1968
27/28 Friday
Thought to have a good days climbing in Wales feeling that God could not be so unfair as to give me a weekend of rain. We arrived in typical mid autumnal Welsh rain sheeting down and began to think about a good route. Discarding the traverse of the Clog because of the shortness of the day, and Suicide Wall because of its lack of variety, we settled on Lockwood's Chimney, as having the greasy, exposed characteristics, and the variety that suited our intrepid party.
The intrepid party - Nick Halls, Ron Gaunt, aid leaders; Joan T. & Colin Jones, supports
Advanced with their gills open to the foot of the route, and donned wetsuits and began to squirm up the initial rib, something in the fashion of cross between an eel & a salmon.
The chimney proved to be pretty difficult to our basically aquatic party, who found the lack of water a problem, as most of our previous upward momentum had been gained by the use of breast stroke leg kick.
The leader, Bergfhurer Halls, slowed the party considerably by becoming completely stuck in the chimney because he insisted in doing the Chimney in his sack. The pressure threatened to squeeze our his last remaining piece of tubercular lung, as he steadily coughed his way up with his characteristic jerky, uncoordinated progression.
The route completely ruined us, and eventually finding ourselves on the top, we quickly proceeded to get a better days sport, by bodysurfing down to the power station, through the unconcentrated wash.
We all thought it lucky that we were water orientated.
April 1968
7th April
Beautiful day but very cold so we did Home Climb (out of wind, out of sun)
Sub Cneifion Rib (in wind, in the sun) & Unknown climb on Pen yr Ole Wen (in sun, out of wind - at last)
May 1968
Tuesday 14th May
Margaret & Ian with Stephen to stay for a while. A quiet time. A little climbing, a little walking, some spring-cleaning. A pleasant fortnight (nearly).
July 1968
Saturday 6th July
Norman Hodges & Pete Smith had a pleasant day on Tryfan climbing Check & Belle Vue Bastion.
Sat/Sun 20/21 July
Club meet: Jim & Gwenne Murray, Stuart Dawson, Alan Derbyshire, John Craig, Brian Knox, Ray H, Ian Wright.
Sat: Dull start, very fine afternoon. Jim & Gwenne round to Ogwen for some fore-Alps training. Remainder of party to Cwm Silyn. Outside Edge route and return to Rhyd Ddu via the ridge. A very fine afternoon out.
Sun: Who knows - too early yet for a decision.
Sun: B.Knox, Alan Derbyshire Devil's Staircase, Tennis Shoe, Lazarus
R Harold, J Craig, I Wright, S Dawson - Overhanging Kitchen
RH & JC Central Arete, Glyder Fawr
Sunday July 28th 1968
N Halls, BL Knox, M Firth, K Hatfield, R Gaunt. 'Clog'. 'Longland's'.
September 1968
Saturday 28th September.
Today we went up the Marquis of Anglesey. A Congenial fellow. Hut Warden & Disciples
Norm and Pete didn't get up to anything quite as erotic!
It was noted in the last Newsletter that there have been very few entries in the Log Book during the last year (1968). To put the record straight as far as I am aware as much climbing has been done as in previous years but members have been more reticent about publicising their achievements. Anyway the following list of routes that have been done by various people mainly, Mike Firth, George Homer, The Hodgins Brothers and Pete Smith.
Halcyon Secret crag, Trevor
Anyway that nearly fills up a page.
October 1968
October 21st
Arrived late found hut in excellent state - brought with us new sink, timber etc for work meet on Nov 8-10.
Oct 22nd
Visited 3 cliffs
October 23rd
Cromlech - Flying Buttress - called it a day then as Tony was suffering badly from a cold, returned to Hut and carried out plumbing for new sink top.
Fred Smith, Tony Playle
November 1968
This space reserved for notes of working party 8/11/68 F.A. Smith.
Sorry - no progress
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