Craven Mountaineering Club
APRIL & MAY climbing venues for Craven Mountaineering Club.
Tuesday afternoon & evening.
Venues, spanning Trad, Sport, Limestone, Gritstone & Bouldering.
Find out more on the meets calendar.
https://www.cravenmc.co.uk/new-events-calendar/
Starting on the 7th April, Craven Mountaineering Club will be starting its regular outdoor climbing meets.
Tuesday afternoon & evening.
Starting with the traditional Eastby Crag meet on the 7th April 2026, we then arrange meets at a range of venues, spanning Trad, Sport, Limestone, Gritstone & Bouldering.
Find out more on the meets calendar.
Eastby Crag – https://www.cravenmc.co.uk/new-events-calendar/?mc_id=507
Some shots from sunny days gone by!
The unpredictable nature of Scottish weather once again demonstrated its capriciousness during our winter expedition, yet the experience was undeniably enriching. A total of twelve members embarked on this journey to the Cairngorms, with ten choosing to stay at Mill Cottage in Feshiebridge. The presence of some of our newer members added a fresh enthusiasm to the group.
Heavy snowfall characterized the conditions, and it appeared that our timing was fortunate, the only exception was the northern Cairngorms, where initial avalanche risk was classified as ‘substantial’. Fortunately, conditions improved throughout the week, allowing for safer exploration.
On the first day, three teams successfully reached the Cairngorm summit amidst challenging whiteout conditions. Their climbs included notable routes such as The Fiacaill Ridge, the ascent up Beinn a Chaorainn, and a day trip to a nearby Corbett when weather deteriorated. For those seeking a more relaxed outing, Inshriach Forest provided an excellent alternative.
While winter sports remained the primary focus of the trip, the evenings were equally memorable. Gatherings around a roaring fire, sharing stories, and forging new friendships underscored the camaraderie that defines our club. The Scottish adventure of 2026 proved to be both exhilarating and enriching in every sense.
All attending had an excellent trip despite a less than encouraging weather forecast. Saturday was a damp, windy day but all the party had a proper day out to the summit of Place Fell and back via the lake shore. Despite the speculation before hand and some snow on the top, no spikes of any type were required.
Saturday evening was the Burns Supper and all the standard things were consumed. Haggis, special marmalade and whiskey bread and butter pudding and a few drops of Laphroaig. Poetry was kept short, and jokes were plentiful.
We split up on Sunday with one group exploring first Grisedale and then Glenridding/Greenside. The other three went up through the hole in the wall to Red Tarn, then up through the mist with all sorts of spikes, up the snow slope on the right side of the snow bowl to emerge close to the summit of Helvelyn. After traversing the summit we descended Striding Edge where conditions were so variable that it was never clear if spikes were a help or not.
Both groups arrived back at the hut in time for a cuppa before the quick clean up and away home.
A special thanks to Cleveland M.C. for the use of their lovely warm hut and to Michael for booking things up. Sadly Michael had to drop out at the last minute. Happily I had his haggis on Sunday evening.
Thanks to all who came along for our yearly festive feast!
This year we did an 8 mile loop around beautiful Kingsdale stopping at the Cheese Press Stone, Yordas Cave and Thornton Force on our way before descending to the Marton Arms for a very nice Christmas Dinner.
Lots of fun, clear skies and great company.
Merry Christmas
