by Dave Kime

This area had long been neglected by the Club, although older members could recall long days spent hacking through ivy on exposed ridges and ascents of swaying trees. Spurred on by these legends and by reports that chunks of stone were falling off some of the routes, the Club held several meets in this area so close and so unfamiliar to most Club members the clubroom roof. These meets were inaugurated by Sean, who unfortunately was unable to ensure good weather. The first one was cancelled by an eighteen inch snowfall and the second gave us a wonderful experience of what it would be like to install a window in the middle of Kinder Downfall. We had a chance to look at the roof only very briefly while Andy indulged in the legendary pastime of ivy clipping. We were by now a little more aware of the problems we had to tackle and the committee set aside three further Saturdays for the purpose.

Our next meet was somewhat exploratory but we found a number of loose slates and a decaying chimney on the outside. Andy, Charles and Frank constructed a spider’s web between trees, telegraph poles and the chimney stack and set about reconstruction, whilst Dave and Tom prepared Ready Mix, filled the gaping holes under the eaves and did some pointing. A successful day, marred only by the sight of a forlorn starling looking for the entrance to its nest next to the chimney stack. The major problem then remaining was how best to stop the mortar falling off the inside of the roof and annihilating the members. We had many ideas but little real knowledge. However, fate was kind and brought us a new member, Chris, who in a rash moment admitted he was a builder and in an even rasher moment volunteered to come on the next meet. Perhaps he had seen our new chimney stack and realised that we were real craftsmen, or perhaps he had seen the chimney stack and realised …

Two weeks later we met again. The chimney was still standing and Chris was very polite about our work but we hoped he wouldn’t look too closely. We were then shown how to use mortar trowels and since this appeared so easy we got on with the job of knocking down the eighteenth century mortar whilst Chris fixed the slates on the roof with a total disregard for the ropes and ladders with which we had festooned ourselves on the previous meet. By lunch time the floor was deep in old mortar and we now had to fill in the holes we had made. This was not as easy as Chris had made out and a number of us resorted to mortar stuffing by hand rather than by trowel. While Chris hung to the rafters by his toe nails and mortared the higher reaches of the roof, Roger swung from the planks and delivered well aimed dollops down the neck of anyone who passed below. Andy swung across the walls on an elaborate arrangement of slings and during his girdle traverse of the clubroom demolished only two of the spotlights.

Mike and his son Mark joined us for the afternoon and while Mike filled, Mark delivered pots of gunge to the inaccessible corners of the clubroom. Disposal of the debris took quite some time, as did the removal of Roger’s wedges of mortar from our spines. We had at least completed the work at the end of the clubroom nearest the climbing wall which we now felt was a little safer, even if the holds did require a dusting. A rather smaller party met to deal with the remainder of the roof. With the numbers available, we also managed to clear and re point two sections above the upstairs room, which offered rather less of a challenge than the previous week due to their accessibility. Whenever we plan to work on the roof, come along: it’s great fun and Your Club Needs You.

So, if you see a member in climbing gear with an ashen face and a concrete helmet, he’s probably just been climbing in the Land of The Rising Sun.