Avalanche Avoidance

Now winter is arriving its time to start thinking about avalanches and how to avoid them. Here is a really nice film thats a great place to start.

Know Before You Go from Trent Meisenheimer on Vimeo.

A Year in the Mountains 2015

A Year in the Mountains 2015 - available now on YouTube

Its that time of year where we stop and look back at the year gone by and for the last 3 years I have done that with a film - and this year is no exception.
Those that have watched previous films will notice that this years is shorter than the previous ones. That is partly because peoples attention spans are getting smaller and partly because I have been to slightly less places!

In 2014 I woke up one day in July (I remember exactly which day because it was my birthday) with a sore knee. I ignored it and took painkillers and unsurprisingly it got worse. To cut a long story short most of 2015 has been planned around letting my knee recover - and it is, albeit much more slowly than I would like! Our trip to Patagonia in November was a real test and it stood up to it well.

The year has taught me the need for a living that doesn't entirely depend on my knees and I have been developing my mountain filming. Its been a great year with projects for the BBC, ITV and many more. My biggest passion in life is sharing the mountains and film is an extra medium that allows me to do that.

In 2016 you will see that the diary is slightly smaller than it has been, with less courses being run. My body has told me that 300 days a year in the mountains is not sustainable. I am also relying on my good friend and fellow instructor Huw to work with me on many courses. That way we can keep sharing adventures, giggles and tea & cakes for a few more years to come.

I am grateful to everyone that has shared their mountain adventures with us this year and I am looking forward to sharing more in 2016. If there is one thing that injury has taught me its that you can't beat being out in the mountains!

I hope you have a great Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year.

All the best


Rob

Scrambling in Cwm Idwal

I have been scrambling in Snowdonia today, joined by Matt and Lou and enjoying some blue skies! It was a joy to be out and we spent the day looking at movement coaching in ascent and decent, as well as talking  through risk management and careers in the Outdoor Industry. Thanks both for a great day with no waterproofs required!

After the Rain

The weather forecast for today was looking good and I was keen to get out on the hills after a week of containment! I got up early but the weather was not quite as planned so enjoyed a sociable cup of tea in the Siabod Cafe with everyone else who was waiting for the weather to break!

Once the rain stopped I enjoyed a nice walk from the North Coast back to the Ogwen Valley over the Carneddua, doing some filming along the way. Heres a couple of stills from the footage:

Between the Sunset and the Sea

Its not often I write a book review, in fact I can't remember ever having written one before. Thats probably got something to do with the fact that I don't do a lot of reading. I normally take a book away on expeditions and read it on the plane or whilst sitting at airports but that only dispatches two or three each year and many are left half finished.

This time of year is quiet for outdoor instructors. I tend to either hibernate or head to the Alps in December and this year I am hibernating. I keep threatening to head North to Scotland but after not trying very hard to find climbing partners so far I have convinced myself that its too windy and too wet. Its a good opportunity to give tired joints a rest, play at the climbing wall and to catch up on admin. Which is why I have started reading a book.

Between the Sunset and the Sea is written by Simon Ingram. He is the editor of Trail Magazine but no I didn't get it for free. I bought it online. The fact that I know Simon was probably part of the reason that I bought the book but its not the reason I'm recommending it to you.

The book is a journey through 16 mountains, from South Wales to Northern Scotland and written from the perspective of someone who has a self professed fear of heights but a deep appreciation for the history of the mountains. This book is written by someone intelligent, far more intelligent than the person currently reading it. I have read some of Simons work in Trail but by the end of the first chapter in this book I realised he was far more than a magazine editor - he is a wordsmith.

Simon will take you on a physical, psychological and historical journey on each mountain that he climbs. My favourite chapter so far is the one dedicated to Crib Goch.

"Its an angrier landscape than the Lake District, and more claustrophobic than the Scottish Highlands, one of geological menace and home to a more chilling breed of outdoor adventure than the Lake District's cuddly persona. It seems to say that if you want to find small animals wearing floral dresses and drinking tea, go to the Lakes. If you want dark, cold rock that hates you, go to Snowdonia"

I also enjoyed his description of mountain vernacular.

"A certain amount of understatement is required if you want to capture the severity of the task at hand in a suitably humble manner: hence frequent use of, for example,  "a bit rough", "a lively wind" and "a couple of interesting bits" to describe something that most people would describe as twelve hours spent on a terrifying cliff in a hurricane."

Its not a book you will read from cover to cover without wanting to put it down - its more intelligent than that. You will want to read a chapter whilst sat in your favourite wing back chair and drinking a glass of port. You can then look forward to repeating the process the following evening, by my reckoning giving 16 glasses of port to enjoy in the process!