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Night Climbing

If I matriculate I have a few things that I have to do at Cambridge... one of which is following some of the Night Climbs.

http://cucc.survex.com/jnl/1983/roof.htm

Does anyone know of any participants or stories of night climbing over college roofs?

Whilst I waited for my second interview all those months ago I read a noticeboard with a rather explicit notice that climbing on college roofs was illegal, dangerous, and you're likely to be sent down for it.

Reply 1

bikerx23

1

I believe that is the case...
If you look at "the other place" (aka heaven) it isn't really as climber friendly as tabland, most of the college buildings are more restricted for space.etc. compared to cambridge being allowed to form its own town.
If anyone, coincidentally, sees somewhere to buy a copy of the night climbers of cambridge, let me know because i've been browsing for one for a while now...
What you have to do, you see, is go to ox (you get a better degree then too :biggrin:

) and go visit your tab mates and climb while your there...and it doesn't matter if they try to send you down from cambridge if you dont study there...does it.

Reply 2

Willa

11

wow, climbing the UL tower? What? From the outside?

Reply 3

Steveee

OP

5

Haha - yeah that's a bit more convenient. :p:

Umm - however - The Night Climbers of Cambridge is out of print. You can almost certainly get a copy in the Bod, UL, or British Library (where I'm about to get a reader's pass, I hope, after getting my brain scanned - no jokes).

Reply 4

bikerx23

1

Yep...as far as i know thats said to be one of the more challenging ascents though - there are several in the book which are noted as being ascentable in your DJ, therefore perfect for sneaking into balls...wonder if theres one for trinity :biggrin:

Reply 5

bikerx23

1

Getting your brain scanned? please do explain!
Yea, i knew it was out of print...but there are specialist shops in some places.etc.etc., and after 2 years in ox i haven't stepped into the bod yet, and i dont think its going to happen this year :biggrin:

Reply 6

Willa

11

bikerx23

Yep...as far as i know thats said to be one of the more challenging ascents though - there are several in the book which are noted as being ascentable in your DJ, therefore perfect for sneaking into balls...wonder if theres one for trinity :biggrin:

i should really get a copy of this book then...i do need a more adventurous way to crash my next ball! Although I dunno how keen I am to try a route that has chances of me getting killed!

Reply 7

bikerx23

1

Nah - some of them are apparently tame...just put in a few weeks training at the climbing wall and you will have no issues.
Although, i wouldn't worry about getting killed...more importantly you might get sent down! :biggrin:

Reply 8

Steveee

OP

5

My "brain scan" is just as a control in an EEG survey for the Institute of Child Health. PM me if you're interested in partaking - I'm sure they'd like more volunteers.

As a leavers' prank I and a few mates suspended several banners from the school roof. We dressed in "black tie" (actually just black suits, as our leavers' ball was the next night... and we got sodden wet anyway) for the benefit of the CCTV. This is me on top of my school's roof:

http://www.measlewis.plus.com/pics/050705-SL.jpg

We stayed up the whole night, escaping through the school at 3:30am. It was all a bit cold, wet and intense.

Reply 9

bikerx23

1

Very cool....
we had an odd one at our school...we cemented gnomes (yes, the garden ones) everywhere, drew the crime scene outlines for dead bodies all over the school - walls, ceilings, raised walkways, everywhere! in pink paint, filled the headmasters office with sheep and kidnapped a year 9 boy who pissed us off (with the assistance of one of our geography teachers who he also pissed off) - we ran in, sellotaped him to his chair, put him in the back of a van and sped off...
We locked the gates shut in the evenings too, so that then all the buses came to collect everyone from school, 6 of them got trapped in the yard and they had to cut the chains off...
did i mention we were drunk too...Bloody good day!

Reply 10

Immortal Wombat

Steveee

Does anyone know of any participants or stories of night climbing over college roofs?

There are some write-ups in the online archive of the Cambridge University Rockclimbing Society magazine. No details, for obvious reasons.

The book is in the UL, but it's in the Rare Books section (available on request) and I haven't tried asking for it yet... And though I have seen a copy for sale online, I was rather put off by the £195 asking price.

Re: Trinity; there is an entire booklet dedicated to Trinity Climbing (published 1960, so it might be a little out of date), and also in the UL.

Reply 11

Helenia

20

My uncle used to do a lot of it. Mostly in Trinity but I believe he did other places too. CCTV has killed a lot of it though.

Reply 12

Calvin

14

Willa

i should really get a copy of this book then...i do need a more adventurous way to crash my next ball!

I thought perhaps scuba diving? Put a dry suit on over your Tux and swim in half way through. Very James Bond.

Always loved the story of a guy trying to break into clare mayball by hiding in a cupboard 8 hours before the ball began. Unfortunatly was spotted by porters who left him alone until half an hour befor the ball began when they went and turfed him out.

As for night climbing:
Surely it's on the internet somewhere?

Reply 13

Willa

11

Calvin

I thought perhaps scuba diving? Put a dry suit on over your Tux and swim in half way through. Very James Bond.

Always loved the story of a guy trying to break into clare mayball by hiding in a cupboard 8 hours before the ball began. Unfortunatly was spotted by porters who left him alone until half an hour befor the ball began when they went and turfed him out.

As for night climbing:
Surely it's on the internet somewhere?

although it might sound v james bond, there arent any feasible places to achieve this, since during the may balls, most parts of college grounds on the river bank are fenced off, and those parts which arent are heavily lit up! Hence why we just used a punt instead on our last attempt, must less hassle!

Reply 14

priya

14

think someone tried to crash trinity, we saw her swimming by the wren library (where we were watching the fireworks) i couldn't see well, but apparantly she was also naked :redface:

Reply 15

Steveee

OP

5

Is there a big fountain in any colleges? You could try the dry suit idea and a snorkel... wait for several hours...

Clearly no-one would see you.

Innit.

Reply 16

priya

14

trinity. but the porters watch it like hawks with binoculars. people always try silly things like jumping in it, getting naked in it, etc etc. they'll have seen it all before.