The Hertfordshire M.C. was the only non educational organisation that was allowed to use it, and we kept our once a month booking! Better still the County wanted their teachers trained in mountain skills and we enjoyed several weekends with free accommodation, food and beer, to roam the hills we loved. Sadly this came to an end when a belligerent teacher complained to the authorities that a 'guide' did not use a map and compass at all times - because he knew perfectly well where he was!

You may wonder what happened to the early members. sadly Peter Spence and Geoff Clough have died, and some have disappeared. Of the rest two have completed all the Munros, I joined the Fell and Rock CC, Hugh Chapman is in the Climbers Club, and there is even an Alpine Club member in our ranks! Several of us joined the Association of British Members of the Swiss Alpine Club to get access to their huts before the BMC finally acted and we still meet up at their various events.

A small group of us had a reunion last year but we are delighted to learn of the HMC's planned own reunion, and to think that the club we started and enjoyed so much, survives and prospers to this day.

Bob Tarron climbing in a Quarry on the way back from Wales

A dozen of us went to Soldon in Austria in the mid sixties. The high (or should I say low) point was when we were walking along a dry glacier in a rope of 4. Steve Kennet, a big lad of 15 stone, was third on the rope and I was last. Richard Watts at the front had carefully crossed a crevasse but Steve went across carelessly - and disappeared from view! To this day I remember thinking I had no chance of getting my axe into the hard ice and expected to be pulled into the ice after him. But I wasn't and, after securing ourselves, we looked in and he was 10 feet down lying on his back on a narrow snow bridge above a bottomless void. 
Steve was paralysed with fear and we waited 5 minutes for our second rope to come up before we tried to get him to prussic up. Even with the aid of another top rope we couldn't pull him out and we would be there till this day if another Dutch group had not arrived to give us a bit more strength and technical help. Moral - take care on glaciers.

Then disaster struck and Mr Chamberlain's chalet burned down and he gave up the lease of the Coachhouse which reverted to the farmer. Mr Williams said 'I'm sorry lads but I have to put the rent up a lot - more than you can afford'. This is where our friendship with Colin Brice paid off. He was able to talk with Hertfordshire County Council and, as a result, they took on the lease of the whole Coach-house. After refurbishing it throughout to standards we had never imagined, they opened it as the Hertfordshire Snowdonia Centre.

Why not celebrate the clubs 40th Anniversary with a special HMC T-shirt, polo shirt, or sweatshirt. .

Shown here is Voodoo Traveller, a lodger of the secretary, relaxing after a days climbing, with the standard club shirt in black.

There will be a variety of colours and sizes available.
The special garments will indicate 40 years of the HMC. Prices have yet to be finalised but expect to pay between £5 for the T-shirt, £11 for the polo shirt, and £16 for the sweatshirt.
 
The garments will be as per those shown at the 40th dinner on 18th April 1998.

It's a small amount to pay to help celebrate 40 years of your clubs history.

For further details and to place your order please contact Jane Whitrow on 01707 888138 or email jwhitrow@merlin-ventures.co.uk.