Picos De Europa

Back from a very hot and sunny Picos De Europa and a great few days climbing in this fantastic area - Ben had only driven past these impressive mountains before and was keen to return to climbing amongst them. Fuente De seemd a good place to start, with the cable car top station within easy walking distance to some excellent mountain crags. There was such a queue we headed to Camaleno a quick Via Ferrata to blunt the frustration of waiting ( there is a new ticket number system in place ) eventually we got the uplift to the top station and easy access to Ajuila Oisteaochea and a good introduction to multi-pitch climbing for Ben. Next day we set off early for a walk in to the South face of Naranja de Bulnes and enjoyed a relaxed ascent of the Sur Direct to attain the summit and a multi-abseil descent. After a surprisingly quiet night in the JDU refuge ( which was pretty full ) we headed up to the East face of Naranja with the hope on doing the classic La Cepeda - it had been very busy the day before and we didn't want to end up queuing again, luckily it was empty and remained so all day, so we could relax and enjoy this fantastic route in perfect condition. Ben was keen to try out some ' sport ' climbing back up at La Vuelta, so to avoid the crowds we set off early to Fuente De and enjoyed this great little crag all to ourselves as a wind down to a successful trip - thanks Ben - a great few days in a fantastic mountain area.

The weather has been very good to us lately with only the odd shower effecting an otherwise perfect start to the season - and there have been quite a few teams out making the most of it, with large contingents from Guildford MC, Dublin and Cardiff Uni. MC all enjoying the warm limestone. We've managed to find some peace and quiet away form the crowds with trips to Cleeve Hill, Wintours Leap, Symonds Yat and Wyndcliffe. One disappointment this season is the loss of Tintern Quarry as a sports climbing venue - the owner no longer wants climbers in the quarry - hopefully negotiations will continue and we can eventually make use of this excellent venue again.

Fantastic end to the winter courses

Patience with this unusual winter finally paid off with a fantastic week in the Cairngorms to finish off this season's courses. With a major thaw before last week and a return to colder temperatures, the conditions were far better, combined with blue skies and sunshine we enjoyed some of the best days out this season. There were surprisingly few teams out, adding a remote feeling to the 'alpine' atmosphere which was certainly appreciated by both Grahams, Tracey, Mauro, and Terry, and culminated with a spectacular day in the winter mountains for me to end the season on a high.

Coire an-t Sneachda, only 40 mins from the car park, but a world away in atmosphere.














Perfect snow conditions after the thaw and re-freeze














With the sun setting on a perfect day

Wild winter

The continuing stormy weather has given some pretty challenging conditions for the start of this seasons winter courses, either with too much snow in the Cairngorms or too little snow in Snowdonia. The crags are buried in masses of snow in the Cairngorms with attendant high avalanche risk and limited climbing  options, but it has been a good opportunity to practice some of the skills - especially with the use of transceivers. Snowdonia has been a been a big disappointment after last year's fantastic conditions and although there has been some recent snowfalls, it has been  too warm for climbing conditions to develop, however, with any luck the nearly established snowpack will improve with just a few degrees drop in temperature, fingers crossed as I've got quite a few courses lined up.

Cuillin Ridge September 2013

A long drive north in September for another attempt on the Cuillin for Russ, who was very keen to complete the traverse after an aborted attempt last July. We were joined by Kevin, who had done sections of the ridge before but had always had his sights on the complete traverse. So it was a pretty enthusiastic team, despite the uncertainty of the weather, that headed out from Glenbrittle in the dark early hours on Tuesday.

We made good time to Gars Bheinn and were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise as we topped out, with the sun burning off the mists rolling in from the west. Everyone was in good form and the difficulties were ticked off fairly rapidly, although the TD gap slowed us down a bit even though it was dry and sunny. The mists started to close in again before we reached An Stac and our world contracted to just a few metres in front of us. Both Russ and Kevin had experienced this section of the ridge in better visibility and so weren't missing out too much, instead we concentrated on moving efficiently and safely on the now wet rock, without even breaking stride for the Inn Pinn. After collecting our stashed bivvi kit we carried on to our campsite below Sgurr Greadaidh and a well earned meal. 

A few glimpses of stars during the night suggested better things for our second day, but we awoke to a thick wetting mist and complete darkness. The poor conditions required a slow, deliberate approach over the complicated terrain of Greadaidh & Mhadaidh and it was a relief when daylight made progress easier over Bidein Druim nan Ramh. Kevin was very keen on attempting Naismith's Route on the Bhastier Tooth and with conditions improving we traversed in to the start. A loose block on the crux added an extra element of excitement, but despite a little hesitation we managed to reach the summit of Am Bhastier in good style. Sgurr nan Gillean is never an anti-climax, and after dropping off our heavy packs at the col, it was a enjoyable finish to the traverse.

A great sense of achievement for the guys - they'd been waiting a long time to complete the traverse - and to do it in good style, in poor conditions heightened the feeling, especially after the congratulations from a couple of teams who aborted their attempt late on Tuesday. Well done guys!

 

Cuillin Ridge Traverse

The fresh snow on Thursday gave the Cuillins an Alpine feel for Steve and Jim's introduction to the ridge on Friday and led to a genuine feeling of excitement for their attempt on the traverse. After stocking the camp, we had an early start on Saturday to allow for a steady pace, and we made good progress until the Inn Pinn - given it was a Bank Holiday and good weather, we shouldn't of been surprised by the number of people wanting to climb it, so we joined the que and waited our turn. We managed to get to our bivvi site and to enjoy a well earned meal before the weather deteriorated and we were tucked up warm and cosy during the worst of it. Another early start was rewarded with some splendid views and a fantastic feeling of having the Cuillins to ourselves - it was only near the end before we saw anyone else on the ridge. Some things are worth the effort and it was with a real sense of achievement that the guys finally stepped onto the summit of Sgurr Nan Gillean and the end of the adventure - well done guys!

 Just recovering from a late night return from the Alps today and taking a look through the photo's.

I'd hoped to put a bit more into my camera work on this trip, but I was too tired to do anything but snap ! my climbing partner Rob, however, got some good shots. 

We were very lucky with a three day weather window to give us reasonable conditions for our route on the big north face of the Grande Jorasses. We made good progress on the moon lit approach through the deep crevasses of the Mont Maller glacier to below the Petite Macintyre, and we were well established on the ice by the time the sun was picking out the summits.

The route was long and tiring with burning calf muscles after 8 hours of front pointing, and although I wanted to descend the Hirondelles Ridge to get back to the hut, we decided to abseil back down the route - a good decision in the end as we were able to follow our tracks back through the crevasses and avoid the stress of unknown ground after a long and tiring day.

A bit 'jet lagged' today after returning from another adventure on the Cuillin Ridge. Our gamble with the weather seemed to pay off when we arrived to perfect conditions on Friday for our preliminary walk in to stock the overnight camp. A spectacular introduction for Russ, who had not visited these mountains. Our good luck continued on Saturday morning, with the rising sun above us and clouds in the valley below us we were in good spirits when we reached the TD gap; however, within ten minutes, as if on cue, the clouds thickened and rain started to fall, turning the climb out of the gap into a major challenge, requiring an awful lot of swearing !! The rest of the Coire Lagan Round provided a lot more wet and slippery entertainment, including the King's Chimney before we finally topped out on the summit of the Inaccessible Pinnacle and a disconcerting abseil into the mists below. It was with relief that we finally got to our stash of gear and a chance to get out of the rain and some hot food. Our plan to move onto a good campsite further along the ridge, didn't appeal in the poor weather, and so with limited space I left the guys to tough out the night, and headed down to the Youth Hostel at Glenbrittle ( hot showers, drying room and a soft bed !! ) returning at 5 a.m with hopefully better weather. Unfortunately it wasn't to be and the heavy overnight rain continued, with the guys' chances of completing the ridge in one go, disappearing as fast as the water was flowing downhill. It was a good effort and worth a gamble, so well done Russ and Mel, but sometimes things just don't happen as we want - that's what makes it an adventure ! !

A rare perfect day on the Isle of Skye May 2012

A very up and down season so far this year, with the weather doing all sorts, the courses have had to be flexible to get the most out of the conditions - but all experience is good experience ! and with a positive and practical approach the variability of the weather is something to be enjoyed rather than endured ( although often in hindsight )  Thankfully I have been lucky enough to have had clients who recognise this and we have been rewarded with  learning experiences which are far more satisfying than when the conditions are perfect.

Change of season

With the warmest winter for a while the season is drawing to a close early this year and thoughts are turning more towards summer climbing and mountaineering - this season I hope to run a few more trips to Skye and the Cuillin Ridge - with 'Alpine' style climbing very much the ' in thing '- moving together, fast & light etc. - fingers crossed !

West Coast winter courses

My winter courses have moved over to the West coast for this week - and we have been lucky enough to enjoy some good weather and conditions despite the recent thaws - with plenty of good snow and ice on Ben Nevis and high up in Glencoe . A great introduction to winter  climbing in these beautiful mountains - with ascents of some of the classics, including Dorsal Arete in Stob Coire nan Lochan and the formidable Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis - which  thankfully, was in a very friendly mood on Monday.

Cairngorms

After a good days skiing on Sunday in some lovely sunshine, my winter courses in the Cairngorms have started with more typical weather - pretty up and down, but without too much drama. Monday was wet and windy, but yesterday was much improved and there were quite a few teams out enjoying the early season conditions, including some old friends - Hi Shona & Don. We concentrated on some of the basics, especially looking at the potential for windslab avalanches, as the strong wind is providing us with plenty of examples ! More challenging weather  forecast for tomorrow - at least it provides 'hands on' experience in coping with poor conditions - its not always a blue skied winter wonderland - that would be too easy, wouldn't it ????

Winter season start

Pressed the last of the cider apples this week and the wood shed is full - so roll on winter ! The reports of snow on the Scottish mountains and the forecast for more is a relief as courses start in the Cairngorms the week leading up to Christmas, however, Snowdonia isn't showing a lot of promise and I have had to cancel next weeks course after the thaw and rain of Thursday's storm - a bit disappointing as this time last year the ice was excellent - I even ran an ice climbing course in the Brecon Beacons! We're heading to the Cairngorms on Saturday so packing the ski's, ice axes, crampons etc this week and getting more excited - especially looking at all the webcams.

End of season climbing

Another busy few days at the end of the season - making the most of the good weather with a mixture of outdoor / lead and intro courses for Wesley,Tyler, Lola, Liam, Joseph and Delyth - a very easy and enjoyable few days for me, just right for getting into the holiday mood for our trip to the Picos De Europa, with hopefully warm sunshine and golden limestone against crystal blue skies - although last time we visited we had 50cm of snow overnight !

Back to work

Back to work this week with courses in the Wye Valley and North Wales, luckily the weather was much better than anticipated - especially for Renai and Grant, visiting from Australia, they even got a fleeting view from the summit of Snowdon - despite the severe weather warning ! A few glimpses of autumn sunshine in the Wye Valley were also very welcome for lead and introductory climbing courses as I was concerned that poor weather might spoil one of my busiest weeks so far this year, thanks to all for an enjoyable few days climbing !

French Alps Trip

Just got back from the Alps today - surprised that I don't look out of place with a scorched face, it seems the weather has been just as spectacular here !
After a couple of days acclimatising Rob and I headed to our objective - the Kuffner Ridge on Mont Maudit, but being fried on the approach glacier we were disappointed to see the route in poor and dangerous condition ( its not been snowy or cold enough of late to create good conditions ) so we headed back around to the Cosmiques Hut  for an early night and earlier breakfast ( at 03.00 am ) so that we could give plan B a try - The Trois Monts route to Mont Blanc. It seemed we weren't the only ones with at least 6 other teams heading out the door at the same time.

Setting a steady pace we managed to reach the summit first, just after dawn and were lucky enough to have it to ourselves - a rare occurrence on such a perfect day - handshakes and smiles all round. We were back down by lunchtime for some R&R in Chamonix - finishing off the trip with a very relaxed climb up the Cosmiques Arete and a tandem parapente flight from the Plan De l'Aiguille for me ( I was even lucky enough to be allowed the controls for a short while - scary !! )

End of Summer ?

Heavy rain today - so I get a day off !! - I'm almost relieved as it has been a busy few days and I've got an excuse to interrupt the Alps training, what a shame !! A big contrast with the the recent good weather enjoyed by all of last weeks courses, especially Friday when Freya, Kevin and Peter were surprised to find such good rock climbing so close to home ( about 30 minutes drive away !) and on Saturday with Hugh and Kim who live even closer. Not many other teams out either leaving us the choice of routes for James and Cedd's lead course. Thanks also to Andrew and Murray for some enjoyable and entertaining climbing. Just feels that the season is getting towards the end and time to get out the mountaineering gear - big boots and warm clothes ! I'll be putting together my winter programme soon as I am already getting enquiries for some ice and snow courses - how time flies !

Another busy week

Another busy week, with back toback courses in the Wye Valley, a feeling that the summer holidays are coming to an end and everyone is trying to fit in some rock climbing - the weather is certainly showing signs of autumn, I'm ordering some ski boots and taking winter course bookings !! Thanks to Katie, Adrian, Andrew, Dan and Tei for some easy days in the sunshine at Shakementle Quarry and Symonds Yat. Other news is that I've finally got a big mountain route to aim for - The Kuffner or Frontier Ridge in the Alps - so time to start the diet, get jogging and do some more pull-ups !!

relaxed summer climbing

Another very enjoyable week's climbing, although the unsettled weather hasn't shown the Wye Valley at its best - we have seen some glimpses of summer, and the tree cover has meant that we've been able to find dry climbable rock everyday. There has been some smiling faces on this week's courses with a few people being surprised at how good climbing can be outside - especially Neringa, who's initial intention was to come and watch ! Thanks to everyone for their good company and enthusiasm - Rachel , Simone, Paul, Darren, Nathan, Jonathan ( happy birthday ) Ronald and Neringa

Lead climbing courses

I've had a very busy , but very enjoyable weekend, with lead climbing courses starting on Friday evening, running through to Sunday evening - it hardly feels like I've been off the rock !
Both Lynne & Adam and Dierdre & Martin wanted to polish up their lead climbing skills this weekend climbing, hence the evening sessions - luckily the weather was reasonably good, except Friday, when greasy rock contributed to Adam coming off unexpectedly - however, with all the safety system in place, it was a learning experience rather than a drama and didn't stop him and Lynne enjoy climbing by themselves on Saturday. No such excitement for Dierdre and Martin, who gained confidence with their respective leading skills and enjoyed some good climbing along the way.