OSAmag87_library

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 7
There will be grown men across the
country (indeed globe) who cannot hear
the word Mississippi without instinctively
reciting the rhythmic incantation of M _I_
double S_I_ double S_I_ PeePee_ I.
However, it wasn’t so much in the fluvial
systems of North America, the rainforest
of the Amazon, or the agriculture of the
former Soviet Steppe where his sheer love
of geography was best expressed; that was
reserved for the landforms of the British
Isles. The granite Tors of Devon, the
Mountains of North Wales and a particular
soft spot was reserved for the karst scenery
of the Malham area and the Yorkshire
Dales in general. He has been up and
down all of them and knew every twist and
turn of all the routes in and out of them.
Independently, with groups of staff and,
most memorably with groups of lower 6th
Stationers he got us among it; climbing,
hiking, observing... learning (facts, figures
and life lessons) - not forgetting the chat
(bordering on light interrogation at times)
of everyone met along the way - most
notably on the Three Peaks walk; a 20+
mile circular assault on Pen-Y-Ghent,
Whernside and Ingleborough followed by
a mug of tea at the cafe following the
successful conclusion (my personal best
about 7:45 if memory serves!). We camped
under the shadow of the cove itself at
Malham, ‘occasionally’ washed in the Beck
and cooked (sic!) bacon and sausage in
lukewarm lard - whilst Geraint and other
staff luxuriated in the amenities of the
local B&B.
My interests in the outdoor sciences were
sharpened by such experiences and led to
an application to study geology at the
University of Sheffield, Geraint’s alma
Geraint summitting (sorry Gus!) the Faulhorn in Switzerland in the 1970’s
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