Hoy - The Beginning

Tomorrow sees Mountain Equipment Pro partners Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner set out on their next exciting challenge. 

   St Johns Head

Dave and Andy aim to climb The Long Hope Route on St John's Head, Hoy in a single day, freeing the final pitch up the headwall which Dave considers will come in around a hefty F8b+. Quite a challenge after 850 feet of sandy sea cliff and several pitches of E5 and above. This will certainly make it among the biggest undertakings in British climbing.

The Long Hope Route Topo

The Long Hope Route was first climbed in 1970 by Ed Drummond and Oliver Hill. They spent 7 days on the wall, sleeping on ledges and in hammocks, and several of the 23 pitches involved some aiding. A first free ascent was made by John Arran and Dave Turnbull in 1997, but this avoided the final pitch up the steep headwall, taking instead a slightly less direct line. Both ascents were landmark achievements for their time, both being onsight and showing real audacity in an unusually inhospitable environment. St John's Head is a 1000 feet of sandstone, making it the highest vertical sea cliff in the British Isles.


Alongside Dave and Andy will be friends of the brand - film maker Paul Diffley of Hotaches productions and photographer Lukasz Warzecha, so there should be footage and photos a plenty over the coming weeks.


The guys will be sending regular updates from the ME cottage and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest. You can also checkout updates and some pre trip thoughts over at their social media sites here 


Facebook
Hot Aches: https://www.facebook.com/hotaches
Lukasz Warzecha: https://www.facebook.com/LWimages
Dave MacLeod: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=761184046

Twitter
Hot Aches: http://twitter.com/#!/HotAches
Dave MacLeod: http://twitter.com/#!/davemacleod09
Lukasz Warzecha: http://twitter.com/#!/LukaszWarzecha

Blogs
Lukasz Warzecha's blog: http://blog.lwimages.co.uk/
Dave MacLeod's blog: http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/
Andy Turner's blog: http://andyturnerclimbing.blogspot.com/

Photos: Dave MacLeod Collection
  

Dave MacLeod Lecture - SOLD OUT

Going...... Going..... gone

Cheers to the 70 of you that have registered to come to the Free Dave MacLeod lecture at the ME store, Manchester next Thursday night, its going to be a cracker! 

If you missed out this time then don't worry as we have more exciting lectures coming to the store soon.

You can keep up to date with all the latest at our facebook pages

Mountain Equipment Facebook

Mountain Equipment Store 

Es Tresidder wins the Isle of Jura Fell race

Congratulations to ME Pro partner Es Tresidder on winning the Isle of Jura fell race in a time of 3:21.

Es putting our New and soon to be launched Gore Active Shell Firelite Jacket

to the test last month - Sharp Edge, Blencathra, The Lakes photo: Steve Gordon

You can read Es's full report at his blog here and check out the full results list at the Jura race page here  

Free Dave MacLeod Lecture, ME Store - Manchester

After the success of the Andy Turner lecture last month were proud to announce that Mountain Equipment pro partner Dave MacLeod will be lecturing at the Mountain Equipment Store, Deansgate, Manchester on Thursday 9th June at 7pm. 

There are only 60 tickets available for this free event so you will need to be quick. All you need to do to secure yours is head over to the ME Store Facebook page here and sign up or alternatively you can call the store on 0161 839 8468 to reserve your place. There will also be other members of the ME team at the event so make sure you come along and say hello. 

Dave will also be setting some new problems down at the Manchester Climbing Centre, so keep your eyes peeled if your down at the wall on Thursday afternoon.   

Snowdon Horseshoe in the wind and rain.

On Saturday I decided to take the dog for a proper day out and headed nice and early to North Wales for a run round the Snowdon horseshoe.



I nabbed by the skin of my teeth the last parking space at Pen-y-pass, wolfed down the last of my cold porridge as the car rocked back and forth from the gusts of wind and set out up the PYG track.



I was good to leave the trail of people behind as I passed over the stile with the sign "danger Crib goch". This would be the most dangerous Mountain route the dog will have done to date although she has been up grade 1 Scottish gully's but then most dogs should be able to manage that. I was feeling a little apprehensive that she might throw her self over a drop in a miss timed jump.

Me thinking its a little wild gaining the crest of Crib goch

As we got on the ridge proper the wind was blowing quite hard in places, we were firmly in the cloud too with the odd bit of rain passing through. The weather gave me an opportunity to give my new Gore-Tex Active Shell jacket a proper test. I was impressed , its the only waterproof that I can run up hill in and not get too hot and sweaty. With the weather being what it was the jacket stayed firmly zipped up for the rest of the round.

Sophie using 4 wheel drive to negotiate the ridge

Peering into the murk down Lliwedd

The dog had 1 little mishap skidding down a slab for 4 or 5 meters, she landed at the bottom coming to no harm but wasn't impressed by me laughing.

Descending down to Lyn Llydaw

Back at the car I thought we'd had a good morning but I wasn't cherishing the coffee fueled drive back to Yorkshire.

Lunchtime Boulder Session

Here's a few photos from our quick lunchtime bouldering session down at our local, Hobby Moor.

Rich T getting ready to pop for the top.

Here's Fran getting her feet set to make some crimpy moves

Sam making the moves through the arete only eliminate.

Welcome to the team: Nick Bullock

Nick Bullock should need little in the way of introduction. One of Britain's finest alpinists and rock climbers, known for bold and audacious ascents, a writer and occasional poet.

Nick Bullock. From the Great Escape blog. © Ray Wood

A man who had already opted for one of lifes tougher careers as a PT instructor for HM Prison Service only to give it all up, along with the regular salary and house to live in a van and pursue his passion for climbing.

Nick Bullock with ME's Richard Talbot

And so when Nick approached us, interested in joining our Pro Partner team, there was little to think about. His appetite for climbing is as ferocious as ever, he's a genuine personality, that rare breed of person who understands and revels in the intricacies and emotions of climbing and mountaineering. This year he already has trips to the Lofoten Islands and the Himalaya under his belt and has plans for further trips to the Greater Ranges later this year. If that wasnt enough he is also working on his first book.

Nick Bullock in the Lofoten Islands © Lukasz Warzecha



Nick Bullock in the Lofoten Islands © Lukasz Warzecha

If an introduction is needed here is a flavour of our newest Pro Partner. Since 2004, Nick Bullock has chose to live something close to a nomadic existence, when not on climbing trips, often to be found frequenting the Climbers Club hut in his adopted home of Llanberis.

Nick on Kyashar - his most recent Himalayan trip © Andy Houseman



Nick on Kyashar - his most recent Himalayan trip © Andy Houseman

A string of bold ascents in the Greater Ranges including the first ascent of the North face of Chang Himal (ED) - nominated for the Piolet D'or award, the first ascent of fear and loathing (ED3)on Jirishanca in the Huayhuash region of the Peruvian Andes, a long tick-list of rock climbs upto E7/8, many of which have been on-sight and numerous ascents in the European Alps including a solo ascent of the Shroud (TD), Beyond Good & Evil (ED3) and the first free ascent of Omega (ED3) on the Petites Jorasses.

 You can learn more about Nick as well as follow all of his exploits on his blog, Great Escape.