Private Guiding - Advanced Scrambling

Returning client Jason joined me this weekend for some advanced scrambling. Today we climbed the Idwal Staircase and the Cneifion Arete. It was pretty cold but stayed dry for the day and we were nicely sheltered from the easterly winds. We looked at some abseiling skills on the Gribin facet at the end of the day

Cneiffion Arete

We had another great day today with more beautiful sunshine making it feel very Alpine. We spent the morning doing some skills in Cwm Idwal with Chris and Tom on the sharp end of the rope learning to lead for roped scrambles. We then headed up into the nameless Cwm and did the Cneiffion Arete. This is my favorite scramble in North Wales and starts with a couple of rock climbing pitches followed by a steep ridge with small steps and pinnacles giving a very Alpine flavour.

Advanced Scrambling Course

I was joined today by Tom and Chris for a couple of days of advanced scrambling on grade 2 and 3 scrambles. The met office forecast has been the same for the last 7 days in a row now, forecasting heavy showers later every day. Thankfully it has been wrong everyday and we had another beautiful afternoon of sunshine. We started off on Tryfan Bach before heading up onto the East Ridge of Tryfan and scrambling up Bastow Gully Butress and descending the North Ridge. We also managed a quick abseil off Tryfan Bach on the way back down.

Navigation & Hill Skills Course

We headed up onto Pen Yr Ole Wen this morning and across the Carneddau in lots of snow. It was more like a winter skills course at times but the snow was soft enough not to need crampons and axes and we all had a wonderful time - even managing a spot of bivvy bag sledging on the way down!

Navigation & Hill Skills Course

I was joined for the weekend by Laura, Sarah, Sturat, Les, Keith & Racheal for a 2 day navigation and hill skills course. Today we spent the day looking at micro navigation with great views of Snowdon and fresh snowfall.

Navigation on the Caneddau

Monica and I headed onto the back of the Carneddau today to hone her navigation skills some more. We spent the day looking at typical WGL navigation points and enjoyed a mixture of weather and some fine views out to sea.

Litlle & North Gullies, Tryfan

Monica and I headed up the East face of Tryfan today via Little and North Gullies and descended the North Ridge. We rounded the day off with some navigation below Tryfan, finding ring contours, pools etc to help Monica prepare for her Walking Group Leader assessment. We had a few snow showers but plenty of sunshine too. It is very beautiful in North Wales at the moment with crisp blue skies and snow capped peaks.

The Gribin, Lliwedd

I have been out today with Monica, a returning private client who is up for 3 days of navigation and scrambling in North Wales. We did some navigation this morning around the lakes from Pen y Pass and then headed up the Gribin, a grade 1 scramble, and across Lliwedd. There was plenty of snow about but it was all soft and mushy so we did not need crampons. It looked great though!

Intro to scrambling course

I have been out this weekend with Cath, John, Tony and Terry on an intro to scrambling course. We headed up Seniors Ridge to Glyder Fawr on Saturday and then up the S.E ridge of Moel Siabod on Sunday. The weather was beautiful with blue skies, sunshine and the odd snow shower. The cold Northerly winds made their presence felt but the snow was soft on the ground and crampons were not required. You can view more photos here http://www.expeditionguide.com/gallery.htm

Mountain Leader Training

I am back home again now after the two day expedition on the Mountain Leader Training course. The weather was very wet and windy and the candidates truly experienced wild camping! The photo (sponsored by Petzl!) shows us out on night nav.

Mountain Leader Training - North Wales

I drove back from Scotland on Monday and had a quick break at home before driving up to North Wales for Tuesday. I am working this week for Blue Peris Mountain Centre http://www.blueperis.co.uk/pages/index.asp on a Mountain Leader Training Course. This is a 6 day course looking at the skills required to lead groups in the UK mountains in summer conditions. I am working the last 4 days of the course.

The last couple of days have been spent looking at mountain weather, mountain rescue, improvised rescues, water hazards, river crossings and ropework. There is a fair amount of snow about on the tops and we have had some beautiful blue skies, sunshine and snow capped peak type views.

Tomorrow we head off for a 2 day expedition with an overnight camp and a night navigation excercise. The forecast is for blizzards, high winds, rain and sleet so I will be earning my money!


Rob

Stob Coire nan Lochan

We headed into Glencoe to put all of the skills covered yesterday into a mountain journey. The weather stayed kind all day with the odd snow shower and plenty of sunshine.

Winter Skills Weekend

I was joined by Sam, Nick, Tamara, James and my Mum & Dad for this Easter weekend for a winter skills course. The conditions are some of the best we have seen all year with long days, blue skies, cold crisp weather and lots of snow about. We headed round to Aonach Nid using the Gondola to maximise our time on the snow and had a great day looking at ice axe and crampons, snow shelters and avalanche avoidance.

Ice Factor - Teaching Practice

Today was a wet, windy and mild day so perfect weather for the Ice Factor!

Curved Ridge, Buachaille Etive Mor - Teaching Practice

Simon and Andy lead Curved Ridge today whilst I acted as team photographer! We had another stunning day and managed to cover lots of skills from buried axes to direct belays and moving together Alpine style. The boys did well and we were down by 4:00pm which is all the better considering this was only their 4th day of winter climbing. Lots of snow due to come in over the next couple of days so the ski crowd will be pleased!

Morwind, Aonach Mor - Teaching Practice

We decided that the luxury of a Gondola ride was the order of the day today and headed for the East face of Aonach Mor. The weather forecast had predicted temperatures well below freezing but at the bottom of East gully it was 1 or 2 degrees above. We decided to avoid the routes with large cornices above and climbed Morwind. This is the original line of the crag but only had its first ascent in 1988. The route is graded III, 4 but felt harder today with unconsolidated snow. It was snowing lightly all morning which added to the atmosphere and made it nice to see the sun as we topped out.

Comb Gully, Ben Nevis - Teaching practice

It has been another beautiful day in the Highlands today. I bet there were a lot of sickies pulled this morning judging by the amount of people out on the Ben. Andy, Simon and I climbed Comb Gully, IV, 4. The first pitch was well banked out but the next two were steep and on great snow ice. The cornice was easily avoided on the left and the views from the top were stunning. Number 4 gully gave a rapid descent. There were teams all over indicator wall, Blair had climbed Hadrians Wall Direct and reported a poor first pitch of unconsolidated snow. Green Gully was apparently in good nick and the Cascade looked fat.

Dorsal Arete & Twisting Gully - Practicing teaching winter climbing

I am back in Scotland and the sun is shining! I have been out with good friends of mine, Andy and Simon. They have joined me for 6 days winter climbing having never done any winter climbing before. This is a great opportunity for me to practice everything that I learnt at the start of the month on my MIC training and they get a week of instruction free of charge! We had an awesome first day in Stob Coire nan Lochan under blue skies and sunshine. We did some refresher winter skills in the Coire then climbed Dorsal Arete taking in the pinnacles and a left hand finish which went at about grade III. We descended Broad Gully and then climbed Twisting Gully at III, 4. We definitely made the most of the good weather and the longer daylight hours at this time of year and the boys did great!
The snow needs to consolidate a bit more to be really good but it is forecast to be cold over the next few days and their is an aweful lot of snow about. Its all good!

MIC Training - last two days

The last two days have been very wet, windy and warm - ideal winter conditions! Yesterday we headed up Dinnertime Buttress in Glen Coe and had to drop off the ridge and do some skills in the shelter of the wind.

Today we headed up to the Grey Corries to look at teaching snow and ice lead climbing and managed to find some shelter from the wind. Home tomorrow!

MIC Training

I am on an MIC training course this week in Scotland. Sunday was spent on Buachaille Etive Beag looking at winter skills in beautiful weather. Yesterday we climbed Boomerang Arete in Stob Coire nan Lochan. There had been a lot of heavy snow and the sky was blue all day. We spent the day looking at teaching winter climbing.
Today saw a similar theme and we were equally spoilt on the Ben climbing the South West ridge on the Douglas Boulder. Teams were out on the Orion Face, Point 5 and many more.