anddisadvantaged women

Back in the 1980s, Nikwax founder Nick Brownwas disillusioned with the breathability, comfortand waterproofing of traditional outdoor cloth-ing. He observed the way mammals’ fur andfeathers helped them stay dry and comfortable,by keeping water away from their bodies, whilestill allowing their skin to breathe. This thoughtled to the way trees evaporate and ‘wick’ water.Nature had some good ideas there…

Nick began designing prototypes of jacketswith a ‘pump liner’ that directed water awayfrom the body and a tough, microfibre outer,treated with Nikwax renewable water-proofing.He tested these prototypes in Páramo, in theAndes, and stayed warm, dry and comfortable at3,800m.

In 1992, Nick came across a workshop in

Colombia, employing 12 ladies to use twosewing machines. The Miquelina Convention, ledby Sister Esther Castano, helped desperatewomen to learn to sew to earn money.

Páramo clothing and the Miquelina Convention joined forces and have grown together ever since.

Miquelina’s factory now employs more than 12 dozen women to make some 4,000 Páramo garments every month on 120 machines. There is a kindergarten and there are lessons in litera-cy. Most employees have a formal qualification

and the factory has gained thecoveted ISO 9002 Standard.

In September 2007, Páramolaunched its carbon balancing ini-tiative, working with the WorldLand Trust to offset their primarycarbon emissions for the past 10years and conserving tropical

rainforest at the same time.

Tester’s opinion

The fabric is perfect for mixed UK weather: it’sdurable, comfortable, keeps you dry and is quickto dry itself. Unlike Gore-Tex, it’s soft against theskin too.

Velez Smock

Designed for biking, climbing and running.Features include Páramo’s renowned vent zipsystem, reflective piping, a removable hood andan OS map-sized, hand-warmer front pocket.

Vasco Jacket

A multi-activity jacket offering intelligent design,a contemporary look and a host of ventilationfeatures.

Suitable for high energy use.

Vasco jacket

Velez jacket

The Rock Blok shop.

�Here at Rutland Cycling we’ve noticed that, yearon year, bicycles have become increasingly popu-lar as the ultimate Christmas gift. It’s not hard tosee why: the benefits of cycling are many, andoften the giver gets as much pleasure from a bikeas the receiver.

Cycling has diversified massively as it has grownin popularity and the 2008 market offers a bewil-dering array of hi-tech bikes. That’s whereRutland Cycling can help. Go towww.rutlandcycling.com, call 01780 460705 orpop into our Whitwell store for some helpchoosing the perfect Christmas present.

In the meantime, here is our round up of thetop five bikes for Christmas...

Child’s First Mountain Bike(6-8 yrs)DAWES REDTAIL – Only£129.99

Dawes kid’s bikes aredesigned to give kidsconfidence duringthe all-importantformative years. TheRedtail comes with a light-weight frame, powerful, easy to adjust brakes, sixeasy-twist gears to play with and front suspen-sion.

Teen Mountain BikeGIANT MTX FS 225 (for boys) and TAFFYFS 225 (for girls) – Only £165

The MTX and Taffy are designed for fun and builtto last. Your developing mountain biker will lovetaking to the great outdoors with the combina-tion of lightweight frame and quality features,including 18-speed gearing and full suspension.

Adult Road BikeWILIER IZOARD PRO – Only £1,799.00, RRP £2,499.00

The ideal bike for the performance road rider wanting to step up from an entry level bike to a high performance Italian-made carbon racing bike.

Hardtail Mountain BikeKONA CALDERA – Only £549.99, RRP£700.00

A classic Kona hardtail, the Calderaoffers a perfect balance of low-

weight and rugged equipment. It’sat home in most mountain

bike environments, fromriding single track in the

woods to big days out.

Full SuspensionMountain Bike

KONA DAWG SUPREME– Only £1,899.99, RRP £2,600.00

The combination of cross country agility,adjustable full suspension and all-mountain per-formance make the Dawg Supreme perfect forspending long days off-road.

Women’s Mountain Bike SPECIALIZED MYKA SPORT DISC

The Myka range fits perfectly to the female shape,from the proportions of the frame, down to theshape of the saddle and handlebars. This onecomes with disc brakes and front suspension.


12

RUTLAND CYCLING ADVERTORIAL

RUTLAND CYCLING TIPS TOP 5 BIKES FOR CHRISTMAS

Don’t forget,PMC membersget 10% off

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�


FEATURE

Fave walks...

I’ve been on lots of walks in the Peak District,and been to the Roaches on several occasions,but if you haven’t walked from the Roaches toLud’s Church, you really should take the time!

Lud’s Church is a hidden, deep, atmosphericgorge that you can walk right through. Quiteimpressive!

Start from Rockhall cottage, taking a short, easyscramble to enjoy a three-mile, high levelwalkbefore dropping down through Forest Wood,where you will find the deep and secluded chasmof Luds Church. After winding through theremote valley of Black Brook, return across theshoulder of The Roaches.

Not up for climbing? Give it a go, you won’t bedisappointed.

– Richard Maryniak

Lud’s C

hurchThe R

oaches

The Roaches to Lud’sChurch


14

Best Bit of Kit!FEATURE

The GriGriIt’s that strange belay device consisting oflevers, moving plates and wheels. It’s greatadvantage is that it will lock the rope when aclimber falls and can then beeasily released by pulling onthe lever.

To use it properly andsafely, you need someinstruction and practice,but I’ll skip that bit and gostraight to its many uses:

1. Belaying hands-free (with care!): at theclimbing wall I can use both hands to takemoney and give change, etc. whilst maintainingtension on the rope by simply walking back-wards as the climber ascends.

2. Self-belaying: the GriGri is the only devicethat can be used relatively safely for self-belay-ing. Tie one end of the top rope to a securebottom anchor and then attach the GriGri tothe other end. Instead of tying on, just clip theGriGri to your harness. As you climb you takeup the slack by using one hand to pull the rope(not failed me yet). There are other devices(Ropeman, Jumar, etc.) that will do the same,but the GriGri’s great advantage is that you caneasily release the lock, by pulling on the lever,and control your descent.

3. Route setting is made much easier by usingthe GriGri in self-belay mode. I can go up anddown the route many times, take rests, suspenda bucket of holds, etc. with ease.

4. Rescuing a stuck climber: I know that if Iam belaying with a GriGri I am able to easilyrescue a stuck climber. Instead of tying anchors,using Prusiks and climbing the route twice(usual procedure) to rescue a climber, I justclimb the route using the stuck climber as a

counter balance anchor. I take up the slack fre-quently until I arrive at the victim. The GriGriwill hold me in position so that I don’t need toanchor myself to the rock to use both hands

and free the climber. Once the climberis free, I clip myself to the climber witha quickdraw and suspend them

between my legs. I can then lower usboth to the ground by releasing theGriGri.

5. Stop-start abseiling and re-ascending: I like to check on a novice

doing lead climbing for the first time by abseil-ing down beside them. The GriGri is great forthis. It will hold me stationary wherever I want,so I can check on nut placements, etc. I canreascend easily or abseil further, confident ofprotection via the GriGri.

– Clive Osborne, PMC president

POWERstretch!I love all my kit, myboots, buffs, my bike,bladder… all begin-ning with ‘B’ strange-ly… but none ofthese are a surprise,and everyone’s gotthese things already.So my Take In! “Bestbit of kit” is myfleece-lined powerstretch tights. I firstspied them beingworn by wiry, slightlyaged, grisly mountainmen; then by our

The GriGri

Channel 5 TV celebrity (!) andnew members sec, Nick Livesey,and I’ve got to say, I didn’t reallyget it – they looked a bit …well, funny. But then I gotbought a pair – and I wasimpressed, they are totallybreathable, really warm, quickdrying and best of all you havecomplete freedom of move-ment making them the mostcomfy thing in the mountains. Ifyou wear them with gaiters,they don’t look so bad either!

– Jenna Maryniak


Do you have afavourite bit ofkit? What isyour “can’t-live-without”, essential mountain /climbing / hiking / bikingthing? Take aphoto of it, tellus why you loveit and send it to

us at [email protected]

Tips ’n’Tricks –

Altitude sicknessChristelle Tarchalski looks into the effectsof altitude sickness and the preventivemeasures you can take

When traveling in high moun-tain areas, we need to knowhow to prevent, identify andtreat the various kinds of alti-tude sickness. Simply put, altitudesickness is caused by exposureto high altitudes and the increas-ing scarcity of oxygen as you gain elevation. The condition isalso known as acute mountain sickness and altitude illness.

Like me, you may have climbed several times in the Alps orother “low” altitude mountains and may think you know whataltitude sickness is and how to tackle it.

However, as, at the time of writing, I am soon leaving forNepal, I thought that writing a small article about it wouldhelp me to understand altitude sickness better and the differ-ent ways to avoid it! Especially after reading the following:“One of the biggest dangers facing anyone visiting Tibet is thealtitude, which can be a killer if underestimated”.

Indeed, with the mountains averaging a height of 4,000m,most travellers are likely to experience some negative sideeffects. Because the air is thinner, your lungs have to workharder to deliver the same amount of oxygen to your bodywith each breath of air. The effects on the body can be varied,and concerning. Some acclimatise much faster and less prob-lematically than others.

To dispel a common misconception, it has nothing to withhow young and healthy you are, and bizarrely enough, it isoften the young and healthy who are affected worse of all;though this might just be because they overdo it in their


enthusiasm! Either way, it’s advisable to take afew precautions to minimise any unpleasant-ness!

People can acclimatize to high altitudes, butthere is no immunity from its effects. Individualshave varying reactions to being at high altitudeand even those who are in good physical condi-tion and health can have symptoms of altitudesickness at 6,500 feet or 2,000 meters abovesea level! At 8,000 feet (2,400 metres) symp-toms of altitude sickness becomes more com-mon. Twenty per cent of people, or one in five,who venture over 10,000 feet (3,048m) willdevelop symptoms.

High altitude sickness

Altitude sickness can also lead to high altitudepulmonary edema, also known as HAPE, andhigh altitude cerebral edema (HACE). Whenabove 8,000 feet for extended periods of time,

a form of chronic mountain sickness calledMonges Disease can develop.

Members of your party, or even you yourself,may deny or ignore symptoms of altitude ill-ness. Reasons include fear of being left behindor holding up the climb, great desire to achievea goal, pride, or having invested monetarily oremotionally in the trip. The group leader shouldtake time to individually examine every mem-ber of the party on a daily basis and make sureany potential symptoms of high altitude sick-ness are discovered and treated as quickly asthey arise.

Acute mountain sickness

Acute mountain sickness is the most commontype of mountain illness caused by altitudesover 8,000 feet above sea level. At high altitudesnearly everyone will exhibit hyperventilationduring times of exertion, increased urination,

FEATURE


awakening a number of times in the night, andeven some sleep apnea. However, you are con-sidered to have altitude sickness if you have aheadache with at least one of the following: • gastro-intestinal upset, including loss ofappetite, nausea and vomiting; • a feeling of being tired and weak; • dizziness or light headedness; and,• difficulty tosleep.

Being activeworsens thecondition.Lesser sideeffects can be afeeling ofsleepiness andthe swelling ofhands, feet, andface.

The altitudesickness symp-toms generallyhappen within six to 10 hours of being at eleva-tion and usually stop within 48 hours ofdescending. This is a clue as to how far youneed to descend in order to alleviate the symp-toms of high altitude sickness. In generaldescending down to the elevation you were ata day or two before the symptoms developed,will be within the safe zone where you arealready acclimatized, and so can recover.

People who fly to high altitude locations aretwice as likely to develop symptoms of highaltitude sickness than those who trek in. This isdue to the effects of gradual acclimatizationthat the trekkers receive over the days theyslowly climb in elevation that the fly-ins do notreceive.

Upon descending to a lower altitude thesymptoms of altitude sickness should disappearwithin a day or two, at which time the person

acclimatized. You may then continue the ascent.It is worth mentioning that at high altitudes,

dehydration is a common problem and thisoften leads to headaches. If someone in yourgroup has a headache and you want to test fordehydration, simply have them drink a quart ofwater and take a pain reliever, such as aspirinor ibuprofen. If the headache completely goes

away, then acutemountain sick-ness is not thereason for dis-comfort.

Edema athigh altitudes

Edema is whenthe body accu-mulates fluids inits tissues. Thispotentially fatalcondition canlead to high alti-tude pulmonary

edema and high altitude cerebral edema.

High altitude pulmonary edema

At elevations of more than 10,000 feet abouttwo percent of climbers suffer from pulmonaryedema. Symptoms are a dry cough that can leadto the production of frothy pink sputum. Peoplewith this condition always tire much more easi-ly than the rest of the group, even though theymay have formerly been very active.

People suffering from this condition may notbe able to lay flat. Often the patient has a feverand crackles, which is often misdiagnosed aspneumonia.

It is very important that the victim descendto a lower elevation, as the symptoms canquickly progress, and death is common. Evenwhen evacuated, about 10 percent of high alti-tude pulmonary edema victims may die.

Christelle


18

High altitude cerebral edema

About one percent ofpeople acclimatizing tohigh altitudes over10,000 feet experiencehigh altitude cerebraledema. Symptoms ofcerebral edema include:• headache; • visual impairment; • loss of bladder control; • stomach upset; • loss of coordination; • paralysis on one side ofthe body; • confusion.

It is thought that high altitude cerebral edemais actually acute mountain sickness at its mostclinical level. A test for this state is to ask theperson to walk along a straight line heal to toe,much as is done when checking someone forintoxication. If the person cannot stay on theline, they are candidates for this form of edemaand should be evacuated.

As with all other forms of altitude sickness,descending to a lower altitude to allow time foracclimatization is necessary. To be on the safeside, descend to the encampment of at leasttwo nights prior to the onset of symptoms.

How to acclimatize for high altitude

In order to avoid or lessen the chances of alti-tude sickness, your body must slowly adjust tothe lower amounts of oxygen at higher eleva-tions. The body does this by increasing its num-ber of red blood cells. Acclimatization to higherelevations cannot be rushed.

To be on the safe side, do not sleep more

than 1,000 feet (305 metres) above the placewhere you slept the night before. For example,if you slept at an elevation of 13,000 feet thenno matter how high you climbed during theday, be sure to descend to at least an elevationof 12,000 in order to sleep the next night.Doing this in a series of days will eventuallyallow you to safely reach successively higherelevations.

When more than 10,000 feet above sea level,climbers follow the “Altitude Golden Rule”,which is to climb high and sleep low. It is alsoadvisable to take approximately 75mg of aspirineveryday as a preventive measure. As part ofour trip in Nepal we will also take someDiamox, which should help the fluid circulationinto our body, if the first symptoms of high alti-tude sickness appear.

Acclimatization to higher elevations cannot berushed!

I will tell you all about our adventures inNepal in the next issue of Take In!

Do not sleep more than 1,000 feet abovethe place where you slept the night before.

FEATURE


How did you get into climbing/mountaineering? I came to the hills relatively late, as I had a hugefear of heights. Thenone day in my mid-20s I chanced uponthe books of AlfredWainwright and W.A. Poucher whichhad a huge impacton me. Soon afterthat, a couple offriends and I visitedLakeland for the firsttime and climbedHarrison Stickle. That day changed my life foreverand an obsession was born that I’m sure willremain until my dying day.

What inspires you most about moun-taineering?

If I have to single out one thing, then it is the

overwhelming beauty of the places to whichmountaineering takes me. There are myriad ofways to gain an adrenaline rush, keeping fit and

experiencing spiri-tual uplift.Mountaineeringprovides all ofthese things, but indue course, whenmy body can nolonger obey mymind, I will seekout scenes of love-liness in the valleys.The mountains

above will be every bit as gorgeous as when Iclimbed them, heartbreakingly so.

Aspirations for the future?

In mountaineering terms there are many things Iwant to do and I’m slowly getting around tothem. In Britain alone there is more than a life-

Other livesSo, there’s lots of rumours about our new new members secretary,Mr Nick Livesey – described by PMC treasurer, Tony Hawkes, as a“ROCK GENIUS”, we find out more…

Fact file: Name: Nicholas Edward LiveseyAge: 35Significant others: My two daughters, Christina (17) andHannah (16)Job: Warehouseman/Fork lift driverFavourite thing: Mountains … whatelse?Best places: Glen Torridon, Wasdaleand my beloved Eryri

Check out the hair! Nick rockingout at the tender age of 16!

Nick in the studio

PROFILE


time’s worth of challenges, and having only onelife, I find that very frustrating. Most of my ambi-tions centre around the UK, but I covet onesummit above all others – the Matterhorn whichI hope to climb before I’m 40.

Why did you get involved in the PMC asnew members secretary?

As the first point of contact for new members, Isaw it as a chance to encourage indoor climbersto venture forth into themountains and reap the richrewards they bring. The PMCplays an important role infacilitating access to the hillsfor those bereft of transportor like-minded friends. This issomething I care deeply aboutand I proselytize at everygiven opportunity. I also wanted to give some-thing back to a club that has been very good tome.

“ROCK GOD”, eh??! Tell us more?

Oh dear! I wish this was in reference to myclimbing prowess, but sadly not. By the age of 18I was regarded as one of the best rock guitaristsin the country. That is what many people remem-ber me for, but it means little to me these days;it’s old news and extremely tedious.

My musical interests go further than just twang-ing and I became involved in writing, arrangingand production, which led to some modest chartsuccess. As well as providing private musictuition, I also worked as a session musician, play-ing different roles in a range of stylistic settingsincluding jazz, UK garage, folk, pop, R ‘n’ B andheavy rock, of course. As a consequence, I amnow proficient on a number of instruments, gui-tar, bass, drums, piano, clarinet, saxophone andchromatic harmonica.

Are those days in the past?

Music is in my soul, so areturn to active service cannever be ruled out. At the

moment I haven’t any ongoing projects, but I stillwrite and record when the mood takes me. Inthe creative arts, ability is nothing without pas-sion, and these days my passion is for the highand wild places.

Have you any other deep dark secretsthat you’d like to reveal to us all?

Lot’s of deep, dark secrets but none I’d like toshare in a family publication like Take In!

Do you have any other hobbies/interests?

Apart from mountaineering, I enjoy listening tomusic especially jazz, soul and easy listening. I alsohave a keen interest in drinking cider, as well aspainting in watercolour, writing and local history.

Tell us three things we didn’t know aboutyou?

• Sometimes I eat food.• I have a penchant for wearing ladies underpants.• I’m illiterate and record my articles on a dicta-phone for later transcription by willing friends towhom I owe a debt of gratitude…

PROFILE

Above: aged 18! No furthercomment necessary! Andleft: Nick’s watercolour

of Ben Arthur.


In the summer of 2008, the British SchoolsExploring Society (BSES Expeditions)arranged for 65 young people aged 16-20 totravel to the arctic wilderness of Svalbard –an island just 600 miles from the NorthPole. Amongst them was Hannah Wright, astudent at Kings School in Peterborough andnow a young explorer aiming to study geog-raphy, physics and chemistry.

Day one

We are situated at 78 Degrees N, 16 Degrees E;those with access to Google Earth or a goodatlas will find us on the NE shore of Billefjordenon the island of Spitsbergen. We are camped onthe shoreline, and immediately in front of thecamp there are seals (a mother and two babiesare particularly inquisitive), and Arctic terns regu-larly hover over us and then suddenly swoopdown to catch unsuspecting fish. Many of our“young explorers” have already braved the coldand splashed into the shallow water for a quick‘head-under’ to wash!

After sortingeveryone outwith kit andequipment, train-ing could beginand the teamslearned commu-nications, first aid,arctic hygiene, boat safety and how to fire a rifle(anti-Polar bear measures). One of the fieldworkstudies being done is on physiology, and so base-line measurements are recorded for all of the 65young people on the island. We are only permit-ted to journey out into the wilds of Svalbardwith the permission of the Sysselmannen, orGovernor, and at some stage of the expeditionwe knew that we would receive a formal inspec-tion without warning: this suddenly happenedduring the training. Naturally BSES passed withflying colours, and we got the ‘all clear’!

Week two

Now the expedition gathers pace and the teams

Arctic wilderness Phillip West of BSES Expeditions at the Royal Geographical Society,recounts the story of an expedition to Svalbard with a group ofyoung people

Hannah Wright.

EXPEDITION

EXPEDITION


have taken to the hills to get comfortable withglaciers and mountains. Watkins team, studyingclimatology, transported some 22 days of equip-ment, food and stove fuel up onto the glacierthrough the tortuous moraine and has just setoff in good heart to travel NE onto the icecap.

Pennell and Wordie teams focussing on geolo-gy, travelled south to study the intricate geologi-cal formationson the eastside ofBillefjorden.The Gjessingteam are car-rying outmeteorologyresearch, havean impressivemet station established at base camp.

Watkins is now some 33km NE ofbase camp with the immediate aim ofreaching a range of mountains a furthersix kilometres in their direction of trav-el. A large (and heavy) ice-core drill wastransported by sledge onto the glacier,and with a lot of hard work and efforttwo-by-three metre snow and ice coreshave been extracted, which can be ‘read’to provide an indication of previous climaticchanges.

Gjessing suffered an initial setback to theirplans when the winch required to elevate thekite to obtain weather readings went missing intransit; this has now been found at Oslo Airportand is en route to us!

MacDonald team has been measuring the gla-cier in Ebbadalen, which was previously meas-ured by a BSES expedition in 2001. In additionto the project work, they have climbed a peak inthe area and plan to return by boat to basecamp via a trip to Pyramiden during the comingweek.

Week four

All of the teams have been really busy this weekwith science work and exploring, their routescriss-crossing the map so much that they makeme dizzy whilst trying to follow their progress!Earlier in the week Watkins Fire reported a suc-cessful ascent of Golitsynfjellet, 1,166m and situ-ated some 35km ENE of base camp at 78

degrees north, 18 degrees east, whichafforded stunning views across the ice-cap and out to the eastern islands of theArchipelago. Watkins is due back at basecamp tomorrow, having been away sincethe start of the expedition and by allaccounts having conducted some suc-cessful snow/ice-core drillings as part of

its climatology project,which now need to beanalysed on the genera-tor-powered base camplaptop.

Yesterday we experi-enced a 93% eclipse ofthe sun at 11.41 amlocal time. Great excite-ment! It didn’t becomecompletely dark, but itwas an eerie sensation

after experiencing 24 hours daylight since ourarrival in the Arctic. Three teams managed toascend local peaks in time for the event and afourth was defeated en route due to looserock.

This afternoon Gjessing team reported a suc-cessful ascent of Newtontoppen, one of the twohighest peaks of Svalbard at 1,717m and situatedat 79 degrees north, 17 degrees east. This issome 45km NNE of base camp as the ivory gullflies, which disguises a long and difficult journeyup over the ice cap! In true Arctic (andAntarctic) fashion the team laid out a series offood and fuel depots on route, which meantthat they did not have to tow the complete load


there andback in theirpulks. Themessage waspassed bysatphonepager thisafternoon(“have reached objective”) and con-firmed by satphone this evening from asnowhole near the summit!

Looking at the map, during the expedi-tion the teams have travelled on footover an area ranging from just over50km east to west and just over 50km north tosouth, and with quite a few significant peakssummited; the two boats have each covered the

best part of 1,000km! The science leadersall appear happy with their projects andthe exciting analysis is still to come whenback in the UK.

– For your chance to come on a BSESexpedition, expe-rience some ofthe worlds mostpristine wilder-ness locations,throw yourselfinto inspiringadventurousactivities and

carry out fieldwork studies of genuine value, callus on 0207 591 3141 or visit the BSES website– www.bses.org.uk.

This was to be my 15th trip to theAlps, and Daniel’s second. Miles, whohad been with us last year, could notjoin us this year, as he had a 4,000 milebike ride to do! The eastern Alps,although not as big as the westernAlps, have some great peaks, and thelower altitude means acclimatisation isless of a problem; so is ideal for ashorter trip.

After a lot of consideration, I decidedthat the Studlgrat on theGrossglockner (3,797m) would be themain objective of the trip. As the Grossglockneris the highest mountain in Austria, the normalroute can be very busy, so the harder Studlgrat

seemed a good choice. We planned to climb theRotspitze (3,496m) as a warm up peak.

As the date for our departure grew nearer, I

Eastern Alps 2008Malcolm Flatt, recounts his trip to the peaks of the eastern Alpswith son, Daniel

Arctic wilderness continued... EXPEDITION cont...

MOUNTAINEERING


kept consulting theweather forecast tosee what was instore. It looked asthough for the firstfew days of the tripthe weather couldbe quite bad. Onepossibility to avoidthe bad weatherwould be to go fur-ther south. We hadvisited the Ortlerregion last year –and there was stillsome good peaks todo there and Ialready had themaps.

We set of on atwo-day drive to theOrtler region of the Alps. We camped at Trafo.From the campsite there is a superb view ofOrtler (3,905m) and its normal route which wehad climbed last year. Overnight there washeavy rain and thunderstorms, but during themorning the rain cleared.

The forecast for the next day was good, sowe made our way to theDusseldorf hut. To do this,we drove to Sulden, tooka cable car to Kanzel(2,350m), and from therewalked to the DusseldorfHut (2,721m) – whichtook about an hour. TheOrtler region is unusualbecause it is in Italy, but the normal languagespoken is German. Consequently, everything hasa German and Italian name. The Dusseldorf Hutis also called Rifugio Serristori. The peak wewere planning to climb was the Vertainspitze(3,545m), called Cima Vertana in Italian.

The next day after breakfast we left the hut at6am. The route, we had planned was to the colbetween Vertainspitze and Hoher Angelus(3,521m) via the Zay glacier. The route did notlook obvious and the Zay glacier was almostnon-existent. The other alternative was to takethe north-west ridge of Hoher Angelus. We

took this alternative, as dideverybody else.

The ridge was goodscrambling with one shortsection protected by acable. As we reached thesummit, small sections ofice on the ridge created afew minor problems to

overcome, but we reached the summit andthen descended to the col.

The original plan was to ascend Vertainspitzefrom here by the north-east ridge. This lookedvery steep and loose and had probably had sig-nificant rock fall changing the route since my

MOUNTAINEERING


guide was written. We descended to the glacier,and crossed it to gain the south-east ridge.From here, it was a mixture of easy snow androck to the summit, although most of the rockwas very loose. The descent from the summitwas down the south-east ridge, then turningright, we followed the edge of the Rosim gla-cier. The descent was steep and on loose rock,which was tiring atthe end of what hadproved to be a longday.

We then had todecide what to donext. We decided togo with our originalplan to do theStudlgrat. We headednorth to KalsamGrossglockner. Whenwe arrived, we weretold that the forecastwas good for thenext three days. Wecamped in the valleyand drove toLucknerhaus(1,918m) in the morning. From here, we walkedto the Studlhutte (2,801m) in about two hours.

The weather that day was still overcast with alittle drizzle in the afternoon, so I was con-cerned the weather may not be as perfect aswe hoped for. When I woke in the middle ofthe night, I had a quick look at the night sky,which was now full of stars, so I knew thecloud had gone, and the weather should be OKfor the climb.

We left the hut at 5.30am. It was just gettinglight. The sky was clear and all the clouds werebelow us in the valley. The route started on aneasy path, followed by a short glacier section tobring you to the bottom of the Studlegratridge. From here, there was about 550m of

climbing. We roped up and started moving together. It

is easy scrambling until you get to theFruhstucksplatz (breakfast place) at a heightof 3,550m. Here there is a yellow warningnotice. Which says: “If it took you more thanthree hours to get here turn back! Your lifedepends on it. Expect major difficulties from

here on!” We hadonly taken two hoursto get there so wefelt confident to carryon.

It was more difficult,but there were lots ofprotection and steelcables on the hardersections. We soonreached the summit,still in glorious sun-shine. From here, wecould see the crowdscoming up the normalroute, many of theminexperienced andfinding it quite diffi-cult, particularly the

gap between the Grossglockner and theKleineglockner.

Our descent was slow on this section, as wehad to wait for parties coming the other way.After the narrow rocky ridge, there was asteep ice/snow slope, which required the useof ice axe and crampons to descend safely.

After this, we reached the Erzherzog-JohannHut at 3,454m. We had lunch here and thencontinued the descent. The first section wassteep blocky rock, but in most parts madeeasier by a steel cable. There was then aneasy glacier section and path to return to theStudlhutte. We decided to stay here for thenight to enjoy a meal and a few beers to cele-brate our success.

Malcolm andDaniel.

MOUNTAINEERING


It’s funny how a prompt orsome sort of stimulus cantake your mind away from therather ordinary here andnow.

The other day I was in alarge supermarket looking forspices and sauces to ‘jazz’ upan otherwise mundaneevening meal, and I cameacross a Moroccan Spice mix.As I picked up the packet,memories of last year’sMorocco mountaineeringexpedition came flooding back.

Last December my wife (Nicola) and I decidedto go to Morocco and to bag the summit ofJebel Toubkal – the highest mountain in Moroccoand indeed in NorthAfrica. Whilst still athome, I had booked ariad in Marrakech. Ariad is a multi-storeyhouse, centred around acourtyard and generallyhas a roof garden. Manyriads have been con-verted to boutique-stylehotels. Through theFrench Alpine ClubMorocco, I also bookedtwo bed spaces in theToubkal hut (formerly the Neltner hut), highup in the Atlas mountains.

With our kit bags packed with essentiallyalpine kit, we flew from Heathrow toMarrakech. The nice thing about Morocco is

we share the same time zone, so no resetting ofwatches. We landed at the airport and weregreeted by a friendly taxi driver who had beenwaiting for us. We conversed in English, French

and I threw in the odd word of ArabicI knew.

He kept saying to get to the hotel weneeded to get a chariot. A chariot? Ididn’t know what he was going onabout; I kept thinking of Ben Hur! Onlywhen we got into the walled city ofMarrakesh, called the Medina andpulled into a tiny square and got out ofthe taxi did I see chariots. Basically,

because the roadsand lanes are so nar-row, the only way totransport goods andindeed our bags areby what we wouldcall carts, two-wheeled affairs,pushed or pulled bythe charioteer. We

Somerfield to the SaharaLee Farmer dreams of sunny Marrakesh from cold, dark Blighty

A charioteer!


now knew what a chariot was – no going arounda coliseum for us then.

Through busy lanes, people calling out loudly asthey sold their wares and produce, and smells ofcooking and exotic spices everywhere, we tooka left here and a right there, down narrower andnarrower lanes following the chariot and itsowner with earnest, and just as I thought wewere lost, we got to a huge carved oak door.This was our riad.

We were welcomed by the owner into a coolcourtyard with a deeppool of water and afountain, surroundedby palms and citrusplants. Before wewere shown to ourroom we were givenmint tea and somesweet biscuits. Ourroom was ideal for us,plenty of room tosort out kit and packour rucksacks for theexpedition. Later that afternoon we relaxed onthe sun-drenched roof terrace, on luxurious sunloungers, surrounded by citrus orange and limebushes.

As afternoon gave way to evening, we madeour first foray into the main square calledDjemmaa el Fna (which translated means; meet-ing place of the dead!). This large square is amelee of activity – there’s acrobats, fire eaters,magicians, snake charmers, apothecaries and foodstalls. All so different to a Saturday afternoonmarket at home. It was quite overwhelming.

We busied ourselves to find food stall ‘Number1’ which had been recommended to us. Thereseemed to be some hundred or so food stallsand we were enticed into many by young wait-ers calling out “Luvverly Jubbly” and “I’m the onlygay in the village!” We then found stall Number

1 and enjoyed a very cheap meal of kebabs andvegetables.

The next day we made out way out of thewarren of lanes to the small square where ourtaxi driver was waiting. He was taking us to Imlilat 1,740 metres – a hill town in the Mizane val-ley, where our trek was to begin.

It took about one hour and we arrived withoutmishap, I arranged for him to be in the sameplace at 3pm on the following Friday afternoon.As we said goodbye and saw him drive off, I did

wonder whether we’dsee him again.

Nicola and I put onour packs and beganto walk up the mainstreet, we wereoffered mules to carryour packs, butdeclined this service;calling into a smallshop to buy freshbread and a few sup-plies.

As the road goes up hill there’s a sharp righthand bend and I knew we had to fork off hereand take a small path. We then joined a dirttrack road which went to Aroumd at 1,960metres. This town is strangely built on a hugelandslide. Virtually devoid of vegetation, the hous-es seem precariously placed around huge boul-ders. We didn’t go into Aroumd, and began towalk up an old dried up river-bed crossing to geton the left-hand bank.

Here we saw our first National Park sign and awell-made path wound its way steep up hill, pass-ing the odd walnut tree. My pack felt heavy inthe warm sun. I’d brought loads of equipmentand food – tins of chicken and corned beef, andalso cereals from home. I also had a head cold,which didn’t help.

We rounded a corner and crossed a crystalclear river, walking into the tiny village of Sidi

Aroumd.

MOUNTAINEERING


Chamarouch at 2,340 metres. There’s a hugewhite painted boulder here which marks ashrine and a mosque. The water here is sup-posed to have curative powers and the village isa place of pilgrimage. A young teenager came upto us and asked us to look into his brother’sshop, I said “no” and he said what about sometea then? Again I said “no” and trying to think ofsomething to say I said, “I’ll see you on the wayback down.”

Leaving Sidi Chamarouch the path rose steeplyand we lost count of the number of switchbackswe made, slowly we gained a high valley andbegan to walk in snow; patchy at first and themmore and more of it. It was getting late in theday and I was going slow with my head cold andover 20 kilos of kit. I told Nicola to go on aheadand find the hut and tell the guardian we werecoming. She left, and after a while it grew dark. Iwas all alone in the dark, in the snow and I wasgetting cold.

Ahead of me was a light, and I made for it. Itwas the refuge. Just as I got to the door, Nicolaopened the door and said, “Where have youbeen – our dinners on the table!” I was about toexplain the mini epic I thought I had just had, butdecided to just eat my dinner instead.

This was a local dish called a Tagine, namedafter the earthenware conical pot it’s cooked in.Mutton, and slow roasted vegetables. It wasgreat. We were shown to typical alpine-stylebunks and we unpacked, and got into our sleep-ing bags.

The morning brought brilliant sunshine andthere was snow everywhere. We donned ourcrampons and undertook an acclimatisation walkup to Tizi n’Ougane: a high col at around 3,800metres. We had lunch and rested, hoping thatthis would be enough for acclimatisation. Wereturned to the refuge and I was pleased that myhead cold was beginning to go. We sat in the

lounge of the refuge near to the log fire anddecided that tomorrow we’d have a crack atToubkal itself. Earlier that day we’d watched peo-ple make their way out of the hut and up theSouth Cwm, so I knew at least the start of thetrail leading to the South Cwm.

When morning came Nicola told me she’dcaught my cold and didn’t want to go. So I left at7am on my own and made my way over a smallriver and joined a steep ascent path. This woundits way through the South Cwm and opened upinto a large open area. I stopped to eat somebreakfast and check my crampons.

I then ascended a steep lip and left the hardpacked snow behind to join scree and talus. Itwas clear that any snow had melted here in thehot sun, and where I had just walked up in deep,packed winter snow was in shadow. I thenwalked up to the left-hand ridge and picked myway on small paths. Ahead of me was the domeof the summit on top of which was a curiousmetal triangle, marking the highest point inNorth Africa at 4,167 metres.

I climbed up the summit dome and reached

Lee on the summit ofToubkal.


this structure. I was rewarded byfantastic views of the Atlas range;snow capped mountains every-where. There in the far distancewas the Western edge on theSahara; a desert sea of red sand.

I spent a little while enjoying thesummit and the views and thenmade my descent. This passedwithout mishap, until I got abovethe hut and I could see peoplewalking about. I wondered ifNicola was looking out for me,just then I tripped on my crampons and fell,knees and shins first, onto some rocks. It reallyhurt as I gashed my knees and shins. “Not cool”I thought. Hurriedly, I got up and carried on asif nothing had happened, wincing at the throb ofthe bruises.

Back at the hut, Nicola wasn’t well, but shesaid she wanted to have a go at the summittomorrow. So the next day we went up, alwaysat her pace and reached the summit. We hadlunch and it gave me the opportunity to enjoythe glorious view once again. She was thrilledby the achievement she had made despite thesniffles and sore throat. It took approximatelytwo hours 50 minutes to reach the summitafter climbing 960 metres, and one hour 40minutes to descend.

The next day we packed our bags and settledour bill with the guardian. He graciously gave us50% discount as BMC members, and we walkeddown the valley slipping and sliding in the snow.Down the switchbacks above Sidi Chamarouchwe went, until at one bend a youth stood thereand said to me, “Hello my friend remember me,you will look in my brother’s shop, no?”

“Bugger,” I thought! Reluctantly we followedhim into the village and to the shop. They haddecided that I needed a Berber rug. Sitting

down on the shop floor, we began to discussthe “qualitee” of the rug and its price. Whichwas first quoted at nearly the price of ourentire trip! I looked at my watch and it wasmidday – I couldn’t help thinking about the taxidriver booked at 3pm. I tried haggling and weeventually agreed on a price. I probably paidtoo much for the rug, but I was more con-cerned about our ride.

His brother carefully folded it up and packedit. I now had to carry this as well as my pack!We walked back down the paths, through theriver bed, past Armound and to Imlil. We actual-ly got there early, so enjoyed lunch of yetanother Tagine on the terrace of a café. Then,sure enough, outside the Imlil refuge was ourtaxi driver, who took us back to the relativeluxury of Marrakech and our riad.

That night we partied hard in one of the fewbars that we found serving alcohol in theMuslim country.

It had been a great week-long trip. I think weboth fell in love with the Altas mountains. Thebeauty of which was there’s plenty of snow, nocrevasses and it’s hot. Ideal to shake off theBritish winter blues. We’ll both be back to theAtlas mountains one day. In the meantime, I’mputting the central heating on, lights on four inthe afternoon and I’m busy trying to spice upour Winter evening meals.


FEATURE

I was flying! Soaring over the edge of the canyonand diving down into the depths of this impres-sive gorge, I glided down; inspecting the caves andoverhangs as I went, marvelling with wide eyesand suppressed giggles, as I took in this underwa-ter paradise. A great crack in the sea bed whichopens up the sea bed down to 55 metres, theCanyon is a mecca for scuba divers in the RedSea.

You have to get there early in the morning todive it in solitude, and to really have the luxury ofappreciating this strangely spiritual experience offlying through a canyon, amongst the multitude oftropical fish andcorals.

Quite a differ-ent experienceto the usual wayof exploring nat-ural landscapes– not a harnessin slight!

The Canyon ismy favouritedive site of theRed Sea so far.Situated a fewmiles north ofour base, Dahab– a small, laid-back resort in Sinai, Egypt – stillflavoured by desert life and Bedouin culture(unlike the renown Sharm-el Sheikh, a couple ofhours drive away).

Diving was a new experience to me last year,when I agreed to go on a diving holiday with mygood friend, Hewett. I had no idea what I wassigning up for!

If you want to do morethan a “try dive” and diveproperly, you have to do aPADI Open Water course(or similar training). Ourdiving experience began ata dive centre inGildenburgh, nearWhittlesey – where theyrun PADI courses in theirquarry lake and the localpool.

An intensive weekend of study and pool divesset us up with the theory part of our OpenWater qualification, with the remainder of ouropen water dives to be done in the Red Sea – amuch preferred option to the cold, grey, uninvit-ing quarry lake, I thought!

My first diving holiday was an experience I’llnever forget. Diving is unique – there’s so muchtheory and kit involved, but once you’re under

An underwater paradiseJenna Maryniak goes down instead of up!

Stunningly colourfulcorals and fish

Geared up ready for divingat Abu Galuum, Sinai


the water, it’s awhole different,weightless world. Thesea is a stark con-trast to the dry, arid,Mars-like landscapeof Sinai – it’sabsolutely teemingwith life – brightlycoloured fish, fromsmall clown fish tosharks (I saw my firstreef shark this year – very exciting!) octopus andeven whales. The corals are so diverse andcolourful and looking into the deep blue, with thebubbles bobbing their way to the surface is anexperience you can only really appreciate onceyou’ve done it – whichyou really should if youget the chance!

On our first trip toSinai, we also completedour Advanced OpenWater qualification, sowe could dive to 30metres to do theCanyon, and the infa-mous “Blue Hole” divesite – where memorialspay tribute to the manydivers thathave losttheir life inthe 100mplus hole inthe oceanbed. TheAdvancedOpenWater also allowed us to do a boat dive of theThistlegorm Wreck – which allowed us to diveinto the World War 2 ship and see its cargo ofcars, motorbikes, ammunition, and even a loco-

motive – oh and the odd turtle! Sinai is not just about diving though, the land-

scape is spectacular – there’s no greenery, orsnow (except for the highest peaks in mid-win-ter), but the sea, and the desert sun and winds,

have created a spectacu-lar mountainous land-scape from the sand-stone. Last year wespent a couple of nightsin the desert under thestars, eating Bedouinmeals cooked on a campfire, with bread baked inthe hot sand; walkingthrough desert canyonscarved by water andwind and hiking upmountains to watch thesun set. Incredible.

This year, we did a dive sarfari, sleepingunder the stars on the water’s edge inthe national Park, Abu Galuum, and divingduring the day.

The Red Sea is also a fabulous windsurf-ing and kite surfing destination, and theconstant winds create a perfect tempera-

ture in the spring and autumn – and if, like me,you had a childhood dream of galloping a horseon the waters edge and then swimming – onhorseback, in the sea – Sinai is your place!

Mushroomstones shapedby the desert

winds.

Horse riding in the sea!

The Sinai desert landscape

Cwm Graianog, a name to elicit blank looksfrom even the most ardent of Eryri’s manydevotees. Not I though; many times I havewandered around the rim of this secluded gla-cial hollow, peering down upon the richesthat await connoisseurs and lovers of solitudealike. All alone and drunk on the mountain air,I would laugh out loud, shouting out my gleeas cloud shadows raced across the hillsidedelivering unto me that unique and deliciousstate of being; gladness entire.

A few miles distant, hordes of hill-goerswould be treading familiar paths, climberswould be adding more polish to the hoary oldtrad routes and trippers would be depositingtheir empty crisp packets into nooks andcrannies beside Llyn Idwal. Without the

attractions of 3,000ft peaks or roadsideclimbing, the lonely northern Glyderau pro-vide a haven for the mountain lover of a mis-anthropic persuasion. Long, reclusive walksand far-reaching vistas from Carneddau sum-mits brought it to my attention and I vowedthat one day I would climb there. That nameagain, Cwm Graianog, have you heard of it? Ithought not.

However, there is every chance that themore discerning among you may have heardof a massive and spectacular feature to whichGraianog plays host; the Atlantic Slab. Risingfor a full 1,000 feet, the ‘Atlantic’ is thebiggest in a series of slabs which include theremarkable ‘Waved Slab’ (the fossilised bed ofan ancient shallow sea), the White Slab and

CLIMBING


Slab Happy...Nick Livesey, finds inspiration in the slabs of Carnedd y Filiast Cwm Graianog, in – you guessed it – Wales!

the immaculate Red Slab. From theA5 in Nant Ffrancon, theyform a tremendous specta-cle.

Huge, smooth andhigh above the valleythey must surelyhold an irresistibleallure to all self-respectingclimbers. In truth,this is not the caseand one can onlyassume that a reputa-tion for sparse protec-tion and a long walk in aredeterrents to many who pre-

fer a more sani-tised and acces-sible climbingexperience. Forme though, along route in aforsaken moun-tain sanctuary ismanna fromheaven, so when Nobz and Juggs proposed aweekend in Wales, there was only one seriouschoice of venue, Carnedd y Filiast’s CwmGraianog.

With the Indian summer in full swing, westarted early and walked almost three milesto Maes Newyddion down the old A5. Wewere already in shirt sleeves and perspiringheavily, so the 400 metre grind into the cwmacted as punishment for a late night fuelled bymany, many drinks; we were blootered. Achingheads and furry tongues were soon forgotten

though; as we entered the wildcirque the slabs looked pos-

itively Brobdingnagianand we set about the

boulder field to thefoot of ‘Left Edge’,a 600ft VDiff.

After gearingup, I manoeu-vred myself tothe start of the

climb and tied onto the rope, steal-

ing the first pitchfrom under my

friends’ noses. The firstfew moves were a revela-


Nick Livesey, finds inspiration in the slabs of Carnedd y Filiast Cwm Graianog, in – you guessed it – Wales!

Atmospheric conditions overNant Ffrancon.

“...butslab climbing isn’t

the same as pulling on jughandles and Nobz, unfamiliar

with the technique, hugged andcaressed the rock like a teenage

lothario in his noviciate. “Nobbler”I bellowed, “Get that body awayfrom the rock thou swag-bel-

lied baggage, it’s all in thefeet”.

CLIMBING


Nick and Nobz atthe foot of Left

Edge.


tion. There was a dearth of positive holds, butthe rock was fair grippy and I was able to padup with ease, revelling in my increasingly airysituation and certain that I couldn’t possiblyfall off. Opportunities for gear were also few,but after 120 feet I found a tiny stance with aspike belay.

For a time I fiddled and fidgeted in a vainattempt to find arestful where-abouts; as a ropeof three, it wasprobable that Iwould remain insitu for quite some time.

First to follow was Nobz, who immediatelyassumed an expression of puzzlement. I hadmade it look easy and indeed it was, but slabclimbing isn’t the same as pulling on jug han-dles and Nobz, unfamiliar with the technique,hugged and caressed the rock like a teenagelothario in his noviciate. “Nobbler” I bel-lowed, “Get that body away from the rockthou swag-bellied baggage, it’s all in the feet”.

He was far from convinced, but after a briefinternal struggle, he reached the stance and Iclipped him into the belay. Soon, Juggs hadjoined us and things were getting cramped; Iwas hanging from a sling with Nobz occupyingthe only available bum space and Juggs makingdo with a rest on tiny dimples for his feet.Nevertheless, the warm rays inspired in us asunny disposition and an appreciation offriendship at its very best.

Juggs led the second pitch while I filmed theaction and then it was more of the same atthe next belay, where we discussed the finerpoints of an ever-expanding view. Pitch threewas mine and delightfully run out, though itwas with not inconsiderable gratitude that Icame upon a bollard 10 metres above my lastplacement.

I looked down to my companions and took

in my surroundings with the relish of a hillglutton, gobbling up the exposure and savour-ing my magnificent position almost 2,000ftabove the road below. Once again weregrouped and smoked roll ups, exuberantlymusing on our good fortune.

All was as it should have been when Juggsembarked on the forth pitch, but before long

a note of discordchimed ominously.Graianog’s counte-nance had suddenlychanged. TheCarneddau had been

engulfed by a vaporous cloak and dark cloudsgathered above, as the cwm took on a discon-certing ambience.

Juggs was running it out, struggling to findgear and our ebullience ebbed as anxietytelegraphed its way down the rope. For thefirst time all day I was able to disregard thesordid miasma in which Nobz had taken muchpride in hours past. On our tenuous eyrie, wewaited faithfully until at last the call came, “I’msafe”. With the weather threatening to break,Nobz was quick to second and I readiedmyself to follow as soon as my instructionscame.

I found the pair ensconced on a large grassycouch, and with relief I joined them in repose.The final pitch above was but a scramble, sonow we could relax with smokes, cakes andmuch talk of our abiding devotion to the highplaces. All that remained was to clamberagreeably to the top of Carnedd y Filiast,where we were rewarded with a dazzling pag-eant of the ethereal, a bewitching exhibitionthat held me in thraldom. And then slowly, inorder to prolong our communion with themountains, we journeyed south across thetops, revering slopes vivid and crags incandes-cent, until out was snuffed the last flicker,plunging the valley below into darkness.

The end of a wonderful day.


The idea of challenging myself physically andmentally against the mountains, the weatherand indeed myself, always holds great appeal. Ilike to feel that I have pushed myself and bro-ken new ground. This challenge has been toyingaround in my mind for the last five years.

The romance of following a tradition of thePMC is a bonus attached to this particularfoible. I say that it was a tradition of the PMC;well it is actually more of an institution. I amwell aware that there are many institutions outthere for the insane, and quite possibly this isone of them.

What I am talking about here, dear reader, isThe Skyline. The Skyline is 20.2 miles of purejoy straight out of hell, over 15 mountains, witha cumulative ascent of 8,839ft.

I had mentioned my idea of doing the skylineto Nick, making sure he was sober before Iapproached. The plan was hatched and wefound ourselves trudging around Tesco huntingout electrolyte replacements, simple and com-plex carbohydrates, isotonic drinks and recov-ery shakes. This was an undertaking that had tobe taken seriously. Then came the rucksack-packing exercise; a lot of water, food, first aidkit and not a lot else. Any extra weight carriedwould be at a high cost of energy.

We set off before sunrise and picked up quitea serious pace in the early morning chill; downthe road from the cottage into Bethesda andonwards toward our first mountain. We wereon new ground, in an area that was rarely fre-quented. We paused in silence to reflect on ourgood fortunes to be in this very special place atsuch a moment. Behind us, Bethesda, Bangorand Caernarfon lay sleepily in front of Anglesey.

Holyhead Mountain could clearly be seen in thedistance. To our left, the sea washed in oversandbanks to reveal its white, frothy texture.Further in the distance, The Great Orme stoodportentously in silhouette against its backdropof sea. To our right, The Glyderau dominatedthe landscape.

The rising sun had now cast a majestic pinkglow across the Glyderau. We were incandes-cent with joy, almost as incandescent as the hillswe were observing. I suspect our cheeks werea little pink too from the effort of our walk inthe fresh chill of the early morning air.

The peaks passed quickly beneath our feet;we felt strong. Five peaks, then six and sevenwere put behind us. We wasted very little time,even though the cloud had descended andsome extra care over navigation was required,we were still moving quickly and making goodtime. It was important that no time at all waswasted. It was inevitable that the sun was goingto set before we arrived back at the cottage, asit invariably does when Mr Livesey and I under-take a day in the mountains. We needed to have

The SkylinePete Machin takes on the Welsh challenge with Nick Livesey...

MOUNTAINEERING

Full of booze when the Skyline seemed like agood idea!


put the major difficulties behind us before thehills were put back into darkness, otherwisethings would get difficult.

A quick estimation told me that we had cov-ered 10 miles. A reasonable day in the hills onits own, yet we were but half way through. Thiswas the first time I realised the true magnitudeof our undertaking. We were still making goodtime, but the early signs of fatigue were stirringin my leg muscles. My moodwas helped with the return of awarm sun that did a nice job oftaking the edge off the chill thatwas still in the air. This though,was trivial comfort. My bloodsugar was tumbling; all of thesymptoms were there. I wasforced to dig deep just to main-tain a reasonable pace.

As Nick moved ahead of me, Ifelt an overwhelming compul-sion to sit down on the nearestrock and demand a rest from this undesirableslog. We had an agreement that we would nottake a break before Dafydd; although that wasonly a few hundred metres ahead of us, I wasforced to dig down to new depths, just to keepmoving.

Encouragingly, and also very discouragingly inthe same instance, I noticed Nick’s pace dropright down to a vague plod. “I don’t know whatjust hit me. I feel quite peculiar and heavy.” Hesaid with some concern.

“Get some sugar in ya!” I replied, recognisingNick’s symptoms. He had just hit ‘the wall’. Hischeeks were pale and he was giving me someconcern.

“Nah, I can wait until the top.”“No! Listen to your body. Feed it! I don’t

want you to have an episode of the wobbles uphere.”

I suspect Nick had no idea what I meant bythe wobbles (hypoglycaemiashutting his body down), but Iam sure that he didn’t want toexperience it. He removed hisrucksack and filled his belly withJaffa cakes and a well knownbrand of glucose drink.

I watched him return to life infront of me as I scoffed downsome biscuits, bread, a bananaand half a packet of dried apri-cots.

We moved on again withrenewed vigour; a refreshed confidence hadreturned to our gait. Carnedd Dafydd was soonbehind us and Pen yr Ole Wen beckoned ustoward its lofty top that would mark the pointat which we would return to the valley. Thiswas the first of the significant psychological bar-riers that lay on our route. We were about tolose 600 metres of height, just to have to gain itagain on Tryfan and Glyder Fach.

I was surprised at how quickly the fatiguereturned to my legs, as I approached the sum-

Pete: an early start.

The first rays of sun hit Y Glyderau.


mit of Pen Yr Ole Wen. It didn’t help that thewind was gusting to 50mph and it was raining;well, it was more akin to torrential mist. All thesame, we were getting very wet. Up until thatmoment, I had felt I was in better shape thanNick. He now seemed to be a good dealstronger than me, both physically and mentally.Or perhaps a deft spot of gamesmanship wasunderway. Should we fail at this point, it couldbe the fault of the ‘weaker’ member of ourdiminutive team. If one was to be visiblystronger, then they shall surely be absolvedfrom failure? I took no part in this sinisterbehaviour; but ensured I was a couple of stridesahead of Nick for the remainder of the ascent.

We took a short rest at the summit of Pen YrOle Wen for more refreshment; we would needthat energy readily available in our muscles forthe ascent of Tryfan. We took a compass bear-ing for the descent path that runs straightdown the south face. We couldn’t see much forthe mist and we had become somewhat disori-entated. The direction the compass told us togo came as a bit of a shock; it was almost a full180 degrees from what we expected. In thesesituations, if you double check your bearingsand they are still the same, then it is best totrust the compass. This we did, but we nevergot to the nice (ish) path, as it was barred fromus by a nasty ridge system. We should havestarted on a bearing even further from whatwe had expected in order to avoid the top ofthat nasty ridge. What we descended was steep,loose, slippery and interspersed with deepheather beds.

I was the first to find a rock that didn’t move.Unfortunately, there was the most heinous cov-ering of invisible slime that had a similar coeffi-cient of friction to ice. I suspect that it wassome sort of algae. Needless to say, my feetskidded down the steep slope ahead of me,leaving me with that seemingly eternal wait formy back to land heavily upon that sinister rock,

and then that even longer eternal wait for myslide to come to an end. I must have slid twometres or more before my feet finally foundsomething that would halt my progress (ratherabruptly). The long awaited shock of pain trav-elled through me; past my pelvis, into my spineand beyond. I quite expected that fall to haveput an end to my day. Old back injuries arenewly repaired and this certainly wouldn’t dome any good. Thankfully, the shock of pain dis-appeared almost as quickly as it had arrived andI could continue on, more slowly than before.

Little did I know at the time that I had dam-aged my shoulder? My physio suspects I put myhand down behind me; giving my trapezius anice jolt. I am now enduring the interminablegloom of injury recovery.

Soon after, I saw Nick take a fall. He pickedhimself up slowly and continued on giving me anod to indicate that he was OK. Well, not OK,but no worse than before he slipped. I lostcount of how many times I slipped over on thatlong, miserable descent. Each fall sapped a littlemore energy from me. Before I was half waydown, I was a broken man. Nick realised thisand was maintaining a positive and confidentattitude despite my swearing, grumblings andthreats to quarry the whole mountain. Heproved himself to be much the better man;even though he too had fallen many times onwhatever it was coating those rocks.

The A5 couldn’t arrive soon enough.Somehow, I now had to find it in me to ascend

MOUNTAINEERING

Six peaks down, nine to go. Heading up toLlewelyn with Yr Elen in the background.


Tryfan. Following that, there would be adescent into Bwlch Tryfan. I knew the rockswould be just as slippery as those we had dis-covered on Pen Yr Ole Wen. That descent ismiserable on a good day, as is the climb uponto Glyder Fach.

My whole body was speaking loudly to me;“enough is enough” came its plea. My baselayer was soaked with sweat, making meuncomfortable. My head was aching; one ofthose headaches that throb with each footstep.Somewhere deep down, this felt like it was theend of the day; we had achieved our objectivesand now it was time to just get in the car anddrive back to Gefnan for a warm shower, somefood and then to the Pen Y Gwryd to sit infront of the open firein the Everest roomwith a pint of some-thing tasty...

No, that was not thecase. The car was nothere, we had notachieved our objec-tives; in fact, we werejust past half way. Itwould be six milesalong the road to Gefnan from here, and thatwas the easiest option.

We took some time to regroup ourselves atOgwen cottage. Neither of us spoke; I desper-ately wanted to know how Nick was feeling,but to discuss that would have distracted fromthe repair work I was doing to my morale. Iknew that he knew the score and he knew thatI knew the score.

About 15 minutes had passed and I was ready. “Well, whatever we do now it is going to be

miserable.” Nick said, sensing it was time.“There is only one realistic option left anyway.”

“Yeah, let’s get our asses up Tryfan.” I saidwith new found enthusiasm.

Nick wore an expression of surprise. I

thought he was strong; maybe he is sufferingmore than he is letting on.

I checked the time; 3.30. Shit, we had lost twohours of precious time on that descent. “Sunsetin three hours 15. It will be five hours over that

lot if the rocks arenot slippery and thewind isn’t trying toblow us off theridges. Allowing forour slow moving inthese conditions, itwill be dark beforewe get to Y Garn, andthe darkness will thenslow us further. We

will be lucky to get back down by midnight, if atall in these conditions. “

“We have to be sensible.” Nick answered. “Itwill be here another day, and we will have bet-ter knowledge of how to tackle it. Come on,old A5 or new?”

“Old A5 every time.”Once we had fully recovered from our outing,

we individually measured our walk. Nickclocked it to 18.2 miles; I measured it as 18miles, quite a successful day in reality.

I also measured the route of the completeskyline and found that it is a tad longer thanthe skyline poster suggests. I measured it as 22miles.

We will be back!

Nick flies his flag.

Pete on the horrendousdescent of Pen yr Ole Wen.

40

19-21 December:Xmas hut meetLeader: Zoe Handscombe

Come along and celebrate another PMCChristmas meet at the hut. Colin andZoe are doing the turkey and trimmingsthis year, so why not join us for a glassof mulled wine and thaw out yourfrozen toes after a day out in themountains.

Secret Santa will be making anappearance, followed by the usual sillygames til the wee small hours. If youare attending, please let Colin or Zoeknow, so they can order the turkeys!and sprouts!

31 December - 1 January:New Years Eve – jointPMC & WMC partyLeader: TBA

25 January: Pub quiz nightLeader: Kevin Trickey 01480839994

Kev and Rachel from this year’s winningteam are hosting the next one. Theexact details are yet to be worked out.It will be held in the Sports Club Baron Sunday 25/1/09, there will be prizesto be won and food laid on. A smallentry fee will apply.

D tes for yo r diar

We are always looking for meet leaders to host these events. It’s not hard and is agood way to put something back into the club. If you are interested in helping out

contact:

Tom Evanse-mail: [email protected]

Tel: 07917 735271

For the latest events check out: www.peterboroughmc.org.ukFor details of events contact the meet leader or see the Climbing Wall notice

board nearer the date.Note: Non-members are welcome and encouraged to join us at these events. It’s the best time to

meet us and find out what PMC is all about.Lifts are normally arranged at the wall on the Tuesday evening before the event. Occasionally anevent may change. For confirmation on future events e-mail [email protected]

PMC

PMC

Contact Events Co-ordinator:Tom Evans

e-mail: [email protected] Tel: 07917 735271

u yA

Peterborough Mountaineering Club In/2008 Autumn.pdf · The Roaches and Lud’s Church. 14 –Best...

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