Great Photo

Here is a great photo taken by regular client Simon on our ice climbing week in Norway. It shows me leaving the belay at the top of the crux pitch and gives a great sense of scale!

Apologies to regular followers of the blog, I know its been a bit quiet. I am working on another filming project at the moment so hence the lack of reports! 

Thank You - Norway Ice Week

Rob, thanks for an amazing trip. I had so much fun and was pleased with progress given I've not strapped those crampons on since 2012.

Please thank Dave, Huw and Baggy too. The guidance from you guys and tuition were invaluable. I learnt loads and will try to get down the indoor ice wall to practice technique.

If the trip is on again next year count me in and I'll ensure I turn up prepared, stronger and with improved technique.

Thanks again for an awesome week of ice and some great laughs !

All the best

Rob - Norway Ice Climbing Trip - Feb 2015

Watch The Mountain program

A few people have been in touch whilst I have been away asking how they can watch The Mountain, here is the link to this weeks first episode of six: http://www.itv.com/walesprogrammes

Rjukan Ice Climbing Week

I have been in Norway all week this week enjoying the roadside ice climbing of Rjukan. We have had a great week with Fellow instructors Huw, Dave and Baggy joining me and 7 great clients and climbing a stack of routes including Bakveien, Nye Vermorkfoss, Sabotorfossen, Trappfoss and many more. A superb week with great company, thanks boys! 

Thank You and Off to Norway

I am off to Norway for a weeks ice climbing work now so will be out of touch until the 23rd Feb, the hotel we stay at doesn't have wifi!

Heres a great testimonial from last week in Scotland, thanks Steve!

Hi Rob

Just a quick email to thank you for an amazing 4 days last week!! It did surpass all my expectations and I'm thinking now I'm in my office chair weather, if I was told exactly what id signed up for id of actually done it! But now I'm hooked and its boosted my confidence no end. I read the other day life doesn't begin until your outside your comfort zone, and I sure was for a soft southerner but I loved every minute of it. I'm just frustrated now as I'm totally hooked and want to learn more! Big thanks to Huw to I got on really well with him and enjoyed the day out on the Aonach Eagach with him. Mark was a great guy to and learnt from him as well. loved it all! Can't wait for the next instalment which should naturally be the scrambling course however I'm not sure if I can make any of the dates yet I'll have to wait and see if I can work it, what with our Mera peak and Tibet trip.

Have a great time in Norway and say hello to Simon for me.Thanks again and hope to see you soon.

Best Regards

Steve - Scottish Winter Climbing - Feb 15

Read more testimonials here

Mountain Program Trailer

MOUNTAIN PROMO from ITV Wales on Vimeo.

The first program is airing on Monday 16th (next week) at 8:00pm on ITV Wales. I will be in Norway so will miss it! 

Scotland at its best

Buachaille Etive Mor this afternoon.

Quadcopter Photos of The Ben this morning

I have a day off today, Huw has taken the climbing course to do the Aonach Eagach Ridge, so I went for a skin unto the CIC hut and short ski back down. I took the quadcopter and got some photos along the way:

Ledge Route

NE Buttress, Orion Face, Observatory Ridge & Tower Ridge

Tower Ridge

North Buttress on a stunning day

The boys and I headed down Glencoe today, wanting to up the ante a little bit and headed to Buachaille Etive Mor. Our chosen route was North Buttress (IV,4) which I have climbed before but not all the way to the summit - its a popular choice in avalanche conditions and is then abseiled. With the stunning weather we had today I was able to put that right and we had over 1000ft of quality climbing and mountaineering in some of the best weather Scotland could deliver - absolutely brilliant! The snow was in good condition as a whole, a bit soft in places but that would be nit picking. The anchors/gear was easy to find and the only distraction was the unfolding views as the clouds peeled back about lunchtime to reveal the Highlands in all their winter glory.

Beinn Udlaidh

Keen to progress the boys climbing onto some steeper ice we headed into Beinn Udlaidh today. The crags a quite low lying by Scottish standards but I had heard that they were in good condition and so we made the hours drive South. 

The Glen Orchy road was pretty icey and proved an exciting start to the day and a good sign of things to come. It was a popular venue and as we approached the crag it was soon obvious that our route choice would be dictated by whatever was left but this also meant for a nice sociable scene, with Steve commenting on how friendly everyone was.  

With 4 teams on Quartzvein Scoop we kept heading right, plumping for Sunshine Gully (III, 3) which gave some easy climbing at the grade but on very nice ice and in stunning weather. Beautiful! 

Fawlty Towers, Ben Nevis

I have been joined for a week of winter climbing by repeat clients Mark & Steve. This was Steve's first day of climbing of any type so he was in at the deep end! We headed into the Ben and climbed Fawlty Towers which had some great ice on it and some not so great deep powder! We then descended Tower Ridge to the Douglas Gap and abseiled into West Gully which the boys down climbed to give a nice rounded day of winter climbing action. Great fun!

Avalanche Avoidance Course

I am back up in Scotland and have been joined for the day by Al, James and Rich. They have all been out with me in winter before and wanted to progress their avalanche knowledge to be able to make decisions in avalanche prone terrain. We headed to the Nevis Range and had a practical day looking at human factors, heuristic traps, terrain features and the snowpack and how they all inter-relate in a winter mountain environment. It has been a stunning bluebird day and Nevis Range have been celebrating their 25 year anniversary which meant a full lift pass at 80's prices and powder for free!

Arctic Hare - look closely!