On Saturday the 29th of August, 1925, a group of 7 friends converged on the Narnain Boulder, below Beinn Narnain. They had travelled up from Glasgow to start something that Arthur Rusk had been thinking about. Arthur had been on holiday in the Alps with fellow SMC friends Dick Rutherfurd and Archie Hutchison, some 6 weeks prior to this meeting. He had had an idea. Scotland was lacking a Club that was accessible to the ordinary working man. Remember, this was 100 years ago and societal norms were different back then. Arthur thought he could help do something to fill this gap. While moving from hut to hut and climbing in the Bernese Oberland with Dick and Archie, they fleshed out the idea and on 25 July, they found themselves holed up in the Mutthornhütte at the head of the Lauterbrunnen Valley due to bad weather. There they hammered out and agreed upon a draft constitution for the new club. It would be called The Junior Mountaineering Club of Scotland.
On 29 August, 1925 they met at the Narnain Boulder with Eddy Andreae, Leonard Waddington, Charlie Robertson, Charles Parry, John Steven and Bill and George Speirs, spending what was probably quite a cramped and uncomfortable night in the howff that they’d constructed here previously. It was noted that the weather was ‘poor’ but that didn’t stop them improving the howff and traversing Jean and the Cobbler that day. The following day they were joined by Mellon and SMC heavyweights EC Thomson, Robert Elton and Louis St Clare Thomson (presumably to add gravitas to the occasion). Arthur then chaired the inaugural meeting of the Junior Mountaineering Club of Scotland from the comfort of his sleeping bag where he outlined his aims for the Club. Eddy Andreae was duly elected President with Bill Speirs, Secretary and then, with the official business of the day done, they went up the hill in mist and rain.
100 years later, on Sunday 31 August, 2025, 24 JMCS members and friends representing the Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and London Sections converged on the Boulder to celebrate the centenary of the JMCS and recognise the vision of its founders. Speeches were made, drinks were drunk and photographs were taken. Members travelled from all over the country to be there including Ullapool and London, but special mention must be given to 2 unexpected guests. The grapevine is a wonderful thing and as a result of it the grandson and great grandson of Archie Hutchison made a point of being there to join the celebrations. It was particularly fitting that there was a direct connection with one of our founders there on the centenary.
There were plans by some foolish/hardy individuals to spend the night at the boulder to mark the occasion in style, but the remnants of storm Floris put paid to that with particularly foul conditions prevailing on the actual day of the centenary. Those same individuals quickly became smart/soft. It should be noted however that 2 hardy members from the Edinburgh Section made a pilgrimage to the Boulder on the day of the centenary to toast our founders, but it was from the comfort of a hotel.
Sunday turned out to be a much better day than expected. The tops were clear and it remained dry throughout with a stiff breeze to keep the midges at bay. The excitement was too much for some who returned to their cars after the celebrations. The day seemed incomplete to others so a party of 13 went on to make an ascent of the Cobbler. It was a great day, which not only marked a significant milestone in the Club’s history but it was also nice to be able to meet and spend some time with members from other Sections. There was even some chat about a joint meet to the London Section’s hut in Bethesda in North Wales next year. Watch this space.
Niel Craig,
President, Glasgow JMCS,
1 Sept 2025