Newsletter
November 2000
Club News and Views
Enjoying a Winter Walk
It may feel as though only yesterday it was summer, with long, warm, (and dry!?) days which were ideal for being outdoors - but now it is November - and the days are short and cold (and often wet). But winter can provide some very good days for walking - when the air is cold and clear the views will be far better than on a hazy summer day. To enjoy winter walking you want to stay warm and dry - and that means wearing the right clothing, which provides both warmth and protection from the elements. If you are trying to decide what to wear on a winter walk, then it is best to think about what to wear in terms of layers. Starting from the inside these are:
1. Base Layer. What you wear next to your skin has a major effect on how warm you feel. Cotton shirts and tee-shirts are unsuitable because they retain moisture, so that, when you stop moving, you very quickly start to feel cold. It is better to wear a thermal top made from a modern fibre which will wick the moisture away from your skin.
2. Comfort Layer. This provides insulation to keep you warm, both when on the move, and during stops. As a general guide it is better to use several thin items (e.g. sweatshirt, pullover, fleece jacket) rather than one thick layer, as this enables you to put on an additional layer when you stop, or if the weather gets colder. Fleece probably provides the best value in terms of insulation for low weight. However, they are not all windproof, and one that is will keep you much warmer than an ordinary fleece. Always take at least one more item than you expect to need - it might be colder out than you think! A pair of windproof trousers made from a material such as polycotton will provide protection from the wind, and will dry quickly if they get wet.
3. Protection Layer. This provides protection from rain, sleet, and snow. For this a pair of waterproof overtrousers and a waterproof jacket (with hood) are essential. As well as these items, remember the bits that stick out! - your head and hands can easily get very cold. A hat, made of fleece or wool, and gloves will keep them warm. And, also, make sure your boots do not leak - having cold wet feet is guaranteed to spoil your enjoyment. You should also remember to take a torch, even on a low-level walk, in case the walk takes longer than you expect, and you end up finishing in the dark.
And finally, as most rucsacks are not waterproof, it is best to use either a plastic rucsac liner or ordinary plastic bags to keep the contents of your rucsac dry; if your spare clothing has got wet then it will not keep you warm when you need it.Peter Arnold
Wedding Congratulations
Congratulation to Richard Collings and Valerie Shirt who were married on 29 April.Congratulations
Congratulations to Andy Rook who finished his Nuttalls (mountains in England and Wales over 2,000 ft with a drop of at least 50ft in all directions) when he climbed Pillar Rock (with the help of George Clowes) in August.Congratulations to Peter Arnold who finished his Wainwrights (Lakeland Fells which A.Wainwright wrote about in one of his 7 Pictorial Guides) when he climbed Crinkle Crags in September.
Prayer Diary
Here are some more suggestions to help you to pray for the Club on a regular basis. If you have any suggestions of topics for inclusion, please email the CRC WebWeaver
Week 1 - For safety during the winter months.
Week 2 - Thank God for his care and love.
Week 3 - For the Bristol day-walking group.
Week 4 - Pray for those attending the Christmas event.
Week 5 - Let us thank God for Christ’s birth.
Week 6 - Thanks for friendship and fellowship.
Week 7 - Give thanks for another New Year - forgiven and starting afresh
Week 8 - For the knowledge and warmth of God’s love when all is cold and bleak.
Week 9 - For those who are unwell.
Week 10 - For the work of the committee.Ann Arnold
Book Review
The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck
This book has been one of the best-selling books in the western world since its publication in 1978. Scott Peck is a psychotherapist and he describes how therapy works - how people get well, mentally and emotionally, from a starting point of confusion or turmoil, loneliness or despair. But the big issues of therapy are the big issues of life. Thus the author also describes how we can grow to maturity and indeed what maturity is. Topics covered include suffering; defining true love; the unconscious; being real; the purpose of depression; and how to receive from God. Peek himself came to faith through observing that, as his patients determinedly committed themselves to getting well, encouragement, strength and insight came to them in remarkable ways which clearly indicated a divine hand at work.
Who’s the book for? Firstly, any reasonably intelligent person who is in a tough place and wants help. Secondly, an open minded enquirer, wondering about becoming a christian for whom glib answers won’t do. And thirdly, a mature christian who has grown somewhat stale spiritually but who sincerely wants to go deeper with God.
A couple of reservations. Peck’s views on sexuality are unbiblical and wrong, and I disagree with him on evolution. But these are not central strands in the book, so don’t be put off - it’s an exciting, stretching read!Robin Stevens
Countryside & Wildlife Notes
Because winters have been so extremely mild in recent years in much of Britain, we haven’t had large numbers of our superb wintering thrushes from their breeding grounds in the Scandinavian forests; fieldfares and redwings, which also breed in Iceland. Another attractive and interesting bird which we often look out for at this time of year is the brambling. Last winter was the first time I can recall not seeing any brambling. They also breed in the Scandinavian forests and are very similar to the chaffinch, sometimes you can see brambling in flocks of chaffinch. In the past we have had large invasions of brambling in the north west (and probably other parts of Britain). One winter when there was a cold snap, hundreds died in south Liverpool when they came down to drink at roadsides where a chemical had been put down to thaw the ice.The small tortoiseshell butterfly, which is common in Britain, was much scarcer than normal at the start of last summer. This may have been due to the mild damp winter where hibernating butterflies emerging too early were killed by a subsequent cold snap or for other causes; whatever the reason, numbers increased later in the summer. It was always felt that a hard winter controlled insect pests and that a heavy frost was good for breaking up ploughed land. The milder weather has allowed farmers to grow crops through the winter. In most lowland areas winter wheat is now common; this reduces the food available to wildlife leading to reduced numbers of many farmland birds. In some areas carrots and other crops are also grown. In contrast grass continues to grow on salt marshes which helps grass-feeding wildfowl. In recent years there has been a massive increase in the feeding of garden birds in Britain and a great variety of seed is sold by a number of firms. A very serious problem has now arisen in that some stocks of peanuts are infected by aflatoxin, which is poisonous to birds. The risk of this is increased by the poor storage of peanuts and the situation is so bad this year, owing to the poor peanut harvest, that some major bird-food suppliers are no longer selling peanuts. Obviously those feeding birds don’t want to harm them so they will need to switch to other forms of bird food eg. sunflower and other seeds.
John Ashworth
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