Category: Featured Meets

David will give us the inside story from the 1975 Expedition, with access to fantastic images from Sir Chris Bonington, Doug Scott and others, many of which had never been seen in public before. At 6.00pm on the 24th September 1975 mountaineers Dougal Haston and Doug Scott became the first Britons to stand on the summit of Mount Everest.The expedition, led by Chris Bonington, was also the first to successfully climb the South West Face, which had defeated all previous attempts. Chris told the story of the climb in one of the most famous mountaineering books of all time ‘Everest The Hard Way’. The 50th Anniversary of this climb was celebrated with a number of events  during September 2025, including a special exhibition held in the Lake District. Rucksack Club member David Nightingale was the exhibition curator, with access to Bonington and Scott’s photo libraries and to many artifacts and items from the climb.David’s slide talk will tell the fascinating story of the Everest The Hard Way climb illustrated by fantastic expedition photographs and insights from his discussion with Sir Chris about the climb. Each Slideshow this season features a raffle, with all proceeds going to a climbing related charity.[…]

Kick off 2026 in style as our Indoor Meets Season gets back underway at 7.30pm on Tuesday 13 January. We will be spanning continents and hemispheres as Helen and Rae Pritchard entertain us with a Tale of Two Treks. From the high peaks of Ecuador to the Greater Ranges of Nepal, there are tales of gold smuggling, smoking volcanos, helicopters and tea houses….stunning sunrises and breathtaking views ….. from the Equator to the Himalayas. Each Slideshow this season features a raffle, with all proceeds going to a climbing related charity. The January event will support Mountain Rescue England and Wales EVERYONE is welcome (even if you aren’t a Rucksack Club member) and it’s ABSOLUTELY FREE. Tell your friends and bring them along. Taking place at Summit Up climbing wall in Oldham. Show starts at 7.30pm, so how about coming along early to grab a few routes (did you know Rucksack Club members get concessionary rates?) or to enjoy a chat over a brew, pizza or ice-cream in the cheerful cafe? You can even bring your own booze 🙂 Summit Up Climbing https://summitupclimbing.com/ is at Egerton St, Oldham OL1 3SE. Here’s a Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ndUK5QxJVHFgEpj87 If you can’t make it[…]

The final Dip of 2025 into the Club Journals is from the 1905 Report, the third annual publication by the Club. Members had been active at home and abroad, both above and below ground. This month’s pick is a report on speleological activity ‘Underground Work 1905’ by JRC and EAB,  J Rooke Corbett taking a break from compiling his eponymous list and Ernest A Baker, doyen of early cavers. Click HERE to read the article and on this LINK to read the complete report in the Club archives. Finally, this choice being a day late allows New Years Greetings to all Club members! And as there was no Club publication in 1906, this feature will return in February.

The Rucksack Club in January Winter is upon us, with the prospect of snow and ice to get us off our Christmas couches and out onto the hills. The Rucksack Club offers a whole range of opportunities to do just that: We begin with our traditional Marsden-Edale meet, crossing the moors in around 22 miles – or double that for those starting from Edale the previous night (9th January) and visiting Marsden just long enough for a brief breakfast, before turning around and heading back to Edale with the main contingent! The following weekend (16-18 January) we convene at our well-loved hut in Eryri, Beudy Mawr, for a weekend of whatever the weather dictates. The next weekend (23-25 January) the focus changes to our cosy Scottish hut, Craigallan, with winter climbing in mind – so long as the weather cooperates! Finally, at the end of the month (30 January – 1 February) we have a caving meet based at Matlock, an annual fixture that has become justifiably popular.   The attached photo is: ‘A group of last year’s M-E participants at Fairbrook Naze’ (Ian Helliwell).   Andrew Beckett Meetstaff Editor  

Craigallan will be closed between 2nd-13th of March as the new flooring and shiny new kitchen are being installed. Apologies, but during these dates the hut will be unable to be used. The club meets on the weekends before and after are still running. 

Carole Smithies writes: Regret to say we have just heard that Derek Clutterbuck died on the 29th November.  Derek joined the Club in 1977. A Service of Celebration will be held at Rochdale Crematorium next Tuesday the 16th December 2025 at 11.50am.  Family flowers please by request – donations if desired to Killin Mountain Rescue Team – a donation box will be available on the day I know it is short notice, but if anyone is able to attend, please let me know as soon as possible and I will endeavour to inform his family.

There’s no official Indoor Meet in December, but fear not – there’s still an opportunity for the club to gather. How about coming along to Summit Up on Friday 12th for the BritRock film show and in-person Q&A with ‘Climbing Blind’ legend Jesse Dufton? You can watch the official trailer here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_0y5n2eSUZA All profits to Climbers Against Cancer and as a special ‘thank you’ from the Trustees, Rucksack Club members can enjoy the £10 concession entry price. Book your tickets here: Brit Rock Film tour 2025 Ticket There will also be an opportunity to do your Christmas shopping at a pop-up CAC stall – who wouldn’t want a CAC T signed by Jesse in their stockings? Also remember you can bring your own booze (and mince pies?). How about getting there early and having a session on the wall? PS – if you already paid full price then I will happily reimburse the £6. Cheers, Dom

The Rucksack Club in December   Rain beating down, gales blowing us off our feet – maybe, but December can also offer snow on the hills and occasional wonderful sunrises and sunsets across the mountainous landscapes. The Rucksack Club will be out and about to experience the best of these in a few varied meets: We begin with a repeat of what turned out to be a spectacular meet last year, exploring trig points, stone pillars and ancient bridges around Blackstone edge. It was spectacular because some of the party nearly took off in the ferocious wind (see photo), but stayed the course to complete a memorable day out. This year, in response to numerous requests, the meet will be re-run on 6th December. It’ll be 18 miles, so a good stretch of the legs on a short winter day.  A week later (13th December) we have one of the Rucksack Club classic meets, the Hotpot Winter Walk and Christmas Quiz. The main event is a walk across Kinder Plateau, starting and ending at Hope. There we re-convene for the aforementioned Christmas Quiz and Hotpot Supper. This is a particularly popular and convivial meet that exemplifies the benefits of Club[…]

This month we go back to 1915, a year into the First World War. I can only imagine the difficulty of trying to produce a Journal in such difficult times, although the articles are all about activities undertaken before the war had started. There are also a lot of articles to choose from, recording adventures overseas and throughout the UK. I have chosen one of the shorter articles which records an early ascent of Troutdale Pinnacle in 1915, just a year after the first ascent. The author describes the route as a ‘fascinating climb’ with ‘the only slight detriment being the presence of vegetation in the lower portion’…how things have changed on this ‘all time classic’ as Rockfax describes it. It is a favourite route of mine too! The route description is obtained by calling on the first ascensionist in his home in Keswick, and Borrowdale is accessed by way of a bicycle. As well as an excellent description of the route there are also a couple of atmospheric photographs. Click here to access the article.   Later in the Journal there are two sobering references to the impact the War had on the Club. The first is a section[…]

Joint Hogmanay meet with Peak Climbing Club, staying at our delightful RC Craigallan Hut just outside Ballachulish, West Highlands. Expect white stuff, wet stuff, cold stuff, warm fire, haggis, whisky and probably even some sherry too. I’ll cook a communal meal New Year’s Eve (vegan/veggie and maybe meat option too depending on numbers/ interest). Activities: do as you please/ what the weather dictates, certainly winter climbing aspirations, but hill bagging/ running/ swimming/biking etc. all welcome. Please let me know via email, or sms/whatsapp/signal (details in handbook), or FB event page. Already some early interest from PCC and RC members! any q’s, just shout! Chris Pembroke