31465_Cover 12/2/02 9:59 am Page 2 ISSUE 25 - SPRING 2002 £2.50 Firestarters Choosing a Stove Summits of Desire International Year of Mountains FESTIVAL OF CLIMBING Visionaries & Vandals SKI-MOUNTAINEERING Grit Under Attack GUIDEBOOKS - THE FUTURE TUPLILAK • LEADERSHIP • METALLIC EQUIPMENT • NUTRITION FOREWORD... NEW SUMMITS s the new BMC Chief Officer, writing my first ever Summit Aforeword has been a strangely traumatic experience. After 5 years as BMC Access Officer - suddenly my head is on the block. Do I set out my vision for the future of the BMC or comment on the changing face of British climbing? Do I talk about the threats to the cliff and mountain envi- ronment and the challenges of new access legislation? How about the lessons learnt from foot and mouth disease or September 11th and the recent four fold hike in climbing wall insurance premiums? Big issues I’m sure you’ll agree - but for this edition I going to keep it simple and say a few words about the single most important thing which makes the BMC tick - volunteer involvement. Dave Turnbull - The new BMC Chief Officer Since its establishment in 1944 the BMC has relied heavily on volunteers and today the skills, experience and enthusi- District meetings spearheaded by John Horscroft and team asm that the many 100s of volunteers contribute to climb- are pointing the way forward on this front. These have turned ing and hill walking in the UK is immense. For years, stal- into real social occasions with lively debates on everything warts in the BMC’s guidebook team has churned out quality from bolts to birds, with attendances of up to 60 people guidebooks such as Chatsworth and On Peak Rock and the and lively slideshows to round off the evenings - long may BMC is firmly committed to getting this important Commit- they continue. Other areas including the Lakes, the north tee back on its feet after the recent downturn in fortunes. West, Yorkshire and the South West would benefit from simi- Volunteer Access Reps play a vital role in maintaining and lar impetus, new blood and fresh ideas and I’d encourage improving access arrangements throughout England and anyone with an interest to pitch up at these meetings, stir Wales - their efforts often going unnoticed and their only things up, rattle some cages and help create lively, healthy satisfaction being the knowledge that they have helped forums in your own area. maintain access to our precious crags and mountains. The What I’m trying to stress is the importance of volunteer BMC’s Management & Specialist Committees (Access, Tech- support for the BMC and to say that the opportunities to get nical, Training, Youth, Walls and others) comprise technical involved are many and varied. If at the end of the day all experts who advise the BMC on everything from land man- you want from the BMC is a quality insurance package and agement in the uplands, safety standards for helmets, child peace of mind that we’re taking care of access, then fair protection, risk management and equity issues - not to enough, but if you’d like to put something back into British mention the future direction of the organisation as a whole. climbing then why not get in touch by going to Indoor events and youth meets are another area where www.thebmc.co.uk and click on ‘Getting Involved’, or more volunteers are vital - try running a major competition with- radical still - give us a call or drop us a line. out volunteers and you’d soon see what I mean. But its not just people with special skills or interests who can get involved. All climbers, hill walkers and mountain- eers can get involved by simply pitching up at one of the BMC’s quarterly meetings held in 9 different areas around England and Wales (see p48 for dates/venues). The Peak BMC Chief Officer A big thank you! In December BMC Membership topped ices, members can access a fantastic Life Assurance and Income Protection scheme that doesn’t load against risk 55,000 for the first time ever, and we sports. And later in the year we’ll see a brand new Members would like to say a huge thank you to Handbook including a mass of useful information, a new all our club and individual members publications catalogue giv- for their continuing support. ing you even better dis- counts on an increased By being a BMC member you make possible a tremendous range of books and much range of vital programs since all the income from member- more. ship, publications and insurance goes directly into support- ing the BMC’s work. We wish you all the best With the new Mountain Services structure in place we are on the hills, and look insurance guide cover committed to constantly improving the membership pack- forward to serving you age. We start this year with our best ever Travel Insurance over the coming year. policies and great discounts on new books like the Moun- tain Traveller’s Handbook, Care & Maintenance and the Brief History of British Mountaineering. There are members only deals including half price entry to the Helly Hansen National Mountaineering Exhibition and, via Summit Financial Serv- Don't forget the new BMC number - 0870 010 4878 BMC SUMMIT - ISSUE 25 3 31465_SUMMIT_25.p65 3 11/02/2002, 10:32 AM 25 CONTENTS Welcome to issue 25 of 6 News ACT launch, Festival of Climbing,grit license, Annual Gathering & AGM. Summit is the membership magazine 10 Access news of the British Mountaineering Snowdonia Park n' Ride, Council. The BMC promotes the Stanage, area restrictions. interests of climbers, hill walkers and 6 Festival of Climbing mountaineers and the freedom to enjoy their activities. The primary 36 Forum work of the BMC is to: Guidebooks - what the 50 Arena future holds. Huts, Mancom summary, Negotiate access improvements report and accounts. and promote cliff and mountain conservation. 52 Briefing Promote and advise on good All the latest events. practice, facilities, training and equipment. Support events and specialist 53 MLTB programmes including youth Mountain days explained. and excellence. Provide services and 62 Last thoughts information for members. Rules of the game. BMC, 177 - 179 Burton Road, Manchester M20 2BB 36 Guidebooks Tel: 0870 010 4878 REGULARS Fax: 0161 445 4500 e-mail: [email protected] 12 Firestarters www.thebmc.co.uk Stoves - how to choose the right one for you. EDITORIAL Contributions for Summit should 16 Tupilak be sent to Alex Messenger at Al Powell's cold trip to the above address or Greenland. [email protected]. Every care is taken of materials sent for 18 Festival of publication, however these are 32 Visionaries & Vandals submitted at the sender's risk. Climbing The biggest event of 2001. PUBLISHING 28 The white way Gill Wootton 20 Outdoors Show Where to go Display Advertising Bringing the outdoors ski-mountaineering? Jane Harris indoors. Classified 31 HH exhibition Paula Taylor 22 Body Fuel Special BMC members offer. Tel: 01536 382500 Nutrition on the go, by Jo Fax: 01536 382501 Farrington. 32 Visionaries & vandals PUBLISHED & PRINTED BY 24 Leadership The damage to gritstone. GreenShires Publishing Telford Way, Kettering Mountain leaders are made, Northants, NN16 8UN FEATURES not born. 38 A degrading life Tel: 01536 382500 Care & maintenance of metallic equipment. Neither the BMC nor GreenShires Publishing 26 Insurance accept responsibility for information supplied in Our great new policies. adverts. Readers are advised to take reasonable 42 Mountains care when responding to adverts. The mountain environment. RISK & RESPONSIBILITY Readers of Summit are reminded that climbing, hill walking and 44 Summits of Desire mountaineering are activities with a Classic peaks from around danger of personal injury or death. the world. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be Cover: A focused Sandrine Levet. responsible for their own actions and involvement. The BMC publishes a Winner of the Snow + Rock World wide range of safety and good practice 44 Summits of desire Bouldering Cup at Climb '01. advice and provides training Credit: Ian Parnell opportunities for members. 31465_SUMMIT_25.p65 4 12/02/2002, 2:37 PM LETTERS RAVANEL RESPONSE ANTI-SCULPTING lation. I also acknowledge the good work I am writing to express concern at the I recently moved away from Stafford- done by the BMC in this area and the content of the letter from Dan Bailey shire due to the calling of a new job. need for monitoring breeding sites so regarding the behaviour of the owner of However for a long while myself and a that they can be used for recreational the Chosalets campsite in Argentiere - couple of colleagues would enjoy noth- purposes if birds are not in residence Bernard Ravanel. The Chosalets camp- ing more than heading up to the or breeding attempts have failed. site is a quiet, well run site used by gritstone edges after work. The However when the BMC use phrases climbers and non-climbers from all over Roaches, Ramshaw and more recently like ‘voluntary restraint’, or ‘climbers the world. The reason for having a gate Newstones were our favourite venues, accept restrictions which are mutually which is locked at 10pm lies partly in not just because of the distance to agreed’ [Summit 24] people could be this mixed usage. Climbers are often up them but also because of the variety lead to believe that the BMC has nego- and away very early and non-climbers of climbs they offer. The Roaches of- tiated an opt out clause to the Wildlife don’t enjoy being woken up by a mass fer single and multi pitch from grades and Countryside Act [WLCA].