Number in series 21; Year of publication 1927 - Fell and Rock ...

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363THE COMING-OF-AGEBy W. T. PALMER.At the Windermere Hydro, on Saturday, October 8th, 1927,the Fell and Rock Climbing Club of the English Lake Districtcelebrated its coming-of-age. The dining hall, which is thelargest room of its sort in the Lake District, was very full.Official representatives were sent by the Alpine, ScottishMountaineering, Climbers', Yorkshire Ramblers', Rucksack, Pinnacle,Ladies' Scottish Mountaineering, Midland Association ofMountaineers, Gritstone, Derbyshire Pennine, Ladies' Alpineand Wayfarers' Clubs. Dr. T. R. Burnett, the newly-electedPresident, faced a special birthday cake, modelled on theNapes Needle, and made by Mrs. Francis of Keswick. After the21 candles had been solemnly lit round its rim, the cake was" cut " in due time with an ice-axe by Mrs. Burnett, andthrough the applause came the riotous melody of Scott's tinhorn which has braved the battle and the breeze of many aSwiss glacier, iced ridge, and mountaineering meal.After the usual loyal toasts, the President proposed the healthof absent members, mentioning by name several who wereunable to come on account of health, and those who, in distantparts of the world, would be remembering the Club and itsmembers assembled together at Windermere. He thencalled upon Ashley P. Abraham, first President of the Club, topropose the first toast.Abraham recalled that 20 years ago it was his privilege to proposea similar toast at a gathering of 24 members at Kendal. Of those hethought he could see before him George Seatree, Scantlebury, DarwinLeighton, J. G. Howard, and W. T. Palmer. The Club was formed atConiston on November 11th, 1906,and he readaletter from Scantleburywhich described its first evening. Scantlebury suggested to the late AlanCraig, who with others made a practice of climbing every week-endat Coniston that they should form a club. Charter and Grayson whowere present were made Committee, and the late S. Hamilton Gordonjoined later. These five were the real originators of the Club, and toScantlebury it owed existence.They wrote to him and asked him to become President, but notknowing anything of these climbers he felt compelled to refuse.Scantlebury replied that if he did not take office, the Club wouldcome to an end. The upshot was an invitation to Scantlebury andCraig to spend a week-end at Keswick, and after a few minutes' talk thedecision about Presidentship was reversed. One of the first men to
364 THE FELL AND ROCK CLIMBING CLUB JOURNAL.join the Club, at the request of its first President, was George Seatree,and he came in at a critical time when there were between 40 and 50members. In a few months there were nearly 200, and now there wereclose upon 600. The number might have been 1,500, had the Clubaccepted all offers of membership. When the great MountainMemorial was being opened, Abraham said that he had received noless than a 100 letters of application from persons in sympathy withthe Club's aims, but in only two cases were the letters suitable to besent on to the Committee.In reviewing the Club's career, he made reference to some wonderfulpersonalities who had passed—John Wilson Robinson, AndrewThompson, L. J. Oppenheimer and S. W. Herford among the earlierclimbers, H. P. Cain who died in his Presidential year, and " thatmost lovely attractive friend of us all," Philip S. Minor.He proceeded to speak of the Club's great immunity from accidents :out of the tens of thousands of climbs made every year, only fourmembers had met with death on the rocks in the past 21 years. Hedid not think that climbing would advance further in regard todifficulty. He asked climbers to remember that when tackling a verydifficult climb if they came across a pitch which was too much theyshould desist. The pitch would still be there when they came againto the fells, and they might be themselves in better form.He referred with pleasure as a characteristic of this Club that ladieswere present at their dinners, and that they were the first climbingclub to allow this. (During the hearty applause which hailed thisstatement, some enthusiastic feminist belaboured a plate with suchvigour that it went asunder with a terrific crash—and the applauseended in a shriek of laughter). Then they had wonderful journals, thefirst edited by G. F. Woodhouse, followed by Scantlebury, Palmer,Chorley, and now " where fools would not dare to step an angel hascome forth " (laughter). Mrs. R. S. T. Chorley will carry on the goodwork. Another characteristic of the Club was the wonderful form ofits War Memorial, and he referred to the late H. P. Cain, DarwinLeighton, Wilson Butler, and others who would not care for theirnames to be mentioned who carried through the project. " Thosegreat mountain tops are open for all time, to you and to your friends,your children and children's children for ever." He coupled with thetoast the name of Dr. T. R. Burnett, the new President.After Darwin Leighton had sung the original Club song,made at an early meet, and John Hirst had followed with alater and equally popular ditty : " When I was lying awake inbed," the President replied to the toast.He stated that there was nobody that the persons present couldmore appropriately hear on this occasion than the first President ofthe Club (Ashley Abraham), and all knew the great impetus he gaveto the Club in its early years, He quoted from the first Journal theClub's aims and ideals, and asked on the 21st anniversary whetherthese ideals had been carried out (" Yes."). He thought that anyimpartial judge would say that they had been carried out to thefullest extent. For many years a number of mountaineers had heldthe opinion that there was a real need for a local organisation forthese fells. He spoke strongly on the service of the early pioneers ofthe Club, particularly Scantlebury and Alan Craig. It might be thatmembers who had joined during the past 10 years did not fullyunderstand the value of these men. One of the powers of the Club's
Page 1 and 2: Pkoto byG. S. Bower.AIGUILLE BLANCH
Page 3 and 4: 323A TRAVERSE OF THE AIGUILLEBLANCH
Page 5 and 6: A TRAVERSE OF THE AIGUILLE BLANCHE
Page 11 and 12: REMINISCENCES OF A SEPTUAGENARIAN.
Page 14: 334FAILURESBY J. H. DOUGHTY.It is n
Page 17 and 18: FAILURES. 337of personal feeling. A
Page 19 and 20: FAILURES. 339planted with uncanny s
Page 21 and 22: FAILURES. 341makes (or need make) b
Page 23 and 24: ROUND ABOUT NANDA DEVI IN 1926. 343
Page 25 and 26: ROUND ABOUR NANDA DEVI IN 1926. 345
Page 33 and 34: M*? THOIWASp«.$smq "t^e. Edelweiss
Page 35 and 36: 354 THE FELL AND ROCK CLIMBING CLUB
Page 39 and 40: 358CLUB HISTORYBY E. SCANTLEBURY.Th
Page 41 and 42: CLUB HISTORY 359he was going to be
Page 43 and 44: CLUB HISTORY 361day dinner. I said
Page 45: Photo byTHE BIRTHDAY CAKE.G. P. Abr
Page 51 and 52: THE COMING-OF-AGE. 367At an appropr
Page 53 and 54: THE ROCK AND FELL 369So fill your g
Page 55 and 56: THE FELL AND ROCK CLUB JOURNAL AND
Page 57 and 58: SOME REFLECTIONS AND AN INVITATION.
Page 59 and 60: SOME REFLECTIONS AND AN INVITATION.
Page 61 and 62: SOME ATTEMPTS WITH THE G.H.M. 377ar
Page 63 and 64: SOME ATTEMPTS WITH THE G.H.M. 379ar
Page 65 and 66: SOME ATTEMPTS WITH THE G.H.M. 381It
Page 67 and 68: flr.Gif
Page 75 and 76: 390NEW YEAR'S DAYA REMINISCENCE AND
Page 77 and 78: 392SAMPLING SPACIOUS SCOTLANDBY R.
Page 85 and 86: -.^.-^ »fiii)MwiiTii*rii ini iriii
Page 89 and 90: 404AFTER AN ACCIDENTBy R. S. T. CHO
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412 THE FELL AND ROCK CLIMBING CLUB
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414IN MEMORIAMHERBERT PORRITT CAIN,
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422EDITOR'S NOTESDeath has for the
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*Ti^«
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INDEX.PAGEDolomite Road near Pordoi
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Climbs on Great GableRock-Climbing
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CONTENTS.PAGEThe Fell and Rock Club
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Number in series 21; Year of publication 1927 - Fell and Rock ...

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