Helyg Mix & Match Meet

Attendees: Mark Bramich, Alison Cairns, Nic Dieu, Robert Dufton, Mick Green, Hilary Lawrenson, Pete Lucas, Marushka, Bob McAdam, Alex Nicholson, Peri Stracchino, Ali Taylor, Sam Thompson, Graham Townsend, Marion Wintringham

I suppose we couldn’t fairly expect to repeat last year’s exceptional weather, but we still managed to climb both days, so that’s classed as a success. As in previous years I mixed people up for climbing partners on the Saturday and teams seemed to sort themselves out for Sunday. There was a mass exodus to Anglesey on the Saturday to find some good weather, where our crowd rubbed shoulders with the green T-shirted Tradfest participants, including His Honour Lord Wheeldon of Nether Edge. It was actually a beautiful day there and we got a good tally of routes on Holyhead Mountain (Tension, Black & Tan, Breaking the Barrier, Bruvers by various combinations). Alex and Mark skipped off to Castell Helen for Lighthouse Arête Direct in the middle of the day, then back again to the Mountain; Mick and Alison went for the Moon. Teams also went to Tremadoc.

The Saturday night meal was another example of magnificent over-catering and we gorged ourselves on pizza, Morrocan stew, bara brith, summer pudding and a wide selection of other gourmet dishes. On Sunday teams went to a variety of places: Tremadoc, Moelwyns, Gribin Facet, Bochlwyd Buttress and managed a second sitting of leftover food back at Helyg before departing. Hilary and Alison stayed on for a couple of extra days and did a tour of sandbag top pitches in North Wales: Diagonal and the Superdirects on the Mot and Milestone Buttress.

Thanks to everyone for coming and taking part. These meets are a great way of meeting and climbing with new people and it’s good to see Helyg bursting at the seams. Apologies for the lateness of this report; I had to send to Canada for photos!

Hilary Lawrenson