Autumn Hill Training at PYB: Week 2

ME's Martin Dixon preparing himself for another 80+mph gust

Last week saw our final two training courses for ME retailers based at Plas Y Brenin in North Wales and conditions were perfect for testing kit. Normally our idea of good weather is the same as everybody elses but occasionally we're pleased to see a forecast for gale force winds, heavy rain, hail and low temperatures! Monday saw us battling all of the above on a Cwm Idwal scramble before a truly wild and deliberately sought experience on the tops. Things deteriorated exactly as suggested by MWIS and the BBC and it wasn't long before simply staying upright was a challenge. After a good fight around the side of Y Garn we made it back into the relative shelter of Cwm Idwal where people were enthusiastically talking about hood design and jacket fit. These are the conditions we design for and it's always good when shop staff can experience our kit 'first hand'. Happily ME Pro Partner Nick Bullock, who was out for the day with us, was unperturbed..... it was after all like a pretty standard day out in Scottish winter!

Martin having been hit by the wind, Llyn Idwal looked like it had exploded briefly!

Battling wild conditions in Ogwen.... and appreciating ME hoods!

Nick gave a packed PYB lecture room a preview of his new Kendal Mountain Film Festival show in the evening. Fantastic pictures and video segments from the last year or so left us all pretty inspired and me thinking that I should probably fall off more often, gigantic lobs seem to be the Bullock key to rock climbing greatness! Tuesday saw us joined by PYB's ever excellent staff and there were a variety of options from multi-pitch climbing to scrambling and navigation on offer as well as rumours of dry rock at Tremadog.


The second course started on Thursday and saw the hills turn decidedly wintery. We headed up a damp and chilly Bristly Ridge before a quick lunch stop that was only comfortable with an array of Fitzroy and Alpamayo Jackets thrown on over our layers. A quick descent of the Gribin ridge soon saw us warmed up and back to base for tea and a lot of technical kit chat aided by our design team who'd escaped the office for a couple of days of prototype testing. Friday was wet but there were still plenty of adventures on Tryfan and the Idwal slabs with more involvement from the PYB staff. The remaining ME staff, myself included, had hoped to go climbing but a damp forecast in all directions saw us heading for an 'exciting' trip through the Llanberis slate quarries..... so exciting it deserves it's own blog post I think!

Preparing for battle in a sheltered spot, the weather coming from behind us didn't look good!

Thanks to all the shop staff, owners and buyers who came along over the two weeks as well as to PYB for their ever brilliant help. There were some fantastic efforts from relative outdoor novices who threw themselves into scrambling and climbing with impressive enthusiasm. As ever the opportunity for people to get out in our kit in a variety of weather, as well as learning some new personal skills, will hopefully mean that the shops customers will get the best advice possible.

Getting Blown around on Mountain Skills Training

We are back at Plas y Brenin for our annual Autumn mountain skills training courses.

Rich B (ME Product Marketing) giving a gear seminar, with a fantastic view

The forecast said high winds from the south west so Tryfan was suggested as an ideal objective as it would be sheltered and the plateau of the Glyders could be avoided. With this in mind we pulled up in the parking bays opposite the spiky ridge line of Tryfan and decided to scrap the original objective and head for the east ridge Y Garn. The east ridge of Y Garn was nicely sheltered with some pleasant scrambling giving great views back down the down the Ogwen valley when the clouds parted.

After a quick lunch number 1 (I always like at least 2 lunches in a mountain day) the group split, with Martin and myself opting for the super direct finish to the ridgeline. The ridge was nicely exposed with an airy feel and a great view back along into Ogwen.

Martin (ME North UK & Ireland Sales Rep.) upset because of a lack of jamming cracks.

We caught the rest of the group sheltering on the plateau from some strong winds having a chat about the merits of softshell. From Y Garn we got on with the walking, gently leaning into the wind brought us to the summit of Glyder Fach. From here it was a dash to get onto the Gribin ridge and off the plateau.

The forecast for tomorrow is looking good! MWIS are saying snow on the tops and lightening, I'm looking forward to unveiling my lime green Changabang pants.

Southern climes on the North Ridge

What a day and there are certainly a few glowing faces in the farmhouse this evening. Crystal clear blue skies and light winds have made for a very pleasant early October day in Snowdonia.

A fantastic day on Tryfan via the North Ridge, yet again managing to go another way (anyone ever been up the same way twice?) taking in some amazing views and we even saw Prince William in a SeaKing....ok, we saw a SeaKing...but the chances are....it could have been....and several very well seasoned Mountain Goats.

One fire alarm later (Al - "you burnt the Garlic Bread") and after a hearty Spaghetti Bolognese cooked in advance by our absent Sales Manager Mr Smith everyone is feeling refreshed again.

Let the pictures do the talking.

Ready and raring to go

A stunning morning in the Ogwen Valley

Looking South across misty valleys

Not quite the Cannon Stone but close

On the summit of Tryfan

The downside of great weather

We're back in North Wales for the first of this years Mountain Training Courses and the weather could not be better - great for enjoyable days out in the mountains, not so great for teaching retail staff about our new range of GORE-TEX hardshells:)

This morning its been cold and sunny, the colours and light at dawn one of those magic moments.

Today we'll be heading out onto the Glyders. We've got eleven retail staff from independent stores across the country, many of whom have never been to Snowdonia so we'll be heading to one of North Wales finest mountains, Tryfan.

Dancing on Ice - the finale

Its hard to believe but today was the last day of this years winter skills courses.

Today I headed out with the team who were on their introduction to winter mountaineering and, after having a gruelling day yesterday, the reward was a slightly easier day with the prospect of some introductory climbing.

Approaching Stob Coire Nam Beithe, Glencoe, Scotland.

And so we headed up into Glencoe and towards the lower flanks of Stob Coire Nam Beithe. For anyone who has done this walk, you will understand what a brutal slog this can feel like first thing in the morning. A well constructed path winds its way quickly and steeply up the hillside but in the damp, icy conditions of early morning it was a testing wander.

Looking across to The Screen, (Grade V Scottish), Aonch Dubh, Glencoe.

Above we could all see the smears of ice pouring down - including Elliots Downfall, not yet fully climbable but formed, and improving again in the cool conditions. This route was last climbed (we think!) in 1986. To its right was the Screen, in exceptionally good condition and with at least one team at its base.

Dave Macleod passing on some of his expertise

After an hour or so we eventually reached the foot of the buttress. Andy Turner (Pro Partner and PYB instructor) and Dave Macleod (Pro Partner) led the introduction to ice climbing techniques whilst Tim Neill and Ian Hey disappeared above to rig some top-ropes on the ice above.

Mountain Guide, Tim Neill rigs some top-ropes

The first taste of steeper ground for many of the group

For most of the group this was their first time ice climbing. So it was a baptism of fire launching up icy runnels, even with the security of a rope. The afternoon ended with a quick tutorial in Ice thread anchors and before we knew it we were heading down, through the encroaching snow and sleet back to the valley floor.

A little ice bouldering to warm-up

Like the week itself, the day was over far too quickly.

If you're interested in experiencing the Scottish mountains under the expert guidance of Plas Y Brenin, they are running courses from now until early march. You can visit their website at http://www.pyb.co.uk/ for more information.

Blowing a hoolie on Aonach Mor

Winter was well and truly back in force today. The freezing level has dropped to around 400m and the snowpack is now bullet hard. In addition to that, today we had some seriously gusty winds, giving everyone a comprehensive taste of wild winter weather.

Today the winter hill-walking course headed around to Aonach Mor. Time for some revision on the crampon skills they had been introduced to on day one, before we skirted around the flanks of Aonach an Nid in search of some deeper snow.

After a quick introduction to the art of emergency snow-shelters we found some steeper ice forming over a couple of rocky outcrops to get everyone used to slightly steeper terrain before half of the group zig-zagged up the steep snow slopes towards the plateau of Aonach Mor.

The only slight downer? By the time we were back at the top station of the Gondola, they had decided to close it due to the strong winds. So it was a leisurely walk back down the hill to the base station!

Winter Skills Day 2

Epic adventures today.

With less stuff to faff around with and organise we got an earlier start today, heading up Glen Coe to Stob Coire nan Lochan.

After a short walk in through the drizzle we quickly roped up for a scramble up "The ZigZags".
From there it was a walk up the blunt ridge to the side of the corrie for ice axe arrest practise. Normal, backwards, upside down and then upside and backwards, all not so straight forwards.

For there we headed up the corrie proper to the base of Dorsal Arete, a classic easier route.
Roping up at the bottom of the climb on ledges stamped out of the slope definatly had a big mountain feel.
Really fun climbing up very solid snow with the odd rock move followed, in an amazing postion. We blasted up in two ropes of 4 in double quick time. Emerging on to the spindrift blasted ridge was great.

After the summit we descended to a col in the face of the blasting spindrift. I was really happy to be testing a new improved hood design: Even better protection.

After chopping out a snow bollard we classic abseiled down into the Hidden Valley and then descended the neve covered hillside above the river gorge.

We arrived back at the car park in exactly the same windy, drizzly twilight that we experienced when we left.

Roped up on The Zigzags

Above the Zigzags

Heading up the back of the corrie towards the start of Dorsal Arete, which starts on the left hand side of the central buttress in the picture.

More photos to follow.

Winter Skills Day 1

I'm here with the Cotswold Outdoor guys on the second Winter skills course run in conjunction with Plas Y Brenin in Glencoe. A week of a wide range of activities, from Mountain walking, general mountaineering and ice climbing.

Today the team I was with spent a happy day cramponing up Corrie na Tulaich on the flanks of Buachaille Etive Mor. The snow was nice and solid becoming very hard on the upper slopes of the mountain. A very useful range of crampon techniques and general mountain awareness issues were covered by the instructors, and a good time was had by all.

Looking up the Corrie from half way up, we took the right hand gully

A water ice step provided some fun

Spicy climbing action

Descending back into the Corrie after a quick lunch on the summit of Stob Dearg

Snow, Ice, Rain and avalanches

Well its been a mixed few days up here in the Scottish Highlands. Winter is hanging on in there - amazingly the ground even at lower levels is still bullet hard in places and smears of ice are clinging precariously to the cliffs. But the thaw has been rapid and severe lower down. Above 800m, winter is alive and well. Plenty of snow, plenty of ice.

But its also been pretty wet at times. The freezing level has been going up and down like a yo-yo! So we've had rain, sleet and wet snow combined with tonnes of slushy water on lower paths to trudge through. What a brilliant week for testing products!

And the dampness has also managed to permeate my camera despite hiding inside a dry bag - hence the lack of photos!

So what have we been up to? Well we've had people having their first taste of winter climbing - having great days out on Dorsal Arete in Stob Coire Nan Lochain and North Buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor. We've had mountaineering teams out in the White Corries, and Carn Mor Dearg and then hillwalking teams learning essential winter skills around Glencoe, rounded off with a successful summit day on Buachaille Etive Mor yesterday!

And some of our groups were fortunate (?) to witness one of the largest avalanches many of us have ever seen in Scotland - which teared down the slopes of Beinn Fhada into the Lost Valley. We watched in astonishment from the far side of the valley as the slab released, followed by a large portion of the slope beneath. It was the perfect follow-up to the previous evenings avalanche lecture. Just remember to keep checking the SAIS forecasts and exercise careful route choice out there.



Its all about to kick off again and winter looks like its returning. The freezing level is forecast to drop considerably over the next few days with snow forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.

Avalanche on Beinn Fhada from Richard Talbot on Vimeo.

Back in Scotland

Well after a steady drive north up the M74 and A82 we're back in Glencoe, another week of winter skills training beckoning. The good news is that there is plenty of snow, despite a light thaw now setting in at very low levels.

This year we are running a week of courses specifically for retail staff from Cotswold Outdoor. We've got 48 retail staff turning up over the next week from all across the country, eager to join courses catering for complete beginners through to those with a little bit of winter and climbing experience.

We are running the course in conjunction with Plas Y Brenin, the National Mountain Centre and GORE-TEX.

We'll be posting daily reports on what we've been up to as well as the latest on scottish winter conditions.

Welsh Mountain Skills: Round Up

Well the final week of our Welsh Mountain Skills ended with Autumn gales, Autumn deluges and Autumn illness!

Our team approaching the summit of Y Garn

Monday dawned bright, distinctly colder and showery. Our objective that day was to be the North East Ridge of Y Garn followed by a traverse around onto Glyder Fach and then a descent down the Y Gribin ridge and back to Idwal Cottage. Finally some proper weather. A cold North Westerly air stream was feeding in a regular flow of showers and as we headed higher these turned increasingly wintry. By the time we were on the Glyders and well above 900m we experienced our first flakes of snow of the 2009/10 winter.

Picking their way up Y Garn's NE Ridge

Unfortunately Tuesday did not dawn as promising. The forecast gave us barely a few precious hours of relatively dry weather. And so Rich and myself headed across to Tremadog to give Rob and Laura (Mountain, Trek and Travel) and X their first experience of multi pitch rock climbing with an ascent of Boo Boo.

From there things, personally speaking when abruptly downhill. Rich Bailey promptly keeled over with flu like symptons and several hours later I too was knocked sideways by a fever and soaring temperature. We both headed for the protection of beds and duvet covers.

So whilst we moped around feeling ill, Martin and Russel Thompson from WL Gore headed across to Llanberis for a damp ascent of the Parsons Nose. Clogwyn Y Parson Arete is the classic grade 3 scramble thats rears up out of the upper reaches of Cyrn Las towards the skyline of Crib Goch / Crib Y Ddysgyll.

By the time the fourth and final course started, Rich and I were feeling little better so it was left to Martin, Alec and Russel to carry the torch, enjoying, if that is the right word a thoroughly wet ascent of Snowdon from Ynys Ettws in Llanberis.

The soaring ridge line of Cneifion Arete (Mod)

The final day ended very much on a similar theme, Rich spent a very wet dry, climbing very wet rock at Tremadog with Kevin from Facewest, Jane brushed up her navigation with our southern sales manager Alec and everyone else experienced scrambling 'on steroids' - climbing swathes of rock in a full-on mountaineering experience.

And so that brought to an end our Autumn series of mountain training events. Over the past two weeks we have provided training to some 35 retail staff from all across the country, from large multiples to small indepedents, all of whom who will now hopefully be able to provide our customers with even better service and knowledge of our products. I'm just waiting for the next one now....

Welsh Mountain Training: End of Day Four

Well our first week at the Bryn Engan Farmhouse, Plas Y Brenin has drawn to a close, the second of this weeks Mountain Training in North Wales over and all of those who attended Course Two now rushing back home to start work in shops up and down country the country again!

Our base: the recently opened Bryn Engan Farmhouse - Plas Y Brenin

Once again the weather has just about played ball. Just a little bit of dampness and hill-fog, insanely mild (has someone forgotten its nearly November?) and generally light-ish winds. In fact we were lucky, each time missing the worst the weather had to throw at us by about 12 hours (i.e. when we were safely tucked up in bed!).

On Thursday we were treated to a great day of weather (after an initially slightly murky start) and the clouds lifted to give us a great day out on the North Ridge of Tryfan and, for some of the speedier folks with us, Bristly Ridge and the Glyders also, a great combination which no matter how many times I've done it, still never fails to inspire.

Searching out some of the more adventurous lines on Tryfan's North Ridge

Clear skies on Glyder Fawr, Snowdon the obvious peak behind

On Friday, Rich Bailey and myself headed over to Tremadog with 2 members of staff from The Outdoor Shop, near Milton Keynes for a Rock Improvers Day - Sally and Dan getting to grips with leading on multi pitch rock climbs along with a few emergency techniques. Meanwhile Drew, Mike and Tom (all from Nevisport) along with Nick from Taunton Leisure were treated to a day in the expert company of Mike Raine from Plas Y Brenin and spent all day learning self-rescue and emergency rope-work. And not wanting to desert terra firma entirely another group went and got purposefully lost in the foothills above Capel Curig to brush up on some micro navigation.

Heading down. On Y Gribin ridge looking north.

So all in all a pretty varied couple of days and a fantastic week. 18 retail staff from across the country have learnt a little bit more about what makes ME and its products tick as well as hopefully going home not only safer and more complete mountaineers, mountain walkers and scramblers but also that little bit more skilled at giving you the best possible advice.

And so now as I sit at home, looking quizically at the raft of Atlantic depressions lining up to attack the British Isles, i can look forward to next weeks intake. We'll keep you posted.

Welsh Mountain Training: End of Day Two

Well we've just finished the first of our two-day mountain skills training events here in Snowdonia. Its been a real mixed bag of training and luckily the weather so far has been interesting enough without being horrendous - the perfect environment to learn about some of our products and spend time talking to the people who help develop and test it.

Yesterdays biggest logistical challenge was how to get a group of 12 to Pen Y Pass, more specifically how to park 3 cars, but a few shuttle runs later and some inspirational lift thumbing from Rich B and we were back as one group heading upwards towards Crib Goch.

A damp start to Day One at Pen Y Pass

With a real mix of abilities and retail staff from all around the country, including Cave & Crag in Settle and Go Outdoors in Newport and Oxford and Kudos in Cardiff, the classic Welsh ridge was going to be a fantastic introduction to Wales. For some it would turn out to be a baptism of Fire, especially for one girl who until now had never been even been on a mountain in her life, let alone to Snowdonia. For her it was a stirling effort and a real show of courage and commitment to get across the knife edge ridge of Crib Goch particularly given the greasy and slippy nature of the rock.

L-R Kelly, Dave, Adam, Rich B and Lewis

And thats whats the essence of these courses, giving everyone, no matter what their previous experience a real mountain day. Some speedier members of the group managed to continue over Crib Y Ddyssgyl and experience the new cafe on the summit of Snowdon. I am told on a busy half term day, it looks little better than the previous shelter!

Descending from the Pinnacles of Crib Goch - Glaslyn behind

Today we've been in much smaller groups, one group heading off to experience an introduction to roped scrambling, having a great day out on Pulpit route and the Continuation Crack before heading over Tryfan, another group has had an introduction to climbing and abseiling on Tryfan Bach and another group has spent the day learning rope skills and having an introduction to climbing both indoors and outdoors.

Learning to climb in Snowdonia

Making recommended retailers

As thoughts turn to the Autumn and Winter ahead, planning for our forthcoming retailer mountain skills courses are well advanced. We dont just design and manufacture clothing, we also put a considerable amount of time and resource into training the retail staff who will hopefully serve you in stores across the country.

Cloud inversion on Aonach Mor, Scotland

Essentially these courses are about giving the people who work in our recommended stockists up and down the country the chance to learn more about our products, speak with the people who develop and design them and gain new skills and experiences, seeing at first hand some of the environments and conditions our products are designed to work in. There is no substitute for personal hands-on experience and this Autumn alone some 40 retail staff will be lucky enough to join us on one of our training courses.

Murky conditions on Crib Goch, Snowdonia

And with our close links to Plas Y Brenin, the British Mountain Guides and the Association of Mountaineering Instructors we are well placed to provide some of the most comprehensive training available. Its also a great opportunity to hear feedback from the frontline of retail and of course from the professional instructors.

Nearing the top of No.4 gully, Ben Nevis

This coming Autumn and winter we'll be running courses in conjunction with Plas Y Brenin and GORE-TEX in North Wales and the Scottish Highlands. In the past we have even gone as far as the French Alps.

Ellis Brigham staff at the end of the Cosmiques Arete, French Alps

Keep an eye on the blog over the coming months for reports from some of the training programmes we are running over the Autumn and Winter.

Highland driving skills are optional

Walks in the park they are not. Tough conditions on Buachaille Etive Beag