A new year of outdoor activities and indoor talks starts here. Read on. Mark up your diary. (Pay your dues??)…………. And, as it were, join the club!

Caroline

Map for Wales meet is OS No. 115 (not 117 as was intimated in the last newsletter).

This should get the new season off to a suitable start. A popular location approximately 2hrs from Glasgow. The days are still long enough for substantial expeditions and those of you who accompany me can be bored with tales of my recent Mountain Marathon exploits in perfect conditions over the local hills.

Ashoka Ashton Lane 6.00pm beforehand

If the first indoor meeting of the year sets the tone for the rest, then the noise I hear must be the simultaneous scraping of barrel bottoms by committee members. The Stubai are in Austria and this pair of reprobates will more likely have been in the pub than on the hills. I expect they will have used digital wizardry to produce some ersatz evidence of daring dos with which to impress us. Closer examination of mobile phone logs and credit card payments may reveal the truth.

Brian’s most likely to say "Mines a liter"

John’s least likely to say. "Let’s have an early start and knock this b***** off"

Clear your throat of phlegm and book some pronunciation lessons; we’re going to the principality of Wales. It’s a long time since the club’s last visit so lots of us must need the Furths of Scotland down this way.

It’s generally reckoned that a 6 hour drive should see us there. This seems a lot, but Ullapool is 5 hours.

We have booked a bunkhouse with additional camping on site. The accommodation is in a 16 bed chalet, on a working farm. Its web site is www.gwerngofisaf.co.uk so you can have a look at the pretty pictures.

Please send a cheque for £18.00 per person for the weekend to me (Gordon) to reserve your place.

While you may expect to bring your own sleeping bag, towels etc. you also need cutlery, pots, pans etc., as these are not provided.

Pre-meet meal in DiMaggio’s 6.00 pm. Please contact Alice to book meal.

John McPartlin will facilitate a workshop on the intricacies of GPS. Please bring along your latest model for some orienteering around the neighbourhood. There should be an opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of this technology.

Sun 12^th October - Dumfries and Galloway OS 77 GR 416 803

Glen Trool Car Park (second car park at road end)

Meet at 9.30. am for some magnificent walking or some strenuous mountain biking

The scenery around Glen Trool is reminiscent of the Trossachs in an area rich in beauty and history. The Corbetts which include the Merrick to the north and Lamachan to the south of the car park are both accessible in a day trip.

Mountain biking includes a 46 mile round trip via Lochs Dee, Doon and Bradan, mainly on forest track. However there is a section through a forest firebreak with no obvious path where navigation is required and which would be impassable in wet weather as there is a stream and very wet ground. Short cutting the end of the route makes it a 7.5 hour trip. Contact Alice for web address and map detail of the route.

Pre-meet meal in Di Maggio’s at 6.00 pm. Please give names to Alice to book meal.

Susan Harvey will give a presentation on the production of Harvey’s maps. This promises to be a fascinating evening talk.

Fri 24^th – Sun 26^th Oct - Patterdale, Lake District OS 90 GR 399 156

There are 30 places reserved at this modern and comfortable youth hostel. There are mostly 8-bedded rooms and the hostel is open all day. There are excellent drying facilities, and a comfortable lounge. The classic ascent of Helvellyn by Striding Edge and the lakeshore path to Howtown both start at the hostel door. The hostel is also on the coast to coast route.

Meals can be booked at the YH and any requests should be made via Alice. Dinner costs £5.10 and breakfast £3.50. There are self catering facilities also.

Cost of weekend £24.00.per person for Friday and Saturday nights. Book now with Alice.

Suzanne’s hobby has taken her to exotic places – from India to the Caribbean. Tonight she will take us on her bee-related travels, teaching us something about bees - biology & behaviour on the way. She might even bring a sample of her honey!

Meet in the car-park for the visitor centre, Ancaster Square at 9.30am.

Beinn Each provides a nice approach to Stuc a’ Chroin: Ben Ledi/Benvane a pleasing ridge walk…… Have you ever tramped to the hills of the caves, Uamh Mhor & Uamh Bheag, where Stevenson’s heroes, David Balfour & Alan Breck Stewart, slept?............or walked through the historical Bealagh Dearg from Ardvorlich?.... loads of ideas on OS sheets 57 & 51.

If you are interested in doing a "through" route it may be possible to co-ordinate cars-at-both-ends in advance of the meet. Register interest for this with Caroline.

Thurs 20^th Nov – Gordon & Sue – Cycling in Laos, Wellington Church Hall 7.30 for 8pm

Strathspey Mountain Hostel, Main Street, has been booked. To reserve a place, please contact Caroline. Cost is £10.00 per night. Bedding is provided & self-catering facilities include fridge, microwave, 2 cookers, 24 hour non-stop hot water etc.

Monadh Liath are at the back door (give or take a kilometre or so) – opportunity for 4-in-a-row for baggers. Other Munros & Corbetts just round various corners. Drovers’ roads over Gaick & Minigaig. Possibilities for cycling.

This newsletter included a reminder of the MBA AGM on 11^th October at St Boswells Village Hall. For anyone who may be interested, this is the day before the GGC meet in ‘the Borders’, so this AGM could be combined with the day meet, as the hall is available for free accommodation on the Saturday night. 

The usual updating of conditions of the bothies and reports of repairs and maintenance in all areas were included. A few proposals are on the cards for new bothies, still to be approved by the management committee. 

A warning was issued to anyone who may be driving(!) to a bothy along private roads without authorisation. This is illegal, may prejudice the use of the bothy and could also invalidate your insurance. 

In answer to a letter from a MBA member, it was pointed out that any official repairs to bothies required the completion of a simple form, as this was needed for safety reasons and also for financial accountability (MBA is a charity). 

All the above in full detail and much more can be read in the MBA newsletter, available from Gill Cook, our current librarian.

Harrold Thomson