Mountain Cragging

Huw and I fancied a day of mountain cragging today and I was slightly perturbed to be driving into the Ogwen Valley with my windscreen wipers on full this morning. Miraculously (because it never happens this way round) it was sunny in the mountains and so after a brew we hatched a plan to cover some VS to HVS ground in Cwm Idwal. Our adventure started with a slightly damp East Wall Girdle, this gives 6 pitches of VS 4b but we replaced the first two with a VS4b pitch on Heather Wall as there was a party on Tennis Shoe. We then climbed Javelin Buttress (VS4c) which gave some immaculate dry rock which was very welcome after our moist girdle! A spot of lunch saw us revved up for something harder and so we climbed Continuation Crack (HVS 5a) - this was a bot of dragon slaying for me as my friend Jim broke his back last year falling off this route - Jim we were thinking of you. We then traversed over some scrambling ground to put ourselves at the foot of Grey Arete (HVS 5a) which gave 2 immaculate pitches of climbing and a suitable finale to a lovely day out in the warm sunshine.

Alpine Skills

With my trip to the Alps being cancelled this week I have been practising Alpine Skills at home today instead. Not quite up to Swiss standards!

I have also been putting together a new trip to Slovenia for this autumn, full details here: http://www.expeditionguide.com/Slovenia.php

ML Training with Trail Magazine

The June issue of Trail Magazine has a feature on the second part of of our ML Training course that they joined last November. Trail Magazine wanted to send a staff writer to cover the course and complete the training for real and we were chuffed that they chose us from all of the providers in the UK. The first half of the article appeared in the May edition and its fair to say that there were one or two bits I didn't like - a couple of quotes that were slightly off - but they were keen to avoid the same mistakes and this one looks great. Thanks very much Trail!

Bluebells & Waterfalls

I was originally planning on climbing in the Alps this week but a poor forecast meant that Alec and I have postponed our trip until the autumn. That meant that this morning Kate and I could enjoy some time together (without the kids!) and so we headed to Nant Gwynant to enjoy the bluebells and waterfalls that are prevalent today. Beautiful.

Mountain Skills Day Two

Huw has been out with the Mountain Skills course for their second day today whilst I have been out with SARDA Wales again. For Huw just where to cross the streams was the chief consideration when planning their route this morning. Their journey saw them head up from Ogwen Cottage up into Cwm Bual before a dash over Foel Goch (831m) in the gale force winds. With the summit ticked a hasty retreat was made down into Cwm Cywion. A great day out for practising new skills!

Testimonial

Thanks very much to David for this testimonial on Facebook on last weeks ML Training course:

The ML course was awesome and a very high level of instruction from Rob and Huw who were willing to go the extra mile, give advice and answer literally hundreds of questions. highly recommended.

Its been wet

It has been a little damp here in Snowdonia today. Huw has been running our Mountain Skills Course whilst I have been out on a joint exercise between SARDA Wales and Ogwen MRT with Skye. Having spent the morning searching for a casualty in the Ogwen Valley in the rain we then headed over to Llanberis to do the same on Snowdon (this time for real). Glad of the new Jottnar salopettes that have kept me bone dry all day!

ML Training Expedition

Huw and I took the ML Trainees on a two day journey into the Moelwyns over the last couple of days. We included an ascent of the Matterhorn of Snowdonia aka Cnicht and had a great wild camp high in the mountains last night. It was pretty windy so sleeping conditions were sub-optimal but we had a great night nav session and some pretty poor vis during the day so some great training conditions!

Security on steep ground with the use of a rope

The focus of our ML training course today was security on steep ground with the use of a rope. High winds precluded a high mountain journey and so we used the Llanberis Pass as our playground for the day looking at the various uses and limitations of a rope within the ML scheme. I was glad of my new Jottnar salopettes as we had the first rain we have had for a while here in Snowdonia!

Security on steep ground

Huw and I took our ML Trainees onto Crib Goch today as the focus of the week shifts to security on steep ground. This is at the top end of the scope of a Mountain Leader but is nonetheless a magnificent training venue and inspirational place to visit and allowed lots of opportunity to look at safeguarding clients in steep ground is ascent, traversing and descent as well as fluid and dynamic risk assessment processes. For our evening session we visited the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team base to look at the role of Mountain Rescue and how it fits into the ML scheme.

Quality Mountain Day

For the second day of our ML Training course we headed up into Cwm Idwal and onto Y Garn via the Devils Kitchen and then across to Mynedd Perfydd to descend back to Ogwen using off the path navigation skills. Along the way we have looked at leadership, the environment, macro navigation and flora and fauna. It has stayed dry all day which was a peasant surprise and contrary to the forecast. 

Mountain Leader Training

Today was the first day of our Mountain Leader Training course and Huw and I were joined by 9 eager trainees at Plas Curig hostel this morning. We have had a great day looking at the teaching of navigation skills as a means of refreshing peoples own navigation around the Crimpiau followed by an evening lecture on Mountain Weather.

Mountain Rescue on Snowdon in 1959

Here is a beautiful short film showing the Snowdon Rescue Team (as they were then called) in 1959.

Evening cragging

I have been over to Anglesey this evening with Matthew (a friend of my eldest son who wants to practise for his SPA) and Archie (my eleven year old son). We headed to Holyhead Mountain and climbed the must do Severe "New Boots & Panties". The name made Archie giggle and the fun continued from there :-)

Idwal Slabs

Steve, Chris and I headed to the Idwal Slabs today for the final day of our week of rock climbing. We were also joined by Gerwyn who is preparing for his MIA and was shadowing me for the day. The boys lead Ordinary Route on the Slabs and then Gerwyn took them up Lazarus to finish the week off in style. Thanks boys for a great week of climbing and giggles.