The west of Scotland continued to live up to its wet reputation today. I have 5 students on an SPA training course based at The Glasgow Climbing Centre. After an intial session indoors at the wall we went to Auchinstarry quarry this afternoon to apply some of the lessons the team had learned. I had not one but 2 texts today from friends in the Alps telling me how sunny it was..... bah, humbug.
Today I was supposed to be taking John and his 2 daughters up Tower Ridge but the forecast by friday was not encouraging so we have postponed it for another day. However, since I have a week of fairly static work coming up I decided to go out and do it myself. Jane dropped me and the bike off at Torlundy and I rattled up to the CIC in drizzley rain, then a Tower Ridge running with water. The wind was a little gentler than yesterday but I still looked askance at the foreign school group walking up the pony track in jeans, light waterproofs or polythene ponchos and trainers - or in one case open toed sandals. It wasn't as cold today as recently but if they were forced to stop for any length of time there will be some very chilly bunnies......
Today I was helping out with a large charity group walking up Ben Nevis to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. A poor forecast didn't put off the team of well over 100 who embarked up the tourist path (along with a number of smaller charity groups and the team pulling and carrying a chap in a wheelchair- good effort). In the event the weather wasn't that bad - gusty on top but never too wet. We safely escorted our charges the the top of the hill and we marched them down again. Today I was working for Alan Kimber's West Coast Mountain guides
Today I spent the day revisiting skills covered as part of the SPA syllabus with a client who has an assessment coming up. Conveniently he has a small sea cliff on his farm! We looked at various options for managing groups and options for rigging as well as working through problem avoidance and solving. The weather was very windy on the coast but the showers held off for the most part.
On Saturday Paul, Dave and I met up on Skye. The guys have been using the mountaineering skills we've worked on in the past to good effect on Ben Nevis and Skye. Now they wanted to push things a little further. With a mixed forecast (poor from mid-morning) we were up and on the go about 6am and heading for the sea clifs at Neist. The breeze kept the midges off and there were only a few light showers all day long.We climbed a handful of Severes and the guys each led their first 3 pitches of V Diff around Poverty and Destitution Points. Dry, rough rock.... a pleasant change!
Staff training for the trainees at The Ice Factor today. We've been discussing various team and peer belaying options for the busy taster sessions they get there in summer. The guys are running popular sessions and getting lots of repeat business and good feedback from customers. Today I was working on fine points of improving safety looking closely at where the instructor positions themself and ensuring that no slack develops in the system etc. We also looked at different options for preventing and dealing with a client who refuses to let go of the wall to be lowered. Dan and I also talked through simple strategies for improving novice clients footwork on the ice wall. Finally - just for a bit of fun we also looked at prussiking up a rope.
3 passess out of 3 on our SPA Assessment today - well done Chris, Jack and Becks. We went to a rainy Craigmore crag and the Peak Climbing wall in Stirling. Today we were discussing boulering, spotting, group management, the 'perfect' SPA crag, looking at various belaying systems for working with groups, top and bottom ropes and group abseils, problem avoidance and problem solving. I've included a picture of my ankle which 30 hours after the initial sprain has some great colour and swelling but seems to be taking weight fine (it stood an hours brisk walk on flat ground with a pack on tonight) - the wonders of frozen peas and red wine :-)
I'm directing an SPA Assessment in the Central Belt this weekend and today we went east to Traprain Law to enjoy some sunny weather. The crags were busy and as polished as I remember but we enjoyed our climbs. Looks wetter for tomorrow..... again. At the beginning of the day I managed to step awkwardly off a high stile carrying 2 heavy sacks and my right ankle is now twice the size of my left and ribena coloured to boot.... ice, compression, elevation... wine... 
I think I'm growing gills and webbed feet!
I've had a couple of days work cancelled this week (owing to circumstances beyond the clients' control) but with a better forecast this afternoon I left the house after lunch for a leg stretch on Ben Nevis.The weather looks like it is going to continue in the same vein for at least the next few weeks: http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/10209/ The unsettled conditions we have been having are due to the jet stream sitting further south than usual. This bringing a series of low pressures crashing into the NW of the UK whilst England is often under of the influence of the high pressures sitting over the Azores giving a north south split. The air we get is often a returning polar maritime meaning cold and wet weather which if it continues into the autumn could give some early snow in October. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/jetstreams_uk.shtml and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_stream
Today Chris I took Chris and Aiden up Ledge Route for Chris's 50th birthday. Originally they were due to be a party of 5 but not all their team displayed the same moral fibre as the guys in the face of gales and heavy rain. Nonetheless I was joined by Chuck and Neil, 2 instructors I am helping work towards their MIA Assessment. The conditions didn't lend themselves to much teaching as after a quick break at the CIC hut we joined the waterfalls being blown back up over the organpipes in heading up No. 5 Gully and on to the summit plateau. 
Heather and Davey were back again for some rock climbing today. We went to Glen Nevis (with our midge hoods) but there was an occasional breeze and the weather only improved as the day went on. We climbed Three Pines, the excellent Flying Dutchman (with its 4c variation finish), Reptons Right hand route and the guys made an abseil retreat from the top ofthe crag before we retreated to Cafe Beag for tea and cake. The cafe is now being run by local couple John and Layla and as well as serving great food at a reasonable price displays a lot of local artists' work too - I can thoroughly recommend a trip if you are in Glen Nevis.
Despite a mixed forecast (i.e. there was supposed to be some sunshine between the showers) all we had on Skye was rain, cloud and some more rain. We climbed up to Bealach da Bannachdich before a left turn took us up the peak. An about face took us up to the Innaccesible Pinnacle with a momentary respite from the wind and rain (only dense mist and cloud). However at the stance halfway up it was like someone turned on a garden hose though - I ate a chocolate bar and felt like I'd also drunk 3 pints of water! After abseiling off the short end we descended beside An Stac and went up Sgurr Mhic Connich (finally the odd break in the cloud and atmospheric views) before returning to run the screes into Coire Lagan. As we descended back to Glen Brittle we could see perfect blue skies out towards Rhum whilst the cloud closed over the Cuillin once more.