Club Meets

For two winters a Sunday meet has been arranged each month, alternately at Almescliff and at Ilkley. We were favoured by the weather in 1921, but were very unlucky last winter.

Whitsuntide in 1921 came a brilliant week-end in a dry period, as Whitsuntide is expected to do, to favour the camp at Gaping Ghyll. Brilliant as were the early months of the summer, it must be confessed that the season passed with the most astonishing inactivity as regards cave-exploration.

It is difficult to explain why only two men went to Leck Fell in June, except on grounds of superstition. Driven up in his Ford car in the most sporting manner, over an abominable piece of road, by the host of the Ingleborough Arms at Ingleton, the two men spent the rest of a glorious day identifying the caves, and exploring the upper part of Lost John’s. But Sunday! – Sunday was one of those west coast days which don’t bear speaking about. Monday was, of course, beautiful, but there was no time to do more than descend the small shafts of Long Drop and Eyeholes.

Let it be known to those who stay in the little Leck Fell hut, that the nearest water is at Lost John’s, half a mile off.

Three Peak Walk, 1921. – On 17th July, 1921, this walk was completed by J. Buckley, C.E. Burrow, J.P. Clarke, J. Coulton, H.P. Devenish, J.D. Gulick, R.McA. Mather, and H. Williamson. The day was one of the hottest of a very hot summer, and the route taken from Clapham, via Penyghent, Whernside, Ingleborough, back to Clapham, the longest. No attempt was made to break any records. Actually the gross time taken varied from 11½ to 12½ hours. On a fine Sunday in November several of the above, together with J.A.D. Anderson, D. Burrow, and J.F. Seaman again did the round, this time from the Hill Inn, taking Ingleborough first, then Penyghent, and finishing off with Whernside. On this much shorter round the time was good, the gross amount varying from 7 hours 20 minutes to 8 hours. On this occasion W. Clarkson was obliged to leave the party at Ribblehead after having done Ingleborough and Penyghent, to get home by the evening train.

In September, Mr. and Mrs. C.R. Barran, and H.P. Devenish also went round, starting from the Hill Inn at seven, taking Whernside first, and returning at 6.15 p.m. We wonder if this is the first time the Three Peak Walk has been done by a lady.

Middlesmoor, 9th October, was a most successful gathering, 30 men putting in an appearance. A column of three motors went up through a storm on Friday night, but the weather was otherwise fine and warm, and Nidderdale seen at its best, putting on the glory of autumn.

Eglin’s Hole was explored on Saturday. Besides the fell walkers, some 20 men marched on Sunday to Goyden Pot, so that this cave and Manchester Hole were pretty completely explored.

At Kettlewell, 11th-12th February, 1922, 18 men enjoyed a week-end of sunlight and frost. There were heavy drifts of snow along the summit walls, and extraordinary masses in the roadway climbing over to Coverdale. The dale road was clear, and the fields almost so, but there were strips of snow under the walls running down into the dale, which were skilfully used for ski-ing and sledging till late at night.

Anderson walked out from Leeds through a brilliant moonlit night, icy cold. Brown and Chubb walked back on Sunday to Ben Rhydding by circuitous routes. Seaman, having sent the Editor on a wild-goose chase after a non-existent or fabulous tunnel through the Pennines, found the company somewhat sceptical of a deep pot-hole on Buckden Pike, but after an anxious 20 minutes was able to demonstrate next day to a deputation of two that Gillhead Pots really existed at a height of 2,000 feet on Buckden Pike.

A party of skaters, finding Birkby Tarn too rough, invented a new three peak walk, by crossing the dale and going over Buckden Pike and Great Whernside.

Six weeks later, much the same party reassembled to tackle Gillhead Pot under better conditions!

The advance party woke to a snow-covered dale and a cloudless sky. They enjoyed wonderful views climbing the fell to the Arncliffe side, and again, returning in the evening, of the green slopes up to the snowclad sun-lit summits. The first descent of Penny Pot was made by Seaman, C.E. Burrow, Frankland, Longfield, and E.E. Roberts. The last two also made a very wet excursion to the far end of the long crawl in Scoska Cave.

Sunday morning showed the snow once more almost into the dale, wet roofs, a lowering sky and a strong wind. Nevertheless the whole crowd marched to Buckden, four ladders were slung precariously across the saddle of Anderson’s pony, and the animal was successfully led through deep snow to within a few yards of the pot. The scene was a most comical one, a regular crowd round the hole, deep snow, and a gloomy sky, the ladders being tied up along a wall, and all almost level with the moorland summits. The shaft was a disappointment. There was a distinct hitch till the Editor, with much moral and sartorial damage, forced his way from the upper to the lower portion, descended the ladder, and reported nothing doing at a depth of only 50-60 feet. The crowd rapidly melted away with the surplus tackle, and after Frankland had descended, the chilly conditions made men waive their privilege of a turn at the struggle. All met at tea at Buckden, and improving weather permitted the day to finish with an enjoyable walk.

The Easter Meet at High Dungeon Gill Hotel was attended by nine men, who enjoyed some good snow work.

It was found impossible to arrange the meet at Appletreewick for 7th May, but Stump Cross Cavern was visited to see the extension recently opened out. It was necessary to divide and search the cave for it, so that some men had not time to visit the new passages, but the position is now well known in the Club.