tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22812010972462006242024-02-07T21:46:22.899+00:00Snowdonia MountaineeringMountaineering and rock climbing courses in Snowdonia, North Wales. I blog about courses I run for my clients in Snowdonia and my own personal adventures in North Wales and beyond.Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-24048338999706698232014-09-09T19:26:00.000+01:002014-12-27T14:25:54.142+00:00American dreaming... climbing inspiration and aspirationsI'm particularly inspired to climb big pointy rocks, ones that you have to climb to reach the summit. A bit Freudian perhaps, but I gain a lot of satisfaction from getting to a summit where being a rock climber is mandatory. They also tend to look pretty dam cool. On a trip to Utah, USA a few years back I managed to climb a few nice towers, including Castleton Tower, and Ancient Arts in the Fisher Towers which were totally awesom<br />
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One of my main aspirations is to climb a rather nice chunk of spiky Granite in the High Sierras of California called The Incredible Hulk. What makes this even more appealing is that it involves a proper hike into the back country for a pre-climb wilderness camp, complete with bears and other dangerous animals such as American Park Rangers with guns. One of the best routes to the summit is <a href="http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/High-Sierra-Incredible-Hulk-Positive-Vibrations" target="_blank">Positive Vibrations</a>, a 13 pitch, 500 m route of perfect granite. The grade translates roughly to E3/E4 but for us Brits who arn't used to unrelenting crack climbing it would probably feel closer to E5. So i would definately need to be on top form or take a rope gun with me. This is a climbing partner who is considerably better than yourself and happy to lead all the hard pitches).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Incredible Hulk with the line of Positive Vibration shown</td></tr>
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I would also like to climb more of the desert towers in Utah. The landscape here is almost unworldly. Red rock canyons and towers carve up and punctuate the desert, creating a life time of adventures. There are 3 towers that are one the ticklist - The North Six Shooter, Fine Jade on the Rectory and the Moses Tower. I think it might be time to get training (and saving!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moses tower in Canyonlands, Utah</td></tr>
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<br />Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-45537228115540551882014-08-22T11:39:00.002+01:002014-08-22T11:39:32.339+01:00Inspiration and aspirationOver the past month I've been getting back into rock climbing. Now that doesn't mean that previously I've not been out on the rock, it means I'm starting to feel the psyche building again - I'm reading through guide books, searching out routes I've yet to do. I've been putting in some quick hits to the Cromlech boulders to get the fingers working, evening visits to the slate to remember how to move and use the feet, and even the odd wall session. It feels good. It feels like I'm becoming a proper climber again. A lot of things have changed over the past few years. After finding out I was going to need a hip operation in 2012, I decided to become a student again and get stuck in to a PhD for a few years. So I have been running Snowdonia Mountaineering very much on a part time basis. Rock climbing was put on the back burner as I got into road biking during my hip rehab and my focus for trips switched to <a href="http://www.snowdoniamountaineering.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/alpine-ski-mountaineering.html" target="_blank">ski mountaineering</a>. Over the past month I have started to remember why I love rock climbing so much. Its that addictive combination of technical movement, physical exertion and mental challenge mixed with the spice and excitement of danger.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying an after work climb in the slate quarries - Seams the same E1</td></tr>
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A climber needs to have inspiration and aspirations, and the lack of both over the past couple of years is probably the main reason why I haven't done much rock climbing. I was chatting to some good friends a couple of months a go about rock climbs we would like to do, both in the UK and abroad. I started to realise that there were some routes that I really wanted to do and that a lot of them would require me to be a proper climber again - not just a part time one. So I thought I would start compiling a list of routes I want to do over the next few years to provide me with the motivation to get out there and do it!Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-79526479916270746872014-05-21T21:28:00.000+01:002014-05-21T21:28:33.556+01:00Guided rock climbing testimonialLast weekend I guided Karl on some of Snowdonia's best multipitch routes - see my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Snowdonia-Mountaineering/141124475944579?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page for more photos. His wife sent me this feedback:<br />
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Thank you for the lovely photo's, it is really nice to see where you both went climbing. He did make it back in one piece but he said that he was aching last night :-)</div>
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We couldn't have asked for a better service from you, arranging the weekend was very straightforward and you couldn't have recommended a better weekend weather wise.</div>
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It was great to have prior knowledge of the routes you might attempt so Karl could look them up in his North Wales Classic Climbing book.</div>
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He was very impressed that you picked him up so that you could travel to the climb together he has never experienced that before.</div>
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He thought you were really friendly and a great instructor and he wouldn't hesitate to come out with you again in the future, the classic routes you chose were brilliant and perfect for his ability ( Pitch 2 on Scratch route, the corner crack very close to his limit ;-) )</div>
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Thank you so much for a great weekend and making my 40 year old husband happy.</div>
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He now wants to do it all over again ( It is such a shame we live in the flattest part of England ).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karl on Scratch VS at Tremadog</td></tr>
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Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-11374611185406291282014-04-23T20:06:00.001+01:002014-04-23T20:06:11.193+01:00Alpine Ski MountaineeringOver the past few years I've been getting into ski touring and ski mountaineering - essentially using skis to travel up, down and through the mountains. As Bill Briggs once said (first person to ski down the Grand Teton in the USA) "skis are appropriate in the mountains". Take the Aiguille d'Argentiere as an example. This peak in the Mt Blanc range above Chamonix is 3900m and is popular in both summer and winter/spring.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skinning up Aiguille d'Argentiere</td></tr>
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In summer most people will head up the cable car in the afternoon to walk into to the hut or a bivi on the edge of the glacier. Spend the night being cold, as you didn't bring a sleeping bag to save weight, or be kept awake by snoring hut companions. Get up at some ridiculous hour in the morning and slog up to the summit for sunrise in order to minimise the risk of getting taken out by rockfall, encountering dangerous snow conditions or falling into a crevasse through a slushy snow bridge. Then turn around and deal with the slog back down the glacier in increasingly hot conditions, back to town before the afternoon thunderstorms take you out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aiguille d'Argentiere summit</td></tr>
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Alternatively, you could go on skis in winter/spring. We got the third lift up, skied down onto the Argentiere glacier and started our ascent at 10 am. After an enjoyable morning of skinning and climbing we reached the summit at 13.30. A quick descent down good snow to the bergshrund to put skis on, then a really enjoyable ski back down the glacier to the lift station by 3.30. Provided you can ski I think doing peaks like this is much better on skis, much more enjoyable and much safer - its amazing how quickly you descend on skis, making it much easier to get the hell out of there if the weather changes quickly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit panorama</td></tr>
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<br />Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-24932074697634046582012-11-04T13:53:00.001+00:002012-11-04T13:53:25.681+00:00For sale itemsIf you are interested in any of the items for sale please email me at rory@snowdoniamountaineering.com<br />
ThanksRoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-69786766405146509842012-11-04T13:26:00.002+00:002012-11-04T13:26:26.035+00:00For Sale: Tresspass Wicking TNew, never worn. Labels still attached. Price new: £22.99. I'll take £12 including p&p. Size M<br />
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<br />Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-10609737790185127312012-11-04T13:20:00.004+00:002012-11-04T13:20:55.689+00:00For Sale: Helmets and various bits of kitThese items are described on UKC <a href="http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=526041&new=7080878#x7080878">http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=526041&new=7080878#x7080878</a> so I'll just show the photos here:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DMM Ascent £25</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petzl Ecrin Roc £18</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16ft dyneema sling with hms. £12 each/ £20 for both</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">various quick draws and slings</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0ZN_7IXPRFc0liUbrYu2U8na4UAGsYuTQZrmE7_mhgF3oJhjK3ASXnk32MF7_eR2RnIzR7vvX-_2-COgbrJWat_V6tzP4U4aSTN1DhTDgrF0uTKIEe4QCk0YrbYlUdzz7_56Qq2bozE/s1600/DSC01293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0ZN_7IXPRFc0liUbrYu2U8na4UAGsYuTQZrmE7_mhgF3oJhjK3ASXnk32MF7_eR2RnIzR7vvX-_2-COgbrJWat_V6tzP4U4aSTN1DhTDgrF0uTKIEe4QCk0YrbYlUdzz7_56Qq2bozE/s320/DSC01293.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27UwMBDX85c4MIDXQ9agTGoxpkLC7RrXE0ymwt6G8jYmY49mUyyuhkI7F7pjUHOygXgrqKSBVbrip9AoMxB8kijwpagJ0LJlJ-cGYqqPW7uUWZ7BF_5zRmHDSPLOc0eoPfh3l02RrrW8/s1600/DSC01294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27UwMBDX85c4MIDXQ9agTGoxpkLC7RrXE0ymwt6G8jYmY49mUyyuhkI7F7pjUHOygXgrqKSBVbrip9AoMxB8kijwpagJ0LJlJ-cGYqqPW7uUWZ7BF_5zRmHDSPLOc0eoPfh3l02RrrW8/s320/DSC01294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-12116626943716970252012-11-04T13:04:00.001+00:002012-11-04T13:04:49.125+00:00GoPro Hero 1080 HD for saleI am selling my GoPro Hero 1080HD. This is a great bit of kit and excellent for making climbing/skiing/biking/kayaking vids etc. I've had it for just over a year and it is in totally mint nick. I bought it for £250 and I'm selling it with a chest harness mount and a 32GB Kingston SD card which together cost £65. I'm looking for £180 for the lot including P&P. I used it to make the following videos:<div>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzedNmPTZ9Q&feature=plcp">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzedNmPTZ9Q&feature=plcp</a></div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/RGwOzOtd-wo">http://youtu.be/RGwOzOtd-wo</a></div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/HBVhS7fsqJY">http://youtu.be/HBVhS7fsqJY</a></div>
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These films were only uploaded at low quality! The best quality 1080 is full HD and stunning.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtUkEkXFaQJqqS3E7kdCQDh1Bu1A8UxcaUb8Kbr4V_CSSaxxhQYC7bX-uN3FdgKe0e2iLZn9nWLOzxnEv7KTYgxAzetxQ_Q9UQS5d0xy-fiNAbUrOC_SP8zL-NAP1rEageRz_JLCS0nI/s1600/DSC01276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtUkEkXFaQJqqS3E7kdCQDh1Bu1A8UxcaUb8Kbr4V_CSSaxxhQYC7bX-uN3FdgKe0e2iLZn9nWLOzxnEv7KTYgxAzetxQ_Q9UQS5d0xy-fiNAbUrOC_SP8zL-NAP1rEageRz_JLCS0nI/s320/DSC01276.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">helmet and chest mounts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCIhbHughMdhkN-syZWhJ-MyFIbq9_kdFqN4nVJYtG_1-SP5St8dodetsLgGhOkvAg0WM_GdoNSwfYeA5mzQXeCC4lhtWbXduhonfdvMOUCZp9ubcEJgcdgpTyQK4QsupDNZRRvGvE0M/s1600/DSC01277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCIhbHughMdhkN-syZWhJ-MyFIbq9_kdFqN4nVJYtG_1-SP5St8dodetsLgGhOkvAg0WM_GdoNSwfYeA5mzQXeCC4lhtWbXduhonfdvMOUCZp9ubcEJgcdgpTyQK4QsupDNZRRvGvE0M/s320/DSC01277.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Selection of mounts to stick to curved or flat surface - unused. Tripod adapter. Other mount/strap for multiple uses. Open back for case for improved audio recording when waterproof case not required.Various leads for connection to pc/tv.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKCOEP1faaOKYvtFVUw-8nsaZ0tzD_8HOaPk0WiSPId2CtZQZ5aQhRQ8sE2YB-nXWf_VSdJlos5N0MG5zv60Z8Wx3hI1dK09crbEOrHyy7BpKcChI4hstYUq_N1OOEDuIDRvl5aL4_kI/s1600/DSC01278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKCOEP1faaOKYvtFVUw-8nsaZ0tzD_8HOaPk0WiSPId2CtZQZ5aQhRQ8sE2YB-nXWf_VSdJlos5N0MG5zv60Z8Wx3hI1dK09crbEOrHyy7BpKcChI4hstYUq_N1OOEDuIDRvl5aL4_kI/s320/DSC01278.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instructions</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSPpifPC3Psi9yVWV4f-Su9QvcEiMd8Y_bS3ABOWVFyBlGAiEcAfybPyP8E_YvUv5fbMGLU1gxm1ELcMPiPGbH2lfHzgELbLlKKnIjaUc-yNalW4HEWmwkv_dR3NSr5hjg5F9VIXCO3M/s1600/DSC01279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSPpifPC3Psi9yVWV4f-Su9QvcEiMd8Y_bS3ABOWVFyBlGAiEcAfybPyP8E_YvUv5fbMGLU1gxm1ELcMPiPGbH2lfHzgELbLlKKnIjaUc-yNalW4HEWmwkv_dR3NSr5hjg5F9VIXCO3M/s320/DSC01279.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In original packaging</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0loYO_oVXkxu-ubqRolpJBgEJQChzoNbDCtfPGbNdOG_8rCqRmyxdminIhmHcJXWR3xS0BQ644LHLepn-y83bepxsj1_0OhR19Omm66SJEUZhnoUQh54xpEpj7CwynXApK-goClybtg/s1600/DSC01280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0loYO_oVXkxu-ubqRolpJBgEJQChzoNbDCtfPGbNdOG_8rCqRmyxdminIhmHcJXWR3xS0BQ644LHLepn-y83bepxsj1_0OhR19Omm66SJEUZhnoUQh54xpEpj7CwynXApK-goClybtg/s320/DSC01280.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the camera - no scratches. Totally mint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0Lk5B9bXsdYBxPBFCNAvYatHrsmBDtQnvUdlaXGW7Ab29qFT5zAtZnxBPvpzA2AIfbxaBkoxBZKE2zUoMCI_h_cxsS597Ly4z27t5XN1lNHlQDmNiDcIuhhkINx4zpo6h4sFaeYiiQ4/s1600/DSC01282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0Lk5B9bXsdYBxPBFCNAvYatHrsmBDtQnvUdlaXGW7Ab29qFT5zAtZnxBPvpzA2AIfbxaBkoxBZKE2zUoMCI_h_cxsS597Ly4z27t5XN1lNHlQDmNiDcIuhhkINx4zpo6h4sFaeYiiQ4/s320/DSC01282.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rear of camera showing filming modes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oovDSgAIplnRQRd3M0oxwaBaC4XTz_0ZcW6UzLXnRYqvzmHEGZ66H8zK_9hdcvJRyhyswx3KlO_d6kyWbleuzYDNxaZpGF447oQoKGoSfKrA_GyUKQzAAArLUuy-2U1sy6_EPuSSMZE/s1600/DSC01283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9oovDSgAIplnRQRd3M0oxwaBaC4XTz_0ZcW6UzLXnRYqvzmHEGZ66H8zK_9hdcvJRyhyswx3KlO_d6kyWbleuzYDNxaZpGF447oQoKGoSfKrA_GyUKQzAAArLUuy-2U1sy6_EPuSSMZE/s320/DSC01283.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterproof and shockproof case - totally mint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-39071575428169470302012-05-13T18:55:00.005+01:002012-05-13T18:59:13.565+01:00Cairngorm Ski Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last weekend after taking out Stephanie and Ben for a day of scrambling in Snowdonia I jumped into Jon's van and headed up to the Cairngorms. The upside of the recent poor weather has been snow on the Scottish peaks so we were both psyched for some more skiing. After a long drive, a minor panic when I realised I had left a load of gear behind (thanks to Greg at Glenmore lodge for sorting me out), some pain au chocolat and a short lift assisted skin we found ourselves on the top of Cairngorm. The cloud was lifting and there was total cover on the plateau.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nkKv83RnH6fBkK0JIT5ggB5KxoDQy4cfKPn8CejK0_rmjkbs1uWQZSWTgcmTx-dXUgMS6-jZp9RyVJvRZrwmyZ27VicTiXf3WUn76NckRouJu8hvCJZvSM1mW8g72d1h7v-mitGt3Y8/s1600/Jon_MacDui1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nkKv83RnH6fBkK0JIT5ggB5KxoDQy4cfKPn8CejK0_rmjkbs1uWQZSWTgcmTx-dXUgMS6-jZp9RyVJvRZrwmyZ27VicTiXf3WUn76NckRouJu8hvCJZvSM1mW8g72d1h7v-mitGt3Y8/s320/Jon_MacDui1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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We made our way over to the North Top of Ben MacDui and then took an awesome line, initially in powder then nice spring snow, down to the beautiful Loch Etchachan. Now the Cairngorms are not Chamonix but in many ways they are just as awesome. In fact having lunch after the descent to Loch Etchachan in bright May sunshine with no one around was really special and one of my best ski moments of the year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xQDJF4lcfTn1ZKC4IiS5Jhfv__Ed1LmaxfizOtFqf1Ul5DQDjrPQzQNFCl6L2X2bB8aY6hXSxtPdHXj_T_UWlrfoMvp3eSmcd1enZWz1TYg7189flpJck2Mx8pt3Ir2TqvK2W1x6Hak/s1600/Jon_Descent_to_Loch_Ethachan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xQDJF4lcfTn1ZKC4IiS5Jhfv__Ed1LmaxfizOtFqf1Ul5DQDjrPQzQNFCl6L2X2bB8aY6hXSxtPdHXj_T_UWlrfoMvp3eSmcd1enZWz1TYg7189flpJck2Mx8pt3Ir2TqvK2W1x6Hak/s320/Jon_Descent_to_Loch_Ethachan.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><br />
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From there we skinned up to Ben Mheadhoin and shredded a long descent down to Loch A'an. We had to boot pack round the Loch and even had to take boots off to ford the river before sloggin up a steep ascent back to the Cairngorm Ski area. We definitely earned our turns with a total ascent of 1600m and 20km covered!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilz82_zLo5CxlFWwATwHrUQnf21IHiS9CBR8s9KcesEVolIlphtPBf498sWrI90ekav6g_yI6eXxym3rwgMhrV4p_OzipVUIg-vbZKcOztazM3_1z9VuQfNexWH0P4q_7EzoEj3zmqSwY/s1600/Loch_Aan_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilz82_zLo5CxlFWwATwHrUQnf21IHiS9CBR8s9KcesEVolIlphtPBf498sWrI90ekav6g_yI6eXxym3rwgMhrV4p_OzipVUIg-vbZKcOztazM3_1z9VuQfNexWH0P4q_7EzoEj3zmqSwY/s400/Loch_Aan_pano.jpg" width="400" /></a>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-66761568108613681292012-04-29T20:05:00.002+01:002012-04-29T20:05:43.708+01:00A wet day in WalesWell its been a properly grim day today and I was glad I postponed James' course as I don't think we would have got any leading done today apart from in the climbing wall! It can be possible to avoid the rain in the mountains and find dry weather on the coast - have a look at a blog post from last year for the Knowledge: <a href="http://www.snowdoniamountaineering.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/rainy-day-rock-climbing-options-in.html">http://www.snowdoniamountaineering.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/rainy-day-rock-climbing-options-in.html</a><br />
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Today was one of those days where its grim everywhere and you have to either head for the climbing wall.... or the pub!Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-65642046162101638742012-04-24T18:28:00.000+01:002012-04-24T18:28:11.843+01:00Easter Skiing in the AlpsSo its been a pretty hectic month in which I have moved house and had an amazing 10 day trip to Chamonix and the Aosta Valley in Itlay. I been doing a fair bit of skiing over the past couple of winters and have been trying to get to a standard where I can happily ski off piste and in more serious places outside of the resort. Naturally I have drawn to ski touring and ski mountaineering and one of my main aims has been to ski up and down a 4000m peak in the Alps. So with that in mind I headed out with good friend Jon to meet up with some Chamonix chums and make an attempt on Gran Paradiso - the highest mountain wholly in Italy and 4061m. We started by acclimatising in Chamonix - a couple of days skiing off piste on the Grand Montets and a traverse of the Valle Blanche to Pt Helbronner. This included some of the worst snow and terrain I have skied in - horrible death crust on soft powder and a descent of the right side of the Geant Icefall made for an epic day! Although there were a couple of nice powder spots.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7K3e5zygtwfFjttsoXQ1yI1Ms0Y66y8cDPV39OPlur1yGBNHgJcVqgW5WP5QwF_IYfOeqOqoLBoiMLMtzMwtkQ2y9Yza42OUlpatOLVCjumqgRqMPNbI-fKOva1bdqCUy8vAUtvMNxU/s1600/skinning_helbronner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7K3e5zygtwfFjttsoXQ1yI1Ms0Y66y8cDPV39OPlur1yGBNHgJcVqgW5WP5QwF_IYfOeqOqoLBoiMLMtzMwtkQ2y9Yza42OUlpatOLVCjumqgRqMPNbI-fKOva1bdqCUy8vAUtvMNxU/s320/skinning_helbronner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skinning up to Pt Helbronner</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaHOgTrORV0tr8zZcyJifOYD36pcqlLPGKF_1mw3enBTF-hgq7Un0LiGJJMpfO82ji_ugy43Pxwmc0o_HeEiqZCW5rYHeG-p5l3Vf2deJ6hDbl7mS1fiAJuKdUk4dAdaREk7Qh0og2yQ/s1600/la_vierge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaHOgTrORV0tr8zZcyJifOYD36pcqlLPGKF_1mw3enBTF-hgq7Un0LiGJJMpfO82ji_ugy43Pxwmc0o_HeEiqZCW5rYHeG-p5l3Vf2deJ6hDbl7mS1fiAJuKdUk4dAdaREk7Qh0og2yQ/s320/la_vierge2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A short section of nice powder before the death crust</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCR7GSnZgpmRJSNIxOcOaqcR9YJUYkXC_-9hBGtJy0c30vCCiHlfW6URlMi9Rh4Dfp5fcxbsBIaZ1vd79VY8thICFysHAl6clFwNFIMRB54lBJI155XuZQzpR-ctKKKr76Y5wDqp7YKA/s1600/Geant_Ice_fall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCR7GSnZgpmRJSNIxOcOaqcR9YJUYkXC_-9hBGtJy0c30vCCiHlfW6URlMi9Rh4Dfp5fcxbsBIaZ1vd79VY8thICFysHAl6clFwNFIMRB54lBJI155XuZQzpR-ctKKKr76Y5wDqp7YKA/s320/Geant_Ice_fall1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scary Geant Icefall</td></tr>
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We then headed through the tunnel into Italy and the stunning Aosta Valley. We left the road at Pont at the head of Val Savarenche and due to the lack of snow we had to walk and carry skis for all but the last 200m of ascent to the hut. We were all really impressed by the Vittorio Emmanuel hut - despite it being very busy it never felt crowded and the food was awesome and plentiful. After a pretty wild night (weather wise) we delayed leaving the hut until about 7am. It was really cold and windy. Our first glimpse of the summit after 30 minutes of skinning was not encouraging and the weather got worse.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm over the summit<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At just over 4000m - time to retreat!</td></tr>
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We battled on in some serious cold and windy conditions with little visibility to the bergshrund about 50m from the summit. Greg was happy to summit solo but we opted to turn round as we were worried about hypothermia and frostbite (Jon and Trystan did get some frost nip on their cheeks and nose). The skiing was pretty scary to start as we were in a white out and all the blown snow had created some dodgy avalanche conditions. As we dropped out of the cloud we picked up upped and enjoyed some nice fresh powder and lower down some good hard but grippy spring snow. 5 hours up 1.5 hours down - why would anyone ever walk up an Alpine peak? I'll be back sometime to bag the summit!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving the descent</td></tr>
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<br />Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-8971637268029990402012-04-02T17:31:00.000+01:002012-04-02T17:31:44.941+01:00Rock Climbing Course with Rob and ChrisThis weekend I was joined by Rob and Chris for a multi pitch rock climbing course. Rob had done a fair bit of climbing before and wanted some lead climbing coaching as well as learning how to get out of trouble on multi pitch routes. Chris had never been multi pitch or trad climbing so was keen to become a competent second. On Saturday we drove through the rain to reach a warm and partially sunny Tremadog. We headed to the classic but often quiet Bramble Buttress - the finest V Diff at Tremadog. Rob led us up all 3 pitches in fine style and with plenty of time left in the day we drove round to Bwlch y Moch to give Rob more of a challenge on Rio (HS) and do a multi pitch abseil decent.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob on the top pitch of Bramble Buttress</td></tr>
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On Sunday we wanted to do a long mountain route so with a better forecast we headed into Cwm Idwal and completed the classic Tennis Shoe. It was great to be doing big routes like this inMarch with out getting wet and cold!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris on Tennis Shoe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-22651734058959231322012-03-13T21:11:00.000+00:002012-03-13T21:11:21.370+00:00Rock Climbing Course with Max and TomTom and Max joined me on a day moving out rock climbing course for the last 4 days. They had climbed independently on their local indoor wall but wanted to progress outside and have some proper adventures! By the end of the course they had completed their first multi pitch routes, learned how to place trad gear and build belays, read a guide book, lead both sport and trad single pitch, take and hold a fall on a sport climb.... I could go on but I'd probably bore you! All they need to do now is go and get some experience under their own steam and most importantly remember what they have been taught!! Thanks to Bryn for instructing 2 days of the course.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom enjoying his first slate experience</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max on Equinox VS</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjS2jgAM7SF5i_A0LKww-IfEhv_BMcxOim171952zcyei0VbxeqxE8oC8DXrb8nWzWZP19pG2dA0t82kikryJyrRJUXBIWv1LwjiA67E04Y4i_DYgHK3lNVAKBHVef8Z2JZJ3GQimvZA/s1600/DSC01148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjS2jgAM7SF5i_A0LKww-IfEhv_BMcxOim171952zcyei0VbxeqxE8oC8DXrb8nWzWZP19pG2dA0t82kikryJyrRJUXBIWv1LwjiA67E04Y4i_DYgHK3lNVAKBHVef8Z2JZJ3GQimvZA/s320/DSC01148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-39440641537988369872012-02-12T12:09:00.004+00:002012-02-12T12:13:11.528+00:00Chamonix SkiingSkiing - isn't it amazing!!! Jen and I had 2 weeks of fantastic skiing in the Chamonix valley. It was soo good that I'm tempted to sell all my climbing gear and just buy skis! I'm just getting into skiing and really keen to start doing more ski touring and back country skiing where mountaineering and skiing skills combine to take you into some amazing places! We arrived the day after it had just put down 4 ft of fresh snow so avalanche risk was pretty high. The fresh snow was pretty heavy so it made for some challenging off piste. Throughout the first week we had more fresh snow falls and some awesome powder but the unsettled weather was not great for touring so we just had to shred the vast amount of easily accessible off piste.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Flegere ski area to the Aiguille Verte and Les Drus</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen on the traverse of the Crouches bowl</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Below the Geant Icefall in the Vallee Blanche</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up to Col du Crouches</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Col du Crouches</td></tr>
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The weather for the second week was better although towards the end of the week it got bitterly cold! At the top lifts it got down to -25c. We managed to do the classic Crouches/Berard tour and enjoyed amazing fresh powder in the Berard valley. The highlight of the week was skiing the Valley Blanche from the Aiguille du Midi at nearly 3800m all the way to Chamonix at 1100m. Jen and I were joined by friends Greg and Christina and we took a variarion on the Petit Envers descent finding some nice powder stashes as well as a few areas of grim breakable crust and windslab. Check out the video of our descent below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/36633312?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/36633312">Skiing the Vallee Blanche</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user10404167">Rory Shaw</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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</div>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-13482778213398633682012-02-08T15:37:00.000+00:002012-02-08T15:37:14.830+00:00Snowdon ascent under the full moonLast night I made the spontaneous decision to go for a wee donder up Snowdon by the light of the full moon. Oli, Jim and myself left Pen y Pass shortly after 8 and under gathering cloud stomped up the Pyg Track. Every now and then we could make out the moon through the thin layer of cloud so we had hopes that we might pop out of a cloud inversion. Given the cold temps and good snow conditions we headed for the bottom of Central Trinity a grade 1/2 climb. As we climbed up towards the Spider (a big snow field) we broke out of the cloud and into bright moonshine. So bright that we only needed torches on for the narrowest and trickiest bits of the gully. We stormed upwards and summitted about 10.15. <br />
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Now I've been up Snowdon a fair few times but this will definately be the most memorable. Looking north we could see most of Anglesey whereas to the south a blanket of cloud lapped at out feet reflecting the fat moon. Totally amazing! Unfortunately I am not a good enough photographer to over come the limitations of my point and shoot camera so the photos weren't very good. <br />
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After a brief rest to enjoy the view we headed down and where back in Llanberis by 11.30 enjoying bangers and mash followed by a wee dram of single malt... perfect!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlht2z_TkopqUOoHhCUgsUMedBgSl7wq5CC5STr68k6R7wy0wmnR4Prqi0gWqjiW-Ci2XhoxCgrlJgFRQ9MnuxqegigVWlmT3n0Zqjgg9f82Ar_IqgGsrv097hYuYSAQZ1G0REg9DwG0/s1600/DSC01140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlht2z_TkopqUOoHhCUgsUMedBgSl7wq5CC5STr68k6R7wy0wmnR4Prqi0gWqjiW-Ci2XhoxCgrlJgFRQ9MnuxqegigVWlmT3n0Zqjgg9f82Ar_IqgGsrv097hYuYSAQZ1G0REg9DwG0/s400/DSC01140.JPG" /></a></div>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-20355986772297169812011-12-24T09:56:00.000+00:002011-12-24T09:56:16.297+00:00Merry ChristmasWell a big Merry Christmas, or I guess I should say Nadolig Llawen, from Snowdonia. Unfortunately it doesn't look like we're going to get a white one as it unseasonably warm at the moment. So I hope that Santa brings you that new down jacket you wanted or some nice shiny DMM Dragon Cams! I'll leave you with a few photos from this time last year. Have a great one!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGak6oxPNcRzzXzQSGY9Hemzqhkb4NR95zpMSGNbkOC35SzA03pbJD4nd8CS9U5KJSpMkh8mg7WkYZLKT9Tqi8ik6eLrfs20wXQj-qmVQdLASqlxtzBVXDDyHFD1nTlQ4FusU7nvqRTI/s1600/DSC00525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGak6oxPNcRzzXzQSGY9Hemzqhkb4NR95zpMSGNbkOC35SzA03pbJD4nd8CS9U5KJSpMkh8mg7WkYZLKT9Tqi8ik6eLrfs20wXQj-qmVQdLASqlxtzBVXDDyHFD1nTlQ4FusU7nvqRTI/s400/DSC00525.JPG" /></a></div>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-52186390339890310612011-11-17T14:33:00.000+00:002011-11-17T14:33:13.101+00:00North Wales at its BestThe weather this November had been really good - warm and fairly dry. Over the past few day climbing in the pass could have been possible and the mountains have been catching some awesome sunshine. Yesterday I made the best use of the fine weather by making a quick dash up Crib Goch by my self then joining friend Greg for a quick afternoon route at Gogarth. We topped out with the sun setting behind Ireland but thankfully before we needed the aid of the South Stack lighthouse!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoZ-MafyM7QYHN6HIG4zfPsuOoHQqeQbVgT5yWptjK2N2lP2VcLlJMCxaKjEc-p0-3htYN1bBRf_YF_TBg0chzZNyia2erfbpAqyWSuFUmGJE1eXAy5Neh7V6yn5heQB4IHvrcuZGyu4/s1600/Castell_Helen_Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="204" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoZ-MafyM7QYHN6HIG4zfPsuOoHQqeQbVgT5yWptjK2N2lP2VcLlJMCxaKjEc-p0-3htYN1bBRf_YF_TBg0chzZNyia2erfbpAqyWSuFUmGJE1eXAy5Neh7V6yn5heQB4IHvrcuZGyu4/s400/Castell_Helen_Sunset.jpg" /></a></div>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-60640784308193804492011-11-17T14:27:00.000+00:002011-11-17T14:27:20.951+00:00Spanish Sport ClimbingI'm not long back from a short trip to Catalonia in North East Spain where I had 6 days with friends Dave, Jim and Neil. Due to an injury the emphasis of the trip was more of a relaxing holiday than a mega crush fest so I ended up reading my book in the sun more than climbing - ideal! I still managed to do a few routes up to 7a onsight and it was great to visit crags that I had not been to before. The trip started off with getting washed out of Terradets and Santa Linya so we headed further south and enjoyed climbing on the conglomerate/limestone crags of Margalef and Montsant.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcDhuYCovdQlUI2NaWKV-c0smHY7gjTwkBVXz4H3MKNad5BpEmzjMCEVymSFFJQ16703Zff6tzP1gowxALQZVMfK1pTRaaKy6zS_u3KXsqDL639ptxuGCJUw00xGHLm-SDr7CcvPJtho/s1600/TheBoys_Monsan_1t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="261" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcDhuYCovdQlUI2NaWKV-c0smHY7gjTwkBVXz4H3MKNad5BpEmzjMCEVymSFFJQ16703Zff6tzP1gowxALQZVMfK1pTRaaKy6zS_u3KXsqDL639ptxuGCJUw00xGHLm-SDr7CcvPJtho/s400/TheBoys_Monsan_1t.jpg" /></a></div>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-39463272453648572922011-10-17T19:04:00.000+01:002011-10-17T19:04:21.659+01:00Gold Duke of Edinburgh Practice with Therfield SchoolFor the past 5 days I have been training up a group of students from Therfield School in preparation for their Duke of Edinbugh Gold Expedition next summer. I really like working with this School and I love to see the progression and development of the students as they take on the challenge. I spent the first day with my group in the Northern Carneddau looking at navigation techniques, dealing with emergencies, discussing how to look after themselves and most of all enjoying a warm and sunny day in the hills!<br />
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On day 2 we headed out for a harder challenge and summited Moel Siabod. This was a fairly tough day out for the group as they had to carry full expedition packs and cope with low cloud. This really tested their navigation and made for some very greasy conditions underfoot. They all did superbly so on Saturday we cut them loose and they completed a 2 day hike in excellent weather.<br />
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All 23 students did fantastically and I looking forward to the Brecon Beacons and their qualifying expedition next spring.Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-42104750074880233962011-10-09T20:08:00.001+01:002011-10-09T20:12:25.018+01:00Gogarth Video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RGwOzOtd-wo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Here's a little video of Jen and I climbing North West Passage - E1 at Castell Helen, Gogarth. Enjoy!!!Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-19984636301978827542011-10-06T16:43:00.000+01:002011-10-06T16:43:33.224+01:00New Slate Guide Book ReveiwWow! That was my first impression on getting my hands on the long awaited Llanberis Slate Guidebook by <a href="http://www.groundupclimbing.com/">Ground Up</a>. The front cover shot is all that a front cover shot should be - an awesome image by Ian Parnell showing off the the most famous route that Llanberis slate has to offer. It also manages to capture the raw and unique atmosphere of the quarries and the intense nature of its climbing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5s1-BavCG375VlvodlyWO3V58UAUdTh5eByO05tWNPWHWjxxSDC4zMl9T_1dU4QQSImVBqFcRmMYm_EcGXprq9GgkzRJhrjCExaWJp6_MaimyU2VK19saC7ib2fX6R0eILji4AArPmYE/s1600/LlanberisSlatecover3D_sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5s1-BavCG375VlvodlyWO3V58UAUdTh5eByO05tWNPWHWjxxSDC4zMl9T_1dU4QQSImVBqFcRmMYm_EcGXprq9GgkzRJhrjCExaWJp6_MaimyU2VK19saC7ib2fX6R0eILji4AArPmYE/s320/LlanberisSlatecover3D_sml.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br />
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The next thing I noticed was its size, which increases the visual impact of the cover photo. The guide is larger than previous Ground Up offerings and at A5 is not a book that you can slip into your pocket. But why would you need to as most of the slate routes are single pitch and those that aren't are not over complicated in line (routes on the back wall of Twll Mawr excluded). As you open the guide up the advantages of the larger size are immediately apparent - large numbers of excellent and highly inspiring photos and clear photo topos.<br />
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On flicking through I was instantly drawn to the Diary of a Slatehead - a number of short pieces by Martin Crook, which "provide a fascinating window into the slate climbing scene during its 80's glory days." There are also numerous short pieces detailing the characters that have been responsible for the development of the quarries over the years - The Slateheads. These include all the infamous characters such as Joe Brown, Redhead, Dawes and Crook.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Tango in Paris, Vivian Quarry</td></tr>
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The action photos are just stunning and made all the better by the A5 size. They illustrate the odd beauty of the quarries, the strange juxtaposition of the natural and the man made and the unique and sometimes baffling style of climbing. A particular favourite of mine is Ray Wood's shot of George Smith on The Wall Within which encapsulates the atmosphere and 'other-worldlyness' of the Lost World perfectly. I also like the historical photos that grace the guide - lets face it we don't get enough bright lycra these days! <br />
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The guide is layed out in the usual and user friendly Ground Up style and features all the aspects that you would expect a modern guide to have - graded list, comprehensive route descriptions, photo topos, index etc.<br />
It has an excellent introductory section with lots of info on style and ethics and access, which I would implore you to read. Access to the quarries has at times over the past years been slightly delicate so lets hope that the extra influx of climbers this guide will bring does not cause any problems. My one negative comment on the guide would be the photo used for Dali's Hole -an area at the forefront of current access negotiations. It shows a busy climbing scene, with groups enjoying the previously easy bolted routes - precisely the cause of access issues in the first place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looning the Tube, Australia</td></tr>
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The guide features 900 routes - 200 of which have been added since the previous guide! There is now something for everyone in the quarries. When I first started my slate career whilst at Bangor Uni, there where very few easy routes - in fact if you couldn't climb HVS there wasn't much point in visiting the quarries. Now there are lots of grade 4 and 5 well bolted routes for the aspirant Slatehead to cut their teeth on - including a few multi pitch offerings such as the excellent '362' in Never Never Land. It also features the quarries on the other side of the valley - Glyn Rhonwy, which are a quiet back water where the seasoned Slatehead may venture to find a whole realm of new adventures.<br />
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Also featured in the guide are some 'Slate Walks and Adventures'. These detail various ways that you can explore the unique atmosphere of the slate quarries and find those hidden gems from times gone by - ideal for a wet day. Included in this section is a description of Snakes and Ladders - a journey though tunnels, up chains, down big holes, escapes via rickety ladders and there's even a bit of climbing thrown in for good measure!<br />
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A guide book should not only be practical and accurate but also inspiring. A guide book should make me want to delve into to it, read route descriptions, find hidden treasures, fill me with pysch and make me want to get up off my arse and go climbing. It should also be something I can read on wet days and in quiet moments.This guide definitely ticks all those boxes. In fact I think this is one of the best guidebooks I have seen. Congratulations to Simon and his team - it was definately worth the wait!<br />
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Get your copy of the guide from <a href="http://www.v12outdoor.com/catalog/index.php/">V12 Outdoor</a> today!!Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-17196436663104140702011-09-22T13:17:00.000+01:002011-09-22T13:17:35.889+01:00Busy times for Snowdonia Mountaineering!I'm currently enjoying my first day off after 10 days of instructing and guiding in the mountains and on the crags of Snowdonia and North Wales. Unfortunately I dont have my camera-pc lead at the moments so you'll have to wait a few day for some pics.<br />
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<b>Monday 12th - Tuesday 13th</b><br />
Intro rock climbing course with Matt and Jon - see previous blog post.<br />
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<b>Wednesday 14th</b><br />
My regular Wednesday work with a local group of adults with special needs. We went for a nice stroll over Conwy Mountain.<br />
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<b>Thursday 15th - Friday 16th</b><br />
I worked on an SPA training course for Phill George Mountaineering. The SPA is the entry level outdoor climbing qualification for those who want to take groups to climb on single pitch crags. The trainees did really well and are looking to return in December for assessment.<br />
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<b>Saturday 17th - Sunday 18th</b><br />
I took new clients Liz and Austen out for two days of navigation and scrambling. More on this to come... plus top tips from Liz on how to use a she wee and advice from Austen on using Jedi mind tricks....<br />
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<b>Monday 19th - Tuesday 20th</b><br />
Returning client Tony wanted 2 days of rock climbing but unfortunately on Monday the weather Gods weren't kind so we postponed the day. Thankfully on Tuesday we found sunshine at Holyhead mountain and ticked off 5 routes - 2 v diffs and 3 severes! A great day. Tony is hoping to return in October to tackle some longer routes. Outside Edge route a Cwm Silyn is top of the list!<br />
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<b>Wednesday 21st</b><br />
My regular Wednesday work with a local group of adults with special needs.We enjoyed some Autumnal sunshine on the walk up to Aber FallsRoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-34802799666402678942011-09-14T17:24:00.000+01:002011-09-14T17:24:01.223+01:00Intro Rock Climbing CourseOn Monday I was joined by new clients Matt and Jon for a 2 day intro to rock climbing course. Both Matt and Jon had done a small amount of indoor climbing before but had never climbed on real rock before. Looking at the weather forecast on Sunday I was starting to worry that we might have to spend a good portion of the 2 days inside! Thankfully in Snowdonia we have Tremadog and whilst the Mountains were getting battered by hurricane Katia, Tremadog remained dry and (relatively) sheltered! After spending some time buying new rock shoes at V12 Outdoors in Llanberis we drove down to Tremadog and the boys enjoyed Boo Boo (diff), Yogi (severe) and the first pitch of Oberon. We also looked at abseiling with a prussik.<br />
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The weather on Tuesday was even better at Tremadog and we climbed the classic Poor Man's Peuterey (severe) on Pant Ifan. The boys built their own anchors and belayed each other up the 3 pitches.<br />
We finished the day with a quick ascent of the brilliant Micah Finish of Christmas Curry (hard severe), which provide a thrilling and challenging test for the boys and a great way to end the course!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnAZhRJw8XnPOG8g2Htd2Sojn1fAO8IuT-PK8G7UdNfZeyCuPuyG3YUB1WJyelGiq4RVMe1XT2j0V71HXtrcJOYGYSXaXYGUBGkdg1slyjcwni1XOzower1TGmeDT_GG4m_S0BB58JjQ/s1600/Matt_PMP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnAZhRJw8XnPOG8g2Htd2Sojn1fAO8IuT-PK8G7UdNfZeyCuPuyG3YUB1WJyelGiq4RVMe1XT2j0V71HXtrcJOYGYSXaXYGUBGkdg1slyjcwni1XOzower1TGmeDT_GG4m_S0BB58JjQ/s320/Matt_PMP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt on the Last Pitch of Poor Man's Peuterey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskxnqKlolm5-S5G7wLNDcJj_ooeqBAnHnsFFnQBCe6HZkrAGKMhuSCuxkcPageA0HUV8LRwBsbp-jZIrY_iVTIO-vu4Fv4Q9YhtAlaKLKLQWG0zlr9ean8lxTV0WQah5dfvWRGgcivoU/s1600/Poor_Mans_Peuterey_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskxnqKlolm5-S5G7wLNDcJj_ooeqBAnHnsFFnQBCe6HZkrAGKMhuSCuxkcPageA0HUV8LRwBsbp-jZIrY_iVTIO-vu4Fv4Q9YhtAlaKLKLQWG0zlr9ean8lxTV0WQah5dfvWRGgcivoU/s320/Poor_Mans_Peuterey_top.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon and Matt enjoying the view from the top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfX-fodXcd15ExMMhztLpnas-5mFJag7DqIcup45jpTG-5Pk4J85WcWzyX442umzD3PKMTgYIPhnSLjD43tJMDl6r9vQYpmF8ULJtBZizBkm0WJBh9E3LJ6CkyzoxK6d-ajggDpOaMjm0/s1600/Jon_Christmas_Curry_micah_finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfX-fodXcd15ExMMhztLpnas-5mFJag7DqIcup45jpTG-5Pk4J85WcWzyX442umzD3PKMTgYIPhnSLjD43tJMDl6r9vQYpmF8ULJtBZizBkm0WJBh9E3LJ6CkyzoxK6d-ajggDpOaMjm0/s320/Jon_Christmas_Curry_micah_finish.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon on the arete of the Micah Eliminate of Christmas Curry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-31242872005780389692011-09-08T20:32:00.000+01:002011-09-08T20:32:19.643+01:00Scrambling and Rock Climbing SkillsToday I was joined by new client Tony who contacted me as he wanted to get back into climbing and mountaineering after a bit of break. He has done some good and hard climbing in the past but after spending a lot of time sailing and recovering from injuries he felt he wanted some one to help him back into the hills. The weather has been appalling for the past few days in Snowdonia so I was pleased when the morning dawned dry(ish) and the wind had dropped to 30mph!<br />
We drove round into the Ogwen valley and enjoyed the grade 3 scramble on Tryfan Bach. With the weather forecast to get worse in the afternoon we decided to drive to Lion Rock to look at some crag skills and get rock shoes on! Tony is back in 10 days time with aspirations for Cneifion Arete and a traverse of the Glyders!Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281201097246200624.post-79859002257849400322011-08-30T21:40:00.000+01:002011-08-30T21:40:31.417+01:00Mountaineerin Skills CourseTestimonial<div>In August I was joined by new client Raphael for a 4 day mountaineering skills course. He had this to say about his experience:<br />
<i> </i></div><div></div><div><i>I had a fantastic four days with Rory out in the mountains in Snowdonia. He is a highly accomplished guide and, in a short time, we covered lots of skills of navigation, scrambling rope work and rock climbing. Rory was keen to push me physically, but I never felt anything less than totally safe under his instruction. All in all, a fantastic guide, whether you are a beginner or want to further improve your mountaineering skills.</i> <a class="c_ml PrimaryTextColor" href="http://sn128w.snt128.mail.live.com/mail/#" title="Move to (Ctrl+Shift+V)"></a><span class="ToolbarPipe"></span></div><br />
Roryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03545133741484959497noreply@blogger.com0