Tom Povey Is Let Loose in Morocco
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47630_COVER 11/1/04 12:44 PM Page 1 UK £2.50 Winter 2004 www.thebmc.co.uk Style & Ethics Aron Ralston Interview Morocco Trek Winter Skills Easyice Escape World Youths contents features 14: Style Council Niall Grimes takes a look at the big issues of ethics and style. 22: Road Atlas Tom Povey is let loose in Morocco. 26: Cabin Fever Smooth sailing to your walking destinations. 30: Loft Conversion Do we really need a new European Standard for sleeping bags? Mark Taylor thinks not. 32: Hand Jam The Aron Ralston interview. Best sharpen your penknife! Plus: WIN the book. 34: Plastic Panic Behind the scenes at the World Youths. 38: Basics 4: The Fridge Steve Long's back, this time with winter advice for climbers. 41: Walk this Way Mal Creasey has some winter walking tips. 44: Easyice Get stuck into some Euro ice this season. 48: Expeditions 2004 A roundup of this year's adventures. regulars 3: The Issue 6: News 10: Access News 11: Frontline 54: Events 62: Last Thoughts special offers 12: Stuff It's your lucky day - we've got another four more competitions for you to enter in Stuff. 36: The Outdoors Show / Climb 05 2 for 1 readers ticket offer. 36 3 447630_SUMMIT_36.indd7630_SUMMIT_36.indd 3 008/11/20048/11/2004 110:39:520:39:52 36 foreword WELCOME TO ISSUE 36 Summit is the membership magazine of the British Mountaineering Council. The BMC promotes the interests of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers and the freedom to enjoy their activities. The primary work of the BMC is to: Negotiate access improvements and pro- mote cliff and mountain conservation. Promote and advise on good practice, facili- ties, training and equipment. Support events and specialist programmes including youth and excellence. Provide services and information for members. Peace of Mind BMC he year is drawing to a close, and we're pleased to announce that 177 - 179 Burton Road, T2004 has seen a steady growth in membership. So I’d like to take this Manchester, M20 2BB opportunity to personally thank you all for joining - the organisation Tel: 0870 010 4878 would be nothing without your support. Simply by being a member you Fax: 0161 445 4500 offi [email protected] really are playing a part in securing the future of our sport. www.thebmc.co.uk Many people’s fi rst contact with the BMC is through taking out our travel President: Mark Vallance insurance. But what you may not realise is that just by choosing BMC Chief Executive: Dave Turnbull insurance you’re not only buying peace of mind, but helping out too - Summit Editor: Alex Messenger every penny of profi t is re-invested back into good causes. EDITORIAL Contributions for Summit should be sent BMC travel insurance has been the market leader for many years, and to the Editor Alex Messenger at the above today many thousands trust us to provide the best quality cover for address or [email protected]. Every care exploits around the globe. It’s true that we’re not always the cheapest; is taken of materials sent for publication, mainstream companies dabble in specialist markets, and sometimes they however these are submitted at the sender's do undercut. For a while. risk. The views expressed within are of the contributors, and not necessarily the BMC. But by choosing BMC you're doing much more than simply buying insur- PUBLISHED & PRINTED BY ance - your money stays in the sport, rather than lining the pockets of Greenshires Publishing insurance companies. This money allows us to employ fi ve specialist staff Telford Way, Kettering working on access and conservation, technical and safety issues, youth, Northants, NN16 8UN climbing walls and competitions, and to co-ordinate the work of the Tel: 01536 382500 specialist committees who all beaver away on your behalf. PUBLISHING If you like what the BMC is doing - don’t tell us - tell your friends. The Gill Wootton Display Advertising more people who join and support the BMC, the stronger the national Jane Harris voice of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers becomes, and the greater Classifi ed our political clout and infl uence in times of need. And remember, with at Paula Hearn least a 10% discount from most retailers with a BMC membership card, Tel: 01536 382500 you'll be in personal profi t too. Fax: 01536 382501 And whether you're escaping for the sun or crossing your fi ngers for Neither the BMC nor Greenshires Publish- ing accept responsibility for information a good Scottish season, this issue has got something for you; winter supplied in adverts. Readers are advised mountaineering, euro ice climbing, and trekking in Morocco. There's also to take reasonable care when responding the second part of the State of British Climbing series, looking at the to adverts. evolution of the unique British climbing ethic and posing a few poignant questions about the future. It’s as packed as ever, and I hope you enjoy RISK & RESPONSIBILITY it - stay tuned for Summit 37, bigger and better for 2005! Readers of Summit are reminded that climb- ing, hill walking and mountaineering are Have a great winter. activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement. Dave Turnbull BMC CEO ON THE COVER: The Chancer, Hells Lum, Northern Corries (V,5). Credit: Cubby Images. See page 12 for a Cubby Images competition and their site www.cubbyimages.co.uk for more! 4 447630_SUMMIT_36.indd7630_SUMMIT_36.indd 4 008/11/20048/11/2004 110:24:100:24:10 the issue wwindsinds ooff cchangehange WWindfarmsindfarms aarere mmarchingarching aacrosscross uuplandpland BBritainritain - sshouldhould wwee bbee wworried?orried? f you go out into the hills today...you be in the Parks, they’ll almost certainly be ignore when jumping into our cars and Icould be in for a shock. Increasing num- visible from nearby crags and tops. hopping onto flights abroad, something bers of windfarms are sprouting up in some Understandably reactions to such devel- has to be done. Finite fossil fuel reserves of the UK’s wildest areas, and opinions are opments are mixed, Alison Hill - Head of are dwindling, we have constant political divided as to whether this is actually A Communications at BWEA believes that we turmoil in the Middle East, and atmospheric Good Thing. should “harness the indigenous resources CO2 levels are now higher than at any time Perhaps it’s just perception? Many of us which are abundant in this country. On our in geological history. live in towns and cities, wind turbines only doorsteps we have a resource that is equiva- Is there an easy answer? Probably not. enter our visual world when we venture out lent to several times our country’s electricity Will we be subject to an almost Huxley-esque for a weekend away, so lets look at the facts needs, and the majority agree with the need vision of a Brave New World with profl igate - are they really taking over or is it just over to harness it, whether they like the way wind wind turbine stations throughout the UK’s sensitivity? turbines look or not.” Councillor Margaret uplands? Maybe. And is the solution to all The British Wind Energy Association Munn, of Ardrossan, Scotland, seems to be our energy needs just blowing in the wind? (BWEA) recently stated, “as the best of the on board too, “The Ardrossan wind farm Only time will tell. renewable technologies currently available, has been overwhelmingly accepted by local wind really is at the forefront of meeting the people - instead of spoiling the landscape we Government's energy white paper targets, believe it has been enhanced. The turbines (TOP)() Wind farms: An increasinglygy common equating to some 8% of supply by 2010, are impressive looking, bring a calming effect sight in the wilds. Credit: Alastair Lee. requiring the installation of some 8,000 MW to the town and contrary to the belief that - which we anticipate to be divided roughly they would be noisy, we have found them to MORE INFORMATION equally between developments on and off- be silent workhorses.” www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper shore. That is about 2,000 additional onshore However Bernard Newman, editor of Climb- Our Energy Future. Creating a low carbon machines and about 1,500 offshore.” er and regular campaigner against wind farms economy, Energy White Paper, DTI (2003). After a bit of investigation, it appears that in his mag, isn’t quite so overjoyed, “the many of the proposed sites will unsurpris- disruption they cause to the UK’s countryside www.bwea.com/map/index.html ingly be in the windiest parts of the UK such and seascapes is an unacceptable price to pay A comprehensive summary of the current as the uplands, and to circumvent planning for Governmental tokenism.” And he has a state of play in the UK from the BWEA. restrictions, be located on the periphery of very good point, especially when you throw in National Parks. Considering that the latest the complexities of unscrupulous landowners www.wind-farm.org models of these hypnotically whirling white and the associated tax benefi ts. For some alternative views. monsters are 110m tall, whilst they may not But unfortunately, as we all choose to 36 5 447630_SUMMIT_36.indd7630_SUMMIT_36.indd 5 008/11/20048/11/2004 110:49:100:49:10 news Hut Seminar Running a club hut these days can feel a little daunting with the raft of paperwork including the Disability Discrimination Act, fi re and buildings regulations, Hous- es of Multiple Occupation legislation and even septic tanks added to the mix.