Chair’s Report to 2023 AGM & Annual Awards
These are Lee’s speaking notes from his report delivered at our AGM.
- ~170 people have attended 15 Official Club Meets
- Numerous independent and self-organised meets throughout the year
- Many new members how have become active parts of the club
- Now at top of Google search results above the Manjushiri Kadampa Meditation Centre
December 2022
- 20 people attended our Annual Christmas Meet at the Gwydrt Hut, Capel Curig
- Lots of Snow
- Walks & Scrambles up Moel Siabod, Pen Yr Olwen, Tryfan & Snowdon
- Lovely Christmas dinner
January 2023
- 22 people attended our Annual Burns Meet, Chester MC Hut, Llanberis
- Many independent groups meeting up a different locations including Crib Goch and an impromptu litter pick instigated by Stuart and Stacey
- Highlight being haggis, neeps and tatties and Alan’s address to the haggis and a reading of ‘The Mountaineer’ in Memory of Alan Mountford who instigated the burns meet tradition.
- Night Navigation Exercise organised by Nigel
February
- 15 people went to the Lowerstern Hut in North Yorkshire
- Predominantly a hill walking trip with many summits, a little bouldering and a successful completion of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks by Stacey, Meredith & Jason
March
- 2nd Night Navigation Exercise
- A number of members attended a Winter Mountaineering Skills Course at Glenmore Lodge
- This lead into the Alex MacIntire Hut Meet, in Onich Scotland attended by 11 people
- This trip focussed on winter scrambling & walking with highlights of School House Ridge, and Hourglass Gully
- 12 people also visited to the Peak District, staying in the delightful Derbyshire Pennine Club Hut, Stoney Middleton
- Wharncliffe – Great Butress Arrete – E1 by Charlie
- Dodging rain at Birchen and some sport at Horsethief quarry
- Rivelin – HVS – Croton Oil and Blizzard Ridge also by Charlie
- New club gear
- Harnesses, helmets & nut keys
April
- Another busy month
- 6 people attended the first of many International trips, this time to the greek Sport Climbing paradise of Kalymnos
- Ludicrous concentration of incredible quality sport climbs of every style imaginable all within 10 mins drive
- Delicate slabs, fierce overhangs, tuffa pulling, 3D stalactite wrestling and everything in between
- Probably the Best climbing I’ve done anywhere
- 6 members participated in Self Rescue Skills Training by Dave Whiteley @ Pinnacle
- Tying off Belays
- Ascending the Rope
- Assisted & Unassisted Hoists
- Passing the Knot
- Escaping the System
- 17 People camped at Hardhurst Farm in the Peak District
- Climbing at Burbage South, Carl Wark, Stanage
- Walks & Runs up Winhill, Edale Skyline and Kinder Scout
May
- 6 people headed to Pembroke to escape the coronation and make use of the bonus bank holiday, Highlights included:
- Sea-cliff climbing in Glorious sunshine, escaping the rain over the rest of the UK
- James & Peter pushing their leading on the 60m Crystal Slabs
- Charlie and James narrowly escaping the tide at Mother Careys
- More E1 & HVS leads by Charlie
- Tom & James’ Apocalypse nachos
- 10 members Traveled to Arran – Described as Scotland in Miniature.
- This trip Featured:
- Fighting off ferocious midges
- Shane tried his hand a watercolor painting, with impressive results
- Lots of Wild Swimming
- Scrambles up Goatfell
June
- 10 members camped in Eskdale in the Lake District – a rainy weekend
- Ascents of: Harter Fell, Scafell Pike (via Esk Hause and Great End) and via Pikes Crag Climb
- Tongue Pot Waterfalls
July
- Another eventful month
- 6 people headed on an unofficial trip to explore the limestone edges above Llangollen
- New area for the club ~ 3 hours away
- Excellent overlooked climbing with Trad at Worlds End and Sport Climbing at Trevor Quarry
- Only Good stopping off point on the way to/from Snowdonia
- Peak Day Trips
- Official Trip: 6 members Headed to Dolgam Campsite, Capel Curig North Wales (after a number of drop-outs due to the poor forecast)
- Trips to Beacon Climbing centre to avoid the rain
- Some very soggy & windy walks
- Woken up at 2:30 AM to move tents away from rising floodwaters
- Blessed by some sun and climbing on Holyhead mountain on Sunday
- Grand Paradiso
- Michelle, Alex, Stacey, Meredith, Jason & Adam headed to Italy to conquer their first 4,000 metre alpine peaks
- First guided summit of Pyramid Vincent at 4,125m
- 2 days in an alpine hut upskilling
- 2nd objective putting newfound skills to the test with an unguided ascent of the 4,061m Gran Paradiso, navigating scrambles, glaciers, 60 degree snow slopes and mixed climbing to reach the summit.
- Stacey, Meredith then did a week’s Via Ferrata in Annecy, France accompanied by Dave Mountford, & Alan
August
- Bank Holiday – Gower – Pitton Cross Caravan Park
- New area for the club featuring gorgeous golden sandy beaches, stunning coastlines & coastal walks, surfing as well as wealth sport, trad & bouldering
- Fantastic pub food at the Worm’s Head Inn
- Trad, Belaying directly from the beach at Tor Bay
- Enjoying delightful sport climbing on carbon slabs
September
- 4 Members returned to Scotland, staying at the Raeburn Hut near Dalwhinnie
- Neal did his bit for sustainability getting the sleeper train up
- Highlights
- Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis
- Adverikie Wall – Best HS in the country?
- Aggag’s Groove
- Chioch Nose
- 15 members headed to ‘extremely basic’ The OMC Hut in Pentrefoelas, North Wales
- Simply getting to the hut was a lesson in navigation, scrambling &/ off-road driving and the drive was not braved by all
- Epic scrambles up Tryfan & Glyder Fach
- Trad on the unusual Craig – y Tonnau
- Sport at Trevor Quarry
- Epic run by Shane up the nose of Pen-yr-Olwen
October
- No official club trips due to lack of availability of organisers
- A number of independent trips
November
- Members volunteered for BMC Mend Our Mountains campaign
- Kendal Mountain Film Festival/George Starkey Hut
MKMC 2023 Awards
Faffer of the Year: Alan – During a winter mountaineering skills course, Alan initially earned the nickname Shackleton due to his iced up beard, however this was short-lived that the their guide chose the more appropriate nickname of “Colonel Faff” for his “deliberate and intense faffing”
Gear Tester of the Year: Charlie – We all know that climbing gear is rigorously tested by manufacturers before appearing on the shelves, but one member was not happy with this and insisted on testing their yellow Totem Cam to destruction while attempting Kelly’s Overhang at Stange.
Outdoor Hero of the Year: Josh – While sport climbing on the Gower, the heavens opened to a deluge of rain leaving quickdraws in need of rescuing on 4 routes, 3 of us had the good fortune of there being top ropes in place and were able to strip the routes without too much difficulty.
Josh however was less fortunate, being just about to start on a lead of a delicate and technical 6a+, the nature of the rock (wet) and the style of climbing on holds incredibly slippy and treacherous in the wet, however Josh was not deterred and made a very impressive ascent under challenging conditions.
Distinguished Flying Award: Neal – He has repeatedly been putting Newton’s theory of gravity to the test, first when climbing with Tom at Harborough Rocks, and again in the Gower, providing an excellent demonstration to new members of the importance of keeping your feet clear of the rope when sport climbing so you don’t get caught and invert.
Age is no Barrier: Gill – For completing the 17.5km Drei Zinnen Alpine Run in Sesto, featuring 1,100m of elevation and finishing at 2,450m. Not only did Gill complete the race, but she improved on her time of 10 years ago by 4 minutes finishing in 3:56:18.
Couch to Alpine Racer: Laurence – Who, having been a hillwalking newbie a year ago, ran alongside Gill on theDrei Zinnen Alpine Run.
Sustainability Champion: Nigel – This award goes to Nigel, both stepping in to fulfil the Sustainability Rep role in the committee and for organising car-free trips to the south coast and the Peak District.
Most Improved Female Rock Climber of the Year: Naiomi –
Most Improved Male Rock Climber of the Year: Kieran –
Female Rock Climber of the Year: Emma – By an overwhelming majority, this years award goes to a predominantly indoor climber who glides up routes in the high 6’s and 7’s, often making them look effortless.
Male Rock Climber of the Year: Charlie – He has assembled an impressive resume of HVS and E1 ascents this year and refused to be put off, despite struggling with injuries and having had a couple of big falls.
Alan M Memorial Shield for the Mountaineer of the Year: Alex Te – 2023 was certainly a year to remember for Alex. Starting the year in Scotland, learning winter mountain skills at Glenmore Lodge to augment his prior experience of Summer mountaineering. During the course his team suffered an unexpected avalanche, which fully buried one of his cohorts and partially buried another. His account of the situation and the chaos that unfolded would have made a lasting negative impression on many an aspiring Alpinist.
Undeterred he returned to the snowy mountain tops in March during the March club trip.
Later in the year he and his team broke their previous altitude record with their first 4,000m summit during a July trip to Italy, reaching Pyramide Vincent 4,215m (with the aid of a guide).
Later that week, they reached Italy’s highest mountain Gran Paradiso (without guides) at 4,061m.
Not satisfied with Alpine peak bagging, he capped the moment with a successful marriage proposal. Regularly observed as a quiet man, unassuming and laid back, whilst sometimes considered as Michelle’s side-kick, Alex has the determination and steely nerve proven to continue making progress in his mountaineering journey. 2023 will certainly be a year to remember for Alex.