IMC meet at Glendalough 13-15th September 2002

On the weekend on the of the 13th-15th. The club along with other clubs in Ireland was invited to send some people to a meet at Glendalough in County Wicklow hosted by the Irish Mountaineering Club (IMC) The Colmcillers attending were Donna and Marty (Ryan) and myself (Al Millar) There was about 30 people in total from at least ½ a dozen clubs staying in the hut the IMC owns a few miles from Glendalough. Large bunk beds and long wooden tables, old kettles and cookers, you know the sort of thing. [photo]

I arrived and was handed a beer by meets Secretary and organiser of the meet Moira Creedon. With some people there and more people arriving we sat socialising, but not to late on the Friday night. Then as the hut became hushed the silence of the Wicklow hills was rhythmically shattered by the elephantine snores of a person whose name and club was known to all. Next day, after a breakfast laid on by the IMC and with our packed lunches stowed in our sacks we headed for the crag. The weather was fantastic on Saturday and I won't even begin to try and describe all the ascents of the routes up to HVS that occurred queues were normal on most routes.[photo]

I (Al) being a third man of our club paired up with a young man from Limerick called Barry who chatted away non stop as we walked along the lake and past the old gold mines. (Crag about ½ an hour from the car park) I was thoroughly looking forward to the day ahead as this crag was my local in the early years of my climbing and I hadn't been back for about 15 years. There had been many halcyon days for me at this place climbing with the Fenelon Brothers, Owen Walsh and Joe Lyons, working our way through all the routes on the main face, moving up though the grades for the first time. I had been wanting to revisit them all for some time. [photo]

First we did a four pitch VS combination on the mainface. Fanfare/Speirbhean, with the top Speirbhean pitch being a brilliant exposed arete and in perfect condition. Barry was partially sighted with only 35% vision but did not allow his disability to hold him back as we alternate pitched the climb. Going over to the Expectancy abseil point we met Donna and Marty who had just finished Expectancy. (VD) We did that ourselves, then the four of us did Lassitude, a VS to the left of Expectancy. At that point a man appeared in sandals and beard and pulled up the Abseil rope hand over hand. I could not believe it. On my very first days climbing 18 years ago, probably almost to the day, he had been there in similar clothes doing exactly the same thing. I told the others who chuckled and even told him when he came back down again sometime later. He demurred with a sparkle in his eye. Mr Butler had hardly changed at all. [photo]

Marty and Donna went of to do the classic HS of the crag, Quartz Gully. Barry led Adams Rib to the right of Expectancy, then we thought about Lunch. As we made our way back down to Base camp at Acorn Buttress, Marty and Donna were third or forth in the queue for Quartz gully and ended up leaving it and coming down with us to Acorn buttress. There parties were coming and going all the time, with between five and ten people permanently settled there doing routes chattering and dining. At this stage the blue sky broke through the thin tranquil cloud and the shirts came off; a splendid match for the perfect grey Granite. [photo]

As it was too late to go on the main face again we spent the rest of the day doing the fine routes on Acorn Buttress. Donna led Facillious Ascentis (spelt wrong I know) HS with Marty following, then both followed Provo a beautiful little VS. Donna called to me to get a photo for the web site and the jolly bearded guy belaying her shouted down that he had never been on a web site before. I led Provo, then Barry led Acorn Crack (HS) as Marty and Donna headed back with a few others to the pub. We finished on a HS to the right of Acorn Crack whose name I can't recall. [photo]

Hence to the pub ourselves, but little did we know that a tragedy had struck. As we neared the car park we saw the Ryan Landing Craft parked and Marty walking around with his eyes on the ground. I've lost my wedding ring, he reported sadly. He had enlisted the help of a few climbing children and wandered of down another path. I helped for a few minutes but the Guinness was beckoning too keenly so we slipped guiltily away. He didn't find it alas. Gradually all the troops were gathered at the Glendalough Arms Hotel where we stayed for a few hours until dinner called. [photo]

After a delicious communal dinner served up in huge pots with a choice of Chicken curry or vegetarian or both, the official part of the evening began. IMC club Chairman Mr Bryne stood up and talked about the desire of his club to bring people together and to foster greater links between clubs in the country, exploring the possibility of having joint meets and making knowledge of meets available to each other, so that anyone can come along. Then end of official business and loud clapping from all at the sentiment and many thanks for the hospitality. The drinking and socialising began in earnest and continued in the pub for some and then back again to the hut. I met people like Joan that I had not seen in years and new ones I hope to run into again.

Next morning Marty and Donna had to leave to pick up the children so myself and Barry headed to the crag with the rest and did Prelude/Nightmare another classic VS combination of the main face before it was time for me to go. Myself and Barry exchanged Emails. We had climbed 13 pitches together and I had enjoyed climbing with him and he said the same. [photo]

Many thanks to the Moira and the IMC for the hospitality. (Which was returned in small part at the club Barbie when herself and Sile (plays the oboe) joined us for eats after a day at Lough Barra). Hopefully some of the sentiments expressed will grow into reality and they might well because Moira seemed pretty determined and she's a high flyer (retired).