January 1973
1.1.73
Weather lousey - Festered.
March 1973
23.3.73
After the best March week for decades the weather, as expected, broke during Friday night. Everywhere wet - chose Tremadoc.
Saturday
Sunday
Borchgrevinck, Boo Boo, Bill Sutherland, Fred Smith, Pete Smith.
April 1973
1.4.73
Once again weather waited until weekend to break - the Plaid Cymru have it planned - beware oh! innocent climber - and Sunday proved misty and claggy. After much breakfast and deliberation we went to Black Ladders.
Lew & Denny
20-4-73
Easter Weekend
D Salter.
Moel Eilio and along the tops to Snowdon. Rather cloudy with occasional showers and even more occasional bright intervals. Mercifully the trains were running only to Clogwyn Station. Descent via Halfway House.
21.4.73
Down to Cwm Nantol for a walk over Y Llithr and Diffwys. It was still windy. The showers were more frequent and heavier than yesterday and the bright intervals less frequent. (There were rain showers, snow showers, hail showers and snow pellet showers so there). Fortunately the Rhinogs are off the tourist routes so there was plenty of room to sing and shout and whatever one felt inclined to do. Tried to do battle with a bollard whilst driving back over the toll bridge to Purlyndendraeth. The bollard won - Bollards.
22.4.73
Weather even worse.
23rd April
Breakthrough! The weather was the best ever for Wales, the hut unusually full of rabble with Pete Smith heading the troupe and a ring of expectancy encircling the hut. (It left later on unfulfilled as everyone festered). Actually the Weather God of Wales thought everyone had gone home and so forgot to send the usual downpours, so James and I sneaked up Oberon, Nea, Short Tree Chimney and the hill to the village before he realised climber tourists were still in the area. My love for the walk to Caer Fran has diminished especially since it was decided for us to buy a car, no longer will we toil with the daily provisions 5lb of potatoes and six fishes and a dragging back leg. We will go in style like the rest of M.M.C. and drive up.
Personal.
Lost and Found
Repairs.
Lin & James.
[put handle on back door]
27th
Back again but only to collect gear as hitching up the path proved too exhausting. Tremadoc barn served well.
May 1973
5/5/73
John Craig's Meet. (Sans Craig).
Saturday - weather looking good in the mountains a difficult decision was arrived at - Tremadoc.
Roger Salisbury joined us to provide light humour.
Craig Dhu Wall - Fred, Roger; Pete, Ian
Axeminster - Fred, Roger; Bill, Dave
Knell For A Raven - Peter, Ian; Fred, Roger
Boo-Boo - Fred, Roger; Bill, Dave
Christmas Curry - Bill, Dave
Bramble Buttress - Bill, Dave
6.5.73
Sunday - Weather foul in Pass area so we went off to the Moelwyns, Sundry routes in cool, blustery, but dry weather.
Kirkus' - Bill, Dave & George
Y Gelenen - Pete & Fred, Ray & Ian, Bill, Dave & George
June 1973
5.6.73
Our Lady's Summer Meet
6.6.73
To Llyn Crafnant where prohibited bathing party tried in vain to keep themselves low in the water.
7.6.73
Snowdon summit accompanied by moaning and heavy gasping.
Quotes of the week:-
We are not sure if the second was a password for some midnight orgy but the noise that followed left us thinking.
23/6/73
Wrinkle } Bill Sutherland, Dave Graham.
30/6/1973
Arrived PM in two parties. Sampled Llanberis mead, endeavoured to integration of populace without climactical success. Party factioned resolved pax. Horseshoe tomorrow a.m.
J Callaghan
July 1973
20.7.1973
Nick Jones' Meet (Sans Nick).
A new vogue is appearing - leading meets from home! 13 members arrived including the Great Glen. The weather poor.
Saturday: one party chose a high level circuit of the Aber Falls and achieved their objective in pleasant weather, a very pleasant walk finishing on Moel Garmin (Pete, Kate, Fred, Bett, Dave, John Craig - rather late for his own meet some ten weeks ago).
Bill Sutherland and Dave Graham avoided the rain in the Ogwen area and managed to avoid the crags also.
Sunday: the meet moved to Tremadoc, with the exception of the hut warden who was stranded at the hut by the President who borrowed his ropes and 'buggered off' with his car keys - so he had to work in the hut. Climbs succeeded upon included 'Niobe' and 'Avalon'. The latter did not prove to be Denny's seventh heaven but it did expand her vocabulary.
An excellent and entertaining meet. The LEADER, by the way, arrived at 7pm on Saturday muttering something about his watch being slow.
23.7.73
Monday
A very damp day - The Pres and J Craig proceeded to Ogwen and then to Clogwyn y Bustach where I (J.C.) talked the Pres up Senior's Climb (from behind of course). We then descended and searched for another free climb but this proved impossible and we returned to Caer Fran. The last I saw of Pete was a shower of mud following him up the path to his car just as I was asking him to stay the week.
Tuesday
Went over Moel Eilio to Snowdon. I was frightfully unfit and returned at 6.00pm exhausted and blistered.
Wednesday
Walked to Nant Peris and found that all the public pathway signs were pointing the wrong way. After many false starts I toiled up Elidir Fawr. I was still feeling unfit but the weather was glorious and I came down the Foel Goch ridge. A farmer guided me onto the footpath when all roads off appeared barred.
Walked back to Caer Fran slightly fitter but oh my bleeding feet.
Thursday - very low mist.
I decided to try Snowdon and Crib Goch but conditions at the summit were too bad so I made for Telegraph Col. Feet are still playing me up.
Friday
Feet are very painful so I shall have to rest them. Went to Bangor for medical supplies (for my feet).
August 1973
August 3rd - 5th
Work Meet
The old familiar faces were there Fred, Dave, Freda and John (Craig) arrived Friday and during Saturday finished the ceiling in the men's dorm, fitted new gas piping, humped over a ton of fencing down to the hut, solved the 50% flush in the gents and fastened down the manhole slabs in the kitchen.
Sunday brought Bill, Dave, Ray, John (Baker), Jean, Bett and George (Bowden). Fences went up, window ledges were 'marbled', the roof light leak (the last great problem) cured and a great cleaning out followed.
A very successful meet - with more help we could have completed all the jobs planned - maybe next time!!!
Fred.
12.8.73
Stopping at Trevor spent day at Nantle ridge. Solo'd up Cwm Silyn Ordinary Route and then traversed the ridge in both directions leaving out Y Garn. A beautiful day - very few people.
Fred Smith.
September 1973
1.9.73
Weather lousy but made an effort. Hitched down to Cromlech bridge. Halfway up to Dinas Cromlech I met two others who agreed to my request to make a rope of three. We did Flying Buttress, leading one pitch each, Nick the 'solo'd Cemetery Gates on sight' alpine guide gave frightening descriptions on route of German Alpinists being swept off the Eiger Northwand by 'rocks the size of houses'. After tea at Wendy's I bid farewell and, seeing the weather had improved considerably, pointed myself in the direction of the Wastad. The following routes were climbed.
Carreg Wastad: Clogwyn y Grochan:
2.9.73
Weather cloudy but promising. The following routes on Dinas Mot were ascended - Direct Route, Western Slabs, The Cracks and Gardd.
Steve Kenny
8.9.73
Weather superb. Ventured up Yr Wyddfa via Great Slab on Cloggy, then made an inglorious descent of Cwm Glas to Cromlech bridge. Hundreds of people shouting and scrambling on the Great Cliff.
Steve Kenny
October 1973
27-10-73
Good weather, warm and dry. Wandered over to Idwal did Tennis Shoe (desperate).
M Lacey & Bill Evans
27/10/73
To Little Tryfan and two routes for a warm up. Tea at Ogwen and then Hope on Idwal Slabs.
Bill Sutherland, John Peak, Mark Diggins
27-28th Oct
Wrights Meet - almost in the leaderless vogue but we did arrive. In addition to the above activity Ray & Ian went the Eilio round on Sat, and the Mini Horseshoe (Crib Goch by North Ridge - main ridge - down Cwm Las ridge) on Sunday.
29-30th
Mini - Wrights arrived, weather fantastic, we just lazed and looked.
December 1973
14-16 Dec
4 of us - Lew, Pete, Denny and Keith headed up towards Cwm Las ridge on what appeared an easy day. High up the epic began with a little gully & snow & verglas. On top we decided to go down the easy way leaving El Presidente to walk back up the Pass for his car - the hero of the day. Bill and Dave wandered up to Cloggy, wondered and then wandered down again.
Sunday late rising, mist and rain - we festered, intending doing a cafe crawl of North Wales.
If anyone is interested in whores and 45 gal oil drums outside Milan apply to Bill Sutherland, he seems to know a lot. (Lies)
Just Denny
30/12/73
Bill, Dave, Cathie (Dave's sister) & Pat arrived to see the old year out. As Patrick was a visitor from the land of stars and stripes, a quick tour of the area (by car) preceded a walk up to Llyn Llydaw. The causeway was flooded so a walk round the lake was the order of the day.
Arrived back at the car at night fall and returned for a large meal washed down with a half gallon of vino. Nick and Di and children suddenly arrived as if from nowhere. Cathie spilling her vino as Nick battered his way through the door.
31.12.73
Left to go for a wander. Weather superb on the last day of year.
Bill Sutherland.
31/12/73
New Year's Eve Celebrations.
The following august collection of bodies observed the passing of the old year - Pete (El Presidente) and Lyn Smith, Lew & Denny Jones, Nick & Di Jones and children, Norman Hodgkins & Dave Salter. The return from the Victoria Hotel was achieved by a skater's waltz on a patch of ice on the steep bendy bit of the road! However no damage was done so we proceeded to sup Pete's vino. Midnight passed without incident. (Couldn't see Kahoutek's Comet).
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