You will receive our Summer newsletter by email today. You can also download it below, or read the contents in this post.
UPCOMING DATES
28th - 30th June: Raven Crag Working Party #2 - Gutters & painting
4th - 6th October: Mountain Bike Weekend in North Yorkshire. Contact Bob.hay29@gmail.com
Sat 5th October: Committee Meeting #3 - 7pm at Cae Groes
25th-27th October: Raven Crag Working Party #3 - Gutter cleaning, garden tidy
Sat 25th Jan 2025: AGM & Annual Dinner - Cae Groes & Princes Arms, Trefiw
Sun 26th Jan 2025: First Committee Meeting of 2025 -9.30am at Cae Groes
Full list of dates are on our website.
WORKING PARTIES
Consider volunteering on one of our forthcoming working parties. Spend one day helping out and enjoy another day free on the hills. Accommodation is free for volunteers and it’s a great way to meet other members. If you are interested, please contact the booking secretaries for the property or Keith Southwell for Cae Groes or Dave Mobbs for Raven Crag.
Raven Crag: 28th - 30th June (Gutters & Painting) & 25th-27th October (Gutters & garden tidy)
2024 Annual Dinner with Hannah Engelkamp
This year’s Dinner was held on 27th January, at the Princes Arms in Trefriw, which we have used for several years. After the usual excellent meal, we were entertained by our guest speaker Hannah Engelkamp, who gave us an account of her epic circumnavigation of Wales, carrying all her needs on the back of a donkey. Unfortunately the donkey was unable to attend the Dinner, but Hannah did bring along a cardboard cut-out! Hannah is pictured below on the right, with club President John Harding and Raven Crag Booking Secretary Chris Mobbs. Next year’s Annual Dinner is the 25th January 2025 again at the Princes Arms in Trefiw. Please join us. We are currently looking for a speaker. - by Reg Clucas
Congratulations to the Marathon Eryri Runners 2023
It was perfect running weather and as always an amazing atmosphere. Congratulations to all of the BBRCC members who took part which included Rob Moir and Shaun Prince (pictured below) who both enjoyed it and achieved great times. This was Rob’s 6th or 7th time (he can’t remember!) and he finished in around 3 hours 50. It was Shaun’s first ever marathon and despite zero training he finished in 5 hours 24 minutes. Congratulations to both of you and any other members who ran the marathon. Here’s to 2024!
Mountain bike weekend 16th & 17th March
by Dave Mobbs
Raven Crag hosted the first of the annual mtb weekends in a very wet Lake District.
Day 1 Loughrigg Circuit 24 miles 3000ft ascent.
The group consisted of 8 members and friends. A mixed group with e bikes and analogue. Saturday was a grey day but thankfully it wasn’t horizontal rain as it had been the previous week. Everywhere was wet underfoot though.
The Loughrigg circuit is broadly an XC trail made up of bridleway and minor roads joining the sections. We joined the circuit at Chapel Stile following a nice easy warm up along the bridleway at the valley floor. We then proceeded up the steep tarmac towards the Youth Hostel and join up with Loughrigg Terrace (best hit this early as it can get busy). Heading towards Ambleside we turn sharply right up a very steep tarmac track which takes us through Loughrigg Fell with a few nice rocky drops to get the blood flowing, dropping down to Skelwith Bridge. (Nice cuppa at Chester’s).
We headed out of Skelwith on narrow steep tarmac heading towards Pullscar plantation where we meet a bit of technical single track climb. I have managed it twice but couldn’t clean it this time as the rain had pretty much washed away any hope of traction. We roll around Iron Keld and back up to some splendid views of Little Langdale and the surrounding Fells. We drop down from here to meet up with the main road and turn uphill to meet the lanes that mingle around the quarry workings of Holme Fell and Quarry Wood.
Down and past Cathedral Cave (worth a visit if you have time) and into Elterwater not far from the Three Shires Pub if you fancy a pint. From here we are heading up again traversing Lingmoor Fell. As we head down towards Elterwater and our return along the bridleway to Raven Crag there is an option which I will try and add to the GPX file of a nice little bit of single track descent that is rocky and rooty providing a nice adrenalin fuelled end to the days ride. I have marked the alternative route start with a flag on the GPX file (look for this post on our website). Head left along a rough track continue alongside a wall then head down to join the forest track back to Ravencrag.
Day 2 Sunday
We decided to go to Grizedale forest as Nick knew the trails really well and had come up with a route. Myself and Nick had come up on Friday to reconnoitre some of the off piste routes that have sprung up but we had decided to keep the group off these as they were greasy to the point where it was hard to keep the bike upright. We stayed on the main routes and had some really good fast rocky downs which left everyone with big smiles. The day stayed fairly dry but the ground conditions where very wet and so were we. We finished the day with a sausage roll and cuppa in the visitor centre. We had another great weekend riding with friends and plenty of drinking in the Old Dungeon Ghyll.
Everyone enjoyed themselves and the guys on analogue bikes pedalled really well as there was a lot of climbing and the weekend passed without injuries or breakdowns.
The next meet up is in North Yorkshire from 4th-6th October. There is room for more if anyone is interested, all abilities welcome. If you are interested please contact Bob Hay – bob.hay29@gmail.com
2025 Annual Dinner and AGM
The above will be held on the 25th of January 2025. As in previous years, the annual dinner will be at the Princess Arms in Trefriw, a village close to the club property in Llanrwst. We are currently looking for a speaker to keep us entertained. Further details will follow shortly.
Booking system
We are looking at ways to improve the current system to make it easier & quicker to book with less admin for the house Booking Secretaries. We will keep you updated.
News from Raven Crag
The replacement upgraded night storage heaters are a big improvement in providing a warm comfortable environment to those staying at Raven Crag but will only work effectively if they are not tampered with. They are remotely controlled and reflect weather conditions and occupancy making the club more efficient in its energy usage.
We have working parties 28-30th June and 25-27th Oct. This is an opportunity for you to give something back to the club, while enjoying a few days in The Lakes. All we ask is that you do 1 full day volunteering, with other members, and the club will provide 2 nights accommodation free of charge.
For further details and to volunteer please email Dave Mobbs, House Manager, Raven Crag on
News from Cae Groes
Our valued Bookings Manager for Cae Groes, Paul Clarkson, is to stand down at the end of the year. We are looking for a new Bookings Manager. Please see the next page for information.
We are currently installing showers in the self-contained units, adding more facilities for people and families using the units at Cae Groes. Unit 3 is having the work done first and the rest will hopefully follow soon.
If you enjoy being part of the club, please consider helping us out...
Could you become a committee member?
If you love the outdoors and feel that you could contribute towards the running of the club why not join the committee and make a difference?
We have 3 committee meetings a year as well as the AGM, and you will benefit from free accommodation in the relevant property - a great chance to combine it with some time in the hills. We also pay back fuel expenses.
It’s a great chance to gain more insight into the running of the club and bring your ideas for improvements.
For further details please contact the club secretary Trish Hammett on Trishnineteen@gmail.com
Looking for a new booking manager for Cae Groes
Our valued Bookings Manager for Cae Groes, Paul Clarkson, is to stand down at the end of the year. The voluntary job requires about 2 hours a week, mainly seasonal, to administer email requests.
If you are interested, and want to know what is entailed, please call Paul on 07379 918 877 (Monday or Wednesday between 7-9p.m.) or get in contact using the booking email walesbookings@yahoo.co.uk
Training and support will, of course, be provided.
New website
We hope you’re all getting on well with our new website.
If you have any ideas of things you’d like to see on the website, please get in touch with
Reg - bbrccinfo@yahoo.co.uk or Kat - kathryn.moir@gmail.com.
WINNERS OF OUR PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Thankyou to everyone who submitted photos for our competition. The winners are displayed in the lounge at Cae Groes and a few are shown below.
Tryfan and Glyder Fach from Carnedd Llewelyn- Keith Southwell
Pines above Nant Gwynant - Mat Draper
Llanrwst Bridge - Kat Moir
MEMBER FEATURE
This is a new feature where we talk to a member of the club. We hope this will build a sense of community and help you get to know other members using the properties.
ROB MOIR
Lives in: Cambridgeshire
Been a member for: 15 years
What is your favourite walk/hike in the UK and why?
I love walking through the Gwydir Forest area around Betws-y-coed and Llanrwst. So much beauty in the scenery and wildlife and no matter how many times I visit this area at different times of the year I find new views and new routes to explore.
Tell us about your adventures, what you like doing, or about a specific trip.
I love cycling and am fortunate enough to do it to quite a high standard. In 2022 I was a volunteer medic at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, based in the Velodrome for the track cycling and then in the Athletics stadium. And in 2023 I helped out at the UCI World Cycling championships in Glasgow.
On both these occasions I was lucky enough to meet several of the top athletes including some of the world champions. Just watching them in action is enough to give you a boost in energy! The funniest thing that happened in Glasgow was when I ended up racing up the hill in Stirling at the end of the Ladies time trial course. I had a police escort and all the crossing points were closed so I had a clear route to the finish and hundreds of spectators cheering me on!!
Why do you enjoy being a member of the club?
The two BBRCC properties are in lovely peaceful areas of Wales and the Lake District, perfect for outdoor activities. It’s nice to meet other like minded individuals at the properties from time to time.
Want to be featured?
We’re featuring a member in each newsletter - that’s two a year.
To fill out your profile, go to: https://www.bbrcc.org.uk/members-feature Thankyou!
STORIES
This is an old hut on the slate quarries on the side of Coniston Old Man. Shortly after WW2, a bunch of climbers from Barrow, including my Dad, appropriated it to use as a climbing hut. They installed bunk beds and even piped in water from a nearby spring. They used it as a base for climbing on Dow Crag in the background, and put up many new routes, which are still included in modern day climbing guides.
In the 1970s, my Dad and I had a walk up there to see what state it was in. It was just an empty shell (apart from a couple of sheep and a few inches of sheep droppings on the floor). But it seems that not too long afterwards, it was again back in use as a climbing hut. Good to see the tradition being continued. - Reg Clucas
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