I was called in by the Conway Centre early on this week, after some of the students they teach from Bangor University’s School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sceince ask if they could be taught the basics of aid climbing. So I headed up the Beacon with Llion to teach these guys how to french free, aid, and jumar. Including the problems of deviations when jumaring and traversing.
During the course I was telling the group about not shockloading teh jumars, and stood up about six inches and slump back down. At first I though I had damage the rope, stripping the sheath off a rope, but no. Instead I had pulled through a few loops of the daisy chain. It went at a rediculously low load, so a good warning not to trust them across the bar tacks that make the small loops.
I have to say a massive thanks to Plas Y Brenin, as I had left my Big Walling Kit in Bournemouth, as I didn’t think i’d need it for Winter Hillwalking in Scotland. So they saved the day by lending my a few daisy chains, aiders and fifi hooks. Although I guess the fact that I always bring in my big walling kit for their Big Walling Courses. Interestingly I think there is only them, myself and Andy Kirkpatrick that offer these how to big wall courses.