THE CAMBRIAN MOUNTAINEERING GROUP

The beginnings The Cambrian Mountaineering Group came into being as a result of a small group of Liverpool based mountaineers becoming dissatisfied with their existing clubs. The founder members were Brian Melville, Ken Hosie, and Ian “Ringo” Douglas. The year was 1965. Brian summed it up on the first page of the hut book; “Sunday 13th June 1965 - Today the rains relented (in the year of the Great Rains), and we were presented with a perfect summer’s day. Unfortunately one of us was damaged by natural stonefall yesterday while climbing on the Black Ladders; so we decided to spend the day walking up Snowdon. From Llanberis we larded the earth all the way up Moel Elio, this aspect of Snowdon was new to us, and there was a strange new sight to see Tryfan peering over the shoulder of the Glyders. But the imagination was held by the “cloud capped towers” of the Rivals. The sun grew hotter and we strolled along the ridge towards Snowdon. We stopped for lunch near the summit of Clogwyn d’ur Arrddu, and watched the fishermen contemplating Llyn Ffynnon-y-gwas. We talked for some time about mountains and men, of fine days that we had had, and what we hoped for. It was there and then we founded the Cambrian Mountaineering Group, in the hope that the Group would serve as a meeting ground for mountaineers. It was fitting that the Group should be founded ”within spitting distance” of the most illustrious crag in Wales and on the slopes of Snowdon. Afterwards we sauntered to the Snowdon summit. How rarely we have the view! Today the crowds hardly mattered, as, we shared the summit with a myriad. We took some photos of Lliwedd and sauntered down to Pen-y-Pass, hardly aware that something had happened. B Melville, I Douglas, K Hosie Quite soon afterwards Brian brought in Claud Turvey and John Howell. Both had quite modest aspirations in the hills but were willing to work hard to further the establishment of the club. In 1965 it was still possible to rent an undeveloped property in the Snowdonia National Park. So quite soon after the club was founded a hut was acquired in Tyn-y-maes near Bethesda. It had no running water or electricity and an outside toilet and consisted of three basic rooms. It proved to be an attraction to folks who had got wet camping and wanted to preserve their energies for the crags and hills. The founder members were not wealthy and so wood was “cadged” to build bunks, mattresses were acquired. Work meets were arranged to install electricity and a very basic water supply. I seem to remember Ken Hosie and Claude Turvey led some of the building activity but others were involved, perhaps everybody. It is perhaps only Brian Melville that knew Ian Douglas and so I quote his words at length, “In his first Alpine Season in 1962 he did the East Face of the Grepon, the Ryan Lochmatter on the Requin, the traverse of the Dru, the Whymper Couloir of the Verte. He also introduced Ken Hosie to Alpine climbing, quite possibly in 1965. It was always a regret that circumstances meant that he didn’t make the contribution to the club that one would have hoped for. “

Ken was a fine climber from the beginning and was already recording quite hard climbs. Mainly in the beginning, he climbed with WE “Billy” Jones. In fact he visited Chamonix in 1965 and did the East Face of the Grepon, Aiguille de l’M and Point Albert West Face, an ED, earning universal respect. Ken moved through various social enterprises in Liverpool and eventually became a teacher at Dartington Hall near Totnes in Devon. He also went to Hong Kong in 1970 and worked at the Outward Bound School. In his 50s he and Phil Neame teamed up to climb. By this time both of them had grown into their own skins, and could look the world in the eye. Sadly Ken died on 27th September 2000 at quite a young age. Both Brian Melville and Phil Neame attended his funeral. Brian recorded the last time he saw Ken, “it was in February 2000 that I went down to Totnes and we climbed on Dewerstone. Resting on the summit in fine February sunshine, we had a long discussion, wide ranging over this and that. That was the last time I saw him.” Phil Neame later recalled that Ken had climbed the NNE Spur of the Aiguilles Les Droites, probably about 1989. He did seem to have the ability to hibernate for months or years and then turn on the gas for the big routes. Dave Bolton was another early member with a first entry in the hut book on 27 December 1965. He was 16 at the time. Brian recorded an after Christmas walk over Moel Ffammau with Dave and John Howell. From the beginning the club focused exclusively on gathering members that were active climbers or mountaineers. In fact the constitution required a level of activity and so if you didn’t get up stuff then you were out. Was this an early example of performance management? Perhaps. Initially the club had a Wednesday meet in the White Star a pub in Matthew Street in Central Liverpool. Dave Lanceley who joined the club in 1970 recalls, “I remember my first CMG pub meet, the White Star. Marty (Royle) and I turned up to find Phil Jones perched by the fire telling tales of his recent trip to the Alps. I was quite impressed and even now think of Phil as the first climber that I met. On my old man’s advice I was drinking half’s of mild but quickly realized that drinking in rounds I was missing out big time and switched to pints” In the first bulletin dated July 1966 one detects the matter of fact writing style of Brian Melville as he records the ascents and achievements of the club. Brian started his mountaineering career in the RAF in 1957 when he was 19. He has recently told me he climbed in Skye in 1959 or 60. Claud Turvey is recorded as Hon Sec. When I first met these guys, aged 16 or so they were to be respected for their experience but also to be courted. They did after all have transport which if you could “cadge” a lift from home. It made life much easier than hitch hiking. As a mere youth you found you were dealing with men, who could teach you things. They could get you into a pub, improve your climbing skills and show you new worlds. In September 1966 the elite had been in the Alps and recorded a poor season. For the aspirants, including me, even going to the Alps seemed unattainable, a dream. 1966 records the first mention of Ken Hosie and William (Billy) Jones together. They were a powerful team Ken, a Liverpudlian of modest upbringing but with big, intellectual aspirations and a social understanding. Billy was a wit, a chancer, a

gentle charmer with a big smile. They both taught the younger members a lot perhaps without realizing it. Brian says of Billy, “he was one of the nicest guys I know and an outstanding rock climber” Brian also remembers in 1965 Ken was climbing with Ian Douglas in Chamonix and says, “they later came on to Grindelwald to meet me and Adrian Beentjes but the weather was poor and all we managed was an ascent of the Simlaun in the limestone Englehorner. But on the walk up to the hut passed the Reichenbach falls where we nodded to Sherlock and Moriarty” The September 1966 bulletin also recorded Phil Neame’s first alpine season. Phil lived in Kent at that time, but had met Ian Douglas on a Mountaineering Association course in Austria in 1965. Ian was the instructor. He later went to the Alps with Dave Evans a school buddy, where in Zermatt, Brian took them under his wing. Phil came from a military family and eventually joined the services himself. Around the same time he was at Southampton University and met some talented climbers, Bob Black and Tony Monnery. He regularly drove up to the North Wales hut and was mainly found comatose asleep until lunchtime on a Saturday after the pre motorway marathon drive on a Friday night. Bob became a teacher and worked for a while in Kenya, Tony became an actuary, working in Salisbury. I was at school in the Wirral in 1966 with Phil Jones and Dave Bolton and it was Dave that introduced Phil and I to the Cambrian and he recorded his first alpine season with John Howell also in 1966. John owned a supermarket in Liverpool and perhaps more importantly a two-seater sports car. There was much rivalry amongst those with no transport to get a lift with John but Dave Bolton seemed to have the magic touch. Phil Jones and I spent a lot of our teenage years together. His parents had a cottage near Ruthin in North Wales and it was from there we started overnight camping trips and walks. We went to the same school on the same bus and it was in the cadet force we learned to map read and had a taste of expeditions to the military training areas. The army offered too much discipline for either of us so we opted for a Mountaineering Association rock climbing course in North Wales. On this course, my climbing career nearly ended before it had properly begun. Climbing on some practice crag near to the road, I was belayed by another novice above me. Phil recalls watching with horror as I fell from about 20 feet up a groove, to be held just before I hit the deck. When asked why I wasn't belayed, the novice above replied, "I thought you wanted slack". It was luck that Dave Bolton led us to the Cambrian and I am immensely grateful. Phil and I did much of our early climbing together alternating leads, learning together. He stayed on Merseyside when I went to Portsmouth College in 1967 so we only climbed together during the holidays or if I hitch hiked up to North Wales. The club provided a good supply of climbing partners. He moved to a quiet valley near Llangollen to build his own home in 1977. It took a bit longer than he thought it would and during the build he didn’t climb much. Life changed for Phil when an American, Dr Dave Farrier walked into the pub and joined the Cambrian. They became lifelong friends. Dave was studying at Liverpool University, a big man. He had climbed in the Tetons and Yosemite and was a talented scientist. He told us how to pronounce Yosemite, and brought with him knowledge of 'pins' and all that went with American aid climbing. He moved on to

Cambridge and later to work in research for a pharma company in Switzerland. Eventually Dave returned to the US, but Phil and Dave have never lost touch and hook up whenever Phil plans a solo long distance walk in the States. 1967 saw the emergence of Chris Cowley. He was born in Liverpool and studied metallurgy. He had emigrated to South Africa and ran his own company, Pool Tool. His account of a picnic on Mount Kenya and Blade River Canyon is in the 67/1 and 67/3 bulletins. He also recorded a 2nd ascent of the Northey Glacier on Mount Kenya in 67/5. Chris eventually returned to the UK and based himself in Hereford. His company made some of the early alloy nuts that were beginning to be used in later part of the 60s. The design of his nuts was at least 5 years ahead of the products that were available commercially at that time. The nuts were so good that club members lucky enough to possess the prototypes called them "Cheating Sticks". He was another fine climber but with a tough combative sense of humour that was not to everyone’s taste. He did care for an elderly father. Chris emerged again in the 1990s as one of the people with knowledge of the Iraqi supergun. In fact he was the engineer in charge of Project Babylon. In an article in the Liverpool Daily Post on February 9 1993 he revealed all. Chris worked for Dr Gerald Bull who designed the gun. He stopped that work a year before parts for the gun were seized at Teesport docks in April 1990. He was remanded in custody for 10 days in Bristol jail. He did manage to clear his name. He was universally known in the club as “skid” after slipping over on a bivvy into a pile of human poo. His own! Later his son Bryn, joined the Parachute Regiment and one day walked into Phil Neame’s office to put his name forward for an expedition. It’s a small world! In 1967 the AGM in December records Ian Douglas as Chairman, it also has Phil Jones as Secretary, John Howell as Treasurer, Billy Jones as Hut & Fixtures Secretary, Brian Melville as Editor, and Claud Turvey, Ken Hosie, and Dave Bolton as Committee Members. There were 13 Full Members, 4 Associate Members and 3 Aspirants. It is also worth mentioning Pete Clay. He was another shadowy figure based at Manchester University. He gave an account of an ascent of the Bonatti pillar in 67/3. As early as summer 1965 he was recording an ascent of the Aiguille de Dru North Face, the Bonatti Pillar and the Lauper route on the Eiger. He never seemed to climb with other members of the club but told a good story. Phil Jones and I (Bruce Wallace) climbed a winter route on 11th March 1967 on the East Face of Tryfan. In April 2014 we returned to climb Overlapping Rib. Luckily Phil led it as I had not done any rock climbing since 1982. On the same day Phil Neame and Chris Johnson did a parallel route both guys are now aged 67 so a pretty good effort. Neil Challis joined in 1967 as did Malcolm (Mac) Morgan. Neil’s membership lapsed in January 1971, probably because he was no longer active. Mac worked with his mum and dad as a screen printer and was a talented artist. He designed and printed the distinctive CMG membership cards. It is recorded that both Brian Melville and John Howell resigned on 10 November 1969. Chris Cowley

resigned at the end of 1970. The early years would not be complete without a mention of transport. In the decade from 1960 to 1970 car ownership grew dramatically in Britain. At the start Brian and Ken had Morris 1000 vans, Phil Neame had a Ford Thames van. I bought a blue Hillman Imp van which survived one trip to Chamonix in 1970. Mac Morgan had a Mini van. Phil Jones bought an early Ford Popular for £40. With three gears, it was purchased for our first trip to Chamonix. Phil's mechanic friend advised him that the car would make it to Chamonix provided it didn't go over 40 mph. The journey took two full days, with numerous stops on high passes to allow the engine to cool down. At the Miroire d’Argentiere near Bex, in Switzerland running repairs were completed by Ken Hosie, who fitted a cardboard washer to the manifold. Despite the odds, the car made a successful return to the UK. Later many of us graduated to Escort vans. Dave Farrier’s Vauxhall Victor Estate expired in Chamonix leaving three of us to travel home by train. Marty had a moped which surprisingly got him out from Liverpool. None of these cars were very reliable and they were driven to their limits, there were races, there was heavy drinking and driving but there were surprisingly few accidents. Only John Howell and Arthur had classy motors. Well until Dave Lanceley topped us all by getting an Aston Martin in 2014 which he added to the Lotus Elise, Reliant Scimitar and Jaguar XJ6 in his driveway. The Golden Years The years of 1968 to 1972 were perhaps the golden years. The club expanded its membership, Billy Presage, John Hammerton, David Lanceley, Marty Royle, Garth Musk, Chris Nimmo, Harvey Aspinall, Anita Landry, Arthur Roby, Roger Quirk, Mal Sherlock, Norman Anderson, Dave Farrier and Geoff Bradley, Lou Costello, Colin Jones all joined and were active. Many of the members were climbing consistently at a high level in the UK and beginning to venture to bigger ranges. Great partnerships were forming, JoRo, Billy Jones and Arthur Roby who were making repeat ascents of big climbs at Tremadoc and one of the newly pioneered Angelsey cliffs at Gogarth. In bulletin 68/4 there was a huge number ascents achieved, notably Cenotaph Corner, the Left Wall on Dinas Cromlech. In the Lake District Overhanging Bastion, however ascents were also taking place in Skye and on outcrops from Harrisons rocks to Symonds Yat. Arthur Roby became an Associate member in February 1968 and a full member in April. He lived in Southport and prior to the club mainly climbed in the Lake District. He was a self employed joiner and used to joke that after an alpine season he had to get fit to go back to work. The building trade pays well when you are young and so Arthur had a luxurious Humber Sceptre when he was 23 and a Bonneville motorbike. He later graduated to a TR5 and a Reliant Scimitar. He was a small man, bearded and jolly. He did many big climbs in the UK, went to Chamonix and as air fares got cheaper traveled to climb in South America, Alaska and Kenya. In 1978 with three other lads from Llanberis, they travelled overland through Europe to Turkey, Iraq, Iran and eventually over the Kyber Pass to Afghanistan and then to Kashmir and the Kishtwar. It was a big adventure in a VW van. It was also early for small lightweight expeditions to try and climb big mountains alpine style. The team was Arthur, Stan Lowe, Charlie Graham and Roger Cully and Arthur initially funded a second

hand VW van which Charlie worked on until it was fit for the drive. The idea was to climb Flat Top (6100m) in the Kishtwar district in Kashmir. However deep snow on the approaches prevented that and so the plans were scaled back and the guys did the first ascent of Bram Sar about 5200m high. In 1978 information on climbs or travelling were not easy to come by so it was a miracle they got to Kashmir and back in one piece. The van did however breakdown in an isolated part of the desert east of Tehran. Arthur told me that two Iranian guys drove two of them back to Tehran and helped them get spares, fed them and refused to accept any money. They spent a night in Kabul and were heading over into Pakistan when they were stopped by two guys with guns who told them it was not safe to proceed. The following day when it was light they were able to get through but it was a tense few hours. I remember feeling envy at this trip but thought I could go in the future. Well I was wrong. The Russians invaded Afghanistan, the Shah was deposed in Iran in 1979 and then the Iran/Iraq war kicked off in 1980 so even now is isn’t safe to head off overland. I resolved in future to commit to do all things that took my fancy in life and hang the consequences. In 1980 Arthur once again teamed up with Stan Lowe and they flew with Freddie Laker on Skytrain to Miami. After a bit of time on the beach they flew on to Lima. It’s high, dry and dusty and after an overnight bus to Huarez they were ready to try and climb Pisco, actually Nevada Pisco 5752m. They were dropped off, walked in and bivvied and after climbing Pisco they attempted Huascaran, at 6768m the highest mountain in Peru. They got near the summit but were both wiped out by the altitude and so had to retreat. A Swiss guy travelling with them did get to the top. Both of these routes need to be seen in context, the guide book was only written in 2005, there was little helpful information on what to expect and there was no backup. So it was an extra ordinary adventure. The internet was not there to help with research either. I did two great trips with Arthur. In 1976 after a couple of downhill ski-ing trips four of us embarked on the Haute Route. The team was me, Arthur Roby, Phil Neame and Mal Cameron. Surprisingly we managed it without incident. We were hopeless ski-iers but good mountaineers. We holed up in one of huts during a storm whilst other teams got wiped out. Some of the smoother Swiss ski-iers wondered what we about but were quietly impressed as we headed up the 11 km of Otema glacier in a white-out. They could only just keep up. A few words are necessary about Mal Cameron. When I was at college in Portsmouth in 1967 he lived near Slough. Our paths crossed as a coach ferrying the Portsmouth Mountaineering Club stopped to pick up Mal who hitch hiking up to North Wales. We dropped him at Ogwen cottage and in subsequent weekends met him at the Avon Gorge, in Derbyshire and eventually on the campsite in Chamonix. On the Haute Route we met an American, Al Green who climbed and lived in California, near to Yosemite. In 1979 Mal, Sue his wife and daughter Sally and I headed off to climb in Yosemite. We did three or four routes, as I remember Washington Column was the highlight. Mal later returned to climb Half Dome. Sadly Mal was killed by rock fall descending to the Envers hut near Chamonix on 9th September 2000. He was never a member of the Cambrian but was well known to many of our active climbers.

In 1979 in search of more adventure Arthur with Paul Trower and a guy called Callum flew to Anchorage, they then took a train to Talketna. From Talketna they flew in a light plane to the Ruth Gorge, landing beneath Mount Barille (2332m). Both Paul and Arthur were good mountaineers but this big wall looked beyond them so they did the East Ridge of Mt Barille with one bivvy and descended the far side. When the pilot drops you in the wilderness, he leaves you a radio so you can call up and leave. Arthur’s radio didn’t work at the crucial time and so the guys were stranded. What they did was stamp out a vast “HELP” in the snow. Later at a dinner at the Victoria Hotel, Llanberis Arthur was given an award for hitching a lift off a passing aircraft. In September 1982 I was able to head off to Kenya with Arthur Roby and Stan Lowe. We managed to climb Diamond Couloir, an outstanding ice route which Arthur capably and safely led. It goes straight up between the twin summits of Nelion and Batian. It was probably the pinnacle of my own mountaineering. Life seemed to take a different turn after that and I concentrated on earning a living and found my lifetime partner, Janet. We got married in 1985. It was also Arthur’s last really big adventure as he found Sue married her and had a son Ben, Sue already had a daughter Anna and I was honoured to be their best man. Roger Quirk was another character, a brick layer, and strong and fit. He joined in June 1967. He was getting up hard climbs in Wales. Well, when he wasn’t hard drinking. He attempted the Frendo Spur on the Aiguille du Midi with Arthur Roby, Phil Jones and me. It was however a lesson in how good crag skills did not always transfer to the big mountains. He suffered very bad altitude sickness and was out of it for most of the route. He moved to Canada and was rumoured to have married an Indian squaw. Roger was the antidote to any over-expanding egos of would-be hard men, and his caustic comments in the Hut book were often designed to provide a reality check on over-blown 'conquests'. Sadly he died young and perhaps embittered with life. Some of the graffiti in the hut book was done by Roger, probably after a night in the pub. Brian Melville completed the El Passo excursion with Billy Jones in Llanberis Pass and carried the flag for mountaineers, rather than technical climbers who walked up to road side crags to strut their stuff. Sports climbing had not been invented in the 60s. The full details can be read in the hut book. Brian had a wide range of mountaineering companions and continued to climb and walk and made several trekking expeditions to the Himalaya, the last one when he was 74. After formally leaving the club he formed a long standing climbing partnership with Alan Stuart of the Wayfarers. The result was a bag of outstanding Alpine classics climbed in an entirely enjoyable fashion. He married Sylvia, quite late in life and they had two children. He still gets out but has more modest objectives as he heads towards his eighth decade. Little did he know what he spawned one summer day in 1965. At some time in 1970 Dave Lanceley turned up and liked what he saw. Dave was initially a seafarer but soon realized you can’t climb much on a ship. He was one of the first to relocate to live permanently in

the mountains, one of his early jobs was as barman at the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel. He worked on the pump storage scheme in Llanberis and often took contracts overseas. This enabled him to buy a small cottage near the Youth Hostel in Llanberis. He has worked in Africa, lived in Hong Kong and still lives near Llanberis. He is a quantity surveyor by profession and now runs a consultancy which settles construction disputes in the UK and worldwide. He is a Trustee of the Mountain Heritage Trust and their Treasurer, Chairman of the Management Committee of Plas-y-Brennin and a past Treasurer of the British Mountaineering Council. I last bumped into him in the luxurious offices of Herbert Smith, a top London law firm. We were both working there. Dave in a conference room supplied with regular food and me in the HR office. How the world moves on. It was Dave who encouraged me to gather this memoir. He restores old cars in his spare time, lives in a bigger house which he has improved. His wife Delia is a keen gardener. One of his cars is a Reliant Scimitar, Arthur Roby had one first and so did Phil Neame and I. I think Neame totaled his on a marathon drive from Scotland to the south. The hard rock climbers also graduated to trying big routes in Chamonix. The club recorded a number of ascents of the North Face of the Dru, the traverse of the Aiguille Noire de Peuteray, Mont Blanc. Phil Neame was still plugging away at the big routes in the Dolomites and recording many of his ascents in the bulletin and the hut book. His noteable ascents were the North Face of the Piz Badile, and several North Faces in the Tre Cima de Laverado, including the Cassin on the Cima Ouest, the Comici and later the Brandler-Hasse diretissima on the Cima Grande. In the summer parties headed off to the Alps. My own first alpine season was in July 1967 with Phil Jones and Brian Melville and we managed a number of summits in the Otztal and Silvretta areas of Austria. Phil recorded the highlights in the bulletin 68/2. We discovered the hard way that you needed to be fit and acclimatised to altitude. It was a big lesson. Brian still smiles as he watched us learn it. The next year we resolved to head off to Chamonix and the big stuff. Phil and I were 19 and had that invincible confidence and self belief that comes with youth. Our dreams were soon shattered on a 17 hour epic on the East Face of the Requin. It was also the beginnings of serious winter mountaineering in North Wales as Phil Jones recorded with an early winter ascent of East Gully on Lliwedd and the next weekend an ascent of Central Gully. As people moved to front point crampons and two short ice axes the standards improved but by today’s standards the gear was still primitive. By 1970 the guys were recording ascents in Glencoe; Crowberry Ridge, SC Gully on Stob Coire nan Lochan. Sometimes the fickle Scottish weather allowed perfect sunny conditions for ascents on the Etive slabs in the winter so we took what we could. Sickle and Spartan Slab were completed in such conditions. On 19 December 1970 the first female climber turned up at the Tyn-y-maes hut. Initially she visited with Harvey Aspinal and overcame much male prejudice to become a full member by February 1973. Her name was Anita Landry. She was a nurse and as such had seen men in their underpants and was not too phased by anything much. She and Phil Jones became romantically involved and married in April 1974. I was their best man. They did some climbs together in Carnmore in Scotland and have continued to

climb, walk, ski and latterly kayak all over the world. Perhaps Phil’s biggest mountain was Denali (6194m) in Alaska. Anita and Phil visited Greenland in 1999 and made first ascents of nine unclimbed peaks in the remote Lindbergfjeld Range. Earlier this year (2014) they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. In 1969 Brian did four weeks with Harvey in the Alps. A safe and competent climber was Brian’s comment. It was Harvey’s first alpine season and he returned in 1970 with John Workman. In July 1970 Phil Jones and I were in Chamonix and teamed up with John Workman and Harvey. We took the telepherique up to the Aiguille du Midi and walked across the Vallee Blanche, passed the Grand Capuchin and up to the Col de la Fourche bivouac hut. The plan was to attempt the Brenva Spur. The following day the weather was a bit unsettled, so we waited. On the second day we were able ascend the route to the summit of Mont Blanc and then descent down the Bosses ridge. It cemented a friendship with John. Just as we all thought we were all invincible, along came the sad summer of 1971. On Friday 30 July 1971 two of our greatest talents, Garth and Harvey were killed trying to climb the Bonatti Pillar on the Aiguille de Dru. It was a huge shock and is recorded in the summer 1971 bulletin. Dave Lanceley, Mal Sherlock and Marty Royle were still in Chamonix when the tragedy happened and had to deal with the “awkwardness of task that was before them” as it was put in the summer bulletin. In the same Bulletin the club recorded an article by Garth recording his efforts in Scotland in winter 1970. It ended in typically upbeat Garth style with the words “We’ll be back……..!” Dave Lanceley drove Garth’s car home from Chamonix and was involved in bad road accident. The local French paper recorded “la voiture francais couper la route de la voiture anglais” The guys were shaken up and I remember taking time off from work in Chester to drive down to Dover to pick them up. We called in on Garth’s parents in Shipton under Wychwood near Oxford to pay our respects. Sadly Garth’s body was never recovered and Harvey is buried in the grave yard in Chamonix. It seems that quietly club members still visit the graveyard for a few moments of reflection. In 1974, Phil Neame was asked to join a Hong Kong expedition to attempt the first ascent of Lamjung Himal (22,990 ft). In an alpine style expedition, and the first in Nepal not to use high altitude porters, Phil made the first ascent with Derek Chamberlain, and was followed to the summit two days later by John Scott and Dick Isherwood. The following year, Phil, with Marty, John Scott and Tony Monnery ticked off the N Face of the Dru. As a result of this, in 1976 Phil and John Scott were selected for the army Everest expedition; also selected was Chris Johnson (not a member of the club). The mass ascents of Everest had not started. The first summit party, Bronco Lane and Brummie Stokes from the SAS, were benighted at 28,000 ft after summiting, and were badly frost bitten. Sadly, John and Phil had to abandon their attempts to help the pair down from the SE ridge. In 1981, Phil returned to the Himalaya, for his honeymoon with Rachel, to join the first Western expedition (led by Henry Day) into China to attempt the highest unclimbed mountain in China. Sadly, the monsoon was early, and they were turned back 400 ft short of the summit by atrocious weather – and

after learning that the crafty Chinese had actually directed them to only the second highest unclimbed summit! But, being a determined little bugger in 1992 Neame organized and funded a second expedition to Everest. This time it was to attempt a first British ascent in winter. After a very promising start, with kit on the South Col, they settled to wait for a break in the jet-stream. This duly occurred on 22 December and a summit bid was launched. Sadly the departure of the jet-stream ushered in a ferocious local storm which destroyed every tent high on the mountain. It scuppered the bid, and the team were lucky to get everyone down alive – reportedly the first winter expedition to do so. This expedition gave rise to the Ulysses Trust which Phil runs. It supports cadet forces around the country to mount expeditions that they might not otherwise be able to afford. Marty Royle was up and down and was huge fun and super energetic when he was up. What we didn’t see were the down periods and during one of those periods he killed himself. This was doubly sad as he left a young widow and child. Marty had a love for and utter commitment to the mountains. As a relatively young member, he sought out older partners, and his energy often required more than one partner to satisfy his boundless enthusiasm. A symbiotic relationship developed, whereby Marty often found it necessary to make cups of tea in the morning to raise his more somnolent partners from their bunks. His annual visits to Chamonix yielded many bold ascents such as the Bonatti route on the Grand Capucin. Few things could slow Marty, but a pork pie purchased on Euston Station, and eaten four days later on Snell's Field in Chamonix did the trick for a day or two. He had great patience, and a kind heart. The Demise: One of the things that the young bloods didn’t learn was that mountaineering clubs to survive long term, not only need to attract young, fit and active climbers but a core of people willing to do fairly mundane tasks. In the early days the founder members did many of the mundane jobs, getting coal in, paying the rent, clearing the hut up. However as the years went by the “workers” moved on and for a few years the club continued to thrive. The 1972 annual report gives some hints of the problems to come. Full members, 10; associate members, 8; aspirant members 0. The secretary bemoaned the big turnout to the annual dinner and the lack of climbing. With wonderful hindsight it was predictable, most of the members were in their mid 20s and it was inevitable that they would turn to other things. They were broadening their lives, getting married, having children, building careers and many moved away from Merseyside. Dave Farrier moved to Switzerland, Mal Sherlock went to Australia but only to escape a large credit card bill, I moved to London, Roger Quirk went to Canada. Brian Melville moved to Birmingham. Others were moving to live in the mountains in North Wales, including Dave Lanceley, Dave Bolton and Phil Jones. The end of the club did not come quickly. Those involved always intended to come back and continue climbing. Many didn’t and disappeared and didn’t re-emerge. Ian Douglas was the first to leave. He married Judy and then moved to live in Staffordshire. Billy Pressage, John Hammerton, and Neil Challis slipped away. Geoff Bradley showed great promise as a climber but was a bad boy and was sent to jail. Colin Jones may have been killed climbing on Idwal Slabs but nobody is sure. John Hammerton was last

heard of in Leeds in the late 70s, Dave Prothero came to the re-union in 1993 but has since disappeared. Lindsay Griffin became a professional mountaineer, living in North Wales and completed a number of fine ascents in the Alps and further afield. He is currently President of the Alpine Club. Billy Pressage, Lou Costello, Graham Wyn Jones, Billy Leece, Colin Matthews, Chris Moyses, Chris Nimmo, James Quinn, Mark Reagan, Richard Parry, John Hulse, all recorded ascents in the club hut book in the early 1970s and then disappeared. Perhaps for some people climbing was to be tried for a few months or years and then forgotten. “Life is what happens whilst you are planning other things” John Lennon famously said. For others it became an important part of their lives. It shaped them. It took them to remote beautiful places. It helped form values of trust, comradeship, leadership, and a common purpose. Lifelong friendships were formed, to be picked up whenever it was possible. Perhaps this why many of us still meet up and venture onto the hills. After all you don’t want to be out there with someone you don’t trust. It’s not recorded exactly when the club ceased to formally exist but the last record in the hut book was in May 1973 so it lasted a mere eight years. What is recorded is that the club had some money left over after the bills were settled and so a riotous weekend all expenses paid was organized in that hell hole Benidorm. The founder members would have disapproved strongly. In fact I no longer drink baccardi or coke and certainly not together. You get the picture. Obituary: Sadly some of the members of the club died whilst following their passion. Their names are recorded. N G (Garth) L Musk.

Aiguille du Dru

30 July 1971

Harvey Aspinall

Aiguille du Dru

30 July 1971

In the early hours of Friday 30 July 1971 the club lost two of its most prominent members in what was the first alpine accident in the history of the Group. Garth and Harvey killed by falling stones in the Dru Couloir whilst approaching the Bonatti Pillar by the safest of the two alternative routes. Eric Roberts.

Annapurna I

19 September 1979

Marty Royle.

Liverpool.

1980(?)

Colin Jones

Idwal Slabs

Not known

Roger Quirk

Liverpool

Not known

Ken Hosie

Totnes, Devon

27 September 2000

The Revival: The hut was gone, Dave Bolton, after first dabbling with the Gwydwr club joined the Vagabond MC, Arthur joined him later, Phil and Anita Jones joined the Clwyd MC. Al Rouse was also in the Gwydwr before also joining the Vagabond MC. Eventually the draw of Climbers Club attracted Phil and Anita and David Lanceley and they became members. David worked as Treasurer of the Climbers Club. In 1975 when I was living in London I organized the first club dinner after the club ceased to exist. It was at the Royal Victoria Hotel, Llanberis. Some members continued to climb with each other. My own last serious climb was in 1982 in Kenya however I continued to walk. Those early years had planted roots that didn’t wither. By 1994 we had another meet at the Ceunant Hut in Nant Peris. It was well attended and John Workman recorded the modest ascents and walks in the hut book which was in the care of Phil Jones. Those attending were recorded as follows, Malcolm Morgan, Brian Melville, Arthur Roby, Dave Prothero, Bruce Wallace, Phil Jones, Anita Jones, John Workman, Phil Neame, John Howell, Dave Bolton, Mal and Sue Cameron, Billy and Irene Jones and Stan Lowe. By 1994 the club welcomed women, and so Diane accompanied Mac, Sue was with Arthur, Rachel, Fred and Jenny came with Phil Neame and Janet was with me. As Garth said years before, “We will be back……” Where are they in 2015: Norman Anderson: lives on Merseyside with Eileen his wife, climbs. Travels and has a second home in Spain. Dave Bolton: lives in North Wales with his wife Carol. Still climbs and is a member of the Vagabond Mountaineering Club. He lives in Brittany for part of the year. Dr Dave Farrier: lives near Denver, Colorado US with Suzie his wife. Lindsay Griffin: lives in North Wales, climbs, does some work for Plas-y-Brennin, Is currently President of the Alpine Club, a Professional Mountaineer. Some time back he wrote the Chamonix guidebook. Billy Jones: lives in North Wales, married to Irene, climbs. Phil Jones: lives in the hills near Llangollen, North Wales with his wife Anita, also a club member. Both are mountaineers, and sea kayak and Anita skies. He also spends time on Lewis where he has a second home. He travels for adventure to remote areas worldwide. Phil keeps himself busy building, most recently a studio for his artist wife. David Lanceley: lives in North Wales with his wife Delia. Climbs a bit, restores old cars and manages a small holding when not commuting around the world on business. Delia describes it as, Dave does oil. I do soil.

Brian Melville: lives in Evesham with his wife Sylvia. He has academic interests, especially in economic theory. He enjoys exploring the ancient world, art, and of course mountaineering. Has a forensic memory. Sylvia is a retired GP who sails and canoes. Malcolm Morgan: lives permanently in Brittany and is married to Diane. Dave Bolton has a second home nearby. Phil Neame: lives in Malmesbury, Wiltshire with Rachel his wife. Walks and climbs and runs, founded and runs Ulysess Trust, a charity to help fund expeditions for cadet forces and territorial units. Arthur Roby: lives in Southport with wife Sue, plays golf daily and ventures to the Pembroke cliffs with friends in the summer. Bruce Wallace: lives in Hampshire with wife Janet, walks, travels and enjoys himself. He is still trying to walk the length of the Pyrenees. Other interests are learning more, good food, good company, art and theatre. John Workman: lives in Fort William with June, climbs hard, does scary winter routes, guides others along the Skye ridge and lists Scottish country dancing as one of his hobbies.

On the weekend 12/13 June 2015 they may be enjoying dinner at the Pen-y-Gwyrd Hotel as it’s the 50th anniversary of the founding of the club.

Bruce Wallace December 2014 Additional materiel contributed by Brian Melville, David Lanceley, Arthur Roby, Phil Neame, Norman Anderson, Dave Bolton and Phil Jones.