Wet, wild and very mild!

Just spent the weekend working at Glenmore Lodge on the Student Winter Skills and safety weekend organised by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.

Some mild weather meant saturday was a little damp underfoot and very blustery winds buffetted the students as they wandered about learning skills in the Northern Cairngorms.

Sunday was a little cooler and the wind was not quite as high as was expected, so some navigation practice to the Cairngorm Summit was the order of the day.

UCLAN Winter Skills Course

Wednesday and Thursday saw me working on a Winter skills course for UCLAN with warm forecast! However, even though there was a lot of melting going on there was still enough snow to use for the course skills.
On the Wednesday we headed for the Creag Meagidh nature reserve and the Window to further develop skills and for the students to see another part of Scotland and this week, somewhere quieter and less busy than the Northern Corries at Half Term!

Students in the 'Salt Mines'

The view back through the window

The Thursday saw a return to the Northern Corries for a mixed day of skills continuation, climbing and navigation. The weather was mixed too, with low cloud, snow flurries, damp spells and the odd buffeting windy period just to make it truly scottish. It was busy as expected, with numerous teams lingering at the mountian rescue box, delaying their ascents into the mist! The UCLAN teams got keen and kitted up and headed off into the cloud for the Fiacall Buttress and the Fluted Buttress - The Runnel and Spiral Gully being achieved here.

The Walk in.

Rob belaying Steve in the Runnel

Steve ascending the final chimney pitch of the Runnel

The mountaineers with Ben Macdui in the view behind

Organised Ropework from Rob!!

Winter Navigation Skills

I have just spent the weekend working at Glenmore Lodge on a Winter Navigation Course on what is possibly the busiest weekend of the year for the Cairngorm Ski area. The group and myself spent Saturday around the locale of the centre putting together the fundamentals of Winter Navigation before our day out on the Cairngorm Mountains the following day.
The Sunday was spent heading out from the Ciste car park, which had in the region of a few hundred folks queueing for the ski bus to the slopes of the Cas. We headed out East and North towards the Glenmore Forest via the hills and valleys in the area practicing the techniques learnt from yesterday. We had a few 'temporary displacements' but moments of being 'lost'!
However, the weather has now resumed its normal state of affairs for Scotland, swinging from Cold and crisp to Mild and Wet with an above the summits thaw having settled in for a few days. Its looking like it might get better towards the weekend though, with colder weather forecast.

12 February 2009

Yesterday was a blue skies day on the west coast, here in scotland, and Cath Wilson and myself hooked up for a climb on Stob Coire Nam Beith, Deep-Cut Chimney (IV, 4) was the aim. We were meant to be joined by Gary, however, his van had other ideas! We ended up going for the full calf burning four star experience of the summit, which meant the climb just went on forever! The first three pitches however, had plenty of value in them!

The view over to the Aonach Eagach Ridge from Stob Coire Nam Beith

Cath after having turned the little cave the first pitch.

Cath on calf burning terrain! Only another 300 metres to go!!

9th February 2009

Today i went for an early start with Nathan, from the Ben's North Face car park and headed for Point Five Gully (V,5). We were at the CIC before 07:45 and then set off up the approach apron below the classics that surrounded us. We were bestowed with a perfect day, no cloud, no wind and only one other party chasing us hard on the route. The summit was amazingly clear with views that Colin Prior would have been proud of.

7-8th February 2009

Working for Glenmore Lodge this weekend. A foot of the white fluffy stuff landed overnight making it virtually impossible to get out of the doors, let alone go anywhere. However, with a busy course ahead and a lot of people to skill up, the instructors became flexible and innovative in their ideas of what and where to teach for the day. The sunday, saw everyone scrabble for the snowshoes and head off into the Cairngorms on a beautiful blue day. The wind had dropped, the powder hounds were on the ski slope and even a mountain hare came out to see what all the fuss was about. Some time was invested in crampon and axe work, some sliding around in the name of ice axe arrests and even some snow analysis was thrown in for good measure.

The Winter Skills Team

Suzi excavating the Shovel Up shelter

2-3 February 2009

Worked on a Climbing Wall Award Course for Boulders Climbing Wall in Cardiff.

31 January 2009

Worked on a Glacial travel and Crevasse Rescue course for students of a glaciology degree in Pembrokeshire of all places!!