Duncan Paterson

La Sportiva Katana Size 39 for sale

2012-01-20T12:17:00.000Z

I have a pair of practically brand new La Sportiva Katanas size 39 for sale.

They've only been used twice indoors (one route each) as they are too small for me.
£65 including postage to mainland UK.

Email me if you're interested.

Lyon PPE Training

2011-12-10T14:26:00.001Z

Whilst I was in the Lakes for an AMI committee meeting I had the chance to take part in a training day run by Lyon Equipment for AMI members. The day looked at PPE inspection and maintenance highlights and moved onto equipment use Sports vs. Industrial in areas such as route setting on climbing walls and setting up tensioned lines (eg. Tyroleans and Zip wires).

MMM gear heaven!

Looking at Industrial equivalents of Sport set ups.

Within these topics there was a host of information on offer and it was all rounded off niceley by the chance to break some gear. Items destroyed included various scenarios (cross loading, gate open etc.) with good kit and failure tests with old used and abused kit (providing some interesting results for some).

Breaking kit is always fun (as long as its not in use)!

A great day with loads of information for us to take away and digest.

CWA Assessment

2011-12-07T18:06:00.001Z

Today i was working with Pete Hill on a CWA assessment at Transition Extreme. We had five candidates looking to gain the award. Fighting off the chilly climbing wall temperatures (warmer than outside) the guys were hard at it all day showing us their ability to instruct and coach groups on artificial climbing walls.

Tomorrow I am making a dash down to the Kendal climbing wall for an AMI committee meeting before attending a PPE inspection & maintenance course at Lyon equipment on Friday. I'll maybe have some pictures of the kit we get to destroy!

Ethics rule at Lochnagar

2011-12-02T18:23:00.001Z

Tom Stork and I made an early start to get out to Lochnagar for what we hoped would be our first winter route of the season. After a brisk walk in leaving the car park at Loch Muick at 6am (delayed by much tea drinking and biscuit munching) we reached the col before 8am.

Lochnagar panorama.

Unfortunately the white on the corrie rim seen form afar did not tell the full story. The ground on the approach is all nice and frozen with ground ice in many places. What little snow found on the ascent form the land rover track has been blasted off most of the buttresses in the corrie. There may have been something in nic on the main crag but as Tom was due in work in the afternoon we were confined to the eastern crags. Our ethics and common sense drew us back from the thought of getting any climbing done and we resided in the pece of mind that winter routes were not far away at all.

Tough Brown face, Black spout and the Western buttress.

Central and Shadow Buttresses.

The Cathedral area.

Form seeing it up close before we turned back from our second option of soloing an easier turfy option (which was bare) we both agreed that a little more accumulation of snow with a thaw and freeze will allow for a good build up of neve and ice.

Until next time...

MCofS Student Safety Seminar

2011-11-15T13:07:00.001Z

Last weekend I was up at Glenmore Lodge volunteering on the Safety Seminar for University students. The weekend comprises of a number of talks and discussions for general university mountaineering club related topics including; liability, hazards, scrambling, club equipment maintenance.

On Saturday I led a discussion on Scrambling and Hazard Management as well as teaching navigation skills. Sunday saw the studets split into two groups; one for navigation on the hill and the other at various crags looking at different aspects of outdoor climbing. My group were looking at stance setup, leading using parallel ropes and personal abseiling; whilst others covered topics from an introduction to outdoor climbing to problem solving and rescue techniques.

Placing runners.

Heather self lining next to a student assisting with advice when required.

Abseiling from the crag.

Awaiting the arrival of the second.

Sponsorship opportunities for the new "Dream Tower" at Transition Extreme

2011-11-08T19:37:00.001Z

Over the last couple of nights we've been showcasing the new climbing wall development coming to Transition Extrame in early 2012.

There are a number of sponsorship opportunities from £10 holds with your name on them through to corporate sponsorship of the wall! It's not only available right now though; we'll be offering these opportunities for the months to come.

I'll be sponsoring a few holds myself as a wee immortalisation on the wall! What a great Christmas present. Once the current stock of holds have been sposored we'll get another batch of different holds for sponsorship.

All proceeds go towards new holds' volumes and developmet of the climbing facility. Large corporate sponsorship will aid the charitable work that Transition Extreme carries out in the North East of Scotland.

Check out www.transition-extreme.com for more information.

Scottish tooling series at Transition

2011-10-29T10:24:00.001+01:00

After a days setting on Friday the third round of the Scottish Tooling series is underway.

Keep an eye out for more pics but in the meantime here's some to wet the appetite for tooling tomnfoolery.

Climbing Wall Award Training spaces available

2011-10-02T16:42:00.000+01:00

There is a Climbing Wall Award (CWA) training course running in Aberdeen on the 19th and 20th November with spaces available to book. The course is directed and provided by Pete Hill MIC.

This course provides the starting point for the MLTUK administered scheme for instructing groups on artificial climbing walls in the UK. To find out more click one of the links above. There are some minimum requirements for attending this course (climbing experience and being registered with the MLTUK for the CWA).

If you're already in the know about the scheme or would like to book then do so through Pete's site here where you will find all the information you need.

Lead climbing and problem solving at Meikle Partans

2011-09-25T13:14:00.001+01:00

Sarah was back for more yesterday with her Mum Anne. We spent the day at Meikle Partans (a fantastic granite crag north of Aberdeen). The aim for the day was to consolidate on the lead climbing skills we look at the previous week and push in some more thoughts about gear placement and tactics on the climb. Belayer safety was also a topic of conversation.

Sarah leading Jug Wall (Diff)*.

Ready for action.

Sarah half way up Constellation (Severe)**.

Nearing the awkward top out.

The mass of climbing the girls undertook was broken up by discussions and practice of some common problems; their solution and the all important avoidance of them all together. Examples of the problems we looked at ranged from a 2nd climbing past a runner, a stuck or injured 2nd and the nasty unconscious leader or second on a long traverse. Within this some key knots and practices were looked at providing a more simple way to get to grips with all the ropework. After all having ten solutions in your mind is only any use if you know how to work with the kit you have!

Tying off the belay plate.

Lead climbing progression

2011-09-17T13:20:00.001+01:00

Catching up on posts here;

I was out at the sea cliffs on Thursday with Sarah and Anne to look at lead climbing skills whilst boosting confidence on the sharp end.

Sarah was climbing whilst Anne was very much the patient belayer happy to be out on the rock. The main topics we looked at included; tactics before and during the climb, reflective view after the climb, choice of protection and fine tuning of top rope set ups.

A sunny day at last!

2011-09-04T22:01:00.000+01:00

After postponing our day out last week in the hope of finding some reliable dry weather; Kerstin, Matthew and I were very lucky today down at the Aberdeen sea cliffs.

Kerstin and Matt ready for action!

I have spent the last couple of weeks running quite a bit both cross country and in the hills so getting abck to teaching on the rock amidst the rubbish weather was great especially since the sun was out and no jackets were required!

Top rope belaying practice.

Kerstin was looking to get the mileage back on the rock and get her son Matthew the same sort of experience since the weight difference between the two quite rightly makes belaying logistics quite difficult. We spent the morning on bottom ropes to begin with and moved onto seconding a leader and top rope belaying. Finishing after lunch they were both hungry for more and hopefully the weather will treat them again for a mountain adventure soon!

Climbing at the pass

2011-08-21T10:40:00.000+01:00

Lauren, Rachel and I were climbing at the Pass of Ballater on Friday for a few hours. They both wanted to get into and gain confidence in leading with leader placed protection. They climbed some easer routes on the second and then after a bite to eat and re-hydration had a look at gear placements.

Rachel leading Rightguard (Diff).

They were soon back on the rock getting the leads in. We also looked at personal abseiling off the top of the crag using a prussik as a back up.

Lauren leading inside Lime Chimney (Diff).

To round the day off they opted for getting on something a little more tricky so they both followed me up Lucky Strike (VS 4c)***.

Lauren and Lucky Strike (VS4c***).

I had Saturday off and made good use of the weather to get out for a good hill run with Sam. In my usual spirit we took the 'adventurous' route on the way up to Clachnabien to join the path further up towards the forest. Busy, busy, busy it was with lots of couples and families out for a relaxing walk.

Kit for sale

2011-08-18T10:05:00.001+01:00

I have some surplus kit for sale. All items are brand new.

Postage to UK address only (included in price).

1x DMM Torque Nut Set £42

2x Petzl Verso belay device £14 each or £25 for 2

2x DMM Bug Belay device £10 each

7x DMM Tru Screw screwgates £7 each or £43 for 7

4x DMM Aero straight gate snaps £5 each or 4 for £18

5x DMM Aero bent gate snaps £5 each or 5 for £23

2x DMM Aero HMS screwgates £7 each

Drop me an email of you're interested.

Cheers

Sunny day out on the sea cliffs

2011-08-14T21:59:00.000+01:00

Well today was certainly a turn for the better with some 'scorchio' for long last! Jana, Carter and Maddie were joined by visiting friends; Dennis, Toy, Ranee and Dyson for a sunny session on the sea cliffs. We were climbing at Miekle Partans today for a change of scenery and climbing.

Toy nearing the top (Slains castle in the background).

Jana after fighting her way through the tough section.

Everyone did very well with their climbing (especially in the heat) and made the most of both the easy and hard routes set in front of them. After plenty of climbing we had an abseil to round off the session.

Chilling in the sun.

Abseiling.

Lauren was out with me today to have some exposure to the outdoor instructing world as she is looking to go down that path at some point. Put to work; Lauren was helping tie in, belay and teach the kids some different knots. She even overcame a past bad experience of abseiling when she was younger.

Lauren teaching some knots.

Lauren controlling the safety rope on the abseil.

A damp day in Sneachda

2011-08-12T09:56:00.000+01:00

Having travelled back to Aberdeen for a holiday; Aaron had been in touch to get out into the mountains. Unfortunately we couldn't have predicted how bad the weather was to be recently and had to make the best of it. The Nothern Cairngorms had the better forecast for Thursday so we drove up and headed into Coire an t-Snechda. Everything was wet and the cloud refused to lift higher than the corrie rim for most of the day.

Aaron making progress up pitch three of Fingers Ridge (Diff**).

We opted for Fingers Ridge (Diff) first as its straight forward and fine in the wet. Our hope was that other routes closer to VS would be dry enough for us to get on later in the day. This was not the case as critical sections of a number of routes were still soaking whilst the rest of the route looked dry.

Conquered!

Aaron was keen to get in some abseil practice so instead of just packing up we climbed Lamp Direct (Severe) which ended up almost as wet as many other portions of the crag. At least the grade was at the right level to meander up and practice the abseiling whilst getting a route in.

Aaron making his way up the wet and a little dirty Lamp Direct (Sev).

Back on Eagle Ridge (in the wet)

2011-08-07T10:54:00.000+01:00

Stu was up my neck of the woods for a second day on Saturday with a hankering for some Cairngorm granite (even though he doesn't like big sloping rock). To give him the best of a bad day weather wise Eagle Ridge (severe)****; the four star Scottish classic was a fair option. Sam was also with us since Aila was with her grandparents.

Famous grouse moment?

An ever misty but very warm and midge walk in dropped us into the corrie and up to the base of the route for 11am. The first pitch is typically wet as it takes a while to dry unlike the rest of the route; yesterday was no exception. The mist and occasional spit of rain had been keeping the corners wet and greasy. The higher up we went and the more exposed the climbing was the rock became a lot drier.

Me belaying Stu after leading the first long pitch.

Stu leading into the mist.

Sam tackling one of the very greasy corners.

Sam following up the arete high on Eagle Ridge (Sev)****.

Having run a 50 metre pitch to begin with; I let Stu take over the lead through the easier and somewhat trickier terrain for two pitches that led to the Sentry Box. A slight squeeze but it was welcomed by both Sam and Stu. No matter who i'm climbing with on this route I always seem to get perched on the outside of it above the gaping void of Douglas Gibson Gully.

Respite of the Sentry Box.

Clouds lifting over the loch.

Stu at the summit belay.

Sam escaping the mist on the final slab.

A penultimate long pitch by myself through the crux walls and the final shorter pitch by Stu up the enjoyable slab led us to the summit plateau. By the time we were climbing the final pitch the mist had began to clear offering us better views than previously on offer (30 to 40 metres). Another cracking day adding extra excitement with the wet rock amidst the dry!

Kiss the guns!

Walking in the mist.

Done!

Scrambling in the Cairngorms

2011-08-07T10:32:00.000+01:00

Kelly and her band of merry co-workers were looking for an away day with a difference. Well on Friday they got it; scrambling, munro bagging and a good laugh in between.

The team were looking for a scrambling taster and an opportunity to take in the mountain environment so we decided to aim for the Fiacaill Ridge and Ben Macdui. A good friend of mine; Stu was out helping today making the other half of the 'Dynamic Duo' complete.

Time being against us as some required longer beauty sleep than others we opted to walk to the Cairngorm summit and back to the cars.

Moving through the wet rock on the 'Twin Ribs'.

Halfway across the Fiacaill ridge!

Cheese!

The weather let us down as we began our scrambling but soon cleared up by the end of it and allowed us to dry off and enjoy the views.

Looking south toward Ben Mheadoin.

Stu went a little 'funny' during the course of the day!

Kelly's heroes with the ridge in the background.

Walking off the summit of Cairngorm (cairn and weather station in the background).

Pot of Gold and Savage Slit; Multipitch Climbing in the Cairngorms

2011-07-31T10:53:00.001+01:00

Ross and Patrick have been busy racking up their climbing mileage on the local sea cliffs and surrounding crags over the last month. Yesterday they teamed up once again to venture into the hills for some multipitch climbing.

After pouring over the guidebooks (and a few pointers on my part) we set our sights on Pot of gold (Severe) in Coire an t-Sneachda and Savage slit (Severe)**** in Coire an Lochain (the northern corries). The weather was fantastic with mixed sunshine broken by occasional clouds to keep the temperature manageable. The still air did bring on the midges at the car park and in the base of the corries so movement up the first pitches was brisk...

Ross starting off on Pot of Gold (Sev).

Patrick approaching the first belay.

Pot of gold was first on the list seeing Ross start his lead of the first pitch at 10am. We took a more direct start up the slabs rather than approaching from the right (as the guidebook picture may suggest) to avoid the wet rock. Alternate leads gave Patrick the middle wall to overcome and Ross topped out into the sunshine at midday. An overlooked route by most this predominantly winter route gives some nice straightforward climbing for ninety metres.

Climbing to the sky.

Ross exiting the top chimney.

Onward to Coira an Lochain over the tops via the summit of Cairn Lochain we went. For ease we walked down the west side of the corrie and left our bags at the lochan; only carrying climbing kit and a bag for walking boots up to the route.

Climbers on Savage slit (Sev)****

Crystal clear water.

Patrick linking the first and second pitches described in the guidebook.

Having a look down.

Ross a long way down on Savage slit.

Patrick had the first lead and eventually the whole lead of the route climbing in style both in and out of the huge crack which gives the climb it's name. Since there were no other teams waiting to climb the route we chose to make use of the tat and abseil down to the base of the climb and then back to the bags.

Arriving at the belay.

Patrick bridging above the belay placing his second runner.

In the slit.

Whoever ordered the weather yesterday can keep it up as we could do with plenty more! Ending the day on a high we made for the car and back to Aberdeen; Ross and Patrick conjuring up their next adventure.

Coire an Lochain Panorama looking north.

Family day out

2011-07-25T09:49:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I was out with family of three; Jana, Carter and Maddie for a half days climbing at the local sea cliffs. We made the most of the weather and headed to Black Rock Gulch for their first experience of rock climbing.

Jana having a boulder after a 'coaching top up'.

Not only did everyone pick up the climbing quickly but also the technical side of tying in and belaying; a whole family of natural climbers! To round off the session an abseil down the crag landed us back at the bags. Carter descended first with Maddie and Jana abseiling together.

Maddie and Jana making the descent together.

The good and the bad (weather) on Skye

2011-06-26T10:53:00.000+01:00

After travelling across to Skye on Thursday afternoon I met up with the 'uDare' group organised by Wayne in the pub at Slichagan. The group of seven in total were all from either London or Kent and looking for some exposure to the Scottish mountain environment.

Blaven.

With the weather looking like our best day would be Friday it left Saturday with low cloud and drizzly rain forecast. We made for Blaven (Bla Bheinn) and set off form the car park at 10am. The weather gave us a brilliant day with spectacular views only broken by some clouds by the time we reached the upper slopes.

The lower tracks leading towards the basin.

(Keen bean) Mary waiting on the others to surmount the difficulties.

Looking south.

Photo opportunity!

The gang having summited Blaven with the Cullin ridge in the background.

The descent was a little slower as the loose rock and scree patches proved difficult for those not used to such conditions. Carefully however, we made it down and back to the car park in good time stopping every so often for a bite to eat and more importantly on a day like Friday; water!

Slow progress through the loose path and scree.

Saturday was a stereotypical Highland day with eh low cloud, waves of rain and drizzle and at times a glimmer of blue sky that never quite amounts to anything. To give us the best views we kept to a lower height and to a stroll up the path to the Old Man of Storr and had a look at the fantastic geological formations in the area. A quick drive up the coast and we were back out again looking at some historical and environmental aspects of the landscape including crofting, farming, clearances and much more.

Saturday's visibility at the Old Man of Storr (background).

Once everyone was suitably damp we headed for base camp and I hit the road to return back home to Aberdeen.

Maybe some of the only dry rock in Scotland!

2011-06-19T11:12:00.000+01:00

Silvia, Mike and I made a break through the doom and gloom of the cloud and rain of Aberdeenshire towards the Moray coast yesterday.

The direction of the wind favored Logie Head allowing us to keep out of the worst of the wind most of the day (except topping out). The rain held off for the most part and didn't cause too much of a problem.

Mike and Silvia having a play with some kit.

Silvia was out looking to get the mileage in on the trad routes before getting on the lead; whilst Mike was experiencing rock climbing for the first time. Throughout the day we focussed on getting on the routes to push the comfort zone a little. Between the cranking I gave some coaching into footwork and movement principles with some technical topics throughout the day.

Mike making a reach.

Silvia enjoying the nice rock at Logie Head.

A good day considering the weather was so bad everywhere else and it showed when the crag became quite busy for a few hours at lunchtime. Not many pics today as we were just too busy keeping moving!

Topping out.

Waiting for the days to match the weather

2011-06-15T20:32:00.000+01:00

I've been back under the radar (a common occurrence lately) with work at Transition and having some quality family time. Amidst the busyness I've managed to keep active with some hill runs and route setting at the wall.

Friday is looking reasonable weather wise and more importantly I'm off so the hills are beckoning. Provided the weather doesn't do anything bizarre I have a days teaching on Saturday and then over to Skye for work next week I'll keep my sanity balanced by topping up the hill time!

Keep an eye out for posts and pictures!!

Pushing the grade

2011-06-06T18:24:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I was out at the Pass with Ross and Patrick to progress their leading and technical skills.

Ross leading Aftershave (S).

Ross following Patrick up Lucky Strike (VS 4c***).

Throughout the day we looked at not only pushing climbing ability but also how to deal with difficult situations whilst on the lead. For the purpose of getting out themselves and trying their hand at the harder grades we covered setting up bottom rope systems.

Patrick beginning the first traverse after the initial corner on Medium Cool (VS 4c**).

Its harder than it looks!

At the tree belay.

Ross following on.

In all they got about a dozen routes in and even had a play with prussiking and tying off belay plates. There's not many pics of different climbs as we were far too busy cranking hard on routes like Stinker (E1 5b*), Little Cenotaph (HVS 5b**) and Pink Wall (VS 5a*).

Patrick on the rather bold and thin pitch two of Medium Cool.

Ross setting off from the belay.

Eagle Ridge in the sun sun sun

2011-06-03T16:45:00.001+01:00

Phew, I've been looking forward to the weather improving again and yesterday was a great day!

Stuart had long wanted to climb Eagle Ridge (S/HS****) so yesterday we headed up to Lochnagar with a clear objective.

Eagle Ridge (S/HS****).

There's still some snow holding on in the corrie in the gullies but I expect with the rate it was melting the patches won't last too much longer. We started climbing at 11am with Stuart setting off on the lead for the first pitch which was surprisingly dry! Linking the guide book pitches one and two together, and a prompt lead by myself we made good progress and found ourselves at mid height on the route by midday.

Stuart placing gear on pitch 1.

Reaching the crest mid way up Eagle Ridge.

Pushing through the mid sections that provide some obstacles in between the nice comfortable corner climbing or airy aretes; the short steep walls made sure you were still concentrating.

Tackling the first wall.

Moving towards the 'sentry box'.

The second wall.

The sun kept shining illuminating every pitch that appeared over the crest of the ridge but keeping the corner pitches in the shade. We topped out at 2pm and with a short walk we enjoyed our lunch at the summit mound out of the wind.

The final pitch up a sunny slab.

Even though I have climbed Eagle Ridge a number of times it had been almost two years since I had been on it. It still throws some surprises your way no matter what you remember.

A small panorama from the Lochnagar summit.

Glen Clova

2011-05-29T11:14:00.002+01:00

I was out with Ross and Patrick on Friday for a days climbing at Glen Clova. The focus of the day was the introduction of multipitch climbing and stance management to their existing experience.

Patrick climbing Beanstalk (VS 4b*).

We started on Beanstalk (VS 4b*) for the guys to second moving onto Twenty Minute Route (Moderate *). This gave some nice and easy terrain to introduce setting up and working with stances and changeovers.

Ross threading a block on Twenty Minute Route (Mod*).

"That way!"; stance two on Twenty Minute Route.

With the weather holding we carried on optimistically and ventured up to the Upper North West crag to get on Alder VS**. This was split into two pitches; Patrick leading the first and Ross the second pitch. With more difficult terrain to climb this proved to be a little tricky.

The hand!

Arm jam on Alder (VS**).

Patrick climbing the second pitch of Alder.

A winding descent back to the bags and a bite to eat provided a little breather before moving over to the South East crag. By combining the short Parapet Route Direct (HS) and the longer Central Crack (HS***) the pair ascended the crag in three pitches.

Two distant climbers at the bottom of South East crag.

Pitch one of Central Crack (HS***) but pitch two of our chosen route.

After the traverse and before the steepening.

Belaying at the stance.

Ross found the second pitch (the main crack on Central crack) quite challenging and later discovered that Patrick managed to get the two slightly easier pitches! For Patrick's last pitch his added hurdle to overcome was the rain that was now coming down quite frequent making the rock a little slippery. Nonetheless he breezed on through topping out on pleasant rock.

Patrick climbing confidently.

Changeover.

Leading the last pitch on Central Crack.

Belaying at the top of South East Crag.

Ups and downs

2011-05-20T13:31:00.000+01:00

I'm still here!

The last few weeks have been rather eventful for me having had illness and injuries one after the other. I also passed my MIA assessment at the start of the month so that was a great relief and achievement. Work at Transition Extreme is keeping me busy as we're heading into School activity week and holiday time.

Fortunately the weather may well get back to the more favourable side for the start of June where outdoor work is hotting up again for me.

Don't forget about the great offer on multiple day courses as listed on the website! Even if you're not looking for a five but rather a two, three or four day course I can offer some incentives if the course runs on consecutive days.

Consolidation and improvement

2011-04-22T17:17:00.001+01:00

With a day off work Ross was out for more action again yesterday at Ballater.

Ross looking for the gear on Ping Pong (Severe).

We were looking at building on the anchor selection and stance construction that we had covered the other week. Ross was also keen to get on some harder ground.

Tying in to the stance.

After some climbing we looked at multiple point anchor systems and the different considerations when setting them up to belay a seconding climber.

Mantle shelf on Lucky Strike (VS 4c***).

Ross was leading again amidst the harder routes I was throwing at him and consolidating his experience and leading capability. There's not many pictures today as we were hard at it and a number of the climbs we were on such as Medium Cool (VS***) did not offer great photo opportunities.

Plan C

2011-04-17T11:38:00.000+01:00

Well, as the title suggests yesterday was a day of compromises. Derek and I were aiming our sights at The Needle on the Shelterstone crag. Unfortunately this was not to be; the second crux pitch in the middle of the route was obviously wet. A dark patch in the shade and a glistening coating on the rock in the sunshine.

So, after a quick alteration of the plan (moving to plan B); we made for Stac an Faraidh along the shores of Loch Avon. We held hope for maybe one or two good lines being dry amongst the seeping.

This was not to be as we were again presented with large streaks of damp and somewhat more running water than expected. We weren't too shocked as the crag has a good slop above it providing higher quantities of melt water.

Plan C it was (we even had a plan D!); Stag rocks. Monarch of the Glen or Windchill was our aim. Saving some faff we opted for Windchill (HVS*) up the front of the crag next to Sand Pyper Direct that I was on last week.

Setting off.

At belay 1 on Windchill (HVS*).

This proved to be another interesting and enjoyable route with a few cheeky surprises higher up. Derek really 'enjoyed' the recurring mantle moves along the way on flat ledges and slopers.

Looking.

Aiming.

Focus.

We picked some challenging lines whilst keeping to the route as much as possible. Higher up the final steep moves provided some entertainment pulling up through a roof on hollow blocks that Derek maintains were 'wedged' in at the back. Unfortunately for him; mid moves through the difficulties Derek managed to get cramp in his thumb of all places and therefore had to relinquish the lead to me. A quick down climb to the belay and a swap over I pushed on through into the final crack section.

Derek before the cramp set in on the final crux through the steep moves.

Overall this route was very enjoyable giving some nice granite slabs lower down and some steeper moves higher up through varying terrain.

An abseil down the central depression in the crag positioned us at the bottom and back to the bags. All that was left was to march back up onto the plateau and down the Chais ski area via 1141.

For Sale: Mammut Courmayeur Advanced Pants

2011-04-12T20:47:00.000+01:00

I have a pair of Mammut Courmayeur Advanced Pants EU size 46 waist for sale.

They are brand new but missing the sales tags as I was so eager to get wearing them before i discovered they didn't fit!

Yours for £120 (rrp £145) plus £3 postage.

Drop me an email if you're interested.

A morning at the pass

2011-04-12T18:17:00.001+01:00

Ross and I were at the Pass of Ballater getting to grips with leading and anchors for the morning on Saturday.

Having been out on the hills bagging winter routes with me Ross was looking to get his rock shoes back on and skill up for the summer. A half day session was in order to get Ross started with his first leads and securing himself at the top of the crag.

First lead! Ross on Rightguard (Diff).

Ross 'in' Lime Chimney (VDiff).

The Pass became very busy very quickly so we threw in a abseil retreat off the crag early on to prevent any disruption to popular routes.

Ross leading the ever popular Jumbled Blocks Crack (VDiff*).

Clipping the rope.

Topping out on Ping Pong (Severe).

Well done to Ross getting so much climbing done in so little time!

Paying the Sand Pyper

2011-04-12T18:10:00.000+01:00

I was away last week having some family time. I managed to squeeze some climbing in too so here's post one of two from some of the exploits.

Friday gave Stuart and I a chance to head to the South facing gem; Stag Rocks. I spent a lot of time on or near the crag in the early season last year whilst many other crags were bounded by problematic snow approaches or head walls.

The Longbow crag of Stag Rocks. Sand Pyper Direct (HVS**) goes vaguely up the centre of the crag.

The voices in my head became louder and louder as our sun drenched approach neared its end. 'Sandy Pyper' they were saying in an ever convincing manner! Who was I to argue?

Stuart mid pitch on the start of Sand Pyper Direct (HVS**).

The weather held all day despite our reserved paranoia thus giving us some real warmth in the sun broken from time to time by the cool light winds.

Stuart led the first pitch (two of the guidebook pitches in one) but veered slightly off route. A quick return by way of some interesting maneuverers we were back on track. Never keen on returning to the bottom of the crag if we can help it both of us were climbing with our sacs. This added a little more excitement to balance and power required for the climb. I eventually relinquished my bag three quarters of the way up the second 4c pitch to mace a long reach on undercuts and smears to a damp sloper. The only water we encountered on the route was at this critical point!
Without the bag I made the reach and continued to climb in my ape like style whenever offered a hanging lip to climb.

Getting back on track.

(A long time ago in a galaxy) A long way away.

Stuart at the belay.

Me with the Shelterstone crag in the background.

Balancing on the crimps.

Almost at the top of pitch 4. One more and some scrambling to do!

I led the remaining pitches and typically the crux pitch felt easier than expected even with a bag on my back! We topped out in good time after the remaining scramble had been dealt with. The Stag Rock crag really gives you a great view of the surrounding Cairngorm area. Maybe not the furthest view but given that you can see to Bennachie, Ben Avon and Ben Macdhui. in closer proximity you are greeted with fantastic crags such as Creag a Choire Etchachan, Carn Etchachan and the Shelterstone holding its' citadel walls begging to be breached!

Loch Avon panorama.

The Graeme Cooper Memorial Race 24th April 2011

2011-04-01T17:10:00.002+01:00

The Graeme Cooper Memorial Race 24th April 2011

This year’s Graeme Cooper Memorial Race will be held on the 24th April.

The course will comprise of a 12km run around Loch Muick, (undulating, rocky terrain with minimal height gain) and a final loch side challenge at the boat house, before the sprint back to our club bothy at Allt-na-Guibhsaich for refreshments.

Entrants need not be super-fit and the course can be run or walked. There will be a small entry fee of £2 per person that alongside donation buckets will raise money towards the Cairngorm, Braemar and Aberdeen Mountain Rescue teams.

Itinerary for the 24th April
Transport from Aberdeen Sports Village - 10:00am
Glen Muick car park / Alt Na G - 11:30
Race start – 12:30
Food/prizes/drink to finish
Minibuses to leave at approx 16:00, although feel free to stay on later.

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/student_societies/lairig/hillrace

Back at the Pass

2011-03-22T08:27:00.000Z

Well the rock weather is definitely here when the sun comes out!

We're really getting some brilliant days at the moment for both the hills and crags. Derek and I opted for the crag on Saturday and made for Ballater. The sun was out for the most part warming us up on the granite.

Since it was one of the first rock outings for either of us we were more than happy (as usual) to get on the classics to get the brains dusted off and working again.

Where did that foothold go?

Leading Original Route (VS 5a**).

Searching.

Derek on Medium Cool (VS 4c***).

The tree belay.

Looking for the moves.

That's another fine mess you've got me into!

A pair on Silent Spring (E1 5a***).

Out with the reach of the photographer routes we climbed included; Black Custard, Little Cenotaph, Lucky Strike to name but a few.

Derek on Brut (VS 5a).

Bring on the sunshine and sun kissed rock!

Raeburns Gully

2011-03-06T11:08:00.000Z

Making the most of the sunshine and settled weather that Scotland has been experiencing from the lingering high pressure Ross and I made for Lochnagar to get in some more winter climbing.

Lochanagar on the 5th March 2011.

The weather was calm but muggy in the morning with some low lying cloud hanging on. Throughout the day the visibility improved brilliantly moving from a slight inversion in the corrie to higher based broken clouds. Eventually all making way for blue skies and sunshine! Just what the doctor ordered...

There were a number of parties out yesterday with six on Raeburns! unsurprisingly those looking for a harder challenge had to search around for the ice and neve that was hanging in there as quite a lot was looking a little fragile. Scarface was a good example of the harsh thaw that has stripped back what was nice solid ice conditions.

Avalanche debris at the bottom of Douglas Gibson and Polyphemus Gully.

So up we went moving quickly to keep ahead of the masses and keep above much of the debris that was to be dislodged down the gully. The recent avalanche debris on the run out from Douglas Gibson and Polyphemus can be seen from quite a distance. Raeburns had a small amount of debris but I suspect this has come from adjacent routes as we experienced snow and ice falling from these routes and funnelling down the gully.

Raeburns Gully II**** from above the crux.

Due to the exiting dodging of ice and snow I don't have any pictures of the bad condition the crux of the route was in. In a word: "wet!". The remaining ice was melting fast and very hollow. However all teams seemed to make fast progress through the difficulties.

Ross after the crux (and after feeling pump!).

Sun breaking through the cloud at the top of Raeburns.

One happy chappy.

Ross leading through to the cornice.

Ross was moving well and fought through the crux and back into the safety of the side of the gully and out of the firing line of falling ice. Once we had gained the upper snow slopes and were within reach of the top out Ross was eager to continue. So on he went climbing confidently and cautiously making sure all placements were good placements.

Raeburns top out (bottom right) with large cornice at the opposite side.

Fortunately the escape out left of the large overhanging cornice had experienced a small collapse; thus providing a nice easy ramp to surmount and top out. We topped out at 2pm and in the sun.

Greeted back to the car park by the Red Deer.

Kit for sale

2011-03-01T18:47:00.000Z

Its that clear out time again! Oddly enough I'm selling off new kit that have no use for not old tatty stuff.

The kit on offer includes:

Brand new DMM carabiners (Boa HMS and Zodiac screwgates).
Belay plates (including Petzl Gri Gri).
DMM Cirque walking axe (barely used).
Sportiva Solution Climbing shoes.

If you would like more information or interested in prices then drop me an email here.

A sunny day at Ballater

2011-02-27T10:23:00.000Z

Pierre (a student from last summer) was back for more action yesterday with three of his friends (Raffa, Ana and Simina). We were fortunate to get a good forecast giving us sunshine for most of the day with only a couple of very light and short showers.

Super psyched!

All four were looking to get some experience outside of their current abilities as 'Sport' climbers by learning the basics of 'Trad' climbing.

Pierre fighting through Stinker E1 5b*.

Simina cruising Razor's Crack VS 4c*.

Ana following up Lucky Strike VS 4c***.

The morning was spent getting the mileage in on the Western section turning to focus on anchor placement and top roping. By the afternoon everyone got a lead climb in and were making it all look way to easy!

Rafa finding the holds.

A happy leader!

An abseil to finish in style.

To finish off we abseiled down off the crag to introduce retreating off a climb or top of a crag. What a great start to the season on the rock. I'm looking forward to getting out again soon!

Winter Mountain Leader course

2011-02-27T10:13:00.000Z

Last week I was away participating on a Winter Mountain Leader Training course run by Pete Hill from the Saturday to Thursday.

We had many battles on our hands for the week including wild weather and the hoards of tourists up for the holidays. The course covered much of the Mountain Leader Training award for taking groups into the hills in winter. Topics included; safe travel in a winter environment, rescue and safety principles, emergency shelters and navigation to name but a few.

Here's some pics from the week (when the weather was more camera friendly).

Cornice safety.

Walking into Coire an t' Sneachda.

Testing the anchor.

Snow bollard abseil.

Building our snow holes.

That iconic pose from Mr Hill!

Busy week of CPD

2011-02-18T16:33:00.001Z

This week I have been shadowing Pete Hill on some courses including CWA Assessment, CWA Training and CW Leading Award (CWLA) Training.

This has been a brilliant opportunity to add to my experience of these courses and bulk up those that I have worked on before such as the CWA Training. New knowledge is good knowledge after all.

Next week I'm off to participate in a Winter Mountain Leader Training course so fingers crossed the weather is nice at least some of the time. I will post again throughout the week and add photo's when i can.

After Thursday I am back to the real world again and available for courses and days out amidst my work at Transition Extreme. Even the rock is tempting me at the moment to get the feel back again.

Backing off

2011-02-13T12:05:00.000Z

On Friday I picked up Derek nice and early so we could make the most of the promising forecast given for the first half of the day. the weather was set to close in later in the day and that it did.

Belhaven V,6** moves up the ledges in the foreground and follows the groove in the centre of the photograph.

We arrived in Coire an t' Sneachda in good time after an hours walk in and raring to go. Belhaven V,6** was the eventual choice after some much needed nibbles. So up we went to the Fiacalle Buttress area and prepped for the route.

You're happy now; just wait!

The first pitch threw an interesting start at us right away but soon changed into slightly easier climbing if a little poorly protected in places. Forced higher than i would have liked I set up the belay quite far up the steep corner.

Derek starting up the initial wall.

Derek followed up in style without much difficulty through the toucher thin sections.

Pulling through.

"Where's the holds?"

"Just you wait 'till i get to the belay!"

Unfortunately the second pitch threw a hard choice at me. Not knowing what was lurking higher up I couldn't tell if the route was going to offer up any protection or good holds. There was a sheet of thin verglas on the right wall and only a narrow ice trough in the corner. After moving up a little higher from the belay I managed to ascertain that: a) I couldn't distinguish whether the ominous rounded granite was good enough to get my axes on and that the ice would hold, b) there was no gear whatsoever for quite a distance c) once I had moved up any further I wasn't going to be able to reverse the moves and d) if a fall was to happen then Derek would have a rather new look to himself and his clothes consisting of puncture marks!

So as you may have guessed already I backed down and agreed with Derek to leave it for another day where hopefully the climbing was a bit more generous. I think the clinching factor was looking at the left hand steep wall and realising that I could romp up that if I could take my crampons and axes off! I wonder what that says?

The Seam IV,5***

After the abseil down we moved up into The Seam IV,5*** but after getting myself into the first difficulties I had truly had enough and was verging on becoming a bear with a sore head. Down we climbed again and made for the car beating the incoming poor weather.

The view East from half way up Belhaven towards Cairngorm.

As Derek pointed out in an effort to appease my frustration "The corrie's been there for a few million years; I'm sure it'll be there next week!"

How very true; until next time...

5 Day Course Special offer

2011-02-09T21:39:00.000Z

5 Day courses for Mountaineering and Rock Climbing are a fantastic way to introduce yourself to the Mountain or Climbing world or develop the skills you already have. Typically these courses will cover a variety of topics which will ultimately be tailored to the student. This may include getting a specific route or mountain ticked off, enhancing your crag experience around the country or progressing your skills into lead climbing. Why not tackle all three?

For prices check out my website and get in touch!

Busy away from the hills

2011-02-03T22:18:00.000Z

Since the AMI meeting last weekend I've been very busy with work in Transition this week. We have the final of the Bouldering League tomorrow then for me its two days off to spend with the family (phew!).

I've been playing with a couple of photos and thought I would post them up since there hasn't been much action on the blog this week.
The top is a collection of pictures from May 2010 taken with my old camera. The lower picture was taken in January this year with a view to stitch together for a panorama.

Looking south to west from the cairn at 1141 at the top of Coire Cas. Spot Derek walking up the path.

Lochnagar corrie in its glory.

Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM

2011-01-29T23:23:00.000Z

This weekend I'm up at Glenmore Lodge for the AGM and workshop weekend for the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI).

Today there were a number of workgroups covering various aspects including GPS, Transievers and Dry toolng to name but a few. I was taking part in the Mountain Leader Training providers workshop. This looked at helping those providing or working on MLT courses such as CWA, SPA, ML etc.

The group chat at Kingussie.

Steve descending the icy step demonstrating the 'wrist wrap' technique.

Nick Bullock gave us an entertaining evening lecture talking about his exploits in the last year. So now I'm relaxing with a cup of tea whilst the masses ply themselves with the abmer foaming ale. Up in the morning for more workshops and meetings.

The Gift

2011-01-23T10:50:00.001Z

Ross and Charlie were back for more action yesterday as they were looking to get another route ticked off. Back again we went up the track towards Lochnagar avoiding the icy sections of the path on our way. Being the weekend there were numerous parties heading into the corrie and up to the summit.

We ascended the snow slopes up towards Perseverance Wall and 'The Gift' (II**). Conditions here were quite thin in places and offered a harder climb that originally anticipated. Nevertheless both Ross and Charlie made good progress up the climb.

Charlie conquering the steep corner of the Gift II **.

Approaching the belay.

Typical of winter climbing is that there's rarely a belay exactly when you want one so I was unable to get photos of the steeper corner.

Ross approaching the steep finish.

The top out offered a steep few moves onto the rock ledges to avoid the cornice. Well done to both the guys for fighting through in style!

Under the cornice.

Phew!

Charlie making the moves.

Reach!

A quick pack up and gathering of ropes and we made out way to the Red Spout area to practice an abseil off the top to retrieve out bags. After traversing round for the bags we made the trek back to the car having enjoyed superb weather and equally good climbing.

Polyphemus on a bright day

2011-01-21T21:27:00.004Z

Today Derek and I made an ascent of the classic grade V,5 gully of Lochnagar. The conditions were mainly firm with great neve and ice. only a few cruddy patches got in our way.

The gully is formed fairly well but could to with some build up. The cornice however doesn't need more of anything! We managed to avoid the worst by traversing right onto the mildly overhanging section to gain the bomber placements on the plateau to top out.

The ice build up is varied and takes the grade into a firm five as there are some thinner sections on steep rock with a lack of runners. The snowpack is probably ninety precent of the time brilliant with only a few powder and hollow areas.

Here some photos and a video from the day:

Derek after the first steep crux.

A quick breather!

The steep snow pitch leading to more ice.

Long way up!

Derek tackling the crumbly step at the top of the snow pitch.

Done!

Looking down the second ice pitch on Polyphemus Gully V,5 ****

Topping out!

And another one in the bag.

I was happy too!

Climbers on Eagle Ridge VI,6 ****

The snow crest of Eagle Ridge.

You may not see it but we could hear that this guy was very happy to have reached the top!

Solid Lochnagar Conditions

2011-01-19T16:10:00.001Z

This morning offered up a bright and not too cold day giving me a chance to nip up Lochnagar to have a look at the conditions for the weekend.

An early start saw me at the car park in Glen Muick for 07:30 and just enough time for a quick snooze. More than usual I think the Hare population had a death wish. I was halted by quite a few and stuck in second gear as one decided to run up the road with me. Once the Hare obstacle course was run the Deer came out to play and in large numbers!

The walk in was nice and firm with only the slippery hard packed snow and ice in places posing a problem Time to the col: seventy five minutes.

The 'typical' Lochnagar shot.

The thaw last week has stripped a lot of the build up back from the buttresses but has left enough to play on for many of the routes. With the consolidation doing its job the snow pack is for the most part solid on top and very slippery. Turf is well frozen and the remaining ice looks inviting (you'll see West Gully in one of the pictures).

The Cathedral Buttress.

Eagle Ridge and the Parallel gullies.

Black Spout and Western Buttress.

I had limited time on my side as was to be in work at Transition this afternoon. I had intended to head to the Cathedral Buttress but with the cornices looking large over the easier routes (albeit firm looking) I couldn't justify taking the chance on my own. Instead I made my way to the Sunshine Buttress just in front of Cathedral and climber the less well known Ham Butty III (a soft III at that considering the conditions were so good).

Looking down Ham Butty III.

Looking up towards the top of Ham Butty III.

Back down over the (very) small cornice.

A quick photo stop mid route and I was promptly at the top after clearing the small cornice to make life easier. I also have a couple of videos; one of which includes close ups of the corrie so I'll upload this when I get a chance tomorrow. Hopefully the pictures will get your mouth watering for the weekends activities!

The excellent view south towards Clova and Angus.

Just like busses

2011-01-18T21:06:00.000Z

With the recent thaw and mixed weather I've avoided the hills and been eagerly awaiting the nicer weather.

I'll be popping up to Lochnagar tomorrow for a wee look see at the corrie before work in the afternoon. I'm planning on climbing on Friday and Saturday this week to make the most of the weather and conditions.

Keep an eye out on the blog for more regular posts as I've given myself a stern talking to for not posting enough. Next week looks to hold some more adventures as I am looking at a couple days climbing and the Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM at Glenmore lodge at the end of the month.

Stay Safe!

A good start to the new year

2011-01-03T10:49:00.000Z

Ross and I had already endured one harsh failed day last week due to weather and we were determined not to let it happen again.

So yesterday we headed back out to Lochnagar to tick the first route in the corrie for Ross for 2011 that he's been looking to do in an effort to further his winter climbing experience.

Conditions were fantastic underfoot and we weren't disappointed with the climbing either. We had a feeling that may be the case form the walk in as most of the paths (and drive up Glen Muick) were covered in ice. The corrie has a good covering of ice and solid neve as the recent thaw freeze cycle had done its job.

Central Buttress was the climb of choice providing Ross with a good introduction to buttress climbing in Lochnagar. After a brisk walk in and drop down from the col we made our way up the lower slopes to get kitted up.

The long snow slope.

An initial steep section provided a small taste of what was to come followed by an easier snow slop for thirty metres. Following this we continued up the route every trending right towards the crest of the buttress. The presence of increasing winds howling through the boulders meant we were close enough!

Stowing the gear whilst negotiating the boulders.

Making the ascent towards the col on Central Buttress II/III*.

The higher pitches before the col pitch gave Ross some challenging manoeuvres round large boulders and up technical corners. Most of the cracks are filled with ice from what i could see but there were a number of them still either partly clear or just clear enough to take rock runners.

Ross removing the warthog.

The verglass corner hight up on Central Buttress.

After the col we made for the top and a bite to eat. Success!

Done!

I was glad to see so many other groups out on the hill as the corrie seemed to be brimming with activity and a flow of climbers and walkers gave some interesting watching as they slipped on the ice approach and dotted about like ants.

Aladdin's Mirror Direct

2010-12-13T13:32:00.001Z

Having been very busy at Transition lately including Boulder competitions and the like I've only managed out to the hills a couple of times in the last few weeks. To add to this; not having a great camera at the moment i find myself reluctant to post reports with either no photo or what tends to turn out as low quality photo's from my phone camera (regardless of how good they claim to be).

Sam and I made the most of a day to ourselves and headed off to the Northern Corries for a day out on Sunday. The weather looked good with very light winds and a reasonable cloud level. Fortunately MWIS were right (as the are most of the time) and with the recent thaw passed the temperatures have dropped again. The snowpack is nice and firm giving excellent climbing conditions with plenty of ice where you want it but not much in the cracks so gear is good.

Fed and watered after the walk in!

Aladdin's Mirror Direct (IV) was the plan as it has a nice ice pitch that setting up a bottom rope for Sam to have a play was easy enough. After a while spent looking at technique and getting the muscles working hard on the steeper sections we grabbed the bags and continued up the rest of the route. Given that the conditions were so good and a lack of wind we moved together for the most part and made things a little more exciting to finish off the route by taking on the steepest exit from the route.

Sam getting ready for action.

Sam having a play on Aladdin's Mirror Direct (IV)

There's always time to pose for the camera.

The ice was variable but for the most part either thick and chewy or just the right consistency for the axes. Having said that the ominous dripping around us held true to the inversion that was forecast giving higher temperatures in the corrie than down at loch Morlich. I reckon after a day or so the ice will really start to form nice and fat again!

The final moves of the ice pitch.

On the upper slopes.

A brief stop and bite to eat on the plateau and we headed round the corrie rim to 1141 and through the Ciste bowl amidst the skiers and boarders.

Finished!

A brilliant day in brilliant conditions made all the easer by the pleasant walking conditions! Well done Sam for fighting those hot aches on the vertical ice!

First winter route of the season

2010-11-16T18:34:00.000Z

Yesterday gave me a chance to get out to the hills for a route to make the most of the current conditions. After changing my original plan of heading out on Monday I was alone in my endeavour (boo to those of you in Monday to Friday jobs!).

Lochnagar was on the cards with no real set plan of action as I didn't know what to expect with regards to conditions. I left the Spittal of Glen Muik car park at 08:50 in minus six degrees after a wee nap in the car to boost the enthusiasm/energy.

Everything was frozen en-route and the view of the corrie was very enticing as the hillsides were plastered and rimed.

I made a break for Central Buttress (III) having only seen one other pair of climbers heading for the Cathedral area and one man and his dog walking towards the summit. Having climbed Central Buttress before on a number of occasions I mixed things up a little by heading to some technical ground to get the body moving as it should from the previous week's abuse of long journeys and comp setting.

Topping out threw me from calm windless climbing to the forecast howling wind and spindrift for later in the day. As you may agree hanging about was not an option. A brisk walk back saw me down at the carpark a mere five hours after leaving.

To Ballater and the bakers!

Fighting with time whilst others fight the weather

2010-10-26T21:40:00.000+01:00

Things are pretty quiet at the moment for me in terms of getting out. Transition Extreme is keeping me busy with my job as Centre Manager. We also have a lot of competitions and events on that require a lot of time. Check out the TE blog for more information.

I'm off to Ratho tomorrow for a NICAS seminar and a road trip in November to various walls and skate parks sandwiching an ABC meeting in Manchester.

Things are hotting up for winter with a lot of climbing having been done last week during the cold spell. Unfortunately a hamstring injury kept me away form the hills. Here's hoping we get another cold spell soon for my own climbing and the folks that are asking for winter days with me already.

Mountain Leader Training Expedition

2010-10-16T10:06:00.000+01:00

Amongst being busy with work at Transition and family life I had some time to help out Pete Hill by running a ML training exped on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

The six candidates worked well in the extensive low cloud shrouding the Cairngorms as we made our way from the Ski centre onto the plateau looking at various topics included in the syllabus such as group management, environmental impact and awareness, hazard avoidance and navigation.

Looking west from the upper slopes of Ben Macdhui towards Cairn Toul and Angels Peak.

After setting up camp on the upper slopes of Ben Macdhui and enjoying a hot meal we set off to bag the second highest summit in the UK for the guys who hadn't been up there. Following watching the sun go do down it was time for more navigation; this time in the dark and a lot more testing for the trainees.

From the mist we came and into the mist we go.

Thursday provided a fresh coating of low cloud with only brief glimpses of distant hills.

Peter, Alan, Lee, Donald, Robbie & Tim.

Well done to the super six!

First day on rock

2010-09-20T18:37:00.000+01:00

I'm getting a bit behind with keeping the blog up to date!

Charlie was out with me at the Pass of Ballater for a somewhat cooler and damper day than we'd hoped for. Nonetheless we got a lot of climbing done. It was Charlie's first day on rock but that didn't stop him from pushing himself!

Of the many popular routes we climbed Original Route (VS 5a**) and Lucky Strike (VS 4c***) are in the list. Charlie even got two leads in on a VDiff and Severe; Jumble Block Crack and Ping Pong respectively.

In between climbs we had a chat and look at gear placement and personal abseils. Lots of climbing and three abseils later we headed for home (and Charlie for a well deserved pint I would think!!!).

I should be out again later this week if the weather stays fine; such is the case increasingly at this time of the year unfortunately.

CWA training course

2010-09-03T09:57:00.001+01:00

I've spent the last two days working on a Climbing Wall Award training course with Pete Hill based in Aberdeen. The course had been organised primarily for Transition Extreme and RGU: Sport climbing staff.

Debs doing all the hard work whilst Callum belays.

Ahh; spot the sensible course director...

Day one was spent at RGU and included wall considerations, personal climbing, warming up and equipment use. Day two included the remaining major elements of the CWA including; group management, session format and problem avoidance and solving.

Karen and James playing with toys.

Now everyone hold hands and sing on the count of three!

Linda working on her balance; either that or she's at the forefront of a fashion trend!

The Abseil module of the scheme was bundled into the course on the Thursday afternoon so I spent most of the day in the upper atmosphere of Transition Extreme; a.k.a. the abseil ledge working through the set-up and management of group abseils.

As Tamzyn looks longingly for a safe descent all she got from Al was a fiendish grin...

Look what I did; Richard ready to abseil.

A really fun two days made all the better by the standard and characters in the group. My thoughts go out to those whose brains were beginning to implode at the end of day two!

For sale: Sportiva Katana size EU 36

2010-08-13T11:33:00.001+01:00

I have a pair of nearly new (only used a few times briefly) Sportiva Katanas for sale. They are size 36 and in excellent condition. Samantha decided she'd rather not lop off her toes to fit into them hence the sale...

Price: £65

drop me an email at duncan@nemountain.co.uk if you're interested.

MIA client days

2010-08-08T10:33:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd post some pics from the client days from last week. One day was a Teaching Climbing day at Huntly's Cave and the other was a Mountain Day on the Anoach Eagach ridge in Glen Coe.

Miles emerging from the Slot (severe).

Wow! That's one happy belayer!

Perched on a ledge.

Molly moving through up the Cave Route (HS***).

Both days gave us a mixture of cloudy but warm(ish) weather.

The guys on the Anoach Eagach.

The men who were never there! (Jon and Mark).

Finished with the difficulties on the ridge.

Thanks again to Miles and Molly for being a great help!

Final days of July

2010-08-01T00:14:00.000+01:00

I've spent today up at Glenmore Lodge with a friend of mine that I met on my MIA training last year; Stu.

On Friday Sam, Stuart and I made our way for an afternoon of climbing at the Pass of Ballater. Routes including Stinker, Black Custard, Lucky strike, Right hand crack and Ping pong were climbed as this was Stuarts' first visit to the crag.

Sam finished the day off with a brilliant lead on Original Route (VS 5a**) that was approached and climbed with composure, style and finesse (if only the rest of us copuld do the same!!).

The camera didn't come out but a sneaky few pics were taken of me leading Stinker (E1 5b*); I've lost count of the ascents I've made of some of these climbs. When I have convinced my phone to let me upload the photos I'll post them. in the mean time here's some pics of Stuart on todays action in the rain.

Stuart attempting to push over the fingers!

"Can I get down now? It's kinda windy!"

Today Stuart and I aimed to get onto the elusive Magic Crack but yet again we were disappointed. Not because of crowds but due to the bad weather and frequent showers. Instead we took the opportunity to polish off our flora knowledge and took the easy option of climbing Fingers Ridge (Diff*). We topped out for some food and then bumbled a bout the plateau looking for very random indistinguishable features for our navigation exercise.

Well off to be, another day of polishing those key skills tomorrow!

The route to Salvation

2010-07-26T10:14:00.000+01:00

Sam and I took an opportunity to get out to the hills for a short day yesterday and headed into Sneachda. Originally the plan was to head into Hells Lum in the Loch Avon basin but we were keen to rescue the babysitters promptly.

In we walked taking moments along the way to polish my flora and fauna knowledge by inundating Sam with various names and facts.

Sam finishing the second pitch up the rock rib.

Magic Crack (HVS ***) was our aim but with numerous teams on it and queuing we opted for a once starred VS; Salvation to its right.

Approaching the crux moves on Salvation (VS 4c*) Coire an t' Sneachda.

Moving up the final main slab after the crux (left).

The roude follows a nice mixture of steep slab and wall sections with the crux being a move through a bulging overlap on good holds.

Sam topping out with the Fiacaill Ridge and Buttress in the background.

Four pitches of pleasant climbing later came the abseil back down. There's scrambling terrain above the climbs here but more often than not this will involve wet turf sections. The weather held for us with only a few very light showers that dried off the superb granite quickly with the help of the blustery wind.

The only way is down!

Well done Sam for making the crux moves look so easy!

A sunny aftefternoon at the sea cliffs

2010-07-22T19:36:00.001+01:00

A brief post just to update the blog.

Sam and I enjoyed a sunny afternoon at Deceptive Wall today whilst Aila was keeping her grandparents entertained.

I led a couple of routes throughout the afternoon but Sam managed to lead quite a few and got a chance to brush up on her stance set-up.

We're heading out to the hills on Sunday with a friend of mine to get a mountain day and hopefully route in ; so keep an eye out early next week for another post!

Tower Ridge

2010-07-19T18:36:00.002+01:00

I'm back in the North East now after a cross country trip over the weekend.

Graham and Grant happy in the rain on Tower Ridge (Diff****).

I was helping out Alan and Rich on Saturday with five clients on Tower Ridge. Yet again the weather was much and such the same as my last outing there; wet, windy and misty!

In the Tower Gap.

The final slopes towards the summit of Ben Nevis (still shrouded in mist).

I was working with Graham and Grant who between them have a long and varied range of mountain experiences so they managed very well up the route. Upon topping out just after 2pm we had a quick bite to eat and made a brisk descent back to the car via the zig zags and halfway lochan.

I'll post photo's in the next couple of days when I get a chance.

Simple solutions to common problems

2010-07-08T21:39:00.001+01:00

As mentioned previously; Ben and I headed out on Tuesday afternoon to Meikle Partans for a look at some problem solving.

The main emphasis was tidying up rope work as well as dealing with possible common problems and how to solve them as simply as possible. After all; who enjoys hanging on the end of a rope, stuck for hours whilst your partner fashions some sort of spaghetti junction style system to get you down?

The weather held off the rain and the wind was only a problem at the top of the crag.

Intro to Rock on the Aberdeen sea cliffs

2010-07-08T21:35:00.000+01:00

Wednesday evening provided Catrin, Christina and I the chance to get out to the local cliffs for some climbing. Catrin had a little outdoor experience but touching rock was all new for Christina as both regularly climb indoors at Transition Extreme.

Catrin having a go at belaying Christina up and away form the incoming tide!

Happy as she climbs!

Both managed five climbs in only a few hours which is an achievement in itself given it was their first outing. We started on a Diff and quickly progressed onto Severe with a slightly harder climb to finish with.

Christina brining up Catrin on a nice wee Severe.

Smiles all around.

After some good routes and banter we headed home happy with getting a taste for outdoor climbing.

Great climbing guys; keep it up!

AMI Trainee workshop

2010-07-05T23:22:00.000+01:00

I spent the weekend just passed based up at/near Aviemore for another Trainee Workshop provided by the Association of Mountaineering Instructors.

Posing at the Glenmore Lodge wall.

This workshop focussed on providing a forum for all participants to put forward their desired topics to cover over the two days. The main topics included problem solving, rescues, multi-pitch stance management and teaching climbing.

Self lining at Huntly's Cave.

On Saturday we headed to Huntly's Cave to make the most of the reasonably nice weather and steep ground for hanging around.

Mmm knots... Guide plate orientation and climber attachment.

Sunday was horrific in terms of weather so; instead of attempting to bear the 90mph gusts we based ourselves at Glenmore Lodge and worked on the bolts and climbing wall there. From basic rigging drills through to rescuing unconscious climbers on the end of a rope and escaping the system we managed to get through a lot of topics before the brains began to melt. At which point tea and cake was on the minds heralding the end of the workshop.

What you'd do to rescue your buddy!

Another hugely valuable weekend dusting off the cobwebs and bringing different minds and experiences together.

Weather permitting; Ben and I will be out at the cliffs looking at similar topics as he is pushing his multi-pitch climbing experiences and is looking to be confident in dealing with common problems and their simple solutions.

Ardverikie Wall

2010-06-27T11:30:00.000+01:00

Now I must say that after each winter I forget the horrors of what can only be described as a 'Midge Feast'. Not that I forget about the Midges; just how tremendously bad they can be. Our perfect camping spot with a breeze on Thursday night became a haven for the Midges and beyond our powers to cope on the Friday morning!

Rather bold climbing at the top of pitch one Ardverikie Wall (HS 4b***)

With this in mind our breakfast and packing up was carried out somewhat hastily. Fortunately the walk into Ardverikie Wall was a lot more pleasant with not one Midge finding us for the rest of the day.

Ben mowing towards the belay at the top of pitch one.

About an hour and a half saw us at the foot of the crag and first on the route (no bikes today which would have been super quick). The rock on this section of the crag is similar of that to Crag Dubh with many reliable solid sections and a few rather hollow flakes and features.

Climbing the 'Fantastic Flake' on pitch two.

Setting up the belay.

The climbing was enjoyable if a little bold for the most part and offered some interesting manoeuvres. The positioning is brilliant as the route works its way fairly direct up the steep slabby wall giving some excellent chances to stop and take in the surroundings.

Looking back down the third pitch and Ben at the belay.

Ben moving through the final mini bulge before the big ledge (penultimate pitch).

Five pitches and one frog later (interesting wee story); we were yet again lunching ourselves at the top. The direct route home was called for; taking us over the back of Binean Shauss and through the grassy slopes to the main estate path getting us back to the car in just inside an hour.

Home and family were calling so back over east we drove mopping up the dead midges from the car as we went.

A misty Tower Ridge

2010-06-27T11:13:00.000+01:00

Ben and I drove over to the west as planned on Wednesday night and camped in Glen Coe with the intention of climbing something spicy on the Buchaille. Unfortunately the weather dictated otherwise...

The Buchaille is there... somewhere.

The new plan for Thursday was to head to the Ben and get on Tower Ridge (Diff****). Away we went for the relatively short drive through Fort William to the North Face car park. A warm but grey walk in didn't dampen our spirits as coming within sight of the impressive crags in the corrie can do nothing but inspire!

Tower Ridge (right) and North East Buttress (left) shrouded by mist.

Ben following up the rocky steps.

We opted for the ascent from the left of the Douglas Boulder joining the ridge at the wee chimney.Apart from one other chap we had the ridge to ourselves; or so it seemed in the pea soup fog! Ben was happy to second up the ridge as I put my short roping skills into practice.

Through the keyhole!

Passing Tower Gap with the Great Tower in the misty background.

Three hours after we began on the ridge we gained the summit into, well yes; more pea soup fog. Laziness got the better of us and instead of taking a more direct descent we took the tourist path down to the halfway lochan before cutting down through the grassy slopes towards the car park.

Sitting having lunch on the summit of Ben Nevis.

A somewhat wet and dull day but a fantastic day out in the hills nonetheless.

MLTA Scottish meet day 2

2010-06-21T16:46:00.000+01:00

Now that I'm back to a computer I can post some pics from Sunday's exploits a bit quicker than from the Blackberry!

After a sunny but windy day at Kingussie the team from Saturday along with Rich Parker from Big Sky Mountaineering headed into Coire an t' Sneachda for some multipitch shenanigans. Five of the 8 headed for finders ridge whilst Mark, Al and I opted for No Blue Skies (VS 4c); a popular winter route yet surprisingly pleasant summer route too!

Al and Mark enjoying the big ledge I found for a belay (windy ledge that is) on No Blue Skies (VS 4c).

The wind was blowing about the corrie but merely twenty metres away from the rim all was still on the Cairngorm Plateau.

Wendell on Fingers Ridge (Diff *) running away from the Rescue Chopper! ;)

A fine day and a great end to the weekend. Weather permitting Ben and I will head west on Thursday and Friday this week in search of some mountain routes (or scrambling if the rain comes early!).

MLTA regional meet day one

2010-06-19T17:51:00.003+01:00

Amongst the cloud and cooled by blustery wind; a group of us from around the country descended on Kingussie crag. The six of us enjoyed the sun and heat that emerged around lunchtime whilst we got some climbing and technical practice in.

The weekend has been organised by Alan Halewood on behalf of the Mountain Leader Training Association. The purpose being to bring together different people and different experiences from SPA, ML holders and MIA trainees with some guidance from MIC's.

check out:
www.mlta.co.uk for more information
And www.alanhalewood.blogspot.com for more on this weekend.

Andy and Brian enjoying the sun at the top of Kingussie Crag.

Me making a move off of the HVS to make an intermediate stance for laughs.

Photo Courtesy of Andy.

Giving Andy some handy hints for lead climbing.

Photo Courtesy of Alan Halewood.

An evening with the Midges

2010-06-16T09:38:00.001+01:00

fter working at Transition yesterday I met Patrick en-route to Ballater for a couple hours of climbing. We fancied the central section for some longer and more 'adventurous' routes. Giant Flake Route (VS 4c)*** allowed us to set up a stance half way to alternate leads.

Looking from the Cnetral to the Western Section. Climbers on Little Cenotaph (HVS 5b)**

After a couple of climbs the Midges began to emerge as we quickly became their main course! As the pace of climbing quickened Patrick led Creak and Squeak (HVS 5a) through the numerous hollow and somewhat dubious rock. I certainly wont rush to climb that again; good lead by Patrick!

Patrick looking for Holds and bomber gear on Creak and Squeak (HVS 5a)

We looked to finish the evening on Convoy (VS 4c)* and as mid height was reached we were confronted with a bird nest. Retreating slightly we avoided too much disruption and finished back up Giant Flake Route. A bit of a downer for the end of the evening but climbing nonetheless.

I have a few more days at Transition this week then I am away north to the MLTA Scottish Regional Meet for the weekend.

AMI Short Roping Workshop

2010-06-07T17:41:00.001+01:00

In preparation for an up and coming assessment I was away this weekend taking part in a Trainee Workshop provided by the Association of Mountaineering Instructors for its members.

The focus of the workshop was Short Roping and the issues surrounding it. Short Roping is typically used on steep ground that is not quite full on rock climbing terrain but merits the use of a rope whether it for confidence of party members or to safeguard the group.

What to do in poor vis?

MWIS deserves a pat on the back for the weekends forecast as we enjoyed sunny warms spells on Saturday between occasional heavy showers (allowing us to utilise the 'Boil in the Bag' technique of wearing waterproofs in warm weather!). Sunday was exceedingly poor with frequent if not constant showers and low visibility.

Rolling cloud anyone?

George enjoys some respite from the rain whilst everyone is busy.

An easy and short day in the corries

2010-06-07T17:29:00.000+01:00

With a short day in mind; Diana and I headed to the northern corries for some easy climbing. Having seen countless photos of climbers between the fingers of Fingers Ridge (Diff) Diana was up for a photo opportunity of her own.

We headed up the route and got the photos as well as taking in some nice climbing. Unfortunately the theme for my day was restraining myself from throwing my now unexplainable broken camera off the ridge! We used Diana's camera for the remainder of the day (so keep an eye out for the pics to follow).

Pygmy Ridge (Moderate) is a very popular winter route and a pleasant summer jaunt. It starts above and to the right of Aladdins Buttress giving a scenic and atmospheric climb higher up in the corrie.

A quick pack up and we were back to the car for 5pm having enjoyed a gloomy morning and a bright and surprisingly warm afternoon!

Gear for Sale!

2010-06-02T19:25:00.000+01:00

I have had a clear out of sorts and am looking to sell some older kit that I do not use.

Varied condition and age (see jpeg below). If you want any more info please get in touch.

Rope skills and leading at the Pass

2010-05-24T13:35:00.000+01:00

After the rain had cleared for the afternoon Patrick and I made a break for the Pass of Ballater yesterday. The weather cleared up and gave us some sunshine through the clouds from time to time.

Patrick is working towards his SPA this year and was out to get back into the swing of things after being drawn away form climbing regularly by the demands of work and family life. We will be working on aspects covered in the syllabus from personal climbing through to group management, and crag activities. The award is administered by Mountain Leader Training UK and provides a nationally recognised qualification for supervising groups on indoor climbing walls and outdoor single pitch climbing venues.

Patrick leading Ping Pong (Severe).

Nothing like a good nut placement!

To start off the year Patrick and I were looking at personal climbing and top rope belay systems as well as personal abseils.

Placing a runner on Pink Wall (VS 5a**).

Patrick protecting an abseil with Prussik knot (under his left hand).

It was great to be back out with Patrick as it is having past students come back to learn new skills or simply have a refresher. Ironically (in business terms) my drive is to arm clients with the knowledge and confidence to get out and enjoy the crags and mountains safely without me. It give me such a sense of achievement to bring the wonders of the outdoors to others and see them enjoy it as much as i do.

Until next time!

Summer is here and hopefully to stay!

2010-05-21T10:13:00.001+01:00

Diana and I popped over to the northern Cairngorms on Wednesday for another good hill day. Without a set climbing objective we followed out noses and the sun down to Loch Avon. Given more time i would have been keen to get further afield either to the crags demanding longer walk in or away to the west.

So given that Stac an Faraidh was partially dry (a number of climbs on both the west and east flanks!); which is quite surprising due to the amount of snow melt still going on.

Damage to paths due to the hard winter.

Diana with Carn Etchachan and the Shelterstone crag in the background.

It was Diana's first multipitch climb and she was up for a challenge being a fitness junkie and all! We opted for Macks Dilemma (VS**) on the West Flank as it followed the driest line up the left edge of the crag.

Stac an Faraidh. Macks Dilemma (VS 4c**) follows

the main left slab up and onto the left bounding wall.

We were both in agreement to carry our bags on the climb to save us time (even if it added a grade to the climbing!).

Nice easy slabs.

A comfy belay (minus the odd drip of water).

Moving up the second pitch (third in the guidebook).

Leading all the pitches I gave Diana the chance to take in some nice scenery and enjoy the climbing. The first pitch like many on the crags around this area can fool you with their lack of steepness. The climb steepens with height and then falls away again at the top finishing with a short scrambling section.

Happy on the upper slabs; Macks Dilemma (VS 4c**).

Delirious or delusional?

With some interesting route finding for such a short climb (130 to 150metres) we made good progress whilst climbing in the sun.

Where did all the holds go?

Diana did very well to find her way through the difficulties and sometimes distinct lack of holds.

Going up the snow may be hard work but

going down is not just easy but its quick too!

We topped out at about half past five and packed our gear to head home.
Another great day out in the hills. Let's hope for more of this good weather to let everyone get out and about onto the crags. So far the mountains (well the northern Cairngorms anyway) have been quite quiet when I've been out).

Longbow Direct

2010-05-16T11:52:00.000+01:00

Derek and I made a break for the Northern Cairngorms on Friday after a drive out Deeside proved to do nothing but inspire us to stay dry in the car! Through the gloomy clouds and rain we arrived at a sunny Cairngorm for a jaunt to some dry rock.

Lots of snow even with the warmer temperatures!

I was quite surprised to find that the snowfall in the last week had managed to hold on in some areas providing a little more of a covering on the tops than when I visited last. Nevertheless many crags are free form snow and dry.

Looking up towards the crag. Hells Lum in the right background with the

Shelterstone out of sight and looming in the shade on the left.

Stag Rocks was our target mainly for the amount of sunshine it gets all day long. In the sun we were toasty warm but when the clouds came in from time to time and the wind picked up it became quite chilly.

Stag Rocks Right hand Section 'Longbow Crag'. Longbow Direct (VS*) starts at the pink fault on the left and continues up and slightly left to the big roof near the horizon where it moves right and up through easier terrain.

1st slab pitch.

Belay before the 5a crux wall.

After the first slab pitch (two in the guidebook) we met the 5a pitch with some reserved anticipation as a few light shower came and went. Fortunately they amounted to very little and were the last we had. I pushed through the imposing wall somewhat easier after the initial struggle to find the hidden holds!

Happy to be on the traverse shelf after the crux.

Derek following up the 4c pitch.

The following pitch is a brilliant 4c escapade through jugs, laybacks, corners and arêtes. The climb seemed to have it all! Derek followed on up and prompted a wee debate on whether the 5a or 4c pitch was harder! Go figure...

Leading the final difficulties.

The next couple of pitches were Derek's to lead; leaving me the final scrambling to the top. Our descent for the bags became somewhat interesting as our ropes refused to be pulled down (despite thorough testing!) thus causing us to change tactics.

One happy chappy!

Looking back.

Longbow Direct only gets one star in the guidebook; is it worth more? My opinion would be yes; at least 2 stars. The climb offers an array of climbing on different holds and situations in less than 200 metres. A brilliant option for those not wishing to undertake the 9, 10, 11 pitch giants on the other side of Loch Avon.

Oh boy were we glad that missed us!

A quick jaunt back to the car aided by the snow and we were the last to leave the car park.