The white stuff...

Ben Nevis and the Aonachs

White Corries

Buachaille Etive Mor
You've probably heard by now but we have snow in Lochaber. There has been the odd bit of snow over in the east in the last couple of months but the arrival of the white stuff on the west is always a special occasion as it marks the day when its time to go and dig out the winter kit in preparation for the scratching season. Its only a dusting but it bears the promise of winter to come!

MIA last day and today

Sunday was the last day of the MIA training course at Glenmore Lodge.... I don't know if the students were tired but I certainly was! We spent the final day looking at models for training and assessing so that they would have a good basis for working on MLT NGB courses in the future. The guys got the opportunity to train and assess each other on a variety of finite skills with a set standard before sitting down with George and I to go through their action plans on how they plan to prepare for assessment. A good end to a busy 9 days.... as ever I seemed to learn as much as I taught!

Yesterday was a day of laundry and catching up but today I went out onto Ben Nevis for a quick leg stretch. Bill and Colin did Castle Ridge and I tore up Ledge Route before a rapid descent to the half way lochan. The short video clip gives a good idea of the conditions.... no sign of the snow yet but it was certainly cold up there. I rode the bike into Fort William for a quick meeting with a client looking for some long term climbing development and then home to dry out and warm up. Now..... how many emails do I have to answer??? Too many!

Nearly there

Day 8 of the Glenmore Lodge MIA Training and it was raining. Today was about teaching climbing so the weather was not helpful.... fortunately we've been drip feeding the message for most of the last week so we didn't have an insurmountable task today. We looked at some mechanics on the towers before heading to Huntly's cave again to rig some routes for self lining. Then back to the Lodge for a last bit of ropework, some scenarios involving planning sessions for clients and a big review.

Problems....

Huntly's Cave for our problem solving today and the students did well (no -one's head actually exploded). They dealt with a variety of scenarios: students struck by rock fall, dislocating shoulders, fitting, unable to complete a move, becoming unconscious whilst abseiling..... and so on. Midge free but I did swipe the largest tick on the planet off before it sank its teeth in!

Coaching climbing and Navigation

another day on the Glenmore Lodge MIA training and today was about coaching processes. After an intro. this morning I spent some time examining the themes we had flagged up in a climbing setting. Then this afternoon we went up to the Ciste car park and looked at ML standard navigation and how to teach it.

3 days in the west....

The Glenmore Lodge MIA Training course travelled west for a change of venues for the last 3 days. On Monday we were looking at series ropework at Polldubh in slightly showery conditions. Isi and Erin and I racked up a good clutch of pitches examining stance selection and management.





After a good night at Inchree (and too much of the great food at the 4 Seasons Bar/Restaurant) yesterday saw us heading for the Buachaille for the mountaineering day. the forecast was spot on as Colin, Ross and I worked on the 'grey art' of short-roping. Then it was back to Inchree to fill the drying room and another huge meal.

Today dawned a little grey and the rivers were still very full. So it was plan B and back to Polldubh where Stevie, Colin and I climbed Pinnacle Ridge, 3 Pines and Secretaries Direct to look at parallel rope technique. The guys did well to get their head around tangle free changeovers and the necessary stance and rope management on the first truly hot day's rock climbing I've had since the spring! Secretaries is one of the best Severe's in scotland and today the sun reflecting off of the big sheets of schist that make up the climb left me remembering what climbing is all about!

Single pitch climbing

Today we took the MIA Training course to Kingussie Crag for some single pitch climbing and to start our look at the whole rock climbing process. We escaped the rain that arrived later and after a review back at Glenmore Lodge did some indoor work looking at the 'nuts and bolts' of some problem solving. Off to the west tomorrow!