Number in series 70; Year of publication 1986 - Fell and Rock ...

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CLIMBING IN THE MIDDLE AGESTony GreenbankHangover was first climbed in 1939, the year two farmers met on Hardknottand pondered if war had been declared. Finally agreeing it probably had theyparted, one of them commenting: 'Aye, aye, well — Bonny day for it.'In October 1985 Hangover lost its wardrobe-sized block way up the longpitch (95ft 4c) when it was inadvertently torn clean out from its socket byGolden Rule landlord John Lockley.John wasn't to know. The Constable Selected Climbs guide suggests you usethe block. And thousands had — including, on that same ascent, myself (whorunnered it too). But the comment of the climber it shaved as he stood watching150ft below ranked for its super-cool with that of the Eskdale shepherd: 'That'llmake it harder.'A po-faced demeanour, which is somewhat different from a panic-strickenone, can be a mark of someone who has digested the adage: Look well to allthings, hold fast to that which is good. The only thing being — how exactly dowe find what is the real McCoy? And not just in handling loose rock on climbs,but in Life itself.It is something the majority of our Club will know. As will members of theSMC, CC, Yorkshire Ramblers, Pinnacle Club and the Alpha, Rock and Iceand Abraham Club too.For in climbing, unlike many other pastimes where danger is the key, ageneed not stop the activist for literally ages. There are many 50-year-oldsclimbing in the VS and even E-grades today. Attend any Club annual dinner,Buxton gathering or Kendal film festival and you will find climbers notsegregated by age but integrated all together, and frequently with those of themore advanced years making more row than the fledging rock jocks of the day.This is what above all else I mean by holding fast: that is, climbing (Godwilling) — I repeat, God willing — to the end.By Middle Ages I don't mean when the Battle of Evesham, the Golden Hordeand the death of Roger Bacon were all happening. I refer instead to those pivotalyears when dentures can fall out from a mouth dry with apprehension, and thearms are no longer long enough as you strive to read the guidebook by pushingit further and further away.Climbing in the Middle Ages, providing you've hung on in there to reachthem through earlier formative years, perhaps when the Tarbuck Knot was thevogue, can be a breeze today. Friends, sticky boots, chalk and the rest — oh,wow! And should things not go quite your way then a British Rail disabled cardwill give you cheaper travel. But, joking apart, it's experience that really addsthe power to your tennis elbow.Once climbing Moss Ghyll with Peter Moffat I was gobsmacked (just121
152 CLIMBING IN THE MIDDLE AGEStemporarily) as a Clint Eastwood lookalike cruised adjacent Slab & Groove.Then, as now, there was only one 'Ron'. In the 1950s it was immaculate RonMiller. He made it look so great I shouted up to tell him so (and an embarrassedPete told me to hush). It wasn't until my Middle Ages I managed to followRon's example. And that evening I phoned its creator from the pub to say 'Slaband Groove — out there!' Robert James Birkett let me down lightly. 'Actually,'he said, 'Len (Muscroft) and I thought it was only severe.'Bobby Files put me in my place during my early days in the Club. Weclimbed Troutdale Pinnacle and I went a bit over the top at the top, 'Heywowing' it or whatever you said in those days of Suez and the Windsor knot.'Ah, yes,' said Bobby, spectacles fogging in the rain, 'And now we go down.''OK,' I said, running rope out still on the scramble up to the descent path.Bobby reminds me of the Yorkshireman who clean-bowled Bradman, namelyBill Bowes, and climbing with such a respectable figure — man, it was good tobe alive.'Ah, no,' said Bobby, now some distance behind. 'I mean down.'And so he did. Back down every one of the 375ft we had climbed of thisclassic, its wonderful top pitch now highlighting the Club's Borrowdale guide.Then again I learned to hold fast to good values the day my world collapsedon Brown Tongue. Gunn Clark, who was soon to make the first British ascentof the Walker Spur, was psyched up to climb CB. Together with Pete Moffat,he and I were toiling upwards when I suddenly remembered something. 'Oh,hell! Oh, no!' I think I said.'Oh, hell!' I repeated. 'I said I'd bring the guidebook. Well, I forgot it.'For moments we made a tragic tableau silhouetted high above the valley in thesun's westering rays.Giving us both a kindly gap-toothed grin, Peter told us not to worry.'I think we'll see where CB goes.'The same thing could not be said of the Brackenclose roller-board. On thisfiendish piece of equipment anything could happen.To ride the roller-board you balanced gingerly on a short thick plank thatrested on a wooden roller the size of a Tesco toilet roll (unused). Then, timed bya wristwatch, you see-sawed for as long as you could maintain your equilibriumand contact with the polished wood beneath the soles of your stockinged feet.Aces like Ron Miller, Arthur Brooks, Joe Griffin and Albert Ashworth notonly kept in balance, but flicked the board around the room like a skateboard,performing a variety of tricks along the way.They made it look all so deceptively simple.On my first attempt, however, first one end of the board went down as Iapplied my weight, and the other end went up. Then the end that had gone upfell rapidly down again only to snap back up then once more down — and so onwith increasing speed — like the staccato rat-at-tat of a machine gun. At thesame time these movements grew more violent until — and looking as if a322
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100 YEARS OFROCK CLIMBINGIN THELAKE
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EDITOR'S NOTESGeoff CramIn June 188
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4 THE FIRST ASCENT OF NAPES NEEDLET
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6 THE FIRST ASCENT OF NAPES NEEDLEb
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10 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIM
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H.M.Kelly and J.H.Doughty 33for the
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H.M.Kelly and J.H.Doughty1892 Moss
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H.M.Kelly and J.H. Doughty1923 Toph
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John Wilkinson 47men: Birkett, Peas
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John Wilkinson 53are now Hard Very
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John Wilkinson 57have radically tra
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John Wilkinson 6 5being made by the
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John Wilkinson6SWith the opening up
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Page 59 and 60: Pete Whillance 73good routes on Low
Page 61 and 62: 76 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIM
Page 67 and 68: A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIMBIN
Page 69 and 70: A SHORT HISTORYOF LAKELAND CLIMBING
Page 71 and 72: Ron Kenyon and AlMurray 89climbed b
Page 73 and 74: Ron Kenyon and Al Murray 91spotligh
Page 77 and 78: Ron Kenyon and Al Murray 97In the E
Page 79 and 80: 102 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLI
Page 81 and 82: 106 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLI
Page 83 and 84: 110 THE NORTH-EAST SPUR OF THE DROI
Page 85 and 86: 112 THE NORTH-EAST SPUR OF THE DROI
Page 87 and 88: ROCK CLIMBING IN NORTHERN ITALYAl C
Page 89 and 90: AI Churcher 119Sergent and Caporal,
Page 91 and 92: 13 MILES FROM THE EQUATORRay Cassid
Page 93 and 94: Ray Cassidy 123and I suddenly found
Page 95 and 96: W. Heaton Cooper 127One element see
Page 97 and 98: June Parker 131show a new route bei
Page 99 and 100: 136 THE ABRAHAM COLLECTIONwas a for
Page 101 and 102: 140 THE WASDALE CLIMBING BOOKClimbi
Page 103 and 104: SCAFELL CENTRAL BUTTRESSG.S.SansomR
Page 105 and 106: G.S.Sansom 145bulge, above-mentione
Page 107 and 108: MORE OF C.B.Bill BirkettWhen the ed
Page 109: 150 MOREOFC.B.ground, rather overha
Page 113 and 114: THE MAN WHO BROKE THE NEEDLEGraham
Page 115 and 116: G. Sutton 157tooth....'Ron's voice
Page 117 and 118: G. Sutton 159view; they must have b
Page 119 and 120: Ed Grindley 161A couple of hours la
Page 121 and 122: 164 THE MODERN ICARUS!This was now
Page 123 and 124: 166 THE MODERN ICARUS!Aware that I'
Page 125 and 126: Angela Soper 169whispered happily,
Page 127 and 128: 172 THE WELL-OILED MACHINE - TWELVE
Page 129 and 130: 174 THE WELL-OILED MACHINE - TWELVE
Page 131 and 132: A. Harry Griffin 111the same mould
Page 133 and 134: A. Harry Griffin 179merged together
Page 135 and 136: 182 WAY OUT WESTone of them picked
Page 137 and 138: 184 WAY OUT WESTseverity it was of
Page 139 and 140: 186 WAY OUT WESTwho made me a pair
Page 141 and 142: SCOTLANDThe Fell and Rock members c
Page 143 and 144: Jim Sutcliffe 193June Parker report
Page 145 and 146: NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESAlan Murray & P
Page 147 and 148: 198 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESIvor the Bo
Page 149 and 150: 200 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESBLEAK HOW C
Page 151 and 152: 202 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESJoker Man.
Page 153 and 154: 204 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESPrivate Eye
Page 155 and 156: 206 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTES6a. Climb t
Page 157 and 158: 208 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESBURNT CRAG
Page 159 and 160: 210 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESYEW CRAGAut
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212 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESSilverstone
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214 IN MEMORIAMGladys died peaceful
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CLUB OFFICERS AND MEETS 225Libraria
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Number in series 70; Year of publication 1986 - Fell and Rock ...

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