Members present: Dave Bone (leader), Tony Major, Sabina Cosulich and Sheena Hendrie.

Guests: 9 Ostrich and Baby. (the boot was checked before departure!)

This was to have been at Dow Crag in the Lakes, but with the Fridays weekend forecast and the Web cams in the Lakes (good links in www.needlesports.co.uk) showing a grim, dribbly picture, it was a case of "Go South, KMC". With limited prospects of climbing in the Lakes, and to maximise the climbing, but avoid the tedium of yet another weekend in the Peaks, an alternative venue was sought. A quick scan of the memory banks and The Wye Valley, Bristol popped out. A quick look at the Bristol Web cams (and Jam cams!) showed bright conditions and a reasonable forecast prompted a mass email/phone round on the Friday - sorry if you missed out.

An early morning drive South on the Saturday to a rendezvous at Fly Wall, Wintours Leap, was met with 5mins of drizzle and a just averted manslaughter by the female contingent. But perseverance/good salesmanship won the day and a maximum of 10mins of rain hit during the weekend - the sun even shone and non-stop climbing was possible. And the action? The "Swatter" (HVS) swatted Sheena good and proper ("coming down again Sabina!) but eventual success was ensured by the precise gear placement memory of the meet leader. [Take 100 lines, I must not fill my holds with friends!]. Altercations by Team SS with another team in "Swallow's nest" (VS). The "Dragonfly" (HVS) flew away from Sabina, while team (no flies on us) Bone and Major buzzed up "Big Fly Direct" (E1).

The team ate in Chepstow (Note: The Rising Sun Pub wouldn't feed mere climbers and only takes bookings!), and encamped at the "Beeches Campsite". This has a new entrance from the south with its own sign now, just keep driving and driving straight on.

Dawn rose on the African savannah, as grey fluffy objects resolved into a family group of curious Ostrich! The smell of bacon butties brought out the family baby on display and a group portrait or many were taken. Fortunately for the Ostrich, a stout double fence kept them safe from the predatory (I just want a quick cuddle) Sabina.

The team were dragged off down the track to a dry Shorncliffe - sorry no tea/ice cream van supplied, meet leader slipped up again. Some neat teamwork ensured Sheena wept "Bitter Battle tears" (HVS) on the starting overhang, while team Major and Bone laughed all over the crag on "Laughing Cavaliers" (HVS). Team reduced stature needed two legs up to second. A veritable horde descended and the rope cartel swapped routes before heading off for safer areas (falling objects could be heard like a distant artillery range). Team Major and Bone started a new "Renaissance" (E1) while Sheena frothed at the mouth on "Bubble memory" (HVS). Major/Bone left for excellent entertainment of "Motion Pictures" (E1) with the horror movie trailer of the second on the next door VS being dropped to the ground! They thus suffered "Emotional dyslexia" (HVS) and just had to get team B on it. Emotions return when you see what's at the belay, but hurry, it won't be showing for long! But more teamwork by team A was needed to make it 'safe' for the vertically challenged leader (even her slings are dwarf sized). After a good lead, the second had to deal with the cold welded nuts! The happy team departed in glorious evening sunshine, having all had some excellent climbing, which I bet Dow saw little of!

PS: If anyone knows of a petshop stocking young Ostrich, let Duncan know in time for Christmas...

NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE!!

To all those who might have gone to Dow Crag in the Lakes this weekend for my meet:

Don't - I've moved it!!

As suspected, summer ended today - the forecast for the lakes is wet today, particularly this afternoon/evening (the Keswick webcam looks grim - the bottom of the hills can be seen thru the water drops). Tomorrow is to be rather cloudy with occaisional heavy showers, so Dow crag won't be dry! Sunday still showery so chances of climbing in the lakes not good.

So I propose not going, but going south instead where only a few showers may be expected and there is a high chance of doing something.

Current best choice is the Wye valley, Bristol, camping at the Beeches campsite (OS162 GR549006), travelling down early Saturday. The Bristol webcam shows it is fairly sunny, with no indication of rain so far! The Bristol local forecast is for some light showers today, bright. Weekend bright and breezy with the chance of the odd light shower. The further west & north you go the poorer it gets.

Anyone interested in going climbing, not in the boring Peaks, are advised to call me on Friday evening after 8 to check the plan...

CHANGED FROM: Dow High Camp & Climb, Lakes - Dave Bone

(+pagan rituals)

Everyone should get to the Lakes more often, and Dow Crag is a good example why - plenty for everyone here, the rock's good and the gear not bad. Even I can find a few routes left to do. Recommendations - too may to list (eg Catacomb, Leopards Crawl, Isengard/Samba Pa Ti...) so see me. The thing to note about Dow is it's a morning crag, hence the addition of a high camp/bivvy down below Goats Water. Those who stay then have the advantage of being at the head of the queue for Eliminate A on Sunday.

The aim is to meet at the crag on Saturday, starting from the Walna scar road end out of Coniston, complete with bivvy gear for those aiming for the full tick, climb till evening then set up camp somewhere below the outflow of Goats Water at approx. GR266973. It's close enough to be a solstice meet, so bring a bottle or two for some druidic celebrations. Beat the queues on Dow on Sunday or do a crag crawl of the craglets around the Old Man in the unlikely event of running out of routes.

Get away from home for once and be there! I shall be in the Pub on the Thursday before to make sure of it and to arrange alternatives should Summer not occur this year.