Meet Report: 14-16 November 2025.

This year’s Annual Dinner Weekend made it the tenth based on Lowstern and the Falcon Manor Hotel, and following the same format: Saturday afternoon Annual General Meeting, immediately followed by an illustrated lecture by a principal guest, then gathering at the hotel for a formal meal including a couple of guests from Kindred Clubs, a social walk on the Sunday followed by meeting up at Lowstern for a chat and refreshments.

First to arrive from Norway and Sweden respectively were Knut and Henning Tønsberg. In the build up to next year’s 150th Anniversary of our second president, Cecil Slingsby’s ascent of Storen, these two Norwegians, with family links across three generations to climbing with members of the Slingsby family, chatted to members about the opportunities for visits there next July.

More members arrived at Lowstern on Friday though most joined us on Saturday.  Twenty-nine stayed at the Falcon Manor Hotel itself with at least a dozen others lodging in other local hotels and pubs.  Friday’s heavy rain had discouraged outings but some walked above Clapham on Saturday.  

The 4pm Annual General Meeting  and the follow-on lecture were not at the Settle Social Club as usual but at St John’s Methodist Church where the acoustics and seating are better.  However, it is at the opposite end of Settle to the hotel where we later gathered for the meal.

 This year’s principal guest was Victor Saunders who flew in from near Chamonix on the Saturday and arrived in Settle at noon on a diverted replacement train service.  His lecture entitled “Still Trying to Grow Old Disgracefully” drew on his several decades of climbing.  Starting with alpine climbs, then putting up The Shield with Mick Fowler in 1978, the first grade VI on Ben Nevis, through their notable 1987’s Golden Pillar route on Spantik to their recent, often thwarted, attempts on other new Himalayan lines.  Victor highlighted the unifying effects of climbing, bringing together individuals with contrasting backgrounds and beliefs in a combined effort to achieve a goal.  He kept secret from the sixty or so present at the lecture, his intended plans for mountaineering next year but encouraged us all to continue to explore new ground.

Member John Lovett’s daughter, Judy Lovett, attended the lecture as a guest as did six others who responded to a few local posters and a short article in the Craven Herald about the YRC, the lecture, and the Annual Dinner.

Seventy were seated for the meal where the Kindred Clubs were represented by Andrew Dyson of the Gritstone Club and Hilary Lawrenson of both the Climbers’ Club and Pinnacle Club.

After the meal, the singing of Yorkshire was led by the ‘choir’ of Peters Baker and Chadwick, Trevor, Nick, Conrad Salmon, Malcolm (hidden), Knut, and David Hick, accompanied by Helen at the keyboard.  Other members and guests joined in for each chorus and gave an especially rousing last one before the final toast to ‘Yorkshire.’

Sunday’s social walk provided another opportunity to catch up with old friends’ news and compare experiences with the guests from the Grits and the  CC.  Starting at 10am from Settle were sixteen but only ten were still with the party on their return.    The others had branched off on various alternative routes.  John Sutcliffe had again come up with a light-touch geological walk so we walkers now hopefully know more about the Craven Fault.  Two others intended to lie in wait part way round the route and join us but  missed us and  made their own way round. 

Two dozen gathered later at Lowstern for tea, Wendy’s home-made scones, raspberry jam and clotted cream, where conversation flowed freely for an hour or more.  Long enough for the missing pair from the walk to arrive in time to claim the last of the scones.

Besides the walk, the younger contingent, or ‘young gang’ as our President calls them, went bouldering on and under the Cheese Press Stone high to the west above the Kingsdale parking place for Thornton Force.  They also walked down to and behind the impressively thundering Thornton Force itself.  Further east the Andersons walked from Ribblehead.

Most had headed home by Sunday evening though four stayed on at Lowstern.

Having been taken to Sheffield, on Monday, Victor Saunders and John Middleton, went to the impressive ‘Awesome Walls’ there. Victor warmed up on one 6a and followed that with some 6bs. He then went on to three other climbing walls. He and John were climbing together again on Wednesday.

Attending:  Alison Anderson (G),   David Anderson (PM),   Carol Baker,   Peter Baker,   Mick Borroff,   Derek Bush,   Aaron Campion,   Beverley Campion (G),   Ged Campion,   Imogen Campion,   Peter Chadwick,   Solvig Choi,   Nick Crapnell,   Robert Crowther,   Toby Dickinson,   Tony Dunford,   Karen Dyer (G),   Andrew Dyson (G,   Gritstone Club ),   Andy Eavis,   Lilian Eavis (G),   Iain Gilmour,   Sarah Gilmour (G),   David Handley,   David Hick,   Alan Hinkes,   Becca Humphreys,   Jason Humphreys,   Suki Humphreys,   Andrew Jarman,   John Jenkin,   Tim Josephy,   Alan Kay,   Debby Kuhlmann,   Geraldine Lally (G),   David Large,   Hilary Lawrenson CC(G,   Climbers’ Club),   Harvey Lomas,   Malcolm Lynch,   Steve McCain,   Duncan Mackay,   Nicole Mainaud (G),   Christine Marriott,   John Middleton,   Valerie Middleton (G),   Conrad Murphy (G),   Rory Newman,   Shaun Penny,   Anca Pordea,   Alister Renton,   Iona Renton (G),   Jane Renton (G),   Neev Renton (G),   Steve Richards,   Wendy Richards,   Felicity Roberts,   Ann Salmon (G),   Barbara Salmon,   Trevor Salmon,   Helen Smith,   Michael Smith,   Richard Smith,   Vincert Smith (G),   Tom Spencer,   James Spreadbury,   John Sutcliffe,   Gail Taylor (G),   Richard Taylor,   Conrad Tetley,   Henning Toensberg (G),   Knut Toensberg,   Martyn Trasler,   Carol Whalley,   John Whalley,   Charlie Wilkinson (G),   Frank Wilkinson.

The following ticketed guests attended the lecture:  Dot Atkinson, Phil Coleby, David Crutchley, Hannah Evans, Chris Heald, Judy Lovett, Paul Magson.