posted 23.10.08

Lindsey Wall closed on 30th Oct

LINDSEY Wall will be closed for a week during the half-term break.

This is due to an exodus of committee members who are shirking their club responsibilities in favour of some mountain-related pursuits elsewhere.

A handful of LCC faces are taking themselves off to sunny Font for a spot of sandstone hugging; Duncan is off up to the Lakes, and Pete is still on his OAP rambling trip up some hill called Ama Dablan.

Normal service will be resumed on Thursday, 6th November.

posted 23.10.08

Pete 'feeling fit' at 19,000ft

PETE Pounds has sent a promising progress report on his Ama Dablan expedition.

No one will be surprised to hear he is feeling fit after having advanced to 19,000ft, given his strenuous training regime of fell running... Anyway, here's what he said:

"Been to base camp at Tengboche and up to advanced base camp also camp 1 at 19000ft. Feeling Ok and fit. A Swiss guy and I made it to ABC in 2hrs.15mins. The guide said 5 to 6 Hours!! There has been a lot of snow, so we may have to wait a few days for it to consolidate.

"At base camp it is warm when the sun is out, but at night there is a deep frost.

"Above camp 1 the ridge is fantastic - knife edged with rock and ice, with a huge drop on each side!! The birds at base camp come down each morning to eat left overs: choughs, ravens and huge partridges."

posted 6.10.08

Steve passes the SPA assessment

A year's work paid off for club secretary Steve K this weekend when he passed his Single Pitch Award assessment.

Steve took the SPA course through mountain skills firm Adventure Unlimited, which runs the training and assessment courses in the Peak District - very handy for anyone who regularly climbs in that area.

For those who don't know, the qualification exists for people who wish to supervise novice climbers indoors and at outdoor venues.

The training begins with a training weekend. After that, a candidate builds up their experience of climbing and supervising novices (helping newbies at Lindsey Wall counts towards this), and when they feel ready, a candidate is tested over another weekend.

As it states in the SPA syllabus, the assessment weekend should include an element of learning as well as testing, and this was definitely the case for Steve. He picked up some great tips regarding rope and safety practices, and the second day included a comprehensive session on problem solving and rescue technique.

Having booked in advance, there was no way on earth Steve could have predicted how shockingly bad the weather was going to be this weekend just gone: gale-force winds, persistent rain and finger-numbing rock temperatures only added to the challenge, although clear blue skies gave some reprieve on Sunday afternoon when the bulk of the test had been completed.

The wind was so bad, in fact, that Steve's foam roll mat blew away while he was bailing from North Lees campsite - so apologies to the innocent rambler who got hit by that.

Committee member Ollie Rising is half way through his SPA training, and he expects to be taking his assessment in the New Year. Anyone else in the club who wishes to go for their SPA are welcome to do so at the club's expense - it is definitely a worthwhile achievement which will greatly increase your climbing knowledge and skills. Besides which, the club needs qualified supervisors!

On a personal note, Steve thanks the instructor Jules Barrett, who made the assessment an enjoyable experience. His discussions on techniques were extremely informative, and he did well to put a team of three nervous candidates at ease!

Also mentioned at the meeting was the MLTE's new climbing wall award. Anyone who fancies getting themselves a climbing supervision qualification would do well to start here - and the club will even pay for it. So don't miss out, get yourself trained up!

Additional news discussed included the uncertain future of the club's current base in Lindsey school. As some of you will know, the school is to be completely rebuilt in the near future, but a replacement climbing wall might not be included in the plans. Of course, LCC has for some time been hoping that a proper public climbing wall could be built in the area, so the committee is pursuing this big ambition. It starts with us contacting key bodies, such as the BMC, the local council, the college, and the Lottery funding people.

Incidentally, it has been mooted within the club that the cost of setting up a purpose-built wall is not as much as some would naturally assume; the main hurdle for LCC is finding a suitable building which is either affordable or paid for by being a public wall. So if you happen to know anyone with a large unused barn or industrial unit, that's available for next to nothing, let us know! Watch this space for further updates on this important project.

As a final note, club attendance has been impressive during the past year. It is great to see so many new faces coming along, and it's even better when some of them decide to return again and again. Shame that our swelling numbers haven't had much impact on our quiz performance though...

Oh, and another thing: it's that time of year again and club memberships are now due. So get your money out. And no excuses!

posted 4.9.08

Lindsey Wall reopens

LINDSEY Wall is now back open for finger-stretching business on Thursday evenings.

Don't miss next week's session (on the 11th) because that's when we will be holding the club's AGM.

As usual the AGM will be kept brief so we won't lose out on too much wall time, unless of course members have a lot to say! If you'd like to raise a particular topic or issue, please let one of the committee members know (preferably beforehand).

The committee will hold it's post-summer meet this Monday, so watch this space for a full report.

posted 18.7.08

That's it for summer..

LINDSEY Wall is now shut for the summer holidays. It is set to reopen in early September, so check here for the exact date.

Anyone who feels they can't manage without a fix, there are plenty of tall buildings in Grimsby town centre. Failing that, you could always join some of the regular crag hoppers on a trip to the Peak one weekend. Contact Steve or Pete to find out what's going on.

posted 15.7.08

Club closes for summer

THE last session at Lindsey Wall, before the summer break, will be on Thursday 17th July.

Make sure you don't miss it - rumours are rife that some people might be bringing along home-made cakes to mark the end of term.

Remember also that regular trips to Hull and Sheffield will still be happening - so stay in touch!

posted 8.4.08

Spark fashion envy with a Lindsey Climbing Club T-shirt!

NOW is your chance to look great when you climb, because club T-shirts are available to purchase online.

So far, there are a couple of products available (men's and women's tops) with a new, neat LCC logo on the front and the statement "will belay for food" across the back.

They are available at 301889.spreadshirt.net.

Until a couple of top models can be persuaded to pose in the T-shirts for a website picture, you'll have to ask Steve or Cesca to see theirs.

Ideas for more designs and products are now being looked at - so watch this space.

posted 8.4.08

Slideshow raises £30 for mountain rescue

THE Crow's Nest was a busy pub for Poundsy's epic mountaineering slideshow on Friday.

Pete took us through the many decades he and his colleagues have been climbing, reflecting on how the sport and the club has evolved over the years.

Highlights of the evening included visual proof that Pete partook in rock climbing activities with his broken foot in a plaster cast. There were also some great examples of questionable climbing fashion, such as hilarious facial hair and Pete's shocking skin-tight yellow and white striped leotard leggings.

The spot-the-climber competition was won by travelling vet Kirsty Officer, who happily took away with her two bottles of wine, some Green & Black's chocolates, and a Red Arrows mug - although even with all that alcohol, Kirsty still turned up later at Wetherspoon's for more drinking (well, she is Australian, after all...).

The competition raised £30, which will now go to the Edale Mountain Rescue Team.

Thanks to all who supported the event.

posted 31.3.08

Slideshow reminder

DON'T forget that Poundsy's insightful slideshow about his long climbing career takes place this Friday.

It's at the Crow's Nest from 7.30pm, for an 8pm start.

Bring along your change for a pint or two, and make sure you have enough to enter our fun chance to win a prize in the spot-the-climber game, which is hoped will raise a bit of money for Edale Mountain Rescue, the voluntary organisation which covers the club's most frequented crags.

We look forward to seeing you there!

posted 30.3.08

Alex cracks the last problem

HISTORY has been made at Lindsey Wall. This week, Alex Farrow has become the first person to crack the "last problem" - a killer mantle which has eluded many visitors to the club.

It's a dive for the ledge, mantle and then stand up to reach the top hold, without touching any holds with your hands.

People have been trying it ever since the wall was made. Wotastar!

The next problem is to try and get him outside to climb something real! So get out there Alex - and congratulations!

posted 30.3.08

Good gracious! New routes?

CLUB regulars will notice that some of the bolt-on holds of Lindsey Wall have moved.

Before anyone starts to panic (given that such an occurrance has not happend for, say, 20+ years) this was in fact done on purpose. Aliens had nothing to do with it.

The aim, of course, is to introduce some new routes for the benefit of beginners as well as those who are a bit more experienced.

The club is also in the process of buying some brand new holds to add more variety and to create more colour-coordinated problems.

So watch this space. And if your favourite problem or traverse has suffered at the hands of progression, then apologies in advance.

posted 07.03.08

New Climbing Wall Award

THE BMC has announced a new qualification which is designed for supervisors of indoor climbing walls.

The Climbing Wall Award, or CWA, will cover all skills required to run bouldering sessions and bottom-roping, among other things.

Participants will be required to register, attend training, consolidate their experience, and then go for an assessment. You can find out more about the CWA on the BMC's website.

Any club members who are interested in going for the award should contact Pete Pounds or Steve Kirman.

posted 01.03.08

It's a swiz, not a quiz!

NOT content with flummoxing club members last month, Pete Pounds is returning to the chair of quizmaster this Thursday (6th March) at the Crow's Nest to pose more impossible questions.

The previous quiz Pete hosted included, not surprisingly, a few questions about geography and the odd one relating to Spanish linguistics.

Although Pete announced there would be one, and only one, question relating to mountaineering, Steve K successfully predicted that he would ask for the name of the world's third highest mountain (that would be the one with the unspellable name - Kangchenjunga).

Guessing what will be included this time won't be an easy task, but you could do worse than to dig out your school geography and spanish books for an evening...

posted 01.03.08

Slideshow at the Crow's Nest

PETE POUNDS' slideshow will take place on Friday, 4th April, at the Crow's Nest in Cleethorpes.

The lecture will give an interesting insight into a climbing and mountaineering career which has spanned many decades.

The photography itself will be well worth seeing - so don't miss out.

posted 27.02.08

Pudding bowl amnesty

THE AFTERMATH of a sweetly-successful pudding party at Steve K's house included a pile of washing up which includes a variety of bowls, tins and plates which don't belong in his kitchen.

As a result, anyone who provided a pudding for the party is now invited to take part in the great pudding bowl amnesty, to take back their vessels without fear of reprisals or punishment for having them cleaned.

Another legacy of the party was a diabetes-inducing amount of sugar-saturated leftovers, but these have since been taken care of.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to what was the third pudding extravaganza: desserts were more varied this time round, with only two dishes being chocolate-based.

Although predictions are that a fourth pudding party will follow in the not-too-distant future, the next event at Steve's is likely to be a bring-your-own curry collective. Watch this space.

posted 27.02.08

Font beckons

THE rumoured Spring trip to Fontainebleau might now take place in July, given that some people are unable to make the trip in May or June.

This fun-packed bouldering adventure will involve spending a week at La Musardiere campsite, near Milly-la-Foret, with a day in Paris and plenty of rock-hugging.

Anyone who is interested in joining the group at La Musardiere should contact Steve as soon as possible.

posted 21.02.08

Leading the way!

SKILLED pianist Hannah has proved she can turn her fingers to multiple challenges after confidently entering the realms of trad leading.

A trip to Lawrencefield on a beautiful February Sunday saw Hannah leading Snail Crack (VDiff).

posted 21.02.08

New photos

NEW photos in the club's online gallery include a handful from a trip to High Neb during February's glorious spell of sunshine.

When you have a look, check out the serene colour of the sky!

posted 21.02.08

Mountaineering slideshow

CLUB chairman Pete Pounds is preparing to hold a slideshow covering his many decades of climbing and mountaineering.

Among his many achievements include an attempt on Aconcagua last year, as well as a more recent trip to a Mexican volcano (the name of which I can't remember).

Being a keen photographer, Pete has collated an insightful collection of stunning and dramatic images during his adventures.

A date for the event is currently being organised; it will probably take place on a Friday evening in the Crow's Nest.

Watch this space for details when they are confirmed.

posted 7.11.07

Font fotos

A BAND of boulderers from the club faced the cold continental nights in a French campsite to enjoy a week of excellent climbing in Fontainebleau during October.

The weather, although chilly at night, was bright and warm during the day and the group enjoyed four full days of playing on the rocks.

The photos have now been uploaded to the site - so click here and have a look.

posted 7.11.07

Time for training

STEVE Kirman and Ollie Rising have completed their initial training for the SPA qualification.

The course was an intensive weekend of training in the Peaks, involving more than 20 hours, looking at various rope techniques and group management skills.

The award will take several months to achieve, because it involves a period in which they have to build up their experience before a final assessment weekend.

If anyone else is interested in any training opportunities, please have a word with Pete Pounds for more information.

Pictured right: Ollie practises running an abseil rope with a safety back-up, at the High Neb end of Stanage.

posted 31.10.07

Visit us on your mobile

A NEW feature of LCC's website is that it is currently being designed to cater for mobile/handheld users.

This function of the site is still in its early stages, so any feedback would be welcome.

Should you have any problems accessing the site dirctly on your mobile phone (as has been experienced by at least one person), it might be possible to reach the site by searching for it first in www.google.co.uk (reasons for this anomoly remain a mystery - so if you have any suggestions, contact the secretary).