More lead climbing courses

A day off today - unusual for a Bank Holiday - but I'm quite  grateful as it is torrential rain here this morning. We managed to squeeze in quite a bit of climbing over the last few days , especially as the weather was much better than predicted and Mark, Rado and Dimitar all managed to progress their lead climbing - with just enough excitement to give climbing experience at the sharp end and a real sense of adventure on the Prow of the Longstone Pinnacle for Rado and Dimitar - well done guys !
We could of done with some more challenging weather in Snowdonia last week, as I was helping out on a mountain navigation course with Rob Johnson - as it was the dazzling sunlight made the use of map and compass a little redundant - but I'm not going to complain too much, a day out in theses beautiful mountains is always going to be a treat.

Lead climbing courses

We've enjoyed a good day out climbing some Symonds Yat classics  on Matt and Jason's lead climbing course - moving onto some leader placed protection after the sport climbing at Tintern Quarry - both found being at the sharp end of the rope an exciting experience, and we looked at how to cope rationally with the rising panic that can sometimes affect lead climbers - luckily they both survived and succeeded on their respective climbs.

Summer rock climbing

It has been a very busy few days - with people taking advantage of the extended holiday period and some stunning weather - we have all enjoyed some excellent climbing in some beautiful surroundings, and for those new to the area, quite an eye-opener as to what this part of the UK has to offer - especially for John and David who had travelled all the way from Northern Ireland and were rewarded for their efforts with a perfect day. We were able to progress courses well this week with Matthew , John, David and Kieran completing first leads outdoors - Zoe being more comfortable with heights, Laith pushing his grade and Jo realising that climbing can be fun !

A little quieter today after the Bank holiday - giving us the choice of routes today for some pre-trip training for Russell and Lucy, who are heading out to the 'Via Ferratas' of the Italian Dolomites. We were able to do some long traverses on the steep limestone cliffs, giving us a facsimile of the character of the steep rock that they might encounter !

Changing seasons

Some lovely Spring weather this week to finish my programme of winter mountaineering courses. It has been a very up and down season with some extreme conditions - heavy snow and freezing temps to warm and wet, with strong winds being a fairly constant cause for frustration ( -  lots of days having high avalanche conditions ) and the lack of snow in North Wales being particularly frustrating - with courses transferred to the Cairngorms instead. Thanks to all those attending, especially those who had to contend with poor conditions - it's all part of the experience, luckily we get rewarded with those very special days out  and I'm looking forward to next year !

Rock climbing season

Rock climbing courses in the Wye Valley this week have benefited from gorgeous spring weather, with dry rock and clear skies encouraging lots of teams out, especially now the clocks have gone forward allowing longer days. We have been concentrating on some of the more technical  aspects of rope work and gear placement etc. as well as polishing up some lead climbing skills. I'll have to repack my rucsac, though for the  end of the week, as I'm back up to Scotland for some more winter mountaineering courses - or should that be 'spring' mountaineering courses ! Hopefully the recent high temps. won't have melted all the snow away !

All change !

All change with the weather again for this weekend's course - massive snowfall led to road closures and a return to high avalanche risk for the Cairngorms - challenging conditions, but thanks to Jason and Steve's enthusiasm we managed to get out and enjoy ourselves, and even though both have had extensive experience in the high places around the world, the 'full-on Scottish winter' proved for a steep learning curve. We were rewarded for our efforts with having the Northern Corries pretty much to ourselves and a real wilderness experience !

Blue skies, sunshine and perfect neve

The recent settled weather has transformed the mountains into a wonderful playground for outdoor sports - Rado and Dimitri's course finished with a first winter  lead for them, smiles and handshakes all round, and they were rewarded with a spectacular view across the Cairngorm plateau looking very 'arctic' - I've got a feeling they'll be back !
Even with tired legs,  I wasn't going to miss out on the conditions and managed to squeeze in a climb in Coire an Sneachda, a trip to Hell's Lum and an afternoon's Skiing on the plateau on my day off - including an 8 hour drive home ! It didn't stop there either, Tuesday's springlike weather led to a bike ride in the Brecon Beacons and some rock climbing on the way home in the evening sunshine - a fantastic few days, what a difference a bit of sun makes !