Summer Mountain Leader Training

I have just finished working on a Summer Mountain Leader Training course for Glenmore Lodge along with Bill Strachan. Over the week we had a mix of weather and due to the amount of snow we visited some new areas. Day 1 had us in and around the Burma Road area just north of Aviemore looking at some navigation and environmental information. Day 2 we headed into the Chalamain Gap to look at unplanned use of the road along with some more navigation and environmental information. Day 3 had us starting early as we headed down to Pitlochry, here we headed up Ben Vrakie. This was a new area for me but it turned out to be a great venue for looking at steep ground group managment. Day 4 was a centre day looking at emergency issues and planning for a expedition that took place over day 5 and 6. For the exped we headed to tghe hills south of Newtonmore, Druim nan Sac. It was a great week with a good mixture of people on the course and over all the weather was very kind to us.

Today I started another ML Training based in Fort William for Scotch on the Rocks Guiding the weather has been aweful today, however it looks like it is going to improve tomorrow. I will blog more info on this course later in the week.

Summer or Winter?

I have been at Glenmore Lodge for the last few days working with the John Muir Trust. A number of their employee's had come to Glenmore Lodge for some training relating to their outdoor work, with all sorts of different back grounds we had a varied few days looking at 1st Aid, Emergency Procedures, Working Alone procedures, river crossings and navigation.

It has been very wet in the Cairngorms with the rain turning to snow above about 600m. Reports are of there being a lot of fresh snow high up and with a good forecast this weekend I imagine there to be some good ski conditions. Shame this was not the case during March. However I imagine there would be some fairly unstable snow as well, more info on the SAIS website.

I am off to Inverness to do the M C of S FUNdamentals course at the climbing wall along with a few other instructors.

Skiing Indoors!

I have been down in Tamworth for the last 5 days working at the SnowDome. This has been part of the process in gaining my BASI Level 1 qualification in Alpine Skiing. I am glad to say it all went well and once I have finished the paper work I will be a qualified ski instructor. Now to start working on the next level!

I am off to the Cairngorms tomorrow for my first summer work of the season, shame that there is more snow now than there was in March!

Light and Fluffy!

Light and fluffy was the snow on our last days skiing for our Easter trip! We headed to Grimentz and were treated to about 20cm of fresh powder and a quiet resort.

Now back in Scotland and it seems that there is more snow in the hills now than when I left! After a few days mountain biking I am down to Tamworth to spend some time at the Snowdome completing the next phase of my BASI course.

No go in the Silvretta

Approaching the Heidelburger Hutte in good weather

Laura and Chris enjoying a beer in the Heidelburger Hutte

The Heidelburger Hutte in not so good weather the next morning

Chris and Laura enjoying the views in the white room

Laura showing us how to ski breakable crust in poor vis!

Enough is enough! Pulling the plug and heading for home!

A brief clearing in the weather whilst hunting out some off piste at Verbier

Laura and Chris and I headed over to Austria a few days ago with the plan of doing the Silvretta traverse starting at Ischgl. However with the weather forecast not looking great we were not holding our breath. We drove across from Switzerland in almost continuous rain, however the next day we had some visibility and spent the morning skiing off piste in Ischgl before skinning up to the hut in the afternoon. The hut is fantastic with great food, good rooms and showers a real plus in a skiing touring hut.

Unfortunately the next day we woke to zero vis, snow falling and warm temperatures, so we decided to go for a day tour from the hut to see what was what. It soon became clear that the crust was not going to hold weight and with poor visibility and unpleasant skiing we decided to head for home as the weather was due to be the same or worse for the next few days, after all this is a holiday and meant to be fun!

Back at Chris's in Switzerland we headed to Verbier for a day to enjoy some off piste skiing in the fresh snow that had fallen. Now is is time to hope for some better weather for our last few days holiday.

High Pressure and Snow!

Laura and I have been out in the Alps for a while now enjoying some great weather and spring snow. Although it has been very warm during the days the clear nights have meant that the snow has been refreezing well and as long as you time your descents you can get great snow. We have spent time skiing in Les Contamines, Chamonix, Les Marecottes, Villars with friends which has been great. Now for a rest day or two before heading across to the Silvretta for 6 days touring fingers crossed the weather does not change.

All over for another year!

Well my last two weeks winter work have been cancelled I was meant to be working on back to back Winter ML Assessments for Pete Hill and Glenmore Lodge, however due to the lack of snow these have been cancelled.

This has allowed me to get out for a few days early season rock climbing, days at Rieff, Logie Head and Duntelchaig have all been a nice way to warm the season up. However the real bonus is that as Laura starts her holidays tomorrow we can go away skiing earlier than planned! We head off at the end of this week for a few days in France, then Switzerland and finally off to the Silvretta in Austria to do the traverse.

Back at the end of April ready to get stuck into summer! The first few months seems me working Summer ML's, Scrambling in Skye and some Mountain Rock Climbing........fingers crossed for a long dry and midge free Summer!!!!!! 

More Snowholing!

Home for the night!

I have been working for West Highland College for the last few days along with Bill and Francis. On Wednesday I was at the Ice Factor preparing students for the CWA and then on Thursday and Friday I was out with 3rd Year Students on a snow holing trip.

With a poor forecast for the west on Friday we headed to the Cairngorms with a not great forecast but not as wet as the west! We headed into Ciste Mhearad via windy ridge that as indeed windy, were we found a fair bit of new snow that had covered up the remnants of the old holes! However with a good bit go digging most teams managed to get into the old neve layers under the new snow. We were planning to head out for some night nav but with 100mph winds we decided to just enjoy the holes!! It warmed quickly during the night and much of the new snow melted/sagged/caved in and with more strong winds in the morning gusting 111mph at 8am on Cairngorm it was time to bail!

A good experience for the students who did well in some challenging conditions. Everything was melting fast as we walked out through the ski area, it does now feel like winter is on its last legs.

Winter Weekend

I was out in the Cairngorms over the weekend with King Edwards school from Sheffield. On Saturday we headed into Lochain and the snow patches on the western flank to look at movement skills and then braved the winds and headed up onto the plateau which was actually no that bad. We then dropped into Coire Domhain were we found some good snow to do some ice axe arrests and a look at avalanche assessment before heading back to the car park via the goat track.

Sunday was and early start as the team had to head back to Sheffield. We headed up windy ridge to Ciste Mhearad were we had a look in the leftovers of some snow holes and used the steeper ground to look at some movement techniques on steeper terrain. We then headed up on to Cairngorm were we got some good views before heading back to the bus via the Cas.

A good weekend out with some super keen students. I now have a few days off before heading west to work for West Highland College first in the Ice Factor and then out snow holing. Lets hope winter continues.

Winter ML Assessment

Good navigation weather!

After my Ski Mountaineering week was cancelled I thought I was going to have time to put my feet up but I soon found myself working on a Winter ML Assessment for Pete Hill. Whilst there is no climbing to be had in the Cairngorms at present you can still definitely get out to look at winter skills and there is more than enough snow to train and assess Winter ML's. Monday and Tuesday had the team in the Northern Corries area and then for the exped we headed to Carn Ban Mor, were there was enough snow to snowhole. A good few days with the team doing well.

Wet Week ends on a High!

Roy and Garry approaching the belay on pitch 2

Andy's team abseiling down East Gully

Garry and Roy down climbing East Gully

I have been working for Jagged Globe this past week on a Winter Mountaineering Course. It has been a challenging week with high winds, rain and a freezing level above the summits each day apart from Friday (pictures above). There was a big team on the course many who were off on expeditions in the not too distant future with Denali being the favourite.

On Monday Andy Stotesbury and I took our team of 8 to Glen Nevis after a morning indoors looking at ropework to do some abseiling and other ropework. On Tuesday we were joined by Andy Chapman to lower the ratio's and we headed into Stob Coire nan Lochan were we got onto some fairly soggy snow to look at movement skills, snow anchors and introduced short roping movement. It was a fairly grim day with constant rain but the team did well to stay warm and motivated. Wednesday was another poor forecast so the morning was spent at the Ice Factor and in the afternoon the Jagged Globe Doctor David ran a 1st Aid Session and answered questions on altitude issues. Thursday was spent looking at crevasse rescue, fixed lines and some dry (wet) tooling. Finally Friday brought us some cold weather so we headed to Ben Nevis to see what was left. With other instructors joining the team we had a ratio of 1:2 so we could climb. I was with Garry and Roy who were both off to Denali and were keen to climb some steep snow up and down with one axe. We headed towards the Douglas Boulder to do the West - East Traverse and although west gully was broken in places it still worked well. Andy and his team had the same plan which made it nice and sociable! We climbed west gully in 3 pitches before Garry and Roy down climbed east gully in 1 long 60m pitch. We then traversed into Observatory Gully and headed back to the bus. A good end to a challenging week. Good Luck Garry and Roy with your trip in May and thanks for your company, along with all the others on the course.

Conditions high up on Ben Nevis were not too bad with Green, Comb, Cascade, Smiths, Tower, Central, North, Glovers all getting ascents or looking reasonable. Now we just need some colder weather or snow! I was meant to be ski mountaineering this week but that has been cancelled, might have to dig out the rock shoes!

Rjukan - Ice Climbing

Will nearing the belay at the top of pitch 2 on a WI3

Will feeling the burn as he gets to the top of his last route of the trip!

Simon crushing another route

A happy team at the end of the week

I have just got back from a weeks climbing in Rjukan Norway were I was working for friend and fellow instructor Rob Johnson. There was a team of six motivated and capable clients out along with Rob, myself and Mark 'Baggy' Richards. We spent the week climbing in various locations including Upper and Lower Gorge, Ozzimosis, Rjukan Centre.

As ever it was a great week with cold temps, steep ice and short approaches. Thanks to the team for their great company.

Back across west to work for Jagged Globe this coming week, think I might be wishing I was back in Norway!

Week on the West

I am just back home from a weeks work for Jagged Globe on the West Coast, I was working with Alex on an Intro to Winter Mountaineering week. The week started off with stunning conditions and then slowly got warmer and cloudier but that did not slow the group down and we had a great week looking at movement skills, avalanche awareness, winter ropework and navigation. Over the week we visited The Nevis Range, Buchaille Etive Beag, Glen Coe Ski area, Mamores and The Zig Zags.

A great week with a great team. I am off to Norway tomorrow for a weeks work out there before heading back across to the west for another week with Jagged Globe.

Good and Bad Vis!

Heading onto the Plateau looking across the Lairig Ghru

Looking across to Cairngorm and Loch Avon from the snow hole site

Back to normal vis! Great for Navigation on the way back to the bus!

The last 3 days of the Winter ML Training for Glenmore Lodge have been great. I was grumpy on Thursday when I forgot my camera as the weather was stunning. We spent the day on a mountain journey to look at the remit of the award, personal movement skills in steep ground and some issues that may well occur. To do this we headed into Corie an t Sneachda then up to the climbers col along the Ficail and then across to the top of the Hidden Corie before coming back across and down the Goat Track, it was a stunning if a little cold day out.

Friday had us setting off for our snow holing trip again in stunning weather, this time I remembered my camera (photos above). We headed to Garbh Uisge Beag to spend the night. We then headed off for 4 hours of night nav which took in the summit of Ben Macdui. On Saturday morning the weather as forecast had changed and this gave us a great opportunity to put into practise what we had covered the day before. We navigated across the plateau to spot height 1141m before dropping down the Cas Fiacal and back to the bus. A great trip and week were the team got a little taste off all types of Scottish winter weather, perfect!

Off west for the next week for a week of Mountaineering for Jagged Globe.

Snow anchors

Abseiling off a snow bollard over a baby cornice

Giles discussing avalanche assessment

Heading home at the end of another good day

Yesterday was day two of the ML and we headed into the Cas headwall to continue our look at winter movement skills. It was a wild day with 50+ mph winds however we managed to cover everything we needed to and the team did well.

Today was a much calmer day and we headed into the Ciste area to look at snow anchors and this ropework skills needed at winter ML level theses included bucket seats, horizontal axes, snow bollards and stommpers. We then finished off with some confidence roping and looked at some avalanche sample pits. A good day out and nice not to be battered by the winds!