A Surprise Visit

[gamba]

Had a great friend during the war whilst in S. Rhodesia. Both of us obsessed with music. Agree to meet when war over. My other great passion was mountaineering. Mainly reading books on it. Local library full of books I had ordered. Anything concerning climbing & the attempts people made to be the first. The Matterhorn being at the top of all those great feats. Any free time & I was away to N. Wales, rock climbing. Eventually met up with friend again. Talked recordings , favourites etc. the usual chat on these matters. I didn't think my friend had any interest in my other activities, so not mentioned.
Noticed some very odd furniture, very small chairs made from a heavy black wood & other items. Was told his uncle travelled a lot & collected such items, they looked very Spanish. In fact they were from S. America, the Andes. Also a few sketches, drawings & various oddities. The uncle also had some ' funny habits ' - rushing out of the house & waving his arms & fists at approaching buses & trams.
The uncle sounded quite interesting.

As I was leaving I asked my friend for his uncle's name, " Edward. " " Edward who. " said I, jokingly. " Edward Whymper " said he.

I find it hard to describe my reaction. To many of you it may have no significance - alas, if that be so.

[Richard Tarleton]

That story fascinated me from a young age too, Gamba. "The day the boot slipped". It is sobering to walk round the little churchyard of the English church in Zermatt and to study the many gravestones of all the (mostly very young, mostly English) men who perished on the Matterhorn. As a mere walker I've only walked round it and admired it from a distance, I posted a picture of me there on the Eine Alpensinfonie thread a while back - we were doing the Tour of Monte Rosa, and approached the Matterhorn from the Italian side before descending to Zermatt....the most beautiful mountain.

[gamba]

Lucky you Richard.
They are now illuminating the mountain with coloured lights - oh dear !
Anyway, thanks for your memory of a very special occasion.

I have never witnessed such a marvel for real - too late now.

[gurnemanz]

Good story and I will admit I had to google Edward Whymper. My father's brother and my last surviving uncle died yesterday, aged 97, and is very much in my thoughts. He fought in Burma and after we had visited that country a couple of years ago we went to visit him in the genteel surroundings of a care home in Cullompton. He came out with some fascinating reminiscences about his time there. One story was rather poignant and also involves a visit. A lieutenant in his group had received a horrendous head injury and was taken up the line. My uncle had assumed that he did not survive. By chance, about 60 years later, he found out that the chap was still alive and prepared to go and visit him in Staffordshire. He then showed us a letter from his wife, suggesting that he might prefer to cancel the visit because her husband had just died. So he just missed meeting the man but did manage to make it to his funeral.

[vinteuil]

... my father - a fell-walker rather than a rock-climber - was a great admirer of Whymper. I remember as a child 'borrowing' from his studio, to read with a torch under the blankets -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0792269233

[gamba]

Vinteuil, Thanks for producing a ' reminder ' of his most popular book .I had one once but it ' wore out.'

It is so good to be reminded of the satisfaction there exists in the smallest & often long forgotten items from early days.

I am wondering if any of you ' out there ' ever made contact with climbing of another standard. Harrison's Rocks, Groombridge, near Tunbridge Wells. A place for keeping in touch with others & remaining fit.

I even, unknown to me at the time, met up with the team's doctor from the first successful Everest expedition, no rope & with the movements of a cat. Incredible to watch.

That's all folks, gamba

[Richard Tarleton]

I am wondering if any of you ' out there ' ever made contact with climbing of another standard. Harrison's Rocks, Groombridge, near Tunbridge Wells. A place for keeping in touch with others & remaining fit.

Why yes Gamba! Well over 40 years ago now. I had some entry level rock climbing lessons from Terry Tullis, who also ran a climbers' café nearby called Terry's Festerhaunt**. Did you go there or meet Terry? His wife Julie went on to become the world's leading female mountaineer, and was to die descending K2 in 1986.

I see the Tullis family teaches climbing in the area to this day.

But I'm afraid I did not make a rock climber. Summer Alpine hiker, yes.

** A play, so Terry explained, on Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant, and festering, which is what climbers do when not climbing.

[Don Petter]

Why yes Gamba! Well over 40 years ago now. I had some entry level rock climbing lessons from Terry Tullis, who also ran a café nearby called Terry's Festerhaunt. Did you go there or meet Terry? His wife Julie went on to become the world's leading female mountaineer, and was to die descending K2 in 1986.

I see the Tullis family teaches climbing in the area to this day.

But I'm afraid I did not make a rock climber. Summer Alpine hiker, yes.

I, too, remember going there and being served in the cafe by Julie Tullis. Even though I like climbing books I find that story of K2 in 1986 too uncomfortable to revisit. (But I'm probably over sensitive. I've never yet managed to read the latter half of 'Touching the Void'.)

On a more cheerful note, I have vivid memories of Harrison's being very good for seeing adders basking in the sun, on the walk over from the road.

I also never made a rock climber (other than achieving the Cneifion Arete and Lockwood's Chimney in Wales). I soon turned my attention to underground exploration, where at least is harder to see where you are going to fall.

[gamba]

Great to hear from you all. Obviously my days at Harrison's Rocks were much earlier, about 1947 onwards. I remember because of the girlfriend I took with me ! Also, there was no cafe. NOW ! you tell me about adders ! And there was I sleeping on the ground ! I can remember the name of one climb, ' Wellington's Nose' but the remainder are forgotten. My rock climbing was never very ambitious & my favourite piece of rock, in N. Wales, was Tryfan. I loved that mountain ( ? ) dearly. Also camping in Glen Brittle, with the finest view of the Cuillins. although a dangerous place to be on one's own. There was however some good scrambling on Sgurr Aiasdair, using the Great Stone Shoot to descend safely. I finally gave up after lending my rope to a group of experienced climbers in N. Wales, I had it returned later, soaked in blood. They had used it to tie the body of a youngster to a sort of stretcher. He had gone climbing on the Idwal Slabs with two friends & a clothes line ! Needless to say, it broke. Very sad. What I saw put me off, although hill walking & scrambling remained a delight.

Underground exploration !! NO WAY !! Don. I cannot bear confined spaces. I have frightening memories of filming for a great programme ,' Close the Coalhouse Door.' I had to be dragged out backwards from a 2' 6" coal seam. Never again !

Bye for now, gamba

[salymap]

Great to hear from you all. Obviously my days at Harrison's Rocks were much earlier, about 1947 onwards. I remember because of the girlfriend I took with me ! Also, there was no cafe. NOW ! you tell me about adders ! And there was I sleeping on the ground ! I can remember the name of one climb, ' Wellington's Nose' but the remainder are forgotten. My rock climbing was never very ambitious & my favourite piece of rock, in N. Wales, was Tryfan. I loved that mountain ( ? ) dearly. Also camping in Glen Brittle, with the finest view of the Cuillins. although a dangerous place to be on one's own. There was however some good scrambling on Sgurr Aiasdair, using the Great Stone Shoot to descend safely. I finally gave up after lending my rope to a group of experienced climbers in N. Wales, I had it returned later, soaked in blood. They had used it to tie the body of a youngster to a sort of stretcher. He had gone climbing on the Idwal Slabs with two friends & a clothes line ! Needless to say, it broke. Very sad. What I saw put me off, although hill walking & scrambling remained a delight.

Underground exploration !! NO WAY !! Don. I cannot bear confined spaces. I have frightening memories of filming for a great programme ,' Close the Coalhouse Door.' I had to be dragged out backwards from a 2' 6" coal seam. Never again !

Bye for now, gamba

Wonderful to read Gamba, although I have vertigo and couldn't ever climb.

salymap x

[gamba]

Salymap,

It's really quite easy. All you do is not look down.

Yours, gamba

[vinteuil]

Salymap,

It's really quite easy. All you do is not look down.

Yours, gamba

... ah yes, like my advice to a nephew suffering from insomnia. "It's really quite easy." I said, "All you need to do is stop thinking."

[kernelbogey]

For anyone interested in mountaineering, and in its history, I can recommend Into the Silence: the Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis. As well as a meticulous account of the three pre-war expeditions, his book links these attempts on Everest to the need for redemption from the horrors of the First War, and the climbers' fearlessness to their having experienced 'the worst' on the front.

A review here:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/07/silence-mallory-everest-wade-davis-review

[Richard Tarleton]

I can remember the name of one climb, ' Wellington's Nose' but the remainder are forgotten. My rock climbing was never very ambitious & my favourite piece of rock, in N. Wales, was Tryfan. I loved that mountain ( ? ) dearly. Also camping in Glen Brittle, with the finest view of the Cuillins. although a dangerous place to be on one's own. There was however some good scrambling on Sgurr Aiasdair, using the Great Stone Shoot to descend safely. I finally gave up after lending my rope to a group of experienced climbers in N. Wales, I had it returned later, soaked in blood. They had used it to tie the body of a youngster to a sort of stretcher. He had gone climbing on the Idwal Slabs with two friends & a clothes line ! Needless to say, it broke. Very sad. What I saw put me off, although hill walking & scrambling remained a delight.
Bye for now, gamba

The only route name I can remember from Harrisons Rocks is Giant's Ear...although looking at the UKClimbing website there are now 400 identified routes

Not the least of the dangers in the Cuillins, I understand, is that compasses don't work properly because of the magnetic rocks.

A sad story, that would put you off. One more frivolous reason I gave up on rock climbing was that it made a mess of my nails - a problem if you play the classical guitar. Yes walking and scrambling for me.

[gamba]

Have just googled Harrison's Rocks. Cannot recognise the place. Parking, toilets, notice boards, with it seems, a wide variety of rules & restrictions of all kinds. We were a mere handful in my day & required none of this. As for toilets, in very dry weather we did sometimes maintain a surplus of urine in our bladders. This would be utilised in moistening the more important surfaces of very large boulders, providing grip to the smooth soles of our plimsolls. This was always performed in the most discreet manner. Anyone standing below would be warned. It was just plain commonsense -- What next !!!

What is the world coming to ?