Family Meet – 2018

“ If it’s yellow stay mellow,
If it’s brown flush it down.”

I overheard this mantra was being sung by Florence, Scott and Merlin, aged 6 or 7, as they surveyed the notices in the toilet block. A short discussion ensued which demonstrated that they understood the notice and the rationale behind it!

With restrictions on numbers and careful management by Rob Seymour (Count House custodian) the Family Meet was able to go ahead this year. A few families who tried to book late were turned away and some people had to cut short their stay, but basically the meet went on as normal.

We were blessed with some fantastic weather especially in the first week – so people were able to get out and climb without threat of rain. Notably this year more young people were keen to get out leading – they had come down to the Count House with their own tick list of routes. The Biven room occasionally reverted to a classroom where belays were being set up and the merits of each different system of attachment to anchors was analysed. Most climbed a range of routes – the old classics at Bosigran, Sennen and Chair Ladder, but also parties went further afield to explore crags on the Lizard which had been described in the new CC South Coast guide. With the help of Dave Hope’s guidance Paul, Kate, Ben & Tom did half a dozen new routes. It is amazing to come to an area which we feel we know so well and yet still be able to climb on crags we have not been to before or even to discover something completely new. The new guide certainly helped us with our exploration with its clear descriptions and diagrams.

Towards the end of the meet on Ben’s birthday several parties decided to go to Treggeffin on the south coast – a crag I had tried (and failed) to get to on a previous occasion. This time people (including that great man Rob Seymore) had been there before us with garden tools and had cut a path through the dense, prickly undergrowth to the crag. It is a thought provoking place to visit with this being the site of the wreck of the Union Star (some of which is still visible) & the consequential loss of the Solomon Brown. That said we enjoyed the range of routes on offer – Paul and Ella even doing a couple more new routes. The camaraderie was fun & it was another great Ben’s birthday climbing trip which is becoming a tradition

We had two joint meals over the whole meet; a fantastic barbeque which was run by Iain and assisted by Rob and Will and a “pot luck” meal where we all contributed what we had left! There was a lovely atmosphere throughout – really special times. Sitting out on the new patio as the sun set over the sea – magical!

This year the pancake competition was won by Cecelia with 15 pancakes (1 short of Rosa’s all-time record) after a truce was agreed between her & Rosa who was one behind on the day. They had both being continuing in the mistaken belief there was no more pancakes left when Andy & Jules brought a stack of a dozen or more in! This prompted the truce & Cecelia was heard to say “I thought eating as many pancakes as you like would be more fun”

Of course, no Family Meet would be complete without the usual tick list – Cornish pasty, cream tea, trip to St Ives where the Patrick Heron exhibition in the Tate St Ives was a real treat, ice cream, beach trip, fish and chips and lots of fun!

As always, many thanks must go to Rob Seymore for his tireless work as custodian of the Count House & his support for the Family Meet. For the record the work Rob & the rest of the HMSC have carried out namely the porch & patio are great improvements. The patio was used as much as any room in the hut with the good weather.

Astrid Saxby

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