The Pinnacle Newsletter of Gwent Mountaineering Club Page 1 GMC Newsletter 34 Spring 2013 Fostering mountaineering Chairman’s Remarks (Peter Salenieks) In South East Wales for over 35 years It was April before winter relaxed its grip on the Welsh mountains, giving mem- Welcome to the 34th bers ample opportunity to take advan- Newsletter, which opens with an article by Kay tage of excellent snow conditions. In- Beechey on her circuit deed, there was snow underfoot on the ofInside the Torres this issue:del Paine Goose & Cuckoo walk, which traditionally in Patagonia marks the start of our summer pro- gramme; ice axes and crampons were Chairman’s Comments 1 Peter Salenieks needed the following weekend, during a walk that included a traverse across the north face of Cribyn. Talking Tryfan in the 2-3 Torres Del Paine Kay Winter tales link six stories in this issue Beechey of The Pinnacle, alongside Ken McBride‟s account of a cold but sunny Bank holiday A Tuesday Afternoon 4 Torpantau Falls John Jones visit to the sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire and two stories from the greater ranges. Peaks Trial. Well over four hundred A Truly British Bank 5 John Jones describes two winter climb- walkers reached the start despite Holiday Ken McBride ing trips: the first to Norway, which was overnight snow settling in Abergavenny, followed by one to Torpantau in the Bre- recalling memories of the first trial Snowdon at Last by Jen 6 -7 Price con Beacons, where three members when the six entrants who made it climbed a frozen waterfall that com- through the big freeze were taken cav- 50th Three Peaks Trial 8-9 pared favourably to the quality of Nor- ing at Llangattock and the event was Peter Salenieks wegian ice. Weather conditions were postponed for a month. mixed during a walk described by Terry A circuit of Torres del Paine is one of Elusive Ticks by John 10- Balmforth 11 Delbridge, reminding us all how much dif- the classic Patagonian treks. Kay ference it makes to have a good pair of Beechey captures the ambiance of an Roof of Africa 12- waterproofs. adventure on the other side of the Peter Salanieks 13 The annual dinner is one of the high- world. Looking at spectacular views lights of our programme and I was through a mountaineer‟s eyes, she re- The Strange Case of 14- Rjukan John Jones 15 struck by the spirit of camaraderie dur- counts the dramatic race for the first ing this, the 37th annual dinner, which ascent of the Central Tower that was A Winter Walk 16- was held at Betwys y Coed in the heart played out in 1963, coincidentally the Terry Delbridge 17 of Snowdonia. Stories by Jen Price and year of the first South Wales Three John Balmforth describe the winter Peaks Trial. Combining trekking with walking that was on offer, contrasting scrambling skills was the key to a re- the ever-popular Snowdon with Foel warding ascent of Kilimanjaro by the Have you seen this and want details Meirch, a less frequented outlier of the Western Breach, in a mountaineering of the club? th If so Phone 07933 456604 or visit Carneddau. This year marked the 50 traverse across the roof of Africa. our website: anniversary of the South Wales Three gwentmountaineeringclub.org.uk Copyright © 2013 by Gwent Mountaineering Club and the contributors. All rights reserved Page 2 GMC Newsletter Number 34 Talking Tryfan in the Torres Del Paine (Kay Beechey) “Wales?” said Hernan, our Chilean rushing, tumbling rivers to wide, of the most beautiful mountain trek leader, “You‟re from Wales?” I blue, corrugated glaciers and tree views in the world. Striped, fluted assured him I was. “Do you know fringed lakes. And then there are and weather-worn into the most Tryfan?” Hernan, it turned out, had the Towers and Horns… amazing spikes and curtains, they trained at Plas y Brenin and had The Towers of Paine have a rich rise above the lake, dominating the climbed Tryfan a number of times. mountaineering history. Three All those breath-taking granite tow- “The Chileans preferred Whillans to ers and ice-blue glaciers he sees Bonington, Hernan told us, because “he liked fighting.” every day (“his office” he called it) and he falls in love with a lump of rock in Snowdonia. I warmed to him landscape. There are other granite immediately. towers in the world to compete with Paine‟s Towers, but there are no rock formations anywhere which can be compared with the Horns. The weather in this part of the world is notoriously erratic, with Icebergs in Lago Grey granite fingers pointing skywards, they are what every visitor comes to see. In January 1693, Chris Bonington and Don Whillans be- came the first to climb the Cen- tral Tower (2460m) summiting just Glacier Grey one day before an Italian party who had hoped to claim the prize Hernan‟s “office” is the Torres del for themselves. The Chileans pre- Paine National Park in Patagonia, ferred Whillans to Bonington, Her- Chile. It‟s incredibly beautiful and nan told us, because “he liked draws visitors from all over the fighting.” The Italians went on to Glacier los Perros world. I‟d signed up for the Torres claim the first ascent of the del Paine Circuit trek, one of the high winds and heavy rain the norm world‟s classic walks which had been “If you eat calafate berries you will for most of the summer, yet we on my tick-list for years. It‟s not a return” were blessed with sunshine and particularly challenging or long trek mirror-like reflections on the (about 140km/87miles) but the won- higher South Tower; a venerable lakes. Overnight wind and rain derful scenery alone makes the long, consolation prize. eased as soon as we donned our convoluted flight from Heathrow via The Cuernos, Paine‟s Horns, are, if boots and magical, hanging cloud Madrid and Santiago worthwhile. anything, even more beautiful than lifted as we neared viewpoints. We From flower-strewn grassland and the Towers. Certainly seen across couldn‟t believe our luck. moss-dripping lenga forests to ex- the turquoise waters of Lago Pe- Would I go back? There is a belief posed alpine passes and airy view- hoe, they form what must be one among the locals that if you eat points, from gorges chiselled by calafate berries you will return to Page 3 GMC Newsletter Number 34 Torres Del Paine (Kay Beechey) /continued Patagonia. Calafate berries are sour, more pip than flesh and not particularly pleasant to eat. Suffice to say I managed a mouthful. Torres Del Paine Page 4 GMC Newsletter Number 34 A Tuesday Afternoon (John Jones) This time last year we were climb- ing in our shorts.As luck would have it my Tuesday afternoon was free after a long case rearranged an ap- pointment. Oh what to do? Keith and Jess made the trek with me in the hope we'd find ice. Jack- pot at Torpantau. I'd never climbed this fall and it looked great al- though very peculiar formations. So much better that RAC corner. Keith soloed the first pitch as I Jess on the the first pitch!! of this world but no it's the Brecon surprised if your dentist rear- Beacons !! So if next March we get ranges your appointment of a a repeat of the freeze don't be Tuesday afternoon. Torpantau Falls brought up Jess . The turn through 90 degrees at the ledges made for very interesting top outs but the higher we climbed the better the ice. We all roped up for the long second pitch where the ice was plastic and dare I say it better quality over this short section than what we found in Norway this year!! The wild formations were tricky, some spiky, some curtain forms out “better quality ....than what we found in Norway this year!!” Second Pitch on Torpantau Page 5 GMC Newsletter Number 34 A Truly British Bank Holiday (By Ken McBride) This was Pembroke at about 2 pm Friday. We have actually got a couple of climbs in and had yet to wake up on the Saturday to a kettle whose water was solid ice and a thermometer in the van showing a toasty minus 5°C at 9 o‟clock. The thermometer was only checked, bleary eyed, cause I could not believe the kettle. We were sleeping in the tent, which we believe is usually a good 5°C warmer that the outside, and the water was just crazed till I shook the bottle. Hence the surprise about the kettle, and temp. All of the time it was 4 layers to climb and a belay jacket for said activity, in sun, out of wind. Cliff tops we're breezy. The evenings are best left. So like the locals say, " come to sunny Pembroke ! ". All being well, a profitable action by the Northern expeditions and ourselves should have successfully seen ascents in both the north and south of the country. A truly British Bank Holiday. Ken and Alison Page 6 GMC Newsletter Number 34 Snowdon at Last ! (Jen Price) Snowdon in wintry conditions N This article is primarily about none “boring”? Not the 10 mile circuit been running. other than our Vice-Chairman, Kath we took. The weather had been quite mild Taylor. Kath had previously made From Llanberis we took the road and calm as far as the Bwlch but three unsuccessful attempts to that leads to and beyond the Youth from there it became more and reach the top of Snowdon and the Hostel to join a bridleway which we more windy and wintry.