Author: Tim Taylor

John Patrick, Hut Warden at Craigallan writes: I will be out of internet connection during the second half of November so there will be no response to booking requests.  Any bookings made by email (preferred) will be dealt with in the order in which they have been received and replies will be sent early in December.     CRAIGALLAN WINTER BOOKINGS As the winter season approaches we have four excellent Club meets to tempt you offered by:  Rob McGinnes 1/2 February Ros Murray 1/2 March Gareth Williams 13 to 16 March – Joint RC/Karabiner Club meet Danny Struggles 29/30 March   At the time of writing, the general winter availability at Craigallan is as follows. The whole of January (including weekends) is free after the Hogmany meet (contact Chris Pembroke to book) which finishes on Saturday 4th.  All weekends in February and March are now booked but see below for possible availability. The whole of April is available apart from the nights of Friday 18 to Sunday 20 inclusive.     Almost all midweek nights are available throughout the winter.    As in previous years I will try to offer any available bed space to our Members during weekends when outside clubs[…]

Neil Goldsmith, the Journal Editor writes: The Rucksack Club membership appears to have a collective writer’s block.  So far I have four articles, with a couple of obituaries to follow.  There have been members going to interesting places, the Tatra earlier this year, where others might be interested to read about for a follow up visit but writer’s cramp appears to be affecting the hands of attendees.  I have been promised articles, but amnesia is affecting the would be writers. I am frequently told how important the Journal is, but without contributions it does not exist.  For the last couple of editions, the Journal has had a fair proportion of reminiscences of past adventures from the more aged members.  We need contributions from those who are doing things now!  It does not make any sense to publish a Journal with four or five articles.  Maybe writing articles is a generational thing and now social media is the standard for the younger generation, I don’t know.  What I do know is that the survival of the Journal in its current form is in doubt.  It is in your hands. Neil Goldsmith Editor

Neil Goldsmith, the Journal Editor writes: Many of you will have enjoyed flicking through the archives via the postings: a dip into the Club Journals, and been impressed by past achievements and found them a useful pointer to future trips.  None of this would be possible if past members had not written the articles in the first place! In this era of social media there seems to be a reluctance to commit to print and spend the time putting together a contribution to the Club Journal.  Without your contributions, there will be no Journals and no further Journals to dip into.  Now that the holiday season is on us and trips are being planned, don’t forget to think about an article for the Journal! Please the Journal needs You!

Carole Smithies writes: Sad to report Edwin Coope, who joined the Club in 1999, passed away on Tuesday the 18th June.  Whilst Edwin joined the Club comparatively late in life, –he was in his fifties, he came with a first-class record as a mountaineer and fell runner.  The year before he joined, he did the Joss Naylor Challenge in under 14 hours, and in all, he completed 21 Lake District Mountain Trails. Edwin’s funeral will take place on Wednesday 3rd July at St. Thomas of Canterbury RC church, Lonsdale Rd., Bolton, BL1 4PN, at 10 -00am.  Please, let me know if you will be at the funeral, so we can let the family know.  Contact details as in the handbook.