Category: Member Posts

There’s plenty of activity in the Rucksack Club this February, not only making good use of all of our huts but with a sun rock trip too: We end January and begin February (30-1) with a caving meet based at Matlock, a fixture that has become a hardy perennial.  Our fabulous Duddon Valley hut, High Moss, deserves a little help with maintenance each year, so we have a working meet scheduled for the weekend of 6-8 of the month. These working meets have built up a devoted following, being warm, friendly and productive occasions.  But for those who can forego the camaraderie of the working meet, one of our number has organised a sun rock trip to the Costa Blanca (7-14 Feb). There is a villa booked north of Altea… Back in the UK, an enthusiastic recent member has organised a running and walking meet for the weekend of 13-15 Feb. This will be based at Beudy Mawr, our hut in the heart of Eryri.  Beudy Mawr will be in use the following weekend also (20-22), when we have a ‘do-as-you-please’ meet.  Finally in February (27 Feb – 1 March), our Scottish hut, Craigallan, will be busy for winter climbing[…]

GOOD NEWS! There are still places available on my meet at Beudy Mawr next weekend. We had great conditions last year with frozen ground and Snowdonia shrouded in a thick blanket of cloud – all except Snowdon & Grib Goch – which is where we were!!! A sacrifice has once again been made to the weather gods (I accidentally burnt my veggie burger at lunchtime yesterday – does that count?) so excellent wintery conditions assured. Contact as per the handbook, let me know by Tuesday next week please.

I am not yet in the handbook, so here are contact details in case anyone would like a copy of my book ‘Into the Mystery, Camera in the Wild’, so well reviewed by Ian Charters in the current Meetststaff. intothemystery@posteo.net website robbeightonartprints.net, where there is a link to buy the book.

Forget joining a gym, giving up alchohol or even going vegan, the only resolution for 2026 that is worthwhile is to complete the Marsden-Edale on the 10th January! The annual winter challenge of 22 miles across the finest of the Dark Peak, pioneered by The Rucksack Club around a hundred years ago, has been a yearly event for the last 80+ years! Now is your chance to continue this tradition, to stretch those legs and burn off the Christmas & New Year excesses. The last couple of years have been done in perfect weather and in great company – let’s make the 2026 M-E another one to remember. No more making excuses to yourself that it’s just too complicated to get to/from the start/finish – get on WhatsApp or the phone and talk to each other, organise lifts, share taxis… If you can get to/from the airport for your holidays, then you can manage to get to Marsden and back from Edale!  Here are a few photos from last year: The details: Start – 7:45 at the end of Wessenden Rd (GR SE048107 OS South Pennines OL 21 map) – finish at The Ramblers in Edale. The route I’ll be[…]

If you haven’t already got one, you can obtain your 2026 Club Calendar(excellent photographs of Club members ‘getting out there’ and showing all the weekend meets) from many climbing walls. If you can’t make it to one, just transfer £12 (£10 for the calendar, £2 for postage) to Barclays, account number 40599913, sort code 20 55 41, account name Rucksack Club. Let me know you’ve done that and I’ll get one in the post to you straightaway. All proceeds go to ‘Climbers Against Cancer’ which helps fund cancer research worldwide. Thanks and a Happy New Year to you all.

I’ve booked the Green Climber’s Home for the above dates. There are loads of well bolted single pitch climbs and a handful of multi pitch. Climbing starts at grade 5 and is very varied from amazing 3D tufa to straight forward face climbing. The rock is limestone and the camp is fully catered. Let me know if you want to join!

Following my post of 3rd December about the Club 2026 calendar, I’d like to thank you both for contacting me to get hold of them. I’m sure there are others who have purchased them from a local wall, a Club event or direct from the CAC shop. I still have most of that box of calendars left, so if you want me to send you one (or even more), transfer £12 to Barclays, account number 40599913, sort code 20 55 41, account name Rucksack Club and let me know. Thanks and seasons greetings to you all.

Dear members, Hope this email find you well. At the beginning of November I set off for my dream trip and a challenge. I successfully reached Everest Base Camp and also ascended some of the peaks and passes on the route. The trek as a solo traveller (guide and porter) was challenging, overwhelming but fascinating. Amazing country, such an interesting culture and nice people. I was aware of the hygiene issues which I will face and decide just on my day of departure to visit the hair dresser and cut my hair off. Which I donated to THE LITTLE PRINCESS TRUST (The Little Princess Trust provides wigs to children to help restore their confidence and identity). All costs, including the making, fitting, and styling of the wig, are met by the charity, and this free service is available to any young person up to the age of 24 with hair loss. As part of its Hair and Hope mission, The Little Princess Trust also funds childhood cancer research aiming to find kinder and more effective treatments. Please can you help me to make a difference to children to help restore their confidence and identity. Just to donate the hair is not[…]

I’ve just had a delivery of another box of Club calendars which I’d like to get rid of as soon as possible! I know many of you have already got one either from me, through Club events, from a wall or from the CAC shop. Thank you. There are still hundreds of Members who still haven’t got one. It doesn’t take much effort. Some people have said they don’t need to buy one because they use a desk diary or an app. Does your alternative have all the Club Meets on it with stunning inspiring pictures? No – it doesn’t. The other thing I’ve been accused of is ‘shaming’ Members into buying one by the tone of my previous posts. If you have felt like that, please accept my apologies if I touched a nerve or caused offence. It’s not about that – it’s more about what I perceive as a general lack of engagement by Club Members. It’s always been like that but I’ve noticed over the last five or so years, a marked disinterest in Club activities. Poor attendances at Meets, lack of interest at anything the Club has to offer – a lot of people seem to[…]

Well, my inbox has been inundated with Black Friday offers over the last few days (I know, it was actually last week, but the emails still keep coming!), and so in the spirit of the times here is my offer: The 5 Trigs and Trods walk next Saturday (6th December) contains not only 5 Trig points – White Hill, Standedge, Cupworth Hill, Dog Hill, Blackstone Edge 5 interesting stone pillars 2 ancient bridges 18 miles of the South Pennines best moorland Possible Christmas tree and snowman (there was last year!) but, I’m willing to add, at no extra cost, the first of the 6 Stanza Stones – a wonderful poem on the theme of rain.  Those of you who came on the Ilkley Moor walk on the Annual Dinner weekend will already have visited 3 of the 6 Stanza Stones (2 for the shorter variants) – here is a chance to tick off another. Last year’s outing was exciting to say the least in the gale force winds, the forecast for this Saturday looks nice and calm. Here are a couple of photos to give you a taste for it… The details can be found in the calendar on the[…]