Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
'During that summer was the weekend of the royal wedding of Charles and Di-
ana, so we went on an anti-royals weekend to Wales. We stayed at Al Harris's and
Alex took me climbing for the first time on the Idwal Slabs. We always went climb-
ing when Alex got back from his trips. He really enjoyed having the opportunity to
just have fun climbing away from the pressure of his peers. Alex was fun. He was
the complete package, unpredictable, always making me laugh. We got on really
well together.'
It seemed that Sarah, despite herself, had fallen in love with Alex.
'I was terrified of Gwyneth after we got together. I always felt there was a chance
Alex would go back to her. He had been with her for six years before me. She was
still around the scene, of course. I decided one day just to go up to her and give her
a big hug. Everyone was talking, and it suddenly went very quiet. Gwyneth just ac-
cepted the hug and then everyone started talking again. People thought that was
great, the right thing. Then one of Gwyneth's close friends came over and said to
me that was really nice; you two can get on now. Alex always said how hard it was
to be in love with two women at the same time. Thanks a lot, I thought.'
As his relationship with Sarah deepened, he was still making his mark at the
BMC. Despite his own authoritarian instincts, Alex believed in the democratic pro-
cess. He could be said to be a republican within the ruling family of the BMC. He
wrote, 'contrary to popular opinion, this is no one-man show under The Menace
(Dennis Gray). BMC policy is formulated and directed by the committee of man-
agement (comprised of laymen). It tells the 'professionals' what to do.'
This statement was part of the introduction to an article written by Alex for
Climber and Rambler
entitled 'Democracy'. It appeared at the end of Alex's time
at the BMC and was a declaration of his vision for the future. In it, Alex set out his
views on the need for a continuous, thoughtful and controlled change within the
BMC, one that would better engage the grassroots climber. He suggested changes
were needed and a new constitution. He pointed out every climber had a voice in
the BMC through their area committee meetings. England and Wales was divided
into eight regions where local issues could be discussed and fed back to the BMC's
management committee. Alex suggested, without saying so, that these area com-
mittees were generally parochial. As important as local issues were, the area com-
mittees, and the clubs they comprised, should in future address national issues as
well as the local ones. He posed a list of rhetorical questions to make his point:
'Should the BMC try to acquire rock faces such as Bwlch-y-Moch? Should it cam-
paign against misuse of certification? Should it institute an insurance scheme? At-
tempt to obtain reciprocal rights to alpine huts? Should it put its weight behind
unfortunates who are threatened with criminal prosecution in alpine accidents?
