In the last issue of BB a very
interesting article entitled Potholing in
was submitted by A.J.Dunn. Apropos of
this article I must mention the fact that its trip was organised by the W.C.C.
and, in fact, it was through their courtesy that Mr. Dunn was invited to take
part on this trip. I regret that a note
to this effect was omitted from the article.
Cuthberts
In the interests of safety no
person will be allowed down Cuthberts unless at least two caves of comparable
difficulty have been done previously.
A new lock has been put on the
cave and four keys have been cut. These
are held by
R. Bagshaw.
A. Collins
C. Rees
M. Jones; being the four most available people.
The following members are
authorised to lead parties: –
N. Petty
D. Coase
R. Bennett
J. Stafford
G. Fowler
B. Prewer
C. Marriot
C. Falshaw
J. Waddon
R. Wallis
In addition to ensuring that no
novices are present, leaders should see that consumable stores are replaced and
no damage is done to formations or equipment.
The list of leaders will be added
to as more experienced people become available.
G.B.
Arrangements have been made by
U.B.S.S. with Axbridge Rural District Council, who own the cave, which allows
freer access to G.B. Each club has been
allocated certain weekends for visiting the cave. Guests who are not members may take part and
the club members may visit the cave as guests of any other club if they make
arrangements with these clubs.
ALL NAMES MUST BE GIVEN TO THE
CAVING SECRETATRY TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE TRIP.
Arrangements can be made to obtain
the key.
A tackle fee of 1/- per head is
payable to U.B.S.S.
Dates are as follows.
October 20/21
B.E.C.
October 27/28 M.N.R.C.
November 3/4 – Wessex
November 10/11 Westminster
November 17/18 Axbridge November
24/25 B.E.C.
December 1/2 M.N.R.C.
December 8/9 – Wessex
December 15/16
Note: – Members wishing to go on trips with the above clubs must
contact the secretary of these clubs two weeks before the trip.
Notes From
East Africa
I would like to reassure members
that despite the remarks of Miss Mudlark in the Feb/March issue of the B.B.
companions are again in great demand for genuine caving and climbing
trips. The harvest of 5000 grapefruit
from my garden is over and all the game trophies preserved, the latter
operation being the tedious process of making glass slides from colour
transparencies. The rainy season has
just finished so I am all ready for another round of caving and climbing and
general exploration.
The caves in the Tanga area have
chambers up to 40ft. in height and system of reasonable length to complete a
strenuous afternoon exploration. Unfortunately those caves with large entrances are frequented by
thousands of bats, and guano to the depth of 2 or 3 feet occurs in some of the
more frequented passages. This makes
life a little tedious when the caves are wet, as a flat mat of guano can
conceal a deep pool of water, and an immersion in this medium is not to be
recommended. However in the dry season
this difficulty disappears. On every
occasion I have visited this area I have been able to break into new passages
and the last time a completely new cave system was explored.
The high temperature and humidity
underground demand the minimum of clothing yet some protection is needed. This problem was particularly acute in
exploring some coral caves in
small gorge some 20ft. high at the entrance to one of these holes, a swarm of
bees demonstrated their objection to intruders in no uncertain manner. Never have I climbed so fast or crashed
through torn bush so regardless of injury in an attempt to shake off my black
pursuers. It is said that the bees of
animals and so far I support this view most readily.
Climbing grounds are at hand and a
cliff of some 300 ft. high complete with overhang can be seen on the skyline
from my home in the
3,000 mile round journey to the Ruwenzori or Mountains of the Moon on the
Uganda-Belgian Congo border, when Jerry Smith of the Climbers Club flew out to
join me. We celebrated Christmas Day by
making the first ascent of the Great Tooth, 16,090ft. on
highest unclimbed peak in
between 15,750 and 16,730 ft. with the occasional severe rock or ice
pitch. To complete the day we descended
to our tent via the N.E. ridge of Margherita, a route that has only been
climbed four times before.
Two second and one third ascents
of other major routes on Elizabeth, Margherita and Baker were also made. Nearer to my home, in the chain of mountains
250 miles long running inland from the coast up to Kilimanjaro, there are many
wonderful rock faces that I am sure have never been explored by the
mountaineer. While I have been to the
top of Kilimanjaro, I have not climbed its subsidiary peak Mwenzi, 16,780ft.,
with its virgin east face and maybe the odd unclimbed aiguille on the summit
ridge.
beckons but it is still closed to us for security reasons.
So any B.E.C. members who can work
a passage with a B.A.O.C. Britannia on a proving flight to
Africa
of caving and climbing. However with a
difference the first with a liberal dosage of bat guano, and the second often
approached after cutting a path through the vegetation on the lower slopes in
high humidity and a temperature generally greater than to which we are
accustomed at home.
Still it is great fun because the
route is generally unexplored, and the views from the mountain tops of vast plains
with mountains just popping up out of them forcibly demonstrate the vastness of
until I return on leave in April 1957 when I want to have a look at long last
at St. Cuthberts. Will Mudlark act as a
guide then I wonder?
Thomas E
Fletcher.
Post-script from
answer to Mudlarks comment in B.B. Feb/March 1956)
Ive now sold all surplus
grapefruit nearly 4,700 for £17.10.0d. Picking for the year is over except just a sprinkling of grapefruit
always getting ripe throughout the year sufficient to keep the house
going. So as I have now bagged all the
big game and stiffed it B.E.C. members may now tale full advantage of my
previous offers to show them caves without the possibility of menial
tasks. Admittedly 3 month ago stuffing a
medium size elephant was quite a weekends hard work.
Snowdon At
Sunrise
The time was 1.30am. I woke with start, switched on the torch to
look at my watch, then prodded John awake. Well, are we going? I said. He
gave me a low desperate sort of moan, and with a poor show of enthusiasm rolled
over and put his head outside the tent. No excuse. The sky was without
cloud, the air cool, soft and windless. The shadow of Tryfan hung like a dark pall across the paler grey mass of
the Carnedds. The moon was high.
There was no time to be lost. Yet it was 2.30am an hour behind schedule
before mind could exert itself over matter and we staggered out of the tent,
down to the road, with extra sweaters. Food, and cameras. Perhaps it had
been a mistake to do seven climbs the day before. We clambered onto the bike and set off. The moon rolled out from behind the shoulder
of Tryfan and looked at us speculatively. Round through Capel Curig, past Pen y Gwnyd we went, the cold air
cutting at our faces, and the white mist wisping eerily over the black llyn
like elfin fires.
We left the bike at Pen y pass and
started on the long slow grind up Crib Goch. Now we were in darkness again, the mountain thrown in jagged relief down
in the moonlit
was paling in the east. It was 3am. The air grew very close: we took off several
layers of sweaters, and ate oranges. There was no water. We are on top
of the grassy ridge, where grey sheep materialised out of the twilight and
scattered from our path. We were hot,
perspiring, and out of breath. The
trouble with romantic sort of expedition, grumbled John, Is that they always
turn out to be such a fearful bind.
Now we had two shadows from the
waning moon of the left, and a slow imperceptible dawn of the right. Still fighting against shortage to breath (so
this is what it musty be like on Everest) we surmounted the rock step, and
after another nightmarish grind, came out onto the familiar crest. The sky over the Glyders was now deep purple,
changing to orange and pale delicate blue. As we scrambled along the ridge the purple brightened into rose, then
orange to yellow, and the blue became more intense. Now small dark clouds appeared, tinged red
underneath, deep as autumn heather. On
to Crib y Ddysgyl, and at last into the burning sky appeared the great arc of
the sun, and rested like a flaming ruby on the top of Glyder Fawr, pouring its
red rays across Snowdon. Behind us now,
the old black edge of Crib Goch bit like a broken jaw into the glow. In front, the moon laid her tied yellow face
on the grey shoulder of Lliwedd, and to the south and west stretched an endless
sea of silver mist where peaks appeared like dim islands as far as the eye
could see.
And that was how two dishevelled
and dirty climbers came to be leaning against the survey point on top of Crib y
Ddysgyl at 5am on a pure still summer morning wolfing bread and cheese and
rum. We hadnt made
before sunrise, but it felt that the present horrors of the summit were better
missed anyway. The trouble with climbing
rendered useless for rock-work for the next twelve hours or so.
The following day we had both
revived sufficiently to lead V.Ss , but now that Everest is being climbed two
days running, it seems presumptuous to boast of homely feats in Wales. Though milestones in ones climbing career
should perhaps be measured not by the stature but the state of their achieving.
J.R.G.
*****************************************
An appeal from John Skinner of 12,
Hurst Walk,
4. He says I still have a few young
bloods on hand. Could you publish an
appeal for anyone interested in introducing them to Mountaineering and climbing
(locally) and also Judo & self defence to contact me. (John Skinner NOT T.H.S.)
Well climbing section members
what about =giving a helping hand.
*****************************************
R.J. Bagshaw, Hon. Sec. & Hon. Treas. 56,
Road
T.H. Stanbury Hon. Editor B.B.
Novers Park Road