Almost too fast on Tower Ridge!

The forecast was for a worsening day and as we walked in to Ben Nevis in mizzle I was preparing for another night based around the drying room. The forecast was nonsense, the day got better and better and Tower Ridge was just clearing as we sat on the Great Tower for an early lunch and we were getting good views from the summit. We took in Ledge Route on the way down and things were just getting pleasant at the end of the day!
Nice to see Chadders, Dave, Andy, Nick and Chappers all out at work today!

 Paul getting in amongst it on Tower Ridge

 Tim and Paul on the side of the Great Tower

 Figures on the summit

 Earky lunch on the Great Tower

 Paul emerges from Tower Gap

 Looking back

 Topping out

 Ledge Route

 Team above us on Ledge Route

Tower Ridge…. done!

Curved Ridge-more rainbows-munros

I was working for Steve Fallon again today and Ross came along to help out taking Iain, John and Jill up Curved Ridge. We had a leisurely ascent with mixed weather, abseiled off of Crowberry Tower and pressed on over the summit in rain. At the lip of Core na Tullaich Gill and I said cheerio to Ross, John and Iain whilst Jill and I headed south to bag the second Munro- only 14 to go Gill, enjoy them!

 'What do you mean smile- I can't look up for this rucksack!'

 A couple of other teams about today

 Jill on the narrow bit

 John and Ian on the narrow bit

 Ross at work

 The party ahead… just before the unfortunate pile of rocks they knocked off fell towards us!

 Rainbows

 The wall

 The corner

 The rainbows keep coming

 Not far now lads

Well done guys!

Drowning on the Aonach Eagach

Today was the wettest day I've had the misfortune to be working on for some time. 2 waterproofs, new waterproofs, phones in ortlieb bags, nothing availed. I opened my mouth to speak and the wind blew in so much water I almost choked and drowned. And my phone has drowned :-( Paths looked like stream even on the crest of ridges. We were on the Aonach Eagach and went as far as Meall Dearg and said enough was enough and retreated.

Mike, Ross, Rainbows and Ravens

First it was to be Tower ridge but the forecast and the small chance of thunder on Ben Nevis put me off. I offered Mike Curved Ridge, with D Gully Buttress as a start if he fancied something steeper and he jumped at it. Ross came along to watch preparing for his MIA Assessment and one of us brought the good weather. The lower part of the day was showery but as we hit Curved Ridge and I let Ross take over the rope work we were treated to the most vivid rainbow I've seen in years and the Buachaille Etive Mor ravens seemed as impressed with us. The rain then disappeared until the car park and we counted our blessings on a good choice for the day. More pics at: https://www.facebook.com/climbwhenyoureready.mountaineering/media_set?set=a.946485892061195.1073741982.100000993792059&type=3&uploaded=21

Greenland Part 3

The second last album of images of Greenland this summer: https://www.facebook.com/climbwhenyoureready.mountaineering/media_set?set=a.945968648779586.1073741981.100000993792059&type=3

Foundation Coach Training at Alien Rock

Yesterday I went to Alien Rock in Leith, Edinburgh to deliver a Foundation Coach Training course for a team of 8. These are great courses to run looking at how to coach aspects of climbing to groups and individuals (as opposed to the FUNdamentals which look at the what and awards like the CWA which focus on safety and group management). The team today were from a wide range of backgrounds; full time wall staff, students and school teachers making for some great chat. It was an international team with British, American, Canadian and Spanish students.
We looked at the structure of the Mountain Training Coaching Awards schemes, different styles of Coaching and some of the skills of the coach such as; observation, giving feedback, structuring a session, a critical look at learning styles, reflective practise and spent plenty of time on practicals to let the team try things in a climbing setting. A grand day and great to visit Alien which is where climbing coaching started for me with the first FUNdamentals course in Scotland running there back in the late 90s.

 Starting to think about observation

 Part of the group coaching flagging

 Reach!

 Flagging coaching progression

 Which bits of the day were 'low hanging fruit', which were hard to reach at treetop level and which were already rooted in candidates practise?

Brain dump from the day

Greenland 2 first ascents

Another album of pics from this summer's expedition. https://www.facebook.com/climbwhenyoureready.mountaineering/media_set?set=a.945253892184395.1073741980.100000993792059&type=3&uploaded=35

Greenland Prep and Travel

The first of 3 or 4 albums of ices about my recent trip can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/climbwhenyoureready.mountaineering/media_set?set=a.944364038940047.1073741979.100000993792059&type=3&uploaded=23

Catching up.

A couple of weeks since my return from Greenland- more on that in an imminent blog post- and its been a whirlwind of activity. After a few days hiding with my family I was home to a training day for the Nevis Landscape Partnership's 2015 Ben Nevis Survey and then I had a weekend working with Gordon and Lena prepping for their upcoming MIA Assessments:

Parallel Ropework on Pinnacle Ridge

Next it was into the 5 day survey with lots of guddling round vegetated and loose parts of Ben Nevis, learning more about the geology and botany on our way- we even had a sunny day this year!

Ben Nevis on a fine day

Lots of pics and write ups:
https://www.facebook.com/alan.halewood/media_set?set=a.10153091747322081.1073741883.575622080&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/climbwhenyoureready.mountaineering/media_set?set=a.939523762757408.1073741975.100000993792059&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/climbwhenyoureready.mountaineering/media_set?set=a.939528452756939.1073741976.100000993792059&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/climbwhenyoureready.mountaineering/media_set?set=a.940041266038991.1073741977.100000993792059&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/climbwhenyoureready.mountaineering/media_set?set=a.940042589372192.1073741978.100000993792059&type=3

After this I was at Glenmore Lodge working on an MIA Assessment with 4 candidates who all performed strongly at points throughout the week. Monday was a grand day in the Loch Avon Basin climbing Whispers (VS) and Mack's Dilemma- sunny day. Tuesday we were in Glen Nevis for problem solving on Resurrection (VS), Damnation (VS), Repton's Right Hand Route (VDiff) and Cross III (Diff)- hot, sunny and sweaty. Wednesday teams were at Cummingston, Polldubh and I was at Kingussie watching novices being taught to climb- more sunshine. Thursday was a mountain day in Glencoe; up the most interesting line on Dinnertime Buttress and the lines above, over Stob Coire nan Lochan and down the Zig Zags- grey, windy and cloudy but dry. And on Friday it was teaching navigation near Castle Hill and Lurchers Crag- blowing a gale and the waterproof finally went on in a very heavy shower 45 minutes from the end of the Assessment. Almost a completely dry week!

Mack's Dilemma 

Damnation

Classic Crack

 Dinnertime Buttress

I was due to be working this weekend but I'm going to enjoy a chance to catch up and prep for mountaineering and climbing work on Ben Nevis and Glencoe and a Foundation Coach Training in Edinburgh.