On The Hills
1960
Harry and David Stembridge, Harry Spilsbury, with three others and Nestor Crettex of Champex as guide, did the Haute Route from Saas Fee to Forclaz. They found it hard work but vastly rewarding, in spite of overcrowding in the Cabane des Vignettes.
F. D. Smith and Varney were in the Engadine, where in good weather they climbed four peaks including Piz Palii and Piz Roseg. Attempts on the Eiger and the Guggi Route on the Monch the following week had to be given up owing to weather conditions.
Bell, frustrated by weather at Chamonix, did what may be a new route up the Aiguille de la Tsa from Arolla, had some enjoyable climbing at Rosenlaui and finished by joining a friend for a week’s climbing with Czechs in the Tatra.
Watts, with a base in Gstaad, felt he ought to know the local peaks, so climbed the Wildhorn by the Wildgrat and, with the Jaman Section of the S.A.C., the Rublihorn and the Gummfluh, the latter without ropes but not without some trepidation.
Stirling and Carr explored Knoydart, one of the least known areas of the Highlands, and one of the most impressive.
Richard Gowing attended the Oxford University Mountaineering Club Meet in the Bernina. He climbed the Schneekuppe of Piz Roseg by the Eselgrat, traversed Piz Palii in a strong wind, and had one of the most enjoyable of Alpine days going up the Piz Bernina by a well iced final ridge, returning by the Spallagrat to Fuorcla Crast’ Aguzza. He liked the Bernina, “Fine mountains, lovely scenery and rich flora”.
1961
Tregoning, Cullingworth, Bates, H. Haslam, Leese, Marsden and Nicholson spent Whit week camping in somewhat Arctic conditions near the head of Loch Hope. They traversed the ridges of Ben Hope, Ben Loyal and Foinaven, they also visited the summits of Ben Klibreck and Ben Hee. At Druim Chuibhe near Bettyhill they admired the remarkable alpine flora to be found there at sea level.
Later in the summer Tregoning, Turner and Marsden climbed the Silvrettahorn in brilliant weather by an unorthodox and sporting snow route, also several other peaks in the Silvretta and in the Stubai Alps.
F. D. Smith, Allen, F. Wilkinson and two others made from Saas Fee the first ascent of the season of the Fletschhorn, they traversed the Laquinhorn and climbed the Weissmies. Later, with D. Stembridge, they climbed the Allalinhorn, were the first of the season to traverse the Rimpfischhorn and, having climbed the Lenzspitze from the Mischabel Hut, got benighted on the glacier on the way to the Dom Hut.
Bell, as a guest of the French Government, attended a climbing course in August at the Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinism at Chamonix. After some preliminary instruction on almost vertical ice he climbed the Grand Capucin and the Nant Blanc face of the Aiguille Verte, getting benighted on the Mer de Glace on the way back. When half way up the Pilier Bonatti on the Dru he had to come down to help after the accident to Lee and Crampin.
Richard Gowing was at the Alpine Meet in the Lotschental of the O.U.M.C. Bad weather turned him back when half way up the Lauterbrunnen Breithorn; on two fine days from the Hollandia Hut he climbed the Mittaghorn and traversed the Aletschhorn via the Hasler Rib to the Oberaletsch Hut.
Sale was at Sils in the Engadine. In the 1930’s he was known as a rapid runner down screes; at Sils he had to persuade his son John against a direct frontal attack on Piz Lagrev and steer him on to a recognisable track which led them towards a rocky ridge called Crutscharols. After struggl-ing up loose rocks to the ridge John, who evidently did not share his father’s views about screes, announced that this was going to be his first rock climb, so up they went, Sale wishing he had brought a rope. On reaching the highest point father and son were unanimous about glissading down a snow slope in time for dinner.
Tallon, Chapman and T. Smith went to Corsica, camped in a cave near the village of Calasima, climbed several mountains and made many good friends among the villagers.
The President, early in the year, walked from Huby 250 miles to see his daughter at St. Andrew’s in Fife. He followed the Pennine backbone, crossed the western fringe of the Cheviots, went over the Moorfoot Hills and made a magnificent approach to Edinburgh along the Pentland Ridge. He was accompanied as far as Edinburgh by a Former President, and as far as Appleby by R. E. Chadwick, where the walk was interrupted to attend the Club Meet in Skye. They surprised several hotels by being the first guests to arrive via the shrubbery.
Even earlier in the year the Former President and the Present One made a somewhat sulphurous ascent of the Pico de Teide, a reputedly extinct volcano in Teneriffe.