Stopfordian 2010–2011 - Stockport Grammar School

The Stopfordian 2010–2011
and a lunch time session to ease the pressure, it is just about
manageable.
Mr Whitby has been a welcome addition to the climbing
instructor team, which includes Mr. Killey, Mrs. Lockwood, Mr
Young, Miss Upton and at times, Miss Alimundo. Mike Pinder
of the B.M.C. Mountain Leader Training Board provided site
specific training for Senior and Junior School staff in June.
Mr Killey is a great asset, providing exciting challenges to
members, such as competitions, rope access and route setting
training. He set up a superb challenge early in the year, which
involved climbing across the sports hall beams using two belay
ropes. If the climber fell off the beam the result was dramatic,
but totally safe, with a gentle lowering off; however, some
members took advantage of the situation and practised their
acrobatic moves. Visually it was worthy of the Cirque du
Soleil.
The teachers who help to run the climbing club are a great
team, staying late on a Friday evening coaching members,
while ensuring that safety is always paramount.
Members develop their skills either at their own pace or more
competitively. Our super girls’ team of Niyati Takiar, Megan
Smith, Ellen Downs, Rachel Orr, Jessie McNeill, Jenny Kent,
and Jaina Mistry show tenacity in their third year of attending
almost every Friday night, sometimes going on to climb at the
Stockport wall afterwards. They are joined now by Alex
Pickstock, Anand Thalevera and Jenny Muellenbach and are
always full of enthusiasm.
Richard Owen, Philip Hanson, Sam Allport and Emily
Carlsson, some of our older members, continued to
challenge each other to greater feats, while helping to coach
younger pupils. Richard did his work experience at Rockover,
the new bouldering wall in Salford and was greatly impressed
with their facilities.
Lower School pupils are delighted with the wall and have
great fun climbing blindfold, speed climbing, racing each
other and, of course, climbing and traversing normally.
Trips outside over the summer included several to Castlenaze,
near Chapel-en-le-Frith and Windgather, near Whaley Bridge.
There were some glorious sunsets, but also some chilly, damp,
wind blown and midge infested evenings; but that’s proper
climbing!
C. A. Beckett
40 Activities and Awards