Snowdonia Mountaineering

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T09:56:00.000Z

Well a big Merry Christmas, or I guess I should say Nadolig Llawen, from Snowdonia. Unfortunately it doesn't look like we're going to get a white one as it unseasonably warm at the moment. So I hope that Santa brings you that new down jacket you wanted or some nice shiny DMM Dragon Cams! I'll leave you with a few photos from this time last year. Have a great one!!

North Wales at its Best

2011-11-17T14:33:00.000Z

The weather this November had been really good - warm and fairly dry. Over the past few day climbing in the pass could have been possible and the mountains have been catching some awesome sunshine. Yesterday I made the best use of the fine weather by making a quick dash up Crib Goch by my self then joining friend Greg for a quick afternoon route at Gogarth. We topped out with the sun setting behind Ireland but thankfully before we needed the aid of the South Stack lighthouse!

Spanish Sport Climbing

2011-11-17T14:27:00.000Z

I'm not long back from a short trip to Catalonia in North East Spain where I had 6 days with friends Dave, Jim and Neil. Due to an injury the emphasis of the trip was more of a relaxing holiday than a mega crush fest so I ended up reading my book in the sun more than climbing - ideal! I still managed to do a few routes up to 7a onsight and it was great to visit crags that I had not been to before. The trip started off with getting washed out of Terradets and Santa Linya so we headed further south and enjoyed climbing on the conglomerate/limestone crags of Margalef and Montsant.

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Practice with Therfield School

2011-10-17T19:04:00.000+01:00

For the past 5 days I have been training up a group of students from Therfield School in preparation for their Duke of Edinbugh Gold Expedition next summer. I really like working with this School and I love to see the progression and development of the students as they take on the challenge. I spent the first day with my group in the Northern Carneddau looking at navigation techniques, dealing with emergencies, discussing how to look after themselves and most of all enjoying a warm and sunny day in the hills!

On day 2 we headed out for a harder challenge and summited Moel Siabod. This was a fairly tough day out for the group as they had to carry full expedition packs and cope with low cloud. This really tested their navigation and made for some very greasy conditions underfoot. They all did superbly so on Saturday we cut them loose and they completed a 2 day hike in excellent weather.

All 23 students did fantastically and I looking forward to the Brecon Beacons and their qualifying expedition next spring.

Gogarth Video

2011-10-09T20:08:00.001+01:00

Here's a little video of Jen and I climbing North West Passage - E1 at Castell Helen, Gogarth. Enjoy!!!

New Slate Guide Book Reveiw

2011-10-06T16:43:00.000+01:00

Wow! That was my first impression on getting my hands on the long awaited Llanberis Slate Guidebook by Ground Up. The front cover shot is all that a front cover shot should be - an awesome image by Ian Parnell showing off the the most famous route that Llanberis slate has to offer. It also manages to capture the raw and unique atmosphere of the quarries and the intense nature of its climbing.

The next thing I noticed was its size, which increases the visual impact of the cover photo. The guide is larger than previous Ground Up offerings and at A5 is not a book that you can slip into your pocket. But why would you need to as most of the slate routes are single pitch and those that aren't are not over complicated in line (routes on the back wall of Twll Mawr excluded). As you open the guide up the advantages of the larger size are immediately apparent - large numbers of excellent and highly inspiring photos and clear photo topos.

On flicking through I was instantly drawn to the Diary of a Slatehead - a number of short pieces by Martin Crook, which "provide a fascinating window into the slate climbing scene during its 80's glory days." There are also numerous short pieces detailing the characters that have been responsible for the development of the quarries over the years - The Slateheads. These include all the infamous characters such as Joe Brown, Redhead, Dawes and Crook.

Last Tango in Paris, Vivian Quarry

The action photos are just stunning and made all the better by the A5 size. They illustrate the odd beauty of the quarries, the strange juxtaposition of the natural and the man made and the unique and sometimes baffling style of climbing. A particular favourite of mine is Ray Wood's shot of George Smith on The Wall Within which encapsulates the atmosphere and 'other-worldlyness' of the Lost World perfectly. I also like the historical photos that grace the guide - lets face it we don't get enough bright lycra these days!

The guide is layed out in the usual and user friendly Ground Up style and features all the aspects that you would expect a modern guide to have - graded list, comprehensive route descriptions, photo topos, index etc.
It has an excellent introductory section with lots of info on style and ethics and access, which I would implore you to read. Access to the quarries has at times over the past years been slightly delicate so lets hope that the extra influx of climbers this guide will bring does not cause any problems. My one negative comment on the guide would be the photo used for Dali's Hole -an area at the forefront of current access negotiations. It shows a busy climbing scene, with groups enjoying the previously easy bolted routes - precisely the cause of access issues in the first place.

Looning the Tube, Australia

The guide features 900 routes - 200 of which have been added since the previous guide! There is now something for everyone in the quarries. When I first started my slate career whilst at Bangor Uni, there where very few easy routes - in fact if you couldn't climb HVS there wasn't much point in visiting the quarries. Now there are lots of grade 4 and 5 well bolted routes for the aspirant Slatehead to cut their teeth on - including a few multi pitch offerings such as the excellent '362' in Never Never Land. It also features the quarries on the other side of the valley - Glyn Rhonwy, which are a quiet back water where the seasoned Slatehead may venture to find a whole realm of new adventures.

Also featured in the guide are some 'Slate Walks and Adventures'. These detail various ways that you can explore the unique atmosphere of the slate quarries and find those hidden gems from times gone by - ideal for a wet day. Included in this section is a description of Snakes and Ladders - a journey though tunnels, up chains, down big holes, escapes via rickety ladders and there's even a bit of climbing thrown in for good measure!

A guide book should not only be practical and accurate but also inspiring. A guide book should make me want to delve into to it, read route descriptions, find hidden treasures, fill me with pysch and make me want to get up off my arse and go climbing. It should also be something I can read on wet days and in quiet moments.This guide definitely ticks all those boxes. In fact I think this is one of the best guidebooks I have seen. Congratulations to Simon and his team - it was definately worth the wait!

Get your copy of the guide from V12 Outdoor today!!

Busy times for Snowdonia Mountaineering!

2011-09-22T13:17:00.000+01:00

I'm currently enjoying my first day off after 10 days of instructing and guiding in the mountains and on the crags of Snowdonia and North Wales. Unfortunately I dont have my camera-pc lead at the moments so you'll have to wait a few day for some pics.

Monday 12th - Tuesday 13th
Intro rock climbing course with Matt and Jon - see previous blog post.

Wednesday 14th
My regular Wednesday work with a local group of adults with special needs. We went for a nice stroll over Conwy Mountain.

Thursday 15th - Friday 16th
I worked on an SPA training course for Phill George Mountaineering. The SPA is the entry level outdoor climbing qualification for those who want to take groups to climb on single pitch crags. The trainees did really well and are looking to return in December for assessment.

Saturday 17th - Sunday 18th
I took new clients Liz and Austen out for two days of navigation and scrambling. More on this to come... plus top tips from Liz on how to use a she wee and advice from Austen on using Jedi mind tricks....

Monday 19th - Tuesday 20th
Returning client Tony wanted 2 days of rock climbing but unfortunately on Monday the weather Gods weren't kind so we postponed the day. Thankfully on Tuesday we found sunshine at Holyhead mountain and ticked off 5 routes - 2 v diffs and 3 severes! A great day. Tony is hoping to return in October to tackle some longer routes. Outside Edge route a Cwm Silyn is top of the list!

Wednesday 21st
My regular Wednesday work with a local group of adults with special needs.We enjoyed some Autumnal sunshine on the walk up to Aber Falls

Intro Rock Climbing Course

2011-09-14T17:24:00.000+01:00

On Monday I was joined by new clients Matt and Jon for a 2 day intro to rock climbing course. Both Matt and Jon had done a small amount of indoor climbing before but had never climbed on real rock before. Looking at the weather forecast on Sunday I was starting to worry that we might have to spend a good portion of the 2 days inside! Thankfully in Snowdonia we have Tremadog and whilst the Mountains were getting battered by hurricane Katia, Tremadog remained dry and (relatively) sheltered! After spending some time buying new rock shoes at V12 Outdoors in Llanberis we drove down to Tremadog and the boys enjoyed Boo Boo (diff), Yogi (severe) and the first pitch of Oberon. We also looked at abseiling with a prussik.

The weather on Tuesday was even better at Tremadog and we climbed the classic Poor Man's Peuterey (severe) on Pant Ifan. The boys built their own anchors and belayed each other up the 3 pitches.
We finished the day with a quick ascent of the brilliant Micah Finish of Christmas Curry (hard severe), which provide a thrilling and challenging test for the boys and a great way to end the course!

Matt on the Last Pitch of Poor Man's Peuterey

Jon and Matt enjoying the view from the top

Jon on the arete of the Micah Eliminate of Christmas Curry

Scrambling and Rock Climbing Skills

2011-09-08T20:32:00.000+01:00

Today I was joined by new client Tony who contacted me as he wanted to get back into climbing and mountaineering after a bit of break. He has done some good and hard climbing in the past but after spending a lot of time sailing and recovering from injuries he felt he wanted some one to help him back into the hills. The weather has been appalling for the past few days in Snowdonia so I was pleased when the morning dawned dry(ish) and the wind had dropped to 30mph!
We drove round into the Ogwen valley and enjoyed the grade 3 scramble on Tryfan Bach. With the weather forecast to get worse in the afternoon we decided to drive to Lion Rock to look at some crag skills and get rock shoes on! Tony is back in 10 days time with aspirations for Cneifion Arete and a traverse of the Glyders!

Mountaineerin Skills CourseTestimonial

2011-08-30T21:40:00.000+01:00

In August I was joined by new client Raphael for a 4 day mountaineering skills course. He had this to say about his experience:

I had a fantastic four days with Rory out in the mountains in Snowdonia. He is a highly accomplished guide and, in a short time, we covered lots of skills of navigation, scrambling rope work and rock climbing. Rory was keen to push me physically, but I never felt anything less than totally safe under his instruction. All in all, a fantastic guide, whether you are a beginner or want to further improve your mountaineering skills.

Mountain Leader Training Course

2011-08-24T19:23:00.000+01:00

This week I'm at Blue Peris Mountain Centre in Snowdonia working on a Mountain Leader Training course. Today I took my team out to Cwm Idwal to look at emergency ropework. We scrambled around on the rocks of Clogwyn y Tarw looking at situations that might occur when leading a group in the mountains that can be resolved with use of a rope. After some heavy showers in the morning the sun came out to dry us out and we enjoyed practicing a variety of abseiling methods. Here's a couple of photos from the past two days.

Eve practicing a classic abseil

Navigation practice on Crimpiau

Fun times on Tryfan

2011-08-22T21:18:00.000+01:00

I've been spending a bit of time on Tryfan recently - 3 out of the past 4 days to be precise. Its a great mountain and I never fail to enjoy a good scramble or long climb to its rocky summit. On Friday I rounded off Rafael's mountaineering skills course with an ascent of Nor' Nor' Buttress on the East Face - an excellent grade 3 scramble. It was great to put into practice all the mountaineering skills we had looked at in the first 3 days of the course.

Rafael on Nor' Nor' Buttress

On Sunday I took new client Tony Cross out for a scramble that would push him a little. He had done a bit of grade 1 scrambling so we headed to the East face again and enjoyed Little and North Gullies in slightly damp conditions! The day was a birthday present from his wife so hopefully it will be a year he will remember.

Rafael on Tryfan summit

This week I am instructing on a Mountain Leader Training course based out of Blue Peris Mountain Centre. I took my team up the North Ridge of Tryfan and looked at managing groups through steep and rocky ground.

Rafael's Mountaineering Skills Course

2011-08-18T18:50:00.000+01:00

This week I have had 3 days out with Rafael on a mountaineering skills course. On Monday we headed out to the Glyders to do some grade 1 scrambling and introduce mountain navigation. The weather was grand and Rafael enjoyed the Gribin Ridge - his first grade 1 scramble. I have made a little video of the day that I have embedded below.

On Tuesday the cloud was right down to the valley floor so we took the opportunity to focus on navigating in poor visibility. We enjoyed a nice circuit of Cnict which involved quite a lot of compass work!
We had a day off on Wednesday so met up in Llanberis this morning and made the short drive to Lion Rock. We spent the day looking at a variety of rock climbing and scrambling skills in preparation for a big route in the mountains tomorrow! Destination Tryfan East Face.

Alpine trip to Chamonix

2011-08-06T12:30:00.001+01:00

I'm back home in Snowdonia after a short holiday to the Alps with Bryn. We didn't really have any plans or objectives - mainly due to injuries limiting us and a poor forecast! We decided to head to Chamonix where we have some friends we could stay with. On arrival there it felt like winter! Snow had fallen to 2000m for the previous few days and the peaks where plastered. Everyone was a little despondent - they had not seen sunshine for about 3 weeks. On Friday it looked like there would be no change as it rained hard in the morning. It did brighten up in the afternoon so we stretched our legs on the petit balcon sud.

The forecast was much improved for the next day so we set an alarm and woke to a clear dawn! We caught the first lift up to the Aiguille du Midi. Its a crazy experience to be whisked from the valley floor to 3700m in a few minutes. Even more crazy is to step out of the ice cave on to the descent arete. There is no time to adjust to the surrounding and the exposure. One moment you are inside a man made structure the next you are balancing down a narrow snow ridge with a 1500m drop to your left and a 1000ft drop to the right. It certainly focuses the mind!

Descent from the Aiguille du Midi

We strolled down to the glacier and then enjoyed the traverse of Point Lachenal - a nice, short AD- route that is good for acclimatisation. We took our time and enjoyed the views and sunshine and tried not to get to puffed! The altitude had its affect on the slog back up to the Aiguille du Midi - I just seemed to have no energy! Check out Bryn's awesome video from this day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXqqZ35Ekv8&feature=share

The Grandes Jorasses

Back down in the valley we made plans for the next day - we wanted to head up for a bivvy just above the Albert Premier Hut on Le Tour glacier. We headed out on Saturday afternoon after a burger at Midnight Express. The weather, despite the good forecast, looked threatening. We took the lift up to Col du Balme and then it started to rain. We walked for about an hour, getting steadily wetter until we found a small boulder to hide under! After nearly 2 hrs we decided it was time to bail so we walked back down to the valley.

Next day we decided to try our luck with a bivvy again - this time near the Argentiere hut with the aim of climbing the Tour Noir. This was a peak that I attempted in 2003 but had to turn back as Paul had forgotten his sun glasses (not easy to climb with a buff over the face!). We took the bin up to the Grands Montets and made the descent down the Col de Montets to the Argentiere glacier and our bivvy.

Chilling at the bivvy

We left the bivvy at 4.30 and started the ascent towards the Col du Toir Noir. It was quite warm and we passed climbers who had turned back as the route they had hoped to do was running with melt water - not promising. We stopped to don our crampons - Bryn quickly realised that he had a problem. His crampons kept coming off his boots... not ideal. He had never used this combination of boot and crampons before and they didn't appear to be compatible. So once again we had to turn around. As consolation we watched the sun rise on the massive north faces of Les Courtes, Les Droites and Le Aiguille Vert.

Alpine sunrise

We strolled out before it got too hot and after a brief wander on the glacier, getting lost in a maze of crevasses, made it back to the lift station. A brief inspection of Bryns ingrowing toenail (by him), revealed a nasty infected mess! It didn't improve that evening so thoughts of rock climbing and front pointing had to be put on the back burner... that didn't leave us with too many options so we decided to do an easy and short route on the Index the following day. We enjoyed the SE arete in approach shoes - a great route 5 minutes from the lift which goes at about severe.

Bryn on the Index

The next day dawned wet and stormy so we decided to make the drive home... so what did we learn?
- Summer in the Alps is best for alpine rock climbing in the sun.
- Make sure that your crampons fit your boots.
- Winter in the Alps is better: Instead of rain you get snow (powder skiing), the weather is more stable, no afternoon deterioration of snow due to heat, getting around and down the mountains on skis is so much quicker, the night life is better.....
- It helps to be injury free!
Despite this it was a good holiday and good to catch up with friends in Chamonix. We will be back in the winter for some ski mountaineering and touring!

Scrambling in the Glyders

2011-07-25T13:06:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I met up with new client James for a day of scrambling to prepare him for a trip to the Alps in September where he hopes to climb Mont Blanc. James wanted to work on his hill fitness, take in some challenging ground and get used to a bit of exposure.

With a perfect forecast we headed for the Glyderau with the aim of scrambling up Tryfan and Glyder Fach. James' fitness work in the gym (hours on the step master!) had obviously paid off as we mad excellent time to the foot of Little Gully on Tryfan's East Face. We put a rope on here and scrambled up Little Gully and into North Gully to pop out on to the North Ridge just below the summit. We paused to take in the summit and have some food before scurrying down the South Ridge and across to the North West face of Glyder Fawr. We scrambled up this by the tricky Main Gully (grade 1 in the guide but definitely grade 2!) to the summit plateau where we made the obligatory visit to the Cantilever Stone for photos. We finished the day by scrambling down the Gribin Ridge where James put into practice the route finding skills he had picked up during the day.

It was a fantastic day out in warm sunshine and I'm looking forward to taking James out for another day in August.

Little Gully, Tryfan East Face

Tryfan Summit

Main Gully, Glyder Face

Main Gully Glyder Fach

The Cantilever Stone

Learn to Lead Course - Last Day

2011-07-25T12:37:00.000+01:00

For the last day of Louis and Jeremy's learn to lead course with The Rock Climbing Company we headed to the Ogwen vally and Clogwyn Bochclywyd. We decided that they were both ready for a bit more of a challenge today so we started off with Marble Slab HS, which they both led in great style. They went on the lead Five Pitch Route HS in 2 pitches and 2 Pitch Route in 1 Pitch - confusing hey!
The guys have done really well and now have the skills and confidence to show up at a crag and go climbing under their own steam.
We finished the day with a short stroll to try the Idwal Squeeze - a bouldering/caving challenge which is always highly amusing!

Jeremy emerging from the Idwal Squeeze

Learn to Lead Rock Climbing Course

2011-07-22T20:53:00.000+01:00

For the past 3 days I have been working for The Rock Climbing Company on a Learn to Lead climbing course.
After 2 days of preparation Louis and Jeremy tied on to the sharp end of the rope and led their first climbs. We made the drive out to Holyhead mountain to escape the low cloud in the mountains and were rewarded with a fine and sunny day. We started of on central slabs where Jeremy and Louis climbed D'elephant in 2 pitches which we followed up with Slippers and Hat - all good V Diffs. To finish the day off I lead up Bruvers HVS to really get there arms working.

Jeremy on The Bruvers HVS

Louis leading Hat V Diff

Louis leading Hat

Some inspiration.....

2011-07-19T20:34:00.000+01:00

The Welsh Monsoon Arrives!

2011-07-17T13:15:00.000+01:00

Bang on time for the first weekend of the school holidays the Welsh Monsoon has arrived. I was supposed to take client Tony out for a day of advanced scrambling but having seen the forecast we decided to re-schedule! Check out todays forecast from MWIS:

Headline, Snowdonia National Park

Severe upland gales. Considerable rainfall; local flooding.

How Windy?

West or northwesterly soon 40mph gusts 55mph and by midday on higher western hills 50 gusts 70mph.

Effect Of Wind?

Widespread considerable buffeting. On higher summits, general mobility very difficult; you may be blown over. Severe wind chill.

How Wet?

Extensive heavy rain throughout daylight
Rain off and on eastern hills. Elsewhere, particularly all hills toward the coast, incessant often heavy rain, giving falls of 1 to locally approaching 2 inches, with local flooding on paths and streams in spate.

Cloud on the hills?

Very extensive, lowest west and north
Cloud will shroud western and northern hills below 400m most of day. On eastern areas, base generally in range 500 to occasionally 750m.

Chance of cloud free Summits?

Less than 10%

Sunshine and air clarity?

Sunless. Visibility extensively very poor in heavy rain and cloud.

How Cold? (at 900m)

6 to 8C but will feel as cold as minus 7C directly in the wind.

Mental - especially the section where it suggested winchill will be -7 on the tops!!!
Sometimes you have to take the decision to not go out - no matter how far you have come. I would expect the rescue teams to be busy today.

A Grand day out on Glyder Fach

2011-07-14T20:49:00.000+01:00

Well its been another beautiful and warm day in Snowdonia - a great day for a walk and scramble in the Glyders! I took out regular clients Therfield School who are visiting Snowdonia for a Mountain Experience camp. Last week I was down in the Brecon Beacons supporting their Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition and it was good to see some of the challengers in Snowdonia helping out and passing on their enthusiasm to the younger year groups.

We scrambled up the Gribin ridge then headed over to Glyder Fach for the obligatory photos on the cantilever (I cant post them here). After an enjoyable stroll down we stopped at Llyn Bochlwyd to cool our toasted feet in some chilly water before heading back to Ogwen Cottage for an Ice Cream - perfection!!

Costa del Holyhead Yeh!

2011-06-30T22:07:00.001+01:00

Great afternoon with Jen at Holyhead Mountain. We climbed some awesome single pitch routes in glorious sunshine! What a crag!! I led Jen up The Bruvers HVS, Breaking the Barrier E1, Andover E1 and See Emily Play HVS - all great climbs.

Cragging at Clogwyn Bochclywd

2011-06-30T10:51:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday I met up with my good mate Jamie for a relaxed afternoon of cragging at Clogwyn Bochclwyd in the Ogwen valley. This is an awesome little crag, with a good range of grades and an easy descent. It makes an excellent afternoon/evening venue as it gets the sun from 2pm this time of year and is a short walk in from Ogwen Cottage.We warmed up on Marble Slab - a great little HS with involving moves and good gear. I then lead Bochclwyd Eliminate which is a fantastic HVS. Jamie led Waltz in Black - a nice E1 which didn't really feel much harder than the HVS. We finished the day on The Wrack E2 which definitely felt like a step up featuring steep and technical moves.

Unknown climber on The wrack

Learn to Lead Rock Climbing Course

2011-06-28T09:46:00.000+01:00

This weekend I was working at Plas y Brenin on a Learn to Lead Rock Climbing Course. On saturday the weather was grim so we started off by looking at belay building and placing gear whilst traversing around the wall. We then headed down to Tremadog which was damp and greasy so we did a big boots ascent of Boo Boo, with Stuart building his own belay and belaying Iona up.

On Sunday the weather was perfect so we made the short drive into the Ogwen valley and walked up to Clowyn Bochlwyd. This is a great little crag for leading on if you can climb severe as the route are well furnished with holds and good gear placements. Stuart lead Five Pitch Route (in one pitch) and then stepped up a grade to Hard severe by climbing the delightful Marble Slab. A great weekend and a excellent effort from Stuart!

Walking Group Leader Assessment

2011-06-28T09:35:00.000+01:00

On Friday I worked on the final day of a Walking Group Leader Assessment - WGL - at Blue Peris Mountain Centre. The Walking Group Leader award is for people who want to lead groups in remote but non-mountainous terrain. Areas within the remit of the award includes Dartmoor, The Peak District, Yorkshire Moors and Dales.

After a late start (night navigation until 3am the previous night) we spent the day at Moel y Ci looking at navigation, relocation, remote supervision and emergency scenarios. All the candidates did well - one passed outright and the other 2 were deferred so need to return for one more day of re-assessment.

Rock Climbing Coaching testimonial from Helen

2011-06-20T12:02:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I took Helen out for a couple of days of rock climbing coaching as she wanted to improve her technique, confidence and ultimately climb harder! Helen had this to say about her course:

"As an established climber struggling to break the VS barrier I booked a couple of days with Rory and was not disappointed! Rory was patient at all times and it felt like climbing with a friend rather than an instructor. The techniques he taught me were soon put into practice as we went outside for a couple of big routes and I have now broken the VS barrier! If anyone was looking for an instructor who is knowledgeable, patient and willing to share their skills I would have no hesitation in recommending Rory."

Helen seconding The Chain E1 on Dinas Mot

Mountain Walking week with Wellbeck MoD College

2011-06-17T14:39:00.000+01:00

I have spent this past week hill walking and scrambling in Snowdonia with a group from Wellbeck Military College. We had a great week with varied weather but the team always managed to step up to the challenge. The group spent a lot of time learning mountain navigation and leadership as well as tackling steep and rocky ground. For many of them it was their first experience in the hills so the North Ridge of Tryfan was an excellent eye opener! Thanks to Baggy of Blue Peris Mountain Centre for organising the week and asking me to work!

Northern Snowdonia from Moel Siabod

Smart Climbing Workshop

2011-06-12T19:17:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I ran 2 self rescue workshops for Becks on her Smart Climbing weekend. The course is design to increase the confidence and abilities of the climbers by working on both mental, physical and technical skills. The aim behind my workshops was to give the climbers some key skills to deal with problems which would allow them to push their grades on more serious terrain safe in the knowledge that they could get themselves out of any situation. We looked at unplanned retreats by turning belays into abseil anchors in a multipitch scenario, tying of a belay plate and carrying out some hoists - a lot to pack into 2 hours. For those that want further training I can run a weekend of self rescue skills that will truly make you self sufficient in the multi pitch environment.

Tying of a belay plate

Rock Climbing Coaching with Helen

2011-06-03T21:11:00.000+01:00

Today I met up with Helen for part 2 of a rock climbing coaching weekend that we postponed last moth due to bad weather. We spent the first day looking at a range of climbing techniques on the slate and in the indoor wall. Today the weather was amazing so we headed into the Llanberis Pass. We enjoyed the morning sun on Clogwyn y Groachan and Helen got to grips with some 5b technical moves on Kaisergerbirge wall and Wind. These are both HVS although I think wind is pretty much E1!

To avid being burned to a crisp we headed onto the shady and slabby Dinas Mot in the afternoon and climbed the first 2 pitches of Western Rib finishing up the chain to give a great E1.

Amphitheatre Buttress - the best V Diff in the country?

2011-06-03T19:57:00.000+01:00

On Thursday I guided returning client Matt up the classic Amphitheatre Buttress in the Carneddau. As mountaineering rock climbing goes it doesn't get much better than this. It is about 10 pitches long and works its way up a buttress of perfect rock, culminating in a knife edged pinnacle section! It has been a long standing ambition of Matt's to climb this route and he was really chuffed to get it ticked. The weather was just amazing and treated us to cloud inversions, swirling mist, broken spectres and bright sunshine what and awesome day!

Matt above the clouds

Matt on the slabs of pitch 2

Crossing the knife edge section

Looking down the top section of the route

Snowdonia 15 Peaks - the 3000 footers!

2011-06-01T17:40:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was a big day for Mike - it was time for his 15 peak challenge! I have taken Mike and his son Rab out scrambling a few times over the past 2 years and it has long been an ambition of his to complete the 15 peaks as a 50th birthday challenge! At over 30 miles long and with 4100m of ascent this is a tough walk - much harder than the more well known 3 peaks challenge!

We set off from Pen y Pass just after 4am as it was starting to get light. Mike, Mike's eldest son Rab and I made good pace up on to Crib Goch and enjoyed an atmospheric scramble along the ridge with the clouds swirling around us. As we made our way onto Carnedd Ugain (peak 2) the wind got stronger and it was really pretty cold - below freezing with the wind chill! We stopped for a 5 minute break in the shelter of the Snowdon summit cafe before heading down the start of the Llanberis track then down the steep Llechog spur to Nant Peris. This took 4 hrs 20 mins.

I left Mike here to get refuelled by his support team who also doubled as his family! Mike wanted to tackle the Glyderau by himself to get some 'spiritual' mountain time by him self. this is probably the hardest of the 3 sections as it has some fairly brutal ascents and descents and lots of rocky ground.

I met up with Mike at Ogwen cottage and Mike's youngest Sam joined us for the last leg. We plodded up the long and steep ascent to Pen y Ole Wen in beautiful afternoon sunlight. It always nice to get this out the way as it is the last major ascent of the challenge. We took our time and enjoyed the stroll across the Carneddau arriving on Foel Fras at 10.00 just as the light was starting to fade. We made it to the car and Mike family at the road head above Aber just before midnight! It was a great effort by Mike and also his family for supporting him not just yesterday but for the last few months as Mike and I planned the day!

You can find more photos on my Facebook Page.

Mike in the cloud on Crib Goch

Mike and Sam on Carnedd Llewelyn

Rock Climbing Course at Tremadog, North Wales

2011-05-30T15:18:00.001+01:00

This weekend I was working on a Lead and Multipitch rock climbing course for the Rock Climbing Company. I took John, Eddie and Colin to Tremadog for both days to get the best of the weather. The team had done some leading outdoor on single pitch sport routes but had never done any trad climbing. By the end of the weekend they had led 2 multi pitch routes! A great effort. We finished Sunday off with a cheeky pint in the newly refurbished Heights in Llanberis, which is looking great and well worth a visit!

Colin leading the second pitch of Boo Boo

The team after climbing Oberon

Colin enjoying a Hard Severe on Tremadog Upper Tier

Eddie climbing a Hard Severe

Rory keeping a watchful eye on the team!

John enjoying Boo Boo

John leading the final steep crack of Oberon

Eddie belaying John on Fallen Block Crack

Lead Rock Climbing Course

2011-05-27T19:40:00.000+01:00

Today I finished up a rock climbing course by taking Alex and Ger to Tremadog. We started by climbing Yogi by the tree start which has some beautiful climbing up a crystal filled crack. Alex and Ger then abseiled off, this time without a safety rope, using a prussik knot as a back up. After lunch they got on the sharp end and led a route called Oberon. A nice sunny and warm day for a change. This week I have been working for Plas y Brenin.

Snowdonia Slateman

2011-05-23T21:47:00.000+01:00

I've been a bit slack with the blogging in the past few weeks - mainly because the weather has been so bad so I've no nice photos to post. Yesterday I took part in the Llanberis Slateman Triathlon as a team with good mate Matt Barlow and brother Hamish. It was a great event - really well organised and there was a great buzz around Llanberis. Thankfully the weather improved from Saturday so despite strong winds we had a mainly dry day! Hamish (doing is first iron man this year) gave us a great start and was first into transition. However Matt and myself couldn't quite live up to this high standard but managed to drag ourselves round the bike and run sections in a reasonable time!

Puutting in some pain in the quarries!

Jen also took part and unlike Matt and I she had the courage to do the whole thing - an awesome effort for her first Triathlon, especially as she hates the cold and the water temperature for the swim was less than 11 degrees!

Helen's Rock Climbing Coaching Weekend

2011-05-11T15:55:00.000+01:00

Last weekend client and good friend Helen came up from down South with the aim of having a weekend of rock climbing that would challenge her technique and hopefully increase her confidence and ability. With the forecast looking a bit ropey we headed into the slate quarries to work on her slab technique. The ability to move confidently over slabby terrain and trust your feet is essential for progressing through the grades. Many people will focus on trying to climb steeper routes on indoor walls and while this does get you stronger it will not improve your ability to climb a HVS slate slab!

We started at Bus Stop quarry and Helen warmed up by seconding Solstice VS. I got her to start thinking about placing her feet as accurately as possible and maintaining good body position. Helen then down climbed the route - an excellent way to get people to think a little more about their climbing! Being a hard task master I then got her to climb up it for a 2nd time asking Helen to get into a position where she could take both hands off the rock after every move!

Helen on Fresh Air 6a

We then walked up to the Sidings Level in Australia and had a play on a couple of the grade 5c sport routes there. We really focused on the 'rock over' move which is the standard move on harder slate slabs. Helen even managed to top rope one of the 5c's one handed demonstrating the importance of trusting your feet and using momentum to shift your centre of gravity.

Unfortunately the threatening clouds fulfilled their promise of rain so we scarpered off to the Beacon Climbing Centre for a couple of hours to focus on bridging techniques.

Helen approaching the tricky move on Looning the Tube

The rain cleared through quickly so we decided to head back into the quarries to grab a couple of routes before we finished up for the day. We climbed Fresh Air - a really nice sport climb at 6a and the classic Looning the Tube HVS/E1. A great way to end the day.

Near the top of Looning the Tube

Unfortunately in rained very hard all night and into the morning so we decided to just go for a fun climb at The Beacon and rearrange another day in June when hopefully we will get some better weather!

North Wales Crack Climbing

2011-05-08T21:05:00.001+01:00

There is something uniquely satisfying about pure crack climbing... a combination of brutality combined with technicality and that need to just keep on questing! I got into crack climbing in Indian Creek Utah... where like most Brits we took a bit of a spanking. Here in the UK we don't have that many pure crack climbs - especially ones which go on for 40 meters with no deviation in the width of the crack or face holds to rest on! I remember the first crack I got on was graded the equivalent of HVS and by 8 meters I had placed nearly all the cams I had and was pumped out of my mind. I managed to finish it after a couple of rests though! Jon, an 8b sport climbe,r managed to get defeated by a VS crack called chocolate corner so I didn't feel too bad!

Climbing Scarface 5.11 Indian Creek

These past few weeks I've climbed a couple of good crack numbers in Snowdonia that are definitely worth seeking out. On Friday I headed into the quarries with Greg with the intention of taking on The Dinorwig Unconquerables. We climbed a few routes on the Skyline Buttress of Australia before slogging up to the top of The Lost World. A short abseil in takes you to the bottom of The Unconquerables - a 26 metre splitter crack. Its graded E3 which I think is a little generous if you know how to Jam and you have 5 size 2 friends!
I really enjoyed climbing it and as I started to get a little tired a few helpful foot holds appeared! Well worth its 3 stars.

Approaching the roof of The Dinorwig Unconquerables

So if you are inspired here is a little crack tick list to get stuck into:

Cobweb Crack VS - Dinas Cromlech. A few different jamming skills required here
Herfords Crack HVS - Clogwyn y Tarw. Beautiful hand jamming crack... if only it was 50 meters long!
The Grond E1 - Dinas Cromlech (more like E2!). Awesome and steep corner crack - thin hands to start
Ferdinand E2 - Clogwyn y Wenallt. Ring Locks and thin hands to better hand jams and a couple of face holds
The Dinorwg Unconquerables E3 - Lost World, Dinorwig Slate. Soft for the grade as long as you have enough cams! Awesome line.
Fear of Infection E4 - Llanberis Pass. An infamous man eating offwidth. I've not done this one yet....

Herfords Crack - awesome hand jamming!

Evening Sun on Comes The Dervish

2011-05-02T20:22:00.001+01:00

Just back from an evening hit to Vivian Quarry. Its a great venue in the evening as its gets the sun and it is sheltered from the strong Easterly wind that is blowing hard through the mountains at the moment. I climbed one of my all time favourite routes - THE classic slate route Comes The Dervish E3 that follows a thin crack line up an immaculate slab. It has a reputation for a bold start but a couple of tiny rp's provide some comfort before the good slot is reached. From there excellent sustained and well protected climbing leads to a resting foothold beneath an overlap. This isn't as hard to surmount as you think it might be but the thin and bold slab above provides interest until the sanctuary of big holds and the top is reached. A must do for all extreme leaders and a good first E3 if you like slate slabs!!

The immaculate Dervish Slab

Chilling out on the resting foothold

What a line!

Day Off!!! - Rock Climbing in the Llanberis Pass

2011-05-01T18:32:00.000+01:00

Just back from a great relaxed afternoon of climbing in the Llanberis Pass with Jen. The weather continues to be sunny although a strong wind from the East is just taking the edge of the temperatures. We decided to head to Craig Ddu - the black crag near Nant Peris which is wet for most of the year. After this spell of dry weather it is in good condition so we wanted to get some routes done there before the monsoon arrives!

We started up Orpheus E2, which has a deceptively steep and pumpy first pitch and linked this to the direct finish to Rift wall which is a sandbag at HVS!! This gives a good 3 pitch combo at 5b, 4c, 5b/c.

Next I went and sampled the awesome Sea Panther E1 - a great route on lovely warm, black rock. Get on it now before it gets wet again for another 10 months!!

Heaven - Llanberis Pass in the Spring

Jen enjoying the sun!

Kath and Linda's first rock climbing lead!!!

2011-05-01T18:18:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I took Kath and Linda down to the Moelwyns to introduce them to some multi pitch climbing. They had both just passed their Climbing Wall Award (well done!!) and were keen to improve their outdoor climbing skills. We climbed the first 2 pitches of a severe called Block then joined onto the super classic Kirkus Direct for a bit more of a challenge. Linda and Kath built their own belays at the top of each pitch and belayed each other in preparation for lead climbing.

After lunch we decided that it was time for them to try their first trad lead climb - not a decision to be taken likely. Kath led the first pitch of a severe called Bent and, apart from a slightly exciting moment when she kicked out a runner, climbed it very well. Linda then took over for the second pitch and climbed confidently and smoothly to the belay. We then looked an abseil retreat from half way up the cliff - an essential skill for multipitch climbing.

Another fantastic day working in the sunshine of North Wales!! Kath had this to say about the day:

"Just to say a huge thanks for taking us out yesterday, we had an absolute blast and were as high as kites all the way home...We'll definitely head back that way, and be in touch again for another day as soon as our schedules match."

Kath and Linda on stance change over

Kath seconding the fine slab on Block

Kath abseiling off

An Evening on Snowdon

2011-04-29T21:23:00.000+01:00

I've just finished up the week with Worcester Uni on their Mountain Leader Training Course at Blue Peris Mountain Centre. Yesterday we walked over Yr Aran, looking at navigation on 1:50,000 scale maps, then dropped into Cwm Tregalan to set up camp. We chilled out for a few hours in the afternoon sun before heading up the Watkin Path to Snowdon. We summited at 8pm, cooked some dinner and watched the sun set over Anglesey. It was a little chilly up there due to the NE wind but it was well worth the effort. As darkness approached quickly we dropped back down to Bwlch y Saethau then spent a few hours perfect night navigation techniques.
This morning we walked out, enjoying yet another sunny spring day. I really can't believe the weather we are having!
Best of luck to all the team - I'll see you in a couple of years for assessment!

Looking North West from Snowdon Summit

The Team on Snowdon

Mountain Leader Training Course

2011-04-25T19:13:00.001+01:00

For the past two days I have been working on a Mountain Leader Training course for Blue Peris Mountain Centre. Snowdonia is again treating us to amazing weather and it is a real joy to be working in the mountains with a great group of enthusiatic people. Today we scrambled up the North Ridge of Tryfan looking at managing a group up and down steep and rocky ground. Yesterday we headed into the Northern Carneddau to look and advanced navigation techniques.

Scrambling on Cneifion Arete

2011-04-23T21:55:00.000+01:00

On the last day of their course with The Rock Climbing Company I took Jim and Andy up the Direct Start to Seniors Ridge then The classic grade 3 Scramble - Cneifion Arete. On the way up I introduced the boys to some more advanced rope work techniques and by the top they were choosing there own anchors, attaching themselves with clove hitches and using an Italian hitch to belay. Another great and sunny days in the mountains!!

Spring Rock Climbing in North Wales

2011-04-23T20:35:00.001+01:00

Well Spring in North Wales is once again providing us with excellent rock climbing weather. It has been a little damp today but the past week has just been amazing with all us locals heading for the high crags and seeking the shade. Cloggy has seen plenty of action along with Dinas Mot and even Craig Ddu has been dry! I've managed to get in a few routes despite being busy with work. On Tuesday after a day of navigation training and a night navigation session Jim of V12 and myself managed to squeeze in a 2 pitch E3 on Carreg Wastad called Twisted Sister. I don't think it gets climbed a lot but is definitely worth doing despite the hardest moves being on the section it shares with a E2!??

Yesterday Jim and I headed into Cwm Idwal and stopped at Clogwyn y Tarw on our way up to Suicide Wall. I climbed the classic hand crack- Herfords Crack HVS - a route I've wanted to do for ages as I quite enjoy my jamming (easy jamming that is!). On Suicide wall I seconded Jim up Capital Punishment, an E3 which should really be E4 due to its bold and sustained nature. Jim held his nerve and I followed enjoying the amazing rock and the rope above my head! I then got on and enjoyed Route 2 - a fantastic E2.

The forecast is good for tomorrow and pretty good for the week so get to North Wales before the monsoon arrives!

Phew, what a scorcher!!

2011-04-20T20:15:00.000+01:00

What an amazing spring we are having in North Wales!!! I have been working for the Rock Climbing Company for the past few days on a navigation and scrambling course. We have enjoyed amazing warm and sunny weather in the mountains and put in a good few miles! On Monday we hiked up Cnict and then on Tuesday up Yr Aran. We spent most of our time focusing on navigation skills needed to get off the beaten track. Today we scrambled up the Gribin Ridge on to Glyder Fawr looking at some basic ropework on the way.

Hillwalking and Navigation Course

2011-04-12T18:37:00.000+01:00

On Monday I met up with client Richard who wanted a couple of days introduction to hillwalking in Snowdonia and navigation training. So on Monday morning we dragged ourselves out of Pete's Eats into the welsh rain and headed up on to Moel Elio. As we made the summit the skies cleared and we were treated to a fine and sunny afternoon. The bad weather in the morning was great for practicing walking on a bearing, every cloud has a silver lining....

Today we decided to focus a bit more on navigation techniques so we headed to the Northern Carneddau. Richard put into practice orientating the map, taking a description of the route, pacing and timing as we made our way over Moel Faban, Y Gyrn and round Moelwynnion. Its been a great couple of days and I wish Richard the best of luck with his various adventures (including travelling down the Congo!)

Richard on the Moel Elio Ridge

Classic Mountain Walks in a Heatwave!!!

2011-04-10T22:33:00.000+01:00

The past two days I have been working for Plas y Brenin on a guided classic walk weekend. The weather has just been amazing with wall to wall sunshine, high temps and sunburn all round! On Saturday we trekked up Moel Siabod, taking in a little easy scrambling as we went. Today we headed up Cnict fron Gelli Iago and apart from our time on the summit we hardly saw a soul. Bliss...

Cnict Summit

The South side of Moel Siabod

Scrambling up Moel Siabod's SE Ridge

Moel Siabod Summit

Rainy Day Rock Climbing Options in North Wales

2011-04-04T13:20:00.001+01:00

Its grim here in Snowdonia today - gale force wind and rain... lets face it North Wales has a bit of a reputation for bad weather, and that reputation is not unfounded. However armed with a little bit of local knowledge and a dash of optimism it is often still possible to get out rock climbing when it looks like the day is a write off.
First off if you've come up to Snowdonia for a weekend or holiday its worth bringing climbing gear/hiking kit/biking gear/canoeing gear so you start off with a few options in the bag.
However if you are really keen to climb some rock the following ideas may help you out:

Find the Rain Shadow: North Wales is well known for its rain but there is often somewhere to climb dry rock - especially if you are prepared to drive a wee way. The mountains are always the wettest places so if the forecast is bad forget heading into the hills. The options are Tremadog, Anglesey, Llandudno and the Llyn Penisula.

Tremadog - This is the classic option for most people as there is a wide range of grades, great rock and a cafe at the base of the crag. It is home to famous routes such as Christmas Curry (S), One Step in the Clouds (VS) and Vector (E2). A lot of the routes dry pretty quickly although in summer the bottom pitches can hold dampness for awhile due to the surrounding jungle. There are actually a few routes that stay dry(ish) in the rain - Striptease and the first 2 pitches of Vector, Cream and Void.
Southwesterly frontal systems sometimes pass over the top of the crag before unleashing their rain on the mountains but probably best on a NW wind. Keep the faith on the drive down the Aber Glaslyn and don't give up until you round the 'magic corner'!
Check out this webcam in Porthmadog for current weather.

Climbing the Mich Finish to Christmas Curry

Anglesey - For most people this will mean Gogarth and Holyhead Mountain but also includes some sport climbing around Benllech. I often look out of my window across to Anglesey and see blue sky whilst there is cloud above Llanberis. If you get there and it still looks a bit dodgy you have the option of cragging on Holyhead Mountain rather than committing to a big sea cliff route. I also think Holyhead Mountain is an underrated crag and had lots of good routes across the grades.
Avoid Gogarth and Holyhead Mountain however if there is a strong westerly wind blowing at low levels - there is little shelter. Wen Zawn - home to A Dream of White Horses - is baltic when its windy!!. Its a great option in early spring as it tends to be a lot warmer than the mountains (provided that you are not in the wind). I have even climbed tops off in February on Castell Helen. Its especially good when there is a cold easterly wind blowing. One more tip - never rush in the morning to climb on Gogarth. Most of the crags face west and can be greasy before the sun comes on to them so have a lie in and a coffee at V12 before heading out!!
Check out the webcam at rhosneigr for latest conditions (though it is sometimes hard to tell).

Jen climbing Resolution Direct on Gogarth Main Cliff

Llandudno - Or more specifically the Ormes and crags around the A55. There will be a new guide for the Ormes coming out in the summer and the crags around Colwyn bay can be found in the A55 sport climbs guide book.
This is the most reliable area for good weather. Yesterday I drove out of Deiniolen in the rain - it was even raining in Llandudno but the the Great Orme was dry, bone dry. Pen Trwyn is the best spot to head for as it is very sheltered from strong westerly winds and gets a good dose of sun until 2pm. The problem here is that there is not much to go at below E1 or 6a and to get the best out of the sport climbing you need to climb 7a.
If you are after lower grade climbing then head to Castle Inn quarry and Penmaen head in Colwyn Bay.
Check out the webcam of the Great Orme before you go to check the weather.

Jim cranking out Mean Mother on Lower Pen Trwyn

The Llyn Penisula - The big finger that sticks out into the Irish sea often has weather that feels more like Devon than North Wales. There is excellent bouldering down at Porth Ysgo - perfect on a crisp winters day - and a fine selection of mega adventurous sea cliffs. An area for well seasoned and experienced climbers. It also has some great beaches!

Jen scuttling along the travers of Fascinating Witches at Craig Dorys

Rain Proof Rock!!

There are a few areas/routes where you can climb in the rain:

Tremadog: As mentioned above it is possible to climb the first couple of pitches on vector buttress provided its not too wild. This will involve abseiling off before the top. Striptease can all be climbed in the rain as it stays reasonable dry (it does seep though and is not very quick drying)
Carreg Hylldrem: There is good area here for bouldering, including a couple of micro routes that stay dry. The classic Hylldrem traverse (HVS) stays dry in the rain due to the massive over hangs above. The last pitch does get wet but it is possible to miss this out and abseil off.
Parisella's Cave: If your feeling strong and fancy some bouldering head to the Great Orme and Parisella's Cave which stays very dry. It does seep a bit after a few days of heavy rain.

If all the above fails then head to the Beacon Climbing Centre, drive to the limestone crags near Llangollen or put on your wet weather gear, big boots and climb the uber classic Lockwoods Chimney on (in) Clogwyn y Bustach. Check out an older Blog post for mosre information on this route.

Inspiration - Climbing Literature

2011-03-31T10:37:00.000+01:00

Words and photos have the ability to inspire our lives and our climbing. I tucked into my first mountaineering tome when I was just 7 years old. Intrigued by it photos of ice clad peaks and distant places I was sucked into Chirs Bonnigtons Everest Years. Now this is probably not a classic of the genre but it opened my eyes and imagination to high places and adventures. I think I read it twice that holiday - I decided that one day I would stand on the summit of the highest mountain in the world.

My ambition and focus in climbing has changed since then - switching more to big rock routes, with lots of technical climbing rather than high altitude snow plods - however I feel that I still gain inspiration from words.

There is a book that I received for my birthday last year and I read it cover to cover the next day and I have kept returning to it for inspiration and pysche. It will never be a literary classic - it is ghost written in a simple style - but this is part of its charm. Like Jerry Moffat the book doesn't mess around getting accross its stories and message. If you were ever in any doubt how much of legend The Moffat is then you need to get hold of Revelations published by Vertebrate Publishing. There are no stories of epic retreats from big peaks or cold unforced bivvies, just the story of how he became the best rock climber in the world! What really stands out is Jerry's drive, ambition and will to succed. Its very empowering and definately make you think what COULD I do if I REALLY tried!!!

"I had just done Genesis and Pyscho. I had flashed Supercrack and Equinox. These were some of America's hardest routes - the world's hardest routes. I had done them... Nothing could possibly make this any better, nothing. Cars, money, fame. None of that mattered... I was twenty years old, and here I was, arguably the best climber in the world."

Snowdon Guided Walk with Lisa's Ladies

2011-03-27T20:09:00.001+01:00

Yesterday Lou took Lisa and her team of ladies on a guided walk up Snowdon. Lou and I decided that the best route to climb Snowdon would be from Rhydd Ddu. This is a great track as it is always much quieter than the main routes and there are not the parking issues that you get at Pen y Pass. The ladies did really well and enjoyed a fantastic day on Snowdon. Amazingly they only saw 2 groups all day until they reached the summit which was predictably very busy. They are hoping to come back in October for something a little more challenging!
Unfortunately I have no photos from the day - I hoping Lisa might send me a couple that I can post here.
Sarah has just emailed me the following: "Thanks for the email - we are driving back to Kent and still trading stories from yesterday - laughing so much which says so much for Lou! She was a fantastic guide and gave us just the right amount of challenges...so much so that we really would like to do something else with you guys in October"

Navigation Course with Helena and Rick

2011-03-27T16:29:00.000+01:00

On Saturday I took Helena and Rick out for a day of mountain navigation instruction. The day was a Christmas gift from Helena to Rick so the pressure was on to give them a good day out. Snowdonia put on its finest show and gave us wall to wall sunshine and warm temps - which is maybe not ideal for a nav course (lots of cloud and hill fog is better) but it certainly made for a stunning day out. Snowdonia was quite possible THE place to be. We made our way up to the summit of Cnict looking at various navigation techniques as we went. I also got Helena on a small amount of scrambling ground to try and get her to overcome her fear of steep and rocky ground. Rick and Helena got loads out of the day and didn't bicker too much. Hopefully they haven't got lost on Moel Elio today.

We ended the day in the best possible way - with an Ice Cream from Georgios in llanberis.

Rick and Helena on Cnict Summit

Lead climbing course and perfect weather

2011-03-26T19:34:00.000Z

From Wednesday to Friday I was working for friends Silvi and Simon of the Rock Climbing Company. I had three awesome days with Patrick who was keen to get leading on rock and push his grade. Patrick has a good mountaineering background and he has done a lot of classic routes in the alps and loads of skiing. He really wanted to push his rock climbing so he could get on harder routes in the alps and not rely on his friends to lead him all the time. On Wednesday we headed into the pass and climbed Crackstone Rib , Phantom Rib and Kaisergerbirge Wall. Its such a treat to climb in the pass in warm sunshine this time of year. On Thursday we headed to Tremadog and Patrick got on the sharp end and lead all the pitches of Boo Boo and Oberon - a really good effort.
On Friday we wanted a bit more of a mountain adventure so we headed into Cwm idwal where Patrick lead 2 pitches of Hope. We had plenty of time spare so we carried on up Lazarus and the Arete - a great day out.

Snowdonia Rock Climbing at its best!!

2011-03-22T20:56:00.000Z

Today I woke to glorious sunshine in the mountains so Rhys (of V12 Outdoor) and I shelved plans to go to the Orme and headed up the Llanberis pass. It was so warm for March - I even managed a couple of routes in just a t-shirt!! We made the short walk up to the Grochan and climbed Kaiserbirge Wall HVS, Hangover E2, Slape Direct E2 and SS Special E2 - not bad for an early session session.

Rhys on Kaiserbirge Wall

Spring in the Llanberis Pass

It clouded over a bit in the afternoon so we retreated for a rest and coffee in V12 before strolling up to Vivian Quarry and climbing Last Tango In Paris in the warm evening sunshine. What an awesome day.

Last Tango in Paris

The weather looks set pretty fair for the next few days and the crags are nice and dry - time to kick start your rock climbing year. I'm hoping to be back in the pass tomorrow doing some guiding. Should be a great day.

Self Rescue Climbing Course

2011-03-19T20:18:00.000Z

Today I took out 6 members of Wolverhampton Mountaineering Club for a day of rock climbing self rescue techniques. WMC had applied for an instructor grant from the British Mountaineering Council and hired me for the day to show them some skills. We drove round to Willies crag in the Ogwen valley and enjoyed beautiful spring sunshine for the whole day. The team picked up the ropework pretty quickly and we covered tying off and releasing a belay plate under load, assissted and unassissted hoists and escaping from the system. There is so much to learn with self rescue that we could have easily spent another couple of days working on the ropework!

Weekend Scrambling course in Snowdonia

2011-03-17T10:57:00.000Z

Back in January I booked Paul and Craig in for a weekend of mountaineering skills. Ideally they wanted to work on winter skills but were also keen to get involved with some scrambling and navigation if snow and ice was lacking. With winter very much on the back burner in Snowdonia we spent Saturday looking at basic mountaineering skills on the Glyders. We focused on navigation and grade 1 scrambling ground. We headed up the side of Gribin Facet and then onto the classic grade 1 Gribin Ridge. The cloud was low and very thick which made route choice and navigation tricky but provided excellent conditions for learning! Craig and Paul navigated across the plateau using their newly learnt compass and map skills and got us safely to the top of Gyder Fawr and down past Llyn y Cwn and into Cwm Idwal.

Summit of Glyder Fawr

Scrambling on the Gribin Ridge

On Sunday I jetted off to France for some skiing and left the boys in the capable hands of fellow mountaineering instructor Paul for some advanced scrambling. It turned into a fine and sunny day so Paul took them up Seniors Ridge direct start (grade 2) and then the awesome Cneifion Arete (grade 3). Paul got the boys to do some leading and belaying to introduce them to the skills needed to tackle grade 3 scrambles.
It was a great weekend and I look forward to seeing Paul and Craig some time soon for some more adventures!

On Cneifion Arete

Craig belaying using an Italian Hitch

Slate Adventure

2011-02-27T18:21:00.000Z

This afternoon Jen and I decided to go for a wee adventure in the Dinorwig slate quarries. Now it is important to state at this point that the slate quarries are private owned and Snowdonia Mountaineering in now way condones trespassing.... on a serious note if you are climbing or adventuring in the quarries please be discreet.

We walked through the quarries from Bus Stop to beyond Twll Mawr from where we took an incline up a few level to the top of Twll Mawr. From here a tunnel leads you through the slate to a window 45 meters up the side of the Lost World hole. We abseiled out of here (bolts in place), which is a little bit exciting, to the bottom of the Lost World. Its a well named spot - its very surreal down there. It has its own little lake and ecosystem in there and the walls are streaked with bright red mosses. From there a tunnel leads you into Mordor which is escaped by climbing a series of rickety ladders - all scary stuff! A great little adventure.

On the mountains there is a bit of fresh snow to about 850m and its is forecast to be cold for a few days so take care in them hills!

Jen in the Lost World. Access is via abseil from the hole in the cliff.

Jen abseiling out of the window

Heading down into the Lost World

Jen climbing the ladders to escape from Mordor

ps.. I would also recommend a helmet for this adventure and all mountaineering related activities (Jen's didn't fit over her hat)

Slateman Traithlon Training

2011-02-26T16:44:00.001Z

Its about time I put in a few miles for training for the Slateman Triathlon in May. So Jen and I headed down to Beddgelert to do a short run to ease my legs into some running again. Its one of my favourite routes and its was especially beautiful today as we got some nice warm spring sunshine to warm our backs! The route is shown below (click on the map) and I would definately reccomend it to anyone looking for a short run or a nice stroll in the hills. Time for the Rugby now...

Cwm Bychan

5.1 miles / 8.2076544 km

Created 02.26.11 by SnowdoniaMTN

Nice gentle run or good walk for family, Also a good option in bad weather aslong as the Glaslyn isn't too high as this can flood the path!

First Rock Climbing course of 2011

2011-02-21T19:39:00.000Z

Today I took clients Rob and Kat down to Tremadog for their first taste of outdoor climbing. With a pretty poor forecast I hoped that Tremadog would provide its normal Haven from the rain! Driving down the Glaslyn valley the rain stopped and the sky lightened - result. Unfortunately the crag was still very wet from heavy overnight rain but we made the best of conditions. Rob and Kat both managed to climb 2 severes, which is a brilliant effort, especially as they couldn't feel their fingers due to the wet and cold! We also took some time to look at trad gear placements, constructing anchors and building belays. We were unfortunately caught out mid afternoon by a heavy shower so we finished the day by doing some abseiling. It was quite a tough intro to outdoor climbing for Rob and Kat so they are planning a return match in June when it will hopefully be a bit warmer and drier!

Kat lowering off Fallen Block Crack (severe)

Kat and Rob carrying out pre-climb checks

Cairngorms Northern Corries Ski Tour

2011-02-17T17:26:00.000Z

I had an amazing day of skiing in the Cairngorms today. I got up early and headed for the Coire Cas car park to try and beat the crowds - it was worth it as I managed to get 4 good runs in before the queues started growing. It was time to head for some peace and quiet. I donned my skins at the Ptarmigan and skinned up to Cnap Coire na Spreidhe then on to Cairngorm. I shared the top with one other skier and an amazing view north to Loch Morlich and beyond. A quick ski down took me to the windy col. From here I headed over the top of Coire an t Sneachda to Carn Lochan 1215m. The great thing about ski touring is going down hill - fast! When walking to the bottom of Lurchers gully it would take at least 90mins, today it took me less than 15 minutes on really good snow! Thats 4km and 600m of descent!

This has really whetted my appetite for more ski touring and the whole of the Cairngorms to the south looked very inviting. Unfortunately its pretty rare to get good skiing conditions combined with good weather so days like today are very precious!

I got back to the van at 12.30 so headed back up the mountain for a few more runs. The Cairngorm ski area was pretty damm good this afternoon especially in Coire na Ciste. Legs are very tired now so I think I'll head out for a steak tonight to get a good protein fix!

Looking North from the top of Coire an t Sneachda

Coire an t Sneacda well covered in snow

Looking west to the Fiacaill Ridge

At the top of Lurchers Gully

A quick Ski Tour up Lurchers Gully

2011-02-15T17:17:00.001Z

Freshly deposited windslab cracking and sliding easily!

View from the Summit of Lurchers Crag 1053m

Today I had a nice skin from Coire Cas up Lurchers gullys to the summit of Lurchers crag or Creag an Leth Choin as it probably should be known as. I had hoped that it might have been a good day to make the long tour over to Ben MacDui but as I arrived at the car park I was greeted by 50mph winds and clouds of spindrift (wind blown snow) so changed my plans. As I toured across to Lurchers gully there was lots of fresh wind slab being deposited so not a good day to be on any steep slopes as the avalanche risk would have been very high. The gully was full of pretty soft snow so I was pretty psyched for the descent!
Unfortunately as I came down the visibility got even worse so I had to take it pretty steady! Its always tricky when you can't tell what the snow is going to be like. It is a really good run down - probably about a blue run if it was pisted. I finished the day with a nice cappuccino in The Mountain Cafe (they also do a fantastic all day breakfast!).

Cairngorm Ski Action

2011-02-14T13:05:00.000Z

Views from the summit of Cairngorm
The snow on Saturday on Cairngorm was probably better than anywhere in the Alps on Saturday! Given the high avalanche risk I decided to go for a bit of a ski - probably a good decision as a fair few people were avalanched in the Northern Corries in the morning, thankfully no one was seriously hurt. After spending the morning on the pistes I put my skins on and hiked up to Cairngorm summit and enjoyed good views across the mountains. After a quick picnic in the sun I pointed my skis down hill and 3 minutes later I was in the car park.

I've been out for a quick ski this morning but flat light combined with variable snow meant I took a bit of a tumble! Resting up now in preparation for a tour across the plateau to Ben MacDui tomorrow.

Scottish Mountaineering Action

2011-02-11T14:08:00.001Z

I've had two great days out in the Scottish Mountains this week. Weather and conditions have been mixed but I managed to make the best of the week getting out on Tuesday to Beinn a Chaorainn and on Thursday to Ben Nevis.

Ben a Chaorainn is a fairly unremarkable mountain from the west but its east side is home to some high corries and fine ridges. Bryn, T and myself decided that with a high avalanche risk an ascent of the east ridge would be a good option. A tactical slow approach through deep snow allowed us to be overtaken and relieved of trail breaking duties!. Once on the ridge we enjoyed good weather and interesting scrambling right to the summit of the mountain. I would definitely recommend this as a fine mountaineering day out.

Bryn at T at the start of the East Ridge of Beinn a Chaorainn

A tricky step on the ridge

Yesterday I got up really early and drove over to Fort William to meet Bryn for a day on The Ben. It was forecast to be a beautiful day and as we made the long walk in the early morning cloud disappeared to reveal blue sky. We headed for the Douglas Boulder and climbed a short route called Faulty Towers that went at about grade 3. Conditions were a little thin and some of the ice was rotten after the recent thaw. We had a relaxed lunch then abseiled off into Douglas Gully. We really wanted to get on a route were we could enjoy the sunshine so a traverse across Coire na Ciste lead us on to ledge route. This is another great mountaineering route that takes you all the way to the plateau with sustained interest. The route was in great nick and we quickly soloed up into the sunshine. On the summit plateau we stopped to soak up the sun for awhile before making the long descent back to the valley. When you get days like this Scotland is a very special place - often though you have to put up with bad weather and many frustrating days to get a really good one... it was worth the wait!

Ledge Route climbs up to and follows the sunny ridge to the summit

Bryn on the approach up no. 5 gully

Bryn on the ridge leading to the summit

A rare perfect day on top of The Ben

The Storm Arrives!!

2011-02-03T18:16:00.001Z

With yet another windy forecast I decided not to head up onto the tops today. I took a nice stroll through the snowy forests of the Rothiemurcus Estate then up into the start of the Lairig Ghru. This is an amazing geological feature - a deep valley that separates the Cairngorm plateau from Braeriach and Carn Toul. Here I 'rescued' a slightly lost but well equipped Polish chap. I persuaded Vorturyk that this wasn't the day to try and climb Braeriach so he joined me for the rest of the day. With the approaching storm quickly moving up the Lairig Ghru I decided to bail through the Chalamain Gap. This was tricky enough with the wind gusting to 60 mph and the boulder strewn gap partially covered with fresh snow. Once through the wind increased to the point where I could hardly stand and the next couple of miles to get down into the woods was hard going! Then the snow arrived and I was glad not to be up high - hopefully enough will have settled in the woods to allow some x-country skiing tomorrow.

Windy in the Northern Corries!

2011-02-01T15:22:00.001Z

The forecast for today was not too bad apart from the wind - gusts up to 80mph were predicted. So when I woke to pouring rain it was a struggle to get out of bed. In fact if it wasn't that Bryn was heading over from Fort William I probably would have stayed put! Thankfully as we drove up to the ski area car park the wet weather cleared through and blue sky appeared (well some small patches). We strolled into the corrie in worsening wind and decided to try a route on the Mess of Pottage (don't now why this cliff was given this name!).

As we cramponned up to the base of the buttress we were buffeted by some big gusts. At times I had to get down on my knees and dig my axe in for support! It did make going uphill easy but there were a few times when I felt like I might actually be blown up the cliff! Because of the wind we decided to do Jacobs Ladder a nice short grade 1, which we climbed quickly on good neve. Once onto the plateau the wind didn't seem as bad and the visibility was good giving views over to Ben Macdui. With more wet weather on its way we scurried down the ridge back to the car park. We arrived just as the snow storm hit and by 1.30 we were tucking into an all day breakfast in the Mountain Cafe.
The forecast for the rest of the week gets worse - freezing level is up and down and the wind is forecast to get stronger - up to 100mph by Thursday and Friday!

Scottish Fun

2011-01-31T18:24:00.001Z

On Saturday I attended the Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM at Glenmore Lodge. I joined an avalanche transceiver workshop to brush up on my avalanche rescue skills and play with a variety of transceivers and search methods - hopefully I'll never have to use these skills! It turned out to be a nice day in the mountains with a stunning cloud inversion.

Practicing probing for buried victims. Nice cloud inversion over Glenmore.

On Sunday I got out for a morning of skiing on Cairngorm before the winds got too strong and they shut the lifts down.

The forecast for the week ahead in Scotland is not so good - it looks like we have a week of storms coming our way. Wind on the Cairngorm plateau was forecast 75mph today with that increasing to 90mph on Wednesday! So today I avoided the worst of the wind with a stroll over Meall a' Bhuachaille - a nice hill overlooking Loch Morlich and Cairngorm. Tomorrow I might brave the weather and try and get a route climbed in the northern corries.

View from Meall a' Bhuachaille to Loch Morlich and the Cairngorms

Snowdonia Mountaineering in Scotland

2011-01-28T20:06:00.001Z

Well I'm settling in to my new digs in Aviemore - my cousins house (thanks Al!) - relaxing in front of the fire with a glass of wine. Its been a pretty hectic week instructing on a mountain leader training course at Blue Peris. This included a rather cold night out in the Moelwynns on Wednesday night.

So I'm already trying to work out what I've forgotten and one thing that I have left is my camera so I might not get too many pictures up on the blog.

Tomorrow I'm attending the Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM at Glenmore Lodge over the weekend which will be a great chance to catch up with lots of other instructors, discuss a few topical issues, sink a few beers and maybe even go for a climb!

Snowdonia Mountaineering at the Outdoor Show

2011-01-17T10:52:00.000Z

I had a great time down at the Outdoor Show in the ExCel centre in London. I spent 2 days down there running workshops for the Association of Mountaineering Instructors on the DMM stand. It was awesome to meet lots of new people and introduce them to the skills of place gear and building belays - hopefully I will see some of you up in Snowdonia this year!

Snowdonia Mountaineering at the Outdoor Show

2011-01-10T11:15:00.001Z

From Thursday to Sunday this week the outdoor show will be running at the ExCel centre in London's Docklands. The Outdoors Show is the largest consumer outdoors show in Europe, annually attracting in excess of 30,000 outdoor enthusiasts. 2011 sees The Outdoors Show move to ExCel, London, where the show will locate alongside The London International Boat Show and the newly launched London Bike Show.

There will be loads of stands, exhibitions, films, talks etc to check out. You might even be able to pick up a good deal on some climbing gear.

I am going to be working with the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) running workshops on building anchors, placing gear and tying knots - all basic rock climbing skills. So come along, say hello and get yourself on a workshop. You can find us on the DMM and Beacon Climbing Wall stand.

Rock Climbing in Snowdonia - My Favourite Routes

2011-01-06T15:45:00.000Z

I've been sitting at home feeling sorry for myself as I can't go out winter climbing with one hand in a cast so I thought I would write a wee blog about my top 5 favourite rock climbs in Snowdonia. These are routes which I can go back to again and again and still enjoy them as much as the first time. They aren't necessarily the hardest or scariest routes I've done, or routes that I have been most proud of climbing but routes that I will hopefully still enjoy in 30 years time!

Christmas Curry Micah Finish - HS, Tremadog

This was probably my 3rd ever lead and I can still quite vividly remember the feeling of balancing my way up the top arete with the gear well beneath my feet and an amazing feeling of space around me. Its a great little climb - its probably best done in 2 pitches with the second pitch containing the meat of the route.

Outside Edge Route - VDiff, Cwm Silyn

This is my favourite VDiff in Snowdonia. Its tucked away from the main climbing areas of Snowdonia and is a great place to go to seek a little solitude. It takes an impressive line up the left edge of the great slab of Crag yr Ogof in Cwm Silyn. I love it when a route goes through terrain that looks far harder and steeper than the grade suggests. Its best climbed on a sunny afternoon once the sun has come round onto the slab and the views down the Llyn Peninulsula can be enjoyed to the fullest.

Cemetry Gates - E1, Dinas Cromlech

I have lost track of how many times I have climbed this route now. Its a bit of a rite of passage for me every spring. Dinas Cromlech is a massive fortress of rock that towers over the Llanberis pass and is home to probably the most famous route in the UK - Cenotaph Corner. Cemetry Gates takes a series of cracks up the right arete of the corner and will thrill you with steep moves, big holds and plenty of exposure!

North West Passage - E1 Castell Helen, Gogarth

Sea cliff climbing is probably my favourite genre of rock climbing. Nothing beats hanging out on big holds with the sun on your back over the sparkling sea. North West passage can be found on Castell Helen - one of the more friendly of the Gogarth cliffs. A steady first pitch leads you to a perfect belay ledge where you can chill out and enjoy the awesome coastal scenery. The second pitch then follows a traverse line right before climbing up the headwall on big holds and solid rock with the Irish Sea along way beneath your feet. Perfect.

Comes the Dervish - E3, Vivian Quarry

The Slate route that started a revolution. This awesome line can be seen from Llanberis and the crack it climbs was originally cleaned out using a knife from Pete's cafe prior to its ascent! I first climbed it back in University and it was a bit of a milestone for my climbing. I like it so much as its a route that just calls out to be climbed - the more you look at it the more it sucks you in and before you know it you will making those first tentative moves upwards in search of that first piece of gear...

Winter Mountain Walking in Snowdonia

2011-01-04T13:23:00.003Z

Yesterday Jen and myself took a quiet winter walk up into the Carneddau. It was a great day to be out with excellent views and light winds the sun even made an appearance late in the day. We headed up the East ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen and round to Carnedd Dafydd negotiating some large patches of old snow. We donned crampons on the ridge leading upto Carnedd Llewelyn as the snow patches got bigger and the consequence of a slip became more serious.

Its sometimes difficult to know when to put on crampons in patchy snow conditions - do you leave them on to walk across bare patches or stop each time to take them off? Crampons are fine to use on bare rock/ground for short periods but are uncomfortable to walk in. Generally if the ground is fairly flat with patchy hard snow and the consequence of a slip just means that I bump my backside then I'll leave them off. However is a slip could turn into a slide or a drop off a cliff I'll put them on and will happily walk across the odd bare patch.
From the summit of Llewelyn we headed down to the Llugwy resevoir and back into Ogwen. A great day out - the hardest thing about the day was working out which of my clothes fitted over my cast!

Winter Skills Courses

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Happy New Year

2011-01-01T18:34:00.003Z

Enjoying Cave Gully on the Trinity face last Feb

Hope you all had a good night! Its due to get cold again in North Wales over the next few days with possibly a bit of snow on the tops arriving on tuesday. Not much snow left but a good freeze should see the easy gullies up high giving some good sport. The Trinity face on Snowdon and Cwm Cneifion will be the best places to check out. Be carefull out and about the snow will be very hard!

I wont be out and about as my hand is in plaster as my sore thumb turned out to be a broken one - no action for me for a few weeks!

More Skiing Photos

2010-12-22T18:10:00.001Z

Amazing Welsh Skiing!!!

2010-12-22T17:59:00.003Z

What an amazing day!! Bryn, greg and myself skinned up from Deiniolen up on to Elidir Fawr through perfect fresh snow (greg walked as he's a boarder!) We then had a short run down the other side to test the snow which was over the knee powder! So we put the skins back on a hiked to the tope of Foel Goch and had an awesome run down into the valley followed by a wade out to Nant peris. The skiing was simply awesome - better than Chamonix last week. I'm a bit sore now after a good tumble on the descent... no pain no gain! We definately earned our turns today!

Chamonix ski fun

2010-12-19T17:04:00.003Z

I'm just back from 8 awesome days out in Chamonix with friend Bryn of Mountain Leader Training Wales. It was my first time skiing in the Chamonix valley and I was blown away by the terrain and scenery. We were slightly limited it what we could do as the snow wasn't in great condition for high level tours and not all the lifts had opened yet. We got loads of off piste action on the Grands Montets and hunted around for nice powder in the woods. Great fun especially when I remembered how to ski and stopped falling over! We also had a great skin up to the Col de Balme at the top of Le Tour ski area. We got to the col just as the sun started to dissapear behind the mountains and set on Mount Blanc - awesome. What had tacken us nearly 3hrs to skin up took 5 minutes to descend! I'll definately be back for more action!!

View to Mount Blanc from the slopes of Courmayeur

Preparing for the descent from Col de Balme

Off piste action on the Grands Montets

Posing at Le Tour

An afternoon skin at Le Tour

Back to a very snowy Snowdonia

2010-12-18T18:33:00.003Z

I finally made it back from Chamonix after an epic drive. Still had time to get out for a bit of welsh skiing this afternoon! Awesome powder here but didn't have time to get into the hills so I just skinned up from the house up toward Marchlyn reservoir and had a gentle run down in the late afternoon sun.

I'll put some photos and video from Chamonix up in the next couple of days.

Testimonial from Olli

2010-11-30T22:11:00.002Z

I've just received this email from Olli who I took out for 2 days sport climbing in El Chorro.

I went out for a couple of days instruction with Rory during my stay in El Chorro. Coming from a bouldering background I had experience on rock but had never climbed routes. Within a couple of days Rory taught me the basics of sport climbing and built my confidence level up enough to get me on lead. He was very good at judging my skill level and with his laid back friendly attitude I never felt out of control or pressured. I tapped into his huge wealth of technical knowledge which he was always happy to share clearly and concisely. He also made efforts to introduce me to other climbers and potential partners in the area, which I really appreciated. I would highly recommend Rory to new or seasoned climbers alike.

Winter in Snowdonia

2010-11-30T09:42:00.006Z

Whilst I'm spending my last few days out in El Chorro (in the rain) Jen has been making the most of the early winter in Snowdonia. She got out at the weekend with some friends and completed the Snowdon Horseshoe. The photos look amazing! Very Jealous. I've have now added a winter skills page to my website so if you want to make the most of the winter check it out and book on a course!

View along a snowy Crib Goch

The Snowdon Horseshoe in winter condition - looks amazing!!!

More El Chorro Photos

2010-11-29T10:18:00.003Z

Well its a wet day here in El Chorro so heres a few more photos from the past few days.

Thanksgiving dinner at the Olive Branch

A good spread!

View to the cliffs of Frontales and the Poema Roca cave.

Awesome climbing on the Navigador Pillar

Its Snowy back in North Wales

2010-11-27T17:41:00.002Z

The view from my pad to Moel Elio and snowdon. Taken this evening!

Whilst I'm sat in the rain in El Chorro the weather back home in Snowdonia has turned baltic! Snow is down to 100m and the temperature is set to be well below zero on the tops for the next week. I will be running winter skills courses in Snowdonia so if your keen to get out into the snow and enjoy our winter wonderland check out my winter course page.

Olli's intro to Sport Climbing

2010-11-22T18:14:00.003Z

On Saturday I took out Olli for his first taste of sport climbing. Being a proficient boulderer already meant that for the morning we focused on the basics of tying in, belaying and seconding. We then progressed on to thinking about the leading process. Olli quickly picked up how to clip the rope into quickdraws and thread the anchors at the top of the climb. In the afternoon I lead up a couple of long routes to give Olli a chance to work on his stamina!

Olli climbing a 5 in Sector Castrojo

Practicing clipping into quickdraws - a vital skill for lead climbing

Gary takes on the Camino del Rey

2010-11-21T09:08:00.003Z

In 1901 it became obvious that workers at the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls needed a walkway to cross between the falls, to provide for transport of materials, and for the inspection and maintenance of the channel. Construction of the walkway took four years and it was finished in 1905.

In 1921 King Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway for the inauguration of the dam Conde del Guadalhorce and it became known by its present name.

The walkway is one meter (3 feet and 3 inches) in width, and rises over 100 meters (350 feet) above the river below. It is currently in a highly deteriorated state and there are numerous sections where part of or the entire concrete top has collapsed away. The result is large open air gaps that are bridged only by narrow steel beams or other support fixtures. Very few of the original handrails exist but a Via ferrata safety-wire runs the length of the path.

More El Chorro Action

2010-11-21T08:51:00.002Z

Craig climbing Arabesque 7a at Escalera Arabe

The wilds of El Chorro

The view through the gorge - climber on the classic Zepplin

Mel and Garry of the Olive Branch on the Camino del Rey

Garry struggling to come to grips with the exposure on the Camino del Rey

More El Chorro photos

2010-11-10T21:33:00.002Z

Desplomilandia

2010-11-06T09:47:00.004Z

View from the crag

Martin Seconding Liron Carete 7c

Its been pretty hot here the past few days so we have been seeking the shade! Yesterday I headed up to Desplomilandia - which is about 20 minutes from the Olive Branch - with Silvia, Martin and a few other guests. This was my first full days climbing since arriving so it was good to get stuck into a few routes. There's lots to go at here from 6a to 8a - and all good quality climbing. I got warmed up then managed to onsight two 7b's, which I was pretty chuffed at, then had a play on a severely overhanging 7c which gave me a good beating! Hopefully I'll get back on it tomorrow and get it done!

El Chorro sunshine!!!

2010-11-03T18:40:00.003Z

I've been out at the Olive Branch in El Chorro for 3 days of sunshine and climbing. I have been taking some of Silvia clients - The Rock Climbing Company - for an Intro climbing course.

Today I took Mark and John on the Camino del Rey to Los Cotos where we did 3 climbs. We then made the long walk back to the Olive Branch for cold beer and swimming. Awesome day!

Walking to the start of the Camino del Rey

Mark balancing along a tricky section

View back down the El Chorro gorge

Crossing the river en route to Los Cotos

Nice slab climbing at Los Cotos

Finishing the day with a swim and cold beer

Scrambling Adventures

2010-10-24T17:59:00.004+01:00

North Gully

Using the rope in Little Gully

Summit shot

View from Tryfan South Ridge

This weekend I was working for the Rock Climbing Company and took brothers Joe and Jamie for an Intro to Scrambling course. The forecast for Saturday was not great so we opted for some low level scrambling around Cwm Idwal. We played around on Gribin Facet and and looked at the use of emergency rope work, scrambling movement and route finding decisions. We braved the hail showers and made our way up the False Gribin Ridge before running away! Definitely a touch of winter in the air.

Sunday dawned clear and crisp and Joe and Jamie made their way, under my guidance, to the start of Little and North Gullies on Tryfan. This is an awesome and challenging grade 1 scramble that takes an improbable line up the east face of Tryfan. The guys climbed it well, resorting to using a rope for one tricky section and we made it to the summit for lunch. A leisurely descent of the South Ridge and Cwm Tryfan took us back to the road. A great day.

A Day at the Roaches

2010-10-24T17:01:00.003+01:00

Phil on the delicate slab of Track of the Cat E5

Dave seconding The Swan E3

On my favourite boulder problem - Three Pocket Slab V3

With a good cold and crisp forecast I couldn't resist the lure of the grit so on Friday Phil, Dave and I made the trip to the Roaches on the western edge of the Peak District. The Roaches is my favourite of all the Gritstone crags as it has such variety, great rock, a beautiful outlook over the Cheshire and Staffordshire plain and it was where I first started to climb outdoors as a teenager.

Gritstone is an amazing medium to climb on. For those not use to its subtle nuances (thats me) it can at times feel desperate and frustrating but when it all comes together it gives an amazing climbing experience. The key with gritstone is the friction - its amazingly grippy, especially when its cold. Climbs are often insecure with few positive holds so faith in the friction is paramount - if you don't believe you feet will stick to the rock then they wont!

I climbed the classic Elegy E2, a route which I have aspired to climb since I first visited the crag. It features a run out up a holdless slab at the top of the climb - if you keep you head and keep the faith you will be rewarded with one of gritstone most elegant routes, if you don't then prepare yourself for a 10m cheese grating slide back down then slab! Brilliant

Steep fun at Pigeons Cave

2010-10-21T18:40:00.003+01:00

Jim lowering off the stupidly steep Stiff Upper Lip (8a)

Chris Doyle pulling out the drop knee move on Stark (8a)

One of my climbing goals is to climb an 8a sport route so today I had my first proper session on an 8a - Stark at Pigeons Cave on the Great Orme. The most important thing I have learnt during recent sport climbing days is to try as hard as I can and not be worried in the slightest about falling off. This has been tricky for me as coming from a trad climbing background the emphasis has always been not to fall off. It takes awhile to make that progression to being able to crank out hard moves when your pumped and tired knowing full well that you are going to fall off. For me getting my head around that psychological barrier has been a big step forward. I managed some good links on the route and with a few more sessions I think I would have it in the bag. However it is likely to be next year now till I get back on it as I've a busy week of work over half term then its off to Spain. I'll just have to climb 8a out there!

Winter is on its way...

2010-10-18T14:47:00.003+01:00

The weather is on the turn in Snowdonia - snow is forecast to fall on the tops over the next couple of days. Up in Scotland it looks like the Cairngorms might receive a good dump of the white stuff... but its not quite time to sharpen the crampons yet, as my Spanish trip is only two weeks off. Training for it is going well despite a lack of skin on my finger tips... I just can't wait to get out of the wall and on to some sun kissed limestone!

I'm also in the process of sorting out a trip to Chamonix in December for some skiing and climbing! Can't wait.

Last week I enjoyed training up Therfield School for their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. They spent 4 days hiking over and through the hills of Snowdonia in preparation for their qualifying expedition in the Brecon Beacons next year. It always amazes me to see the determination these young people put into completing the award. Well done team.

View from Capel Curig to the Snowdon Horseshoe taken whilst waiting for my DofE group to reach the checkpoint!

My Office...

2010-10-10T20:32:00.004+01:00

The Indian Summer rolls on - got slightly sunburnt today and in a base layer at 600m!!

Diamond Times

2010-10-08T10:31:00.004+01:00

What a cracking afternoon at the Diamond - although frustrating for me as my lack of skin meant I did only 4 moves before calling it a day. Its such a nice place to hang out - especially as the late evening sun creeps round and then sets behind the Great Orme. I went down with Jim from V12 Outdoor and we were joined by a good local team.

Jim quickly fired off Never Get Out of the Boat, a tough 8a, on his second attempt and onsighted a 7b. Jon fell of the last move of his new 8a project and Doylo had a good burn on his project 8b?

The Diamond is an awesome spot for hard sport climbing but also a frustrating place to have a hard project. Its tidal and access is by a via ferrata from above 3hrs either side of low tide. Its also a tough place to get good conditions as it is often covered in a tidal grease that can take a long time to dissapear.

Tremadog....

2010-09-26T21:05:00.005+01:00

... the climbing on the Dolerite cliffs of Tremadog is some of the best in the world. I spent both my days off this weekend at Tremdog - inspired by a good forecast - sun and northerly winds - and the new Tremadog guide. The climbing is very technical and skills such as route reading and improvisation are very important. On most of the routes it doesn't matter how hard you can pull down or how strong your fingers are as the climbing is very subtle and requires a wide repertoire of techniques - slabs, corners, grooves, aretes, roofs - and often all in the space of one pitch or even sometimes a few moves!

There is also a good range of grades there - especially for those climbing at VS and above - and is a great, friendly environment in which to try your first multipitch climb.

In addition to this there is a cafe there run by the famous Eric Jones (solo north face of the Eiger, base jumping etc), all the routes are fairly quick to access from the road (some less than 2 minutes from the cafe), it gets much better weather than the mountains, the rock is beautiful and the craic is good.

What are you waiting for?

You can buy the new guidebook online or in shop from V12 Outdoors.

Multipitch sea cliff climbing

2010-09-26T20:48:00.006+01:00

On Thursday and Friday I was working for the Rock Climbing Company running a multipitch sea cliff climbing course. I was joined by Peter who had previous experience of traditional climbing from many years ago and sport climbs regularly indoors and outdoors. Peter wanted to broaden his horizons, get involved in some trad climbing again and have the confidence to climb in areas where sport climbing doesn't reach - big, gnarly multipitch sea cliffs.

On the first day we headed to Tremdaog to try and beat the weather and get Peter's multipitch systems up and running. We managed to climb Oberon and abseil off before the showers arrived. We then spent a bit of time looking at prusikking up a rope - useful for escaping from sea cliffs - before climbing Merlin in the rain!!

On Friday the weather was looking better so we headed to Anglesey. We spent the morning at Holyhead mountain looking at some self rescue skills, then when the sun came out we abseiled into Castell Helen on Gogarth. We climbed Lighthouse arete - a 3 pitch VS and Rap a tricky 2 pitch VS.

Climbing courses in Spain

2010-09-21T18:38:00.003+01:00

As the nights start to draw in and the weather gets wetter (is that possible?) and colder my mind starts to thinks about clipping bolts and climbing with the sun on my back in El Chorro. I'm heading out to stay at the Olive Branch again for November and will be available for guiding and a variety of tailored courses. So if you're new to Sport Climbing and want to know what its all about then give me a shout. The Olive Branch is a very friendly guesthouse situated underneath Las Encantadas - just one of many great sectors in the area. For more information on my courses and El Chorro visist www.snowdoniamountaineering.com/Spanish Sport Climbing Courses.html

Mountain Leader Training

2010-09-20T17:08:00.004+01:00

Last week I was instructing on a Mountain Leader Training course based at the Blue Peris Mountain Centre until a sudden attack of the lurg cut my week short. I always enjoys working on these courses and developing the skills and knowledge of potential mountain leaders. The course is for people for have already some experience of looking after themselves in the mountains and are thinking about leading groups in the mountains. Some does this as part of their career in the outdoor industry, some because they volunteer with Scouts or similar and some because they want to learn new but have not intention of leading groups.
After the training candidates can return once they have clocked up enough experience and are confident with their skills for a 5 day assessment. For more information on mountaineering qualifications visit MLTW and MLTUK.
Unfortunately my camera is still in the process of being fixed... come on Sony!

Llangollen Cragging

2010-09-14T19:41:00.002+01:00

On Saturday morning Snowdonia woke to heavy rain... we didn't despair as we knew that the sun would be shining on the excellent limestone crags above Llangollen. So we hopped in my van and made the slow drive down. How right we were!! John, Jim and I spent a fine day climbing on Craig Arthur which is home to a fine set of both sport and trad routes. I climbed the classic of the crag Digitron E2 and a great E3 called Manikins of Horror. I also fell off the last moves much to my annoyance of a really good 7a+.

Its well worth a visit down that way if you are in Snowdonia and the weather craps out. It takes between 1-1.5 hrs depending how many caravans are on the A5! Unfotunately I have no photos as my camera has broken and is on its way back to Sony. Rubbish!

Navigation Course Testimonial

2010-09-08T11:57:00.001+01:00

Rick and Claire sent me this testimonial following their navigation course in August... thanks guys.

Client Testimonial – Rick and Clare Marsh
One Day Navigation Course 14th August 2010

History

We had both got quite into walking and spending days out in the Lakes and Snowdonia. In July while summiting Scarfel Pike the weather conditions become quite poor with reduced visibility. Rick was quite happy at navigating and map reading but I had no knowledge and felt that should a situation arise where Rick was unable to take control then I would just panic. Returning home I researched various websites and courses but felt drawn to Rory as he obviously tailored each day to the individual.

The Day!

We met at 9am in a local café and discussed what we both wanted to achieve. At the start of the day having looked at a map and decided where we were heading I then proceeded to face in the opposite direction! When asked to walk 100metres I stopped at 10metres – I think you are starting to get the picture! At this point Rory realised just exactly what he had taken on!

We were guided by Rory all day and I can truly say the knowledge and information he gave us was duly digested and absorbed and even Rick admitted he had learnt so many new things and reinforced lots of other bit’s. As for me I can safely say I now know which way I need to go, how to take bearings and check distance and ultimately feel safe to navigate the mountain in various weather conditions.

We cannot recommend Rory’s course highly enough he is a great communicator and has an ability to explain things in a way you understand and keeps reinforcing this throughout the day.

Pembroke Holidays

2010-09-08T11:12:00.003+01:00

Deep water soloing Perfect pitch

I'm sat at home in sunny Snowdonia catching up on admin and emails before an afternoon out climbing. I've been pretty busy playing recently after a hectic August. I've been done to Pembroke for a good stint - first with Jen then later with Jim. We had great weather but at the weekend the sea was massive and made things a little frustrating as the starts of most routes where wet and the rock was very greasy. We got loads done and even sampled a bit of deep water soloing.
Here's a geeky tick list of all the routes I climbed:

Keelhaul E2 - Bosherton Head
Intensive Scare E2 - Bosherton Head
Bakers Door E1 - Bosherton Head
Unknown E3 - Bosherton Head

The Beast from the Undergrowth E2 - Huntsmans Leap
Shape Up E1 - Huntsmans Leap

Huntsman's Leap

Ultravixens E1 - Chapel point
Ultravox E2 - Chapel Point
Promised Hand E2 - Chapel Point
Green Peace E1 - Chapel Point

Mysteries E3 - Stennis Ford
Manzoku - Stennis Head

Sinecure E1 - Carreg y Barcud
Beyond the Azimuth E1 - Carreg y Barcud

Seconding Sinecure

Jen seconding Beyond the Azimuth

Perfect Pitch 6a+ - Lydstep DWS
Offshore Drift 6a+ - Lydstep DWS
Cellar Deck 6a+ - Lydstep DWS
Star Gate E3 - Mother Carey's
Mother Night E4 - Mother Carey's

Test Case E3 - St Govan's
Space Cadet E3 - St Govan's
Suspense E4 - Stennis Ford

Bloody Sunday E4 - Huntsman's Leap
Good Luck, Mr. Grondski E2 - Rusty Walls
Lucky Strike E1 - Rusty Walls

Navigation Course

2010-08-14T22:20:00.003+01:00

Clare and Rick on the summit of Cnict

Today I had a great day out with Rick and Clare navigating our way over the great mountain of Cnict. We even managed to stay dry which makes a change from recent days!

Looking back along the summit ridge of Cnict

Sunny Gogarth

2010-08-14T22:11:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I headed out to sunny Anglesey to venture onto the steep, loose and exciting Red Walls at Gogarth. These cliffs have now had the bird ban restrictions lifted so I was keen to get stuck in! Andy and I climbed the classic E3 Left Hand Red Wall - which has a fantastic 2nd pitch 100m above the sea.

3 awesome days of climbing instruction

2010-08-05T21:27:00.004+01:00

I'm sat at home, belly full of fajitas and G&T, very contented after 3 great days of 'work'. Today I took out Adrian for his first sea cliff climbing experience. Adrian is over on France for holiday and thought he would like to have a good bit of Welsh adventure climbing. We met at South Stack, Gogarth and made the short walk down to the top of Castell Helen. This is probably the most amenable of the Gogarth sea cliffs - it has solid rock, big holds, great gear and a good selection of mid grade routes. It also has a fantastic outlook, amazing coastal scenery and today views all the way to Ireland and the Isle of Man! It is one of my favourite places to climb and I never tire of making the 60m abseil to get to the bottom. I love how disconnected and isolated you feel at the bottom of a sea cliff - despite the fact that there are tourists wandering the cliff side paths above your head.
Adrian turned out to be a great climber and after climbing Lighthouse Arete and Rap (both 'very severe') we decided to up the anti and get on North West Passage - one of the best E1's at Gogarth.
What a great day! I was working for my friend Silvi of The Rock climbing Company today.

Lockwoods Chimney

2010-07-31T12:00:00.002+01:00

"The most traditional of routes. To gain full satisfaction it is best to do the route by moonlight; the party should be large and of large men (preferably drunk!). "

This is the description of Lockwoods Chimney from the old Tremadog and Cwm Silyn guidebook!! I climbed the route first in my uni days as part of a party of 20 odd, on a grim November night after a few ales in a local pub!

So with a terrible forecast for the day and Dom, Tom and Dunc up for a bit of adventure I decided it was time for another visit. It certainly lived up to its expectations and felt a lot harder than I remembered it being (no alcohol this time though!). Its certainly a tough old battle - especially as it was very wet and slippery. It definitely had the boys eyes out on stalks at times - both from the exposure at the top and the strain of wiggling up the tight chimney!