Preston Mountaineering Club

Newsletter extracts

Peak Meet Meet –  31st March 2007

or ‘Takin’ yer granddad out!’

by Mike Pringle

Amazing the British. You would think that campsites would open on a Friday for the holiday season but no, that’s not the way we do it at all. In the UK it is considered that Sunday is the best day to open. Of course this completely scuppered the PMC climbers plans for a weekend’s rehydration in Curbar and of course some ascents along the way.

So we made it a one day meet and because obviously Sunday was bound to be busy what with the expected inrush of tourists, we went on Saturday instead. Cunning eh?

The good doctor felt a desire to return to Castle Naze, a crag of his youth. He stoutly refutes that this has anything to do with a recent birthday and the battalions of advancing years.

Arriving at the appointed place on a windy but warm morning we found ourselves not alone but joined by two of the clubs feminine contingent in Lorna and Sheena, both having done a runner for the day.

Sheena started early,

“Hey Mike”
“What”
“I’ve got your trouble”
“What’s that?”
“My harness seems to have shrunk, there’s not much room left”
“Oh thanks very much, I’m only a little stouter than before”

This probably explained why I climbed the first route in such poor style being too busy keeping the stomach under control to worry about foot and hand holds and stuff.

Tough place this crag, much jamming, with perhaps the occasional nod in the direction of delicate. Now delicate I can do, but the only jammin’ I am good at involves either toast or Bob Marley, so by the fifth route I am really feeling the pace. Ian’s grinning and eying up even harder routes when his old student day friend in the shape of Martin arrives allowing me to ‘climb down’ gracefully as I fancy a walk over to yonder mist curtained edge to indulge in a spot of photography with the new fancy digital pictorial recording device.

Ian Bradley on Nozag, VS, 4c.

It was actually quite pleasant to stroll of across the trackless (well nearly) moors, camera in hand and enjoy the rustle of wind in grass, the call of the birds, the squelch of bog and the cold desperate feeling as the boots fill up with what one fondly imagines is just peaty water!

Probably a couple of hours passed before I returned to the crag itself to take on the role of photographer here too. I have to say that lying in the sun waiting for the right shot to present itself was also attractive and I fear I may have dozed a little or at least ‘rested my eyes’.

“I’ve had a nice day” I innocently explained to Sheena and Lorna, “Had a climb this morning followed by a walk and a spot of lazing in the sun afterwards”

“Ah bless” said the girls, with just the merest mischievous twinkle in there eyes, “it’s just like takin yer granddad out, he’ll be wanting his tea next”.

The sad thing is of course that they were right…

[Editor’s note: and the climbing was excellent!]

Present: Ian Bradley, Sheena Cottam, Martin Elliott and his son Tom, Mike Pringle and Lorna Stewart.