tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60089883423448551882024-03-04T23:27:00.852-08:00Olly Roberts - ClimberI started writing this blog in 2013 about my climbing, and time spent outdoors, in particular the mountain environment that I am so passionate about. My plan is for it to provide a more in depth record of my climbing, somewhere for me to reflect on these experiences and a way to share them with others.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-58397224345231972016-01-08T08:20:00.001-08:002016-01-08T08:20:47.318-08:00The Positivity of a New Year<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeing in the New Year on Ingleborough</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So its a new year, where many climbers will begin to write their goals and aspirations for the coming year. Suddenly a new year seems to kick start peoples brains. It gets them thinking about what they want to achieve. Climbing isn't just year on year, it is a continuous journey where we should continue to develop through the winter months and into the following year in one smooth transition. It is hard to continue training through the dark, wet autumnal months and I'm sure many folks performance drops during these months as the number of climbing days is significantly reduced. Mine certainly does. However I have tried to up the ante during the Autumn by getting myself a membership at Inglesport, my local wall, and I feel that I am already making gains through more regular visits. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New Years Day training at Inglesport</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However since the 'new' year, even I am taking a fresh perspective on my climbing. I am becoming more goal orientated and am going to stack the odds in my favour come the new season. After seeing in the new year on the top of Ingleborough, I was straight down to Inglesport on new years day, blasting out the tunes and getting in a boulder session. My awesome christmas present, a Beastmaker, has mounted and coupled with the brilliant Beastmaker app is providing structured training to supplement my other climbing. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will this be the year of the Beast? Only time and motivation will tell...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new year also means new rubber. I was lucky enough to find some dry rock over the christmas period, catching up with my good friends Ben and Kirsty, we managed to get a boulder session at Brimham Rock. It was great to be out on rock again rather than plastic, and this one session has reignited my enthusiasm to get out on the rock as much as possible in the new year. There were a couple of problems at Brimham that I struggled on, not because I wasn't strong enough, or my skin too worn, but because of my equipment. It was frustrating, my boots were too worn, no edges left which meant I had no chance of standing on the small pebbles which prevented topping out. So new boots for me then! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some dry rock at Brimham Rocks</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New year, new rubber. Scarpa Vapor Lace.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pile of guidebooks has appeared at my bedside table as I'm looking for routes to add to the list for this year. I have got to a stage in my climbing where I am not as focussed about aiming towards particular grades, my climbing is about exploring crags I have not visited before. There are still quite a few. I am already looking towards climbing trips for the year, as I am heading to Norway next week to climb at the ice hotspot of Rjukan, Claire and I are already looking at heading to Lofoten in the far north of Norway. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lofoten looks amazing, just google it!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last new for me this year is the launch of my own business, <a href="http://www.ollyrobertsclimbing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Olly Roberts Climbing</a>. I hope to have inspired anyone that reads my blog, but maybe I can be a part of the development of your climbing. My website is now live, but updating and developing it is a never ending process and constructive criticism is more than welcome. So contact me if you would like to try climbing or hillwalking, move outdoors onto rock, guided multi-pitch routes and much more. All courses are bespoke and structured around your aims and aspirations.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-61090333178115692422015-11-21T08:27:00.000-08:002015-12-24T08:29:03.727-08:00Autumn Sunshine in Mallorca<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a miserable autumn of weather in the Yorkshire Dales, Claire and I booked a last minute trip to Mallorca for some sunshine. We headed to the South-West of the island and based ourself in Santa Ponca. We were blessed with the weather and had five days of sunshine, although quite a few blustery days. I was surprised by the variation in the limestone, I don't think I was expecting it, with some crags being very sharp, crozzly water worn compared to pocket and tufa covered orange sheets of rock. There was even this contrast within a crag, Puig de Garrafa for instance. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0QK5YLIOlNaBri8u14FxlLHLxLBc27fCrNPwHk-0s2fUYjF8NEu7Gtd8vXH8hGvWiyzo0hoA1aqsiQ61uNlYROoQRTPRAXm65-kbaJjbZpjBb_3SFYr_0QSIqP56StLQzJVjvGwZ1JE/s1600/IMG_2682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0QK5YLIOlNaBri8u14FxlLHLxLBc27fCrNPwHk-0s2fUYjF8NEu7Gtd8vXH8hGvWiyzo0hoA1aqsiQ61uNlYROoQRTPRAXm65-kbaJjbZpjBb_3SFYr_0QSIqP56StLQzJVjvGwZ1JE/s320/IMG_2682.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cala Bruix, Puig de Garrafa</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was the first place we climbed. Due to it's popularity quite a few of the easier graded are incredibly polished, just like climbing at Malham then. Don't let that put you off though the routes have some good climbing, nice movement and are all pretty varied. We started in the popular Sector Duck and climbed a number of the two and three star routes. We both found it harder trusting our feet on rather glassy footholds. We later moved down to Sector Corral which provided some brilliant climbing on lots of positive orange rock. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Barbol at Can Ortigues</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can Ortigues sits high above the twisting road overlooking the sea on the Western side of the island, on a very steep slope. The tall grey walls of crozzly rock provide some tricky sharp moves which can be felt on the fingertips and through the soles of my rock boots. The routes had tricky starts and it was hard to read the rock. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climbing Neo at Sa Cantera</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally we climbed at Sa Cantera up a quiet valley looking out above Palma but manages to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. The crag seemed less popular and was a little dusty in places but the climbing was great, with some thin technical moves providing plenty of interest. Some of the routes were a bit dusty and dirty in places. I only had three days of climbing on the island and barely scratched the surface of the climbing here, I'm pretty sure that I'll be back to explore further. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-8785549776111662082015-11-11T04:33:00.001-08:002015-11-11T04:33:12.805-08:00The Beautiful Forest - Fontainebleau <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Claire and I had spent the last ten days exploring the Chamonix, but unfortunately the weather was looking too good for the last few days of our trip. Like everyone in the Alps, eyes are kept firmly on the forecasts and plans hatched for excursions into the mountains or crags in the valley. Our plan was to escape the valley, but where to go? Countless locations typed into the forecast; Saas Fee, Grindelwald, the Provence region, Aliefroide, but the South of France and the rest of the Alps wasn't looking hopeful. Fontainebleau; overcast with breaks of sun and hitting around 19 degrees. Happy days, it would just be like climbing on the grit in the summer. We packed up camp and headed to the forest.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZuasFuhDCJe3WecswFbY4FKjub22D2YB6Lmge7FXQjf35H2TOiUCfjkQjcMzGpEIrkdmqiy_WADJjsseZ2Zf83Yj-nsBptLVK79jVShiStvHKqPkCrD6uq7qZf7hnfZnSdrvDN6rTr4/s1600/IMG_3295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZuasFuhDCJe3WecswFbY4FKjub22D2YB6Lmge7FXQjf35H2TOiUCfjkQjcMzGpEIrkdmqiy_WADJjsseZ2Zf83Yj-nsBptLVK79jVShiStvHKqPkCrD6uq7qZf7hnfZnSdrvDN6rTr4/s320/IMG_3295.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a place! Looking in to the forest at Roche aux Sabots</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEaQx1-HVLwib-X6bzmPw5diBZQGPsWJN_8_OA3nD0I9pFjRIWg95TNxmg8aI4ZrTaS_VG9F3kdFLcAU7ZvwAHkehBSOuW7dCLUH9ylFYwmWYs0h4eoO_urhcJEKKlqs4z6Js0qkGjX8/s1600/IMG_3252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEaQx1-HVLwib-X6bzmPw5diBZQGPsWJN_8_OA3nD0I9pFjRIWg95TNxmg8aI4ZrTaS_VG9F3kdFLcAU7ZvwAHkehBSOuW7dCLUH9ylFYwmWYs0h4eoO_urhcJEKKlqs4z6Js0qkGjX8/s320/IMG_3252.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The brilliant patterns in the Sandstone boulders</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It had been four years since I last been to Font, I always seem to have great trips there, it is such a chilled out place. I never really go with any expectations and only use a guidebook for maps to get to the crags. I just climb lines and problems I like the look of, and thats a lot of them. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwsU7plRT9G1G6WmeI6zVxD8uvNKu-t7xHeSG1Bs3WyAIqsw1Bds-Jajhut94s4JWle_16fZXDLujbXc3Bf8_uv2qf_DQHjsnPMo6MNcWRY3F94xs1hExzXJETDgpN4G7QqIL2gKdSvE/s1600/IMG_3280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwsU7plRT9G1G6WmeI6zVxD8uvNKu-t7xHeSG1Bs3WyAIqsw1Bds-Jajhut94s4JWle_16fZXDLujbXc3Bf8_uv2qf_DQHjsnPMo6MNcWRY3F94xs1hExzXJETDgpN4G7QqIL2gKdSvE/s320/IMG_3280.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eyeing up the final throw on a Red problem at Roche aux Sabots</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We had a great few days, it was like being a kid in a sweet shop as we were only there for three days before catching our ferry back to the UK, so I climbed as much as I could in those three days. Often heading out for morning and afternoon sessions to avoid the midday sunshine. We camped at La Musardiere and visited crags within the Trois Pignons area; Gorges aux Chats, 95.2, Cul de Chien, 91.1 and Roche aux Sabots. As I hadn't climbed much recently and this was a pretty spontaneous visit I just planned to climb a lot of problems, building up some mileage rather than trying really hard boulders. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1VKU08P2rTkcEvLiGv8RHef_Y5J364UoMQoK9hixJIhYPMj2fVQPkUTn8sPpItSQOqd9mkIxy65jwHJLToYF25eeHznDD9vDvn-S_miVrJf35_omMc1tURAqOgLjZVKt2tr99we3pOE/s1600/IMG_3304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1VKU08P2rTkcEvLiGv8RHef_Y5J364UoMQoK9hixJIhYPMj2fVQPkUTn8sPpItSQOqd9mkIxy65jwHJLToYF25eeHznDD9vDvn-S_miVrJf35_omMc1tURAqOgLjZVKt2tr99we3pOE/s320/IMG_3304.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Topping out at 91.1</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It took a little bit of readjusting to get used to the polished footholds which was pretty frustrating to begin with, feet just slipping away with no warning from holds that seemed solid. I love the movement that is found on the boulders in Font, how subtle changes in body position can mean the difference between failure and success. Our brief visit reignited a spark for the area and I can't wait to plan another trip back and put some prior training and effort in beforehand.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRVByEsVxAAvZKu46Um1RZzozQkqOw7yqZqEhmYMgf46chy_jl4u1F49pesYjfRUCJOsC67PPoXW-98n1Iu_Q5LnmLtqmzadW5QcJneRM77KhnOA69BLHxk2WIsmpxUAJ0yVvoccMQhU/s1600/IMG_3299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRVByEsVxAAvZKu46Um1RZzozQkqOw7yqZqEhmYMgf46chy_jl4u1F49pesYjfRUCJOsC67PPoXW-98n1Iu_Q5LnmLtqmzadW5QcJneRM77KhnOA69BLHxk2WIsmpxUAJ0yVvoccMQhU/s320/IMG_3299.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over crimping at 91.1</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9I7d-qqt2T5BKNLtRlaPpdsG4AfoLc1Z2zZgg3Kwh9Voht4_5ElZpp2MRGuGNYU5GY4ApSlHhImFma1uMDbbbAOq_2_X2_UDTQKQNoZt8KDnnio5O6DWBTZ_OdeyhwSt3Slu4vcayVGc/s1600/IMG_3300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9I7d-qqt2T5BKNLtRlaPpdsG4AfoLc1Z2zZgg3Kwh9Voht4_5ElZpp2MRGuGNYU5GY4ApSlHhImFma1uMDbbbAOq_2_X2_UDTQKQNoZt8KDnnio5O6DWBTZ_OdeyhwSt3Slu4vcayVGc/s320/IMG_3300.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Topping out a thin slab</span><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-34918489092169131462015-11-10T07:18:00.002-08:002015-11-10T07:18:14.056-08:00A Busy Year in the Outdoors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> I've been pretty quiet on the blog front this year unfortunately. Personally it has been a bit of a mixed year in terms of my own climbing. I moved to a new area at the end of last year and have found it hard to meet new climbing partners to get out to the crags. I know that sounds like an excuse, I have still been climbing and have gone through another phase where I have massively got into mountain biking and started racing through the season. This is the first year that I have been working freelance, mostly within the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. I have worked for lots of different people and organisations, providing a huge variety of work, in terms of places and the people I have provided outdoor experiences for. Here's a selection of the things I have got up to through the spring and summer months. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfftwv1YYe9sD5hoBbIWGUlnFqyn-pydly3dc0a2xTSPZf6RhtGDlc88cBax2wJpoFVnxf_1jqrBlRJIphdF00fL1FqthD5cvrFqVtm0eNJ9bpZdJm4UBYi3LO93CPAmcCK1s_ey8lrA/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfftwv1YYe9sD5hoBbIWGUlnFqyn-pydly3dc0a2xTSPZf6RhtGDlc88cBax2wJpoFVnxf_1jqrBlRJIphdF00fL1FqthD5cvrFqVtm0eNJ9bpZdJm4UBYi3LO93CPAmcCK1s_ey8lrA/s320/IMG_2113.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meeting my new crag and biking partner for the first time... Skye</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SVJpvtt2qQJ1x79LoR-1hHcXWmSRxwBKByWKYgTVUgMJj32_FrCmfIcsmouG2IUh62BjGLq68KCZuCpdkcB0br2sbIscj0KvdiVbLJr_8coe2_NjWYJabQZlSGJlQFK7ByQFYnFPMLs/s1600/IMG_2187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SVJpvtt2qQJ1x79LoR-1hHcXWmSRxwBKByWKYgTVUgMJj32_FrCmfIcsmouG2IUh62BjGLq68KCZuCpdkcB0br2sbIscj0KvdiVbLJr_8coe2_NjWYJabQZlSGJlQFK7ByQFYnFPMLs/s320/IMG_2187.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mountain Biking with the Wensleydale School BTEC Students</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue8nRGwQrim7E-XeW5f-8LuwBGUyrhU6h6jOVWXQYgBR-I6Lf_BFnB6h50GxWqUWoSkrpnHfTC8fWONcVg9uAhtuXoiE-kZhhQDWtxnry76S1Z0SL7sLRlZFZfD1_dt890xBWvwOjMM0/s1600/IMG_2211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue8nRGwQrim7E-XeW5f-8LuwBGUyrhU6h6jOVWXQYgBR-I6Lf_BFnB6h50GxWqUWoSkrpnHfTC8fWONcVg9uAhtuXoiE-kZhhQDWtxnry76S1Z0SL7sLRlZFZfD1_dt890xBWvwOjMM0/s320/IMG_2211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking above Malham with Rough Edges' Prince's Trust Group</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuQNrAUHmsThD1m5vDJgbZ5zM_fBFpSePlvXqV1Oz1464MHl22a33PTijeV7dnfNjZcRht5J3EvprA8BaUTmlHy_JEuI_lyChi_BTaLrvvRzwe6QfO5s7OcGiEbJ6CgcZlhwovK5p89E/s1600/IMG_2250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuQNrAUHmsThD1m5vDJgbZ5zM_fBFpSePlvXqV1Oz1464MHl22a33PTijeV7dnfNjZcRht5J3EvprA8BaUTmlHy_JEuI_lyChi_BTaLrvvRzwe6QfO5s7OcGiEbJ6CgcZlhwovK5p89E/s320/IMG_2250.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bringing Skye home!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOWKYRT91P6Q-TYOZWZzzbOROqcbD9A_VR7trKQeGBlFt1iplptd44pljQ4yV0d39QG7UBDyuTmEEbKX1eBSDudHabjSyXPsRFsDh8EWVMXzJoT3iDJ03nNB9t6YXazTCpparPq1XdBE/s1600/IMG_2357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOWKYRT91P6Q-TYOZWZzzbOROqcbD9A_VR7trKQeGBlFt1iplptd44pljQ4yV0d39QG7UBDyuTmEEbKX1eBSDudHabjSyXPsRFsDh8EWVMXzJoT3iDJ03nNB9t6YXazTCpparPq1XdBE/s320/IMG_2357.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climbing at Robin Proctors Scar</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsx7xd7OQQ6Bf5xoSyENuxthy1ylek5ekTL4RqpGjV3RGJD1odRTFa1poRCiFc7UqWhyphenhyphenbj_ohqk8BsExFrmgEwk8bB0tF-8k4uoDlYzTFkxomTCJUwS0ZdgZhWDe3BPM-BLlxnU8CRbrs/s1600/IMG_2647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsx7xd7OQQ6Bf5xoSyENuxthy1ylek5ekTL4RqpGjV3RGJD1odRTFa1poRCiFc7UqWhyphenhyphenbj_ohqk8BsExFrmgEwk8bB0tF-8k4uoDlYzTFkxomTCJUwS0ZdgZhWDe3BPM-BLlxnU8CRbrs/s320/IMG_2647.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working on my first SPA Training - Personal Climbing at Oxenber</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YtBSggSxc4d7vOhC-3ULdqXy-phEt6T-aAX2PQn1kyqgNrF8chdQ_u4O7YLCEJW9zIab1ajH3qTfPjnaiaVLGs-S0loE8sF_rRiZLU-nwUi4h7hF_yBU_bXt7hvQ0ah5wn2LfiWJugI/s1600/IMG_2883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YtBSggSxc4d7vOhC-3ULdqXy-phEt6T-aAX2PQn1kyqgNrF8chdQ_u4O7YLCEJW9zIab1ajH3qTfPjnaiaVLGs-S0loE8sF_rRiZLU-nwUi4h7hF_yBU_bXt7hvQ0ah5wn2LfiWJugI/s320/IMG_2883.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first PMBA Enduro at Lee Quarry, Rossendale</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02xQ-TUrI6qusnHYWBJEuVUlJkkWa3WaLmNIpEIbny75aToF-XBhRz7s5hX6hBmQsK26UnEF_yrZoZH1oyS-6OVsJjl8q-TISfI0T6c7RqWaD9DtCEMZ_VXtNOBU2hc6DVIcT7fxlky4/s1600/IMG_2963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02xQ-TUrI6qusnHYWBJEuVUlJkkWa3WaLmNIpEIbny75aToF-XBhRz7s5hX6hBmQsK26UnEF_yrZoZH1oyS-6OVsJjl8q-TISfI0T6c7RqWaD9DtCEMZ_VXtNOBU2hc6DVIcT7fxlky4/s320/IMG_2963.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climbing Scafell Pike with a group from Marston's Brewery for Kendal Mountaineering Services</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ0j93PM289l9U9jFPctp_92Di4-qfmqS2bGBjBJgjgE7JNDsX1zqGOK6ziDCODoBHajHQdVIeReEXo9vFDqGqDNJ_znSxcx6P0v23O_OiiAEsXgaP9xvk6J4TOGdQedQJJNNY3_EYtU/s1600/IMG_2772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ0j93PM289l9U9jFPctp_92Di4-qfmqS2bGBjBJgjgE7JNDsX1zqGOK6ziDCODoBHajHQdVIeReEXo9vFDqGqDNJ_znSxcx6P0v23O_OiiAEsXgaP9xvk6J4TOGdQedQJJNNY3_EYtU/s320/IMG_2772.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Skye isn't so little anymore</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSjhh2hThnVIGRFo_hDLxdkS1t0niqtGEyiDzLQDWJG5u6769hrWnSK5Fl3C93TV-pSrMf8qLMrO0reZ6rInL_ebQMzqDLKLcWdAuygKunWg0uItzjAdD8VDFubN9OKOl0vPhwUiT03w/s1600/IMG_3079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSjhh2hThnVIGRFo_hDLxdkS1t0niqtGEyiDzLQDWJG5u6769hrWnSK5Fl3C93TV-pSrMf8qLMrO0reZ6rInL_ebQMzqDLKLcWdAuygKunWg0uItzjAdD8VDFubN9OKOl0vPhwUiT03w/s320/IMG_3079.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paddling on Coniston Water with Dallam Outdoors</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JCxL9V06zlGl7eXB3dmmIknXxSJZT-O-oPq-DTqJzaQtKWvyjvvbrqL7zksnucXqPT0YobCyyu30eK6fL95xsv5x1UeAZlxvefo14S1ey0Os7ZDJaYD3-_5AJkrYReVcJQWilrAP-E8/s1600/IMG_3188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JCxL9V06zlGl7eXB3dmmIknXxSJZT-O-oPq-DTqJzaQtKWvyjvvbrqL7zksnucXqPT0YobCyyu30eK6fL95xsv5x1UeAZlxvefo14S1ey0Os7ZDJaYD3-_5AJkrYReVcJQWilrAP-E8/s320/IMG_3188.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We even managed to get a quick trip to the Alps - Claire's first trip to the Alps</span></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-46762053139780728382015-02-17T12:34:00.001-08:002015-02-17T12:34:06.107-08:00A Forcan Windy Day<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Our decision on where to go today was made a lot easier after seeing Ken Applegate post a <a href="https://twitter.com/AppleMtn/status/567397989401264128" target="_blank">picture</a> on twitter of the stunning Forcan Ridge bathed in sunshine yesterday. This was an option for some point this week and a route I have been meaning to climb for a while. We had a relatively early start and a drive round from Lochcarron to Glen Shiel. There had been fresh snow from yesterday or perhaps overnight down to around 650m, but we were greeted with lashings of rain as we put off getting out the car, thinking we’ll give it five more minutes to see if it stops. We started our approach to the ridge following the well defined path that contours it’s way up the hillside, spotting fresh foot prints in the snow, perhaps Ken’s from the previous day. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxVRlJ8ASTngD39hP5h1e_s_mjCckAEPAWJcpchTHXiDejlxWJHGAhZwbjEl78EI7vSh6DCuUi6wIH-Qd0j0Y_Pu4fkFRcCGvpW0rNY3uUe7EQZx3pcNxHD0SIyAIrh1nScNqxKd4qGc/s1600/IMG_1994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxVRlJ8ASTngD39hP5h1e_s_mjCckAEPAWJcpchTHXiDejlxWJHGAhZwbjEl78EI7vSh6DCuUi6wIH-Qd0j0Y_Pu4fkFRcCGvpW0rNY3uUe7EQZx3pcNxHD0SIyAIrh1nScNqxKd4qGc/s1600/IMG_1994.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers on the early sections of Forcan Ridge</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-DWBzFTmEWnOQLMKswHMoYUqPKcMYXvY9R_g8fifJzietqt_JdJDfjoE3WhTcF6se57pSVNOEnPMeGe9IyoHACKxs98WUfd16co-uejWxi5YKyWW36AwAmFTOnOZ642AXtuGqC3whs0/s1600/DSCN0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-DWBzFTmEWnOQLMKswHMoYUqPKcMYXvY9R_g8fifJzietqt_JdJDfjoE3WhTcF6se57pSVNOEnPMeGe9IyoHACKxs98WUfd16co-uejWxi5YKyWW36AwAmFTOnOZ642AXtuGqC3whs0/s1600/DSCN0127.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers kicking steps up a section of firm snow</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was still raining hard as we followed the tracks ahead until the lower sections of the ridge were in view. We spotted another team on the ridge just as it was entering the cloud, around an hour ahead of us, they must be their tracks we were following. We moved quickly up the the lower sections of the first slope weaving between the rocks making use of the lower grassed slopes. As we climbed higher onto the ridge, we undulated through and over little rock steps which provided much interest. The wind had picked up by this point, whipping across the ridge, buffeting against us as we hunched over the nearest rock or crouched down. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KBJUISUreAdRbur5wirSFimGkw1YR2tWv51VX0KAoynJRuO4skkkmxbZ0uVI8KAJtwW3OME-GYb7X8zBWd7steAqu6d9KsWTpMh_H_KQj-lzi6TKr7vC3bukmjEm0GXfIcVA7n8WRDY/s1600/DSCN0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KBJUISUreAdRbur5wirSFimGkw1YR2tWv51VX0KAoynJRuO4skkkmxbZ0uVI8KAJtwW3OME-GYb7X8zBWd7steAqu6d9KsWTpMh_H_KQj-lzi6TKr7vC3bukmjEm0GXfIcVA7n8WRDY/s1600/DSCN0134.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Down climbing a short gully to avoid the abseil on Forcan Ridge</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The powder slowed our progress as it made our boots feel insecure on the slabby rocks and grassy ledges and the build-up made it hard to judge the depth or the solid ground which lay beneath. Occasionally the ridge narrowed from rocky blocks to narrow snow ridges which didn’t look too stable and we quickly moved across these, timing our dash with a break in the gusting wind. Soon we reached the abseil, which I had read about in the guide, however it didn’t specify its length and said it would be possible to down climb. After a look down the line this wasn’t really an option and we opted to put on our crampons and down climb a short gully and traversed around the buttress to rejoin the ridge. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SR4rDYwU53YiZCIHjHqxrdXpSfZ7bMaw0GbQNYpDHWyzW6yOnzBx86SLO9R0AD1XRa01GTU_v20z9j-QedC4rvmwekzzldkm6hGNBOABxP7y2xqr6qCvj98FOpjP7ZEbv3NKGVTStGg/s1600/DSCN0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SR4rDYwU53YiZCIHjHqxrdXpSfZ7bMaw0GbQNYpDHWyzW6yOnzBx86SLO9R0AD1XRa01GTU_v20z9j-QedC4rvmwekzzldkm6hGNBOABxP7y2xqr6qCvj98FOpjP7ZEbv3NKGVTStGg/s1600/DSCN0135.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is walking on a snow ridge, honest.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> With the perceived crux passed, we continued through the cloud taking each difficulty in our stride, but the ridge kept on giving as the next section revealed itself when we approached. Steadily we reached the upper sections and the the ridge began to broaden and ease off as we neared the saddle and the trig point summit. From here the climbing was over, map and compass out as we discussed legs to take us off the summit. We descended through the cloud down a snow slope before following our next bearing to reach a bealach, avoiding dropping into the wrong glen far from the car. Making the bealach we tracked down the valley, dropping out of the snow-line and into the bogs beneath, following a stream back down towards the car and back into the rain. There had been a thaw through the day, with rain falling at around 900m and the snow on descent from the summit feeling relatively slushy. The fresh snow from the previous day had gone completely as we looked back up from the glen. Fingers crossed that the forecast rain and warm air leaves some snow in the North West for the rest of the week. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some windy navigation to get off The Saddle</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-87181602053289854722015-02-16T11:29:00.001-08:002015-02-16T11:29:29.297-08:00A Grand Day Out On Beinn Bhan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> I had heard a lot about Beinn Bhan, recently being in the UKC news pages for a new X,10 mixed route and looking through the pages of my Scottish Winter Climbs Guide. It is a relatively modest height, the summit trig point at 896m, but rises straight out of the sea close to nearby Loch Kishorn. The impressive coires are hidden from view as we set off from the car, trudging across the boggy grass and heather, the heavy raindrops bouncing off my waterproofs as we jumped across several streams along the vague path. We cut off from the path and headed up through the bogs, towards A’Chioch. The rain was still hitting hard and the prospect of a long wet scramble was not too appealing anymore.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHluerSauE1wJC3tggnQ7AoH0nH0CyTdWqTVl18AcGLnunKxdujdCO2-hIQHiDANe0JRo6BlaEYhhdGgsWYmTtH5_DRI5pk4YO8KMEvDXFvxq3nl07CQBV4H0xNlj_Co-ir5QQe1McIUU/s1600/IMG_1954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHluerSauE1wJC3tggnQ7AoH0nH0CyTdWqTVl18AcGLnunKxdujdCO2-hIQHiDANe0JRo6BlaEYhhdGgsWYmTtH5_DRI5pk4YO8KMEvDXFvxq3nl07CQBV4H0xNlj_Co-ir5QQe1McIUU/s1600/IMG_1954.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quietly pleased that it has actually started snowing</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The rain began to turn to sleet, then snow, as we were close to the base and decided against the route, choosing instead to contour across the mountain past the huge coires and buttresses before finding a weakness to the summit. The snow continued and whipped it hard into our sodden figures as we traipsed through the saturated hillside. We contoured past Coire na Poite catching the shadow of the imposing buttresses of A’Phoit and Coire an Fhamair ahead. I can’t quite describe the size of these cliffs, they are huge and complex. I think they are the most impressive crags I have seen into the UK.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq338rHU1QVER2QFHug8OjDm0ldRRSKLV7KtWwK3oX2TK4NzYedkgLkOeL55GMc5ivuIezK5XW55oc1mtuhE0O7rKHhGc4pJ5QPArzvsUkzglriJ9JpkBTY9_bxdJPCkc9RBm7wPOLBwQ/s1600/IMG_1960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq338rHU1QVER2QFHug8OjDm0ldRRSKLV7KtWwK3oX2TK4NzYedkgLkOeL55GMc5ivuIezK5XW55oc1mtuhE0O7rKHhGc4pJ5QPArzvsUkzglriJ9JpkBTY9_bxdJPCkc9RBm7wPOLBwQ/s1600/IMG_1960.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking across to A'Poite and A'Chioch</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhTaeC4pvHzdFdbpuoDFC6OR8e8dSzgR_8RAWNsDvK4nCJK9H1KdyqPtY_4pZpBU5Cb_LsqRDDoSM8ObtghOJZRxLD2WiM784jsMBLR2ECX501FUHHa9Sb8g6sSvNfo9BhceDrDc5gkA/s1600/IMG_1962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhTaeC4pvHzdFdbpuoDFC6OR8e8dSzgR_8RAWNsDvK4nCJK9H1KdyqPtY_4pZpBU5Cb_LsqRDDoSM8ObtghOJZRxLD2WiM784jsMBLR2ECX501FUHHa9Sb8g6sSvNfo9BhceDrDc5gkA/s1600/IMG_1962.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers heading on to the upper reaches of our slope</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We picked our weakness up the hillside on the right edge of Coire an Fhamair. We could pick out a route from the base of the slope, which weaved its’ way through the sandstone tiers following the path of least resistance. The slope was now covered with a layer of snow and we agreed that we wouldn’t climb up anything that we wouldn’t be comfortable climbing down. This was to be our Giants Wall, well it felt like it. We couldn’t tell if there was going to be a route for us to forge on the upper sections as we stared up into the clag which covered the upper reaches of our slope. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVtL_x6uredN8Tu8mOFybLarS-ABBo93gOKOb4_07ANEyg-t6Qn5Em9p9uSZclinogFxpLRHN8RMLb2KFT606_x-wujdwA0SM1fa1aT0WK6SMsyer8xqV9GNKt0CKfkcTLoN9UDdqXOA/s1600/IMG_1964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVtL_x6uredN8Tu8mOFybLarS-ABBo93gOKOb4_07ANEyg-t6Qn5Em9p9uSZclinogFxpLRHN8RMLb2KFT606_x-wujdwA0SM1fa1aT0WK6SMsyer8xqV9GNKt0CKfkcTLoN9UDdqXOA/s1600/IMG_1964.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking across to Giants Wall</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> We hardly noticed all the height we had gained as we moved into the upper reaches of our route. We had weaved around through the shelves of heather and boulders, hitting the occasional patches of old snow which had softened up, proving to be a real pain as every step sank up to the thigh becoming ever more frustrating. We reached a broad ledge in the upper parts of the slope, the snow still falling with strong spindrift blowing down from the upper reaches. From here it narrowed up to form a narrower spur and a final couple of tiers of crag led us onto the plateau above. The cloud had broken and we could look across towards the Giants Wall and the summit. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlR0r_UluA10kcG2FreF1hk7o93wohn_B22rG37e9BhNgdX94Qjo4tXfuBRnzSAKZIrGwyQDdh4nymMXf5XV18iRwvXM43f9lgFj03jNLvEcWtgnhcoZ4KVEGKlM-4N6T6B1M0HQ0DlY/s1600/IMG_1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlR0r_UluA10kcG2FreF1hk7o93wohn_B22rG37e9BhNgdX94Qjo4tXfuBRnzSAKZIrGwyQDdh4nymMXf5XV18iRwvXM43f9lgFj03jNLvEcWtgnhcoZ4KVEGKlM-4N6T6B1M0HQ0DlY/s1600/IMG_1971.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers nerving off onto the plateau</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqzxV6tkTcUT-r5po6sjXe-LbWmy0T8Crvch3ieX4dzG00sZVg3lXCEGgNydiVQcAXKci18Xzk-3N8YmSzR3FVbBRN5d8sWwCIz0J1fZXzc4pqkAD-gjKJ2NOUiH5FkIysS3fN_m5_GM/s1600/IMG_1978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqzxV6tkTcUT-r5po6sjXe-LbWmy0T8Crvch3ieX4dzG00sZVg3lXCEGgNydiVQcAXKci18Xzk-3N8YmSzR3FVbBRN5d8sWwCIz0J1fZXzc4pqkAD-gjKJ2NOUiH5FkIysS3fN_m5_GM/s1600/IMG_1978.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Navving in the white room from Beinn Bhan summit</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We took the opportunity to practice our pacing and boxing to avoid the corniced edges of the coires. The cloud returned as we reached the summit but the sun broke through to provide cracking views to A’Chioch as we descended the South East Ridge before breaking off down the slope direct to the car. This slope dragged on and on and I can’t recall a step that wasn’t followed by a squelch as we reached the snowline and onto the saturated boggy slopes below. It was a grand day out, a hard won ascent and some really adventurous mountaineering up this impressive Scottish mountain, I am sure to be back. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iRHr-mEUR69VIwz39OmQwDaq1Dgp1o_Y2XmtTNrWH3fsDxUTZdQxnJxoyaSEcXeFjVKm0dbUZmmAXrh7ii0R9NRtSHvQTG93pFRSF3OZJon9TuQ8m4OQ_FZuzukqjCWYkAOfpNFCCwU/s1600/IMG_1986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iRHr-mEUR69VIwz39OmQwDaq1Dgp1o_Y2XmtTNrWH3fsDxUTZdQxnJxoyaSEcXeFjVKm0dbUZmmAXrh7ii0R9NRtSHvQTG93pFRSF3OZJon9TuQ8m4OQ_FZuzukqjCWYkAOfpNFCCwU/s1600/IMG_1986.JPG" height="87" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A break in the cloud this afternoon on Beinn Bhan</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUratxvzBHURcx708EkmC-TBqVKpHEkx7xi9c9-KmfPKICP3aFRmtJoo6J5WbjdfNVR9GH885YoRSJD2mkP5yGXByDT0aXfY9Uugh42eExMPbPZRCXY347Bd4DdheXc4lc15cGFYBVMyA/s1600/IMG_1989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUratxvzBHURcx708EkmC-TBqVKpHEkx7xi9c9-KmfPKICP3aFRmtJoo6J5WbjdfNVR9GH885YoRSJD2mkP5yGXByDT0aXfY9Uugh42eExMPbPZRCXY347Bd4DdheXc4lc15cGFYBVMyA/s1600/IMG_1989.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking the direct route down to the car<br /></span></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-37428905990620283562015-02-10T02:18:00.000-08:002015-03-29T03:18:28.509-07:00A Weekend Pass on the Ice at Beinn Udlaidh<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Scotland was having a cracking February with lots of ice forming with sunny stable weather conditions. I am focussing most of my winter exploring areas of Scotland I haven't previously visited whilst gaining experience ready for my Winter Mountain Leader assessment at the beginning of March. This weekend it was time to dust off the tools, forget the summits and go climb some routes. Jack and I headed to Beinn Udlaidh, aware that it was a weekend and that the crag will be very busy. We had an early start, leaving the van at 5:30am, making sure we had first pick of the routes, neither of us keen on queuing. The sun was just rising as we started up the final slopes to the base of the crag, revealing the routes from the darkness, walls of ice stepped up the crag, huge umbrellas and daggers hanging from overhangs. The ice architecture was incredible. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving up the first pitch of Quartzvein Scoop</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXybqOE3VL-EZX7OFJiGUYjjNUgonyphLB0rgNf4h_H0ttqPg3eiSgmUj66ZHf9JukYlOQRYN5hj9JAJXYdnBkohuMB8zzMyYOab4UvwsTisdT_eTUKGAKs1OnBY2Fso9dcxp00Ef3NuY/s1600/IMG_1862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXybqOE3VL-EZX7OFJiGUYjjNUgonyphLB0rgNf4h_H0ttqPg3eiSgmUj66ZHf9JukYlOQRYN5hj9JAJXYdnBkohuMB8zzMyYOab4UvwsTisdT_eTUKGAKs1OnBY2Fso9dcxp00Ef3NuY/s1600/IMG_1862.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jack under the umbrella on Pitch 2 of Quartzvein Scoop</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I started up the first pitch of Quartzvein Scoop, the classic of the crag, my ice technique a bit rusty as I swung my tools into brilliant sticky ice. I moved up the groove above to a comfortable belay and watched the black dots wandering up the track on the approach. Jack climbed under a brilliant umbrella and climbed round to its right and up the ice steps above. I finished off the third pitch to take us to the top. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Uo8Vgk8N3e88-7W-u-6wJcSmt1MlEjigD_3jELRJBHPPXOUcuw_DXSm86v6YHRsrKluaXG3A-4fhLakhRggUcNi7xEAbnP9tBPCYL7C95m87A-HW1pCxSS7vnR-Qm01RLfKM-pbNqDo/s1600/IMG_1873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Uo8Vgk8N3e88-7W-u-6wJcSmt1MlEjigD_3jELRJBHPPXOUcuw_DXSm86v6YHRsrKluaXG3A-4fhLakhRggUcNi7xEAbnP9tBPCYL7C95m87A-HW1pCxSS7vnR-Qm01RLfKM-pbNqDo/s1600/IMG_1873.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A busy morning at Beinn Udlaidh</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As we walked off the top, we likened the mountain to a crag where you are able to walk off and select the next route, unlike the huge mountain days you complete whilst climbing a route on Ben Nevis. A large number of teams had now swarmed the crag, with queues present on the majority of routes and teams climbing lines of ice all over the crag. We opted to climb Green Eyes, another IV 4, which provided a steeper first pitch which had become quite hooked out from the previous weeks traffic. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_nwv41ZIERODtRbPhn_gq8A4yovhNwpW4I4XHf7sbpopj_mGKrViDdBNul_kAJMC8Jydd-uG29AeE0RK_ROdiS1_-dmpEkVnrZrcUBZsTUVTQ2A2-EZsYTkEIgMD5_bUpN2AJWdR4Nc/s1600/DSCN0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_nwv41ZIERODtRbPhn_gq8A4yovhNwpW4I4XHf7sbpopj_mGKrViDdBNul_kAJMC8Jydd-uG29AeE0RK_ROdiS1_-dmpEkVnrZrcUBZsTUVTQ2A2-EZsYTkEIgMD5_bUpN2AJWdR4Nc/s1600/DSCN0104.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jack on the first pitch of Green Eyes</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We opted for a gully line next, climbing South Gully of the Black Wall, with 2 long pitches taking us to the top through some brilliant ice formations. The temperature definitely rose through the day as we finished up climbing Ice Crew, which we made a three pitch grade three. It did however have a few steeper sections of ice, steeper than we were expecting anyway. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrX7ORKo5CFlRhziZbKSlG_GotneEZNj9PV8C7FdFYrXInWbyi3e8P40_TNWmh7rS7BeVs8hobHVhyaexzNbox9dVArGWuhln3oSXbzapqbvkf9XiW1lkgAzyEj2gCeYrjp1_UzpkJjlg/s1600/DSCN0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrX7ORKo5CFlRhziZbKSlG_GotneEZNj9PV8C7FdFYrXInWbyi3e8P40_TNWmh7rS7BeVs8hobHVhyaexzNbox9dVArGWuhln3oSXbzapqbvkf9XiW1lkgAzyEj2gCeYrjp1_UzpkJjlg/s1600/DSCN0110.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving into the bottom of South Gully of the Black Wall</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jack not enjoying the hot aches</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtA0P7AmhGoOP2yO_tgKU1dkikjSHL6Rk_ThqcdebrKoEjzDxkuFpziWSFZu4BNUDtAHZ97nFey_VmrP0DxgWh7SrsAN8H9aTYEnbJSV_Fkslf9_KZS9JjQjyQsA3CJP6j_BXwfIjTXyg/s1600/DSCN0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtA0P7AmhGoOP2yO_tgKU1dkikjSHL6Rk_ThqcdebrKoEjzDxkuFpziWSFZu4BNUDtAHZ97nFey_VmrP0DxgWh7SrsAN8H9aTYEnbJSV_Fkslf9_KZS9JjQjyQsA3CJP6j_BXwfIjTXyg/s1600/DSCN0114.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jack moving through the umbrellas on the top pitch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We stashed the gear, saving our shoulders on the walk down and the early approach the following morning. We were slower on the walk in, the four routes from the previous day taking the toll on our weary bodies. After gearing up we climbed the cold climbs classic Ramshead Gully which was a contrast to the previous days routes with some thuggy thrutchy moves required in the narrow bottom sections of the gully. It was a lot milder than the previous day and the cloud and clag had moved in with a brisk wind, we descended for a leisurely drive back to Yorkshire. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-23758229974270253112015-01-30T03:18:00.001-08:002015-02-16T10:44:01.653-08:00A Wild Day on Pen-y-Ghent<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have been working for Jonathan at <a href="http://www.roughedges.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rough Edges</a> for the last three days delivering phase two of a Prince's Trust programme to young people from Oldham. It has been a busy week, based out of Ingleton, battling wild weather and difficult conditions with yesterday being no exception. We decided to head for a mountain day on Pen-Y-Ghent, with a chilly North-Westerly wind and a risk of snow showers forecast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think Pen-Y-Ghent is the most interesting of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, providing rocky steps, interest on route and brilliant views of Ribblesdale and across to the other peaks of Ingleborough and Whernside. We weren't expecting to see many other people on the hill, but were quickly caught up by a couple of military gurkha groups. The young people had a great day and really valued their experience and the sense of achievement in difficult conditions. Here are a few pictures from the day:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErJviA4aHlG6ylHJWztt78N6oaFtg6srsNKdf1GVhxrqCbEmgFBkB5s_V8Zd9Y0qe2YuUGhumx8qBe9iO4EAnwoVe4vDVSAyiJehSpUoFLLHh75K0izv04PEmLdyiOTAdmA2YBOgbVF8/s1600/IMG_1683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErJviA4aHlG6ylHJWztt78N6oaFtg6srsNKdf1GVhxrqCbEmgFBkB5s_V8Zd9Y0qe2YuUGhumx8qBe9iO4EAnwoVe4vDVSAyiJehSpUoFLLHh75K0izv04PEmLdyiOTAdmA2YBOgbVF8/s1600/IMG_1683.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back down into Ribblesdale</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof_idFAH2fd3zBF-ZwvTHOSpjiHtYPawMgRa7iJh3_XbApJn4dXYp4qU-9vb4wKQ0_kTlJT1yV3oMGIbtfUtwaIDzYxQyirRo67mmeq8wgkGUfcnCHWz70cH-z_cpMR4413WgotJ08H8/s1600/IMG_1685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiof_idFAH2fd3zBF-ZwvTHOSpjiHtYPawMgRa7iJh3_XbApJn4dXYp4qU-9vb4wKQ0_kTlJT1yV3oMGIbtfUtwaIDzYxQyirRo67mmeq8wgkGUfcnCHWz70cH-z_cpMR4413WgotJ08H8/s1600/IMG_1685.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pen-y-ghent is up there somewhere</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsCGR7TRJUcrdENCgvMcl-vSxcxGFfWBMj5TnDsn1hxA_sycYQDCv4GqfNbiWONJvsoVLZIVzioy-Vy02HsnsOHU3VyOoKHNZyVaBxi2FDPVQxpNHee7U_ve3E6TWv9CvpFvl24k8tu0/s1600/IMG_1691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsCGR7TRJUcrdENCgvMcl-vSxcxGFfWBMj5TnDsn1hxA_sycYQDCv4GqfNbiWONJvsoVLZIVzioy-Vy02HsnsOHU3VyOoKHNZyVaBxi2FDPVQxpNHee7U_ve3E6TWv9CvpFvl24k8tu0/s1600/IMG_1691.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A hoard up drystone wall</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7KHWObN1nc9U_1CMucMqZXcU0lIV0SNaUix9KeqR6VAHKV-z9T_hVUBgvh2yQph0VaeS4XRElXMpZWJvNx7lMlquzayHixtfiyI6wsHpqRYYzmSfjUcYweDQ_D5eG7lHpUWBNTefDB8/s1600/IMG_1693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7KHWObN1nc9U_1CMucMqZXcU0lIV0SNaUix9KeqR6VAHKV-z9T_hVUBgvh2yQph0VaeS4XRElXMpZWJvNx7lMlquzayHixtfiyI6wsHpqRYYzmSfjUcYweDQ_D5eG7lHpUWBNTefDB8/s1600/IMG_1693.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The top rocky step was very icy on Pen-y-ghent</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_5VP7yAtG1nphNZH2JKX9Legor7KEUHiFjYJFfv7NHIgC76hS5VdZ3stXTVhc63Z87J6PuPWLCfRP5v_XqnFnman5O9ZgKbCzvLgNq-d_sGbBehkdqEG19W1dfxpJ2MI_736EkpKZZ4/s1600/IMG_1694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_5VP7yAtG1nphNZH2JKX9Legor7KEUHiFjYJFfv7NHIgC76hS5VdZ3stXTVhc63Z87J6PuPWLCfRP5v_XqnFnman5O9ZgKbCzvLgNq-d_sGbBehkdqEG19W1dfxpJ2MI_736EkpKZZ4/s1600/IMG_1694.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Pen-y-ghent highway to the summit</span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBePpBj4NYYBu8wlByotsD-uE5rO-oT71gkVG5jRwo0v0VoMhICPRzp3T_lHW4Ulscz2sUG8wN-9BjlCsKMBNh5LcVxUS1PQV7QqWVUEHJsE-ApC7mUxsRddg3KHf4s9gmZfdc-28hyphenhyphenw/s1600/IMG_1695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBePpBj4NYYBu8wlByotsD-uE5rO-oT71gkVG5jRwo0v0VoMhICPRzp3T_lHW4Ulscz2sUG8wN-9BjlCsKMBNh5LcVxUS1PQV7QqWVUEHJsE-ApC7mUxsRddg3KHf4s9gmZfdc-28hyphenhyphenw/s1600/IMG_1695.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The summit drystone wall</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SJSFFXpSF5DXzljux6-4K27Vs9P1nrZe9PyL7PDJG8FpvPpz1DV3g4gp_fuMhZS3G_k_AlUAuY9DfPMe5SmATLjeB9-CUJJFIpv1x-Tpyc4lMdaWHJOXOB05r2jftqTD37uDFEsKye8/s1600/IMG_1696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SJSFFXpSF5DXzljux6-4K27Vs9P1nrZe9PyL7PDJG8FpvPpz1DV3g4gp_fuMhZS3G_k_AlUAuY9DfPMe5SmATLjeB9-CUJJFIpv1x-Tpyc4lMdaWHJOXOB05r2jftqTD37uDFEsKye8/s1600/IMG_1696.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pen-y-ghent summit</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAHTlWP65s33gBeOG4a0MBbHVNxR_tgF9cbXGrKAX-oFXxlWXIGFjcAxLi0sKPjkMSGsIIOMADx-2MlFbShL4JIYfJnNcrn8Pu09hRoJEgZti5AqMD3tC5l1D4eV5k2o_8Wmw9rtZwKQ/s1600/IMG_1699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAHTlWP65s33gBeOG4a0MBbHVNxR_tgF9cbXGrKAX-oFXxlWXIGFjcAxLi0sKPjkMSGsIIOMADx-2MlFbShL4JIYfJnNcrn8Pu09hRoJEgZti5AqMD3tC5l1D4eV5k2o_8Wmw9rtZwKQ/s1600/IMG_1699.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heading off the summit and the snow came in.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-TJj02-fBa28Mitrucxk9w7KItnVE9CQKJ7D3NVLlWA4_66xtfRhpQcG4T0RfEa03CK0I2yaGocQ1wJ_YWJFPoubjWv6aCLvHan3k4ij1Nuo5vt-7Ngka4vu_ruJ4GUV6WOQTihu_YU/s1600/IMG_1700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-TJj02-fBa28Mitrucxk9w7KItnVE9CQKJ7D3NVLlWA4_66xtfRhpQcG4T0RfEa03CK0I2yaGocQ1wJ_YWJFPoubjWv6aCLvHan3k4ij1Nuo5vt-7Ngka4vu_ruJ4GUV6WOQTihu_YU/s1600/IMG_1700.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wild and windy on the Western flank</span></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-55782772504878782592015-01-12T03:42:00.000-08:002015-02-16T10:45:54.444-08:00A Day of Rain and Tooling at The Ice Factor<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"> Sitting in front of the fire at the King's House Hotel, we trawled through the forecasts, it wasn't looking good. The following 24 hours were bringing 100mph winds and a lot of rain. We came to the decision of a lie in and assess things in the morning, but we both knew that we weren't going to be going into the mountains. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traversing at The Ice Factor</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As promised the rain came, good and proper, waking us in the van. We hoped it was similar to a tent, when often it isn't actually as heavy once you get outside. This definitely wasn't the case. Everything looked stripped of snow with the warm temperatures and rain as we drove down Glen Coe, all the mountain burns and waterfalls were on show. We were going to The Ice Factor in Kinlochleven.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James moving onto the steeper board</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> With our winter mindset, we settled on some indoor tooling. I had never climbed indoors with tools before and had only had a couple of drytooling sessions at The Works in the Lakes. I still consider mixed climbing to be a weakness in my winter climbing, despite concentrating on it a couple of years ago. Good hooks in cracks are fine, however picks on edges and holding a torque still feel insecure and I'm sure it shows when I climb. We climbed in rock shoes today which made using our feet a lot easier. We began traversing across easier walls, keeping low on our axes to produce a positive downwards force through the holds. This really got us working on our body positioning and weight transfer as we matched holds and axes, swapping hands to make our traverse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We moved onto the steeper boards, making it harder to maintain good form whilst trying to stay low on our tools. We made several little circuits, each with bigger and more awkward moves, making each more physical than the last. It is incredibly physical, much more so than many climbers make it look it pictures and videos. It is still an area to build on and I hope to make more trips to The Works in the Lakes to build up some more physical strength in this rapidly growing discipline. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-24501390252409626882015-01-11T01:56:00.000-08:002015-02-16T10:46:43.965-08:00The word for a week of Scottish Winter: Optimism<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Driving up through the Southern Uplands, we keep our eyes peeled for any sign of snow. A week of wild weather and fluctuating temperatures hadn't done much for the snow cover. Our aim was to explore some of the quieter mountains in the North West. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking down to Glen Etive on the NE spur of Ben Starav</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We had made no plans on our drive up from Yorkshire, other than to wait till we arrive and assess the snow situation. We arrived in Glen Etive and drove right down to Loch Etive deciding to climb Ben Starav the following day.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James heading off the East ridge of Ben Starav</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The lack of snow cover made the approach a reet mission. Babies heads, bogs and heather were in large supply. We reached the burn to cross and it was stonking, we looked up and down for a crossing. Why does Scotland always seem to make everything hard won? We eventually crossed after much deliberation as to our crossing point and many failed attempts. Dry boots still, luckily. We began climbing the spur above which narrowed into a ridge as we reached the snow line at about 700m. There had be a dusting from the previous night but it was purely cosmetic, meaning we made ground quickly. From here the wind picked up and was belting us as we reached the higher ground, throwing in some hailstones for good measure.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ep3Duf2lrQ3uXlJ1w0KW2ZXYFnXuxajHMOQXbPOobwCB5iA1-1vlYVccVKyb_Ez8UIOawipAX2A9cEt2vkgSzqnEO-PhoglyduNVnp-4KItM4znwo0BozNdqNrML9svZpFLV5Ndr13Y/s1600/DSCN0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ep3Duf2lrQ3uXlJ1w0KW2ZXYFnXuxajHMOQXbPOobwCB5iA1-1vlYVccVKyb_Ez8UIOawipAX2A9cEt2vkgSzqnEO-PhoglyduNVnp-4KItM4znwo0BozNdqNrML9svZpFLV5Ndr13Y/s1600/DSCN0035.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A break in the cloud looking across to Glas Bheinn Mhor</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We reached the summit of Ben Starav in the clag, which meant it was navigation time as there are lots of ridges off the top. Our timings were spot on as we descended the South East ridge before heading on to climb Glas Bheinn Mhor with the wind on our backs. On reaching the col below we made sure we kept the burn on our left as we didn't fancy crossing it again. As we hit the snow line, James spotted an actual path which meant our descent was pretty swift compared to heather bashing our way off the hill. With 80mph wind forecast and heavy rain forecast for the following day we retired to the King's House Hotel to discuss our options. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James remembering what hot aches are.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-55983613611947877112015-01-02T08:36:00.004-08:002015-02-16T10:48:13.396-08:00Major Thaw in the Cairngorms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So after fighting our way through the powder the last two days, we awoke on New Year's Eve in Newtonmore looking up to cloud and very damp hillsides. The plan to head into the mountains above the village completely backfired as the temperature has risen considerably. We were now on a mission to find snow and assess the thaw in the mountains. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomPADl8DYU2Ok78yAz_yHM9aPyIcAM5g9V_yKcHEM7CsyVrRp3I4qgT3jcsTSykwHjJv3nbPVqTyufErXkuhjgSlHsTg0iQQ11SLta3m1DDccp-huEqA4CUjE-PGDkT2pbdvwIDVP4_M/s1600/DSCN0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomPADl8DYU2Ok78yAz_yHM9aPyIcAM5g9V_yKcHEM7CsyVrRp3I4qgT3jcsTSykwHjJv3nbPVqTyufErXkuhjgSlHsTg0iQQ11SLta3m1DDccp-huEqA4CUjE-PGDkT2pbdvwIDVP4_M/s1600/DSCN0018.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms 31/12/14</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The only logical place to head was up to the ski centre and into the Northern corries. We walked into Coire an Lochain and headed up the ridge on the right side. The crags were black and the windward slopes were completely scoured and free from any snow. The leeward slopes were holding onto some. Looking across to Cairngorm summit from the top of Lochain, the slopes were holding very little snow. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking across to Cairngorm summit</span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj_OHWACzYig0U0tMVJ30MtFy2WwIK2iVPI6Unkf4IQQ9HmTS6lf1eBDqm3LJ8w0wficaukg0OLlZazzlclnqJHO-izSrSdN0vWh1MnkZhMgXDSLGl66LMXeoKDKriA2nKYnFrjBbexg/s1600/IMG_1456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj_OHWACzYig0U0tMVJ30MtFy2WwIK2iVPI6Unkf4IQQ9HmTS6lf1eBDqm3LJ8w0wficaukg0OLlZazzlclnqJHO-izSrSdN0vWh1MnkZhMgXDSLGl66LMXeoKDKriA2nKYnFrjBbexg/s1600/IMG_1456.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back to the main section of Fiacaill Ridge, Cairngorms</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We descended down Fiacaill Ridge and watched a team finish up Fiacaill Couloir. The ridge was incredibly busy with every style of climbing going. Teams pitching, short roping, soloing, crampons and axes, no crampons. We descended with no metal work, there was definitely no need for it on that day. A team had come up Invernookie and commented it was just completely wet snow and teams were climbing up the slopes from the corrie to reach the lower sections of the ridge. Hopefully a good freeze will help consolidate any snow that survived and that there will be more cold weather on its way. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-75279767704709568852014-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:002015-02-16T10:50:42.281-08:00Deep in Cairngorm Powder<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I drove up to Aviemore early on Sunday morning and made the essential stop at Tesco and headed up through Glenmore to the lower ski centre car park. My bag was packed ready for the trip ahead and the day was growing late, 2:30pm as we started up onto the hill. The plan was to walk in over Cairngorm towards Loch Avon and stay in the Hutchinson Memorial Hut. The snow was soft and the going tough as we zig zagged our way up through the ski tows, working on our timings as we went. We were concentrating too much on our map work that we hadn't noticed the darkness coming in and soon enough the head torches were out. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers heading off into the clag on Cairngorm</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The bright lights and droning noise of the piste bashers driving up and down the slopes reminded us of the infrastructure and development on this mountain and how different I would feel in a couple of hours time as we walking within the deeper Cairngorms. One driver thought we were lost and wandering the mountain, with the car only 20 minutes away, but I guess it has probably happened. He gave even funnier looks when I replied that we'd only just set off and were walking into a hut over the back of Cairngorm. As we passed the Ptarmigan and onto Cairngorm summit the wind increased and it began to snow, another group of eight walked by and the line of torches nodded as I nodded back. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHyHkOF02_ymWWGzan8jKb3SwTcoYCrLUP0aywM6am-5sxXCipPIaQcG1HC1muqEM4XFpEfpoU9oORNxDd60xQMzvsCi7F9qCeRCgZWuTcDvzXcqNmWChLIwUwQRprSR-pThEA0IZSTE/s1600/DSCN0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHyHkOF02_ymWWGzan8jKb3SwTcoYCrLUP0aywM6am-5sxXCipPIaQcG1HC1muqEM4XFpEfpoU9oORNxDd60xQMzvsCi7F9qCeRCgZWuTcDvzXcqNmWChLIwUwQRprSR-pThEA0IZSTE/s1600/DSCN0008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Hutchinson Memorial Hut, Cairngorms</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We bumped into another torch as we descended off Cairngorm towards the 1141 cairn. Ben was knelt in the snow, bag off, looking at his map. Turns out he was headed the same way as us but didn't feel entirely confident descending the steep slope to Loch Avon. So Ben tagged along and descended to Loch Avon and onto the Shelterstone. We made slow progress through the powder covered boulder field and up to the col before Loch Etchachan. The time was getting on and it had been a long day as we slowly plodded on before a brief incident with a tarn not marked on our 1:50000 maps. Turns out there are four small tarns on the 1:25000 map. We plodded slowly down the burn towards the bothy, arriving to find the place like a sauna with nine people already there, it was to be a cramped night. </span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOuo03RIuaoxCzOPNFC8PhnmMvVrCry6AHoxGKBtdurUpNKW2V5GzRx_dOooUDxbwNBOcXI-9txGjY4ZSM_UEzkgk1DD8bnE1x_3kCPbZxI7IpPwd2H1uXy9_LHDDWrbUtDs1xWdEHVc/s1600/DSCN0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOuo03RIuaoxCzOPNFC8PhnmMvVrCry6AHoxGKBtdurUpNKW2V5GzRx_dOooUDxbwNBOcXI-9txGjY4ZSM_UEzkgk1DD8bnE1x_3kCPbZxI7IpPwd2H1uXy9_LHDDWrbUtDs1xWdEHVc/s1600/DSCN0014.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers climbing up the slopes of Beinn a' Chaorainn</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SJK1OPX0w6h4Doo9pH9y_VDDBA0ybFWwlo_469Fmm9RiBZ82FnfYcdYvT_yBg5fqdFWegGi-IfyrkTOdfj1gOf2-EEA_6HmeBvCNTm_a-j6bE_pNildx5nz0CM7_z-zalk_pPWo8LYI/s1600/IMG_1446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SJK1OPX0w6h4Doo9pH9y_VDDBA0ybFWwlo_469Fmm9RiBZ82FnfYcdYvT_yBg5fqdFWegGi-IfyrkTOdfj1gOf2-EEA_6HmeBvCNTm_a-j6bE_pNildx5nz0CM7_z-zalk_pPWo8LYI/s1600/IMG_1446.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lunchtime at the Fords of Avon Refuge</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We all awoke after a cosy night in the bothy to a cracking day as the sun was still rising over the mountains, its' glowing warmth lacking in the glens. Piers and I were the most organised in the bothy chaos and first to leave as we climbed the slopes onto Beinn a' Chaorainn and its subsidiary summit Beinn a' Chaorainn Bheag. The order of the day was pacing; different slopes, different snow, boulders, heather, up and down. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBBNQbvmuctknFUxRhwDcl6qJAZc-Unm-p5x6vvgOwvCQJ0zz52411BBQVs91bjHBJXaTtKHUjpwGuEpUXU-CuRrn9AxNLFrNMUgKahPJICeYTEcY-lD5rFkiZH9qPKb0KrbD6OWy30Q/s1600/IMG_1447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBBNQbvmuctknFUxRhwDcl6qJAZc-Unm-p5x6vvgOwvCQJ0zz52411BBQVs91bjHBJXaTtKHUjpwGuEpUXU-CuRrn9AxNLFrNMUgKahPJICeYTEcY-lD5rFkiZH9qPKb0KrbD6OWy30Q/s1600/IMG_1447.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking towards The Saddle from the Fords of Avon</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM6KqKl58njh1JYggtFOrLmj5XAVqk1lPvCYDQABeMKqTtbNvKIRzEFjzX14hpiiQvQMrhOA_AxM5ynk88BvmG9Y2aJPRsct0Quk1mw4bCi2BlDTuMhV05EVxkeVCdTPskPcVE1V11Q0/s1600/IMG_1452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM6KqKl58njh1JYggtFOrLmj5XAVqk1lPvCYDQABeMKqTtbNvKIRzEFjzX14hpiiQvQMrhOA_AxM5ynk88BvmG9Y2aJPRsct0Quk1mw4bCi2BlDTuMhV05EVxkeVCdTPskPcVE1V11Q0/s1600/IMG_1452.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alpenglow across the Eastern Cairngorms</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Powder was tough going through the day on every angle of slope, the boulders and heather covered ground made progress slow as we stopped for a quick lunch stop at the Fords of Avon refuge. A climb up to the saddle and into Ciste Mhearad and a steady plod down the ski slopes with our weary legs ready to plan the following days outing, after being well fed and watered.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-33096907291585086422014-12-26T06:32:00.003-08:002015-02-16T10:51:55.556-08:002014 - What a Cracker!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> I have been meaning to write a post reflecting on my year at some point this month, but it wasn't until I started looking back through photographs that I have realised what an amazing year I have had. It has been an incredibly busy year for me in all aspects of my life: going self employed, moving house, completing some qualifications and of course lots of time spent outdoors. It has been a struggle trying to select photos to use to share and portray my year without reams of text, but I guess here it goes...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaC5sx4k2DaGOkhbgPuX9XyLLQUK4H2BG5zHjXNucXxqKEBlGwd5GoMpvKd_lDLzKnAoWHmOa7XrGMBB72Lcy3GTbI1l4GnI_bqxMweRANnCM0F9wbK0fDgqUi67yKNCc35bqL4UggsCg/s1600/IMG_0611.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A few days visiting Tom + Emily in Torridon with some absolutely wild weather, before heading across to the Cairngorms</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfQs6vL4oVUTCfq30XTqhZE3Vrbxfla4_A9zoH-KBsCfi0QBBQL5jirePnZdF6Pg5LfjXql_xywAq0fwXcF8JZblIGnFu8rV20LrGpwFp4MPptLB4NpOfrN9NP3Lvtx7YJaew8bvamKk/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfQs6vL4oVUTCfq30XTqhZE3Vrbxfla4_A9zoH-KBsCfi0QBBQL5jirePnZdF6Pg5LfjXql_xywAq0fwXcF8JZblIGnFu8rV20LrGpwFp4MPptLB4NpOfrN9NP3Lvtx7YJaew8bvamKk/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Piers walking into Coire an t'Sneachda in February</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n4b4_qGPf-vClh-pub9j-lJEBHBT6KcDxrxSpn6lWRdNQ5Lz4n72h4xiOgVt-c5GkXB5EpUb0jickMMeVNQ7rsnfefH9hd_RJ8eBpzRebZR72KHEpXrfJpXTjEEYI_0ihDnDZ53KKnE/s1600/GOPR0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n4b4_qGPf-vClh-pub9j-lJEBHBT6KcDxrxSpn6lWRdNQ5Lz4n72h4xiOgVt-c5GkXB5EpUb0jickMMeVNQ7rsnfefH9hd_RJ8eBpzRebZR72KHEpXrfJpXTjEEYI_0ihDnDZ53KKnE/s1600/GOPR0022.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A weekend of scrambling in early March on some of Snowdonia's finest scrambles</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgWReiXacOAmYj4cXvUmvyCIwMpbIZ-dSclL4pZvdy5PvGbqsR7qM-9_eRjfTQ50siBYuOdMSfOTqZk8n72HVoTF3DSqgdWSxOsF5hT-mnEneFoqdnEQ6NYcGVYoxK-_2HGbj-fx5nEw/s1600/G0030399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgWReiXacOAmYj4cXvUmvyCIwMpbIZ-dSclL4pZvdy5PvGbqsR7qM-9_eRjfTQ50siBYuOdMSfOTqZk8n72HVoTF3DSqgdWSxOsF5hT-mnEneFoqdnEQ6NYcGVYoxK-_2HGbj-fx5nEw/s1600/G0030399.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Bluebird day at Pot Scar, Yorkshire Dales in March. Great trad limestone crag.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVbU3LlzrbV-VTRu0sX97ZO1w-xqYXtiR0mGLf7LW3-MOMHvuzNv_n0oPNAU6IACblLF-_qlT395LvIIxag-9hZrdc0ujDLP58tiUidrpbrRz3qpbZBxZiP6OtxDVMthQcI_m93_o0ms/s1600/DSCN0865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVbU3LlzrbV-VTRu0sX97ZO1w-xqYXtiR0mGLf7LW3-MOMHvuzNv_n0oPNAU6IACblLF-_qlT395LvIIxag-9hZrdc0ujDLP58tiUidrpbrRz3qpbZBxZiP6OtxDVMthQcI_m93_o0ms/s1600/DSCN0865.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I thought my climbing year was over here and it was only April. No climbing for 2 months after popping a finger at Armathwaite.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFwoKIqoeJZUBiZNfV8kB7OWcpSu5mM2OMRKlzhCDWiPeh_65REVuj9ZM6q4g5lwZUjxVX9A0pztWtT7l7APb8SzN0CnCzLtA7PpaOJypfmYWF7t3jZuMnIZnRmBTZcwKMkT8ZpKntyY/s1600/IMG_0939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFwoKIqoeJZUBiZNfV8kB7OWcpSu5mM2OMRKlzhCDWiPeh_65REVuj9ZM6q4g5lwZUjxVX9A0pztWtT7l7APb8SzN0CnCzLtA7PpaOJypfmYWF7t3jZuMnIZnRmBTZcwKMkT8ZpKntyY/s1600/IMG_0939.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Claire and Piers following up Hope, Idwal Slabs in June. I had just finished my post at Low Mill Outdoor Centre and was about to spend the whole summer climbing in preparation for my MIA assessment.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs4qerEKKuLa-nKaNjSnAQfcO2io2sPN6Xq4NAPXoK3Zm4yhxdcJ2aF9ef0dXpGRDEkQ33UJQ1Fn_GkSESxc4rPQg8-9ajxPC7S6YusGSfzqAv-1qTAsIQn-oOkvFyUXz1KZ-sz74jvo/s1600/IMG_1070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs4qerEKKuLa-nKaNjSnAQfcO2io2sPN6Xq4NAPXoK3Zm4yhxdcJ2aF9ef0dXpGRDEkQ33UJQ1Fn_GkSESxc4rPQg8-9ajxPC7S6YusGSfzqAv-1qTAsIQn-oOkvFyUXz1KZ-sz74jvo/s1600/IMG_1070.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Finn and James following up Ardus on a teaching day at Shepherds, Borrowdale</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNGRQYpBjEaOaWFOB-jXwVc5c78ZCjRlmaTkK5kjesQzT_yYIcqOiUYMAFcCHC5Ug7-j2xlY0VyJaFwkzk0O6PPoSCtyV8JtpaEtN6YdxZS4Z6uq6KORzp_ysvUu9gU1GtSNnnvbyXpw/s1600/DSCN0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNGRQYpBjEaOaWFOB-jXwVc5c78ZCjRlmaTkK5kjesQzT_yYIcqOiUYMAFcCHC5Ug7-j2xlY0VyJaFwkzk0O6PPoSCtyV8JtpaEtN6YdxZS4Z6uq6KORzp_ysvUu9gU1GtSNnnvbyXpw/s1600/DSCN0970.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Climbing some classic routes with good friends in the sunshine through July and August. 3 happy fellas chilling above the sea</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zqsCadZo9zEIJFF78ryz6oqPBRWGbDMylstK_gKrf7_rUJN7oKCSQwiJ1BIfCj0ZlSIXgfkSSoW2IpgSi0nkXk_tBUYLnTdaYkJABg0n3mcDo5K7bpi7qjgSop1FGX_P9-vJZ0Kc1nM/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zqsCadZo9zEIJFF78ryz6oqPBRWGbDMylstK_gKrf7_rUJN7oKCSQwiJ1BIfCj0ZlSIXgfkSSoW2IpgSi0nkXk_tBUYLnTdaYkJABg0n3mcDo5K7bpi7qjgSop1FGX_P9-vJZ0Kc1nM/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lakeland classics were climbed through the dry July. Me climbing the penultimate pitch of Eagle Front (VS, 4c), Eagle Crag, Buttermere</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvLHSUPld0_76-9JI6asQP7VwtJYH3Pl4Z0JuhmgUthuUGMC2xFnt4UXzKGvoBr4HNNtRpbV3abDFAHaPmqFlAzN5H09YedYnqnNqqlQaBwtI3R6A5GhKfuXougTrbIBoJzScG8Z7LWc/s1600/10628505_942552637593_839950020917827615_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvLHSUPld0_76-9JI6asQP7VwtJYH3Pl4Z0JuhmgUthuUGMC2xFnt4UXzKGvoBr4HNNtRpbV3abDFAHaPmqFlAzN5H09YedYnqnNqqlQaBwtI3R6A5GhKfuXougTrbIBoJzScG8Z7LWc/s1600/10628505_942552637593_839950020917827615_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">An Alps trip in August. Wild weather on the summit of the Dent du Geant</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW3XWwc8V_UYsGDdtzwpWH13xyHGL1pnxkuyJa6R1coqOci_I9XFHX2Fvn6fCP1lWrWB-uOBzeofPFQw9t-J3HhbpobGdS9vmrUnPCa84m-c6uW_AbEkya05i4wAf6xccZJ_YGY1PUbE/s1600/10624918_942553625613_2711185475258310715_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW3XWwc8V_UYsGDdtzwpWH13xyHGL1pnxkuyJa6R1coqOci_I9XFHX2Fvn6fCP1lWrWB-uOBzeofPFQw9t-J3HhbpobGdS9vmrUnPCa84m-c6uW_AbEkya05i4wAf6xccZJ_YGY1PUbE/s1600/10624918_942553625613_2711185475258310715_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Team send of the Aiguille du Pouce. Ben, Kirsty, Olly + Piers.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnNDOFgtxqIef2KVffg3P-VPsSS6-rWghs_kmv2b8GgLb1fwZYdwnYAkk0mSOota7EF3OZ-R_GiQKz2vtV0aX-eOvs0dmto28rYGPTpxjiNRhP-l9KX1Cuuue1yD7peryq9oA2U3rCdk/s1600/IMG_1389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnNDOFgtxqIef2KVffg3P-VPsSS6-rWghs_kmv2b8GgLb1fwZYdwnYAkk0mSOota7EF3OZ-R_GiQKz2vtV0aX-eOvs0dmto28rYGPTpxjiNRhP-l9KX1Cuuue1yD7peryq9oA2U3rCdk/s1600/IMG_1389.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Moving house in October to the heart of the Dales. My new playground. Ingleborough from the lane. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWGjIs8eiD9dXL5b2mKMsGpmj_MzkWnbxc5LdwVY37U2xwbv838ovubKmpmoiF6qdoQqawtP05NrviRrRyVE0Rq-QwGSAOhRBv2zaqHFPI-EBYFWWmDvpGq3OuvqS_GGu-o6Y5Gl0JtA/s1600/IMG_1388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWGjIs8eiD9dXL5b2mKMsGpmj_MzkWnbxc5LdwVY37U2xwbv838ovubKmpmoiF6qdoQqawtP05NrviRrRyVE0Rq-QwGSAOhRBv2zaqHFPI-EBYFWWmDvpGq3OuvqS_GGu-o6Y5Gl0JtA/s1600/IMG_1388.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The view from the garden, Pen-y-ghent in the distance</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Brocken Spectres on the only good weather day of my MIA assessment at Plas-y-Brenin in Snowdonia</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I am incredibly proud of being a member of AMI after passing my MIA</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A time to enjoy some bouldering and some cracking gritstone days, but now winter is upon us its all about Scotland!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Winter is now upon us and I am making my first trip up to Scotland in a few days time, whilst fitting in training, rock and work between trips for the next few months. This set of pictures provides me with some many memories and I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to spend so much time in the outdoors. I am now looking forward into next year and what it will bring, hopefully it will provide as many adventures the past year. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-18483076737831149522014-11-05T13:29:00.000-08:002014-11-05T13:29:16.445-08:00The Grit Season Has Arrived<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So over the last few days the snowflake picture has appeared on the temperature gauge in my car. Four degrees celsius, and dropping in the valleys. The skies have been blue and hills have their Autumnal coat on. I passed my Mountain Instructor Award assessment at Plas y Brenin last week, so am keen to chill at the crag rather than focusing on the MIA syllabus. So bouldering it is, and a chance just to enjoy the movement and simplicity of climbing on the grit in great condition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I headed to Embsay and met up with Rob ready to march up the hill with the pads to Crookrise. I had been a few years since I'd been to Crookrise, and having only climbed routes in the past, I was keen to sample the bouldering. The sun shone, the friction was great and the problems were nails. I definitely have a few reasons to head back up there this winter!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rob on Sadcocs Wall f6B+ Crookrise</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Olly on Barry King Size f7A</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rob on Barry King Size f7A</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rob on Hovis Super Direct f7A</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Olly on Crease Direct Start f6A</span></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-41016504707629714402014-11-02T02:17:00.000-08:002014-12-19T09:44:41.010-08:00The Stress of Assessments<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since finishing my post at Low Mill Outdoor Centre at the end of June, I have had one focus; MIA assessment. <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">The </span><a href="http://www.mountain-training.org/mountaineering/awards/mountaineering-instructor-award" style="line-height: 20px;" target="_blank">Mountaineering Instructor Award</a><span style="line-height: 20px;"> trains and assesses candidates in the skills required for instructing mountaineering, including all aspects of summer rock climbing, including the coaching of lead climbing, and scrambling (Mountain Training, 2014). I have spent a lot of time preparing myself for assessment through the summer taking people multi pitch climbing, scrambling and teaching climbing. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Last sunday I headed to Plas y Brenin ready for assessment to start on the Monday. I'm afraid I don't have many pictures from the week as I was too busy to take many. Monday was personal climbing day and we headed to a wet Tremadog, and partnered with Dave we climbed One Step in the Clouds and Merlin under the watchful eye of Tim Neill. The routes were pretty sopping or </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">gippy as Dave described them. Today was a day to be slick and controlled despite the poor conditions and being quite gripped on a few occasions. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emily descending towards Crib Goch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">With rain approaching from the South we climbed at the Great Orme for our improvised rescue/problem solving day. This day felt pretty stressful at the time, and I was quite flustered at the beginning of the day before settling down into it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Our mountain day was the best weather of the week, as we climbed up the shady Southern side of the Llanberis pass to Crib y Ddysgl and the Clogwyn y Person arete, a grade three scramble. I had Tim and Emily on my rope as I lead them up the route,with my focus on the fluidity of the climbing and not letting it become to much like a multi pitch route. From the top we were treated to sunshine and Brocken Spectres. We made our way towards Crib Goch and Tim quickly lead Emily and I up the classic Reades Route before being traversing Crib Goch and descending to Pen y Pass. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tim heading towards Crib Goch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I met my mock clients, Lee and Charlotte, on thursday morning for a quick chat about their climbing and their aspirations for the day, before driving through the drizzle in search of dry rock and Tremadog. We climbed the two pitch Crack Slab, Lee's first multi pitch route, and descended by abseil down the Rio slab. This was Lee's first abseil since he was in the Scouts which proved no issue. Charlotte and I descended in a stacked set up, pulling the ropes and with a quick lunch headed round to Oberon a three pitch route avoiding the polished slab by the groove round to the right. Charlotte and Lee were brilliant clients and made great progression through the day despite the poor weather.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Brocken Spectres followed us along Crib Goch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Just Friday morning navigation to go, up towards the Glyders from Pen y Pass. We each lead a couple of legs and worked on our teaching points and relocation whilst following blind. The weather was fair and windy, and we were quickly heading back to the Brenin for debriefs after a slick morning of nav. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I passed and I am so chuffed and proud to be an MIA. All my handwork and time has been completely worth it, and I throughly enjoyed going the through the process, growing as a mountain instructor as my climbing developed. In hindsight the assessment was extremely chilled and the assessors were brilliant, with any stress completely self induced, nervous with anticipation each morning about the day ahead before relaxing into the day once we started and just doing what I do. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-24373452661164185922014-09-25T07:35:00.001-07:002014-09-25T07:35:41.240-07:00Close to Cashing in My Air Miles on Esk Buttress<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I eagerly watched the weather forecasts develop through the week and the stable high pressure looked like it was hanging around into the next week. It had been dry for what seemed an age which means one thing, up to the mountain crags. Esther and I met up in Langdale and had a cracking day up on Pavey Ark, climbing the classic routes Astra and Cruel Sister. If you haven’t climbed up at Pavey yet, I highly recommend it as the rock is superb and the crag full of classic routes. On the way back to the car Esther asked where I was keen for tomorrow and only one route popped into my head; Central Pillar on Esk Buttress.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Esther on Astra, Pavey</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After camping at Cockley Beck we began the walk into Great Moss and the crag. I had wanted to climb Central Pillar for several years, through my time in the Lakes, when visiting friends up there, climbing trips on the mountain crags nearby, but for some reason it had never quite come together. The crag is stunning, huge clean buttresses of rock looking over Great Moss like a fortress at the head of the valley. I was pretty nervous as we walking in, the anticipation of climbing the route in good style, I knew at this point it would definitely be pushing me close to my limit. The crag grew and grew as we got closer until we were gearing up at the bottom with the crag rising above. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Esk Buttress</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was leading off, up the start of Bridges Route, a classic Hard Severe until reaching a pinnacle I was heading straight up the wall. I stood comfortably on the ledge looking up the wall for the crack line I was meant to be following which was little more than a few intermittent splits in the rock. For some reason I was worried about what lay ahead, but i managed to talk myself round and got on with it. The pitch pieced together, the holds appeared and the gear was plentiful. I reached the comfortable belay ledge, slipped my boots off and bought Esther up. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Esther led off up the slab, on quite a long pitch linking lots of features of rock. Up a slab, traverse to a ledge, breaking through some ledges and into a groove above to a comfy ledge above. Sounds easy when written down. The pitch was complex, I followed through the lower sections which climbed well with really nice moves. The groove proved problematic however, it seemed blank of both holds and gear, a top effort by Esther, who, at the belay had left a lonely zero cam some eight metres below here. I pressed and smeared my way up the insecure groove, cursed Esther for the small holds she had left chalk on. She could only remind me that her hands are smaller than mine and therefore the holds felt bigger and fine. I reached the belay and could see my next pitch ahead and simultaneously a lump appeared in my throat. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Esther heading up Pitch 2 on Central Pillar</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Here is what Hard Rock has to say about this pitch: ‘The second man, belayed in this position is excellently placed to apprehend his leader’s fate. A slight traverse onto the wall, which tilts out above the groove below leads to a piton. Despite the situation’s unsuitability for such antics, a series of boulder problems ensues. A pull out onto a block is both insecure in itself and leaves doubts as to the block’s stability. After standing on the block a long grope upward to holds in a quartzite band in the only escape. The band is seized, pulled on to and traversed to a cool haven in Bower’s Route.’ Well I’m glad I hadn’t read that before climbing the route as I probably wouldn’t have done. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I thought the crux moves were the traverse across the ledge and the piton ledge above big enough to stand on. I was wrong. The traverse wasn’t too bad, just relied on balance as the wall above was pushing out. I was after some gear as I reached the ledge, but pulled up to find no piton, just the rusty remains of one, but a deep lock off enabled me to reach some cord around the block. I moved up both hands behind the block and reached up. The hold was not as positive as I’d hoped and the steepness of the wall was dwindling the energy in my arms, I couldn’t commit. I moved down to the ledge, no standing though as it was to small, feet below I shook one arm out at a time. This was not a good position for me, I don’t recover well on routes so couldn’t hang around too long. I pulled up to try again, no way could I make the move, back to the block, shake shake. I had to go now. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zq11IFjsX_CKAqatpYW9apqh0OTSd_FNjfRzNL0jAC6qXRgHsgKZm6uYz2c2YZYeepY9-TU2kOa1pQYhv_myQYyTWFGwP_z_iJ26FsDIl0uEx_XAQgqEVu1cJkgdocZJLf4G_Ejz4Io/s1600/10629759_10152766989166474_9022685065305908371_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zq11IFjsX_CKAqatpYW9apqh0OTSd_FNjfRzNL0jAC6qXRgHsgKZm6uYz2c2YZYeepY9-TU2kOa1pQYhv_myQYyTWFGwP_z_iJ26FsDIl0uEx_XAQgqEVu1cJkgdocZJLf4G_Ejz4Io/s1600/10629759_10152766989166474_9022685065305908371_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking down to Great Moss from the top of Esk Buttress</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My memory is a bit hazy on this next section as I can’t quite remember how I managed to stay on. I reached up again with my left, right gripped this poor pinch crimp, again with my left, flatty. I was grasping, flatty again and stand on the block. I was looking at the air miles into the void below, at least it would be a clean fall I though. I grasped again, the holds had to improve otherwise I was off; jug. Yes. The right hand was a sloper jug with weight on my fingers, and I could guppy the left. Between my hands a small wire slot, number 2. I had to put it in with my left because of my feet, too much weight over my right. I don’t know what possessed me next as I stuck a heel hook out left near my head. What on earth! This took a lot of weight off my right hand and the wire was in. I pulled up onto the ledge and finally had weight on my feet. The holds were small again but I could stand as I traversed right to bridge a groove where I stood for a few minutes before moving up to the belay. I was so relieved, I was sure I was off. Esther came up, surprised that I had managed to stay on and lead us up the last pitch to the top of the crag. Sat on top with the sun beaming on us, I was so chuffed and I was pleased that it was a challenge, maybe a little close to going airborne, but I, we had done it. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-91416156777319694962014-09-15T06:53:00.000-07:002014-09-24T07:12:28.212-07:00Team Send of the Aiguille du Pouce<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/AVvXsEhn8TOpv2Vi-R1KDa0dsWY9jm44JV17UmuZYPvM0VLoRfUa82xjpWccUKDW9si4rsgVv-5AtidEEmdYx6kO-ZQ3aS5iGPlUbS7q-GfyP35Y6xEQm3k7fPu6EYXLh1WUML-MSBBZgotV-Jg/s1600/10153648_942553570723_5846007391540091058_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8TOpv2Vi-R1KDa0dsWY9jm44JV17UmuZYPvM0VLoRfUa82xjpWccUKDW9si4rsgVv-5AtidEEmdYx6kO-ZQ3aS5iGPlUbS7q-GfyP35Y6xEQm3k7fPu6EYXLh1WUML-MSBBZgotV-Jg/s1600/10153648_942553570723_5846007391540091058_n.jpg" height="69" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mont Blanc Massif from the Aiguille du Pouce</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> I had never done any rock climbing on previous trips out to the Alps, mainly focussed on the snow routes to the summit. However Ben and Kirsty had hatched a plan on their five week road trip around the Alps and Dolomites. They had always wanted to climb the South Face of the Aiguille du Pouce, taking the Voie des dallas, a 350m route which weaves its way up the face. As neither Piers or I had done any climbing on rock in the Alps, we were a bit unsure as to the conversion of grades, thinking it might have been a bit out of our depth with several pitches of 5c and 5b. Ben said we’d be fine so we went along with it, easy enough for the lad who has onsighted E5 to say.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhr9T18yJRzwfpXFfzl1e5ATz3yPUtHAWAb725tV5Ej5LNIrCGecaIULhhDL-qSQLe9yQAxMWPDcKsTrz7Im4abDvRFty9FWZRLBDcf8nz1iZse2WZH7e76Rmud7DFelEjZH_Myo0XK98/s1600/7055_942552966933_456856237514836859_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhr9T18yJRzwfpXFfzl1e5ATz3yPUtHAWAb725tV5Ej5LNIrCGecaIULhhDL-qSQLe9yQAxMWPDcKsTrz7Im4abDvRFty9FWZRLBDcf8nz1iZse2WZH7e76Rmud7DFelEjZH_Myo0XK98/s1600/7055_942552966933_456856237514836859_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The team camping up by the old Index lift</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We caught the last Index lift up and camped by the old lift station ready for an early start the following morning as Ben and Kirsty needed to be driving back that evening to catch their ferry the following day. A 5am start led us up a loose and ever steeping gully of scree and choss towards the col above where we first saw the Pouce. It looked huge, the route being 15 pitches and a long ridge traverse to regain the col on descent, but first we had to climb it. We descended over the col and into the corrie below with no axes and crampons required at the moment, we only had a couple of small snow patches to cross. We reached the bottom of the route and looked up, it was big, and very committing for us with our 50m single rope. I was nervous about what lay ahead, uncertainty at its difficulty and the amount of gear up there, the guide saying it was only partly equipped. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cold fingers and toes on the lower slabs</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Piers led off on the first pitch crossed a bold ledge and slab to reach the first belay. The rock was cold to the touch, and my feet felt numb in my rock shoes as I padded up the slab. It was 7:30am. Piers wasn’t to happy with the rock, we probably should have picked a shorter less committing route to acquaint ourselves with the rock and style of Chamonix climbing. The next few pitches were proving to be the crux pitches as I said I would lead through them. These pitches were bold as I lead off, the very occasionally bolt providing some protection up the compact rock. The crux pitches followed and provided some bold slab moves between poor pegs with very little weaknesses in the rock to place my own protection. We moved behind Kirsty and Ben up the route often a pitch behind meeting them at belays.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr1RABJ8xQG6EhMKH05TNOpAajGux4NEuCHlmURGS-9aoKBTFskBzql379oR_0vHNPN2G8kInl1gO-PTrchoHuMIS6aYkwNhfBBj49dlqX4TgrnMYBT4cGEwJzDn_2AAsnjdo5KfxJ7I/s1600/10559914_942553401063_193012677391534745_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr1RABJ8xQG6EhMKH05TNOpAajGux4NEuCHlmURGS-9aoKBTFskBzql379oR_0vHNPN2G8kInl1gO-PTrchoHuMIS6aYkwNhfBBj49dlqX4TgrnMYBT4cGEwJzDn_2AAsnjdo5KfxJ7I/s1600/10559914_942553401063_193012677391534745_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heading towards the sun several pitches up</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The pitches seemed to blur together, as I focussed on each pitch separately rather than the whole route. I often take this approach on multipitch routes, breaking it down and grind away at the route, rather than being distract by the top pitch when I am only one up. Pitch two, three, four and five were done, and after pitch six and seven then meat of the route and hard pitches were complete. We moved around the face and into the sun at the beginning of pitch six and it was beating down onto my neck straightaway, as I heated up in my windshirt. These harder pitches followed some definite features, stiff thin cracks riddled by pegs and scars. As we moved onto the easier pitches above, we climbed rounded ribs and small corners which didn’t have much definition making route finding harder. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPIooAM1yM6REzmrWe23_yjwjA3jQ4_p8N67_CUpehdlFSLHgR6l464soj-XmSrsuKj-QHJJyz7fliqU0YKG2vLtgjNpzeRhIlMmmcfCbzA0dmwsrrybIR3XDUxmVFanAJ0feKQaJyP0/s1600/10646617_942553470923_86759903950328407_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPIooAM1yM6REzmrWe23_yjwjA3jQ4_p8N67_CUpehdlFSLHgR6l464soj-XmSrsuKj-QHJJyz7fliqU0YKG2vLtgjNpzeRhIlMmmcfCbzA0dmwsrrybIR3XDUxmVFanAJ0feKQaJyP0/s1600/10646617_942553470923_86759903950328407_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is there any gear this way?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Team on the summit of Aiguille du Pouce</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Up and up, pitch by pitch until we reached a the loose chimney of death as we named it. This jumble of huge boulders looked ready to topple at any moment and we hid round the corner as Ben and Kirsty climbed as quiet and controlled as possible not to dislodge anything down in our direction. Kirsty climbed out of view and sounded that she was away from the choss, it was my turn. I climbed as controlled as possible, bridging my way up through the jumble, weaving between the blocks until i was out of the danger zone, up towards the scrambling finish. As Piers appeared over the top of the blocks there was a sigh of relief from us all. Rock boots off, trainers on, with a short scramble to the summit. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipMJYHEyI3Yw7PnI5S_oF5aa4hF7rG2mmN1hTOh_45sM1XVHo_QxBfOkUZqgFD7c3KvW5e1f1MQC-lWJaU36yQHsd6EazhEefdJju78fm9GfKfWPxZ41-10dY4wlgo-bRijaIG8ca2wc/s1600/10645151_942553660543_5975914271127729191_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipMJYHEyI3Yw7PnI5S_oF5aa4hF7rG2mmN1hTOh_45sM1XVHo_QxBfOkUZqgFD7c3KvW5e1f1MQC-lWJaU36yQHsd6EazhEefdJju78fm9GfKfWPxZ41-10dY4wlgo-bRijaIG8ca2wc/s1600/10645151_942553660543_5975914271127729191_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making our way onto the ridge from the summit</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifajpCUwo2O_9YhgHi6kLO0XdKoTOKUwd2UnP-v8cFxmX9523bCrZUbxP9NlnuP_qQkNZybPzAsO369WG2IPa5aj_7ZmyexgsuLHsZYuLweT6i1yHqS2sNjo7AEBXgzpmBOS73C8XMQw/s1600/10689829_942553765333_8920167923722883647_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifajpCUwo2O_9YhgHi6kLO0XdKoTOKUwd2UnP-v8cFxmX9523bCrZUbxP9NlnuP_qQkNZybPzAsO369WG2IPa5aj_7ZmyexgsuLHsZYuLweT6i1yHqS2sNjo7AEBXgzpmBOS73C8XMQw/s1600/10689829_942553765333_8920167923722883647_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ben and Kirsty picking their way through the ridge</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> From the summit, the guidebook suggested an hour and a half back to the Index lift. We got the coils on and started making our way along the ridge, which was very undulating, and cairns came and went. It became very time consuming, with lots of rock steps up and down and just took time as the rope was a necessity. We arrived back at the col after an hour and a half just on the ridge, and started battling our way down the gully towards the lift and our stashed gear. Back in time for a busy lift, tea and medals in the valley. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-27819299098010490492014-09-08T05:50:00.000-07:002014-09-22T05:50:33.114-07:00Disney climbing on the Dent du Geant<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> I have wanted to climb the Dent du Geant since first seeing the spire of rock on my first trip to the Alps several years ago.We’d heard that the peak can get extremely busy and even queuing can take place as teams advance up the fixed ropes. We definitely didn’t want to get caught in a queue. Once again there was a forecast for strong winds but good weather for the day. We made an early start from the hut, leaving at 4:30am, with only one team ahead of us. The approach across the glacier was short and well tracked as we ascended a steep snow slope which led to a mixed slope with several short steps. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgse6ahG0zCSrf0JOSpH8g42sGcRs4J0Vpz59fMLEZVeDCdQ9eEMesj5PCLy0ULhG6aZFqJ0WkEAB_Wzau_T21YYJQzL-A9VcQBW-GGPr2LVrLA6gdH7sFGaB80Zkm4au-n0gzdB4z5I/s1600/IMG_2181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgse6ahG0zCSrf0JOSpH8g42sGcRs4J0Vpz59fMLEZVeDCdQ9eEMesj5PCLy0ULhG6aZFqJ0WkEAB_Wzau_T21YYJQzL-A9VcQBW-GGPr2LVrLA6gdH7sFGaB80Zkm4au-n0gzdB4z5I/s1600/IMG_2181.JPG" height="230" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dent du Geant from the Torino Hut</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> We left our crampons and axe at the base of the pillar, it was time to call on our rock climbing skills. The wind was strengthening, and this quickly chilled me to the bone as we slowed down to pitch a couple of sections. I was originally reluctant to don my down jacket knowing that I didn’t have any other additional warm clothing, but I was cold now in this wind and couldn’t stand for long. The warmth was instant, and spirits were immediately raised. We alternated leads on the lower section and were quickly passed by one team and continued to leapfrog their second as we continued. We quickly built a relationship with this pair as we shared belays with them, Paulo a guide from Courmayeur and Peter from Scotland. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwRELhNjD8T9vbfEG1KLX6DmfbNm-y5wOV7cp4iBfYJf7bFdKcqKjbQmaSOudZqzaWYszOak_rEzmzgg_As-UPBQC2tDfmRbHmGn0k_XmC0n6bgc_IC5hBsEQzyrVLbF9nIJ2GkXwjvs/s1600/IMG_2184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwRELhNjD8T9vbfEG1KLX6DmfbNm-y5wOV7cp4iBfYJf7bFdKcqKjbQmaSOudZqzaWYszOak_rEzmzgg_As-UPBQC2tDfmRbHmGn0k_XmC0n6bgc_IC5hBsEQzyrVLbF9nIJ2GkXwjvs/s1600/IMG_2184.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pier on the lower section of fixed ropes</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPTN-d1cm0QkJuPPT8M7zR_lw2xEgitaxij7jkMVVV-j9ePnCcYs3EMemVWdc9_M9H3vVQ88U1Z8cBDCbZqX4eFrftBEiPQgbuguR1vFAdKIsnfgJOb9ITkZpsCO1TYUqm81V9JCKJiM/s1600/10574356_942552328213_3628202408892490041_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPTN-d1cm0QkJuPPT8M7zR_lw2xEgitaxij7jkMVVV-j9ePnCcYs3EMemVWdc9_M9H3vVQ88U1Z8cBDCbZqX4eFrftBEiPQgbuguR1vFAdKIsnfgJOb9ITkZpsCO1TYUqm81V9JCKJiM/s1600/10574356_942552328213_3628202408892490041_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joining the belay higher up the slabs</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> The huge fixed ropes raised above us, guiding us up the upper slabs. I had never quite experienced mountaineering like this, yarding our way up the fixed ropes, clipping the odd piton as a runner, trying our best to keep up with Paulo who is a beast. The fixed ropes had been described to me by others as Disney climbing, how they would depict mountaineering in one of their animated films. I was toasty warm on the belays, and almost too hot whilst climbing, but I definitely wasn’t complaining. We swiftly ascended the ropes, almost forgetting that we were nearly at 4000m and I definitely hadn’t done this amount of arm training before the trip, it was definitely taking it out of me. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGp-KQC8n9ru_Xx1vRt2VEmqg-Yaw65VeFHQQ1pyc2gANGpS3R5I9_6XLI6rWVHACoP2pi_gR312zVFqpb_eZC9oQOPfELgfXG7NJ7lxneV2QnTUpEvoIkE-mfAXMkLeMA73hOzQkArPc/s1600/10686956_942552532803_354713570584100556_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGp-KQC8n9ru_Xx1vRt2VEmqg-Yaw65VeFHQQ1pyc2gANGpS3R5I9_6XLI6rWVHACoP2pi_gR312zVFqpb_eZC9oQOPfELgfXG7NJ7lxneV2QnTUpEvoIkE-mfAXMkLeMA73hOzQkArPc/s1600/10686956_942552532803_354713570584100556_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making progress up the Dent du Geant</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQWrt_5Qwq2IVTvtr6JeQZpreMJO7rwVXCT8Cu8Jhnz4y3BFDD7ODJk2hy5zLVbuxMShJwNDz-uArcJx-tE5O4DfY8F4v6VZ-NN8aY9Lj3JnopGc6W1m01tWDhyphenhyphenhZjNzIFWlRcl1VuSw/s1600/IMG_2187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQWrt_5Qwq2IVTvtr6JeQZpreMJO7rwVXCT8Cu8Jhnz4y3BFDD7ODJk2hy5zLVbuxMShJwNDz-uArcJx-tE5O4DfY8F4v6VZ-NN8aY9Lj3JnopGc6W1m01tWDhyphenhyphenhZjNzIFWlRcl1VuSw/s1600/IMG_2187.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The upper ridge section before the summit wall.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> The fixed ropes stopped, and it threw us a bit as we had to think again, our previous pitches becoming almost automatic. I had to climb on the rock as we climbed a ridge towards the final summit wall, the frost covered rock numbing my fingers as I placed protection for Piers across a traverse. Piers lead up the short summit wall as we met Paulo and Peter up there for summit photos. Then the weather changed.<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/AVvXsEhSnF4zeAU5dITqoz2S9OQNDSLkMboFFDhbDtPb8YWpbYYjWI8jbZsZbfxQ64p6bCN1k-Kla_W9Jm4I0uq8uygUHV4LCJ6-m3WkBJ-T5dabwXfjhC7wL9_gOiFm7lHRysQZbpxjshWRe-M/s1600/10628505_942552637593_839950020917827615_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnF4zeAU5dITqoz2S9OQNDSLkMboFFDhbDtPb8YWpbYYjWI8jbZsZbfxQ64p6bCN1k-Kla_W9Jm4I0uq8uygUHV4LCJ6-m3WkBJ-T5dabwXfjhC7wL9_gOiFm7lHRysQZbpxjshWRe-M/s1600/10628505_942552637593_839950020917827615_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit picture with the Madonna</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV06xSKQ9inNioQEHJ9qpOxuK23briZVIhXKFEG0L9wgSikmE2wS6Ts8IhI0qMwES3OGpDaDaddK1T7RvSplrhlVaxJrlxAqkXPN_wWYmbm9176d_hYgMCdUe2KbXOYhkR3hrE_mSS6Ng/s1600/IMG_2189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV06xSKQ9inNioQEHJ9qpOxuK23briZVIhXKFEG0L9wgSikmE2wS6Ts8IhI0qMwES3OGpDaDaddK1T7RvSplrhlVaxJrlxAqkXPN_wWYmbm9176d_hYgMCdUe2KbXOYhkR3hrE_mSS6Ng/s1600/IMG_2189.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peter and Piers on an abseil belay</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> We had seen the cloud approaching from the Aiguille u Midi and it started snowing. We coupled up with Paulo and Peter on the abseils back down to crampons below. We rolled down the abseils using our three ropes and three abseils later were back at our gear in a near blizzard. We kitted up again and said our goodbyes as we headed back through the whiteout towards the Torino Hut and our lift back to the Midi. Once again the Alps reminded us of what it is like to be in Scottish winter. <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/AVvXsEj2HFr_2j2dBE-SF4IBxHu-NT08TUktxRIG0tzvOT4tViwo3S1zv9dt5YqPusq-87HgKdWAogB6clnFkVgmwn3fQNa8t4l2Z-wpG2cvDt28we4wGwRW1ELv_jQu9TpijKt58GMPiX4UOVc/s1600/IMG_2194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HFr_2j2dBE-SF4IBxHu-NT08TUktxRIG0tzvOT4tViwo3S1zv9dt5YqPusq-87HgKdWAogB6clnFkVgmwn3fQNa8t4l2Z-wpG2cvDt28we4wGwRW1ELv_jQu9TpijKt58GMPiX4UOVc/s1600/IMG_2194.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back through the snow to the Torino Refuge</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-68353048428179856072014-09-01T04:17:00.000-07:002014-09-22T05:20:00.283-07:00Scottish Winter in the Alps - Aiguille du Chardonnet<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Piers and I trawled the guidebooks before heading out to Chamonix, looking for routes and peaks that took our fancy before arriving in the valley. I think every alpinist has a hit list of routes that they wish to climb. We were only out in Chamonix for 12 days so had to make the most of our time there, so after a quick first day up the Aiguille du Midi with some time on the glacier, a traverse of Pointe Lachenal and the Cosmiques Arete, we were booked into the Albert Premier Refuge above Le Tour. Our aim, the Forbes Arete on the Aiguille du Chardonnet.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aiguille du Chardonnet - Forbes Arete follows the left skyline</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoD466Cg7L_rzQCcFaB7jAlYjVImelraj0J_KdNwdDShKcKeZcQTNe14sKzRX3WXUqMit1hjD0uLyjXNi-y141-L_WjZI9bqNAezLNvzw97XJgCYpGMbZpWQk75nsxvQu83hXPnw5NrSY/s1600/IMG_2169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoD466Cg7L_rzQCcFaB7jAlYjVImelraj0J_KdNwdDShKcKeZcQTNe14sKzRX3WXUqMit1hjD0uLyjXNi-y141-L_WjZI9bqNAezLNvzw97XJgCYpGMbZpWQk75nsxvQu83hXPnw5NrSY/s1600/IMG_2169.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eyeing up our objective</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> It was a roasting day as we plodded up the path towards the refuge glad of trainers on our feet rather than our rigid mountain boots. The path to the hut is well travelled as it is situated on the edge of the Tour Glacier and no ice gear is needed and a round trip is a popular day walk with walkers. We used binoculars to eye up our route, which is visible from the hut, apprehensive of a windy forecast due the following day.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2myxxzHyaXswsOc0Ej4ap8SKbGZI6vVfUjZEBAoqiUy2qrhAn8UuKfdC_pLB95r7cIPIfXKE7zaeCbTfV7pR2JcaO0zTloYME-GPmGV0XoVqMmjNnBqZgA6P5irjFmT2gokN1xIyDy5Y/s1600/10600538_942551948973_7094309703110342533_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2myxxzHyaXswsOc0Ej4ap8SKbGZI6vVfUjZEBAoqiUy2qrhAn8UuKfdC_pLB95r7cIPIfXKE7zaeCbTfV7pR2JcaO0zTloYME-GPmGV0XoVqMmjNnBqZgA6P5irjFmT2gokN1xIyDy5Y/s1600/10600538_942551948973_7094309703110342533_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forcing a smile thinking 'Wheres the sun?'</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The alarm went at 2am, far too soon and we headed down to force some food and tea down before setting out into the night. We were the first team to set off, keen to make the most of a settled night before the wind strengthened at dawn. We glacier crossing was straightforward enough with plenty of tracks to follow we began to climb the steep initial snow slopes to reach the arete. Our visibility was dropping as we climbed higher into the clag above, hoping it would burn off as the sun rose. We continued up the snow bosse and the footprints began to disappear, it was 6am and our headtorches still led the way through the cloud. The sun must be here soon; that thought lasted a while. We climbed upwards to reach the arete to find a lot of soft powder snow. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The wind was whipping over from the West side of the arete as we made progress along the more sheltered East side. We kept hearing voices, unsure if they were following us or climbing up the popular Migot Spur on the face. Our speed slowed as we were making short pitches through soft snow which covered the rock and slid down the face below as we tried to stand upon it. We reached a few snow saddles and the soft snow had corniced in the small cols and felt very sketchy. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnFpRVgbLisdFCdLwIPKOlFl6Ds41LHyIjQdvliCP3S0MjcxZvVTjojlpt5HPgWNld6YVzqYLepDVMqXMp5sONpzCyVM-IlOE8G4Lxfvbg37OE9oFYzbQzFyhz2GoQE0PbWrhnKw-jT4/s1600/IMG_2178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnFpRVgbLisdFCdLwIPKOlFl6Ds41LHyIjQdvliCP3S0MjcxZvVTjojlpt5HPgWNld6YVzqYLepDVMqXMp5sONpzCyVM-IlOE8G4Lxfvbg37OE9oFYzbQzFyhz2GoQE0PbWrhnKw-jT4/s1600/IMG_2178.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers on the summit of the Aiguille du Chardonnet</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Has to be a summit selfie!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We had passed the guidebook time, which is not surprising considering the conditions we were facing, but we were hoping that we would reach the summit soon, how long could this arete continue. We cloud was still not lifting and we could see around 20 metres ahead, but the biggest problem was the temperature as we grew colder thanks to the wind chill and our decreasing speed. We managed to relocate ourselves in the guidebook description as we reached a large gendarme, which was situated close to the summit, thanks to a short break in the cloud. I lead one more pitch and skirted around the bulk of rock and up to the summit, as the wind whipped the cloud around us and the sun was trying to break through. It was like Scottish winter!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atmospheric gear sorting</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Descending the steep snow slopes wasn’t as bad as I was expecting by combining a mixture of sort abseils, daggering and facing out we made our way to the top of our abseils to reach the hanging glacier below. I was glad of a break in the cloud as we started this descent. Three abseils down a gully took us back onto the tracked hanging glacier below. The tracks crossed the bergschrund and</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">weaved through huge crevasses as we descended to the Tour glacier. I am incredibly intrigued by these glacial environments, looking down into crevasses as I pass them, and just looking at the huge crevices in awe of their formation. We reached the Tour glacier and headed back to the refuge for a quick refuel before continuing down to the valley, and the pizza shop in Argentiere. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-62268658586764128952014-08-12T10:23:00.001-07:002014-09-22T03:09:55.490-07:00The Gogarth Experience<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After a drizzly day in the mountains, the sun was shining, so a trip to the sea was in order. To Gogarth. I have not climbed on the sea cliffs since last summer, and I am still growing used to the experience of climbing at Gogarth. Climbing above the sea does not bother me, in fact I quite enjoy the sounds of the coastal environment. It is the rock that I am still growing used to; the weird shapes that have been created, the random quartz which splits through the rock, its texture, and its’ difficulty to read. There are still lots of aspects of these crags that I am becoming more familiar with. The variation in the rock between each different crag in astounding. I have climbed at Castell Helen, Wen Zawn, Main Cliff and Upper Tier, and no two crags are alike. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eEcZxpom5tRqycs23dMp-Ukcuz9cEtdFnAwTdteujAEseTIzDrRslezyiCck6SQcN1gYgafoWv1z9JvNioe2yjamMwWwGWyperAknyzKspMxSriqkRbK2P1jJuRRemQieFV5ncWQsis/s1600/DSCN0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eEcZxpom5tRqycs23dMp-Ukcuz9cEtdFnAwTdteujAEseTIzDrRslezyiCck6SQcN1gYgafoWv1z9JvNioe2yjamMwWwGWyperAknyzKspMxSriqkRbK2P1jJuRRemQieFV5ncWQsis/s1600/DSCN0970.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 happy lads above the sea on Lighthouse Arete</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Piers and James both wanted to climb Lighthouse Arete, a route I had done twice before so I gave them the task of guiding me up and they alternated leads. We worked on stance management and rope work as we made progress up the route. Being organised at each belay will prevent any problems with ropes, keeping each of us in the correct position and facing the right way will mean any additional problems will be avoided. We made a quick ascent of the route, with good teaching along the way as there were three of us. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climbing in a sea of rock, Imitator Pitch 1</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> James and I walked over to the Main Cliff and Upper Tier at North Stack. We scrambled down a loose muddy gully and pushed our way through the heather and bracken towards the rock above the sea. The afternoon sun was baking at the base and the sea calm as we sorted the ropes at the base of our route, Imitator. We had planned to link this two pitch route into Bezel, a three pitch VS on the Upper Tier which would take us to the top of the cliffs. The sun was beating on my neck as I set off up the first pitch, a shallow groove, which was a lot harder than I was expecting, it was only meant to contain 4c moves. The moves that the guidebook described as the crux felt easier than the sustained problem that the groove had proved below. The pitch eased above as I stepped out onto the wall above and followed cracks to the belay. James climbed an easier pitch above and had to have his wits about as the ground turned loose and chossy up to the base of the next route. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gogarth Main Cliff. Can you spot us?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I climbed an interesting pitch into the base of the main groove of Bezel, by climbing a thinner groove before traversing left to reach the belay ledge above. James put his bouldering power to good use, pulling through the crux bulge above, before continuing up the brilliant groove above. The pitch had some great climbing and moves up it, requiring more thought than just brawn. We quickly topped out up the loose slopes above and made haste back to our water bottles and to ice creams. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having just reached the first belay of Bezel, Upper Tier.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have definitely decided that climbing on the sea cliffs is an area of my climbing that I need to develop. Getting to know the crags better, as well as becoming more comfortable with the rock and the variations between crags. The whole 'Gogarth Experience' is something that I have never come across at another crag; the isolation and self sufficient feeling that you have to continue upwards, the over grown lichen that covers the rock, and to top it off, being above the sea. Gogarth, I'll be back.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-90794878753268475672014-08-06T13:56:00.001-07:002014-08-10T13:18:25.992-07:00Alpine Training on Ampitheatre Buttress<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> We awoke this morning to very little visibility in the valley which soon turned to drizzle and rain as we drove up through the Ogwen Valley. With improving weather predicted we hoped that this would be true and started climbing up the lane towards Ffynnon Llugwy, our aim to head over the hill to Craig yr Ysfa. The route, Ampitheatre Buttress an classic alpine ridge almost 300m in length. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Starting up the lower sections of Ampitheatre Buttress</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I had decided to climb the route in a scrambling style; I took coils and James and Piers tied on the other end. The first sections of the route provided some brilliant cracked slabs, which seemed more difficult than expected. It has been a while since I have done much big boot climbing and it always makes footwork more interesting. Any obvious foot placements would be easy to use in rock shoes; making use of small edges or a smear suddenly become harder to trust once standing in big boots. I pitched the bottom sections more than I anticipated, making numerous belays to bring Piers and James up. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyAeINs8AkIUuVr3QxenTaliHzaRjYG9kUjj93tjAO3JOnEaonhlttIrfVYIX9jGl28mPo_W15UgWMnhVeMFPYZStk0W6tVkhvnz_vHWPviUGtiDn_xdil64Mz_LOdyUSBScvZqcKVDc/s640/blogger-image-1704166022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyAeINs8AkIUuVr3QxenTaliHzaRjYG9kUjj93tjAO3JOnEaonhlttIrfVYIX9jGl28mPo_W15UgWMnhVeMFPYZStk0W6tVkhvnz_vHWPviUGtiDn_xdil64Mz_LOdyUSBScvZqcKVDc/s640/blogger-image-1704166022.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Looking down the cracking slabs in the lower sections</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Piers pulling over the top of the crux corner, the gully dropping down beneath</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> After a few pitches that blended together, we relocated ourselves in the guidebook description on a large platform below the crux corner. The corner provided great climbing and a large dose of exposure over the gully below. From here we weaved up small rocky sections covering ground quickly arriving at a knife edge ridge followed by a narrow ridge to the summit. It is a brilliant route, extremely varied with balancy slabs, rock steps and good rock. The forecast was right, as we climbed the sheltered North-East aspect the temperature rose and we were all glad of a strong breeze once we had reached the top. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">James and Piers climbing the lower slabs</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The last rock steps up to the top of Ampitheatre Buttress</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-31030165036883295702014-08-05T13:01:00.000-07:002014-08-10T13:11:38.964-07:00Getting to know Tremadog<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> I have headed down to North Wales for the week to become more familiar with some crags and obviously to go climbing. We drove to Tremadog to climb at the popular Craig Bwlch y Moch, however today the crag was not so popular as we were greeted by a thick band of rain as we drove down Gwynant valley. Good job Eric's cafe was open, as we enjoyed a mug of tea and weighed up our options. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Starting out on The Brothers</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The cloud began to brighten and we were growing impatient so we donned our waterproofs and walked along the road toward the top end of the crag. I guided James and Piers up Cracked Slab in the wet, taking advantage of its big belays, good gear and endless possibilities for teaching. We followed this up as James led up Boo Boo and the upper slabs were beginning to dry in the wind. I organised a stacked abseil as we retrieved the bags and headed for lunch. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Me heading up Pitch one of The Brothers</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The wind continued to dry the buttresses and the sun was beginning to break through the clouds. We walked up to Shadrach Buttress. Piers led off up Grim Wall and a rising traverse to a roomy ledge beneath the upper wall. James and I followed and I started racking up for the upper pitch climbing the steep rib above. It was a great pitch and the route deserves its' two stars, never desperate climbing but a little tricky to read because of so many holds at different angles. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Piers following the top pitch of The Brothers</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> We followed this up each picking a pitch of The Brothers to lead. I had already lead Shadrach before so James had the top pitch, Piers the middle and I got to enjoy the wide crack at the base. The Brothers took in three good pitches with a balancy traverse in the middle and the class top pitch of Shadrach which James climbed in good style. We definitely made a good shout with the weather and it cleared up to be a great day craging. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-6358962116740280902014-08-03T08:46:00.000-07:002014-08-03T08:46:27.890-07:00Over ont NY Moors<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">A long day in the Lakes the previous day and a terrible front of rain on its way, James and I headed East, as far as we could to give us as much climbing time as possible. We opted for Wainstones high on the North Yorkshire Moors, hoping that the wind would dry the crag after any showers passed more. Neither of us had been to Wainstones, so its always nice visiting somewhere new, exploring the crag, matching the guidebook to the crag in front of you. There are some good strong lines there, and many easier lines, which provided us with some nice routes to warm up on and familiarise ourselves with the softer Moors sandstone and its nodules of iron ore. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhZ9xku7MEDZ_l16661GIaBeM6ioktr5nebealS5AttK-MM0JzjZq7F9TVngQ6-D914lmxmsm6BhA7Xrxiub67vkRcf-tq6Scx9-NRN5VW8hhNKMP1ZAFEo-xghLKF5TMEtgJ3mLTEHw/s1600/G0071392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhZ9xku7MEDZ_l16661GIaBeM6ioktr5nebealS5AttK-MM0JzjZq7F9TVngQ6-D914lmxmsm6BhA7Xrxiub67vkRcf-tq6Scx9-NRN5VW8hhNKMP1ZAFEo-xghLKF5TMEtgJ3mLTEHw/s1600/G0071392.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James on Miss Muffet, Wainstones</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I have never really taken to soloing, and even routes of VDiff and Severe get my heart going when I am 10 metres up them. I know that I can do the climbing and have complete belief in my ability to climb these routes. Perhaps I need to put myself into that situation more regularly to become more comfortable with it.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me on the Steeple and James on the Needle</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We had a good run around the crag, following each other up routes, and the routes that we didn’t want to commit to soloing tying in and making short work of them. Although the routes are short they provide some good moves and are worthwhile. We obviously had to stand on top of the Needle and Steeple as well. It was a short sweet session before the rain came, and it rained hard as we dashed to the car. </span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-3138757827690241452014-08-01T04:56:00.000-07:002014-08-03T05:12:21.669-07:00Teaching Climbing the Shepherds Way<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Working towards my MIA is leading me on a path to develop all aspects of my climbing and I am finding this to be a very rewarding experience. As well as obviously demonstrating my personal climbing skills and knowledge to assessors I will complete a teaching day on assessment. There is so much more to a day than just taking people climbing than just guiding them and ticking routes. After a pretty relaxed start I picked up Finn and James and made the trip to the Northern Lakes, back to Borrowdale and Shepherds Crag. The forecast was looking suspect and the sheltered quick drying nature of the crag made it a perfect choice for our day.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finn and James on the first belay of Ardus </span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I had climbed a little with Finn before as he is a student on the BTEC course at The Wensleydale School. He has done a fair bit of climbing before but mainly indoor bouldering and a bit of top roping. This was the first time I had climbed with James, who is a Trainee Instructor at nearby Bewerley Park Centre, who has done a lot of climbing on the grit and limestone crags of Yorkshire. James is hoping to attend his MIA training next year so coming out with me was a real eye opener to me and he learnt a lot of new terminology.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We started at Brown Slabs, climbing the two pitch Brown Slabs Direct, working with parallel ropes to get the guys climbing and warmed up. The VDiff climbing was no issue for them, I just wanted to get them used to the rope work and the different tasks that need to be sorted on stances. It also gave me a chance to work on my stance management and organising Finn and James once they reached the belay. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finn climbing the corner pitch 2 of Ardus</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I felt that they needed to challenged in their climbing so we moved around the corner to Brown Crag Wall, a VS- but three good pitches of climbing with good roomy stances. We began working in series with our ropes with Finn as the middle climber. The climbing was definitely a step up from the previous route and suited both Finn and James. Finn was learning how to set up belays, selecting gear placements to create good angles and in correct direction before belaying James up to join us. James was like a sponge, asking loads of questions about stance management. We repeated our order up the next two pitches of the route, consolidating Finn’s learning. He was picking it up extremely well and was happy with little intervention from myself other than checking it all, prior to bringing </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">James up to join us. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finn delicately climbing across the final slab of Ardus</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">It was great for me to go back to these routes that I had climbed a few years ago, just as I was beginning to develop my own multipitch climbing. Working back along the crag we chose Ardus as our next route. Three brilliant pitches of climbing, all with different character, a bold slab, a bridging corner and a delicate exposed slab and crack to finish. At the base of the route, I went into further depth of building belays and each of the principles that need to be followed to create a safe belay and explained the route to Finn and what his tasks were at each belay. It was a brilliant route, with good climbing by Finn and James up the polished corner and final slab. There was a great balance of climbing which pushed them through the pitches and learning at belays. Straight into more ropes as I organised a stacked abseil to get us back down to the bags which went without a hitch. Finn was keen for one more route but with time pushing, I pointed James in the direction of Kransic Crack Direct, a great HVS single pitch which would also push Finn’s climbing on the second, and the lads both climbed it in good style.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finn belaying James up the final crack of Ardus</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The focus of the day was to develop Finn’s understanding of building belays and rope work, and this was certainly addressed and it was great to have such focussed climbers who really want to develop their climbing. I think that is something I am most looking forward as a Mountain Instructor, teaching climbers the skills that they will require to go to the crags and climb safely themselves. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6008988342344855188.post-37500968098725749242014-07-29T11:41:00.001-07:002014-07-29T11:41:38.799-07:00Lakeland Crags Exploration and Revival<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Following on from my two days walking in the Lakeland fells, I was back over in Cumbria climbing within the Northern Lakes. In the middle of a brilliant spell of dry weather, most of the crags and routes within the Lakes will be dry and ready to be climbed. I was keen to take advantage of this and head high into the mountains to these crags escaping the heat in the valleys. Piers and I walked in from Honister across to Gable Crag, ready for the classic Engineers Slabs. Piers’ parents have lived in Keswick for the last 30 years or so and his Dad is still an active climber and recommended that we climbed Sledgate Ridge as an approach route to the Engineers Slab area. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUogh8EBVnkkkzMjD5eii7S2hw6p1OGd14BW_qOja7Vx2D6WAWcuvdQdv6vPZR0Qz6L36ZdI9_fLnexREDpF0AhHvYgPenMdclDXRMESYc3UGCzrwRRpew8FfU7uvsk1F8ep0jMU5cok/s1600/IMG_0999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUogh8EBVnkkkzMjD5eii7S2hw6p1OGd14BW_qOja7Vx2D6WAWcuvdQdv6vPZR0Qz6L36ZdI9_fLnexREDpF0AhHvYgPenMdclDXRMESYc3UGCzrwRRpew8FfU7uvsk1F8ep0jMU5cok/s1600/IMG_0999.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Engineers Slab with Sledgate Ridge up the left of the picture</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I had heard of Sledgate Ridge from the Winter Guidebook but it is a two star Hard Severe in the FRCC Gable and Pillar guide. The first two pitches passed reasonably quickly as we climbed past a fair bit of vegetation and dirty rock, but looking up the third pitch to the belay, it was hard to distinguish the line through the covering of moss that had covered the rock. I set off, picking my way through, trying to match the guidebook description to where I was climbing and it was started to come together. It felt like very adventurous climbing, like we were the first people there, and this pitch wasn’t even given a technical grade! The route actually had some great climbing and is a great companion to Engineers Slabs, it would just benefit from some more climbers enjoying its great moves.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers nearing the crux of Pitch 1 of Engineers Slabs</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Engineers Slabs, was as expected a cracking route providing excellent climbing, with a healthy dose of exposure down the steep slopes below. It was no surprise that this route provided great climbing to back up it’s reputation as a classic. There was another team climbing on the slabs next to us, on a route called The Troll. Their route looked brilliant and looking in the guidebook was a two pitch HVS 5b, with the crux pulling round a big bulge after delicate slab climbing below. But to us at the base of Engineers, the route looked like they were climbing a through a sea of moss, delicately pulling and standing on the dried out plants careful not to pull them off the wall. Watching the leader pulling through the bulge looked brilliant moves and I will certainly be back to climb that route.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second pulling through the crux of The Troll</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The next day we drove over to Buttermere, and I must admit that I had never climbed in this valley and it had been a few years since I had been walking over there. We walked in the scorching heat, the shade getting closer with every step. Eagle Crag stands tall at the back of the large Birkness Combe. I looked large from the valley and grew and grew the closer we got, a huge buttress of rock above us. Our aim today was the another classic, Eagle Front, 150m of brilliant VS climbing. The topo of this crag is covered in routes, which criss cross and intersect as the weave up this huge piece of rock. Rightly so, it is an absolutely top crag, the rock is really rough and featured with grooves, slabs and ledges. As we climbed our route which is three star in its own right, I couldn’t quite believe how many other routes there are, it was impossible to spot any. The crag was very overgrown with a deep layer of moss and vegetation in cracks. Perhaps a soft wire brush would be a useful addition when climbing at these high mountain crags.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJjaJwuo1cu2bgKRQQu-NItunCUO7dda3OE5rP4fX5z4j9ivFfoA-iiVaFP3GF9tlUSjeae4tl_qmgWVh2C5kSvM4CcqdpOQr6UFHcg8AIbIrHRlLNyiNlUxq24Epgff9xPtFOeyaKKI/s1600/IMG_1054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJjaJwuo1cu2bgKRQQu-NItunCUO7dda3OE5rP4fX5z4j9ivFfoA-iiVaFP3GF9tlUSjeae4tl_qmgWVh2C5kSvM4CcqdpOQr6UFHcg8AIbIrHRlLNyiNlUxq24Epgff9xPtFOeyaKKI/s1600/IMG_1054.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The grand buttress of Eagle Crag, Buttermere</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnD_5giwU5FSPQRQ71GtzjVKEHnvUPlH-so7X1QxbThZydXAVzPH7UjdBgFCdsHB7L3PgU0nNGvm1igEZmf4169udjwUkG9dxUaeVYPyO5MJ0P0AwCwDPNcsD5MRlDAcdrcW165lc1BM4/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnD_5giwU5FSPQRQ71GtzjVKEHnvUPlH-so7X1QxbThZydXAVzPH7UjdBgFCdsHB7L3PgU0nNGvm1igEZmf4169udjwUkG9dxUaeVYPyO5MJ0P0AwCwDPNcsD5MRlDAcdrcW165lc1BM4/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me climbing the brilliant corner on Pitch 7 of Eagle Front</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">We only had a short climb the following day as we needed to head back across to Yorkshire in the afternoon. Opting for a couple of routes on the shady Northern aspect of Black Crag. Initially it wasn’t quite as hot as the previous two days as we set off out of the trees up The Shroud, a two star VS which provided some great situations. A nice layback crack on pitch one was followed by a steep wall and reachy crux leads to a juggy finish. The other 4c pitch is a complete opposite with an exposed traverse across a slab and a series of grooves. This route was reasonably dirty as well as bits of moss covered hand holds which surprised me considering its two stars which it definitely deserves as well as its close proximity to the road. We followed up this route choosing to climb The Coffin, again a two star VS. Once again, the route provided brilliant climbing, but was absolutely plastered in crusty lichen and moss. This not only will encourage further growth but will mean the route will take longer to dry following rain. Piers lead a class 33m second pitch climbing a series of grooves and walls to high on the crag, however I did have a take cover and pick my moments to look up to avoid the rain of moss and lichen showering down above me. Once again with a bit more traffic this route will be even more deserving of its two star status.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAw0mZrPQE3mFzKzvrzO6zqvWHrvbCR3M5pCg-3PVwdXxhv_rJgbMxNXBCKkePsgUrTS7kHa7ZRFjDhSAeJ4mebJ-HebFD5H_vHPE7hTu1ryUK11P1ClU9nZ9F3z3Do0QyhO3epYPpz7A/s1600/IMG_1059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAw0mZrPQE3mFzKzvrzO6zqvWHrvbCR3M5pCg-3PVwdXxhv_rJgbMxNXBCKkePsgUrTS7kHa7ZRFjDhSAeJ4mebJ-HebFD5H_vHPE7hTu1ryUK11P1ClU9nZ9F3z3Do0QyhO3epYPpz7A/s1600/IMG_1059.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piers pulling through the crux of Pitch 2 on The Shroud</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The last three days of climbing had got me thinking; is there a decline in Lakeland traditional climbing? I think there is. Are more people choosing a specific styles of climbing, I know there is a very strong bouldering scene within the Lakes and there must be a growth in the numbers of sport climbers moving outdoors from walls to the limestone crags of Southern Lakes and Yorkshire. The selective guidebook to the Lakes covers over 500 climbs at over 60 crags, a lifetimes worth of climbing. There are so many high crags in the Lakes, are there simply not enough climbers to keep the crags clean? I think the sport continues to grow and I hope in a traditional sense as well. In Wales, there are a limited number of high mountain crags, correct me if I’m wrong but I believe that there are more high mountain crags in the Lakes. Are climbers becoming less adventurous themselves, sticking to the convenient valley crags with short walk ins and making the polished routes even smoother. I wouldn’t even consider climbing at Shepherds Crag in the current spell of weather we have had. Whilst at Black Crag that morning, there were six other teams at the crag, every single team climbing Troutdale Pinnacle, one after another, we were the only other team to climb a different route. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLOmsb6uBZ3xJCzwZfrPwbPGI27BURJB03zT6dXFIq3V8HYkDm6Ev4lfDcBXfnTSTmyJJuAZ2st1oELzZofso2VZ6TqIAVDODBix4rHJljQXIsw5UG0j5f4uh6SgWEYpItFgq9vKqu28/s1600/ArticleImageHandler.ashx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLOmsb6uBZ3xJCzwZfrPwbPGI27BURJB03zT6dXFIq3V8HYkDm6Ev4lfDcBXfnTSTmyJJuAZ2st1oELzZofso2VZ6TqIAVDODBix4rHJljQXIsw5UG0j5f4uh6SgWEYpItFgq9vKqu28/s1600/ArticleImageHandler.ashx.jpeg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.thebmc.co.uk/arcteryx-lakeland-revival" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: start;">https://www.thebmc.co.uk/arcteryx-lakeland-revival</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just after returning from the Lakes, the British Mountaineering Council have launched a campaign with Arc’teryx called Lakeland Revival. They have compiled a list of 50 routes which they consider to need reviving from plant life and dirt. By climbing a route from this list and taking a picture of you doing it, you will be rewarded with Arc’teryx t-shirt or chalk bag. A nice little incentive just for going climbing. It is great to hear the industry backing our British climbing heritiage. You can read more here: <a href="https://www.thebmc.co.uk/arcteryx-lakeland-revival"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">https://www.thebmc.co.uk/arcteryx-lakeland-revival</span></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catch you on the crags!</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17391411757080683149noreply@blogger.com0