Website membership reset

Our website was setup to publicise information about the club and to allow only members to access groups for communication and some pages private to club members. Due to the way the club website was initially setup we had people accessing these groups who were not actually club members.

This has now been resolved with access to groups and certain pages being restricted to genuine club members (including prospective members). In the process of doing this we have removed all site member accounts where the account is not linked to an email address recorded in the club member list.

Due to people potentially using different email addresses we may have inadvertently removed some club members access. We're asking all club members to check they can still access the website members area and if not then please signup again and we will grant you access.

NB: From now on access to the members only areas of the website will require approval from the website administrators and we will only grant access to club members (including prospective club members) based on the details held on the club members list administered by the membership secretary.

New committee and new fees

Last night's AGM went smoothly although only once we had enough members join for the meeting to be quorate. We passed on thanks on behalf of everyone in the club to our outgoing committee members Ali Tempest and Mike Jones. And we elected some new committee members with Chris Brumby joining as vice-chair, John Morgan joining as an ordinary committee member. Andy Potter has been elected as meets secretary. Other members of the committee were re-elected to their roles meaning the committee for the coming year is:

• Chair - Zoe Pickering

• Vice-chair - Chris Brumby

• Secretary - Haydn Williams

• Treasurer - Andy Railton

• Membership secretary - Tony Bishopp

• Hut secretary - Ian Robinson

• Meets secretary - Andy Potter

• Ordinary committee members - John Morgan, Randal Jackson, Bob Jones, Pete Bottrill

• NB: Bob Jones also holds the role of treasurers assistant.

The AGM also approved the changes to the membership and hut fees which had been proposed by the committee. The changed fees are as follows (all other fees remain as before):

• Membership

  • Under 18 membership - £20

  • Vet single membership - £30

  • Vet joint membership - £55

• Hut

  • Member per night - £6

  • Members guest per night - £8

Scottish Winter Meet 2022 - Sun, views, and fun

by Zoe Pickering (Club Chair):

My decision to go on the Scottish Winter Meet this year was somewhat last minute and it was not without reservation either - the last one I went on was around twenty years ago - it rained all week and the memory, as they say, is dark. However, I bit the bullet and bagged my place and found good conditions, sunny views and plenty of snow, even if it was only down to a few hundred feet below the summits.

The meet was fully booked and it was good to see friendly faces old and new, pursuing a wide range of wintery activities including radical intrepidness from Max and Will on the North Face of the Ben (I bumped into them at the top at lunchtime and they'd already done three routes), baby steps in snowy gullies and on classic ridges such as Ledge Route from Ben and myself and brave endeavours from everyone else on a range of walks and climbs including Curved Ridge on the Buchaille and ascents around Stob Coire Nan Lochan.

There was also a mountain biking contingent who made full use of the many cycling options in the area, including the Nevis Range mountain biking tracks and Sustrans routes out along Loch Linnhe to Stalker Castle. The weather was kind, although surprisingly warm, the pubs and craic were, as always, good and there are already plans for next winters' trip - hope to see you there!