Too much snow

I’m back in Scotland this week for my final induction day with the British Mountain Guides. The idea was to come over a few days early from Chamonix to get a couple of days climbing in before the induction day. Unfortunately the weather had a different idea and the massive quantities of snow Scotland is experiencing at the moment have resulted in zero climbing so far. Yesterday Ross and I headed out to check out a few low lying venues around Ballater with the mountains been a definite no go.

The first venue didn’t have the potential ice Ross thought might be there so we relocated to Pannanich Crag where some friends had done a winter ascent a few years ago. I say we relocated to the crag but this isn’t strictly true, maybe a more accurate description would be we ‘relocated to the forest near the crag’ as after 2.5 hours of wallowing around in waist deep snow we didn’t manage to find the crag, meant to be only 15 minutes from the road! Who knows, maybe we just walked straight over a buried Pannanich Crag?

The only climbing we did all day

Ross ploughing a trench through the forest, yes it is Scotland honest!

Eight

Eight is a popular number on the North Wales winter scene at the moment. Over a period of five days, two first ascents have been made at VIII and an VIII 8 has had an impressive on-sight third ascent.

http://www.dmmclimbing.com/news.asp?nid=261&ngroup=2

Courtesy of Mark ' Baggy' Richards, Ray Wood and DMM

Baggy is a good friend of the Mountain Equipment team. A former instructor at Plas Y Brenin, he is now Centre Manager at the Blue Peris Outdoor Centre and a passionate advocate of Welsh winter climbing. Dont forget, you can keep up-to-date with the very latest North Wales winter climbing action by following Baggy's blog - live updates from this blog appear on our 'Team Blogs' section.

Winter on Scafell

The alarm sounded at 06:00 am, peering through past the blinds i could see the haze of light but steady snow falling from the sky.

Moss Ghyll IV,5 - Scafell

On Sunday Dan and I headed around to Wasdale. A longish journey even in Summer was going to be alot longer with all of the major mountain passes closed.

An hour and half or later we found ourselves nipping along the narrow road besides Wastwater. Parking up near Wasdale Head we could see little of Scafell or any other mountain around us, everything was shrouded in cloud and snow continued to fall steadily, the only saving grace was that there was hardly any wind. Indeed as we headed up towards the main cliffs on Scafell everything felt strangely quiet.

I ran the first two pitches together, a few airy moves traversing back into towards the gully line, but in general there was loads of good ice and frozen turf; the main problem was the epic amounts of clearing that was needed to be done to find any placements for protection and tools.

Looking back down pitches 1 & 2

Dan led the Cracked Wall pitch leading upto the giant chockstones, delicate and technical but uneventful other than the epicly large spindift avalanche which came roaring down the gully. Initially I thought Dan had fallen as heard the thunderous whoosh, but as I cowered for what seemed like an eternity in a white haze, I realised the ropes had not tightened so all must be ok.

Dan preparing to tackle the technical Cracked Wall on PItch 3

Above this was pitch 4 and the infamous Collie Step - wow, what a piece of climbing. Torqing with undercut holds in the roof I delicately stepped leftwards, my crampons skating around looking for purchase. Above my ice axes held in some delicate but solid ice.

Stepping out of the cave onto Collies Step

Teetering across the Wall

We finished as we had started, in the murk of falling snow. Dan making efficient work of the final pitch traversing up leftwards across the slabs to the rocky summit above.

Dan working up the grooves on the final pitch

A momentary glance at the compass and we were wandering down towards Broad Stand and after a short abseil we were at the col. Before long we would be home again.

The clouds finally lift as we pack away the climbing kit

My Clothing choice:

G2 Ultimate Mountain Pants with thermal tights.

Altus LS Base-Layer and Microtherm Alpine Jacket

Astron Hooded Jacket

Backed up for the climb with:

Compressor Vest (which I wore for the duration of the climbing over my Astron)

Tupilak Jacket

Compressor Jacket (thrown on over the top of everything on cold belays)

Super Alpine Gloves - new softshell climbing glove for next winter, watch this space. AWESOME.

Randonnee Gloves (not worn until the end of the climbing when a dry second pair of gloves were welcome)

oh and of course a beanie.

Stephen Venables Lecture Tour

Internationally acclaimed mountaineer, writer, broadcaster and Mountain Equipment pro-partner, Stephen Venables starts a new lecture tour next month that will take audiences to the edge of Antarctica, following the journey taken by Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Touring theatres across the UK, 'In the Steps of Shackleton' features stunning photos and film footage to illustrate the explorer’s treacherous journey over the mountains of South Georgia. This is a show that not only brings Shackleton's epic escape from Antarctica to life but also the captures the thrill of climbing, skiing and sailing in a place of such haunting beauty.

In the last ten years, Stephen has twice repeated Shackleton’s famous crossing of South Georgia. The first time, in 2000, was with Conrad Anker and world famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner, during the making of the IMAX movie Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure. He returned in 2008, this time sailing from the Falklands on Skip Novak’s yacht Pelagic Australis, to guide the ‘Beyond Endurance’ team on their crossing.

The lecture tour is presented by Speakers from the Edge and supported by both Mountain Equipment and adventure travel company World Expeditions. It kicks off on the first weekend in March with a headline appearence at the Llanberis Mountain Film Festival - another Mountain Equipment supported event that features a host of fantastic lectures and films. It will be well worth heading over to North Wales for the weekend if you can make it!

For 'In the Steps of Shackleton' venues, dates and ticketing information visit http://www.speakersfromtheedge.com/

For information on the Llanberis Mountain Film Festival visit http://www.llamff.co.uk/

Ski Mountaineering in the Cairngorms

Well after a busy week working at the ISPO trade show in Munich and with enough time to just about un-pack it was back up to the Northern Cairngorms for a spot of ski-mountaineering.

For the full report and photo's please click here.

Approaching Coire an t-Sneachda.

There were plenty of climbing teams and folks on training courses buzzing around the corrie, but we were alone as we set off for the Plateau.

Ski's on the pack for the steep climb out of Coire an t-Sneachda

We arrived to a calm and still plateau, only a light breeze blowing and no trace of any rocks in sight, the plateau was holding a deep and firm cover of snow. And so, with ski's engaged into our boots once more, we continued into the heart of Coire Raibeirt.

From here we opted to scope out the 500 metres of vertical ascent which cascade down into the upper reaches of Strath Nethy from the summit of Cairngorm.

The Cairngorm weather station.

On the second day we headed across towards Beinn Mheadhoin, located at the heart of the Cairngorms, this is a remote and, in winter, not easily accessible peak.

It was clear this was not going to be a blue sky day and by the time we were established on the Fiacaill Choire Chais ridge we were enveloped in a thick layer of cloud.

From this point the gully dropped away sharply down towards Loch Avon, skirted across its western fringe, before beginning our 200 metre climb up towards Loch Ethachan.

Bad weather begins to envelop the Northern Cairngorms

By the time we reached the summit, conditions had deteriorated further. It was snowing hard and the cold was beginning to bite. We stopped briefly to replace gloves and don hard-shells.

Near 'White-Out' conditions removed all sense of slope aspect or direction

Descending slightly further to the east than we had meant to, we skirted with the much steeper and rockier NE ridge, being forced to side slip in places as we lost all sense of slope angle - probably only 20 or 30 metres further to our right than we had intended, but it was unnerving all the same, eventually finding ourselves atop a broad and flattish shoulder high above the Fords of Avon.

Rich at the eastern end of of a frozen Loch Avon

The day finished descending out of the mist into the Loch Avon basin once again before the long climb out and over the Cairngorm plateau once again.

All photos courtesy of Keith Hutcheon.

In the footsteps of legends

In one legendary week on Ben Nevis in 1960 Jimmy Marshall and Robin Smith transformed the shape of Scottish winter mountaineering. On consecutive days they climbed six first winter ascents, including the mini Alpine-route Orion Face Direct (V, 5), while also making the second and much quicker ascent of Point Five Gully (V, 5) for good measure - in 7 hours as opposed to more than 40 hours when previously climbed.

Good conditions on Ben Nevis this week - copyright Hot Aches Productions

The fact they achieved all this using rudimentary ice-climbing gear and by cutting steps up the snow and ice appears, from the remove of the 21st century, to be almost unbelievable. This was a feat of fitness, skill and commitment that arguably represents the finest achievement in ice climbing using the step cutting technique and among the most outstanding performances ever in British mountaineering.

In the footsteps of legends on the Ben - copyright Hot Aches Productions

To mark the 50th anniversary of this historic achievement Mountain Equipment Pro Partners Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner are attempting to repeat Marshall and Smith's feat this week as part of a celebration orchestrated by the Fort William Mountain Festival which takes place this weekend.

MacLeod and Turner are arguably akin to a modern day Marshall and Smith as they are both currently pushing climbing standards forward years ahead of anyone else. Despite their modern equipment and techniques this project will be an arduous test of their fitness and the weather, ice conditions and threat of avalanches will also have a huge impact on the challenge they face.

Dave MacLeod in Minus Three Gully - copyright Hot Aches Productions

The whole project is being filmed by Paul Diffley for the Fort William Mountain Festival which commences this weekend. Some fantastic footage from the first two days is already online, you can find it along with the latest progress updates at http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/ and http://www.mountainfestival.co.uk/jimmymarshallproject.asp

Andy Turner in the Great Gully - copyright Hot Aches Productions

This Sunday 14th is sure to be a fantastic night at the festival as Jimmy Marshall will make a personal appearance at the festival alongside Dave and Andy to talk about their experiences during the week and contrast these with Jimmy’s recollections of cutting hand and footholds with once ice axe on the climbs. This is sure to be a significant moment in modern Scottish Climbing history and a night not to be missed.

You can buy your tickets online here: http://www.mountainfestival.co.uk/programme.asp#sun14

The full list of climbs:
The Great Chimney (IV,5) 6th February 1960
Minus Three Gully (IV,5) 7th February 1960
Smith's Route (V,5) 8th February 1960
Observatory Buttress (V,4) 9th February 1960
Point Five Gully (V,5) 10th February 1960
Piggot's Route (V,6) 12th February 1960
Orion Direct (V,5) 13th February 1960

Vote for Ben Nevis

The John Muir Trust needs your vote to help us win 30,000 EUROS for conservation work on Ben Nevis. Trail magazine has presented six projects from different environmental groups and is inviting votes for which you think most deserves money from the EOG Association for Conservation.

Ben Nevis is wild land at its best. We want to preserve this quality for nature and people so that wildlife flourishes and the Ben’s many visitors can access and enjoy its breathtaking beauty. This funding will help us and our partners maintain good quality access and footpaths, and tackle the rubbish which blights the mountain.Please vote now on http://www.jmt.org/news.asp?s=2&nid=JMT-N10447 - and ask your friends to vote before 10th February 2010.

British Mountain Guides Open Day

The British Association of Mountain Guides, BMG, is to hold an Open Day at Plas y Brenin, Capel Curig, North Wales on Saturday 22 May 2010.

The BMG first ran this event in 2006 with 25 participants attending the day which was aimed at promoting Guiding as a career and explaining the BMG training scheme; it is open to alpinists who would like to find out more about the profession of guiding as a career.

The life of a mountain guide is very rewarding, yet can be very demanding and it is important from the outset to attract the right calibre of climbers and mountaineers. The pre requirements for joining the BMG training scheme are extensive, and part of the open day will focus on helping participants achieve these objectives. This is a great opportunity to meet the BMG Training officer, Guides involved in the training scheme and also to get to know BMG guides who can assist you on your road to becoming an IFMGA guide.

All participants must have extensive British and Alpine climbing and mountaineering experience and have a genuine interest in guiding as a career. This day should be of particular interest to experienced alpinists and MIC holders with alpine experience.

Photo - British Mountain Guide and Plas y Brenin Chief instructor Martin Chester at work

Potential applicants should not worry if they haven’t yet achieved the level of the BMG training Scheme entry requirements, as part of the open day is to give you advice on how best to attain these pre requisites. You should however expect to be able to meet these entry requirements within the next 5 years. If in doubt send in an application and we will advise you.

There is a small charge of £30 to cover lunch and all presentations / activities (which is, however, only to be paid when an application is successful) Application forms must be submitted by email or post to reach the BMG by the 1st May 2010 and are available, along with all details of the open day and the scheme in general, in the ‘guide training’ section of the BMG website: www.bmg.org.uk

For further information email: guiding@bmg.org.uk or contact the BMG office at BMG, Siabod Cottage, Capel Curig LL24 0ES. Telephone 01690 720386.

A different sort of Alpine start

I too had an early start on Sunday, but I was not chasing ice.

Saturday had been so cold, still and sunny it was obvious that Sunday morning should be 2010's first early morning boulder session.
I awoke at 6am to find a light covering of snow outside. Hmmm. "Well, I'm up now so may as well go and have a look".

I left the house at 6.30 with no glimmer of dawn under the starless sky. I got as far as the other side of Buxton on my way to the Newstones before it started snowing. As the road climbed higher I slowly realised that it wasn't going to be good clean bracing fun. With the wind and snow it was going to be grim and horrible. And it was still dark.

So I turned tail and headed for the softer landscape of the Limestone. I parked in Cressbrook village and walked in the now daylight to Water Cum Jolly, for a first visit to Rubicon in some 12 years, or something...
Its not that I don't like Peak Limestone (and I have been living abroad for a few years) but I always enjoyed Grit so much.

Anyway, there was enough climbing around the massive pool at the bottom of most problems to make the drive worthwhile. Note to self: Must get better at precise foot placements on polished rock.

Winter continues.....

Another couple of great days in the Lake District. Conditions up high remain good for winter hill-walking and climbing. A full report can be found here.

Window Gully (Upper Icefall Finish) III & SE Gully (III)

An early start (06.50am) saw us leaving the house as the moon was beginning to set in the western skies, our destination, Great End.

The moon lighting the road - it wasnt 25c by the way!

Looking up towards Great End

Arriving at the base of the crag as the first rays of Sun hit the summit rocks

Central Gully and SE Gully - note the climbers at the base

Upper Icefall Variation (III)

Atop Great End

We topped out into morning heaven. Weak winter sunshine, no winds and crystal clear views over the surrounding fells and out to the Isle of Man and Southern Scotland.

Spring Route - IV - The Old Man of Coniston

And so to Sunday.

The first rays of sun were gracing the slopes of the Old Man of Coniston as one rather lethargic climber (me) wandered off along the track from the Walna Scar car park.

Early morning sun on The Old Man of Coniston

We took a quick divertion on the approach to see whether Low Water Beck was any closer to re-forming, it was, but still some way away from being climbable again.

Low Water Beck - forming but not quite in condition

After the initial icefall, our route ran R-L across the buttress on the Right

Stepped bulges offer a few rest places

Looking down on a frozen Low Water