Category: Featured Meets

An early Christmas present I’m pleased to announce the official launch of The Rucksack Club Digital Archives.  This new on-line resource contains a wealth of material to either browse or download, and will give you plenty of things to fill those long winter evenings. The archive contains material covering over 120 years of the Club’s history and is constantly growing. It currently includes: All 105 Journals from 1903 to the current edition – available to read as flip-books with clickable contents or to download. The last 30 editions of Meetstaff – again available to read as flip-books or download. Hut logbooks from the Club’s Welsh huts covering years 1926 – 2022 The digital archives of the Anabasis Club from its formation in 1961 to its incorporation into The Rucksack Club in 2021. “On The Hill with…” – 3 volumes containing over 30 interviews with notable Club Members. This development of this has been made possible via a generous bequest from the estate of the late Albert and Alice Dale. In addition to this fantastic on-line resource, the Dale bequest has also enabled the Club to develop a fully secure Digital Vault for the long-term preservation of its digital assets.  This[…]

The 121st Annual General Meeting of The Rucksack Club will take place on Monday 8th January 2024 at 7.30pm. Please come – it is your club and we would like to hear from you. The meeting will take place on-line via Zoom.  Information on how to join is given below. Papers for the meeting will be circulated to members electronically in early December. If any member wishes to propose an item for consideration at the meeting please inform the Secretary and/or President as soon as possible – for alteration to club rules such proposal should reach the Secretary at least 28 days before the meeting, i.e. by 11 December. We look forward to seeing you! Richard Clegg Secretary How to join the AGM: Here are details for joining the AGM Zoom meeting. Topic: Rucksack Club 121st Annual General Meeting Monday 8th January 2024 at 7.30pm Time: Jan 8, 2024 19:30 London Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89953862975?pwd=lfwYiDJpm7SG1h7af2ZNyqFhl4XrZE.1 Meeting ID: 899 5386 2975 Passcode: 630185

Hopefully December 12th is already in your diaries for this great pre-Christmas social, whether you’ll be joining us in person at the Heaton Moor Sports Club or on Zoom from the comfort of your sofa. The program will feature the much-anticipated (rescheduled from November) talk by Dave Palmer. He has been forging his way through the ultimate Alpine Ticklist – the Four Thousanders. and will be thrilling and entertaining us with his latest adventures and the occasional scrape, with the help of special guest star appearances. Some of the featured summits include The Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, Aiguille Vert, Dôme de Neige and The Barre des Écrins. The other half of the Double Bill is down to YOU! Following the success of last year’s 120th ‘Birthday Party’ we’ll be repeating the formula (but with Xmas mince pies this time!) with members bringing along a few photos that capture some ‘Get Out There!’ moments from the last 12 months or from “back in the day”. The event will take place in person and on zoom so there’s no excuse for EVERYONE not to share some pics and a few stories. Please send photos to dominic@oughton.uk.com, by the end of Sunday 10th,[…]

Carole Smithies writes: Sad to report Fred Taylor died on the 4th November.  Fred joined the Club in 1967.  His funeral will take place at St Asaph Crematorium on Friday 24th November.  Given this short notice, I‘m pleased to say that Eddie Birch will attend and represent the Club.   

Carole Smithies writes: Sad to report Allan Redfern died last Saturday the 4th November.  Allan who lived in Llanfair PG on Anglesey joined the Club in 2013.  Allan’s funeral will take place at the Crematorium in Bangor on Thursday 23rd November at 130pm.  Lesley and family would like everybody to join them afterwards at the Royal Anglesey Yacht Club in Beaumaris for “a cuppa or maybe something stronger, and a chat”.  [Allan was a member of the Beaumaris Rowing Club which is based at the RAYC.] Lesley has particularly asked me to say on her behalf: “Please wear what you are comfortable in – whatever that is.  If you feel best in black, that’s great- but if you would prefer to, then please feel free to wear a woolly jumper!” Please let me know if you will be at the funeral and/or the get-together, so I can let the family know. Contact details in Handbook.  

I know, I know, I promised no more posts.   However, a Rucksacker booked into one the club hotel rooms for the annual dinner can no longer make the dinner.   So we have classic double room available.     So if you missed the boat earlier you have one last chance.   The cost is £84 for two people sharing or £77 for single occupancy including breakfast.  The room is available Friday night, or Saturday night or both. Please email or WhatsApp if you are interested.

Actually lots of good news. 1 – this is the last time I will ever post about the 2023 Annual Dinner, I promise! 2 – the long range weather forecast looks great, a perfect weekend for walking, cycling and climbing 3 – there are 100 people coming to the dinner, and the really good news is that there is still time to sign up.   Although the final deadline is rapidly approaching and I need to know by next Friday (27th) at the latest.   No need to scan forms etc. if you want to come just drop me an email and I can get you signed up. The final details For those attending on Friday evening there is no fixed time for dinner in the hotel, but we will be aiming to sit down in the restaurant between 7 and 7:30. On Saturday night, the plan is as follows From 6:00 – Pre-dinner drinks in the main bar 6:45 – Start to take our seats for dinner 7:00 – Talk by Jon Morgan 7:30 – Dinner will be served The picture on the left is based on the 1929 RC dinner menu by Arthur Burns.

The Rucksack Club 2024 calendar is on the shelves now! It features 50 photographs of Club Members in action on crags, hills, and mountains, participating in a range of activities from climbing and mountaineering to kayaking and yoga. The calendar includes a broad range of photographs from The Peak to The Picos, and Chamonix to Cornwall. It’s a great record of a year-in-the-life of climbers and mountaineers, and people who enjoy the great outdoors. It would be a fitting addition to your kitchen wall at home, as well as a great stocking filler. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed photos this year – the quality of the pictures has been outstanding (we could easily have filled a couple of calendars!) Apologies if your shot didn’t make the cut and please get snapping ready for next year! The best part is that, thanks to the generosity of The Rucksack Club and its Members, every penny of the £10 purchase price of this calendar will go to support Climbers Against Cancer (Charity no. 115818). Through the worldwide climbing community, CAC aim to increase awareness and raise funds for research in the continued fight against a disease that affects so many.[…]