Alps - Summits & Skills

Well, I'm busy sorting gear for next week in Chamonix courtesy of Icicle Mountaineering on their 4000m Summits & Skills course.  I'd hoped to do the Alpine Autonomy course but the timings didn't work for me though apparently there are only another two people on the course with me so the guide ratio will be 1:3 rather than the usual 1:6.  I'm looking forward to putting my recent climbing course into good use and gain some experience in an alpine environment.

It will be my first time back to Chamonix since 2005 when I was helicoptered off the mountain to hospital with concussion after a snow-boarding fall (I've gone for the BMC insurance this time!). Sod's law has tried its best as I've been feeling rough all week and strained a muscle in my groin last week but popping antibiotics and echinacea seems to have helped, together with judicious use of Deep Heat (just be careful where you get it!).  

I'll need to scoot into London tomorrow to pick up some last minute gear.  Wanting to make the best of the photo opportunities but not wanting to lug my Canon dSLR around, and after a long trawl of internet reviews and lots or ringing around I managed to order a new Panansonic LX5, which arrived in stock only today.  With a great lens, which opens to 24mm at the wide-end, it's a successor to the LX3 which Martin,  PTC and others have used to such tremendous effect.  Just praying that it actually arrives tomorrow morning as I'm flying first thing Sunday.  Hopefully I'll have plenty of pic's and tales to share on my return.

First Trad Climb

A tortuous 5 hr journey had me arriving in moody Ogwen Valley replete with a shrouded Tryfan occasionally offering a glimpse of it's teeth. A steady stream of showers had punctuated the journey, the next one arriving just as I pitched the Laser Comp. There's something splendidly raw about Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite - the spartan facilities keep the crowds at bay yet the location, exposed beneath the foot of Tryfan with views to the Ogwen Valley and the southern Carneddau, could hardly be bettered.

I'd met Janet and get husband earlier in the year at the Tyn y Coed pub in Capel Curig. She is working toward her Mountain Instructor qualification and she kindly offered some rock-climbing instruction with me the mock (or real) client. After bumping into her again a month later I was reminded of the offer and the date was set. The only variable being the notoriously wet north Wales summer.

We met at the campsite, and accompanied by her friend Sue, we headed for Milestone Buttress on the north-west side of Tryfan.  First off we were at the foot of the Pulpit route, a Diff climb, and after an initial briefing we were quickly climbing the first short crack, my feet nervously stabbing at the polished rock.  Whether it was nerves or the sheer concentration of trying to take everything in.. the gear, it's placement, the climbing calls, tying-in to anchors, setting anchors, I'm not sure but I can't actually remember much about the route, except it was relatively undemanding, with big safe ledges for belaying.   One thing I'd noticed was me not having enough confidence in my feet, over-compensating with arm strength, apparently a typical trait of blokes.   Watching Janet was more akin to seeing a ballet dancer with her delicate yet precise foot movement and placement.

At the top of the route we abseiled down a gully and then descended to the foot of the buttress for lunch and then an ascent of the Rowan route, another Diff, followed by an other abseil.   We'd been lucky with the weather, which whilst ever threatening only delivered a few spots of rain all day

On Sunday, not trusting the weather in the valley, we headed further south to the Moelwyns, just past Tan y Grisiau and a step up in grade.  The fist route, Chic, was a V.Diff and very different it was too.  Compared to the  polished rock of Tryfan the rock was sharper and grippier, revealing small hand-holds just when you least expected.  Today I was beginning to get involved more in helping to set up anchors and a bit of gear placement.  Next up was Slack, another step up at Severe.  This was a great route, the highlights being climbing up onto the top of a narrow 12-ft high flake and having to step across a 3-foot void onto a vertical wall which needed climbing, then further up there was a long traverse above a steep drop - climbing up seems so much less-unnerving than traversing when you just can't help sense the space below. Slack was definitely my favourite route of the weekend.

My brain was bursting with the technicality of the rope and gear management, but the actual process is actually very logical. Not once did I feel unsafe and the height and exposure never bothered me. I was of course in safe hands and with her week long MI assessment at the end of the month, a weekend  teaching a novice hvaluable invaluable practice for her too.

I really enjoyed the weekend and the relaxed company made it so much easier. And so another little string to my mountain-craft bow had been added but i'm under no illusion that there's a great deal more to learn, but I'm keen to do some more outdoor trad-climbing soon.

New Heights!

My parents and sister booked a microlight flight as a Xmas present that I never quite got round to arranging until last weekend when ,after much pressure and the pending expiry of the gift voucher, we descended on Rufforth Airfield near York, courtesy of Airsports Training.

Surprisingly, I didn't seem to have time to be nervous as after a quick briefing and safety check we were taxiing along the run-way.  I wasn't quite prepared for take off which was a) fast and b) quick and steep - we were airborne before I knew it and climbing quickly by which time I was conscious there was not much keeping me in and nothing to hang on to!   It was a lovely clear afternoon and so the view across to the dales in the west and the moors to the north and the various power stations to the south.  I'd worn my Sunnto Core watch so I could keep an eye on the altitude and we quickly ascended to around 1,000 ft and a cruising speed of 65-70mph.

I was surprised by the buffeting from the wind which is consistent of sticking your head out the window of a car doing 70mph - obvious really, though the air was pretty calm apart from the odd small gust which had a noticable effect.  We headed towards Wetherby and followed the A1 north to Boroughbridge - strange how even having the freedom of the skies pilots use roads as an obvious navigational aid.   After about 30 mins I have to admit I started to feel a little queasy with the constant moving.  I concentrated on the horizon till I was invited to take-control and actually fly (well, I guess it could be better described as steering).  The control are rather straightforward - shift forward to go up, back to descend and left/right as you'd expect.  Letting go of the control-bar allows the plane to settle into a stable neutral position - quite comforting!

We headed back towards York giving great views of the Minster and the race-course before following the River Ouse for a while.  Looking down I was surprised how many swimming pools there are in York - it's not that warm up there!  We headed back to the airfield and as we approached the descent was a bit steeper than I expected but after a perfect landing (thanks to the pilot not me) we were back on terra-firma.....where feet are designed to be!  It was a great idea as a present and good fun but I'm not sure I've found a new hobby, but I'd recommend having a go at least once.

PS.  I was chatting to a guy at work who confessed that he actually developed a fear of flying after a microlight flight.  He had done it a few times before but on one trip, after a gust of wind, he freaked and has forever since been scared of flying, even in passenger jets!

Wet and Windy it was!!

The forecast was correct!  The weather actually seemed relatively fine as we arrived at Capel Curig late on a Friday evening for a boys weekend.   The most eventful bit of the journey was realising Phillip had mistakenly (I hope) bought two crates of zero-alcohol Becks beer for the weekend, which were duly left at Telford Services.

Phillip also unpacked his tent to find no pegs so we shared what pegs we had between us, hoping the winds would stay away, though a fairly calm night was followed by a blustery and overcast morning.  The guys wanted to 'do' Snowdon - I did explain that once you'd joined the tourist trek up there they'd realise they would be unlikely to return very often - but Snowdon it was to be.  We were too late for a car-parking space at Pen-y-pass so back-tracked down the road and paid the princely sum of £4 for road-side parking and headed back up towards Pen-y-pass.  It was not a good start as my ankle was immediately hurting, so we stopped at Pen-y-pass to add strapping to my ankle and for Phillip to fit his knee support.  It wasn't looking good as we were overtaken by a woman in stilleto's and her 5 year old daughter!

We headed up the Pyg Track so as to give us the option of Crib Goch.   I was a little wary of taking responsibility even if conditions were ideal -  Carl admits to being scared of heights and Phillip has a dodgy knee - not forgetting my dodgy ankle.  As it was the weather put paid to the option, with wind and rain increasing Crig Goch seemed an unwelcoming proposition.  The trudge up the Pyg path was as unremarkable as the view from the top!

My ankle was holding up well but Phillip's knee was giving him serious grief and he wolfed down more Ibuprufen.  Dropping down the south-ridge we dropped beneath the cloud and the weather brightened a little. The climb up Y Lliwedd was fun, all the more so for seeing Carl's face when he suddenly realised how near he was to the edge of a cliff!!   As we descended to Llyn Lladar we found the shredded remains of a tent, probably abandoned during the 80mph winds of a few nights earlier.  Phillip quickly noticed some tent pegs that were strewn around and which would come in handy later!

That evening the wind and the rain really picked up and Phillip spend the night with the tent on his head and woke up in half an inch of water.   The photo below shows the effect of the wind - he really ought to have guyed out those poles properly!! It's a good job we found the extra pegs else he would likely have been blown to Betws-y-coed!  I'm pleased to report the Laser Comp stood up well to the battering, I felt quite cosy hunkered down inside, though it was a little noisy at times - though I think Carl was safest in my trusty old North Face Tadpole.

The atrocious weather (and geriatric knee problems) put paid to any thoughts of any more mountains on Sunday so we decamped to the Pinnacle Cafe for a well-needed, if not deserved, fry-up.

A quick trip, good fun and I think they enjoyed it - though they haven't spoken to me since.  There was even mention of them being interested in a wild-camp trip, though that was in the pub so may well have been alcohol-fuelled.  Time will tell!

Wet and Windy!

Looks like its going to be a rather wet and blustery weekend in Snowdonia, with 84 mph winds reported last night.  I'm taking a couple of mountain newbies up for the weekend - hope I don't put them off for life.  I guess Crib Goch will be off the agenda!

New JetBoil....M'mmm

Just noticed on Outdoor Magic the new Jetboil Sol stoves due for 2011.  While I get the concept I never quite subscribed to the Jetboil philosophy and have thus stuck to my trusty MSR Titan kettle and Optimus Crux Lite combo.  The Jetboil seemed to be too big, (top) heavy and in-flexible, though I guess it does exactly what it was intended for, i.e. boil water quickly, efficiently and conveniently.  

With Primus bringing out a similar stove Jetboil have had to respond and their new 2011 version may just make me re-think.  With a significant weight reduction from current 425g to 300g, or 260g for the titanium cup version the weight argument doesn't hold much, well,...weight.   In the main I use my stove only for boiling water (bar the occassional fried bacon if I'm on a camp-site but then I'd tend to use my MSR Whisperlite stove with a frying pan). With a boil time of 2 mins for 0.5 litre of water and a claimed 12 litre boil per 100g canister it's definitely quick and efficient.  And the clincher, of course, is the new orange and grey colour scheme!!

No prices announced yet but there's also a smaller (0.8l) and cheaper version called the Jetboil Zip at 333g.  Spring 2011 seems so far away......!

PS. I've realised that researching gadgets is far more enjoyable than looking for pants.  I'd been searching for some decent wicking underwear  - a particularly inspiring subject - when I was distracted by the Jetboil article.

Snowdon Horseshoe...almost!

A hastily packed few bags chucked in the boot of the car saw me leave London at 5pm on a Friday evening.   I feared the worst - either a terrible journey or I've forgotten something crucial like my sleeping bag.  Surprisingly the motorways were clear and I arrived at Dolgam campsite in Capel Curig at 9.15pm, just as it was getting dark and it had started to rain.  I'd decided I wanted to get some height and the Snowdon Horsehoe seemed a good bet.  I hadn't been up Snowdon for a few years - the summer crowds put me off but I was tempted by Crib Goch.   I was also interested in gauging my (poor) fitness levels, having been reading up on Alpine Courses and Mont Blanc.

I awoke to a sunny, but rather blustery morning, which immediately gave me concern about my first traverse of Crib Goch, the guide-book words about avoiding when windy sitting in the back of my mind.  Parking near the Pen-y-Gwyrd hotel I hot-footed up to the Pen-y-Pass hostel and immediately made for the Pyg Track which would give me the option of heading up the east face of Crib Goch, or continuing along the Pyg track.  At Bwylch y Moch it was decision time but it was still rather blustery and I expected it would be worsen with altitude, as evidenced by the speed of the clouds whizzing overhead. Frustratingly I decided that today wouldn't be the best time to test my nerves on the knife-edge, so I reluctantly continued up the Pyg Track.

Llyn Lladar and Y Lliwedd from Bwylch y Moch

The route was full of the usual summer mix of families, large groups and fancy-dress parties.  As I reached the zig-zags it started to rain a little and the temperature dropped,  so I donned my new Rab Cirrus wind-shirt which seemed to shrug off the few spots of rain.  Snowdon's summit was as packed as ever so I elected to huddle behind a wall by the new visitors centre, sheltering from the wind to have lunch.

Looking back to Crib Goch

I had never traversed over Y Lliwedd and its imposing cliffs looked even more impressive viewed from Snowdons peak, though the view back along Crib Goch left me with some regret.  I left the summit by the south ridge for about 100m before dropping south-east where the Watkin Path route joins.  Losing height height I kept near the cliff edge to make the most of the rock-hopping opportunities on offer before scrambling up to reach the West Peak of Y Lliwedd, quickly followed by the East Peak.

East peak of Y Lliwedd

Llyn Llydaw from Lliwedd Bach

From here it case a case of picking my way down towards Lliwedd Bach and following the feint path back down towards LLyn Lydaw.  On the descent my ankle was pretty painful - I strained my ankle ligaments 4 weeks ago and the descent had eventually taken it's toll.  I'd been chatting to a couple of climbers who'd also come up from London the evening before and one of them kindly lent me his walking pole (thanks Hajaz) which eased the load as we descended to meet the Miners Track and trudged back to Pen y Pass.  A cool beer back in Capel Curig also seemed to help ease the pain!

So not quite the full Snowdon Horseshoe - similar in length but not profile and Crib Goch will have to wait for another day (soon).  But as I'm trying to get hill-fit it was good to get in some miles and metres on a beautiful day.

PS. It was the first outing for my Rab Cirrus windshirt - it's laughably thin, windproof and shrugged off mild rain without problen.  I kept it on whilst working hard up-hill and it seemed to breathe well.  The only slight niggle was that the Pertex Quantam fabric is so thin that in high winds a slight excess of material on the arms would catch the wind and flap with a wild slapping noise...and one of the chaps I met asked if it was a base-jumpers top - he was expecting I was going to launch myself from the cliffs!

Rab Cirrus wind-shirt

Funnily enough I read Martin's post over at SummitandValley on the very same day that I'd just tried on a Montane Featherlite smock for size.  A wind-shirt had been on my hit-list for a while having dabbled with soft-shells and varying weights of fleece but realised that, more often than not, you do just need to cut-out the breeze.  I was keen to actually try on a top for size as I seem to straggle medium and large with most makes though I realised I'd likely be wearing few layers underneath.   I was also looking at the new Rab Cirrus smock but I realised I'd find it nigh on impossible to find a stockist down here so I decided to take a punt.

A quick internet trawl led me to Webtogs, where I duly plumped for a large in blue.  The day after placing my order I received a confirmation mail thanking me for my order, mentioning they'd seen my blog and giving me an extra 5% discount from the £44.99 price.  Who says blogs don't pay!!

The tiny package arrived the following day and first impressions are rather positive.  It's a good fit with  long slim arms with elasticated cuffs.  The Pertex Quantum fabric is a real featherweight - feels soft as silk and weights a silph-like 75g.   The chest zip is a decent length with an internal baffle, a zip-housing at the top and and a decent sized zip-pull fitted.  There are also pull-cord adjustment at the neck and the bottom hem - the bottom one cleverly pulls only the rear half tight - same effect with half the weight of bungy.  The blue colour is rather fetching being a somewhat deeper blue than typical outdoor gear.   The top comes with a Pertex Quantum bag which I doubt would register on the scales.  It packs to a fat sausage size though the bag could actually have been made smaller.  It;s easier to stuff which I presume won't hurt the fabric. Given the impressive (lack of!) weight Rab it's nice to see they haven't skimped on the details.

No mention of any DWR treatment or water repellency (though I was only after a lightweight wind-top) so I'll have to see how it performs in light rain but I'm looking forward to trying out on the hill, or maybe on a run.   The only problem is that its so small I can't find it!   I'll report back when it's seen a little action.

PS. I noticed that Rab are also doing a full-zip version too - no hood, 2 pockets and a whopping 120g!

Llyn Edno wildcamp - The Laser Comp's first outing

With my new Laser Comp having just arrived I just had to fit in a quick trip, so I headed up to Wales on Friday afternoon.  I hadn't planned and therefore packed in a hurry, which I would regret later!.  I had thought about heading into the back of Carneddau and camping by Melynllyn but I decided to head somewhere new. I'd always liked the idea of the area of the Moelwyns bounded by Cnicht to the south and Moel Siabod to the north, west of the A498 and the Snowdon range.  It has a raw and remote feel to it and I'd spotted a few liitle lakes the last time i climbed Cnicht.  I headed down the A498 past Snowdon and parked in NantGwynant.  A quick check of the map and I selected Llyn Edno as a suitable destination for the evening. Setting off at 5pm I guessed it would be a couple of hours at the most.  Heading up the single track road for a couple of km's i turned left by Haodydd Brithion and started ascending. The reduced weight and size of my pack was noticeable though i still found it a bit of a slog upwards.  I veered of the main path to take a more direct but steeper route, having to use map and compass to keep orientated with no obvious peaks as reference. The pathless heather and rocky outcrops reminded me of the a milder version of the Rhinogs.  I headed up to Clogwyn Drain where the land levelled out a bit, continuing NE to reach the shores of a deserted Llyn Edno, with Moel Siabod sitting directly in view across the lake.  A quick scout around and I found a good camp spot at the south end.

I was a little surprised that it had been such a slog up to the lake which was at 550 metres and it was only when checking the map I realised that I'd actually started lower than I imagined at about 50m.  I'd gotton used to starting out in the Ogwen Valley which is already at 300m.  Dinner was to be Mountain House chilli and rice but after the obligatory 9min hydrating I took my first mouthful to be greeted with the most disgusting chemical taste. I actually thought I was going to poison myself - it definitely tasted contaminated with something but I was starving so wolfed it down. The packet was still in date and I can't believe they can normally taste that bad so it was perhaps a duff sample.  I munched through some chocolate and had another brew and relaxed watching the last of the sun drop behind the Snowdon massif. 

It was so still and peaceful then two bodies appeared over the brow of the hill to the west. They stopped to survey the lake, clearly looking for a camp spot, but I'd already bagged the prime position so they headed over to the other side.  I decided on a spot of cragging to warm up before I turned in as though it wasn't that cold there was a definite breeze.  I settled in and drifted off to the sound of my iPod, warm and comfy from the combination of my PHD Mimim 3900 and NeoAIr mattress.  The night was uneventful and I was awoken by voices at the other side of the lake and checked my watch. It was 7am and the other visitors were already on their way.  Feeling distinctly lazy I got up and started to make some porridge only to find my 100g gas cartridge running out before the water boiled - in my haste I'd packed a part-used cartridge!  Getting out my Steripen I found the batteries too low to work and without gas I was going to be unable to sterilise water - the perils of packing too quickly!  I was on my way by 8am so I knew I could take my time for the rest of the day, or until I ran out of water.  I headed up onto Ysgafell Wen ridge and bimbled along, dropping down to Llynnau'r Cwn, (another beautiful wild camp spot) and climbed back up onto the ridge, following it round to Moel Druman. It was a lovely day, sunny but with a cooling breeze, and I was in no rush so had plenty of time to amble wherever I fancied, climbs a few crags and generally explore. Heading further south I skirted around Llyn Adar and headed up the northern slopes and up the last rocky steps to the summit of Cnicht.  


The scramble down to the scree slope down to the start of the scree descent into Bwlch y Battel was a little precarious, but whilst high I set my sites on Llynau Cerrig-y-myllt, a delightfully secluded pair of lakes where I enjoyed a cooling wash before heading down to the stream which headed back down to the road at Gelli-lago, from where I re-traced my previous evening's steps back down into Bethania on the A498.   My first night in my Laser Comp had been a success as far as the tent went, but less so in lieu of my lack of gas, water and food!! Put it down to (jn)experience!

After re-hydration I decided to head to Dolgam campsite on the A5 so I could wonder up the road to to the Tyn Y Coed pub for dinner and a cool beer. I hasn't reckoned on the throbbing crowds at the campsite but I bagged a spot beside the river and scrubbed up in the shower.

The next morning the sun was out and I decided to summit Moel Siabod via Daear Du ridge.  With a lighter day-pack (Berghaus Mach 24) I positively bounded up the track the old mine workings to get the first glimpse of Daear Du ahead of Llyn y Foel.  Once on the ridge the scrambling is relatively straightforward, interspersed by a rocky path.  as a direct route up it's probably safer tan the scree path that some take.  The views from the summit were fantastic, if a little hazy.    I headed north-east over the secondary rocky summit ridge which affords much rock hopping before taking a direct route down the north-east ridge and back down to the A5.


A quick unplanned trip and a few more lessons learnt!  I enjoyed the Laser Comp - I think we're going to get along just fine and I'll post a separate report on my first impressions later. 

Views across to the Carneddau

Daear Ddu ridge comes into view

Looking across to Snowdon from Moel Siabod

Pulled the Trigger!

Done it! Finally taken the plunge and ordered a Laser Competition from The Outdoor Shop (was sorely tempted by the Photon Elite but I'll see how I get on with the Comp first!).  The thought of lugging my North Face Tadpole on another trip finally took its toll!  I also ordered some dyneema guys, line-loks and vargo ultralight titanium stakes from teamio so I can get modd'ing (thanks Robin)!

Here's hoping it arrives in time for me to give it a first run out this weekend.