Outdoor

This Annual trip to the snow clad mountains of North Wales (hopefully) will allow any RoCs member to experience some easy winter-ish mountaineering challenges without having to travel up to Scotland. The trip is a bit later than usual to allow the use of the hut in Capel Curig.

We have now booked the Barn hut at Capel Curig from Thursday 6th March to Sunday 9th March. If you wish to go on a winter hut based meet please say yes so I can add you to the list. The cost is £10 per person per night. There are bunks in several rooms so all you need to take is a sleeping bag & pillow plus all your personal gear, and any food & drink for breakfast & lunch. We can eat in the pub and/or cook in the hut, to be decided nearer the time. Can each person bring up a small bag of wood for the stove as it may be a bit chilly.

Bring with you suitable winter warm and waterproof clothing, a decent pair of mountaineering boots, (crampons and a walking axe are optional in case we get that rare thing called snow). Quite often the snow does not settle (or even arrive) so then it can be a bit wet and wild. Be prepared and bring waterproof trousers and jacket and a set of dry clothes for walking and to walk to the pub in the evening.

Patrick and I will go up Thursday morning and return Sunday afternoon. We may well decide to camp nearby, if it is not too bad weather wise. Travel plans will be confirmed nearer the time depending on who is attending. Post on the Facebook Events page if you are interested in joining the winter crew on this mad adventure full of fun, possibly some winter mountaineering and more than likely a good time in the pub and in the hut.

Sign up on the Facebook event or email Pete

Enjoy a pre-Easter climb in Costa Blanca with a great range of climbing grades and many starred routes, including ridge scrambling routes. There are flights from Bournemouth with Ryanair for around £200, this includes 20kg bag allowance. We will stay in Calpe, which has great access to 3 fantastic climbing areas, Sella, Aleta and Sierra de Toix. In order to book accommodation I will need to know who is keen to go, and may need a deposit. Sign up on the Facebook event or email: emmaeast(@)mac.com

This is our first trip this year to the Peak District at Hathersage, based at North Lees campsite. This is about 1 mile due North of Hathersage. This meet is suitable for all members as it is ideal for beginners and the more experienced climbers in the club. If you have never climbed outside on real rock, we can take you up some really easy nice rock. There is a wide choice of gritstone crags to choose from, some with a few multi pitch routes, but mainly all single pitch with a short walk in. The wash facilities have had a massive upgrade so now the campsite is very posh. There are Pods as well as tent pitches available and a couple of camper van slots as well. I will be camping so will book a slot for me and anyone who travels up with me. Book your slot on the North Lees website stating if you have a car or just need a tent slot. If you wish to use a Pod, please book this in advance yourself. A deposit may be required for a booking. Please indicate to me if you are camping or in a Pod. At the moment booking in advance is required for camping so you will need to do this yourselves, in groups up to 5 per pitch with a car. If you decide to come with someone who has already booked their pitch with a car, you can add yourself by booking a pitch without a car. Also book a camper van slot or a Pod for yourself if required. Air B & B, bunk rooms or pub rooms are available in Hathersage if you do not use North Lees. The contact details for the site are 01433 650838. To get to the campsite from Hathersage, go west on the A6187  Main Street and TR before the railway bridge up Jaggers Lane, then TR up Coggers Lane for about 1/2 mile, then TR into Birley Lane. After about 1/2 mile North Lees site  is on your left just before a left hand bend. There is a wooden gate to enter the site. We will be car sharing as much as possible due to the limited parking spaces and to save fuel costs. Hathersage has a couple of pubs, and we will use the Robin Hood pub in Hathersage. There are also food shops and a few Outdoor gear shops so all you need for a weekend away with RoCs. Bring along some wet weather walking gear as well, (water proof coat, over trousers and walking boots) just in case the weather turns damp and we decide to go for a bit of a bog trot up on the hills. You will also need to bring along breakfast and any cooking gear required, food for mid-day lunch as there are no food facilities at the crags. We will be eating at a pub in the evenings. Anyone wishing to attend this meet can you please post on the Facebook Event page your intention, including when you plan to travel down, and which nights you plan to stay. We will be trying to car share as much as possible to save on fuel costs. Sign up on the Facebook event or email: peter.telling(@)ntlworld.com

Accommodation tbd decided. This will be a hill walking and trad climbing trip so I would say not for the casual climber

This is our annual jaunt to Dartmoor, where we will be staying at Langstone Manor, Moortown PL19 9JZ about 2 miles east of Tavistock. This is on the western edge of Dartmoor in the grounds of an old manor house and is our most posh of campsites. We go every year and are always welcomed by the team there. You can choose to camp in quality conditions, or use a variety of Pods, from basic to posh. The facilities are excellent with good shower, toilets and washing up, clothes washing and drying, as well as an on-site shop, bar, lounge and eating facilities. The owners are Jane and David. (See the website www.langstonemanor.co.uk ). The contact details for the site are 01822 613371 and www.langstonemanor.co.uk. If you wish to book a Pod, please do this yourself as I will only be booking camping places with Jane. There will probably be a deposit to be paid for a Pod, so book early to ensure a bed for the night. Be aware that if we have to cancel at the last minute due to bad weather you may lose your deposit on a Pod booking. I will be booking some pitches as usual, so you only need to let me know numbers and you can pay the campsite on the day of arrival. Last year we had about 12 members attending and we were charged £7 per night each. If you wish to use a Pod, Camper van or other accommodation please make that booking in advance your self. I will nearer the time make bookings for the restaurant we use on site once numbers are confirmed. The climbing on Dartmoor is stunning at Dewerstone, from easy to silly depending on your skills. Other crags are there (Sheeps Tor, Hay Tor, Hound Tor) so plenty of opportunity for all grades of climbers. This meet is ideal for beginners and the more experienced climbers so if you are new to outside rock climbing it is an ideal meet for you. Make sure you bring suitable food and cooking gear for breakfast and also food for mid-day as there are no facilities near the climbing areas for food and drink. We will be using the bar or a pub for evening food and drink. If it is a bit damp on the day there are loads of wild walking areas on Dartmoor, so bring your walking gear as well! Anyone wishing to attend this meet can you please post on the Facebook Event page your intention, including when you plan to travel down, and which nights you plan to stay. We will be trying to car share as much as possible to save on fuel costs. We hope to negotiate a single person price per night by sharing pitches. I will provisionally book places soon, so will need to know the final camping numbers nearer the time to ensure there is enough spaces for all the members to be together. Sign up on the Facebook event or email: peter.telling(@)ntlworld.com

Organiser: John H We’re staying at The Barn climbing hut at Capel Curig, which belongs to North London Mountaineering Club. It sleeps 30 in three bunkrooms and we’ve got the whole hut to ourselves so there will be plenty of space. The barn is set in a beautifully secluded location with wonderful mountain views and only five minutes’ walk from the Tyn Y Coed Pub and A5 lay-by (GR: SH 737572, postcode: LL24 0DT). It’s centrally situated, very handy for climbing in Ogwen and has mountain walks from the door. More details:Guest Barn – North London Mountaineering Club (nlmc.co.uk) Last year, Sam Blandford-Elliott, a professional mountaineer and climber who’s a club member and lives in North Wales, ran two courses at a discounted rate for club members during the meet and he will probably be available again in 2025. He can lead climbing/mountaineering/navigation days, depending on members preferences. Who’s going? Sign up on the Facebook event or email johnhorton(@)ntlworld.com

  We’re based in the Duddon valley, an idyllic backwater away from the crowds. I’ve booked bunks for us at High Moss Cottage (grid ref SD237966, a modern climbing hut with good facilities and with some great climbing within walking distance. There’s no phone signal and you’ve got to go miles to get one – bliss! We’ve stayed here a few times and always have a good time. Twenty minutes away is Wallowbarrow, of which Rockfax says: ‘sits in a magnificent position…friendly grades…rock quality and protection are good’. Just over an hour away is Dow Crag, one of the classic Lakes big cliffs; the FRCC guidebook says: ‘first class climbing…right across the grading spectrum…a superb setting’. There are also lots of other crags nearby. Because it’s such a quiet area most of the routes see little traffic and can be a bit green, so you can feel a bit like an explorer. We’ll be sharing the chores in the hut. I’ve booked six bunks; if it looks like there are going to be more of us, I’ll see what I can arrange with the hut warden and I’ll probably need a deposit. Organiser: John H Sign up on the Facebook event or email johnhorton(@)ntlworld.com >