The Castle Mountaineering Club of Sheffield was founded in 1967 by a small group of local enthusiasts. Twenty one years later, the range of activities has been extended greatly from humble beginnings on local Edges, with members now active on the crags and in mountain areas both at home and abroad. Climbing standards have improved markedly and in recent years members have been responsible for many new routes.

This anthology has been compiled as a celebration of the Club’s twenty first birthday and demonstrates the wealth of interests and activities encouraged by the Club and enjoyed by its members. Every article and photograph has been contributed by Club members, and without the active help and support of so many, the preparation of this book would have been impossible. We would like to thank all the contributors, not least our long suffering illustrator Dubbo for her drawings. Dubbo assures us that her illustrations are based on characters which are entirely fictitious and that any resemblence to members of the CMC is purely intentional!

The production costs could not have been met without the many donations and pledges received from members and supporters of the Club. A list of acknowledgements appears elsewhere and we would especially like to express our grateful thanks to Alfred Gregory for his Foreword and to our main sponsors, The Woodcock Group, for their faith in the success of the project and their invaluable financial support.

The articles are arranged more or less chronologically, thus highlighting the developments which have taken place during the Club’s history. Each contribution is a personal account of the exploits, successes and near disasters of Club members and those who read this volume will surely find in it a reflection of their own experiences on the crags and hills. For every Club character portrayed, the reader will surely know someone who fits the description. Even those who are not mountaineers will enjoy sharing the many excitements and activities described, and the spirit of fun and friendship with which they have been undertaken by members of the Club. -

Whether or not you prefer to savour the articles in sequence, we believe that you will enjoy a good read.

Mike Anderson
Steve France
John Barnard
Mike Jackson
Ian Barton

November 1988