Saturday, 28th August, 2010

Summer in the Alps

Another busy Alpine season is drawing to a close and my legs are looking forward to a well earned rest. Its been a mixed season with some great days in the mountains but some frustrating stormy weather to contend with.

I spent July working with the Joint Service Mountain Training Centre delivering alpine courses in Saas Grund, Switzerland. Over a three week period a range of courses were delivered to 120 service personnel.

During the first week of August I went on to join the guiding team at ISM to deliver a five day tour of Switzerland’s Oberland range. The team were marred by stormy weather a fresh snow fall but we made the most of a few clear days and climbed the Monch and the Gross Fiescherhorn.

The weather cleared just in time for the arrival of my most honoured client. On the second week of August my Dad arrived for our annual farther and son climbing trip. We spent a great few days climbing Mont Blanc de Cheilon traversing the Pigne de Arolla and drinking some good wine, fantastic.

Tuesday, 8th June, 2010

Back on Home Soil/Rock

Back on home Soil/Rock

Back from a busy two months ski work in the alps I was keen to get some rock climbing done and reverse the migration of muscle from my thighs to my arms!

After a few weeks training I was coming back on line and making the most of a fantastic dry spell. Notable ascents included Citadel E5 6a, King Wad E6 6b, Nectarine Run E5 6b, Quantum Jump E5 6b and Killer Krankie E5 6b.

Back to the Alps next week so trying to cram a few more in!

Thursday, 29th April, 2010

Chamonix Off Piste

Ski Mountaineering in the Alps

Over March and April I’ve been skiing in the European Alps. Based in Chamonix I divided my time between off piste work in the Mont Blanc Massif and ski mountaineering in both France and Switzerland.

On my days off we had an attempt at a one day ski ascent of the Blanc and some fantastic thigh deep powder sessions on the Grand Montets.

Over the final week in April Paul Warnock, Phil Ashby and I completed our guides ski test. The test lasted six days and put us through our paces in the French and Swiss Alpine regions. This was the final test for us all and the end of a long process of training and assessment.

Saturday, 6th February, 2010

Fresh Tracks in the Oppland

I’ve spent the last ten days ski touring in an exceptionally cold Oppland, Norway.

The team spent five days warming up at Hafjell, the 1992 Olympic venue near Lillehammer. The resort offers some great skiing and due to the exceptionally cold temperatures the snow remained in great condition.

Once ski legs were fully restored we set off for a three day tour in the Central Oppland. We enjoyed three cloudless days, beautiful views of the Rondanne Mountains and a chance encounter with a heard of reindeer. It was however a trifle cold with temperatures seldom rising above minus thirty.

Sunday, 10th January, 2010

Ice Cold in Rjukan

Ice Cold In Rjukan

I was lucky enough to spend January delivering water ice courses on behalf of the Joint Service Mountain Training Centre in Rjukan, Norway.

Better known for its World War II heavy water plant the Rjukan valley plays host to some of Europe finest water ice.

Over three weeks a team of JSMTC instructors delivered the Join Service Winter Climbing Instructor Award. This qualification will allow successful candidates to deliver winter climbing courses back at their home units.

The majority of the fifteen students were successful and some great routes were climbed.

Wednesday, 23rd December, 2009

Off Piste In Chamonix and La Grave

Christmas in Chamonix

I’ve recently been enjoying a well earned rest in the Mont Blanc Massif. The early season snow has been fantastic, offering deep off piste powder skiing. Along with Paul Knowles, Dave Evans, Lucy Ham and Jake Morgan we had a thigh pumping ten days of powder hunting in Chamonix and la Grave.

Monday, 30th November, 2009

Welsh Winter Walking and Climbing Conditions in Snowdonia

Snowdon winter climbing and walking conditions

I was up in the mountains today enjoying a wintery trip over Crib Goch. The snow line is currently fairly high starting at around 600m with icing and rhyming evident above 800m. The turf appeared soft and insulated from the cold so be thoughtful if you are hoping for a spot of early season mixed action.

I was quite amazed at the amount of snow high on the mountain. At times I was labouring through knee to waist deep snow on the leeward aspect of Crib Goch. A lot of the snow has transformed into slushy ice requiring an axe and crampons for safe travel.

The forecast for latter in the week in turning milder so not sure what will be left for the weekend warriors.

Tuesday, 27th October, 2009

Back In Snowdonia

After fourteen weeks of sun drenched alpinism I’m now back in my local mountains of Wales delivering training and assessment courses on behalf of the Joint Service Mountain Training Centre, Indefatigable.

Weekends have been jam packed with climbing trips in Snowdonia and Derbyshire. With autumn now in full swing I have been getting re-acquainted with the delicate and sometimes bold delights of my native grit stone. Highlights from the Roaches include Smear Test, Tear drop, The Swan and Ascent of Man.

Big Tim Neil my BMG mentor took great delight in ushering me off to Snowdonia’s esoteric Castle Cidwm. Here I spent a fraught day fighting off the pump as I got to grips with the adventurous Dwm .

With the winter only weeks away I have been ordering new skis, buying season passes and generally looking foreword to another winter in the mountains. The final guides test takes place in April 2010. Hopefully it won’t be long before summit guides can operate in the European alps with full IFMGA status

Wednesday, 16th September, 2009

Summit Guides To The Rescue

Two British Guides and four Aspirants on the BMG 'summer Alpine test' were called upon to rescue four Swiss climbers this summer.

As well as the obvious desire to help fellow climbers, part of the Mountain Guide's Charter includes providing assistance to those who require it in the mountains. During the 2009 BMG Alpine Assessment this week the candidates and assessors were based out of the Frunden Hut in the Bluemlisalp region of the Oberland. After a days assessment on the hill all the Guides and Aspirants were asked by REGA (the Swiss Rescue service) to carry out a rescue on the Gallet Ridge (GalletGrat) of the Doldenhorn (AD).

A party of four had set out but by night fall had failed to reach the summit and were exhausted. All the Guides climbed the ridge quickly and then worked together by short roping and lowering the four climbers down the entire route reaching the hut around midnight. The Guides involved were: Terry Ralphs, Bruce Goodlad, Tim Blakemore, Pete Rowlands, Paul Warnock and Phil Ashby.

As expected, the assessment carried on as normal the next morning!

Monday, 14th September, 2009

BMG Alpine Summer Test

BMG Alpine Assessment 2009

This year’s assessment was convened by Terry Ralphs with Bruce Goodlad working with him for the week. Pete Rowlands, Paul Warnock and Phil Ashby were on the full assessment with Tim Blakemore and Hannah Burrows Smith joining us for some of the week. We met in Kandersteg on the North side of the Bernese Oberland hoping to escape the poor weather to the south.

The team headed to the Frunden hut on Sunday morning where we looked at teaching Ecole du Glace and the boys demonstrated there ability to perform a crevasse rescue. As we returned to the hut the Guardian asked us if we were able to rescue 4 climbers from the Gallet Grat which we did. Unfortunately for Tim he arrived at the hut just as we were preparing to head up the hill. The weather was very poor overnight with 5cm of fresh snow as we had not made it back to the hut until well after midnight we had a short day on the Frunden Horn which gave very testing conditions. The forecast was still for poor weather so the following day we left the hut early walking to the valley then driving to the Gastlosen, we traversed this superb limestone ridge AD+ in sunshine while we could see bad weather to the south.

On Wednesday we were in Saas Fee to try and look at some ice climbing on the North Face of the Allalinhorn. The weather was terrible and we abandoned the day when both teams were hit by a small avalanche. With the weather continuing to be poor from the South we spent the night in Leysin then headed into the Grand Muveran massif and traversed the Arete Veirge AD to refuge Giacomini at Anziendaz. We finished the week making an East to West Traverse of the Argentine AD+ in superb conditions.