Category: Featured Meets

Yes, its the news you have all been waiting for, the 2024 Annual Dinner will be held at the Imperial Hotel Llandudno on Saturday 9th November. The Imperial Hotel Llandudno, North Wales | Official Site Another new venue for the club, and a location that should provide many options for members to amuse themselves.    Whether that is on one of our organised dinner weekend activities (Walking, Cycling, Running and Climbing meets are already planned) or by doing your own thing in the area is up to you.   Just make sure you are at the Imperial Hotel on Saturday night to celebrate 122 years of the Rucksack Club.   While 122 years does not have the same ring as last years coming of age plus a 100, it will still be a night not to be missed. The Imperial Hotel is nicer than recent hotels we have stayed in (swimming pool / spa etc) but this does make it slightly more expensive.   We have again managed to secure a special Rucksack Club discount rate, but in order to get this we need to centrally manage the bookings again (see booking form for details).    The great thing about Llandudno though is that if[…]

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.

6 RC members, 1 AM, 1 guest and 1 CC member enjoyed a week of amazingly good weather, especially given a less than encouraging forecast! We walked, climbed, ran, biked, marshalled pre-65 motorcycles ‘trialing’, rested and socialised! Those who decided not to come missed a great week! A few pictures below capture the week [with captions now added]: Devils Ridge Mamores. Photo Charlie Elliot Adam Gouldsworthy on Pandora Glen Nevis. Photo Andy Tomlinson Rest day visit to Ariundle woods Strontian via the Corran ferry. Photo John Rowlands Tim Taylor surveying Ardverikie Wall. Photo Andy Tomlinson Tim Taylor Ardverikie Wall. Photo Andy Tomlinson Afternoon light on hills beyond Loch-Treig, walk out from Ardverikie Wall. Photo Tim Taylor Adam Gouldsworthy Pitch 2 Secretaries Direct Glen Nevis. Photo Andy Tomlinson Andy Tomlinson and Collette Haig Meall-na-Teanga. Photo Andy Tomlinson Rest day bike ride Lismore ferry. Photo Tim Taylor Communal meal. Photo Andy Tomlinson Sunset over Ardgour from Craigallan. Photo Charlie Elliot

This year’s Gogarth Meet is taking place on 15 & 16 June ‘Phew, what a scorcher!’ was the headline from the 2023 Gogarth Meet, and of course we’ll be hoping for more of the same when we gather this year on Porth Dafarch beach. In any event, it’s the same old formula that has served us well for the last twenty 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 twenty years: Camping is pre‐booked at Valley of The Rocks Google Maps – 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 (as usual) Google Maps They’re open at 10[…]

May often has the best of the spring weather, so the Rucksack Club has a burgeoning programme to take full advantage: Meanwhile, here are some shots of Rucksackers “Getting Out There!” from May 2023

The clocks change this weekend which means it’s the start of Wednesday Evening Outdoor Climbing! Wednesday Evening supremo, John Jefferies, has pulled together a great program for these much-loved mid-week meets, and they’re all in the Events Calendar on the website as well as featuring in The Journal / Handbook. To save you a few clicks or rummaging on the bookshelf, the whole thing is here too. You might notice a few TBDs so keep an eye on the WhatsApp group and Facebook for updates, and why not get in touch with John and baggsy a slot?! Meanwhile, back to this Wednesday, and I’m “coordinating” the season opener at Hobby a.k.a. Hobson Moor Quarry – it has to be confessed that my usual pact with the weather gods isn’t currently reflected in the forecast. However, there’s plenty of time for that to change, and in the unlikely event of a washout we’ll switch to Awesome Walls Stockport. Again keep an eye on WA & FB. Meanwhile, as a reminder of what we’ve been missing for the last six months, here’s a few pics from Hobby meets past. See you at Hobby or Stockport 🙂