Nuneaton Hill Walking and Mountaineering Club

Eleven club members gathered in two six berth chalets for our annual snow week in Scotland.  This year we were based at Inveruglas on the shores of Loch Lomond and there was certainly plenty of the white stuff to go around.  The weather was mixed with some dull and damp conditions but there were also a number of fine blue sky days where a sun hat, sun tan lotion and sun glasses were appropriate.  Also three cheers to the Loch Lomond Holiday Park.  The electricity failed in one of our chalets so we were upgraded to a top of the range chalet with hot tub for most of the week.There was more than one optional walk each day as well as birdwatching and sightseeing to suit all tastes.  One group ascended to the very snowy 652m summit of Fairach near to Crianlarich.  From the summit there were even bigger snowy mountains as far as the eye could see – and no wind!  Another group on the same day tackled a much tougher trio of hills to the south, Tullich Hill 632m, Ben Reoch 661m and Beinn Bhreac 681m from Glen Douglas.  There was also a very nice linear walk through the Glen Loin forest on an overcast day as well as various sections of the West Highland Way and walks around Tyndrum completed.  Another linear walk was from Arrochar to Inveruglas over the very snowy Bealach a Mhaim 637m weaving a way between Beinn Narnain 926m, Beinn Ime 1011m and The Cobble 884m.The most adventurous ascent was of Ben Vane 916m but that deserves an article all of it’s own.  Thanks to everyone for making a success of the week and to all for taking a turn at cooking for their chalet.

Photograph of our members Nick, Helen, Martin and Eileen on the slopes of Fairach with Ben Lui in the background.

Nuneaton  Mountain and Hillwalking Club had a very enjoyable
winter walk in the Peak District between Christmas and New Year to
blow away the cobwebs of the festivities.

On a typical winters day the weather was fine, dry and very cold which makes for good walking.  With just a slight breeze the temperature felt below freezing which was just fine.  This walk started at Waterfall which is a small village just north of Waterhouses on the A523. Attending were members of the club, Keith, Michele, Martyn and David who were also joined by Sue and Phil from Burton for their first outing. 

The days before had been very wet and the fields could have been a quagmire, however with the hard frost the ground was solid and made for easier walking.  We descended down a pretty limestone valley descending down into Monsal Dale to head north.  Normally in summer this is a busy trail winding its way through a beautiful river valley, but on this occasion there was virtually no one around, probably put off by the winter conditions, which was great for our group.  After a few miles we came off the track and headed to Butterton which is worth a quick visit with its old houses and an interesting ford.  Sadly the pub in the village was closed.  We then made our way down another valley, over fields and eventually back to the cars.  A nice winter’s walk, taking about five hours and just over ten miles in length.

Nuneaton Mountain and Hill Walking Club

We had a superb day for our December walk in the Cotswolds. Cold and frosty but with   blue skies and sunshine. There were seven of us out today and we all arrived safely at Stanton village hall car park at 9.30am. The first part of the ten mile walk was down the Cotswold Way towards Wood Stanway and Stumps Cross. On the way we passed the imposing gates to Stanton Court, crossed fields showing the ridge and furrow patterns of early farming, Stanway House and an extraordinary 17^th century gatehouse. After passing through the village of Wood Stanway the ground rises and at the top of the hill there was a convenient bench for our coffee break and time to admire the superb views of the vale below.  From Stumps Cross we took the lane NE towards Snow Hill, passing through the village to join the Winchcombe Way for our return back to Stanton village, getting back just in time for a visit to the Mount Inn for some light refreshments before returning home. The walking was on good well marked footpaths with, because of the frozen ground, very little mud, and although very easy walking had plenty of interest on the way making a very enjoyable winter walk.

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Nuneaton Mountaineering Club

October’s event was a one day walk over Cnicht which is otherwise known as the Welsh Matterhorn. Although this area is close to Snowdon it is much less frequently walked and it is not unusual to meet no one on these hills.

The day involved a long drive to Wales, the weather was expected, namely overcast and damp. Spirits were however high and the party of six made good progress into the hills. As we neared steeper ground the rain became more persistent and the cloud level was low so that there were no views. There was short scramble near the top which posed no difficulty although the wind was strong at that point but was behind us. The feeling of being high upon a ridge when the conditions are wet and windy gives a real sense of what mountaineering is all about, views are a bonus, not a necessity. What is most important is being with a good crowd of people and we are all of a like mind on this. Navigation was by compass and map with a backup GPS. The planned walk was completed in just over six hours, there was a quick change of clothing, a trip to a café and then drove home. A really good day was had by all.