ML Training: Day 3

Yet another day at Plas y brenin delivering the Mountain Leader training course. Today is often referred to as the centre day, as we spend most of the day in and around the centre, covering a variety of topics from the leader rucsac to Hazards on the mountain, to what typical incdents and accidents there are and how you can deal with them, either on your own or through calling in external help in the form of mountain rescue, and thats all before lunch!

After lunch it is a case of looking at how we can maybe move an injured person from one place to another, to get them out of the elelments if they are stuck on the side of the hill. These Improvised Carries are quite fun, and some rather novel.

The next part of the day the group look at the Emergency Use of a Rope, whre they get to practice tying themselves to the top of the ski slope. Before they get dressed up for a icy plunge as they are trained in the last hazard of river crossing.

It is quite a full on day in term of delivery and the students taking the information on boards, however lots of short breaks and occassional practicals session helps.

I will celebrate getting through half the six day course by going bouldering tonight. Otherwise I will miss out on training this week, and you know what they say 7 days without climbing makes one weak!

ML Training: Day 2

Day two in the Big Brother House, the housemates have been out on the hill looking at how to look after groups on steep ground. The weather was looking sweet this morning but later in the day it turn sour, as the first of two fronts came down from the north, bring sleet and snow over high ground.

I started up over Gribin Facet, and worked across to the base of the north Ridge of Tryfan. We had to say low to stay in the ‘summer’ conditions. We had a hoot looking at statying safe, i then got the Plas Y brenin Graveyard shift, the Sunday Night 5.30 session on the Legal and moral aspects of Mountain leadership.

It was very noticable tonight, as virtually no staff were about for Tea and cake at 5pm. I was nearly left alone to eat all the cake, but eventually I got some back up. I wonder if the snow will be lying on the ground tomorrow morning?

Mountain Leader Training Course

Start the first of six days working an entire Mountain Leader Training Course at Plas Y Brenin. Today was the navigation day, tomorrow the ‘mountain day’, although with winter on the summits still it will probably be more a journey across steep ground rather than up to the tops.

It was my third time over Crimpau in the last seven days, a great place for teaching navigation. However I do feel I am starting to form my own paths between contour features!

Should be a good week though, working with these guys for the whole course. One of the students is an old friends from back when I was a student. Was good to catch up and hear about another friend who arrived back in the UK last night.

Another Day in Paradise

Poor Man's Peutrey - Severe
Poor Man's Peutrey - Severe

What a day thursday was, sorry I didn’t have time in my busy schedule to update my blog, but I headed down to Tremadog. A total Blue Sky Day. It wasn’t so much warm but bordering on hot down there. This time to avoid doing one step in the cloud yet again. I headed to Pant Ifan.

Did three great routes, Poor Man Peutrey (Severe), Great Western/Monkey Puzzle Connection (HVS) and Scratch Arete (HVS). I had never done Great Western or Monkey Puzzle before, and have to say that they are an awesome combination of pitches, we avoid the whole of Great Western as it finishes up Poor Man’s Peutrey.

Great Western - Pant Ifan - Tremadog
Great Western - Pant Ifan - Tremadog

Monkey Puzzle is a great HVS, and rather stiff for the grade according to my second. I felt it was all there, although not having the guide book with me meant I was rather following my nose. Which seems to smell out the right way. Whats great about this pitch is that you get to finish up the last moves of one of Wales’ great route Silly Arete, and take the time to look down saviour the atmosphere.

After the first two route, sarah and I were joined by an old friend Tom, who had been at a meeting trying to start an outdoor environmental charter group in North Wales, similar to the one he works for in Pembroke National Park. Hopefully it will get pushed through as the idea has many benefits to the local area and beyond.

Tom Luddington firing up Scratch Arete - HVS - Pant Ifan - Tremadog
Tom Luddington firing up Scratch Arete - HVS - Pant Ifan - Tremadog

I sent Tom up the top pitch of the *** classic Scratch Arete. i forgot how good the route was. Totally gobsmacking. The sun was nearly setting so we headed back for tea and medals, and cake!

This Morning (friday) Tom showed me pictures from his Pabbay and Mingualay trip. He Kayak out to the islands and developed a lot of Deep Water Soloing. As well as had a fair few epics along the way. Very inspiration and the photos are amazing. I now need a sea kayak and some psyche!

Sarah coming up to the Intersection with Silly Arete on Monkey Puzzle.
Sarah coming up to the Intersection with Silly Arete on Monkey Puzzle.
Sarah battles with the crux overlap on Scratch Arete
Sarah battles with the crux overlap on Scratch Arete
Tom and Sarah on Scratch Arete
Tom and Sarah on Scratch Arete
Tom bl;asting through the Crux of Scratch Arete
Tom bl;asting through the Crux of Scratch Arete
Tom and a Little Robin Red Breast that seemed interested with our progress on the climb!
Tom and a Little Robin Red Breast that seemed interested with our progress on the climb!
Sarah working out the 'Monkey Puzzle'.
Sarah working out the 'Monkey Puzzle'.

Navigation Improvers

Navigation Skills Course
Navigation Skills Course

Spent Wednesday trying to develop people navigation. They were all part of the Plas Y Brenin Fast Track Instructor course. They have been at the centre for just under a month, and as part of the aim of getting their Mountain Leader.

So whilst I have spent a lot of time teaching beginners recently, it was a different challenge to think of ways to help develop these guys navigation. In particular they really needed lots of practice and work on choosing the right strategy to get from A to B and Contour Interpretation. As they all have fundemental tools of navigation.

It was interesting work, and enjoyable. I hope that they feel that there Navigation has come on, and know what they need to work on.

The even was a bit of a whirlwind. I spent the first part cooking ready for a friend to arrive, and then it was the wednesday night bouldering session. Where llion hit me with a plan for a days climbing, hopefully you’ll get to here about that plan when we do the day.

My mate Tom joined us at the Wall, I haven’t seen him for a couple of years. Last time I went down to Pembroke to climb, and spent most of the time Surfing. Tom is at a meeting today, which might have some great news for North Wales, if he pulls off what he wants. Having discussed it with him, what he would like to see happen up here is what he does in Pembroke, and would be very interesting.

Fortunately for Llion and I, Tom doesn’t have a climbing wall in Pembroke, and therefore for one of the first times we managed to out climb him. although he did burn us off on a nasty slab problem. Anyway, looks good out of the window, blue skies. So off to Tremadog I think today.

Tom Luddington cruising across Dream of White Horses, back in our Big School Days
Tom Luddington cruising across Dream of White Horses, back in our Big School Days

Vivain Quarry

After a cold start the cloud did try and part, but seemed to fail miserably. However the occasional sunny patch made the day and Vivian Quarry not only bearable but pleasant. So to make the most out of the afternoon, and get out of the biting wind, we started up the Sunchaser Wall or photos here.

Only four pitches today, but I was so weighed down with warm clothing I could barely move. Another day of ticking some local classics. Today, we climbed Mentil Lentils HVS, Monster Kitten E1, Too Bald to Be Bold E2, and Mister Mister E1 5b/F6a.

Anyway, as well as climbing I have been cooking. I went for a bit of tiffin. Which having eaten it at a friends Birthday and PYB recently. I thought I needed something nice to eat. It was very easy to make (no cooking involved). I have managed to eat nearly the whole thing, which can only result in some form of Diabetes as I know how much filth I put it. So despite the exercise I have probably put on about a stone today.

Tremadog

A dull day over tremadog
A dull day over tremadog

Monday, was meant to be nice, however the clag had made itself at home, so I hoped that heading down to Tremadog would allow the portmadog Bubble of sun to rain down on us. Unfortunately the onyl thing raining down was very light flurries of snow. So light Katie thought I must have some bad dandruff at first, that or be using an aweful lot of chalk.

The day out had been planned for a while, as logistically it required great co-ordination. Firstly Llion, had taken the day off to babysit Katie’s kids. I wasn’t working so took one for the team and went out climbing with Katie. This all had to be fitted in between 9am and 2.30pm, when Katie’s oldest was finishing school.

We made the best of the weather, and despite having one attack of the screaming  barfies, we both weather the chilly conditions and managed 9 pitches of climbing. We ticked off Merlin Direct HVS, Yogi VS, Christmas Curry with the Micah Finish VS and One Step in the Clouds VS.

Another great day out, at the crag. I got back in time to do a little bit of preparation for my Coaching Workshop at the Beacon last night. The workshop went well, with 8 instructors attending, and hopefully taking some interesting thought home, and maybe looking at how they might be able to apply or tweak some of the things we covered.

What does Tuesday bring? Well hopefully more climbing!

One third of the Yosemite Team - Training at Tremadog
One third of the Yosemite Team - Training at Tremadog

Photos from the Weekend

Temperature Inversion Below Moel Siabod
Temperature Inversion Below Moel Siabod

Well I had an enjoyable weekend in the Sun, teaching Navigation for Plas Y Brenin, we headed up Cnicht on Sunday, which was lovely. Here are some pictures from teh course.

navskillfeb-2663

Navigation Skill - Map & Compass
Navigation Skill - Map & Compass
Navigation Skills Course
Navigation Skills Course
Looking Across at teh Nantlle Ridge from Cnicht
Looking Across at the Nantlle Ridge from Cnicht
Approaching the summit of Cnicht
Approaching the summit of Cnicht
Summit of Cnicht
Summit of Cnicht
South Face of Snowdon - Still looking wintry
South Face of Snowdon - Still looking wintry
The Clag drifts in from over the Ridge, as we descend Cnicht
The Clag drifts in from over the Ridge, as we descend Cnicht

Discover Navigation Weekend

Been up at Plas Y Brenin teaching 5 people to Navigate, its a great course for people who may have been following others around the mountains and hills and want to become more independent and lead themselves around.

The day started with a temperature inversion, if you got out of bed early and up a hill you would have got some cracking alp style shots of snow covered peaks sticking out of the cloud. The cloud eventually clears giving lovely blue skies, and warm weather. I seems hard to believe that later in the week the cold conditions will be back, and it will be possible to climb the snow/ice gullies.

Plan to head up Cnicht with the group tomorrow, to consolidate the skills we have covered. If you’d like to do a similar course then Plas Y Brenin runs a few. I also offer navigation and mountain skill courses through here.

I’ll try and get a few pictures up tomorrow from the weekend, although it is Sunday night training up the wall after work!

A Quick Seven

I awoke with baited breathe, would the weather actually be good enough to go climbing outside. The answer was yes, so nipped up the quarries around 1pm. Did a good few routes around Looning the Tube and Bus Stop Quarry. We were back down in the village for 4pm, having climbed.

UBL, VS; Sad Man Whose Sane, VS; Decptive Dyke, HVS; Looning the Tube, E1; Just for Fun, E2; Equinox or Solitce, HVS; Fool’s Gold, E1.

A lovely afternoon out, chasing the sun and shelter.