Grand old Duke of York...

Day 2 of the PYB MIC trg today and we went to Stob Ban to put yesterday's mountaineering skills into a more serious environment both in ascent and descent. So we were like the Grand old Duke of York going up and down the East Ridge of the North Buttress with the trainees taking point. We also looked at some of the skills required to teach lead climbing. Damper, cloudier but not as windy as it might have been.

 Marching up to the top of the hill...

 ...and marching down again

 Shortroping- a dark art?

 The direct on the tower

 2 teams

 The knife edges

 The last bit...

 Weather not quite so nice

 Down the North Ridge

  The Easter Bunny strikes again

Working on the west... in the sun!

12 and a half years ago I turned up in Wales more than little nervous to face my MIA Training at Plas Y Brenin. I left with a very full brain and a lot of ideas to go and play with. Today I've been working on an MIC Training based at Plas Y Brenin's Scottish winter base; Alltshellach. Feels like a long journey. 'Nuff said on that, feast your eyes on the fine weather pics from today on Dinnertime Buttress!

 Lena enjoying the sun

 Mandy on point

 Picking a line on the upper buttress

 Direct belay

 The mug on the move

 Stuart leading the way

 Good snow

 Stonking views

 Into the coire

 Mandy enjoying the 'French bum belay' (don't ask)

 Views out to Schiehallion

 Pano 1

 Pano 2

Look! The Easter Bunny has been!

Warmer Cairngorm Climbing

Like yesterday I was observing climbing Instruction at Creagan Coire Cha No. Plenty of soft snow had fallen overnight.

 A meeting of minds?

 Abseil from the top of Jenga Buttress

 The mugonthemove at a busy crag today

 Bottom of Duke's Rib

 Time to go back up again

 Strath Nethy below

 Teams on Dukes and abseiling Jenga

 Ian getting 3 D on Jenga

 Higher up on Jenga

 Advice on the move

 Heading for gear

 More Jenga action

 A wave from the crest of Duke's Rib

 Heading for the top

 Another good bit of climbing

 And another

 Last belay

 Finishing

Lets go!

Diary of a human icicle

This week I'm Assessing candidates at Glenmore Lodge for the Mountain Instructors Certificate, the National Governing Body award for teaching all aspects of the skills involved in winter walking, mountaineering and climbing in the UK. This means I get to meet lots of people who have been on a very long journey through the Mountain Training awards spending years building up the necessary personal and teaching/working experience to present for assessment. It also means I spend much of the week standing on snowy ledges watching other people work.
Today I was at Creagan Coire Cha No. I was wearing 7 layers, I consumed a litre of warm blackcurrant cordial. After 4 hours in a warm room I can feel my toes again. It was cold and snowy and rather lovely once the visibility cleared.

 Only 4 layers on at this point

 Looking for a belay

 Abseiling down the line

 Today's 'mug on the move' shot

 Anvil gully

 Under the anvil

 Top of pitch 1

 3rd man up

 Looking across Recovery Gully

 3 happy climbers

 Andy over near the top of Duke's Rib

 Pitch 2

 Swing it like you mean it!

 That was quite snowy!

 Andy's team coming up to join him

Cold but pretty good really!