23-1-88

Here we are, 1st entry for '88. Liverpool Red Rope party of ten! Up at 7.00 and a bit sluggish, raining and windy. Finally left the hut at 9.10. The van was a bit sluggish too! took ½ an hour to start it. Finally made it to Idwal at 11.45. Two of us walked back up the valley to Capel Curig. Very wet underfoot. Good slug country. Some of others messed around in Cwm Idwal. Remainder took van back to Plas y Brenin - crowded so they went to Plas Menai and then back to Plas y Brenin because Dave left his rock boots there. And Nigel left his Access card in Ellis Brigham's. Back here about 4.45. Damp. Great day. Hope it will be even better tomorrow.

Up Devil's Kitchen to knee high slush / next day over to Anglesey & coast walk.

12-2-88 to 14-2-88

Plymouth Poly M.C.

Friday

I was not here so I can't say anything about it.

Saturday

It rained so I won't say much about it.

Sunday

It is still Saturday so Sunday has not happened yet.

Still we are having a great time talking about what we can't do 'cause of the weather. Good Hut.

By Crawford (Doing a slight detour en route to Scotland from Heysham)

In this 'anal' we must include the quotes of the century.

"XXXX is boring" (Janice) to say nothing of climbing.

Rob Smart and Steve Waldson top of Snowdon in 50 mph+ winds, no crampons, one axe between two, dodgy bit above Clogwyn y Ddysgl rather hairy going up... Snow froze on way back... extremely dodgy! Got lost in the dark on way back but found hut eventually. Only to find John, Jim, Chris and Richard munching into teabags? not content with that the coffee granules went down badly.. So did Chris and Richard. Next came the Marmite! Jim yawned badly (can't stand the stuff myself) so John won himself 1 pint!

Missing: 1 black, man's watch (analogue + digital displays) If found send (please) to Stephen Barlows c/o P.P.M.C., Plymouth Polytechnic Student's Union, Drake's Circus, Plymouth, Devon.

Colin Wayman - my very first climb - great!

(another epic description)

Yet another drunken - table climbing - jam packed - adventure weekend for P.P.M.C. Oh well. Did Snowdon (via Crib Goch) then watched the rain.

Chris (sorry about the Welsh spelling)

Thanks for the stay P.P.M.C.

3.4.88 Easter.

Well someone has to write in here, with this quill that's here no wonder it's not used. Arrived in snowbound Wales axless, so we opened 1988 rock climbing account. Holyhead Mountain, glowing in free solar heat. Curtains, severe; Tensor, VS; Mrs Murdock, severe; teas and cakes at the cafe, then evening on Lighthouse Arete VS. Finished exactly at sunset (8pm). Hope all days are like this in 88. No one here of course. Geoff Turner & Rowland Nock.

2.4.88

Les A and Ray Duffy (ex-member)

Plumb, One Step, Great Western, Scratchit , Grim Wall Direct, Merlin Direct, not a bad start to the year for a geriatric & a spinal transplant patient. - Mind you we've climbed in Scotland this winter which is more than most members of this skiing club!!!!

5/4/88 to 8/4/88

Colin Mitchell & Wendy Ashmore (G)

Having a good rest from college (and school). have been tourists for most of our stay here. Although on Thursday I walked along from Moel Eilio to Foel Gron, Foel Goch and Moel Cynghorion, all in brilliant sunshine, from there I dropped down to Bwlch Cwm-Brwnynog to join the Snowdon Ranger Path which took me to the summit of Snowdon, covered in cloud and ice (and people!). A superb day!

22/4/88

Les A & Ray Duffy (ex member)

Arrived hoping to avoid the work meet and dossed here on Friday night.

Did Left Wall not bad for a pair of "jerries" with a combined age of 75!!!

Then Came On A Dervish on a little slaty thing we found - just the other side of the lake (Llyn). We are claiming a winter ascent 'cos it wasn't too warm!!

Serious comment:- Traditionally the club dinner is held at the back-end of January - a time when there is often "reasonable" snow conditions for a winter mountaineering day on the hills. The venue does not concern me, be it Wales, the Lakes or the Peak. I do, however, question the reasoning behind the change to November - (a time when the weather is rarely good) could it possibly be anything to do with skiers. I believe John Mc Bean & Fred Smith strongly endorse these views.

Les Anderson.

Les A	Wen Slab
John Mc	Britomartis
Gauntlet	(+ Cal Croft)
Duffy	String of Pearls
& Knox	Pale Shelter at Trwyn
then Massambula on the slate.

8/5/88

Did the Lighthouse . First decent climb I've done.

Thanks M.M.C.

C Croft.

4/6/88

Richard Dickinson + party. (Manchester Poly Mountaineeing Drinking and abusive club. ex members!)

All arrived in Llanberis during various times on Friday/Saturday. 4 members of team decided to carry on drinking at friend's house until 2.00am and lo and behold when they tried to find the club hut they could not. Forcing them to spend the night in the car! No sympathy!

Saturday R Dickinson and W Harvey went to Tremadoc via as many coffee shops and cafes, climbed Grim Wall.

Rest of party walked up Snowdon.

Saturday night drinking in the Royal Victoria.

Sunday morning spent in bed.

18.6.88

Did Great Wall/Bow Shaped combination after driving from Manchester. Cloggy was busy and you had to queue for the start of all the routes. Turned into a beautiful evening, so had a chili at Pete's and a pint at the Vic. Cloggy was bone dry.

Dave Edwards & Alan Moore

Munich next day.

18.6.88

Martyn Nightingale, Pete Younger, Alan & Janet Barnes - attempt at 14 peaks. Martyn & Janet gave out after 11 with various injuries, Pete & Alan completed after 15¼ hours - getting down at midnight exhausted!

24.6.88 - 26.6.88

Rowland Nock,s meet.

Roll Call:

Saturday out with the seagulls on Gogarth. P.D. and myself on first pitch of Simulator and last two pitches of Pantin/Puffin.

Bill, Maggie & Simon first two pitches of Emulator and 2 pitches of Puffin. Quite warm and humid - a good day out.

Spike and Neil P - Cyrn Las - The Grooves, Lubyanka.

14/8/88

Well, he finally got me here, not what I quite expected though! No TV! It reminded me of Slade prison. I expected Fletcher to arrive asking for some snout. The breakfast made up for it all apart from Rowland's doubtful sausages. I have dreamed about places like this but have always woken up in the past. I'm afraid the only climb worth mentioning was into the bunk last night.

Yours

Rowland's brother xxx

(Eric)

P.S. Very nice really!

15.8.88

Steve Gille and kids arrived today after two days lounging on the beach at Aberdaron in the rain "so what's new?" I hear you say, it's summer it always rains. Ha! Ha! not today, the sun's cracking the flags and we're off. What shall we do kids? climb, swim, play, eat ice cream comes the reply. So what did we do - I climbed on the roof and painted it (a warden's life...). The kids played and swam in the stream until being dragged out for tea.

16/8/88

The day's dawned clear and bright and it looks like we're in for a hot one. So it's up and away for a trip round the lake and a bit of climbing for the kids.

27/8/88

Bank holiday Weekend

Arrived on Sat after a trip to the boot specialist in Rhyl.

Sunday - rain showers so off to the sea side as usual.

Mike & John Pinch - Strand
Paul, Bill, Pete - Ipso Facto - got soaked.
Bob Ferguson - resting - he was to be required for great deeds the next day.

Monday - Rain, cold, wind.

"Indiana Ferguson and the Temple of Water"

A long time ago someone told Bill of a great adventure to be had exploring an old mine in a far off corner of North Wales.

So the team set off including Bill, Paul Davies, John Pinch, Mike B and, last but not least, Indiana. A short, well not so short, drive took us to the spot and ½ an hour walk upward took us to a strange hole in the ground, obviously an old quarry. After exploring around we spotted a large diagonal shaft going downward.

Torches out, cag and overtrousers on we went downward and spotted a tunnel going on round and deeper. This was followed past many chambers and false "tunnels" a bit of a diagonal squeeze and out into another tunnel. Onward we went when suddenly we arrived at a "void" in the floor of the tunnel. Our torches picked out an 11mm fixed rope across the void, fairly new. A "test" rock was dropped into the void and after what seemed like an age a resounding crash was heard - it's "deep" was the conclusion.

Some muttering and debating followed when suddenly a hero stepped forward and declared we would have to tyrollian. Indiana Ferguson harness on, head torch adjusted with 4 other torches on the rope, clipped the rope and launched across. Swearing, cursing, sweating he slid down the tyrollian to the middle where he was most exposed to the drop. Words of encouragement, laughter, and heaving saw Bob across where he set up a "cable car" with a spare rope. The sacs and the boys followed and outward into the labyrinth of passages. After some way we discovered the tunnel blocked and then realised, horror of horrors, we would have to reverse the tyrollian. John P went first and now fully experienced the boys followed. Reversing the passage ways we spotted a hidden tunnel going downward and followed this to a shaft with water cascading downward.

An abseil took us downward - strange business abseiling down a waterfall. We followed the water down a long tunnel past several side tunnels - where these went is a mystery - and found a diagonal passage way going downwards with water flowing down.

Fortunately the angle allowed us to walk down. Deeper and deeper we went past many side tunnels when Paul suddenly banged his head. Then Bob banged his followed by Mike and eventually John and Bill - the tunnel was getting smaller!! Soon it was hands and knees and then it was a crawl. So this is what caving is all about. Water flowing up legs around waist and out through the neck.

The crawl was about 100 yards and 4 soaked adventurers grouped around Indiana.

Onward and downward following the stream past massive chambers where once slaves laboured to roof Britain, and into a long level passage when we spotted a pin hole of light at the end.

A larger than usual side chamber was spotted and our torches picked out an underground lake, very deep, with a wire crossing it. - "Another adventure here". Time, unfortunately was pressing so we followed the main tunnel towards the light. As we approached we noticed that a large iron cage was fixed to the entrance to prevent people from entering and "exiting" from the system. Arriving at the cage we discovered it was made of 6" x 3" RSJs firmly fixed to the walls, floor and roof. Will we have to reverse the system or was there another way round. The daylight is so tantalizingly close. Did they escape!!

Watch this space - next week all will be revealed.

Bill

8.8812

Smith & Nightingale (the dynamic hard left socialist duo) dragged out of bed in Liverpool at unearthly hour - being a teacher on holiday in the summer hols this is sad news. Tackled Tryfan, no problems and great fun. Weather - bit windy, cloud 3500ft v. good visibility. Great fun scrambling up Bristly Ridge - Glyder Fach & on to Fawr. Superb views, but beware, 'cos my pride and joy Zamberlan's were in dock, Doc Martin's were de rigour. Dead groovy they may be but piss poor for ridge walking. Down Y Gribin (uneventful) and back in time for "Test Match Trivia" (not bad) and The Archers (brilliant as per usual) on radio 4. Seriously tho folks a superb days scrambling.

1.9.88

Rain!! Tactical retreat to base camp at Pete's Eats and a couple of Big Jims (E8 6a).

Paul

23/10/88

Glen & Martin & Paul Hirons, John, Andrew & Stephanie Blakeborough started on Lion Rock practised going up and abseiling down. In the afternoon tried to lose them in the quarries, but they were nimbler on the ladders than we were. Andrew thinks that Goretex is the green spiky shrub that you fall into when abseiling, consequently he doen't understand why Bill S wants Gortex underpants) .

(I don't think Gortex is the spikey stuff, but Martin fell in it while abseiling) (Andy did an even bigger fall into the Gortex!!)

4-11-88

Plymouth Polytechnic Mountaineering Club

We came, we saw, we didn't do much. Plans of 1000ft mountain sorties were shattered this w/e. The weather came down on us forcing a retreat to the foothills. New members had fun scrambling up polished routes at Tremadoc and Steve delighted them with his ascent of a "way knarly" overhanging roof. A few fireworks got the Saturday night underway and we celebrated Guy Fawkes night in the traditional way much beer and laughter echoed against the jukebox at the Padarn hotel (most beer went on Dave's lap ed). Evil schemes were plotted against the womenfolk of the club. Fortunately they backfired. Anyway the hut is great, loved the fire and will be back for sure in the spring to do some really hard climbing. Off now to do a few chop routes down in Vivian Quarry, finish off with a bucket of tea down at Pete's place. Then a 6 hour haul back to the gloomy West Country.

Cheers for now

Steve Waldren (treasurer)

The rest of the team:-

Tracey Gale (Pres)	Helen Scrinvels
Dave Biggert (sec)	Dave
Rob Smart	Rowland (Rat!)
Colin Wayman	John Bate
Anita (The French one)	Liz
Janice Duncan

NB A quilt in the girl's room had to be thrown away - mice were nesting within.

26/11/88

Coventry Polytechnic Mountaineering Society

A day of multitudes of waterfalls and falling rocks for the walkers.

Icy scree slopes for the mountaineers and freezing rockfaces for the climbers.

But everyone seemed to enjoy themselves

Cheers for the hut

CPMS

2,3,4 Dec 88

L.M.C.

Something funny today - Alison - a very unpleasant rock punctured my tyre on the drive up. Phil's blaming the Padarn Lake Bar for his headache - he reckons it was the smoke. We know it's the booze.

29/12/88

Colin Hardy with Bob Lane and Jackie Andrews - (brummies but still friends)

This morning, Thursday, high winds, low cloud, as grey as grey can be - Snowdon!!

Up the Piggie, down the Railie.

27.12.88

First visit to Caer Fran after two years! We had to call out a bloke from the water authority at Bangor on a Bank Holiday as we had no water - apparently the pump had switched itself off!?

28.12.88

Stumbled up to Cyrn Las in high winds and mist. Too unfit to go any further so we went to Pete's.

29.12.88

Pleasant day strolling around Gogarth and Holyhead Mountain. Went looking for the stone circles but couldn't find them.

30.12.88

We intended to go trilobite hunting in Marchlyn Mawr today, but low cloud and high winds put a stop to that idea. We ended up in Betws y Coed having a look around Climber and Rambler and then went for a stroll along one of the forest footpaths.

31.12.88

Going to a New Year's Eve party in Liverpool tonight before returning to the Smoke on Sunday. really enjoyed this short break despite the wind and the cloud. I feel geared up to face the tube on Tuesday.

Simon Hill, Ruth Thomas.