Tim Taylor – Page 4 – The Rucksack Club

Sat 12th April 2025 Yorkshire Dales day walk to Baugh Fell. IMPORTANT ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION

7th April 2025 Tim Taylor Member Posts

David Nightingale writes: Sat 12th April 2025 Yorkshire Dales day walk to Baugh Fell. IMPORTANT ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION near Sedbergh. Just to add to the sheer awkwardness of this walk, there is now a road and bridge closure on the A684 between the M6 motorway Junction 37 and Sedbergh, which means those travelling to Sedbergh from the North or South on the M6 will have to take alternative routes. From the North: Exit Motorway at Junction 38 Tebay, take A685 towards Kirkby Stephen, turn right on A683 to Sedbergh From the South: Exit motorway at Junction 36, take A65 to Kirkby Lonsdale, turn left on A683 to Sedbergh You will need to allow extra time for your journey on both these diversions. MEET POINT and START TIME: 10.00am, ‘Tom Croft Hill’ large roadside car park beside the A684 Sedbergh to Garsdale and Hawes road, 2.5 miles outside Sedbergh. GR: SD 694 912 (OS map OL19)

Saturday 12th April 2025, 10.00am start. Yorkshire Dales walk
‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’

3rd April 2025 Tim Taylor Member Posts

David Nightingale writes: Baugh Fell, near Sedbergh. ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ Saturday 12th April 2025, 10.00am start. Yorkshire Dales walk Co-ordinator: David Nightingale Join me for an 11 mile (approx.) moorland walk exploring Baugh Fell (676m), at a relaxed pace. This seldom visited hill lies in the Northwest corner of the Yorkshire Dales and sits in splendid isolation. We will meet near Sedbergh, which is easily accessible from Junction 37 of the M6 motorway. THE GOOD: Baugh Fell is 678metres / 2,237 feet high, so features on the Nuttall’s list of 442 English and Welsh hills above 2000 feet and on the Marilyn’s list. If the weather is kind to us, we will be treated to great views of the Howgill Fells and the Dales peaks of Whernside and Ingleborough. THE BAD: The fell has virtually no paths. Our route is mostly across pathless, wet and boggy ground, covered in awkward tussock grass. THE UGLY: Wainwright described much of the walk and fell as “tedious”. Other commentators have described the fell as “for fanatics, sadistic DOE organisers or army training exercises only”. The exact route and total distance will depend on weather and ground conditions on the[…]

April Meets

2nd April 2025 Tim Taylor Featured Meets

The Meetstaff Editor writes: April is often a fine weather month and the Rucksack Club has another varied programme of meets to take full advantage: One of our most enthusiastic new members is running a weekend meet at our superb Lake District hut, High Moss (4-6 April). A week later we will explore one of the less-trodden hills of the north-western Yorkshire Dales, opening views to the Howgill Fells as well as to Whernside and Ingleborough (12 April). Our Easter Meet will have a family theme, for which the large capacity of High Moss is ideal. We will of course have an Easter egg hunt! (17-21 April). Finally in April we will be reviving a Rucksack Club classic, the 35-mile Etherow Watershed walk that circumnavigates the catchment basin of the River Etherow (26 April). The attached photo shows the setting of High Moss (behnd the trees) in Dunnerdale (Mark Baron). Best wishes Andrew Beckett Meetstaff Editor

Climbing Guides Need New Homes

23rd March 2025 Tim Taylor Member Posts

Neil Goldsmith writes: I have some climbing guides cluttering up our bookshelves which I am unlikely to use again. Some are reasonably recent. They are: Northern Limestone – Rockfax Dorset Fax 50 Pembroke – Cicerone 2 volumes Lundy Avon and Cheddar Swanage and Portland Froggat to Black Rocks – BMC Stanage Burbage Millstone and Beyond – BMC Saffordshire Grit – BMC The Alpine 4000 Peaks by the classic routes – 2003 All free, just a contribution to Climbers for Cancer. Contact me if interested, details in the handbook.

March Meets

3rd March 2025 Tim Taylor Featured Meets

The Meetstaff Editor writes: The Rucksack Club again has a busy programme this March: We have a running meet based at our capacious Dunnerdale hut, High Moss, which offers some of the best fell running opportunities in the UK (7-9 March). We welcome the Karabiner Club to our great Scottish hut, Craigallan, which is attractively-situated by Loch Linnhe, for some winter mountaineering (we hope) on Ben Nevis, Glencoe and the surrounding hills (13-16 March). We visit the FRCC hut at Brackenclose for mountain exploits in Wasdale (21-23 March). We return to Craigallan late in the month for more winter mountain activities – or will it be summer by then (28-30 March)? Best wishes Andrew Beckett Meetstaff Editor Harry Martin starting up the final pitch of Raeburn’s (Rob McGinnes).

A dip into the Club Journals, 2005:
Now and Then by Rae Pritchard

28th February 2025 Tim Taylor Classic Journal Articles, Featured Meets

This months classic journal article comes from the bumper 2005 edition. Plenty to choose from, 23 articles! Front cover – Mark Hatton on Rasoir, Zinal Rothorn. Photo Rae Pritchard Highlights include: John Hamer revealing details of the life of John Rooke Corbett and his Legacy; Andy Scott on the Magic of Caving; John Muskett and his attempts on Chamonix to Zermatt on Ski, persistence pays; Edwin Coope providing a touching tribute from John Disley on Chris Brasher; But my pick is a tale of an alpine peak climbed by Rae and Mark Hatton accompanied by the memory of Rae’s father. Youn can read the article by following this link, and other from the 2005 journal via this link. Arête du Blanc and North Ridge, Sept. 1961. Photo Desmond Pritchard Albert Bonnard (left) and clients, Sept. 1961. Photo Desmond Pritchard Mark Hatton on the Summit, Zinal Rothorn. Photo Rae Pritchard

Vin Birtles

26th February 2025 Tim Taylor Featured Meets

Carole Smithies writes: Sad to report that Vin Birtles died on the 22nd February, just 2 weeks after the death of his wife Sylvia. Vin who was 90 last year, joined the Club relatively late in life in 1982. But he more than made up for that in the years that followed, leading, and joining in, many meets. He also served on the Committee from 1985 to 1987. It was Vin’s wish that he should have a direct, that is, an unattended cremation. However, there will be a service in his memory at St. Aidan’s Church, Manchester Road, Sudden, Rochdale OL113EL at 11am on Friday 7th March, followed by a gathering at the Success to the Plough, Bolton Road Rochdale OL113LW. Please, let me know if you intend to go, so we can let the family know. Contact details as in the handbook.

Tom Anderson Reflects: The Skellig Islands

23rd February 2025 Tim Taylor Member Posts, Members Tales

Tom Anderson writes: This slide video post is not strictly a mountaineering outing but was a very interesting day out. The Skellings are two islands (mainly rock outcrops) off the Kerry coast Southern Ireland. The start of the voyage was from Portmagee, where several companies run outings. The weather was very fine, clear and with not much swell (no one was sea sick!). This trip is now very popular due to the rocks featuring in Game of Thrones [editor: and also Star Wars – The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi]. The largest island Great Skellig was once the site of a christian monastery and has remarkable beehive huts for the monks to live in! This must have been a tough place to spend praying, let alone surviving? Both Islands have a large colony of seabirds living on them with the usual smell of guano. The trip was very enjoyable and enlightening made so by our boat man who was very knowledgeable. This is a very remote place, a Dorner aircraft collided with the Little Skellig during WW2 and the wreckage was not found for several months. If you visit County Kerry take a boat ride and have a rest[…]

February Meets

31st January 2025 Tim Taylor Featured Meets

The Meetstaff Editor writes: February can be a great month for winter mountaineering in Scotland, so we start and end the month with weekend meets at our fabulous Scottish hut, Craigallan (pictured). In between we make good use of our great hut in Eryri (Snowdonia), Beudy Mawr, for our mine exploration meet and a running meet, both weekend meets also. But for a little climbing, cycling or running in the sun – we hope – we have a week-long meet in Costa Blanca towards the end of the month! Best wishes Andrew Beckett Meetstaff Editor

Dorothy Dillon

22nd January 2025 Tim Taylor Featured Meets

Carole Smithies writes: I am sure many of our older members will remember Dorothy, Vin Dillon’s wife. Vin was President of the Club in 1972 and 73 and the founder of our High Camps, — his first was in 1964 and we’ve had 60 more since. I regret to say Dorothy, who was 90, died on the 10th January after a very short illness. Her daughter Sally says her mother really enjoyed her association with the Club and that she and Vin made many lifelong friends whilst pursuing their passion for walking and climbing with Club members. So, she has asked us to publish the details of Dorothy’s funeral, in case any members want to attend. The funeral will take place at 11am on the 4th of February at the Birches Remembrance Park and Crematorium, Birches Lane, Northwich CW9 7SU. There will a gathering afterwards at Biddulph Grange Country Park, Grange Road, Biddulph ST8 7SD, where Dorothy volunteered for many years. Please let me know if you do intend to go, so I can let the family know. Alternatively let me know if you want Sally’s contact details. Carole