Meets are what the club is all about. They're run by members, for members. The club thrives by having members take an active interest in the meets that are run. We typically agree the next year's meets - where we're going and who's organising which meet - at our AGM in October. The Frequently Asked Questions page offers advice on what to expect on a meet.
To subscribe to the meets calendar on your PC or smartphone, copy-paste this link. NOTE: subscribe rather than downloading or it won't update automatically. https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/webmaster%40rockhoppers.org.uk/public/basic.ics
Depending on the program or application you're using, you may need to choose the "subscribe" or "add by URL" option. Contact the Webmaster for help.
Need help booking onto or organising a meet? Find instructions here.
Did you know the Brecon Beacons National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve, with an outstanding quality of night sky. This status was given in 2013 and was only the fifth location in the world to be given this status (and the first in Wales!)
Also the Batcave entrance from The Dark Knight Rises is located at Henrhyd Falls, the tallest waterfall in the Brecon Beacons National Park. THE BATCAVE PEOPLE!
I'm sure i could stop there and watch the signatures for this trip just roll in but i wont. As I'm sure most of you will know, this area offers some of the most stunning scenery, exquisite walking and varied climbing crags in the UK.
Unlike recent trips we will be camping for this one - what better way to take advantage of that award winning night sky!
The site is Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer (link below) which is about equidistant between the crags near Ponsticill (boasting over 100 routes) and some excellent walking to the north including Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion as well as the peaks of Cribyn and the Brecon Beacon's highest point, Pen y Fan for the very keen/fast.
It will be a great trip!
Camp site link:
https://www.parkwoodoutdoors.co.uk/centre/dolygaer/Camping
UK Climbing crag finder:
https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=17418#maps
Who will dare tackle The Sloth?
The Roaches are synonymous with classic gritstone climbing. The classic routes like Valkyrie, The Swan and The Sloth are the obvious ticks for those able to do them.
Walkers have the wonderful escarpments of Hen Cloud etc. and you might see a wallaby if you are very lucky.
We are staying at the Tearooms campsite http://www.roachestearooms.co.uk/camping.html. This is an old faithful site for the Club and is directly below Hen Cloud and there is a pub Ye Old Rock Inn within walking distance. This is really the only viable site for the Roaches. Note the tearooms are worth a visit but have nothing to do with the campsite.
For those who don’t know the campsite, it has no facilities. Water and toilets (no showers) are at the farm up the road. £5 per night.
There is also a bunkhouse down the road https://www.roachesbunkhouse.com/ and many holiday cottages if you prefer something a little warmer.
Staying at the wonderful Eco-Refugi in the remote village of Abella della Conca. A ton of amazing climbing nearby - single-pitch sport, plus multi-pitch sport and trad. Great walking options too, plus mountain biking, rafting etc.
https://abellaclimb.com/info/
Cost: £240 per person with £100 deposit payable now and the balance by Sept 30.
Cost includes:
Accomodation
Share of car hire and petrol (drivers will be given a budget)
Not included:
Travel to and from Barcelona
Food and drink
Recommended travel options:
Train (Eurostar to Paris then TGV to Barcelona) or flight to and from Barcelona, arriving after 2pm on Sat 26 Oct and departing after 6pm on Sat 2 Nov (assuming you want a morning's climbing on the last day).
For the first hut weekend of the season, we'll be going to the delightful Bransdale Mill Bunkhouse, a converted mill nestled in a secluded spot in the North York Moors National Park.
For walkers, the whole of the western side of the North York Moors National Park is on your doorstep, including Round Hill, the highest point of the National Park, which is also noted for its prehistoric remains.
For climbers, this side of the North York Moors is home to a range of trad climbing and bouldering only a short(ish) drive away.
The National Trust (who own the bunkhouse) promise no WiFi and no mobile phone signal, and there is barely anybody else for miles around - so come and enjoy getting away from it all!
Note: There is no pub within walking distance (nearest is about 20min drive) so Saturday night will likely be a self-catering affair. It would be good to get some communal cooking planned and we will discuss this closer to the time. The bunkhouse looks (from the website photos) to have a reasonably well equipped kitchen.
MoreStaying at Alstonefield Camping Barn in Dovedale. near Alstonefield on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border, Its near Dovedale, the Manifold Valley, Hartington, Leek and Ashbourne. Also close to Manifold and Tissington off road trails for cyclists, Ramshaw Rocks for climbers and for those who enjoy water sports the barn is 20 minutes drive from Carsington Water.
You need to bring usual camping equipment including camping mats or blow up air bed, sleeping bags, cooking stove and fuel, pots and pans, crockery and cutlery. There is no electricity in the barn so bring torches, tea light candles and logs for the woodburning stove.
MoreStaying at Dewerstone Cottage, situated in the heart of the Dewerstone National Trust Estate.
If the weather is kind it is ideal for those who wish to climb as the Dewerstone, a fantastic climbing venue but also a lovely spot to walk, either through the estate or onto Dartmoor.
MoreStaying at the Pinnacle Club's Emily Kelly Hut in Nant Gwynant below Snowdon (GR SH 653541).
Getting to the Emily Kelly Hut:
From the Pen y Gwryd pub, drive downhill for about five minutes (towards Beddgelert) and take the first turning on the right, which is a sharp turn into the Llyn Gwynant campsite (if you reach the lake, you have gone a bit too far). Don’t go into the campsite, but drive all the way along the road (heading back on yourself, but in the valley bottom), until you reach a farmhouse with a cattle grid. Carry on through the gate and then take the steep, rough track left down the hill towards a power station (which looks like a church) at the foot of the black pipeline. Hut users have permission to park at the bottom inside the big gates. On the opposite side of the car park to the big gates, there is a little gate and a narrow, stone bridge across the stream. Cross the stream and bear right up the grass track to the hut (1-2 minutes walk).