Foundation meet - Edale

Members: Christine Beeston, Roger Dyke, Joe Flynn, Mark Garrod, Phil Hartwell, Michelle Harvie, Alan (L) Jones, Ding Koy, Colin Maddison, Lorna Marsland, Iain McCallum, Lester Payne, Phil Ramsbottom, Pete Schofield, Dave Shotton, Andy and Jo Stratford, Chris Thickett, Pete Walker, Keith Williams, Dave Wylie.

Guests: Gowry Sisupalan

 

In true KMC-style, the 70th Foundation meet managed to more closely resemble a fragmentation meet as it progressed, but was ultimately very successful with (nearly) everyone meeting up at the Old Nags Head in Edale to mark our founding in fine style.

“Lorna’s Loiterers” (Lorna, Pete’s W & S, Alan, Chris, Jo, Brian and Iain) met at the main car park in Edale at the appointed time and after the anticipated faffing, which took us a mere 10 minutes over schedule, we left the car park for the Nags Head.  It came as a huge disappointment to some that it would be at the second visitation of the pub when we would stop for refreshments, so we soldiered on, guarding our dismay, towards Grindsbrook.

A hundred metres after crossing the river we lost the first two.  Pete and Alan decided they would do their own thing and that was the last we saw of them for some hours.  The rest of us wandered up the path towards Ringing Roger, which was not the Golden Clough path, I was reliably told.  However, it was the path I’d intended and we did join Golden Clough higher up, but lack of attention to detail earned me some retribution.

At this point the weather was sunny affording us fantastic views over the Edale valley, so on reaching the Kinder plateau, we stopped for rehydration, it being past 11.00am and I was anxious to thwart any further insurrection.

Sadly the weather soon deteriorated and out of the mist came a walker, puzzling over a map, who leaped on our apparent expertise to guide him to Edale Cross.  He was scantily dressed and seemed to have little understanding of the map he was waving about, no GPS (how do people manage without one!) and a desire to branch off SW at every conceivable path he encountered.  Despite being ill-equipped he was considerably younger and fitter than our party so didn’t accompany us for long.

Our progress along the edge was hindered by poor visibility and paths disappearing into the bog.  By the time we hit Noe Stool we were strung out quite a bit and had seemingly lost Iain and Pete.  Keith produced his GPS, announced that it was this way and strode off, followed by Brian – so now we were 4!  It took us a while to recognise that Keith was right and we soon reconnected with the wide path I’d been looking for, but of course this extra faffing time had consequences and we soon discovered we were way behind the rest of the party.  Iain and Pete had slipped past us during the faffing and had joined forces with the advanced party, so now we effectively had two groups of 4.

As we emerged from the mist above Edale Cross, we saw the other group eating but couldn’t catch them up and didn’t see them again until re-united in the pub.  Sometime later Pete Walker and Alan Jones appeared, having apparently joined the Chinley group on their descent of Grindslow Knoll.  But despite a number of deviations, repetitions and hesitations, all made it round whatever their chosen route, so a good day was had by all in true KMC tradition.

Meanwhile, “Mark’s Meanderers” had met at the appointed hour at Chinley station, having arrived from Edale, Piccadilly, and Marple (the latter by car, not train!).  Colin disappeared to find a shop, whilst the rest set off up toward Cracken Edge.  20 minutes in, and a brief stop by some to shed layers led to Michelle, Christine, Lester and Dave S taking the low road, whilst the main group (Joe, Phil, Ding, Andy, Dave W, Gowry and Mark) took the high road. The latter group then paused, waiting for the others, allowing them to re-join the same path further on, but now in the mist. Colin caught up the main, waiting team, reported no-one behind, so we restarted and finally made contact again with the breakaway group in the mist, who by this time had shed Christine who was not feeling 100% and was heading back down.  Confused? – so were we.

The reformed group then crossed the Hayfield to Chapel road at Peep-o-day, headed round South Head, and down the Pennine bridleway towards… damn, wrong turn… back to South Head and head up to Brown Knoll – wouldn’t do to miss out the really boggy section, would it.  Lunch was taken at the top of Jacobs Ladder, without realising that half of Lorna’s team were lunching literally 50m away in the mist.  Gowry then headed off toward Glossop (although the meet leader thought she was heading down to Edale).  Having passed Pete S, Iain, Keith and Brian 30 seconds after our lunch break, we then found the rest of Lorna’s team (Lorna, Roger, Jo and Chris) hard on their heels. The plan was to skirt northwards around the edges and find a suitable route down to Edale – the group more than did that, with at least two, possibly three different ways down after the meet leader had again (this time deliberately) pressed the “splinter” button (incl, Grindsbrook Knoll and Ringing Roger).

Amazingly, we all found the pub and enjoyed a good natter about all things club-related – just as it should be.  Phil got his meet tick for joining us in the pub having been out climbing elsewhere.  Well done to those you used public transport wherever possible (does that include Colin’s taxi home from Piccadilly?), and also many thanks to everyone who came for supporting our meet.

Lorna and Mark

Mark Garrod