Contents
-Notes from the chair
-Upcoming Trips
-Meet the new committee
-2023 Awards and nominations
-Local talks and lectures
Club newsletters will be going out quarterly in 2024, If you have anything you would like to put forward to be shared then please contact publicity@avon-mc.org.uk
Notes from the chair
Dear Members,
As we stand on the precipice of a fresh year filled with possibilities, it is my pleasure to extend warm greetings to our family of likeminded climbers, walkers and mountaineers.
To all who attended our Annual General Meeting (AGM), thank you for your presence and active participation.
Your engagement shapes the future of the Club. I am profoundly grateful for the trust you have placed in me by electing me as the Chair. It is a role I undertake with enthusiasm, and I am both honoured and excited to lead us into a year of adventures.
There were some great ideas and feedback collected and we will incorporate this into our plan for the future.
A special thank you goes out to Matt, Simon, and the committee for orchestrating a magical Christmas party and of course to all the wonderful members that organised meets in 2023.
Looking ahead, the success of our upcoming year depends on the collective efforts of our members.
We invite those with an interest in organising club activities to get in touch.
We have another excellent trips calendar for 2024 so don’t forget to renew your membership and pen some meets in your new 2024 diary!
Warm regards,
Lauren Corbett
Upcoming trips
January
19-21st Ogwen Valley N Wales, all mountain activities, hut £14pppn, run by Jamie Evans, only a few spaces left.
February
4th – 10th Costa Blanca, sport climbing, run by Simon P – TRIP FULL.
16th-18th North Wales. Hut TBC. Organiser needed
March
9-16th Scotland, Ardverikie estate, high quality accommodation pre booked by the club with access to the estates huge network of vehicle tracks to access remote areas such as Ben Alder and Binnein Shuas. Also near Creag Meggy and day reach from Aviemore. £221pp Contact Anne Silber to book.
9-17th Morroco Taffraout, sunny trad climbing. Contact Robin Lincoln to book.
15-17th Portland, Sport Climbing, bunk house accommodation, £40pp, pre booked by the club. Organiser needed.
29th March to 1st April BH weekend, North Wales, Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite. Organiser needed.
28th March to 7th April Fontainebleau, Bouldering. Organiser needed.
April
5-7th Swanage, Trad and sport climbing, camping. Organiser needed.
9-14th Scotland, Ben Nevis, winter climbing, Charles Inglis Clarke hut , £78pp. Contact Jamie Evans to book.
26-28th Pembroke, Bosherston Campsite. Organiser needed.
For the full years calendar please see- Calendar – Avon Mountaineering Club (avon-mc.org.uk)
If you can help out organising any of the trips please get in touch with Simon at trips@avon-mc.org.uk.
Meet the new committee
We asked each of the new committee members to tell us a bit about themselves, their most memorable club related day out, favourite bit of kit and their beverage of choice….
Chair
Lauren Corbett
I’ve been involved with the club on and off since 2014 including 2 years as Secretary. I was first introduced to climbing in 2008 at an indoor wall, then met friends at work that were into trad.
My favourite day out was Hidden Chimney in Winter at Coire An t-Sneachda in the Cairngorms.
Favourite piece of kit is my thermal base layer because it was only £15 from Amazon!
My drink of choice is a nice white wine.
Treasurer
Peter Collins
I have been in the club about 5 years and am into walking, scrambling, skiing, ski touring and mountaineering.
Out of many memorable club trip days one of the least pleasant was walking in the Lake District in typical Lakes weather, heavy rain when the wind was so strong we ended up on our hands and knees! Somewhat nicer was doing the Rochefort Ridge out of Chamonix with Matt Langley. A great alpine ridge route with rock, snow and ice and fantastic views – a perfect day out!
Favourite bit of kit are my Scarpa SL Active hiking boots (I know, not cool given the ubiquity of approach shoes these days). They have done hundreds of miles and are so comfy – never a blister!
Favourite beverage is the first cold beer after a hot summer’s day in the mountains.
Secretary
Lisa Lewis
I’ve been climbing for about 5 years and in the club for 3. I’m mostly into long mountain days, summer or winter, and just moving on rock – ideally scrambling or trad.
My most memorable day with the club was an incredibly wet and windy walk in North Wales in 2021 – horizontal rain, power ballads, bothy sheltering and all hunkering down together in the big tent to have some food and a drink and trying to dry off at the end of the day.
Favourite bit of outdoor kit must be my heated socks!
My favourite drink tends to be a rock and roll decaf earl grey, but the most important consideration is always what sweet treat to have with it.
Membership
Max Coney
I’m Max, I live in Bristol also. I have been in the club for a number of years. I’m into most types of climbing, scrambling and mountaineering.
My most memorable moments climbing are far too many to list but I have had some great adventures with the club in UK and abroad.
My favourite piece of kit is my Moon chalk bag which has been on every adventure with me.
My favourite drink changes depending on where and what’s happening on the mountainside. But you can’t beat cold chocolate Milk.
Equipment
Barry Donovan
Social and Communications
Jamie Evans
Hi I’m Jamie, I live in Bristol, I’ve been in the club 3 years. I’m into all types of climbing and mountaineering.
My most memorable club day out was the Dubh slabs on Skye, approaching by boat from Elgol including a chilly swim in the UK’s highest Loch.
My fav piece of outdoor kit is my lime green windproof jacket I bought from decathlon for one pound!
Favourite beverage is black filter coffee #coffeesnob
Meets Secretary
Simon Perrett
I’ve been with the club for 2.5 years, climbing for 5.
I’ve been on quite a few great trips with the club, but Lundy 2022 stands out as a highlight – scrambling round to the base of double diamond and just being awestruck by flying buttress!
My favourite piece(s) of outdoor kit has to be my black diamond shorts. I’ve got 4 different colours and practically live in them most of the year! When it gets a bit too cold, I have a pair of the trouser version to wear too.
As a brewer beer has to be my favourite beverage but I do also like to carry a can of Thatcher’s Gold in the top of my bag for a sunny cider after a long days climbing!
Walking coordinator
Nika Auberginski
Hello, Nika here, delighted to be your Minister of Silly Walks.
I’ve been walking since late 1984/early 1985. I began incorporating a rucksack and sleeping bag in the California backcountry in 1997, while her rocky beaches informed my love of scrambling and bouldering.
My best club memory is the North Wales trip when Chris decided he would teach me to belay by sending Steve N up a tree wearing a harness made from slings.
My favourite outdoor kit is maps maps maa-aaps! Followed closely by bear proof food sacks.
Favourite drink is a Cadillac Margarita, straight up, with a Tajin rim.
Climbing coordinator
Chris Garland
I’ve been climbing on and off for almost fifteen years now, but more recently it has completely taken over my life! The last few years have seen a lot of sport climbing and bouldering both in the UK and in sunnier climes, although I’m currently getting into trad more as well – working towards some sea cliff adventures hopefully.
Had a really good time with the AMC trip to Kalymnos, and am also very keen to go back there…
Webmaster
Mike Kearney
I’m Mike and I’ve been climbing for about 20 years now. Over the years I’ve moved from sport to trad and then alpine and high-altitude trips. As well as climbing, I’m also a keen fell runner, and enjoy multi-day backcountry through hikes.
My best day out on a club trip was the final day of the Royal Traverse in Chamonix last year. It’s a big day, but very rewarding, even if more endurance than technical skill.
My favourite bit of gear is my luminous orange wool hat that I brought at a market in Arusha, Tanzania in 2007. It’s been with me on most big adventures since. My favourite beverage is probably a humble cup of tea, something I can’t live without.
2023 Awards and nominations
Each winner receives a £20 Dicks Climbing voucher!
Golden Ice Axe
Follow this link for the history behind the award https://www.avon-mc.org.uk/2014/11/the-golden-ice-axe-project/
Winner – Helen Burgess
Helen’s tenacity, patience and unrivalled commitment has steered the club through a very difficult time. She’s brought in new initiatives to coach and develop club members and has organised another very successful trip to Kalymnos. She’s super committed and focused in her climbing and has massively improved her head game, leading to climbing Hiponax (7a) in Kalymnos.
Other nominees
Anne Silber
Chris Garland
Matt Langley
Tim Hobby and Simon Perrett
Rusty Piton
(aka someone who did something entertaining and daft)
Winner – Simon Perrett
Simon abbed in to a chossy route in range east without his helmet (realised when he was climbing and pulled down his hood) and the same day abbed in without his half rope.
Trip Organiser
Winner – Anne Silber
Anne has organised two big, very successful and challenging trips this year – Ardverikie and Bosigran. Ardverikie takes considerable time to coordinate in advance. She is the natural spokesperson of the club’s hillwalkers but is happy running trips encompassing all disciplines.
Other nominees
Alastair Kelleher
Simon Perrett
Achievement
Winner – Steve Menadue
Steve is always crushing something hard and putting in work for the Bristol climbing community, developing the local area for the new guidebooks. He’s put in great effort cleaning routes, re-equipping routes and establishing new areas for climbing.
Other nominees
Ed Ley
Kevser Kulaligil
Matt Langley
Max Coney
Lisa Lewis
Rich Buckley, Josh Cooper and Tom Watson (jointly)
Tim Hobby
Web Article
Winner – Mike Kearney
Mike’s report of the club trip to Chamonix was a real joy to read, and extra praise needs to be given for his excellent photography. A great balance.
Other nominees
Simon Perrett
Local talks and lectures
-Wednesday 10 January
Mick Fowler (Hero) – ” Chombu- the one that got away” (past AC President & 3 times awarded Piolet d’Or).
University of Bristol Lecture Theatre 3.31 Coutts LT, in Wills Memorial Building, Queens Rd, BS8 1RJ, 7.30-9pm. Alpine club, donations accepted.
-Thursday 1st Feb at 7pm
Adventure Talks at Mendip Activity Centre!
First up is climber Franco Cookson Book tickets online at https://mendip.me/book/talks/
Join Franco, as he agonises in the quest for the perfect objective. Where is the boundary between the ideal hard route and the lunacy of the impossible?
-Tuesday 13th Feb
Pete Whittaker Fine Lines.
Pete delves into the intricacies of free solo climbing, leading audiences on a narrative spanning from his initial experiences soloing to his monumental 800m big wall free solo ascent of Kjerag in Norway.
A bunch of people from the club are going to this, see the general discussion section of the forum for who and where.
Pete Whittaker | Fine Lines | 2024 UK Stage Tour – Speakers From The Edge
-Wednesday, 14 February
Dan Mazur –“Are you ready for an 8,000m Himalayan summit? Nova Scotia pub Upper Room, starting at 7.30pm. Alpine club, donations accepted.
-Wednesday, 13 March
Stephen Venables – “Cathedrals of the Earth” (past AC President & first British mountaineer to summit Everest without oxygen) Nova Scotia pub Upper Room, starting at 7.30pm. Alpine club, donations accepted.
If you’ve made it this far you really have the stamina for a fantastic winter!