Club reaches a peak

Jul 25 2008 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Friday

IT BEGAN in a henhouse in Bannockburn more than 50 years ago when four men met to plan their escape from everyday life and to share their passion for mountains.

After a few meetings, family and friends noticed the ‘fowl’ smelling trousers and the quartet's sudden aversion to eggs – an alternative meeting place was a must.

There had been rumours of a clutch of like minded souls in nearby Stirling so the “henhouse four” organised a meeting in the local YMCA.

A company of 14 assembled, a constitution was drawn up and a new mountaineering club was formed.

The original name of Stirling Mountaineering Club was ditched, but that same evening in 1950 while leaving the hall, the members cast their eyes towards their home hills and the Ochils Mountaineering Club (OMC) was born.

In those infant days transport to the hills was by bus or train. Public transport to Callander and Tyndrum was cheap and reliable and inspired Ian Thomson to pen the OMC's official anthem “The Tyndrum Bus”.

One founder member Gordon Burnie, records in his log book regular Friday night bus trips to Callander followed by the eight-mile tramp up the loch side to Ben A'an.

He goes on to list the various forms of accommodation used. When a tent wasn't available a Nissen hut, an upturned rowing boat and sometimes a bridge proved sufficient cover to facilitate a weekend's climbing.

Often the Ochils were joined by the “Glasgow boys” and the Falkirk club, taking the climbing competition to a new level.

Membership to the OMC was restricted to those who could produce a log book of at least six months activity on the hills.

Thankfully, for this disorganised author, this rule was changed in 1958 to the one in place today; that of a potential member being proposed and seconded with at least one or the other having walked or climbed with the nominee.

In the early 1950s the club began a let on a cottage at Arivurichardich, beneath Stuc A' Chroin, to allow members easier access to the surrounding hills and to avoid the overcrowding of nearby bridges.

Bouts of local vandalism and hassle from the landowners forced the club give the cottage up and in 1959 the decision was taken to erect a club hut for the Ochils' 10th anniversary, but a month later the OMC secured a let on Inverardran Cottage, Crianlarich.

When the opportunity to buy the cottage outright arose the club met the financial challenges and acquired a treasurer.

This decision by the OMC has proved to be one of the keystones in its history. In 1960 the charge recorded for a bed night was one shilling (5p) for members. Today members can use the cottage free of charge. The occupancy is offered to other climbing and outdoor organisations, with all profits earned used to the benefit of the OMC members.

As word of the club spread and numbers increased, a bus was hired to get to the hills.

The tales from these bus meets are too numerous to tell, but one trip to Braemar was particularly memorable. Due to a blizzard, the Devil's Elbow was closed and left the club stranded in subzero temperatures. One hostelry in the town served up at 10pm, hot stovies at two shillings a pot to the starving hill walkers. This must surely be the one and only time food has ventured past a kitchen door in Braemar after 8.30pm!

The OMC's search for new routes began in the 1950s on the local hills, as is shown in their climbing guide “Routes on Dumyat, Ben Ledi and Lochan an Eireannaich” compiled by Tam Low with a sketch by Iain Dyce.

By the 1960s, with a good base well established, there was an expansion of the club's mountaineering adventures in the Highlands, particularly in Glen Coe and Lochaber. But for plenty of adventure the Ochils' crew needed only to travel a few miles up the road to Glen Orchy and the delights of the, then, little known Coire Daimh of Ben Udlaidh.

The Ochils Mountaineering Club opened up Ben Udlaidh as a winter climbing area, with the first ascent of Central Gully in 1968 and they continued to hog the scene until word leaked.

Geordie Skelton, a present member of the club, put up eight first ascents. One climb, “The Cramp”, so called because Geordie experienced cramp in his legs and slid off the ends of his axes to fall 40 feet.

The tradition of putting up first ascents continues today with young(ish) tigers claiming, behind a veil of secrecy, new routes on newly discovered crags.

Trips weren't confined to Scotland, however. In the early days of accessible air travel, members saved hard all year to finance trips to Norway, the Alps and the Himalayas.

In 1976 two Ochils' members, Jim Wilson and Graham Willoughby, formed half of the four man Scottish Peruvian Andes Expedition and returned triumphant having overcome revolution, illness, injury, bad weather and theft to claim an impressive array of climbs in the main Huayanay group including four first ascents and a first British ascent.

Throughout the 1980s the club continued to develop with newer recruits gaining experience and encouragement from the auld yins whether they were walkers or climbers.

The club hut was refurbished in the 1990s, financed by grants and donations, with much of the work carried out by club volunteers. Today the hut bookings are managed by a hut convener and the hut maintained by a dedicated committee.

The growing popularity of Inverardran among other climbing clubs assured a steady income to finance top class speakers for the indoor meets, as well as a budget set aside to provide training, both by qualified members and from external courses.

One of the many courses offered was crevasse rescue training to prepare the 50th Anniversary trip to the Zillertal Alps in 2000. Twenty five of us used various modes of transport to arrive at a campsite in Mayrhofen on the designated date.

Although all arrangements were flexible, on one occasion the whole contingent happened to be at Spannagelhaus (2531m) at the same time and an impromptu anniversary dinner was arranged. It wasn't long before the hills reverberated to the sound of “The Tyndrum Bus”.

The emphasis on training has no doubt been a contributing factor in the club's good safety record. In its history only two parties have required a mountain rescue call out. A recent meet to the Island of Lundy required the whole OMC party being airlifted back to the mainland by helicopter, but that was due to high seas and merely added to the thrills of the weekend.

As the membership grew communication became more sophisticated. The club newsletter continues to keep everyone informed and amused with regular features, but never a club to stand still we wanted more. The club website – www.ochils.com – was one of the first hillwalking club websites launched in Scotland. Recently revamped, it allows members to stay on top of club news.

This is particularly useful for arranging and reporting on the midweek and weekend activities on the hills, at the local crags, sea cliffs, quarries and climbing walls; with real time plans swapped as often as the weather forecasts update.

Over the last few decades the club has maintained a steady membership numbering between 120 and 150, with new blood being added each month thanks to the OMC's reputation as being one of the liveliest clubs in Scotland. Newcomers are always welcome and made to feel at home, especially if they attend the Burns Supper.

On this occasion the recital of Tam O'Shanter is carved up, with revellers, new and old, willing to recite a slice each.

The product is a mish mash of voices and styles that form the bond of friendship and reinforce the ethos of the club. As does the tradition of the old hands helping 'the fearties' complete their Skye Munros.

Munro bagging has not passed us by. Within the ranks there are not only many Munroists but also, Corbett bashers, Yeaman yelpers, Graham grabbers and other hill addicts.

The club's youngest member, Freya, attended four Munro completions before she was born in November 2007, and is already well on her way to completing her Corbetts.

Of course OMC don't limit themselves to climbing and hillwalking. Skiing, cycling, kayaking, even caving have all been pursued. And in the days when winters were winters the founders played ice hockey on the frozen lochs above Dumyat, sadly these same lochs today are under threat by giant pylons.

The future looks grand for the Ochils Mountaineering Club.

There are plans for a further extension to Inverardran Cottage, a full list of meets and activities are in place for the year ahead and, if the rumours are correct, some of those first ascents will soon be reported.

The original spirit of those early days still remains. Retired members have formed, what is affectionately known as, the “Old Gits”. These spry “Gits” and “Gitesses” meet midweek and are in no way sedate - free bus pass, will travel! The bus network, including postbuses, is stretched to the limits to facilitate ambitious cross-country expeditions.

Armed only with lightweight packs they explore new areas and find shelter in bothies and caves and even sometimes under the odd bridge or two.

For further information visit www.ochils.com