Author: Andy Tomlinson

Welcome to “On the hill with…” a series of short interviews with members of the Rucksack Club. This week it is Amy Illingworth, another member who was introduced to the Club from an early age. She, and husband Will, are based in Chamonix and this “On the hill with…” completes the first husband and wife interviews!    Amy on Jebel Rum How did you get into walking and climbing?  My parents met through the Chester Mountaineering Club and they were both keen to spend time in the outdoors. My sister and I weren’t really given an option, though most of my childhood memories are of wild swimming and canyoning, rather than walking.   Who has had the most influence on your mountain experiences?  My Dad taught me to climb and gave me an incredible foundation. My friends from Sheffield Uni days are hugely important to me, we’ve been on so many trips together and they’ve introduced so much fun and laughter into the process… plus one became my husband. I’ve also been inspired by a number of women who I see out leading and enjoying exciting trips, in particular some of the women who I met when I lived in[…]

“On the hill with…” a series of short interviews with members of the Rucksack Club continues this week with another Past President, John Llewellyn [1984/85] who has been a very active and influential member of the Club for over 60 years.  John heading for Pabbay in 2014 How did you get into walking and climbing? I was a schoolboy during the war.  My father worked at Metrovick and was able to have just one week’s holiday a year so we were able to have a short holiday staying at Rowarth, the little village a mile or two north of New Mills.  After some short local walks my father and I got to the top of Lantern Pike  –  wow!  We could see a long dark hill some way away. I was told it was called Kinder Scout and you couldn’t go on it because it was a private moor only for shooting parties. I was only eight but that is a vivid memory and it gave me a strong desire to investigate.  Subsequently I became a boy scout and very fond of camping, walking and then climbing. We firstly climbed on Windgather and Castlenaze. Later, the Rector of Llanberis opened[…]

Our “On the hill with…” series of interviews with members of the Rucksack Club continues with Parminder Chaggar who is now based in the far South West. Parminder having fun in the Alps How did you get into walking and climbing? Having grown up in a ghetto in inner city Birmingham, the great outdoors was a completely different world and one that was not easy to engage with.  I remember climbing Crib Goch on a school trip when I was a young teenager and being completely out of my depth, even on the easier terrain, resulting in a teacher having to hold my hand most of the way.  I think Snowdon may have been first ever ‘big hill’.  My introduction into the outdoors in earnest was via pure serendipity as a young adult when I moved to Sheffield to go to medical school.  Like most city kids, I was into drinking and clubbing, but by chance my housemate started dating a lad that climbed; we got on so he took me out to Stanage one day and I was hooked.  From there I was lucky to get in with a circle of friends that climbed regularly, informally known as the[…]