The Borrowdale meet

 30^th April / May 1^st 2005

Hollows Farm at Grange-In-Borrowdale.

By Ian Cheshire

Same venue as last year but a week earlier and unfortunately the blindingly good weather we had enjoyed the previous year was not repeated.  Despite the inclement weather there were fourteen members and family (and a couple of guests) with ages ranging from under five to over seventy there to enjoy some good walking, scrambling and even a bit of climbing despite the downpours.  Much use was made of the communal tent where plenty of liquid refreshment and cheese on toast was consumed while we had the added attraction of being entertained by fire jugglers from Sheffield University climbing club who were camping on the same field.

Various different groups went walking on the Saturday, Dave, Jim and I did the grade 2 scramble up Cam Crag Ridge and then on to the top of Glaramara, a very pleasant day.

Sunday’s weather was poor but as soon as the rain ceased Paul and I rushed to Shepherd’s crag and I introduced him to the delights of one of my favourite Borrowdale routes - Ardus.  Emily who works in Needlesports in Keswick and who Paul knew from a spell as a ski instructor joined us for an attempted ascent of Little Chamonix but when I brought the other 2 up to the stance there were 7 of us there with another party already on the route! We abbed off and at Emily’s prompting we shot up Chamonix, another great little Hard Severe.

On the Monday morning after we ‘surprised’ Sparky with a birthday cake and gifts and as the weather was pants we packed up and headed for home only to discover the weather vastly improved as we drove southward, doh!