As 2002 draws to a soggy close, we take a look at the highlights of the first six months of the year on OUTDOORSmagic
As 2002 draws to a soggy close, we thought we'd take a leaf out of
everyone else's book and take a look back at the old year seen
through the eyes of OUTDOORSmagic. So here it is, the stuff that
rocked our world in 2002... Part one - the first six months.
January
• As the International Year of Mountains - an endless
programme of logos in magazines - kicked off, they were still
slaughtering sheep in Northumbria as a precautionary measure -
2100
of them - three months after the last recorded outbreak, a couple
of weeks later the county was declared disase free.
• Nice. And celebrated in inimitable OUTDOORSmagic style with
our commemorative range of 'Frankly
Minging' Foot and Mouth Figurines. Did you get yours?
• There was lots of snow and lots of mountain rescues,
meanwhile a farmer in the Peak ploughed
up moorland in an effort to thwart the new right to roam.
• Sadly January also saw the death of Kinder
Trespass leader Benny Rothman at the start of the 70th
anniversary year. An astonishing and full life. We wonder what he
would have made of the controversial Snowdonia
Green Key proposals...
• Last but not least, the Mystic Mouflon popped up with your
2002
outdoor stars. Was he right? You have to hope not for the sake of
Taureans everywhere.
February
• A bunch of Kiwis set the world
record for the highest dinner party by dining out on the summit
of Aconcagua in black tie. Bonkers. See the pics.
• The little OUTDOORSmagic
bird of love tried to encourage courting on the forum by offering
a box of chocolates for the most romantic posting, sadly there were
no winners... Good quiz though.
• Our fave mountain science story of the year revealed
that climbers
fart uncontrollably at altitude. Another good reason to use
60-metre ropes we reckon. High Altitude Flatus Expulsion it's called,
really.
• And that was it really, except for a scoop preview of the
expansion
plans at Pete's Eats courtesy of an audience with the man
himself. All finished now.
• Great story from Antarctica where OM member Clive Clasby
helped
clean the place up, while in an unconnected article, we told you
how to write
purple mountain prose the easy way.
March
• It was the start
for new BBC Mountain Rescue drama Rockface. Looking back none of us
realised quite how compulsively bad it was going to be. Perhaps we
should have guessed...
• It was the first ever Outdoors Show at the NEC, it was so
popular that people were queuing
for hours to get in. We scooped the official web site with the first
show
report complete with piccies.
• Plus we published one of our most popular articles of the
year, Simon Kirwan's useful piece on how
to take better mountain photos. Well worth a re-read.
April
• it was all a bit foolish as a draft, unofficial plan to
charge
for access to Langdale raised hackles in the OM forum. Whatever
happened to that one eh?
• The Snowdonia Green Key scheme was unofficially dropped,
though it took a while for it to be officially confirmed.
• Meanwhile we reported on the 70th
Anniversary celebration of the Kinder Trespass in the Peak
District complete with music from Mike Harding.
• Finally we awarded a 'prestigious
TV award' to Rockface as it left our screens and our, erm,
hearts. Nice.
• More usefully we told you how to scramble
like a pro and put theory into practice on the Snowdon
Horseshoe complete with pancreatic anxieties - not to be read by
persons of a nervous disposition.
May
• May saw a bit of a death in the family as our magazine
partners On
The Hill bit the dust and fell off the magazine shelves. A
combination of foot and mouth and the fact that not enough people
bought it drove the final staples into its papery coffin as we said
goodbye.
• Meanwhile top Brit mountaineer Alan Hinkes successfully
summited
Annapurna making it 12 of the 14 8,000-metre summits for the
Yorkshireman. Here on OM we occasionally poke gentle fun at Alan, but
don't underestimate his achievements and the magnitude of the task
he's set himself (portentous voiuce mode off). Nice one Al, and good
luck for 2003.
• Closer to home, Sal - who'd worked on OM since it's
beginnings - left
to set up a wholemeal bagel cooperative at Harvard. We still miss
her and her unique take on the world...
• We told you how
to look good in Ronhill Tracksters... Honest. Or perhaps that was
'less bad' and brought you the 'last
Leeside ever with Alastair re-inventing Everest as a big dipper:
'Everest The Hard And Fast Way'.
June
• Summer at last, but not in the US where there was an
astonishing and tragic helicopter rescue
crash on live TV.
• A bunch of OM members took on the Welsh
3000s in a day challenge and failed ignominiously after realising
that finishing the route would mean missing last orders. I dunno.
• Quiet month June, not sure why, but it was. Oh hang on, it
was the World Cup, an event which triggered the bizarre Soccer
Spud or Outdoor Stud quiz. One of the silliest things we've ever
run on the site...
That's it for part one...
Can you believe that they were still culling sheep in January? No,
me neither, but there it was. Part two of our OM review of the year
followson New Year's Eve.
