Llanbedr, North Wales – Maxi-METHS and AGM September 2
– 6 2015
Participants: Tony (Lurch) and Gillian (Morticia)
Adams, Sue (Shortbum) and Alan Glover, David (Harriruo) and Judy Harrison, Martin
and Miriam Horrocks, Nigel and Jenny Horrocks, Mick and Judy Ireson, David (Shooting
Stick) and Penny Leishman, Mike (Mad) and Verena (Müesli) Petzold, Esther (Molester)
Ratsma, Brian (Air Malawi’s Last Hope) and Jane Sayers, Eric (Polevault) and
Val Scott, Peter (Up the Down) and Antonia (Twinkletoes) Tolhurst, Charlotte
Walford, George (Munro) and Val Wallace (=26)
Our annual meeting together, the Meths AGM took place
in Wales at the Ty Mawr Hotel in Llanbedr. Many members attended and made it a special
occasion. We were mostly staying at the
Ty Mawr Hotel in Llanbedr, with some staying at the Victoria Inn in the village
or at Gwynfryn Farm. The hardy, George
and Val Wallace, were camping. The meet
was most ably organised by Nigel Horrocks with help from Jenny. A few regulars were not with us this year, for
various known and unknown reasons – they include Mike and Bridie Macklin,
Stuart Halliday (Lightning) and Pauline and Steven Ward. Our Chairman, Rupert Roschnik was otherwise
engaged with his highly ambitious and demanding plan to climb all (?) the peaks
in Switzerland over 4,000 m**. Good luck
to him! Our president, Mad Mike with the
help of Verena ably organised and lead the AGM itself.
The programme followed the usual 3 peaks requirements
with the outings as follows:
1. Thursday Rhinog
Fawr 720m.
2. Friday Diffwys 750m.
3. Saturday Rhinog
Fach 712m.
These three peaks all lay in the nearby hinterland of
Cwms Nantcol and Bychan which lead down to the coast at Llanbedr. These fine wide and grand valleys open up to
the three peaks and give relatively easy access. Nigel had organised circular routes which
meant we saw the peaks from different angles and could appreciate the landscape
as a whole. He had also organised the
weather. On no day did we have ‘Welsh
rain’: only fine mountain mist and on the Friday, day long sunshine and sweet
breezes. We had fine views inland and
out to sea as far as the Lleyn Peninsular: it felt like we were on the top of
the Welsh world. This proves again the
rightness of the meet’s timing in early September. All credit too to Nigel for his ‘shepherding
of the Meths flock’, not always an easy thing to do. Our members have their own ideas at times as
to where and when to go, but Nigel was careful to keep the flock together and
to count us all in at each rendezvous. He
has had long experience with parties of young climbers in these hills and used
these skills to keep us in order.
Some of the older, or wiser members, did their own
thing and went on shorter climbs and outings, but all returned safely and in
good humour to the hotel or their lodgings.:
So, another very successful meet and one to be
remembered. Next year in Switzerland
perhaps?
Peter Tolhurst
** Webmaster’s note: To do the
circuit of Switzerland as close to the boundary as reasonably possible. This includes 13 4000-metre summits, of which
11 were done in July.
©
WDYFO, 2015