CWA day 2

Second day of the Climbing Wall Award Training I have been directing and we visited Alan Kimber's Bunkhouse Bouldering Wall and The Ice Factor again. Today's focus was on coaching movement, games and problem avoidance and solving.

Woke to a healthy dusting of snow on Ben Nevis and the Lochaber hills today but it had retreated back by this evening- it will have helped preserve the ice though and Heike reports good conditions on Indicator Wall Right Hand yesterday. Winter is still there if you want it!

CWA Training day 1

Today was the first day of a Climbing Wall Award Training course I am running at The Ice Factor for 4 students from UHI Lochaber College's Adventure Tourism Management Degree course.

Great granite

Neil and I got a relaxed start for Etive Slabs today and we weren't alone. There were 3 pairs there when we arrives, we overtook 2 pairs on the walk in and a couple more pairs arrived after us. This gave us a good excuse to go and look at a route neither of us had done before. We started on Vein Rouge (HVS 5a,4c,4c). The rock was bone dry and mostly quite grippy (except the polished quartz at the top of the third pitch.... 29m above the runner) and the route was great fun with excellent varied climbing and adequate gear on the first pitch.

After we had had lunch in the sun we decided to hop onto the classic Spartan Slab (VS 4a,4a,4c/5a- argue amonst yourselves, 4c, 4b,-) as there were still teams low on Hammer and Pause. We made short work of the first 2 pitches but things were moving at a very relaxed pace at the front of the queue and the sun disappeared as we waited for the third pitch- so after that one we abseiled off.

Great routes, great climbs, great granite!

Is the winter over?

Is the winter over? Who knows- looks like snow this weekend on the tops. However my winter work is finished and a spring of rock climbing and mountaineering in Scotland and the Lakes, Skye Cuillin work and SPAs and CWAs around Scotland (if any of these interest you then drop me a line) beckons- along with the big Expedition to Afghanistan in August. A big thanks to everyone I've worked and climbed with this winter. My body certainly knows its done 97 days with axe(s) and crampons and is enjoying the change of being on the bike and t-shirt clad rock climbing!
Here is a last winter video offering from my excellent season!

End of winter.... not today!

Ian and I walked into Ben Nevis this morning and finally we've had a good frost. Ice on the path meant we could expect firmer snow higher up but we were after a fairly relaxed day so we opted for Tower Ridge. Sunshine, good snow and ice more sunshine, no crowds, thermals and soft shell gillets and sunshine summarised our route. We spoke to a team coming down the ridge who had enjoyed North East Buttress (rock only on the man trap, a little ice on the 40ft corner) and watched a pair carefully working their way up Psychedilic Wall (plenty of ice coming down). Rich was also out on Green Gully and will probably post something on his blog later.

I've finally taken the plunge and put a work Facebook page up so if you are a big FB user and want to keep up to date with conditions and what I'm up to then you can be my friend on ClimbWhenYoureReady Mountaineering's Facebook Page.

Hot

Time for a few pitches in Glen Nevis in between some paperwork today. I joined Rich, Jamie B and Kat down at Polldubh in baking hot conditions. We started on Promises (HS) as a big team and then I took Kat up Dundee Weaver (HVS) and the 3 pitch Vampire with its Direct second pitch (VS) and only slightly damp first pitch. Then I hopped on the bike and cycled home for an ice cream!

The body is slowly beginning to remember how to climb rock and use holds smaller than axe shafts!

Scottish Sport Climbing

A complete contrast to Saturday (other than the sunshine) as I was Working for Glasgow Climbing Centre doing some site specific training for their staff for the Introduction to Sport Climbing Courses they are running. We were working at Benny Beg the excellent low grade sport climbing venue near Crieff which is a real sun trap and was very popular yesterday. Feels like winter is on the way out after a looooooong season. I've got one more day possibly on Ben Nevis on Wednesday but we'll see what conditions bring.