Contributed by club members, on a range of subjects (not always related to climbing, running or cycling), the following articles are available for all to read and enjoy.
New articles are always very welcome, they don't need to be very long and we are happy to sort out the layout and review the text for you. Please submit your new articles to the web master (Andy Potter).
13/08/2018 - Peru/Andes 2018 Expedition - At 2:30am. On Alpamayo. At the lonely and marginal belay with our last and only snow stake, to which I had just climbed down 60 metres with no gear in between after an attempted lead. "No, I couldn't find any in-situ gear at all, there is no ice but just soft snow", "How could we get down then?"...
04/02/2018 - Running the Charnwood Hills Race by Chris Lamb - Although my home town of Northampton isn't exactly flat and there are some sizeable hills to train on in the surrounding countryside there's certainly nothing that could be described as mountainous or even fell like so when I found out about a fell race that took place less than 50 miles away I jumped at the chance to compete...
12/11/2017 - Lakes MTB by Haydn Williams - It was "off to the Lake District" last weekend, for the annual Bowline MTB weekend. With a packed schedule, I opted to head up on Saturday morning, and arrived just in time to rendezvous with the others at Grizedale car park for a lap of the North Face Trail...
23/10/2017 - Learning to fly: Sport climbing and performance coaching in Costa Blanca by Blanka Russell - I've been climbing for about 3 ½ years now and my grades differ a fair bit between various climbing disciplines. I have lead a few 6bs and occasional 6b+s (and even one very special 6c+) indoors, but have only ever managed a couple of 6as outside. I've also not done a lot of falling outdoors, so I knew I wasn't pushing myself...
12/08/2017 - One year in the Bowline by Andy Harper - Interesting, a few reminders that one year has passed already. Checking my emails today, I've discovered one from the membership Sec confirming that have been approved to join the Bowline Climbing Club as a full member. Woody Allen immediately comes to mind quoting Groucho Marx ( who quoted Freud? ) "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." Dear Bowline committee, with deepest regret...
03/07/2017 - Trad weekends by Liz Morrison - First weekend meet with the Bowline Climbing Club in Snowdonia at Shropshire MC's Bryn Hafod hut near Craig Cywarch. First outdoor trad lead belay, climbing with the awesome Blanca Russell and her shiny, shiny toys. Saturday 3 pairs of us had much fun climbing Will O' The Wisp (HVD*** on Tap y Craig) 6 pitches done in 4.
03/10/2016 - Scottish Sea-Stack Attack by Masa Sakano - Sea stacks are often special or even dream objectives for rock climbers. The sharp spire soaring directly from roaring sea offers a great adventure. Why? First, the original and archetypal goal of climbing is to go high, perhaps up to the (locally) highest point, and preferably somewhere unreachable without climbing...
02/06/2016 - Sun, Sand, Rock, Lobsters, Beer and Barbies by Andy Richards - Simon lead Rob and Charlene up Demo Route followed later by Simon leading Civvy Route. You can see Simon making himself very comfy here (top right), before attacking the crux overhang on Civvy Route. Incidentally the guy in the bottom left of this photo, yes the guy with his head in his hands...
26/04/2016 - New friends and new places by Hadyn Williams - Wow, what a good weekend. I went to my first Bowline Climbing Club meet, and had a great time. Despite giving the impression on Friday night that they're a drinking club with a climbing problem, everyone was up bright and early the following morning to provide some TLC for the club hut in the form of digging...
17/02/2016 - Sun, sea and down jackets by Adam Rembiasz - On Valentines weekend a few of us made our way down to Portland, Dorset last weekend for some coastal sport climbing. We were very closely monitoring the weather during the week leading up to the trip as it was not looking good. After making the tough decision on Wednesday to commit our places in the bunkhouse we went for it...
08/11/2015 - Invitation to rock climbing in Scotland by Masa Sakano - Scottish winter climbing is world-famous like Ben Nevis North Face. Then how about (summer) rock climbing? I had very little idea about that before I moved to Scotland, except for a few stories like Old Man of Hoy and Cuillin. Having experienced (some of) them now, I have to say I am mightily impressed...
21/09/2015 - First taste of the Dolomites by Masa Sakano - Allegedly one of the best trad-climbing venues in Europe. A meet by Bowline Climbing Club was held there in the end of this summer. I had a chance to participate in it for a few days, then further climbed on after the meet, with another visiting friend of mine...
23/08/2015 - Zoë Procter's Paddy Buckley round - This was my second attempt at the Paddy Buckley round, having aborted half way round five weeks prior due to really bad weather, and I wanted to give it one last go this summer while I was still fit and psyched. The route is 62 miles over 47 peaks in Snowdonia, North Wales...
19/07/2015 - Little adventures in climbing by Andy Potter - Well this weekend I was expecting to write an article regailing my climbing exploits in North Wales. And as it turns out going to North Wales would have been a good choice after all, at least in terms of weather. However the great british weather did a double u-turn...
28/04/2015 - Spring Bouldering Competition 2015 by Andy Potter - Our first Spring Bouldering Competition was held at The Climbing Station on Tuesday 14th April. This was an open event for club members and non-members. We were thrilled to get turn-out of nearly 30 competitors, half of which were non-members...
10/04/2015 - Verdon Dreaming by Loz - For those who know me well it comes as no surprise that I don't really like grit. Yes, I've had some great days in the Peak, Millstone, Curbar (predictably Peapod), and playing around on, or should that be in, Goliath's Groove, and getting to the top of The File, but I think it's completely over-rated...
08/10/2014 - Craig Harwood (1961-2014) A Tribute by Miles Hillmann - Craig Harwood was killed in a leader fall from a climb (Caravanserai) at Compass Point, North Devon on 4th September 2014. Much of his early climbing and running from the mid 1980s through to his leaving the area to live in Cheshire in 2001 was as a Bowline member...
06/03/2014 - Winter meet 2014 report by Zoe Proctor - After the last two year's over-subscribed winter meets we were surprised to not fill the meet and with a few last-minute cancellations 12 of us arrived in dribs and drabs in North Ballachulish at the Alex Macintyre hut near Glencoe to test ourselves in the stormy weather that was hitting the UK...
15/01/2014 - Climbing, Casinos and Celanques by Andy Potter - OK so I only saw the Casinos in Monte Carlo, I didn't actual go inside (not being the gambling type). But two out of three isn't bad and it made for a good title. Before I share with you the tale of my New Year holiday, I would like to start with the most important part...
Last modified: 15th August 2018 at 17:51