In this section of the Club's site you will find articles new and old that club members have submitted. They will (I hope) be of a fun and useful nature. They will be of a type that don't fit into either of the other main article pages (walking/climbing) and as such fit in best here.
If you are a club member then please don't forget to submit your articles as soon as they are ready..
Having a "sure" knowledge of navigation techniques will certainly help a walker to avoid ending up in a potentially dangerous situation. Throughout this section we will attempt to outlines how a walker or climber can navigate by map and compass or global positioning system (GPS), as well as by more improvised (and therefore less accurate) means. There are three ways in which one can navigate: a map and compass; a global positioning system (GPS); or by using the sun, moon and stars. The correct use of a map and compass is a basic skill that every hillwalker can build upon until he is fully competant in navigational techniques. Other navigational skills, not dependent on a map and compass, can also be learnt and are extremely useful in survival situations. These basic skills will prove useful if your compass or GPS gets lost or damaged.
One of the first things that I ask anyone when the I first start teaching them to read a map is what do they see!! And guess what the reply generally is? A piece of paper with coloured things on it. So the next thing I do is show them what they see. By this I get them to look around them and then show what they have seen on the map (provided it is the correct map). I believe that this is the best way to START to teach and or learn about navigation techniques. After only an hour or so most people will have a better understanding of how to interpret and understand a map. One other point: I never teach navigation skills indoors because you simply can't teach the correct way to read a map in a room. You have to physicaly see the lie of the land to be able to see it on a map.
So how do you use the lie of the land to interpret a map? Simple..Open the map to your current known location (providing you know it). Have a GOOD look ALL around you. Look for prominent objects. When you have found them look for them on your map and then start to orientate your map so that the objects you could/can see are in line with those on the map. Now just take your time and start adding more objects to those you already have used. As time passes you will start to understand what those funny squiggles and icons are. You will also start to find them far quicker too.
Andrew Moorhouse
June 2002
Under Construction - Next Guide to navigation coming soon
Me Ice bouldering near Atra
Ice climbing in Norway - January 2001
The plan for this winter was to go up to Glen Coe and do a snow and ice climbing course, unfortunatly the weather was not good before Christmas and so few of the lines we where going to climb where in condition. So it looked like no climbing for me this year as I only had early january off. However, Norway came to my rescue. I have a friends that live over there, not far from Rjukan, who have told me many times about the wonderful water falls that freeze at this time of year. So soon after Christmas I was booked on a flight and off I went to Norway!
The friends I was staying with live about half an hour from the main town in the area which is called Rjukan and is famous for Ice climbing. We did not get to climb in Rjukan this year because of a lack of transport, but there where many excelent falls close to where I was staying in Atra. I satayed in Norway for about three weeks and we got out climbing on most days, only the condition of the ice stopped us climbing. The air temperature was usually around minus ten so the ice stayed solid and was great to climb. On the occations when it did warm up the ice at the bottom of the falls melted fast and so climbing was not safe for a few days after. We only climbed when we considered the ice to be safe, however we leared how unpredictable it can be. On one fall I punched through the ice half way up to find water flowing an inch or so below the surface for about a square meter, when the surounding ice was thick.
If you are considering a trip to Norway I would recomend it for both summer and winter. In the summer there are many areas where the walking is great and not comercialised like many places in the UK. In the winter there is masses of Ice climbing in and around Rjukan at all levels of difficulty. Hope this article has maybe got you thinking about taking a trip to a more remote place this year, or maybe trying something new. All I have to do now is save up for next years trip to Norways Ice!
James Lawton
Spring 2001
Thought as it is coming up to summer everyone will be sorting out their old gear and maybe buying new. So here is a short section on stoves that should help you choose the right one for you
Fuel choices
The most important consideration when buying a stove is the choice of fuel type. There are many types all having positive and negative characteristics, and the decision will depend on the end use.
Pressurised liquid Many liquid fuels have to be pressurised in order for the fuel to ignite, this is achieved by a built in pump on the tank.
Coleman fuel This is a liquid fuel specifically designed for stoves, its cost is comparable to that of gas canisters and is widely available from camping shops in this country. Coleman fuel is the cleanest of the liquid fuels and means that the fuel jet needs cleaning less frequently.
Unleaded Petrol Widely available throughout the world unlike most other fuels. It is the cheapest of fuel types but the additives do not burn at stove temperature, and so clog the fuel line and jet, resulting in the need for frequent cleaning.
Aviation fuel Very efficient fuel type, however, it is not widely available.
Paraffin Not widely used for stoves anymore and so its availability is limited, except in third world countries where it is still used. It is not a very efficient fuel and often needs preheating.
Diesel Diesel can be used on some modern multi-fuel stoves but should only be done so when other cleaner fuels are unavailable.
Liquid fuel Methylated spirit or "meths" does not need to be pressurised unlike other liquid fuels, making it is safer and simpler to use. The disadvantage is that it only gives half the heat output compared to other fuels, which means twice as much fuel has to be carried and the time taken to cook is increased.
Gas fuel The simplest fuel to use is gas, it comes in pre-pressurised canisters which mount onto the stove. The stove does not need to be pre-heated and has a high heat output even at low temperatures. In Western Europe gas canisters are widely available in camping and hardware shops.
Stove type and suitability
Multi-fuel Multi-fuel stoves are able to run on two or more liquid fuels, the fuel has to first be pressurised by pumping air into the tank. It then works in a similar way to that of a gas stove, however, adjusting the flame is not as easy on most Multi-fuels stoves. These stoves are best suited to use where the fuel supply is likely to be unreliable, such as on long trips abroad.
Methylated spirit burners These usually include a windshield and pans, which pack down into each other saving space and weight. The burners are often difficult to adjust and the boil time is very slow, even at warm temperatures.
Gas burners Gas burners are the simplest of all to use, and can be very compact and lightweight. Many now come with a pre-heating tube that makes them more suited to very cold temperatures. They are suitable for most uses as long as the fuel canisters are available.
We went to gardens buttress area of Gardoms edge. There was a group of walkers and climbers. The people who went walking were Emma, Carol, Noel, Steve and Tim. The others who were Andrew, Mick, Ian Natasha,Taren, David, Garth and us two (Sarah & Holly) who went climbing with Lady the hunter (dog). The first thing we did is set a top rope which we did throughout the day (with Andrews supervision) We were climbing independently on the first climb that we did. Holly got to the top but I (Sarah) didn't make it and on failing my first climb there was a near death situation (ha ha ha!) where I got a deep graze on my two of my fingers on my right hand next to my little finger. The other near death situation was when Holly banged her already badly bruised leg against a rock when she slipped. In the little spare time that we had Holly practised doing her Poi (a sort of juggling thing with balls on a string) It was really funny because nearly hit the hunter Lady and nearly gave Mick a heart attack and when me and Natasha had a go we hit ourselves and that can hurt because it's a solid ball inside of it. When we were waiting for the walkers to come back we tried to lift Andrew's rucsack and the two of us and Nat all fell over. Andrew said to Holly put it on and try to stand up with it, guess what- she fell over. When the walkers came back we went to the cars and then all got an ice cream of course.
Sarah Tew & Holly Bennett. <
© 2001 Emma Vere