First Rock Climbing course of 2011

Today I took clients Rob and Kat down to Tremadog for their first taste of outdoor climbing. With a pretty poor forecast I hoped that Tremadog would provide its normal Haven from the rain! Driving down the Glaslyn valley the rain stopped and the sky lightened - result. Unfortunately the crag was still very wet from heavy overnight rain but we made the best of conditions. Rob and Kat both managed to climb 2 severes, which is a brilliant effort, especially as they couldn't feel their fingers due to the wet and cold! We also took some time to look at trad gear placements, constructing anchors and building belays. We were unfortunately caught out mid afternoon by a heavy shower so we finished the day by doing some abseiling. It was quite a tough intro to outdoor climbing for Rob and Kat so they are planning a return match in June when it will hopefully be a bit warmer and drier!

Kat lowering off Fallen Block Crack (severe)

Kat and Rob carrying out pre-climb checks

Cairngorms Northern Corries Ski Tour

I had an amazing day of skiing in the Cairngorms today. I got up early and headed for the Coire Cas car park to try and beat the crowds - it was worth it as I managed to get 4 good runs in before the queues started growing. It was time to head for some peace and quiet. I donned my skins at the Ptarmigan and skinned up to Cnap Coire na Spreidhe then on to Cairngorm. I shared the top with one other skier and an amazing view north to Loch Morlich and beyond. A quick ski down took me to the windy col. From here I headed over the top of Coire an t Sneachda to Carn Lochan 1215m. The great thing about ski touring is going down hill - fast! When walking to the bottom of Lurchers gully it would take at least 90mins, today it took me less than 15 minutes on really good snow! Thats 4km and 600m of descent!

This has really whetted my appetite for more ski touring and the whole of the Cairngorms to the south looked very inviting. Unfortunately its pretty rare to get good skiing conditions combined with good weather so days like today are very precious!

I got back to the van at 12.30 so headed back up the mountain for a few more runs. The Cairngorm ski area was pretty damm good this afternoon especially in Coire na Ciste. Legs are very tired now so I think I'll head out for a steak tonight to get a good protein fix!

Looking North from the top of Coire an t Sneachda

Coire an t Sneacda well covered in snow

Looking west to the Fiacaill Ridge

At the top of Lurchers Gully

A quick Ski Tour up Lurchers Gully

Freshly deposited windslab cracking and sliding easily!

View from the Summit of Lurchers Crag 1053m

Today I had a nice skin from Coire Cas up Lurchers gullys to the summit of Lurchers crag or Creag an Leth Choin as it probably should be known as. I had hoped that it might have been a good day to make the long tour over to Ben MacDui but as I arrived at the car park I was greeted by 50mph winds and clouds of spindrift (wind blown snow) so changed my plans. As I toured across to Lurchers gully there was lots of fresh wind slab being deposited so not a good day to be on any steep slopes as the avalanche risk would have been very high. The gully was full of pretty soft snow so I was pretty psyched for the descent!
Unfortunately as I came down the visibility got even worse so I had to take it pretty steady! Its always tricky when you can't tell what the snow is going to be like. It is a really good run down - probably about a blue run if it was pisted. I finished the day with a nice cappuccino in The Mountain Cafe (they also do a fantastic all day breakfast!).

Cairngorm Ski Action

Views from the summit of Cairngorm
The snow on Saturday on Cairngorm was probably better than anywhere in the Alps on Saturday! Given the high avalanche risk I decided to go for a bit of a ski - probably a good decision as a fair few people were avalanched in the Northern Corries in the morning, thankfully no one was seriously hurt. After spending the morning on the pistes I put my skins on and hiked up to Cairngorm summit and enjoyed good views across the mountains. After a quick picnic in the sun I pointed my skis down hill and 3 minutes later I was in the car park.

I've been out for a quick ski this morning but flat light combined with variable snow meant I took a bit of a tumble! Resting up now in preparation for a tour across the plateau to Ben MacDui tomorrow.

Scottish Mountaineering Action

I've had two great days out in the Scottish Mountains this week. Weather and conditions have been mixed but I managed to make the best of the week getting out on Tuesday to Beinn a Chaorainn and on Thursday to Ben Nevis.

Ben a Chaorainn is a fairly unremarkable mountain from the west but its east side is home to some high corries and fine ridges. Bryn, T and myself decided that with a high avalanche risk an ascent of the east ridge would be a good option. A tactical slow approach through deep snow allowed us to be overtaken and relieved of trail breaking duties!. Once on the ridge we enjoyed good weather and interesting scrambling right to the summit of the mountain. I would definitely recommend this as a fine mountaineering day out.

Bryn at T at the start of the East Ridge of Beinn a Chaorainn

A tricky step on the ridge

Yesterday I got up really early and drove over to Fort William to meet Bryn for a day on The Ben. It was forecast to be a beautiful day and as we made the long walk in the early morning cloud disappeared to reveal blue sky. We headed for the Douglas Boulder and climbed a short route called Faulty Towers that went at about grade 3. Conditions were a little thin and some of the ice was rotten after the recent thaw. We had a relaxed lunch then abseiled off into Douglas Gully. We really wanted to get on a route were we could enjoy the sunshine so a traverse across Coire na Ciste lead us on to ledge route. This is another great mountaineering route that takes you all the way to the plateau with sustained interest. The route was in great nick and we quickly soloed up into the sunshine. On the summit plateau we stopped to soak up the sun for awhile before making the long descent back to the valley. When you get days like this Scotland is a very special place - often though you have to put up with bad weather and many frustrating days to get a really good one... it was worth the wait!

Ledge Route climbs up to and follows the sunny ridge to the summit

Bryn on the approach up no. 5 gully

Bryn on the ridge leading to the summit

A rare perfect day on top of The Ben

The Storm Arrives!!

With yet another windy forecast I decided not to head up onto the tops today. I took a nice stroll through the snowy forests of the Rothiemurcus Estate then up into the start of the Lairig Ghru. This is an amazing geological feature - a deep valley that separates the Cairngorm plateau from Braeriach and Carn Toul. Here I 'rescued' a slightly lost but well equipped Polish chap. I persuaded Vorturyk that this wasn't the day to try and climb Braeriach so he joined me for the rest of the day. With the approaching storm quickly moving up the Lairig Ghru I decided to bail through the Chalamain Gap. This was tricky enough with the wind gusting to 60 mph and the boulder strewn gap partially covered with fresh snow. Once through the wind increased to the point where I could hardly stand and the next couple of miles to get down into the woods was hard going! Then the snow arrived and I was glad not to be up high - hopefully enough will have settled in the woods to allow some x-country skiing tomorrow.

Windy in the Northern Corries!

The forecast for today was not too bad apart from the wind - gusts up to 80mph were predicted. So when I woke to pouring rain it was a struggle to get out of bed. In fact if it wasn't that Bryn was heading over from Fort William I probably would have stayed put! Thankfully as we drove up to the ski area car park the wet weather cleared through and blue sky appeared (well some small patches). We strolled into the corrie in worsening wind and decided to try a route on the Mess of Pottage (don't now why this cliff was given this name!).

As we cramponned up to the base of the buttress we were buffeted by some big gusts. At times I had to get down on my knees and dig my axe in for support! It did make going uphill easy but there were a few times when I felt like I might actually be blown up the cliff! Because of the wind we decided to do Jacobs Ladder a nice short grade 1, which we climbed quickly on good neve. Once onto the plateau the wind didn't seem as bad and the visibility was good giving views over to Ben Macdui. With more wet weather on its way we scurried down the ridge back to the car park. We arrived just as the snow storm hit and by 1.30 we were tucking into an all day breakfast in the Mountain Cafe.
The forecast for the rest of the week gets worse - freezing level is up and down and the wind is forecast to get stronger - up to 100mph by Thursday and Friday!

Scottish Fun

On Saturday I attended the Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM at Glenmore Lodge. I joined an avalanche transceiver workshop to brush up on my avalanche rescue skills and play with a variety of transceivers and search methods - hopefully I'll never have to use these skills! It turned out to be a nice day in the mountains with a stunning cloud inversion.

Practicing probing for buried victims. Nice cloud inversion over Glenmore.



On Sunday I got out for a morning of skiing on Cairngorm before the winds got too strong and they shut the lifts down.


The forecast for the week ahead in Scotland is not so good - it looks like we have a week of storms coming our way. Wind on the Cairngorm plateau was forecast 75mph today with that increasing to 90mph on Wednesday! So today I avoided the worst of the wind with a stroll over Meall a' Bhuachaille - a nice hill overlooking Loch Morlich and Cairngorm. Tomorrow I might brave the weather and try and get a route climbed in the northern corries.

 View from Meall a' Bhuachaille to Loch Morlich and the Cairngorms

Snowdonia Mountaineering in Scotland

Well I'm settling in to my new digs in Aviemore - my cousins house (thanks Al!) - relaxing in front of the fire with a glass of wine. Its been a pretty hectic week instructing on a mountain leader training course at Blue Peris. This included a rather cold night out in the Moelwynns on Wednesday night.

So I'm already trying to work out what I've forgotten and one thing that I have left is my camera so I might not get too many pictures up on the blog.

Tomorrow I'm attending the Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM at Glenmore Lodge over the weekend which will be a great chance to catch up with lots of other instructors, discuss a few topical issues, sink a few beers and maybe even go for a climb!

Snowdonia Mountaineering at the Outdoor Show

I had a great time down at the Outdoor Show in the ExCel centre in London. I spent 2 days down there running workshops for the Association of Mountaineering Instructors on the DMM stand. It was awesome to meet lots of new people and introduce them to the skills of place gear and building belays - hopefully I will see some of you up in Snowdonia this year!

Snowdonia Mountaineering at the Outdoor Show

From Thursday to Sunday this week the outdoor show will be running at the ExCel centre in London's Docklands. The Outdoors Show is the largest consumer outdoors show in Europe, annually attracting in excess of 30,000 outdoor enthusiasts. 2011 sees The Outdoors Show move to ExCel, London, where the show will locate alongside The London International Boat Show and the newly launched London Bike Show.

There will be loads of stands, exhibitions, films, talks etc to check out. You might even be able to pick up a good deal on some climbing gear.

I am going to be working with the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) running workshops on building anchors, placing gear and tying knots - all basic rock climbing skills. So come along, say hello and get yourself on a workshop. You can find us on the DMM and Beacon Climbing Wall stand.

Rock Climbing in Snowdonia - My Favourite Routes

I've been sitting at home feeling sorry for myself as I can't go out winter climbing with one hand in a cast so I thought I would write a wee blog about my top 5 favourite rock climbs in Snowdonia. These are routes which I can go back to again and again and still enjoy them as much as the first time. They aren't necessarily the hardest or scariest routes I've done, or routes that I have been most proud of climbing but routes that I will hopefully still enjoy in 30 years time!

Christmas Curry Micah Finish - HS, Tremadog

This was probably my 3rd ever lead and I can still quite vividly remember the feeling of balancing my way up the top arete with the gear well beneath my feet and an amazing feeling of space around me. Its a great little climb - its probably best done in 2 pitches with the second pitch containing the meat of the route.

Outside Edge Route - VDiff, Cwm Silyn

This is my favourite VDiff in Snowdonia. Its tucked away from the main climbing areas of Snowdonia and is a great place to go to seek a little solitude. It takes an impressive line up the left edge of the great slab of Crag yr Ogof in Cwm Silyn. I love it when a route goes through terrain that looks far harder and steeper than the grade suggests. Its best climbed on a sunny afternoon once the sun has come round onto the slab and the views down the Llyn Peninulsula can be enjoyed to the fullest.

Cemetry Gates - E1, Dinas Cromlech

I have lost track of how many times I have climbed this route now. Its a bit of a rite of passage for me every spring. Dinas Cromlech is a massive fortress of rock that towers over the Llanberis pass and is home to probably the most famous route in the UK - Cenotaph Corner. Cemetry Gates takes a series of cracks up the right arete of the corner and will thrill you with steep moves, big holds and plenty of exposure!

North West Passage - E1 Castell Helen, Gogarth

Sea cliff climbing is probably my favourite genre of rock climbing. Nothing beats hanging out on big holds with the sun on your back over the sparkling sea. North West passage can be found on Castell Helen - one of the more friendly of the Gogarth cliffs. A steady first pitch leads you to a perfect belay ledge where you can chill out and enjoy the awesome coastal scenery. The second pitch then follows a traverse line right before climbing up the headwall on big holds and solid rock with the Irish Sea along way beneath your feet. Perfect.

Comes the Dervish - E3, Vivian Quarry

The Slate route that started a revolution. This awesome line can be seen from Llanberis and the crack it climbs was originally cleaned out using a knife from Pete's cafe prior to its ascent! I first climbed it back in University and it was a bit of a milestone for my climbing. I like it so much as its a route that just calls out to be climbed - the more you look at it the more it sucks you in and before you know it you will making those first tentative moves upwards in search of that first piece of gear...

Winter Mountain Walking in Snowdonia

Yesterday Jen and myself took a quiet winter walk up into the Carneddau. It was a great day to be out with excellent views and light winds the sun even made an appearance late in the day. We headed up the East ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen and round to Carnedd Dafydd negotiating some large patches of old snow. We donned crampons on the ridge leading upto Carnedd Llewelyn as the snow patches got bigger and the consequence of a slip became more serious.

Its sometimes difficult to know when to put on crampons in patchy snow conditions - do you leave them on to walk across bare patches or stop each time to take them off? Crampons are fine to use on bare rock/ground for short periods but are uncomfortable to walk in. Generally if the ground is fairly flat with patchy hard snow and the consequence of a slip just means that I bump my backside then I'll leave them off. However is a slip could turn into a slide or a drop off a cliff I'll put them on and will happily walk across the odd bare patch.
From the summit of Llewelyn we headed down to the Llugwy resevoir and back into Ogwen. A great day out - the hardest thing about the day was working out which of my clothes fitted over my cast!

Winter Skills Courses

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Happy New Year

Enjoying Cave Gully on the Trinity face last Feb

Hope you all had a good night! Its due to get cold again in North Wales over the next few days with possibly a bit of snow on the tops arriving on tuesday. Not much snow left but a good freeze should see the easy gullies up high giving some good sport. The Trinity face on Snowdon and Cwm Cneifion will be the best places to check out. Be carefull out and about the snow will be very hard!

I wont be out and about as my hand is in plaster as my sore thumb turned out to be a broken one - no action for me for a few weeks!

More Skiing Photos

Amazing Welsh Skiing!!!

What an amazing day!! Bryn, greg and myself skinned up from Deiniolen up on to Elidir Fawr through perfect fresh snow (greg walked as he's a boarder!) We then had a short run down the other side to test the snow which was over the knee powder! So we put the skins back on a hiked to the tope of Foel Goch and had an awesome run down into the valley followed by a wade out to Nant peris. The skiing was simply awesome - better than Chamonix last week. I'm a bit sore now after a good tumble on the descent... no pain no gain! We definately earned our turns today!

Chamonix ski fun

I'm just back from 8 awesome days out in Chamonix with friend Bryn of Mountain Leader Training Wales. It was my first time skiing in the Chamonix valley and I was blown away by the terrain and scenery. We were slightly limited it what we could do as the snow wasn't in great condition for high level tours and not all the lifts had opened yet. We got loads of off piste action on the Grands Montets and hunted around for nice powder in the woods. Great fun especially when I remembered how to ski and stopped falling over! We also had a great skin up to the Col de Balme at the top of Le Tour ski area. We got to the col just as the sun started to dissapear behind the mountains and set on Mount Blanc - awesome. What had tacken us nearly 3hrs to skin up took 5 minutes to descend! I'll definately be back for more action!!


View to Mount Blanc from the slopes of Courmayeur


Preparing for the descent from Col de Balme


Off piste action on the Grands Montets


Posing at Le Tour


An afternoon skin at Le Tour

Back to a very snowy Snowdonia

I finally made it back from Chamonix after an epic drive. Still had time to get out for a bit of welsh skiing this afternoon! Awesome powder here but didn't have time to get into the hills so I just skinned up from the house up toward Marchlyn reservoir and had a gentle run down in the late afternoon sun.

I'll put some photos and video from Chamonix up in the next couple of days.