The Buxton Mountaineering Club had another fine meet at the mythical Mynydd club hut at Blaen y Nant, Wales, in June. The weather was glorious. Sunny, warm, and not windy— just right for midges!
The hut is set completely on its own, up a long, narrow, bumpy dirt track. It has a large kitchen and a very spacious living room. There are several rooms with bunks to accommodate many climbers. There is ample parking, and the garden consists of a huge lawn surrounded by trees. The interior and gardens both even boast paraphernalia and tributes to former Mynydd member and famed mountaineer Pete Boardman, adding a touch of mountaineering history to the mix. For most, these aspects would make it an easy sell. It is practically the Chequers Court of climber’s huts. But not for the Buxton MC! These virtues were simply not good enough. Throughout breakfast, throughout supper, throughout the day, complaints from our members raged. Too far away from the climbing. Too bumpy of a road. Not near any good walking areas. Wild horses shitting all around my camper van! And get these “&§%(!!ß(€ midges out of the room! It was like watching the Grinch rail on about how much he hated Christmas.
In truth, though, this opinion had a clear age-group split. Those under the age of 12 loved the hut. They loved the rope swings in the trees. They loved the wild horses walking past. They loved the space to play tag, hide and seek, they loved the giant-sized jenga blocks. They loved Brid’s magic show. They loved the view. They loved life!
Saturday’s activities included a group of the climbing faithful (Declan, Derek, Alan, Saff, Stuart ….) hitting hard routes at the Moelwyns. Jo and son William had a scramble at Moel Siabod. Les n Del, grandkids, Moa (pronounced Moo-ah, for the 10,000th time) and Dan walked over to Capel Curig.
A late night drinking session led, as it only could, to an arm wrestle between big guns Alan and Stuart.
Sunday was spent in the beautiful slate quarries. Mordor has nothing on this place! It’s all about the slate- walking up it, climbing on it, making toys out of it. Adrian, Robert… have I missed anyone? All had a swell time.
Slippery, sharp, and short, slate has it all! Jo led her first slate sport route, and not an easy one at that. There are no easy ones.
All in all, despite the sharp split of opinion on the hut, we all had a good time. The kids more than the adults, the midges most of all. They sure had some good meals that weekend….
