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Latest news and developments from the Mountainmere office
Re-geared
01/09/11The environment is an important issue here at Mountainmere HQ, so it was a disappointment to read in the Lancashire Telegraph about the proposed closure of our local recycling centre as a result of council budget cuts. Clearly a backwards step.
In contrast, rewind a hundred years, and Millican Dalton, way ahead of his time, was already reducing, reusing and recycling. In fact he was so keen that he makes our modern day efforts at recycling seem a tad pathetic. His personal possessions, clothing and camping equipment was crafted from a myriad of salvaged tins, wire, canvas and any other useable items he could scavenge from the village tip just outside Grange-in-Borrowdale. This level of commitment may be a little too extreme for most people, myself included, and I couldn't really imagine grazing our local council landfill site, but nevertheless it got me thinking — in addition to our usual recycling activities, would it be possible to emulate Millican and upgrade all, or at least some of my camping gear with recycled, hand-crafted and unique items?
Well it appears that the answer is yes, and inadvertently, I've already made a start. After a quick rummage through my kit bags I dug out three items (not a lot, I know, but Rome wasn't built in a day) which I had already acquired during a trip to Tasmania. Fair enough there was a cost implication involved, but what I purchased were items with a real meaning, holiday mementos with a difference if you like, and all created in cottage industries, a world away from the mass produced items available on the high street today.
First out of the bag was a wooden spoon from Sheffield in north Tasmania, hand carved from reclaimed convict-felled Huon Pine (now illegal to log), which is naturally rot proof. Next was a handmade knife bought during a visit to Salamanca Markets in Hobart, where amongst the huge assortment of organic vegetable and craft stalls was knife maker extraordinaire Tim Lowry. He too recovers timbers which he carves into Huon Pine sheaths and Blackwood handles to compliment his hand-forged steel blades. Every knife is unique, and with an amazing attention to detail. Finally was a Sheoak spatula whittled by a Tassie craftsman with an axe and spokeshave who was quick to point out that all the wood he used was totally eco-friendly, being salvaged, in his case, from storm damaged trees from gardens around the capital.
After Googling I discovered that the ideology has a dedicated following, and there are dozens of designs for making camping gear out of recycled materials. A great example is the Coke Can Stove as shown in this video:
Lakeland's worst kept secret?
20/11/10Imagine a refuge in the hills — half naturally formed, half man-made — with a fireplace and chimney, double bed and bunks, piped gas, shelving, visitors book, rear store room and emergency exit; all carefully draft-proofed and insulated, and protected from the extremes of the Cumbrian weather by a substantial, stone clad, steel framed door, which opened.....wait for it.....remotely by a quick tug on a hidden cable. Something from The Famous Five? No, real life!
As far as secrets go Lakeland's so-called "Secret Cave" would have to be the worst kept. Of course it's hard maintaining the obligatory oath of secrecy especially when we discover something out of the ordinary, and in this instance the urge to tell others has had a detrimental effect on one man's remote, high level, painstakingly crafted bolthole. That said, if it wasn't for human natures imperfections I wouldn't have learnt of the cave, and I'm therefore indebted to the Keswickian lass who, as far as I'm led to believe, was responsible for bringing the cave to the attention of a wider audience after a local outdoor pursuits instructor had taken her there for a night of passion. Until that point annual visitors to the cave were numbered in single figures, but after the cave was "Christened" visitor numbers, as recorded in the visitor book, rocketed.
Those of you who know the cave will be quick to point out that it's not actually a true cave at all, but a cavity under a mass of huge boulders. This proved the perfect basis for conversion, and the architect, rumoured to be a ship builder from Barrow-in-Furness, spent week after week handballing the necessary wood, steel, sand and cement, and other building materials and tools up into the hills; which in itself is commendable.
I first visited the cave in the late 1990's when it was still in its prime, whilst everything was fully functional and intact. The initial search for the cable to release the door catch was memorable, and I clearly remember watching in amazement as the door swung open beckoning us to enter. We spent a comfortable and enjoyable night there, and spent a few further nights there over the next couple of years.
On returning over a decade later in the autumn of 2010, I was disappointed, although not at all surprised, to find the cave in a somewhat weary state, and a shadow of its former glory. Long gone was the stone in the door, along with its clever opening mechanism. Although the angle-iron doorframe remained it was wedged shut and entry made by climbing through the frame. The erstwhile cosy and well arranged interior was littered with dumped bedding and rubbish. The cave is now on the tourist route and the many explorers who make the journey there can now follow the easily visible track right to the threshold.
Lancashire Climbing & Caving Club lecture
16/11/10Now that the summer is all but a distant memory, the long dark nights and first frosts of the year have heralded the start of the winter lecture season that forms an essential midweek stopgap for outdoor enthusiasts until the arrival of next spring.
On the agenda this week was my long running Millican Dalton lecture for Lancashire Climbing and Caving Club who invited me to the 2nd indoor meet of their series held at the Doffcocker public house in Bolton.
Although the lecture is now in its 7th year, a new audience discovers the story of Millican Dalton year after year, providing a continual demand. The event proved popular with around 40 members attending the evening, and the hour long illustrated lecture, comprising of a plethora of unpublished photographs, was well received.
Review: Matthew the daypack. Verdict: Great for work and play!
28/05/10Millican Ltd co-founders, Jorrit and Nicky, are celebrating the first anniversary of their Millican Dalton inspired travel luggage brand with the release of a new collection of bags and accessories for 2010. Amongst their new products is a little gem of a daypack, which is equally at home on the daily commute as in the mountains.
Continuing the theme of naming their products after friends is Matthew the daypack, which I am proud to announce has been named after yours truly. The entrepreneurial husband and wife team, who live in Keswick, took a two year break from their high-flying careers to decide on a new, more fulfilling future. I was amazed to eventually learn that my book Millican Dalton: A Search for Romance & Freedom was the inspiration behind the couples venture, and partnered with their love of vintage luggage, and their inside-out knowledge of business decided to take the plunge and put everything on the line in order to work for themselves from home running a business that reflected their eco-friendly outlook on life.
Matthew the daypack is a high-end, expensive piece of equipment, and the £120 price tag for a 22 litre capacity bag could be out of budget for all but the keenest greenies, but then value can't be measured just in pound notes, right? Jorrit and Nicky have decided to avoid the highly competitive budget market awash with £5 rucksacks. Instead, in return for you pounds, they offer what very few other travel brands do, and that's a range of sustainably sourced, ethical products with a conscience, based on proven classic designs. This means that Matthew, as with all their other bags, is made from the companies trademark materials which give the bag a tradition look and feel. The eco-conscientious, and of course other shoppers after something quirky, will be interested to note that the bag is a combination of 100% organic canvas, which forms the body of the bag (lined in waterproof 100% recycled polyester), a waterproof 100% recycled polyester cover which unravels from beneath the sack providing wet weather protection, and 70% vegetable tanned leather.
Matthew has a front-opening zip allowing remarkably good access to the inside, which contains three pockets (including one for an ipad or laptop). The air-mesh padding on the back panel section of the bag is ample and comfortable to wear, as are the shoulder straps. The lid is held down with a series of press studs that offer a good alternative to buckles, and give the daypack an alpine look.
Overall a great piece of kit, not solely for use in the mountains as it isn't dedicated mountaineering equipment, but if you're looking for something that little bit different, that can be used during the working week and for freetime at weekend then look no further.
Groundbreaking mountaineering film
27/03/10
We're not talking Sly Stallone's Cliffhanger here, forget that. How about Touching the Void, Set in Stone, or K2. Great entertainment? Yes. Groundbreaking? Most definitely not. In fact there's only one motion picture that can claim the revolutionary accolade, and that is Stanley Watson's High Hazard: Where Mountaineers are Made, which was, undoubtedly, responsible for kick-starting the evolution of British mountaineering film.
This month sees the 75th anniversary of High Hazard's Premier at the London Trade Show, and to mark the milestone Mountainmere are re-issuing the black and white film on DVD so that a new generation of mountain connoisseurs can savour the product of an industry in its infancy.
High Hazard, presumed lost for the majority of the 20th century, was first brought to my attention in November 2003 when I was approached at a lecture by Barney Whiteside from Kendal. As I found out, his mother had nursed Watson during his final years, and on his death had acquired one of his photo albums, which had been earmarked for the bin. Additional to details of his other achievements, the album contained a myriad of newspaper clippings and photographs chronicling the production and release of the film.
Using this album, and further material of Watson's (held by the Mountain Heritage Trust), along with several of months of searching, and, importantly, a touch of good fortune, I managed to locate a 16mm celluloid copy of the film in a private collection. As they say, the rest is history.
Millican's cave re-opens
30/05/09The National Trust have now re-opened Millican's cave after an extensive and expensive survey.
Rock fall at Millican Dalton's cave
12/02/09Modern-day nomads seeking shelter in Millican Dalton's cave will have to look for alternative accommodation this Spring after the Borrowdale bivouac spot was closed because of a recent rock fall in the lower chamber. Amid safety concerns that further rock falls may occur, the National Trust have taken the precaution until a full structural survey of the cave has been carried out.
Countryside officer Penny Webb said "One of our wardens discovered the rock fall last week. It's not a particularly big one, perhaps the size of a large TV set, but we are advising people not to go into the cave. We have asked some specialist geological assessors to look into it."
The cave will remain closed until further notice. (So, campers, unfortunately you'll have to search elsewhere — beneath the Bowder Stone and the "Secret Cave" can both be recommended — but don't forget that indiscriminate camping in England is illegal.)
Lefebure and Wainwright on BBC4
25/02/07To mark the centenary of A. Wainwright's birth the highbrow television channel BBC4 showed their recently completed documentary Wainwright: The man who loved the Lakes. Molly Lefebure took part in the filming from her home in the Lake District, and gave viewers an insight into her close friendship with Mr Wainwright.
Friends of Keswick Museum lecture
07/02/07The Friends of Keswick Museum and their winter lecture series welcomed Matthew Entwistle who explored Millican Dalton's strange life in Borrowdale and beyond.
Britain's highest book launch
09/09/06
Ever been to a book launch? Personally I never fancied the long queues, overcrowded stuffy rooms, tardy authors, and the whole black tie affair; until, that is, we decided to republish Molly Lefebure's Scratch & Co. The Great Cat Expedition to celebrate fellow Blackburnian, Alfred Wainwright's Centenary. A more appropriate launch was in order though, you know, something a little different and more in keeping with our passion for the outdoors. Cue Scafell Pike.
No doubt considered as the most unlikely location for a book launch, the roof of England was, for this occasion, the perfect choice for this classic, Wainwright illustrated, mountaineering novel. Scafell Pike (3210ft / 978m), better known in Scratch & Co. as the Highest Known Peak (H.K.P.) and the centre piece of the story, has been host to many strange ceremonies over the years. This event added to the mountain's list of credentials, and was a complete contrast to those booklovers used to predictable, bookshop based launches. This quickly become apparent as the walk from the car to the event was several miles further than usual, but the fact that complimentary red and white wine and a gourmet cheeseboard were on offer was a good enough reason for anyone to join in.
On the morning of September 9, 2006, after spending the previous night at Edmondson's farm campsite at Seathwaite, the Mountainmere team set off for the summit venue loaded to the hilt with books, food and beverages — not forgetting the display table.
As expected the dog days were none existent, but a fortunate break in the persistent inclement weather that plagued the end of summer — the first dry, sunny day for weeks — ensured that the launch could be enjoyed by the scores of hikers who arrived on the top of Scafell Pike, and who inadvertently joined in the launch party jovialities.
Rumours of cheese and wine spread over the summit plateau, which were instantly dismissed by some hungry and thirsty walkers as cruel jokes, who were left flabbergasted when they arrived wearily at the summit cairn to be greeted by the equivalent of an oasis in the desert. Their facial expressions and comments were priceless. This was no mirage though and the occasion took its place in history as Britain's highest book launch to date.
Kendal Mountain Book Festival lecture
17/11/05
Kendal Mountain Festivals has expanded in recent years, and this year was no exception seeing the introduction of the Kendal Mountain Book Festival. Amongst the keynote events was Matthew Entwistle in conversation with Terry Gifford about his book Millican Dalton: A Search for Romance and Freedom which tells the fascinating tale of the self-styled Professor of Adventure who lived in a cave in Borrowdale. Accompanied by rare archive photographs, Matthew encouraged us to appreciate the important contribution Dalton made to climbing and to the philosophy of adventure.
Keswick Museum exhibition
26/05/0526/05/2005-26/06/2005 A display of various Millican Dalton related items - including his alpenstock.
18th International Festival of Mountaineering Literature
16/04/05Lecture "Neglected Climber" at the 18th International Festival of Mountaineering Literature.
