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The Stoney Middleton Climbers Reunion - This Weekend

© keithsharplesphotography.com
Mick Ryan UKC

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Hairy laybacking at the top of Parachute (VS 4b), Stoney Middleton © http://Climbers.net
Hairy laybacking at the top of Parachute (VS 4b), Stoney Middleton
Nick Smith - Climbers, Aug 2006
©

This weekend is The Stoney Middleton Climbers Reunion - a social climbing event for those who love and have climbed at what was once, for a short while at least, the epicentre of British Climbing.

Climbers, many of them pioneers of new routes at Stoney or who just spent far too long there, will be making their way from all over the UK to reunite at their old stomping ground.

All are welcome, from young to old. Don't worry about the chance of rain - Stoney is well known for having several all-weather pitches, and there will be shelter under some tent canopies at the base of Prayer Wheel Wall Area.

Food is being provided (see below for details) and kicks off with hot drinks and muffins from 9am onwards on Saturday.

If you are coming along, bring your camera and take some photos and upload to the UKClimbing.com photo galleries after the event.

Full itinerary below.

Saturday

UKClimbing.com Breakfast

9am - ish: Meet up in the area under Om, Mani & Padme (Prayer Wheel Wall Area) for coffee and pastries supplied by UKClimbing.com.

Climbing in the shaded limestone dale of Stoney Middleton.

BMC Barbecue and Wild Country Free Raffle

Late Afternoon/Early Evening: Meet up in the area under Om, Mani & Padme for refreshments and some burgers. A great opportunity for socialising and networking, rubbing shoulders with both stars, woodshed regulars, windy ledge wanderers and Stoney cafe dwellers. Wild Country will be giving some freebies away.

Followed by: Evening in the Moon Inn, Stoney Middleton

Tom Proctor on Menopause, Stoney Middleton © John Kirk
Tom Proctor on Menopause, Stoney Middleton
© John Kirk

Sunday

Wild Country Breakfast

For those who decide to stay over and/or appear on the Sunday morning, breakfast will be provided under the soaring majesty of the Mani headwall sponsored by Wild Country.

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Comments

BlownAway
7 Sep, 2010
Remember it's not all about Stoney! It isn't really a reunion either! It's more of a get-together to celebrate the important place that Stoney holds in the history and development of Peak District rock climbing. In the past Stoney was - as Mick says - the epicentre of Peak District climbing, and this was due not only to the easily accessible limestone buttresses, but also the cafe within easy walking distance, the local pubs, and the numerous dossing opportunities offered by the crag, the woodshed, the engine shed and others. The thing about Stoney though was that the cafe and the doss places provided everyone with a base; it was a place where you sometimes climbed, but often you'd get the bus down, doss at Stoney, breakfast in the cafe and then set off to somewhere else - gritstone or limestone - but always returning to Stoney for maybe a last brew before an evening in the Grouse or similar, and then dossing down again. As such, there was a huge social scene about Stoney Middleton - all sorts would come and go, and hopefully this weekend will be the same, so even if you're intending to climb somewhere else in the Peak District this weekend, you'll still be welcome to come along for a chat, a brew and even some free food. Phil Kelly
johncook
7 Sep, 2010
I wish I could be there. I spent many an happy hour doing routes I could climb, trying routes I couldn't at first, but the main thing was the 'scene'. I met and became friends with many climbers st Stoney. It enabled me to improve my grade (VS at Stoney was HVS anywhere else), expand my social circle, meet just about every personality type that exists, have entertaining evenings, good food, and everything every else anyone, who was around Stoney in the late 60's and 70's knows about, and may vaguely remember. Wish I could be there, but it's a long commute from Texas, the Mecca of flat lands, with the nearest reasonable climbing 250 miles and 3 hours away! Hi to anyone who remembers me, there must be a few still alive. You are welcome to contact me, I am on facebook and my e-mail is available somewhere on this site. If you have trouble leave contact details on this forum. Cookie
johncook
7 Sep, 2010
Depends on what grade you climb. When I first started, the Prow was the aid route to aim for. I did bits of it free even then. Nowadays I don't think I could get off the ground at Raven Tor, beautiful as it is. For the average to good climber Stoney has so much to offer, and I can't wait for my next trip to the UK to see how I measure up against the old place after several years on an assortment of US rock, with heavily overgraded routes, (Relative to Stoney)
Nic Robinson
7 Sep, 2010
Sounds like it should be a great w/e. Sorry I can't make it, but hi to anyone who knows me and have a lot of fun eating, drinking and maybe even climbing.
Alex Mason
7 Sep, 2010
Stoney is king!
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