Author: Dominic Oughton

Phew, what a scorcher! This one might go down as the hottest Gogarth Meet since records began (not that we actually keep records!) A glorious Saturday morning saw legions of Rucksackers and friends gathered at the cafe, whilst various keen teams were already on the way to the crag and others were making an excursion via “Gogarth Far Far South” a.k.a. Cloggy. Action was spread around North and South Stack and onto the Mountain. Here are a few pics (let me know if you have more to share): Another noteworthy ascent was John introducing Rob to the delights of Yellow Wall with The Sind. Quite a Gogarth induction! Conditions weren’t exactly ideal for pulling hard, but then climbers are very fussy creatures – by any standards it was a stupendous day. Certainly great conditions for Helen’s post-climb “Stretch and Unwind” yoga session… … and others were clearly intent on a liquid post-climb pick-me-up, as the hordes gathered from all corners for beer-o’clock. Big thank you to all the burger-flipping heroes, including Karl, Neil and Mike, who kept all 65 BBQ diners well fed. … and to Stan for the excellent bonfire… The forecasted showers barely materialised, apart from a brief[…]

It was brilliant to get back to ‘Business as Usual’ for the 2022 Gogarth Meet, with more than 70 Rucksackers and Guests enjoying a sunny, if a tad breezy, BBQ on Porth Dafarch beach (and the odd bit of climbing of course!) We will be crossing fingers for even better weather this year, but otherwise it’s the same old formula that has served us well for the last 20 years. Come equipped with a rack & rope; a bike; kayak or pair of binoculars; or just a tube of factor 50 and a bucket and spade – whatever you need to ‘Get Out There!’ and work up a thirst / appetite. Bring your friends and family – the more the merrier! In terms of logistics, plans will be familiar to anyone who’s been along for any of the last 20 years: Camping is pre-booked at Valley of The Rocks https://goo.gl/maps/WHtttGVJG5DkdWxf7 – you don’t need to book separately, but on arrival please let them know you are there. They’re offering a special rate for The Rucksack Club and are always very welcoming, so be sure to say Hi and thank you! 😊 The Saturday morning rendezvous is the South Stack Café[…]

A huge thank you to Will and Neil for an enthralling and entertaining show on Tuesday evening – two thrilling tales of cutting-edge exploits in remote and extreme environments, made all the more enjoyable by the self-effacing style of both these highly-accomplished climbers. Here’s the link to the whole show: And a separate link for Neil’s presentation as there were a few glitches on the video quality on the zoom recording: If you are wondering why Neil was appearing via a pre-recorded video rather than “live” from the West Coast, it’s because he was on a mission for a solo-Big Wall-winter ascent in Yosemite. That’s hardcore! That’s it for the 2022-23 Winter Indoor Programme. They’re all available for catch-up on the Virtual Meets Gallery Virtual Meet Gallery If you’ve got suggestions or even better fancy volunteering for the 23-24 season then please get in touch! Meanwhile, thanks for your engagement over the last 6 months and looking forward to seeing you “on the hill” in the near future. Cheers, Dom

The season finale will feature two thrilling tales of new routing in remote and extreme environments: Will Harris is a British Mountain Guide, based in Chamonix, a highly accomplished Alpinist, and a Rucksacker. He’s made numerous lightweight expeditions in the Greater Ranges and is going to talk about success and failure in alpine climbing in general – with tales and photos from lots of times when it went wrong as well as once or twice when it went right. Neil Chelton is one of the world’s most capable Big Wall climbers and the founder of the instructional website: https://www.vdiffclimbing.com/ He and his partner Maria Parkes have just completed an epic first ascent in Baffin Island, involving a ten-day approach and 20 days on the wall! If you can’t wait until March, there’s a sneak preview here: Admission is FREE for EVERYONE – Be sure to share the event with your friends 🙂 Zoom Doors open at 7:15pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82807381553 Meeting ID: 828 0738 1553 Passcode: The year of Founding of the Rucksack Club

If you missed last night’s zoom indoor meet (other priorities on Valentine’s Day?) you’re in for a treat – you can view the catch up video by clicking on “Virtual Meets” in the “Get Out There” menu (along with every other zoom show from the last 3 years). Alternatively you can go straight to the “High Risk” action by clicking here: And don’t forget, if you enjoyed Brian’s fascinating and forthright insights into the High Risk world of cutting-edge mountaineering, you can still get a signed hardback copy of his Boardman Tasker winning book. Only a few left and they’re now out of print – special Rucksack Club price of £22 if you can collect or £25 including postage. Email me at dominic@oughton.uk.com. Cheers, Dom