Page 34 - 2017 AMA Summer

Climbing Meets
Going from strength to strength!
By Ryan Lang
Another six months has gone in the blink of an eye! It’s time to report on the AMA meets that have occurred since the last journal in 2016. I decided to do things slightly differently this time around, rather than produce a report for each meet; I have opted to do a review of the last 6 months or so.
Where have we had meets?
Since the last journal was published in Autumn 16, the AMA has had meets in the following locations:
• Wye Valley
• N Wales
• Dartmoor
• Cairngorms
• Lake District
The Wye Valley meet continues to be very popular and sells out quickly. The meet has been running every year since 2012 and continues to defy the odds by usually being dry enough for two good days climbing in October. One of the plus points of this meet is that it is renowned for being a very social meet. In fact all the AMA meets in recent years have been social, but there is something in particular about this one that makes it stand out. Perhaps it’s the time of year? Perhaps it’s the good food after a hard days climbing, in front of the log fire with some cold beer? Whatever it is, it’s running again in 2017 so keep a look out!
The N Wales meets continue to be popular, which is why I have ran so many from there in the last two years. By the time this article is published, I will have run three meets from Llanberis since the last journal. The
fantastic thing about N Wales is that there is so much to do in a relatively small geo- graphical area. It doesn’t really matter what time of year we go as the weather doesn’t limit us in any way, if it’s too wet to climb, we scramble or walk. There is something for everyone! For the last two years or so we have also complimented the various levels of military instructor with a civilian instructor from the local area. People often ask why we do this, the answer is simple. A civilian instructor will always turn up as they have a reputation to keep and a wage to earn! Also by choosing to employ a BMG, MIC or MIA for the weekend, it allows the slightly more advanced instructors to conduct some continual personal development (CPD). In other words, everyone benefits from attending the meets and not just the more novice members.
Mark Gregory very kindly ran a meet based in Dartmoor at the tail end of 2016. Initially I was sceptical as it’s a bleak place at the best of times, never mind in November! Mark pulled it off though and ran a very successful meet. There was climbing and walking on offer despite it being November! It also allowed our South West based members an opportunity to attend a meet without having to travel to the more traditional, but distant venues.
The AMA winter meet seems to be going from strength to strength. Martin South took on the mantle of arranging one of the technically more challenging meets that we run. The meet was run very well and had a great mix of students and instructors, backed up by two very experienced MIC holders. The conditions were lean, but the
local knowledge of the MICs meant that every opportunity to make the most of the conditions was taken. I’m very glad to say that Martin South and Sean Mackey are already planning the AMA winter meet for 2018 and it looks set to be a cracker with some of the things they have lined up!
Finally we have the Lake District meet which has run for the last two years from the same location. It’s amazing the difference a year makes, we had snow on the ground the first year and a clear blue sky the next! Negotiating the M6 is always risky on a Friday, but I’m glad to say it was well worth the drive. Almost a full turn out, great food, ales and of course a weekend of activities. This is likely to be another meet that gets set in stone in the AMA calendar. Those that attended spread themselves all over the lakes for the weekend, climbers (both
32 ARMY MOUNTAINEER