AMC Summer Newsletter 2022

Welcome everyone to our Summer Newsletter.

It does actually appear to be summer now!!

Whether you are a trad climber, sport climber, boulderer, mountaineer or walker I hope that you have some wonderful days out planned for the summer ahead.

NEWS…..

We have a full calendar of meets running over the summer for you to get involved in. If you had some time to spare to get involved with the AMC a little more, we would welcome some trip organisers to help run some of these meets.

Gwenver, our wonderful trip secretary, is doing a great job at keeping our monthly weekend meets running smoothly and I am always on the lookout for people to run evening meets throughout the summer. Please do email either of us if you think you might like to volunteer, we are here to help you!

chair@avon-mc.org.uk

trips@avon-mc.org.uk

membership-

We still have membership to the club closed as the committee work through a new joining process to help both new and existing members get the most out of the club in a safe and fun way. We aim to have this open again as we move towards the Autumn. If you know of someone who is interested in joining, ask them to contact our membership secretary Jamie, who is building up a waiting list. They will be contacted once we open again. membership@avon-mc.org.uk

Below are a few of the things that are going on and coming up…….

Beautiful clear conditions in the Brecon Beacons

Navigation Training day Sunday 21st August

Peter is running a navigation training exercise in the Brecon Beacons on Sunday 21st August.

The Start time in the BB is 10:00 and finishing time is at 16:00.

Participants should be familiar with maps and have at least a basic understanding of how to use them. The day will focus on precision navigating in the field. We will be covering:

  • Contour interpretation
  • Pacing & timing
  • Walking on a bearing
  • Navigation strategy
  • Relocation

We will, hopefully, also get a reasonable walk in.

Please email Peter if you are interested on PeterCollins5@gmail.com.

Trips to look forward to this summer……

North Wales- This is next weekend! 15-17th July. Please contact Max Coney if you wish to go. Check out the post on the forum for more details. The weather looks pretty amazing right now for that weekend!!

Culm Coast- A classic of its time. Matt Langley is running this trip and has opened a post on the forum. Please contact him if you are interested. If you have not been to the culm coast before, it is a real treat in trad sea cliff climbing. Please contact Matt if you are unsure about what experience you need to have to come on this trip

Wasdale Lake District. The National Trust campsite at Wasdale has been booked for this trip. A new location for us, but an ideal opportunity to get some climbing in up on Scafell and Napes. Loads of walking and scrambling and you are even on the right side of the Lakes for some sport or bouldering at St Bees!!

If you are thinking about organising a trip, this could be a good one to start in, mainly because we need an organiser for it!

Please contact Gwenver or myself for further details.

Charlie and Simon proving that it is ALWAYS sunny in the Lakes.

Pembroke Come and spend the bank holiday sea cliff climbing at Pembroke. A plethora of fantastic routes at all grades. Kate and Joe have kindly volunteered to organise this one, so keep an eye on the forum if you want to sign up.

The Alps trip 2022. For anyone interested in this meet there will be a pub meet on the 27th July. Please see the Forum post for the experience needed to go on this trip.

Just another stunning day in the Alps.

Women’s Sport Day-Saturday September 3rd

In the absence of the Women’s meet (when we were all too busy) I will be running a women’s climbing day on 3rd September. It will most likely be South Wales sport so that it is open to more of us, and will be nice and sociable too.

This is a great meet if you are newer to outdoor climbing as well as for those who are more experienced.

If you are interested in coming along, or have any questions, please drop me an email! chair@avon-mc.org.uk

Lundy  Simon Perrett is running the yearly exodus to Lundy, only this time it is longer!! September 9th for 5 nights!!

Lundy is a truly magical place to climb. Adventurous sea cliff climbing at its best. Even just being on Lundy is special, seals sing there (I heard them last time!!)

I strongly recommend you going if you have not been before. However, it is a serious place to climb. SO if you are not sure if you have the right experience or skills for this trip, please contact a member of the committee or Simon to ask.

Looking down the Devils slide on Lundy

Kalymnos This trip sold out almost immediately! Hardly surprising, as there are over 4000 bolted routes on pretty much immaculate rock. Happy days…..

Enjoying the view in Kalymnos

Throughout the summer we are trying to run weekly evening meets and desperately need volunteers to help us. Even if you organise one meet, that is one meet that will happen. We cannot run these meets without organisers.

If you are wondering if you have the skills to do so, please contact anyone of the committee to discuss. We can be flexible on venues and which evening the meet is on.

The committee would like to thank everyone who has helped out so far. You are awesome…..

Outdoor first Aid Training Days

The committee are a group of dedicated people who want to help our membership build up skills that enhance our safe enjoyment of climbing, mountaineering and walking, so we are offering 2 one day courses of outdoor first aid training with Paul Smith from Rock and Water Adventures.

These will be held on November 5th and the cost is £35.

There are 2 places left on for Saturday 5th November.

Email me if you would like to take up a place FCFS chair@avon-mc.org.uk

Here is some more information about Paul.

https://en-gb.facebook.com/rockandwateradventures

https://mt.tahdah.me/profile/index/65883

It’s a long way ahead, but what better way to spend time in November when it is probably a bit cold and wet!! 🙂

The AMC Turns 50!!

Which is quite possibly the best age to be…

As spotted by an observant Steve earlier this week, it is the clubs 50th birthday this year!

Jamie is starting to compile a club history, so anyone who has any wonderful memories, stories, characters, or events they would like to share then please email Jamie. He is especially interested in anything pre website going back to the clubs founding in 1972. membership@avon-mc.org.uk

Thank you’s and congratulations…..

The AMC is an amazing group of like-minded individuals who love doing adventurous things outdoors. I am constantly blown away by what our members do. I would like to extend a huge thank you and well done to the following people-

Great western Bolt Fund

Thank you to Steve Menadu and everyone involved with the GWBF

They have been busy re-equipping pegs at Wyntours leap (although they have now have now ran out of pegs….) and extended the project to cover the tree belays at Shorncliffe, which are in dire condition.

Phase 1 at Brean is completed and the second phase is being planned to cover the top anchors for the trad routes on the Beach (Great Corner, Cyclops slab, Pandoras box etc)

Fairy Cave has now been surveyed and the final decisions are awaiting confirmation.

Updates are posted up on Facebook in Bristol Climbing friends, so please do keep an eye out for these.

Please note that the Avon repegging fund at Dicks climbing no longer exists and has been replaced by the Great Western Bolt Fund. (Link Below)

As a club we regularly use Avon Gorge to climb in, as well as the other crags mentioned; we are SO lucky to have them right on our doorstep. In order to keep the Gorge maintained for our use please do donate to the fund to help those amazing individuals that give up their time to check and re-equip routes that you use.

LINK TO DONATE-

http://greatwesternrock.co.uk/donate/

A Huge Thank you….

Thank you Mahima Shrestha. For so generously giving your time and wonderful skills as a trauma counsellor, to help those AMC members that were present at the tragic accident at Goblin Combe earlier this year. Your contributions have been so welcomed and made such a difference to the forward lives of those involved.

Thank you.

And also a big Congratulations to Emma for passing her ML

We Wish you well in all your future ML endvours….

Finally…. the AMC AGM is on the far, far, horizon. Maybe you are interested in getting more involved with the running of the AMC and volunteer yourself for a committee post? We are a lovely group of people to work with and we welcome new faces and ideas. If you are interested in joining the committee, please talk to any of us about what is involved.

Just saying…..  

Thank you for taking the time to get to the end of the summer newsletter!

Please do pass on to me anything you would like me to put in the next newsletter in the Autumn.

Have a great summer everyone

Helen xx