Guy Steven

Comb Gully

2012-01-29T18:11:00.004Z

Today was my second day working for Abacus Mountain Guides with Brin and Dave. Ben Nevis was much quieter today with nobody ahead of us after our 8am start. Unfortunately we couldn't see a great deal so we weren't sure if we were being followed up. We headed up and climbed Comb Gully (IV,4) which was in great condition. Good ice all the way up. Mike and his team went and climbed Thompson's Route, which sounded fantastic. Teams were on Two Step Corner and Don't Die of Ignorance. Fresh snow had fallen over night and wind slab has been laying in places but our approaches were fine to head up. A great day with two really keen and competent climbers, great weekend!!

Cascade and Experts Choice

2012-01-28T19:09:00.005Z

Today I was working for Abacus Mountain Guides with Dave and Brin who wanted something around the grade 5 mark. As they haven't been climbing for a while we opted for the Cascade (IV,5) on Ben Nevis. To get onto this we climbed a long pitch of about grade 3 ice below and left of the Cascade. We climbed the Cascade in two pitches then shot over and climbed up Experts Choice (III,4) to find a buried axe belay at the top, thanks Mike. Then followed a nice sociable walk down the Red Burn. The mountain was very busy today, was great to see so many folk out enjoying the weather and conditions. Teams on Glovers, Tower Ridge, Number 2 gully Buttress, Comb Gully Sioux Wall, Strident Edge, Route 1, Ledge Route plus many more. The snow was generally good, seemed to be bonding well but with fresh snowfall due tonight it may well be a little different tomorrow.

Jacknife

2012-01-27T20:02:00.005Z

Today was one of those days you just don't want to miss. Plenty of snow around, blue skies and very little wind. Makes winter climbing even more enjoyable (apart from the wading through snow and the avalanche risk). Adam and I avoided the wading and the avalanche risk and headed for the Douglas Boulder on Ben Nevis. After yesterdays antic's we were both a little tired so we didn't want anything hard so I took Adam up Jacknife (V,6). Adam has done quite a bit of hard leads in the last few days so was happy for me to do all the tricky bits today, despite being pretty tired myself. Its quite a short route but packs a punch, one long pitch (which can be avoided) to get to the 25m pitch of bridging excitement. Adam then finished up a 5m head wall. The route joins on to the South West Ridge which we descended and wandered down of the mountain for some tea and cakes! Many other teams out; Ledge Route and Tower Ridge got done as did Route 1, Slab Climb, Darth Vader, Sioux Wall, Gargoyle Wall plus many more. Lots of fresh snow around so care needs to be taken.

Aonach Mor new route

2012-01-26T18:01:00.005Z

Today Adam, Luke and I headed up to Aonach Mor as Adam had eyed up a new line to the left of Stirling Bridge. He had spotted the earlier this week when he was on Stiling Bridge and Pro Libertate. The new routes takes the groove and steep corner on the prow between the Stirling B and Pro L. It was a brilliant find by Adam, had some really interesting climbing with some sparse protection. A lot of the time it felt like I was only hooking a couple of Pixie Cups! Unfortunately the cold hands got sore and I got a bit pumped so I had to rest on the rope once, if i had just pressed on I would have got to an uber hook which I could have recovered on nicely. A good lead by Adam as always. We were thinking is maybe around grade VIII,8.

Aonach Mor

2012-01-23T17:18:00.006Z

Today Ken and I had a leisurely start and headed into Aonach Mor East Face. We abseiled in down Morwind and went to the base of Siamese Twin (IV,5). Ken led the first pitch below the main steepening then I took the main pitch up. Didn't feel too steep, so probably only IV,4 at the moment. It got us to the abseil station on Left Twin and we got ourselves back to the bottom of the routes. Wanting to do something a little mixed, we next opted for Lickety Split (IV,5). We were up and over the cornice in 4 pitches, with Ken leading the 1st and 3rd. The second pitch was definitely the crux and felt pretty hard for IV,5. Maybe its IV,6! Anyway, two really good climbs. Surprisingly we had the whole crag to ourselves. We heard some voices but never saw any other climbers. Several skiers were out enjoying the Scottish ski resort conditions too.

Winter Skills in the Cairngorms

2012-01-21T18:27:00.001Z

Today, I was working for Mountain Motion over on the East coast. Rich, Al and I took Moffat MRT on a training day covering a wide range of winter skills. Rich and Al took an advanced team apiece while I worked with the probationers. The members of my group had either done little or nothing in the winter, so it was great to introduce them to the very wild conditions that we are currently experiencing up here. We took the Funicular up the hill, as this gave us quick access to some snow. We then navigated over to Ciste Mhearad, where we could get a little shelter from the wind. This location gave us the opportunity to practice moving on differing slopes and gradients, with and without crampons, cutting steps to cross the icy sections. We also had a really useful avalanche session. The group were particularly keen to learn more about this. After lunch in a snow hole, we tried to practice some self-arresting but the weather made this unproductive. Instead, we navigated back over to the top lift, only to find that the Funicular was closed due to high winds. So we walked back down the hill - a great opportunity for consolidating our use of crampons and a walking axe.

East Face Direct Direct

2012-01-20T18:24:00.004Z

After another slog up to Stob Coire nan Lochain we found ourselves at the bottom of East Face Direct Direct (VII,7) after following some nice tracks from a team on Central Grooves. Central Grooves was our first choice but didn't fancy queuing, even though they did make a quick ascent. We did the route in 3 pitches, with John linking the first two which gave some hard sustained climbing on tenuous placements. This set me up for the 40m crux pitch which was very bold but on what seemed to be good hooks. After cutting loose a couple of times and doing pull ups on them I was happy they were secure. Phew. I was very close to being sick after exerting so much! Adam took the top pitch which was fantastic. Good hooks on a steep wall and pretty much always good footholds. A strong lead by everyone! Keith brought his clients up Ordinary Route, a team on twisting Grooves, Twisting Gully and Original route. Plenty of snow was falling most of the afternoon and temperatures were rising all day. Got a big soggy after a while. Forgot my camera today.

Unicorn

2012-01-19T19:01:00.005Z

Today's weather was due to become foul as the day went on so Adam, John and I opted for an early start to get the bulk of any climbing out the way. We headed up to SCNL with a pretty open mind as none of us have done many of the harder routes up there. On arrival we could see that we had plenty of options. Adam suggested Unicorn (VIII,8). Adam dispatched the crux pitch, unfortunately took a little slip but got back on and finished it. John climbed a short pitch of VI,6 which just ate lots of runners then I took us to the top in a long pitch of sustained VII,7. The winds were picking up as we climbed, circulating alot of snow around the coire. Graupel was falling as well so snow slopes will be feeling pretty spooky out there.

Little Brenva Face

2012-01-16T17:40:00.005Z

These winter climbing days just seem to be getting better and better! Today Kenny suggested that we go and have a look over on Ben Nevis's Little Brenva face and it was fantastic. So without getting a too early start, Al, Kenny and I shot up. On arrival to the crag we were armed with all the right equipment and sweets, the only thing we didn't have was a guidebook. This wasn't a problem as visibility was great. We sought out the best ice and a line of reasonable resistance finding a nice route with good climbing pushing close to grade 5. It was another fantastic day climbing in the sun, the ice was brilliant, in some places too hard for my blunt crampons but amazing fun. We topped out just before 1pm and went for a wander around and down number 3 Gully. Lots of teams out on various ice routes, heaps to go for at the moment!

Ewan Buttress and Milkyway

2012-01-15T19:22:00.005Z

Today Katy and I went for a wander over in the Cairngorms. We got as far as Coire an Lochain and decided to go climbing. We started off on Ewen Buttress (III) where I took the reins and led Katy up. We descended The Couloir (I) and Katy then led me up Milky Way (III), her first III lead!! Busy day on the crag, lots of routes getting climbed but things were starting to get black. Rosie climbed Andromeda (IV,4), Keith and Tim climbed The Crack (VI,7) and Grumbling Groove (VI,6) plus many other hard routes got done. It was a stellar day again, a little more wind and a beautiful sunset. We finished the day by descending Fiacaill Ridge (I).

Hells Lum and Honeypot

2012-01-14T20:28:00.005Z

Today Graham, Ben and I headed over east to see what was going on over in Hell's Lum. On arrival we could see that some of the easier lines were in with teams on them. We opted for Brimstone Groove (IV,4). After the first pitch we followed the best conditions and ended up on Towering Inferno (VI,5) then onto Nobodys Fault (IV,6). The routes on their own probably would either not be in good condition, or just super sporting! We combined the 3 routes getting up to the top in 4 pitches at about V,5. After topping out we nipped over to Coire an T-Sneachda and climbed up Honeypot (IV,6) which was brilliant! A fantastic day!

Tower Ridge

2012-01-13T21:48:00.004Z

A great day to be out today, the best of the season so far for me! Blue skies, good ice, hard neve, great company and a top quality route. Couldn't ask for much more! Today I was working on Tower Ridge with Kenny. We took out Andy, Paul and Callum, all of whom had quite varied abilities. On arrival to Tower Gap Kenny and Andy abseiled down and shot over and climbed Indicator Wall whilst Paul, Callum and I carried up to the top for some fantastic views. It was busy today with many roues getting done Good Friday Climb, Indicator Wall, Smiths, Tower Scoop, Two Step (Luke said it was quite thin in places), Comb Gully, White Line, Green Gully and I'm sure there were lots more. Another great day with great conditions tomorrow. Hello weekend warriors!

Smiths Route, Ben Nevis

2012-01-12T16:45:00.004Z

There was a really good atmosphere up on Ben Nevis today, its always great when you see lots of people you know. Kenny, John and I headed up into Observatory gully with quite an open mind. Word had got round that some ice routes were quite fat. They were not wrong. There were several teams ahead and behind us, all heading up into the same area. At first it looked like 3 teams were heading for Smiths but fortunately they all went their separate ways. One them headed up Tower Gully (I), Luke and Conrad went up Indicator Wall (V,4) (reporting back good conditions, a little bit wet though) and the the other team joined the queue on Good Friday climb. Steve and Gill went and joined the queue on Tower Scoop and Matt and Emma followed us up Smiths Route (V,5). It was the Icicle variation which looked best today, which was great because I hadn't done it before. After we topped out we headed down Tower Gully and had a team solo on the Upper Tower Cascades (something around grade III) we then headed along the top and abseiled into number 3 gully to check out some other routes. Johnny climbed Number 3 Gully buttress which he said was good, teams were on Green Gully also. Thompson's looked climbable to. All the buttresses were black.

Double training

2012-01-11T17:40:00.006Z

Today was a perfect for the outdoor and indoor combination. With a nice morning forecast, John, Johnny and I headed up into Glencoe to have a play around on some of the steep snow slopes within Coire nan Tulach. The aim of the day was to workshop our short roping skills and share ideas about ways of looking after people on steep snow. We played around with various techniques looking at the pro's and con's, discussed when each technique is best applied under different conditions. We looked at ascending and descending, snow anchors and stance management. By about 1pm the rain started coming in and the wind was picking up so we headed back down to the car and popped into the Ice Factor for a few hours of tooling. It was nice and sociable as Adam and Paddy were down with their clients too.

Aonach Mor

2012-01-09T16:48:00.005Z

Today Kenny and I changed plans last minute and had a leisurly start up to Coire an Lochain on Aonach Mor. As Kenny is my mentor for the MIC scheme, he wanted to show me around the crag looking at different ways of getting into the crag, moving around the bottom and looking after folk on the routes. We climbed both Left Twin (III,4) and Molar Canal (III) which were both very nice routes. The ice was quite variable, most of the moist snowpack from the last few days had firmed up with the dropping temperatures, some was super soft and mushy but there were also some nice areas of good neve and water ice which would take an ice screw or two. Quite a few of the easy to mid grade routes were 'climbable' today, however with rising temperatures tonight and tomorrow it may well be a different story!

East ridge of Beinn a' Chaorainn

2012-01-08T19:26:00.004Z

Pretty wet and mild up in Scotland today, freezing level was above the summits and the rain just kept on coming! Katy and I opted for a nice ridge where we could keep moving without any difficulties but kept some interest. I had wanted to do the East ridge of Beinn a' Chorainn after Al had mentioned it to me a while back. Good fun for a foul day like today. The snow pack was saturated all the way through to the ground, there were some signs of old ice around but everything was pretty mushy. A few small cornices were hanging over the eastern edges which were sagging and no doubt heavy with water, worth keeping away for those. On the Summit I sat back and relaxed in the white out as Katy took over and navigated us over to point 1044m, nicely avoiding the incut gully. From Point 1044, Katy led me north and then followed the NE ridge that descends to the Bealach a Bharnish. From here gentle slopes lead into Coire na h-Uamha where we were able to see where we were going again. Tomorrow looks colder so hopefully everything will firm up! Lots of trees down in the forest too!

CMD Arete

2011-12-30T20:38:00.005Z

Today was my final day with Stephen and Andy so we opted for a journey day where they could put together some of the skills they gathered over the last few days. We headed up over the Carn Mor Dearg arete which exposed us to some wild conditions. After getting in to the snow line it was pretty steady going up to Carn Mor Dearg, on arrival we donned our crampons and descended onto the ridge which is great fun. The wind was blowing quite hard which so goggles and face masks were essential. There was a good cover of snow on the ridge and we were above the freezing level all day, there was also lots of fresh snow being blown around the mountain. On the summit of Ben Nevis we hid in the shelter for 15 minutes recharging and wrapping up for the decent down which required a reasonable amount of navigation which Stephen helped out with. On our decent down the red burn, it was clear that it was warming up and all the snow was turning to slush. It looks to be a wet and windy day tomorrow. Have a good new year everyone.

Is winter back?

2011-12-29T21:44:00.005Z

Yesterday wasn't feeling very wintry, however today was a different story! Stephen, Andy and I headed into Glencoe and ascended the Zig-zags on Gearr Aonach. The snow line was about half way through the route but it was all slushy and wet so we were able to make a rapid ascent. It was a good option today as it remained pretty sheltered from the westerly winds, sleet and snow. It was Andy's first time out in the mountains so we wanted to give him a little variety in terms of something hands on but also give him the opportunity to pick up some important winter skills for the future. After walking along the top of Gearr Aonach we nipped into the corie and covered lots of winter skills which the guys were eager to learn. We looked at moving around with and without crampons, ice axe arresting, moving on rock and snow and plenty of digging into the snow pack to develop their knowledge of avalanche awareness. Several teams out today, Dorsal Arete had an ascent, a couple of walkers on the NE ridge of SCNL and I'm sure there was much more going on! Finished off the day with a good session in the bouldering wall.

Wet and Wild

2011-12-28T20:59:00.006Z

Today I was out with Stephen, Kate and Dexter who were super keen for a day out in some pretty foul weather. The aim of the day was to brush up on Stephen and Kate's navigation whilst Dexter ran around in circles and got under our feet (yes, Dexter is a dog). As the forecast was for high winds and gusts up too 100mph we stayed low and headed up behind Fort William. From the view point we headed south east up on to point 287m revisiting the basics of navigation and developing strategies that will work in winter. Kate and Stephen have both done their fair share of navigating but have lapsed for a while and also not done much in winter. Despite it not feeling very wintery we covered plenty of ground, headed up towards Bidhein Bad na h-lolaire and back down to Glengour covering a variety of techniques which we can consolidate over the next few days. Well done to everyone for not getting blown over! A good day finished with a good session in the bouldering wall.

North East Ridge Stob Ban

2011-12-17T17:25:00.003Z

For today we were looking for a good grade 3 ridge leading to a summit. The weather forecast wasn't as good as yesterday but low winds and moderate avalanche forecasts gave us a few different options. After a recommendation from a friend we decided for the North East Ridge of Stob Ban. On leaving the Glen Nevis car park it was snowing heavily and this continued for most of the morning. The route began by crossing a snow slope into a NE facing gully. Whilst I was ascending I triggered a small slab avalanche but managed to move over to a rocky area quickly. At the belay we witnessed the leader of the team behind us set off a further slab avalanche on the higher section of the gully. We continued up the fantastic, alpine style ridge mostly pitching due to the massive amounts of soft snow. The route contained adequate protection and opportunities for consistent belays. The visibility cleared slightly at the top giving fantastic views over the Mamores and Glen Nevis.

Curved Ridge

2011-12-16T18:03:00.006Z

Today Katy and I headed into Glencoe armed with sunglasses, an axe and crampons and hit Curved Ridge (III). I had thought (or hoped) that it had an ascent yesterday and put a nice tracks in, unfortunately there wasn't, so today required a lot of digging. Fortunately I remembered where most of the spikes were and some of the cracks. Katy was keen for leading too, so she got on the sharp end a couple of times which was great. Saved me doing all the digging! We didn't see anyone else on the route but saw some tracks on the summit. There was lots of avalanche debris around the bottom of the route but every part of the route was nice and solid. Going up behind Crowberry Tower was fine too. From the summit of Stob Dearg, we had a look at Coire na Tulaich but as there was quite a lot of soft snow at the top. So we headed down the ridge, which allowed Katy to practice some winter skills coaching and route finding for her forth coming Winter Mountain Leader Assessment. Great colours on the Aonach Eagach whilst we descended!

South West Ridge - Douglas Boulder

2011-12-15T20:22:00.005Z

Today Katy came over to visit. It was her first day out this winter, after working non-stop over in the North-East. With a great forecast we had lots of options but we agreed that we wouldn't do anything too big and get too tired. So we had a leisurely stroll up to the CIC hut, then onto the SW ridge of the Douglas Boulder (III). Today we saw Ken and his mate on Fat Boy Slim, John and his mate skied up ledge route and down something else. Two guys headed to the base of number 4 and then headed back and there were a few teams on the CMD arete. It was quite a social day with Craig and Graham coming up behind us.

Glovers Chimney

2011-12-12T21:48:00.001Z

Today Mandi and I headed up the North Face of Ben Nevis to see what was going on. The forecast stated high winds in the evening so I thought we would be able to get a route in. At first I was going to head for the SW ridge of the Douglas Boulder but there was a team already heading for it so instead we went up high and climbed Glover's Chimney (III,4), which I hadn't done before. We topped out just as it got dark and a blizzard started. This made getting off the top both exciting and hard work. The mountain was very quiet, with only one other team out. Conditions were good on the mountain. The ice routes were looking good but there was a lot of snow being blown around. Whilst climbing, I heard three significant avalanches somewhere below us. Then we were swept off our feet and partially buried whilst descending the Red Burn. Lots more snow was falling with high winds.

The Citadel

2011-12-10T23:35:00.005Z

Today didn't go quite as expected! Last night Tony and I decided to head over to the Cairngorms for a look over at the Shelterstone. On arrival it was clear that both of our possibilities were in. It was either Sticial face or Citadel. We opted for The Citadel (VII,8). Everything went well and we moved quickly. The climbing was tricky and felt very bold, as neither of us were able to place much gear. The route is very sustained but with two significant crux's. A lower crux and the top crux. Tony had got through the top crux just as it got dark... School boy error, we both left our head torches in our rucksacks at the bottom of the route. Tony couldn't see where to go or what he was hooking on and was unable to proceed. Instead we abseiled pretty much the whole face of the Shelterstone in darkness back to our bags. We were just one pitch from the top and pretty sure we had done all the hard climbing. So near but so far. A team to our left had a good day on Stical Face which looks to be in good condition. Coire an T-sneachda looked great to with lots of teams out today.

Centrepoint

2011-12-09T18:12:00.007Z

Today our plans changed last minute as we soon realised the Corran Ferry road was closed. So we weren't able to get down to the Southern Highlands for plan A. Instead we loaded up the bikes and headed up to Stob Coire an Laoigh. We couldn't get the van very high as there were too many fallen trees on the road and when we cycled up there were lots of trees down in the forest. On arrival to the crag it looked fantastic, We could tell on the walk-in that the turf was going to be bomber. Kenny and I agreed it was some of the best turf we climbed on, perfect condition. We had both done the classic Taliballan before so we opted for the awesome line of Centrepoint (VI,7). The route was brilliant, 3 pitches with the second one being the crux. The whole crag is in great condition and there is now a track in, well worth the early start. Fantastic views on the tops and to make the day better all the trees were cleared from the track so we had a rapid decent on the bikes!

My first day of winter

2011-12-07T17:30:00.007Z

Today was the test to see if I have eaten too many cakes over the summer! On the walk in to the North Face of Ben Nevis, I was starting to think that I had. I just couldn't keep my knees above the snow. After 'swimming' up to the CIC hut, I realised that its not my 'winter weight' that was the problem but the vast amounts of snow up there. Kenny and I swam up to Fat Boy Slim (VI,6) on Secondary Tower Ridge hoping we would find tracks from Blair and Dave the day before. Unfortunately there were none! We did the route in two pitches, I did the first in a long 60m section, covering some great mixed terrain and an icy gully. The top pitch had a fantastic squeeze which we just managed to get through with a little bit of grunting! If you climb with a rucksack you will have to push it through first! A quick abseil down Vanishing Gully led us back to our packs for another swim down to the car.

Spain

2011-11-28T19:57:00.009Z

John and our hire car

Over the last two weeks I've been in North-East Spain - with a strong team from Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales - trying many different venues. First we visited Terradets, which comprised stacks of amazing tufa climbing. It took a while to adjust to this style of climbing, which provided us all with many challenges. I didn't want to red point any routes. I just wanted to onsight everything I tried. Alas, I was not quite as strong as all the others, so I only managed to flash one 7b (which I was really chuffed with). Every route I did was brilliant.

Terradets - La Bruixes

Ian Small on yet another 7c!
Dave wishes this was his hire car

The second week we went to Margalef, which was a whole new ball game. No tufas to be seen. All pockets. It was fantastic! I found this pocket climbing much more achievable for me and managed to get up all the routes that I tried - not always in the best style but I did get up them.

Callum and Dave at Margalef

It wasn't all climbing. We had to take rest days because our arms began to feel like soggy newspapers after a couple of days. This gave us an opportunity to read, go shopping, drink coffee, beer (coca cola for Calum). I think we played a thousand games of cards when it was raining or to find out who would be doing the washing up. A great holiday - just what I needed before moving back to Scotland.

Hold breaking at the Orme

2011-11-08T15:09:00.002Z

Today the weather wasn't great but Luke and I grabbed our harnesses, shoes and rope and headed down to the Great Orme. On arrival it was very cold and damp so we didn't risk going into the diamond which was our primary aim. Its a little bit of a risk if its a bit wet as it has a interesting approach which is great fun but wastes some time if the conditions arnt great. Instead we opted for climbing right next to the road. It was great Luke parked right below the climb..... Well it was great till a large palm sized hold broke and landed on top of Luke's car taking away some paint but fortunately just missing his windscreen. We did a few routes but it was a bit of a miserable day so we bailed for some coffee. Tip of the Day - Don't park car directly below a route!

Almscliff

2011-11-07T19:07:00.003Z

John and I had a chance to climb at Armscliff after I came back down from the Lakes. Unfortunatly we didnt have a guide book so we picked some lines and climbed them. It turned out pretty well, it turns out we did some sweet lines. We climbed 5 routes in a few very cold hours before running away for a coffee and a hot dinner thanks to Johns sister.

Ropework

2011-11-06T15:04:00.001Z

Today I was running a practical rope work session for the Austrian Alpine Club. Unfortunately there wasn't a massive turn, but this meant I could focus more of my time to each person. The group had various different needs from belay construction to tying coils, to rescue scenarios and gear selection. It was a good practical morning on the ground of Ambleside Youth Hostel. The weather was great so as soon as I finished I met up with John and headed down to Yorkshire for a nice meal with a friend so we could discuss a expedition were planning for next year.

Big walk

2011-11-05T20:49:00.001Z

Today Plas Y Brenin were running the Big Acoustic Walk so I took a team up Snowdon. I've not much to say about today other then it was absolutely perfect weather, a cloudless sky, wall to wall sunshine and a nice cool breeze. Obviously being a Saturday we weren't alone on the mountain, it seemed like everyone wanted the view we got. The team made it up and down in a great time which meant time for tea and cake in the cafe before heading back for drinks in the bar and live music. Unfortunately I could join in as I have to drive up to Ambleside.

Mountain Leader Training

2011-11-03T18:48:00.004Z

This week I was working for 4 days on a Mountain Leader Training. On Monday the group and I spent the day mainly inside covering areas of the syllabus which are covered best in a classroom. In the afternoon after the torrential rain had eased, we went outside and we introduced the group to the rope work which they will need to learn for their assessment. We covered the basics on the grounds of the centre so on Tuesday we were able to get cracking on with putting it into context and practicing lots of skills. On Monday Dave and I took the group river crossing on the upper parts of the Nantygwryd. Tuesday we went out and spent most of the day looking at rope work around the Ricks and Rack and came in to get prepared for expedition. Wednesday and Thursday we walked from Ogwen up and over Creigiau Gleision and camped by Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir and walked back to the centre on the final day. Weather was pretty bad all week but cleared up just as we got back to Plas y Brenin! Good effort to all the team who kept on smiling in the worst weather!

Climbing in the rain

2011-10-29T19:47:00.002+01:00

Today went for a quick hit over at Clywd near Llangollen. It was drizzling on and off all day so we did a couple of easy routes to warm up (6b's and 6c's) before Evans decided to siege a 7c. I had a go on it and it was nails, i found it to cold to hold on to the holds. Dave had a good few goes but basically realised that it was a bit cold and damp. With a couple of routes under our belts, we headed home.

Slate Hit

2011-10-28T21:46:00.002+01:00

After getting back from expedition, Tim and I ran up to the slate for a few routes. We headed down into Australia and I led up Off the Beaten Track (E3 5c) and Tim led up Crazy Train (6c). A couple of nice lines with some immaculate climbing. Unfortunately we didn't have a great amount of time so we bailed before it got dark!

Mountain Leader Assesment

2011-10-28T13:47:00.002+01:00

This week I have been working on a Mountain Leader Assesment. I was assesing the candidates on all aspect of the syllabus from navigation to ropework, campcraft to environmental knowledge. Day one we walked from Ogwen back to the centre giving the candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their navigation ability as well as demonstrating they have what it takes to become mountain leaders. Day two we headed into Llamberis Pass and covered some steep ground so the candidates could demonstrate how they would look after a group. Day 3,4 and 5 we went on expedition. We walked out from the the centre and camped near Pen-y-Pass, then over Llwedd and camped below the Watkin path. The group had nice weather for their assesment, only a small ammount of drizzle.

Gritstone Hit Day 2

2011-10-23T23:07:00.002+01:00

After a good breakfast at the Outside Cafe we all headed over to Stanage End for our second day. We did several routes some easy solo's and several harder highball problems. The main event for us was Chip Shop Brawl (E5 6c/V8). Dave sent it after only a hand full of ascent but Tim, John and I were unable to get to the top. A super high and scary problem, not to mention it is super hard!

Gritstone Hit Day 1

2011-10-23T22:46:00.005+01:00

This weekend John, Dave, Tim and I all headed over to the Peak district for a spot of bouldering and sending some routes. We arrived at Ramshaw first and soloed several routes to get warmed up. Loaf and Cheese (VS 4c), Wall and Groove (VD), The Arete (S 4a) and Leeds Crack (D). We then went down to the main event. Everyone wanted to try Tierdrop (E5 6b). Its a classic mirco route which is usually climbed with pads and spotters which is exactly what we did. Quite a high ball problem but safe with a big team. Andy joined us as well with his big pad too. After a good session on this we went and tried Be Calmed (E2 6c/Font 6b+) and Force Nice (E4 6c/Font 7a). We then went and had a play on Night of Lust (E4 6b/V5) and a few other problems. After the sun had gone round we jumped in the car and nipped round to the Nth Cloud and everyone had a shot on the very bold The Pillar of Judgement (E4 5c). After John and Dave didn't want to commit to a massive rock over I didn't feel I should give it a go. We then went and did a few boulder problems just to finish our fingers off! A great day, cant believe I havent been here before!

Mountain Equipment Testing (day 2)

2011-10-21T20:43:00.002+01:00

Today I was out with another team of outdoor equipment stores from around the country. The group of 8 all have some hill walking experience but they all wanted something a little more hands on but with no use of ropes. We opted for the North Ridge of Tryfan which stretched the group in different ways. The weather was particularly grim and not a great day for hanging around but great to test out the new gore-tex jackets and the warm down jackets. As always the conclusions were that Mountain Equipment clothing works very well!

Walking Group Leader Assesment

2011-10-20T21:42:00.001+01:00

Over the last two days I have been working on a Walking Group Leader Assessment. I was assessing 7 candidates with Helen over 3 day, I worked on the first two. The group were demonstrating their ability to navigate groups around the upland environment, keep the group interested with their knowledge of the environment and also how to deal with emergency scenarios. We also went out night navigating so the group could show me that they can navigate in poor visibility and darkness. Well done to the 4 that passed.

Mountain Equipment Testing

2011-10-17T21:40:00.004+01:00

Today I was with Emma and Beth who work for Gaynor Sports in Cumbria. They had come down on a meet with Mountain Equipment to test out some of the latest gear. So we headed down to Tremadog for a spot of rock climbing in the sun. Neither of the girls had rock climbed outside so I led them both up Boo Boo (VD) and then Oberon (S). After realising that they both climb well and keen to learn more Emma lowered Beth into the top of Merlin Direct (HVS 5a) for a little bit of a challenge.

Pumped out of my mind!

2011-10-16T21:07:00.002+01:00

Today Matt and I decided to jump on the 'winter training' band wagon and headed over to Clywd to a dry tooling venue. We warmed up on Apples (M7***) and then And Pears (M7***), Matt had been here before but I manage to on site them both. Both vertical route and quite spooky flat holds. We then went over too White Goods area and climbed Jaz (M8***). I didn't get this 1st got but sent it on my 3rd go then did it again as soon as I got back to the ground. We had a go on another M8, we got to the top but had to have a couple of rests. Great little training venue. Cant feel my arms now though!

Winter Navigation Preperation

2011-10-15T14:49:00.001+01:00

Today I was out with a group of 6 who were after some preparation before the winter months kick in. The group have all walked and navigated in the summer environment but have very little experience in the snow. We firstly went over the basics of navigation and go over any grey areas before we got into more winter navigation techniques. We discussed the hazards and problems that can occur in the winter mountains and how it can affect us navigating and most importantly how we can deal with it. After revising the basic skills we went through several winter navigation strategies and what we can do in poor visibility situations. We spent quite alot of time looking at contour features and slope aspect as this was a week area for all the group as well as relocation. On the top of Pen y Ole Wen we looked at techniques for protecting near a corniced edge using a rope. Unfortunately the weather was very summery, I have never taught winter navigation/skills in a t-shirt and sun hat!!

Petzl Quark Hammer for Sale

2011-10-13T21:11:00.002+01:00

This axe has been up most of the winter and alpine routes I have done! Its a good axe!

Mountain Leader Training

2011-10-13T21:00:00.002+01:00

This week I have been working on a Mountain Leader Training, covering all aspects of the syllabus. Day 1 was the navigation day where we went up and around Crimpiau, looking at was of teaching navigation to groups. Throughout the week we have a big interaction with the environment so we made a good start on the flora and flora of the area. Day two we went into Cwm Idwal looking at leadership styles and group management on steep ground. As the weather was close to Armageddon, we decided not to summit the Glyders as it would have not enabled us to cover as much ground as we did and give the candidates lots of experience on the steeper ground. Day 3 was an introduction to rope work and some classroom lectures and exercises and we finished with doing some river crossing. Day 4 was security on steep ground day, again we went into Cwn Idwal and then back to prepare for expedition. Day 5 and 6 was the overnight expedition, it was mostly wet throughout the day but cleared up before we got to camp and didn't rain again until the next day. A great week with a fantastic group.

Cotsworld

2011-10-04T14:02:00.003+01:00

Over the last two days I have been working with a group from Cotsworld outdoors. The first day I took the group out to learn all about GPS units that they stock in their stores. It was perfect weather for navigation, very low thick cloud. We tested the limitations of GPS units whilst testing out the new RAB range of clothing. Day 2 we went scrambling up the North ridge of Tryfan. The weather was much nicer today, clear skies and light winds. This meant we had a quick ascent, then went up Bristly Ridge (grade 1***) and back down to do a little introduction to ropework which the group may use on a scramble.

Day 2 and 3 First Aid

2011-10-02T12:20:00.002+01:00

This weekend I have been finishing of a 3 day REC first aid course. Its been a fantastic 3 days, learnt lots throughout the weekend. It has been very practical and it has been great to hear Steve's stories from past experiences. Its great to hear how he has put all these techniques into real life experiences! The only problem with the course was that it put me off doing a hard and bold climb that I really wanted to do as all these stories of people being pulled off crags! One day I will climb Right Wall! Instead I went for a boulder at the Cromlech boulders.

First Aid day 1 and some hard climbing

2011-09-30T21:18:00.001+01:00

Today I was on the first day of REC first aid course run at Plas y Brenin. Its been about 3 years since I last did a course like this so it was great to see how the school of thought has changed. It was a very practical day with the group interacting and getting hands on with one another. After the day Baby Dave and I went to have a look at Beginners Mind (E7 6c). Dave has had a play before but still not got it. We dropped a top rope down and Dave flashed it right away. I had a go and couldn't figure out the crux, my fingers just aren't strong enough for it, I did get to the top though. Dave had another go on top rope and flew up to the top, looking super cool. I had another play making slightly more progress but still couldn't get through the crux. Dave then decided to lead it, very bold climbing up to 2 poor pegs then run out to the top, very balancey and super barn-doory! Dave cruised it which was amazing to watch, a true talent! I had another go, got to the top, but fell at the hard bit again.

Suicide Wall

2011-09-29T21:37:00.002+01:00

Currently having a super dry spell!! An Indian summer! Will and I headed up to Ogwen's Suicide Wall, a crag which is rarely dry. I've walked past the routes here many times and its great to finally get on them. I started on Suicide Wall Route 1 (e2 5c), which was brilliant, gear was spaced but adequate...(just). After abbing off Will led up Suicide Wall Route 2 (E2 5b) which was great also but did feel bolder that Route 1. A quick walk down and I then led up Capital Punishment (E3 5c) which is awesome. The climbing is steady but pretty sustained and the gear is space but again adequate. After another abb off, Will tried Penal Servitude (E4 5c) but couldn't find a way through so we just headed down and finished off on Homicide Wall (E3 5c). Another fantastic line despite being a little dirty.

Walking Group Leader Training

2011-09-28T21:12:00.002+01:00

Today was the last day of the Walking Group Leader Training run at Plas y Brenin. Over the 3 days Helen and I covered all aspects of the syllabus through classroom and practical based activities. We headed up above Penmaenmawr on the first day, looking at navigation, leadership skills and group management. The second day we looked at hazard awareness, new navigation techniques and more consolidation of the previous day. Tuesday evening we went out night naving out the back of Capel Curig just after I was for a wee boulder at the RAC's. The final day took us up behind Rachub, around Moel Faban (409m), Llefn (443m) and Gyrn (542m).
This evening Dave and I quickly headed up to the slate and climbed Massambula (E2 5b) before it got dark.

Assessors workshop

2011-09-25T20:00:00.000+01:00

This weekend I have attended an Assessors Wokshop run by Plas y Brenin. The two day workshops identifed and developed the skills I required to assess others in a mountain context. The programme examined the generic skills of assessing through theoretical presentations and practical application. Over the two days we looked at different aspects of assessing and approprate techniques. Through many practical and open discussions, the group built up a good structure for running an assesment. The group was quite varied, some scout leaders, teachers and other instructors. I was on the course as I am looking to work on WGL, SPA and ML assesments.

The Diamond

2011-09-23T20:08:00.002+01:00

Mint conditions down at the Diamond today! Tim Dave and I all headed down for the afternoon, things were already kicking off! Shauna Coxey was down there along with other strong climbers, this seems the place to be at the moment. Conditions were perfect so Tim and I got straight onto Boat People (7c) and we were making good progress, managed to do the route in 3 overlapping sections, just need to link it together now! Dave was on Never Get out The Boat (8a) which he made brilliant progress but didn't warm up and got a super flash pump. Tim and I had quite a few goes, not taking into account the tide. We got so pumped it took Tim ages to get up the route to strip the draws that we nearly got wet feet escaping! A great little project for me at last!

Gogarth

2011-09-22T22:24:00.005+01:00

After a nice relaxed start Dan and I headed out to Upper Tier of Gogarth, armed with fizzy drinks and junk food. Our first port of call was UFO (E2 5b/c). I strung the first two pitches together which make a much nicer pitch and a comfortable belay, Dan went on and finished the last pitch. After this we nipped back down and Dan led up the Strand (E2 5c), a route he's had his eye on for a while. I had never done it either and it was such a great line. After abbing off we strolled over to Strike (E4 6a). I led up to the abseil tat, just before arriving I took a lob. I learnt that Blair's beta was right, 'don't try and pull into the niche'. Unfortunately I did try and got spat off. I got back on then finished it off. A great day but a little bit chilly. The rock was perfect!

Winter Courses here

Snake and Ladders

2011-09-05T21:04:00.005+01:00

Today's climbing was ruled out by the constant rain which had spread over North Wales. So instead John and I went for an adventure in the slate quarries. We had heard about a journey called Snakes and Ladders by various folk. Its given HVS but the climbing is never difficult. The scary bits are climbing up the ancient ladders and moving over loose slate and rubble. The route goes through all of the main climbing areas, through tunnels, up ladders, down steep rock. I did feel a little short changed as there were no snakes. Lost world was very cool, honestly felt like being in Jurassic Park. A great couple of hours out when its raining.

Check out the Winter Courses Here

Restricted climbing

2011-08-30T21:06:00.008+01:00

Yesterday was looking wet and drizzly so Blair and I met up with Calum and and Phil for some sport climbing at LPT over on the Great Orme. I climbed Kaffe Fasset (6b) to warm up then had a couple of goes on Ive Been a Bad Bad Boy (7c+) before heading up to the cave for some bouldering. Today John and I headed over to Gogarth to climb some routes which are usually banned due to bird restrictions. We started off by abbing into Mousetrap Zawn and climbed Mouse Trap (E2 5b) A fantastic route with some amazing rock formations. After topping out we headed over to Red Wall and undertook the spooky abseil to the bottom of fantasia (E3 5c) I led the first pitch and John dispatched the second pitch well leaving me feeling pumped and tired! A great day on the coast with fantastic climbing. Cant wait to get back out there.

Check out the Winter courses for 2011-2012 here.

Advanced Scrambling

2011-08-26T21:05:00.002+01:00

This week I have been working on an Advanced Scrambling course. The group of six all had different aims and aspirations which meant we had alot to cover. The forecast was fantastic and it meant we were able to get on all sorts of classic and remote scrambles. On day 1 we went into Ogwen and climbed up the False Gribin Ridge and then down Seniors Ridge (Grade 1*), non are particularly trick but provided the group the opportunity to test out their feet before trying something harder. Day two we went back into Ogwen and climbed the East Ridge of Y Garn (Grade 2**), introduction of rope work was on the cards today. Day three we broke down the group and I took two up Dolman Ridge (Grade 3***) on Glyder Fach, again in Ogwen. Unfortunately the weather was unpleasant but we did have a great day and finished it off by descending Bristly Ridge (Grade 1***). Day 4 we climbed Sub-Cneifion Rib (VD**), Cneifion Arete (Grade 3***) finishing down the False Gribbon and our final day was up Clogwyn y Persons Arete (Grade 3***) and down over the Crib Goch Traverse (Grade 1***). Not bad for a weeks work, 20 stars in 5 days!

Check out the Winter Courses here

Climbing at Clwyd

2011-08-20T20:06:00.003+01:00

Today Dan and I headed East in a bid to escape all the rain in the mountains. We opted for Craig-y-Forwen (Worlds End). Unfortunatly we were only able to escape the rain for short periods of time, just enough for us to lead a route and then second in the rain. We started off on Finer Feelings (HVS 5a) which is a fantastic little route which Dan led. It incorporates great climbing and also has fantastic protection. I then went on to lead Tearg Wall (E2 5c) which has a fantastic long reach for a jug. Again the rain came in so we had to have a little break under the crag. I then went on to lead Crystal (E1 5b) which wasnt that great, a one move wonder. After this (and more showers) I tried Ego Beaver (E2 6b) but was denied by the rain. After a couple of wet attempts we decided to call it a day!

Adventure sports for families

2011-08-19T12:04:00.001+01:00

This was a weeks adventure with several different families from all over the county. After a little time getting to know each other we came up for an action plan for the week. Rock climbing, Mountain Walking, Gorge Walking, Kayaking and Canoeing and to finish off we went orienteering. A wide range of activities alowed the group to bond very well and realise what activity they wish to persue. Mostly wanted to become rock climbers.

Afternoon slate hit

2011-08-14T12:03:00.002+01:00

After quite an action packed day yesterday, Blair and I opted for a slightly later start and also somewhere without an hour drive! The slate was the only option! I have been wanting to do The Mau Mau (E4 6a) for quite a while so Blair was happy to hold my ropes. I warmed up on German Schoolgirl (E2 5c), a super route with only one hard section at the start (easy if your tall). Then Blair had a few goes on True Clip (7b+) and was making some good progress. After he had a few goes we headed round the corner and I led up The Mau Mau. Another brilliant route! After that Blair and I both had a couple more goes on True Clip, Blair getting pretty close to ticking it off. Fingers and rumbling stomachs meant we had to head back to the ranch!

Dindbrin

2011-08-13T20:02:00.003+01:00

Today rain was falling in and around Llanberis so John, Blair and I headed East to Clwyd. We opted for the small scar of Dinbren. I started off on Alison (E1 5b) then we all led Traction Trauma (E4 6a) on after the other. Blair and I then both led Climb High (E4 6b), unfortunately I came off during the crux move, the mother of all rock overs! We also climbed several sport routes; Cold Turkey (6c), Technicolour Yawn (7a+), Inaugural Goose Flesh (6c+) and finished on Just Another Route Name (6c). All the climbing is superb but I thought some of the routes were a little blind! Make sure you don't do on a windy day, its pretty exposed!

Young persons week

2011-08-12T20:00:00.003+01:00

Another busy week at work this week! I was working on the Touching Stone course for young people. Unfortunately the weeks weather hasn't been great so we have climbed quite alot in the rain and had to be quite inventive with the crags that we use. I was with brothers Luke and Dan from Harrogate. Both lads have climbed extensively indoors and have competed in the BRYCS.

We visited many crags including Tremadog Upper Tier, Castle Inn Quarry, Tremadog (Bwlch y Moch), Crag x and Craig y Forwyn. Both of the lads entered a mini bouldering competition on Thursday where they took 1st and 3rd place respectively, taking home a single rope and a t-shirt.

Back in Wales

2011-08-07T21:02:00.001+01:00

Arrived back from the Alps on Friday, we didn't get a route in on the last couple of days as it was raining in Switzerland. Back here the forecast was pretty similar. Today we dodged the showers at Tremadog. We managed to avoid the rain all day only getting caught by a small passing shower. This was Grahams 2nd climbing day in Wales so I wanted to take him somewhere different. Firstly I led him up The Plumb (E1 5b) in one long pitch, a fantastic pitch with interest all the way up. Then we headed to the right and Graham led up Leg Slip (E1 5b), another route I haven't done and a very good route. I then led up Venom (E3 6a) which I found very tricky. After 1 fall I got there in the end. Feeling a bit pumped we finished on The Fang (HVS 5a) where I took the 1st pitch and Graham took the second. Nice to get back on the rock but I am feeling weak! Must do some more training!

Frendo Spur

2011-08-02T17:28:00.001+01:00

After loosing my axe, Kenny and I had to head down to Chamonix to pick up my mountaineering axe to replace it. So as we were down we had a burger and some beers. This morning we took an early lift up the Aguille Du Midi but got off at the half way station. Our plan of action was the classic Frendo Spur. As we didn't get the first lift, there were several teams ahead of us but by the time we had got to a hard section and roped up, we had passed them all. There was one other team we passed higher up, they had bivied out over night. The rock was dry and clear from snow, there were a few snow patches here and there but never required us to put our crampons on. We were able to move pretty swiftly and we really wanted too because we didn't want to be on the snow crest when it get soft and mushy in the midday sun. Also we didn't really want to bivi out. We did carry bivi kit with us which we didn't need but we still made a swift ascent, topping out in 6 hours. All the rock sections were pretty steady and we only pitched a handful of times. The snow crest was exciting, we mover together all the way up to the steep ice section which was probably like Scottish grade 4. Really good route, another top day out in the Alps. The weather looks to be turning in a little so were going to head to Switzerland and see what we can find there.

Frontier Ridge (aka Kuffner Ridge)

2011-08-01T17:06:00.003+01:00

Our hiding place just after dodging the rock fall

Today felt like a hard day! We summited Mont Maudit at the top of the Frontier Ridge at 10am after setting off at 5am in the morning. I know the problem was that we weren't acclimatised at all, and we had climbed up to 4465m, and only arrived in Chamonix the day before yesterday. Anyway the route was fantastic! The climbing was very exposed but never too difficult. The were quite a few snowy ridges which felt a little spooky but generally fun to climb over. The rock was generally pretty sound, plenty of loose stuff so we had to tred carefully. Unfortunately a team up ahead didn't tred carefully and one climber took a fall bringing off alot of rock with him. At this point Kenny and I were moving together up a steep snow slope with no protection but fortunately we had space to move to the right as fast as we possible could to just miss all the falling rock. If we were 20 seconds slower there would have been no avoiding it! We checked the climber was OK the scooted past them so we were above everyone else. The hardest part of the route for me was the last 100m height gain along the snow slopes, I could hardly walk! Note to self acclimatise before climbing to 4465m.

From the top we walked down to Col du Maudit and Col du Midi, picked up out gear stash and walked up the the Midi Ridge. At the lift I put my ice axe down for 5 minutes while I nipped to the loo in the station and somebody nicked it so I am now down a Petzl Quark Adze. If you have one for sale, let me know!

1st bin up

2011-07-31T20:40:00.003+01:00

So after arriving last night in Chamonix, Kenny and I got the first lift up the Aguille Du Midi and headed over to the Triangle on Mont Blanc du Tacul for a warm up route, we climbed a combination of pitches, 4 in total and then abbed off. The ice was generally good and this climb allowed us to blow a few cobwebs away and remember how to use axes and crampons! I think we mainly followed the German Couloir. A super warm day with many teams out on the Chere Couloir. After we abbed of we went and got our bags and made the 3-4 hour walk around to the Arete de La Brenva. Whilst walking over we saw a team lifted off a rock route, amazing to watch to watch the skill of the reacue team! We climbed a short and steep couloir to get up onto the ridge where we met the bivi hut. This small hut was really nice, we were the first team there but within 10 minutes of arriving 10 other climbers arrived to the small bivi. A cosy and socialable night.

Chamonix

2011-07-30T16:39:00.000+01:00

Arrived at Chamonix, weather looking great. Time to pack for some climbing.

Gold Week

2011-07-29T18:29:00.001+01:00

This week I have been working with a group of young people going through their Duke of Edinburgh Gold. The week was all about interacting with others, working as a team whilst carrying out some fun activities. On Monday we went up to a very busy Tremadog Upper Tier for a spot of bouldering and rock climbing where we looked at rock climbing skills such as movement, technique, belaying, rope work skills and pushing it hard. On Tuesday we went sea level traversing which involved climbing, jumping and swimming! So much fun. In the evening I met up with Donald and we went bouldering at the RAC boulders. On Wednesday we went kayaking and canoeing on the lake outside the centre, again I met up with Donald and went bouldering at the Cromlech boulders. Thursday we scrambled up Tryfan, we had very poor visibility and rain all day! I have to say, not all the kids loved this! Finally today we went Gorge walking, basically getting really wet and having a splash, brilliant way to finish the week. Now I'm driving out to the alps for a few days!

Strength in numbers

2011-07-23T21:47:00.005+01:00

Today I was out with Matt and Rhyse and we headed up to Cyrn Las in Llanberis Pass. It has been dry for the last few days so we knew that it would be a good option. We climbed Lubyanka (E3 5c) which is a stunning route. We all got a 5c pitch and was a great route to climb in a 3. Many teams out on Main Wall (HS), in fact I counted 6 teams up there. After this we headed to Hidden Walls where I led up Rembrant Pussy Horse (E3 6a) and then Matt led up El Guide Direct (E3 5c). Rhyse had a shot on What a Difference a Day Makes (E4 6a) but got too pumped and bailed. A good day, despite being a bit chilly.

2 Wet Days off

2011-07-17T22:28:00.003+01:00

This weekend was a complete wash out, so much rain! Fortunatly Dan wanted to take me down a river, he had his work cut out! We went to the Tryweryn which is a dam released river. We put in at the top where Dan taught me some skills, we realised I had several bad habits! We headed down stream but got out and walked around some the upper grade 4 section. We then did the whole lower section which has a spicy Grade 4 section which I did without swimming. The next day we went back and I paddled the whole of the upper section with several swims, mainly silly mistakes.

In the water

2011-06-13T20:20:00.004+01:00

Today I was working with Kath and Spike and we headed into one of the local gorges. The group of 18 kids had never been in gorges so were very excited to get stuck in on the first day of their week long adventure package. In the evening i took a small team of them orienteering around the centre before they headed off to dinner. After dinner I gave a lecture to 40 people about by alpine climbing trip in October. A long day and the ale was superb!

Half day at work

2011-06-08T20:24:00.004+01:00

Today I was in acting as a Sherpa today for Matt's group. They were out on a Mountain Skills course and were heading up to camp with there bags. Due to one member of the group being quite unfit, I went along to help get them up to camp so they could dump their kit and go and bag a summit. We went down into Ogwen and the group eventually headed up Pen yr Ole Wen after setting up camp. I ran back down the hill and headed up to the lakes for my sisters wedding.

Helping on an ML Training

2011-06-07T22:30:00.002+01:00

Today I was scheduled on to take a group from a Mountain Leader Training course to some steep ground to look at rope work in the ML context. Most of the group haven't used a rope in the hills so we had plenty to cover. We looked carefully at anchor selection, how to attach ourselves to them and safeguard others over different terrain. We also looked at confidence roping, lowering and abseiling. We did all of this up and around the PYG Track which leads up too Snowdon from Pen y Pass. Was a chilly and windy day.

Day off and a new crag explored

2011-06-06T21:48:00.005+01:00

Today brought us good sunny weather with a light wind so Caff and I headed up to Diffwys Ddu (Cyrn Las Grey Horn) in Llanberis Pass. I had not been up here before so it was good to get up here while it is dry. Caff had only a couple of routes to do before he had done all the routes on this crag. We started up on The Grooves (E1 5b) and we finished on The Undercut (E5 6b), a route which hasnt had a second ascent. The route had plenty of pegs which are all in great condition with some great pumpy climbing. We then headed back to the bags for a bit of a refuel and I led up The Skull (E4 6a) and Caff went for Wrath of Khan (E6 6b) which takes a groove to the right of pitch 5 on the Skull. Again another route which hasnt had a second ascent. A great day finished with a pint in the Vaynol Arms.

Consolidation Day

2011-06-05T21:25:00.002+01:00

Today was day two for the Discover Navigation course and today the weather was looking much more promising in terms of navigating. It was overcast with low cloud. Today we looked at navigation strategies on terrain off the beaten track and looking closely at contour features. We set off from the bottom of the Watkin Path but then branched off left and circumnavigated Yr Aran away from paths and super obvious features.

Navigation Course and evening climb

2011-06-04T22:46:00.004+01:00

Today I was directing a Discover Navigation with 6 clients, all who have very little or no navigational skills. The aim of the day was to introduce the basic concepts of using a map and compass. We walked out from the centre and headed up Crimpiau covering all sorts of different terrain and looking at different strategies to get from A to B. The weather was fine and clear today so after work I headed up to Dinas Bach with Tim and Dave and we put a top rope on an E6 which hasn't had a second ascent. I got to the top an all attempts but didn't manage to get it clean.

Rock climbing all day - perfect

2011-06-03T22:49:00.002+01:00

Today was the final day for Chris and Tye on the Rock Improvers course. It was a beautiful day so we opted for Flying Buttress (VD) on Dinas Cromlech in Llanberis Pass. They led the whole route with me just hanging around helping out with anything they miss or questions they have. We had just enough time after the route to head down to the the Cromlech Boulders for a little burn out.

After work I headed down to The Great Orme with the two Dave's and Will. We started at Lower Pen Trwyn where I climbed Pinky Pink Snuffs it (7a) and Night Glue (7a+). I then headed up to Mayfair wall and on sighted The Bloods (7a+). 3 great routes in an evening. Feeling a wee bit tired now.

Burning on the rock

2011-06-02T22:52:00.003+01:00

Day 2 of Rock Improvers so Chris, Tye and I headed to Clogwyn Yr Oen in the Moelwyns. Chris and Tye got straight on the sharp end and lead up Chic (VD) and then they went on to lead the first two pitches of Slick (VD). The guys then set up an abseil and we headed back to the centre for tea and cakes. This evening I headed out night naving with Jo who has her summer mountain leader assessment coming up. Another long day.

A full day at work

2011-06-01T22:54:00.004+01:00

Today I joined day 3 for a Rock Improver's course as it was multi pitch day for my clients Chris and Tye. We headed down to Tremadog and I led them up Christmas Curry and Rio. They were both building belays and getting themselves ready for two days of leading routes themselves. It was an overcast day but fortunately it never rained. When we got back to PYB I took the whole group into the bouldering wall for a technique coaching session, looking at improving their technique and movement. After dinner I had to give an hour long lecture about climbing the Eiger to everybody staying at the centre, a good turnout off 40 odd. A long day at work.

More nav and session by the sea

2011-05-31T21:58:00.004+01:00

Today was day two for my navigation team. Today we headed up fro a circuit up and over Cnicht. Weather was really pleasant throughout the day, which usually means navigation was quite easy, so I turned up the difficulty to see what the team are capable of. A strong day from everybody. After work Blair, Caff, Luke and I headed down to the Great Orme for a crank on some sport routes. I sent Night Glue (7a+) and then had a play I've Been A Bad Bad Boy (7c) which was super hard, after Luke put the clips in for me. Caff and Blair were also climbing at their limits and only just got back to their bags before the tide came in!

Intro to Navigation

2011-05-30T21:49:00.004+01:00

Today was Day 1 on a Complete Navigation course. I met up with the group who all have little or no map and compass skills so we had lots to get on with. From the centre we headed out south into the forest. Here the group were introduced to basic navigation skills and techniques. We worked our way over the road and headed up to Crimpiau summit for some great views down Ogwen valley and over to Snowdon, before heading back to the centre. After a talk with the group about mountain weather I headed down to the bouldering wall with Blair for a quick session.

Fairhead

2011-05-29T13:01:00.007+01:00

Just arrived back from a week away in Northern Ireland sampling some of the countrys best trad climbing. 100m abseil ropes packed, double set of cams packed, vast ammounts of chalk and spare forearms are Fairhead essentials. Not only were we tackling the uber long routes but doing this in some of the foulest weather I have rock climbed in! Winds gusting up to 70mph bringing in cloud and rain. We were all climbing in down jackets where possible and even gloves!We had a team of 10 and between us we climbed around 150 pitches of rock ranging from HVS to E7. I was climbing with Luke for the whole week and we climbed everyday ticking off many of the 3 star classics - Hells Kitchen HVS 5a, Toby Jug E1 5b, Blind Pew E2 5b, Jolly Roger E3 6a, Born to Run E4 6a, The Mask E5 6a plus many more. There are so many amazing routes, 60m crack climbing pitches, amazing grove climbing, face climbing, brutal hand jamming routes, something for everyone. So much new route potential too!! If your thinking about a rock climbing holiday, Fairhead is the answer.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-05-20T12:00:00.003+01:00

Infact I have hardly had a spare moment to keep track of the routes I've been doing. Over the last month I have been sampling various different venues around North Wales, some local some more distant from Llanberis. The weather has been ideal for lots of cragging with short walk-ins, The Great and Little Orme, LLanberis Pass, Tremadog, Gogarth etc. We have also had some good spells of weather which have dried out the mountain crags such as Craig Y Ysva and areas up around Snowdon. Had a few hits up in the slate Quarries climbing the classic routes aswel. Been super busy at work too, mainly working on climbing courses but also some ML Trainings and navigation courses. Just finished working on the Rapid Development Rock Clinic whis is a month long rock climbing course. Heading off to Fairhead with 9 others tomorrow for a mini break!

Spell of good weather

2011-03-23T22:31:00.005Z

Been another busy week working at Plas Y Brenin (Crib Goch, Bristly Ridge with Mammut gear testers and Dougal Tavener. Shadowing an ML Assesment today) and its been great weather for after work hits on the rock. On Friday after work James McHaffie and I went up to Clogwyn y Grochan, I led up Slape Direct (E2 5c) and First Amendment (E2 5c) and then Caff led me up Cockblock (E5 6b), I fell of twice but got there eventually. The Next day I went to Tremadog with Emma and I led up Vector (E2 5c) and then we did Belshazar (HVS 5a), two great routes. On Tuesday after work Steve and I went up to Vivian Quarry. Steve led up Last Tango In Paris (E2 5c) and I led up Comes the Dervish (E3 5c), what an amazing route!! Finally today, Steve, Dan and I went and climbed Left Wall (E2 5c) on Dinas Cromlech. I got on the sharp end, got massively pumped, took a big whipper just before the jugs, then finished it off.

Since Scotland

2011-03-18T15:21:00.003Z

Over the past few weeks I have been really busy down in Wales, mostly working. I have managed to get out to the slate mines climbing 4 times, only once on my day off. Climbed routes like Fool's Gold (E1 5c), Solstice (HVS 5a), Equinox (VS 4c), Geordie War Cry (7a+)(DNF) all at Bus Stop Quarry. Bella Lugosi Is Dead (E1 5b) and The Horsing Around Finish (6a+) near the Rainbow slab area. I been to Tremadog several times, working with the Fast Trackers and on a Touching Stone course. I have just compleated the 14 (15) Welsh peaks with 5 clients which was a fantastic week, great way to see the whole of Snowdonia. I have been mountain biking at Coed y Brenin which was awesome, working on adventure days from the centre and observing on Mountain Leader Assesments. The weather has been quite changeable but the work has been great. Early finish today so going climbing in a few minutes!

MIC Training

2011-02-25T19:00:00.003Z

I have just returned to Wales after spending 5 days doing my MIC Training with Plas y Brenin. We had quite a changeable week of weather. The first 3 days were good but then we had an uber thaw. John, Ewan, Tom, Stu and I climbed Ledge Route (II). The second day Tom, Phil and I climbed Cutlass (VI,7) and on the 3rd day Tom, Phil and I climbed Original Route (IV,5) on Summit Buttress in Stob Coire nan lochain. fouth day we went up to Anoach Mor and on the final day we went up and down Zig Zags on Gearr Aonach.

Route 1 Direct

2011-02-19T18:56:00.000Z

Today was my first day back in Scotland so John, Johnny and I shot up the Ben for some climbing. As the winds were high we opted for a lowish route so we went on Route 1 (VI,6) on Carn Dearg Buttress. Its a great route with a really tricky top pitch. Dave and James were on Cutlass, another great low level option. Several other teams were out too.

Work Induction

2011-02-18T18:34:00.001Z

The last 3 weeks have been spent in North Wales doing an induction to work at Plas y Brenin. Throughout the 3 weeks we went mountaineering in Ogwen Valley, did BMC Fundamental course, rock climbing on Idwal Slabs (clearing snow off the ledges), Holyhead Mountain (in t shirts) and several single pitch crags dotted around. We went sea kayaking around Anglesey and lots of other bits and pieces. One more week of training, then start work!

New Job

2011-02-03T18:39:00.002Z

I have started working for Plas Y Brenin in Snowdonia. I am here until the end of October.

Thompsons Route

2011-01-25T14:37:00.004Z

This morning John and I went up Ben Nevis to see what conditions were looking like. I had mixed in mind but on arrival all the buttresses were totally stripped! Another team were up to do Darth Vader but on arrival realised it was a no go. We got on Thompsons route, I have climbed this before so John took the rack and headed up. The ice was very mushy and slushy, not the best conditions I've had so far this season. On the way down Mike was heading up Thompsons, the team who headed for Darth went on Gremlin's, another team headed for either Green Gully or Number 3 Gully Buttress. We were back in Nevis Sport for a brew at 1.30. Heading to the Ice Factor for another session now.

2 Routes Today

2011-01-23T18:10:00.000Z

Today John and I headed up into Ben Nevis's north face. We headed up to Trident Buttress to climb The Slab Climb (VI,7). This is an excellent route in great condition at the moment. Gear is really good when its needed. We climbed the route in 3 pitches and then traversed off into number 4 gully. We got back to the bags at 1pm so we went and climbed Wendigo (IV,4) on Creag Coire na Ciste. This also was an excellent route which we also did in 3 pitches. All the mixed routes looked good high up on the crag. Other teams on Green Gully, Tower Ridge, North Gully, Jubilee Climb, Gargoyle Wall, Thompsons Route and many more over near Observatory Ridge Area. Ken was out on a route near to us.

Point 5 Gully ... At Last.

2011-01-21T21:12:00.000Z

I have been up to do this classic Cold Climb on Ben Nevis many times but have always been beaten to it. Not today though. Jamie and I had a super early start and got to the route before anybody else! Unfortunately the visibility was very poor but the ice was superb. Great for climbing on, not very helpful for protection though. The steep pitches felt very run out! And to top it off Jamie's crampon came off on the Rouge Pitch! It went the full distance so we proceeded with Jamie only climbing with one crampon. Step cutting is actually quite good fun on steep ice! Despite this slight draw back we topped out in good time but had to walk down the red burn instead of going down number 4 like everyone else.

Back in Stob Coire nan Lochain

2011-01-20T21:27:00.000Z

Today I was up early for first light in Glencoe. The views and morning colours were spectacular. As yesterday the crags were looking great. Several teams on Dorsal Arete again, a team had a look in Twisting Gully but decided it hadnt consolidated enough so they retreated.

Chimney Route

2011-01-20T06:11:00.000Z

Today was another cracking day with very little wind and plenty of blue skies. Campbell and I opted for heading up into Stob Coire nan Lochain in Glencoe for a look at the crags. On arrival there was lots to go for so I suggested doing Chimney Route (VI,6). A route that neither of us had done didn't disappoint. I led the route in 3 pitches to get us onto the crest where we bumped into John and his mate who had just done Twisting grooves. A soloist climbed Dorsal Arete and another soloist on Boomerang Arete. The whole crag is looking great for the mixed routes. We descended Broad Gully.

Tower Face of the Comb

2011-01-18T23:05:00.000Z

Today John and I headed up into the North Face of Ben Nevis to have a look and see what has been left over from the thaw. We saw very little, visibility was very poor with all the falling snow. We headed up to Comb Buttress and climbed Tower Face of the Comb (VI,6). The route was fantastic, excellent climbing and best of all it was in perfect condition. Plenty of good neve, solid turf and not too much snow! The mountain was quiet today with very few people venturing out. A team of lively french men had climbed Mercury (V,5) but reported dry tooling on the lower pitch as there was no ice. Mixed routes are in great condition. Gully's are getting there but now have quite a bit of snow in. We avoided coming down number 4 gully and walked down the red burn. Just back from a dry tooling session at the Ice Factor so very tired arms. All packed for more climbing tomorrow though!!

A Soggy Expedition

2011-01-16T20:59:00.000Z

This weekend was meant to be spent snow holing but as the weather has created a rather substantial thaw, we opted for a bothy. We went to the Lairig Leacach bothy below Stob Ban in the The Grey Corries. It rained constantly for the two days with winds up to 90mph! At one point Izzi was crawling up the hill. On arrival to the bothy there was smoke in the chimney which was a pleasant surprise. Two guys from the lakes were there for the weekend so it was very sociable. On the first day we attempted to walk up Stob Ban but at the 800m line we couldn't fight the winds anymore so we headed down in to the valley and did plenty of navigation practice before heading back to the bothy to dry off in front of the fire. Day two consisted of a walk up two Corbett's, battling the wind, rain and occasional snow flurries. We did pleanty of navigation before heading back to the car so Izzi could catch the train back to Essex. A tough week with the current weather conditions but still productive. No photo's of the rain, forgot my camera.

A wet letter day

2011-01-14T21:20:00.000Z

Today Izzi and I donned the full waterproofs, sealed our dry bags, cased our maps and braved the weather in Glencoe. We opted for the Zig Zags on Gearr Aonach which, as predicted, was completely stripped of snow. We made a quick ascent onto Gearr Aonach and then buried our heads in our maps looking at navigation skills. We navigated ourselves up the North East ridge in very strong winds, gusts up to 60+mph. We battled our way down the north ridge and navigated our way back in the corrie floor. Time was running away from us as was any dry stitching in out clothing so we headed back to the car. Heading out for a little 2 day expedition into the Grey Corries for the weekend. Feel free to bring more fire wood up to the Lairig Leacach Bothy!

Soggy Nevis

2011-01-13T16:01:00.000Z

Today Izzi and I were keen to find some ice to climb before everything is stripped away. We headed up to the CIC cascades to see what was left of them. On approach it didn't look hopeful, especially when a large amount of ice fell off the steepest line! Fortunately we were able to climb the next line giving good but wet climbing at grade III. Axe and crampon placements were great as the ice was so soft and even the ice screws seemed to be pretty reasonable. We abbed off the block at the top and made a hasty retreat back to the car. Lots to dry out tonight! Think I'll leave my gear to the radiator and go for a climb at The Ice Factor.

Wet and Windy

2011-01-13T05:40:00.000Z

Despite the bad weather Izzi and I got up to Aonach Mor for a little run around in the snow. Temperatures were high and snow was thawing rapidly. We found patches of ice here and there to use our crampons and the wet snow was great for sliding on. We spent the day over at the Nid area, eventually working our way up the ridge and had a dig at bucket seats and snow anchors. Not a great day for hanging around.

Little Shephard of Etive

2011-01-09T05:25:00.000Z

Today Emma was out for her first winter walk and we just wanted something small and sweet. We headed into Glencoe and took a wander up Buachaille Etive Beag. On the bealach we decided to just go up onto Stob Dubh (958m) and catch the nice views over onto Glen Etive. We talked about avalanche awareness on the move, looking at hasty pits, walking ruchsblock test and identifying visable signs of snow transportation. Several other walkers were out enjoying the spectacular views and great weather.

North Face Route

2011-01-07T19:33:00.000Z

Today Graham and I headed up to Buachaille Etive Mor. We got on North Face Route (V,6), a route that rarely sees traffic in the winter. It was brilliant. Quite a bit of snow to clear but turf was bomber and cracks were clear. Every pitch had a tricky bit on it and I found it quite tiring. We abbed down from the top of the route back to the start in 3 full 60m abseils. Great day. Several other teams on Curved Ridge. Time for a take away!

Snow Ploughing

2011-01-06T19:57:00.000Z

This morning Graham had a physio appointment at 9am so we had a late start, leaving the car at 10.40. We headed up into Stob Coire nan Lochain in Glencoe and arrived up there at 11.40. We saw several teams out, counted about 6 parties. All on Dorsal Arete! I think all the gear placements and belays will be nice and clear. As we only had a short amount of daylight left. We went up Scabbard Chimney (V,6), and then once we got onto easier ground we abseiled back down. It was pretty hard going clearing off all the snow but is a great route which I have wanted to do for a while. The winds were pretty low today and plenty of blue sky around.