Our last general meeting for 2018. Come and hear a rundown of the CCA’s recent activities plus general climbing news and points of interest, followed by our guest speaker presentation.

CCA members and non-members are welcome.

Guest speakers: Ken Baldwin and Huw Kingston

Ken Baldwin – Red wine, rosti and hard pack

The classic Haute Route one-week traverse of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps from Chamonix to Zermatt is every ski-mountaineer’s dream – and the magnificent scenery is just one of the many highlights.  Huge ascents of over 1,000m in a day lead to even bigger descents – including one 2,200m downhill run down to Zermatt – the equivalent of Mt Kosciuszko summit to the sea.  The catered réfuges provided excellent cuisine after a hard day, washed down with beer and wine.  The perfect Bluebird weather for 8 days made for great photography, but the huge storm that followed led to a disaster near the highest point that saw 7 skiers perish overnight.  A reminder that any adventure in the high mountains should be undertaken with the utmost respect of the environment.

Huw Kingston – Vodka, slushies and powder

With a bottle of Shohona in hand, Huw Kingston will tell tales from his ski expedition to the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan in Central Asia. Earlier this year, Huw and his three companions failed miserably to ascend the highest peaks but succeeded magnificently in making the first ski traverse of this stunning range that runs up to 5,500 metres. Expect acts of barberism (yes, correct spelling…..) on the streets of Tajikistan, plumbing the hell of the deepest, sloppiest snow on earth and rejoicing in soft, soft powder.