Tony Joyce & Expedition Summit
A potted history
In 1969 Southampton West District, as it was in those days, had no experience or past history of any mountaineering taking place. In those days there was a District Scout Leader, John Swaffield, who had the idea in 1968 of a group of Scouts over the age of 14 walking the Pennine way as it had just been opened up as a continuous walk. Much planning and preparation took place with regular training evenings and weekends predominantly based around physical fitness and navigation. All this was done pretty much on the hoof as nobody had any hill waking experience and certainly no training had ever been undertaken, indeed under today’s rules and regulations the expedition, which was undertaken over the Easter fortnight, would never have been allowed to have to have taken place. However naivety is perhaps sometimes a wonderful thing as the trip had the complete backing of parents and the District elders. It couldn’t be said the expedition was a total success as a couple of sections had be missed due to bad weather but it can reasonably be claimed that mountaineering in Southampton West District was born.
Upon our return analysis of the trip identified that although we had a total lack of experience before we started we had nonetheless generated a real interest in the hills and that we should do more but we were very definitely at the start of a very long learning curve. Several of us created what was to become SWMC, or Southampton West Mountaineering Club, and we even had our own badge. Members were drawn from interested unit Leaders and older Scouts but recognising our limitations numbers were a bit restricted until more experience was gained both from going on weekend trips, usually Snowdonia, and undertaking some formal training often at Plas Y Brenin, the National Mountaineering centre at Capel Curig in the heart of Snowdonia.
Within a couple of years the idea of expanding opportunities resulted in an Easter week trip to Snowdonia at the Welsh Scout Council Mountaineering hut called Hafod in the Ogwen Valley. In those days there simply wasn’t the background of knowledge of previous trips to the hills and the whole idea had to be sold to individuals so talks were given to Scout Troops and parents cajoled into letting their sons go. Equipment in those days was still pretty basic and much was done to try to beg, steal or borrow suitable clothing, boots and equipment. To further sell the idea a poster was created and the trip would be given the name “Expedition Summit”. 1972 was the first such trip and the sole purpose was to give an introduction to Scouts the opportunity of experiencing the great outdoors. It was never created as a specific training week although of course individuals were encouraged to take an active part in everything particularly navigation and leading a party but a more experienced person was always there. Accommodation at the hut was very basic as there was no heating to speak of and that first weekend saw much snow on the hills. It was altogether a very successful and enjoyable week.
Such was the success of Expedition Summit the week was repeated as a weekend generally around Easter for several years before it came to an end. Scout Troops and Venture Units by now were very much involved in doing their own thing in the hills and quite a few people became formally qualified and many more gained very good and capable experience. Dartmoor, the Brecon Beacons and even Scotland amongst others became regular places to visit. Another few years elapsed and one day I had a call and subsequent visit from a friend and Venture Scout Leader Tony Joyce who had never been involved with the earlier Summit weekends but had heard many tales and perhaps more importantly of the ethos of the weekend whereby Scouts would have the opportunity of being introduced to the excitement and experience of mountaineering for the first time. There were never the formalities of a normal training weekend, the only rules effectively to be that it was to be an enjoyable weekend in safety with experienced leaders although of course informal instruction and guidance was always willingly given. Tony liked the idea of re-introducing Summit with this same ethos but it would be on the basis of a camping weekend. For the first two years this was the case but very bad weather also re-introduced
the use of the Welsh Scout Council hut at Hafod. Hafod has been extended and improved dramatically since those early days and is now quite a luxurious self catering hostel. The first camping weekend was in about 1985 approximately six years after the previous Summit. These weekends have since been a regular annual event ever since and to this day the original ethos still holds well. Rules and regulations have failed to deny the enjoyment and the occupancy of Hafod has been reduced in accordance with the inevitable Health & Safety legislation and whereas for a number of years we had the luxury of a support group of willing ladies to help with catering we’ve had to adjust again and generally cater for ourselves upon return from the hills. There have been a number of Leaders involved over the years and planning and administration is quite heavy but Summit continues. The 2011 event has just been held and it was as popular and enjoyable as it ever was although naturally the participation has evolved to recognise the ever changing structure of Scouting and thus it is only natural girls are now included. Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the inauguration of the original Expedition Summit. There hasn’t been a year pass by that newcomers haven’t attended and to the credit of this special weekend a number of those original newcomers are now qualified leaders in their own right.
From a totally personal point of view I’ve now had the very real pleasure of mountaineering all over the world over many years but for me Summit is still one of my favourite annual events to which I very gladly accept an invite to attend thus maintaining a strong link with Southampton Scouting. Seeing the obvious enjoyment and achievement after a day in the mountains on the faces of young people is what we wanted to see back in 1972 and today we still see those happy faces on the new comers.
It is perhaps questionable that Summit and the subsequent success of the weekend would even exist today if Tony Joyce hadn’t had the vision to re-introduce it. Sadly Tony died very recently but it should not be forgotten it was almost certainly his determination to re-create both the original format and ethos back in 1986 that has brought so much enjoyment to so many people. Long may it continue.
Harold Webb