The Ochils Mountaineering Club

Right-o,
Flying in the face of tradition and despite the abandonment of the international Piolet d'Or I have (in collaboration with others) come up with a wee award for achievement. The Piton d'Or is to be, very much unofficially, awarded to the member of our wee climbing posse who has put in the best performance this season.
This achievement could be a one-off outstanding ascent outwith the individual's normal grade, top class new-routing (regardless of grade), a knock-out Alpine or Winter performance or a generally excellent all-round year. The latter would require steadily increased performance and maybe even a 'glory tick' or two.
Examples might be;
- Adrian and Nick for fighting the fear and getting home safely off their winter epic
- Lewis for a pretty great first season of trad
- Scott for a good season and a on-sight increase from severe/VS to HVS (some nice ticks, mate!)
- Cabey for some bravura winter and summer performances

If anyone can think of any more please send them to me or add to this thread. It is meant to be a bit of fun but half serious too. I think a deadline for submission should be the Sunday before the annual Christmas trip to The Lowport Centre - this gives folk time to pull that special ascent out of the bag! I'll then take the consensus or failing that choose a 'winner' myself. The trophy can then be awarded at the Lowport. Future coordination of the award then falls to the incubent.

Pictures of the award are here...

http://www.ochils...m_gallery2/Itemid,87/?g2_itemId=10826

http://www.ochils...m_gallery2/Itemid,87/?g2_itemId=10829

Does that all sound OK??? If folk are uncomfortable with it then they can count themselves out and if there is no interest, I'll scrap it and use the peg this winter!!

Let me know what you think.

Bruce

PS thanks to JD for the peg.

The 'climbing posse' is one of the most active sections of the club. Great idea, and a nice trophy. Good luck... Will folks be able to put winning names on? Nice to look back in future years and see our distinguished company of ascentionists.

Jean

All in favour of it. Well done on the trophy, looks great. Would agree with Jean's idea of a roll of honour.

A roll of honour would be great. Not sure how though.
I can get another brass plate and screw it to the back...it could then be removed every year and given to an engraver for the recipients name. Alternativly I could get a nice wee book to go with it. Names, dates and what was achieved could go in it to be held with the award.
Something like this.

Other suggestions welcome but it is only an unofficial thing, don't want it to become a pain in the erse to do every year....

Bruce

A pity the award wasn't around for my nomination of a 'Club Member' who, at the ledge beside the steepening crux on CombGully, managed to have a huge dump to relieve the godawful build-up of pressure that was accelerating to blowout proportions as the Cornice exit started to crubmble. Im not sure what came first; the

Combining the ensuing 40mins of torrential and deafening spindrift, my determination to get the route done and his only option to follow-on was gutsy - not that he had much of those left after what he left on the ledge!

hey, ho must go and source this bravura that's around!
aye, Andy