A Mountain High

Panasonic LX-5 Firmware Update

2011-09-18T12:16:00.001+01:00

Slightly off-topic, but a decent camera is a key part of an outdoor bloggers armoury. I purchased the Panasonic LX-5 last summer just before the trip to the Alps and it rewarded me with some great pictures.

One year on it's common for camera models to have been superseded once, maybe even twice, so it's a welcome change to see a manufacturer investing in supporting it's products well into their life-cycle. Panansonic seem to have a more measured approach to their premium compact camera's. The LX-5, the successor to the well-regarded LX-3, was launched last year and has just been updated with a new v2.0 firmware revision, which includes:-

Improvement in Auto-Focus speed (though it was already fast!)
Improved Noise Reduction at high ISO's (1600/3200)
Improvements to Auto-White Balance in low light situations
New 'Active' stabilisation for when recording video
New 'Miniature' Colour option, which mimics tilt-shift technique to simulate a miniaturised scened
Max. shutter speed increased from 60 secs to 250 secs
New brightness/contract/colour tint settings for the LCD screen

I haven't tested the the improvements extensively, but have had a quick play with the new Miniature colour option (see above), which looks fun. For some great examples click here

My DLSR has largely sat in the cupboard since I got the LX-5, a subscriber to the oft-used saying "the best camera is the one you have with you" being a real truism. Image quality has not been a concern - I tend to get positive comments from friends - but I am sorely tempted by the versatility of the Panasonic G-series mico four-thirds camera's. I considered the GF-1 but that was close to being replaced at the time and has since been replaced by the GF-2 and GF-3, though these have somewhat sacrificed features and handling characteristics lauded by enthusiasts, in favour of size and touch-screen convenience. There is talk of a spiritual successor to the GF-1 in the new year, so I may well hold on till then.

In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy my LX-5 and it's new firmware. If you are looking for a decent compact camera, with a larger sensor than standard compacts and with quality Leica lens then I can highly recommend the Panasonic LX-5.

Dull n Damp in Dulyn

2011-09-13T20:23:00.002+01:00

It was a hastily arranged, largely un-planned attempt to give a couple of friend's boys their first taste of wild-camping. The fickle UK weather meant the destination changed hourly until I decided we were going to Wales come hell or high-water - almost both almost came true!

A dark, damp night followed a late trip up from London. Pitching at Dolgam campsite in Capel Curig, dinner at the Tyn y Coed pub provided a welcome respite from the blustery rain. The next morning we de-camped to the Pinnacle Cafe for breakfast and to re-check the weather forecast at Plas y Brenin, which confirmed that though the rain was here to stay, there was a chance of a break on Sunday morning. At least it would be good trial of the Berghaus Deluge over-trousers supplied to test by Go Outdoors.

The original plan in mind was heading over the Carneddau towards a wildcamp by Melynllyn, but the weather was going to thwart a high level route so a new plan was hatched. We were to leave the cars in Capel Curig and take a lower-level route north, past Llyn Colwyd, over to Cwm Eigiau and then head up to Dulyn reservoir from the east. By a lake is always a good wildcamp spot though in the back of my mind I seemed to recall mention of a bothy in the area.

So a quick re-pack of our stuff and we headed off around midday, heading north up towards the S-W tip of Llyn Cowlyd. Head to toe in waterproofs we trudged along the shore of the reservoir before heading north and over to the next valley and Llyn Eigiau. By now any leak in our boots was exposed and we were all suffering squelchy feet to some extent. The Berghaus Deluge overtrousers were still beading nicely and the two-way zipper offered some ventilation whilst still affording some protection with the popper-ed storm flap.

Heading NW along the old dam wall we reached the car-park, which was one of the earlier suggested entry points. With a few miles still to go and the rain continuing, the guys were keeping an eye-out for a suitable camp-spot which could offer more shelter but we headed past Maeneira and turned west up the northern flank of the Dulyn valley as the rain eased slightly. It was a bit of a slog through the largely path-less and boggy terrain, forever upwards, the head of the valley seemingly inches away but never getting nearer. I forged ahead, mainly as I was unsure if there was actually a suitable camp-spot by the lake - I wanted to check it out and make sure in case I had to suggest an embarrassed retreat!

Dulyn reservoir is a dark and forboding place, especially in the rain and the fading light. The reservoir is bounded on three sides by steep dark cliffs, leaving only the eastern side accessible, A quick scout around found a couple of possible campspots amongst the rocky outcrops. I dropped off my pack and had another explore and soon spotted what appeared to be the fabled bothy - result! In the small porch was a 2litre carton of milk, still in date and signalling recent occupation. The bothy was empty, clean, dry and a real find. Positively palatial with a table and chairs, a stove (no coal) and shelves with an assortment of left-overs it was to be our boutique hotel for the evening.

Emptying my pack I realised that everything was soaked and whilst most bits were protected by Exped dry-bags, my down sleeping bag was rather wet. I don't use a pack-liner, preferring to pack items in individual Exped dry-sacks. I'd packed my sleeping bag in it's original PHD stuff-sack, which appeared to be waterproof nylon but I'm guessing water ingress was via the seams as it sat in the base of my pack. Schoolboy error - down bags and water really don't mix! I draped it over a washing line strung across the room, more in hope, as it was never going to dry. We wrung out our socks, up-turned our boots, and organised ourselves, rueing the lack of coal for the stove.

We settled in to what was a a cosy candle-lit evening, with a mish-mash of food - thai chicken soup, risotto and dehydrated chicken curry. My new JetBoil Sol really coming in to its own for it's ability to boil water very fast!

The morning brought the promised break in the weather and we awoke to some sun, meaning my plan of a return via Carnnedd Llewelyn was on. Heading up we met another couple of small groups who'd spent the evening on the shores of Melynllyn, which is a rather more inviting setting than Dulyn. Ascending a rib we eventually made our way up on to the Carneddau plateau above the cliffs of Cwm Eigiau, sheltering behind a rock pinnacle for elevenses, where the JetBoil once again proved it's worth.

Further up the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn, provided fantastic, if blustery, panoramic views and free from the crowds. It's a great spot with clear views across to Anglesey to the west, the Glyders and Snowdon to the south and Cadair Idris beyond. The jagged Tryfan is barely discernable from this angle as you're directly in line with it's north ridge, it blending into the background of the Glyders.

Heading east down towards Bwlch Eyrl Fachog you are soon reminded of the height you've gained - it seems a long way down to the reservoir. As we were headed back to Capel Curig, rather than drop down at the col, we took the more direct route across the flank of Y Briaich before making our way steadily down to the A5 and then along a track for the final few miles back to the car.

Given the weather we'd made the best of the weekend, adjusted our plans and were rewarded with a fine route back in clear weather in the Sunday. The bothy, whilst not the planned wildcamp, was welcome in the circumstances. Thanks to David, Gerry and the boys for a great weekend adventure - just sorry about the wildcamp!

PS. Did I mention the JetBoil is bloody fast - guess the name says it all!

What to do in a Deluge!

2011-08-29T11:14:00.000+01:00

Pop on your Berghaus Deluge waterproof overtrousers of course!! I've just received a pair to review from Go Outdoors, which was actually rather timely.

Waterproof trousers are one of those items that I've never quite got round to replacing - a £15 unbranded nylon pair have sat in the bottom of my pack for the past few years. Most of the time they are dead weight in the bottom of your pack and with Gotetex/Event trousers at £100+ I figured if I'm gonna put my crampons through them then better a cheap pair!

The other thing is that I actually can't remember the last time I needed to wear them - either I don't get out enough, I'm lucky with the weather or I'm a fair weather lightweight! Perhaps all three are true, as is the fact that my ME soft-shell pants do shrug of mild rain quite adequately.

It was my recent trip to the Alps that did make me reconsider - moreover I realised I would need a pair that had full-length zips so I could put them on over my boots and crampons. Yet, once more, I managed without.

When I was searching for a new pair the Berghaus Deluge seemed a good compromise in terms of price/weight/function. Made from Berghaus's own Aquafoil2 fabric they are waterproof and breathable - just not to Gortex/Event standards but at a 1/3 of the price for the few times they are worn it seemed a reasonable compromise. The weight at 370g (my large are 400g) is reasonable for full-length zipped pants. First impressions are they feel well-made and substantial. The large size is a little baggy for me though the 31" leg-length is ok for me - they do a longer leg-length for you lanky types.

The waist is elasticated with a bungee cord for adjustment. There is no fly-zip or pockets where rain could enter and the leg-zips come up to the top of the thigh, with a two-way zipper so can be un-zipped from the top for extra venting. The zip is covered by a poppered strip to help prevent water-ingress in driving rain. This likely adds a bit more weight but perhaps is more durable than waterproof zips. I also means you can keep the poppers done up and undo the zip almost all the way down if you need extra venting.

The Deluge do have a thin lining so I imagine they could get quite warm - I run quite warm myself - so the breathability of the Aquafoil fabric will be put to the test.

I've yet to test them in anger. Despite the weekends changeable weather I was lucky on yesterdays jaunt over Holmbury and Leith Hill, so once more they sat in the pack. Maybe I ought to admit to Adam at Go Outdoors that testing waterproof trousers is harder than he thinks!!

Field review soon, I hope, or do I......it may be some time!?!

Shiny New Gear!!

2011-07-30T13:26:00.002+01:00

After what seems a self-imposed dearth of new gear the sun eventually affected my sense of sensibility and I finally succumbed to a few bits of shiny new gear....

Jetboil Sol

I first blogged about the new Sol range last summer when Jetboil first announced them, but they have been a long time coming to market. I was torn between the titanium version and the aluminium version but computing weights from the JetBoil info is a little misleading as with Ti weight is quoted without the cup, whereas the Alu weight is quoted with the cup. All told the weight difference is less than 30g for an extra £30. I had also read complaints about the neoprene cosy on the Ti version. Adam from EMS was helpful and honest about the weight and so I plumped for the Alu version at £80 with my BMC discount. The fact that it also has the heat indicator which glows a lovely orange as the water reaches temperature was clearly the clincher. It's my first Jetboil and a departure from my normal MSR Kettle and Optimus Crux set-up, but I'm intrigued by the package and time will tell whether the claimed boil times and fuel efficiency translate in the real world.

Fizan Ultra Compact poles

After lugging some cheap 20 Euro poles to the top of Gran Paradiso last summer and the recent Tour de Wildhorn I decided to invest in a lightweight pair of poles. In all honesty, I weighed the cheap poles on my return and they were 260g each compared to an odd Leki pole I had which I was surprised to see weighed 300g. I started checking out the Black Diamond carbon poles but at around £100 and still around 240g each they weren't a true lightweight option. Some internet research and a recent TGO review prompted me towards the Fizan Ultralite Compact poles at a staggering 158g (mine are 175g) each and which could be picked up for a paltry (or should it be pole'try') £38 online.

They are certainly light, though look a little unusual by omitting the plastic ferrules that adorn the joints on most other poles, and though 'compact' are plenty long enough for me and seem to avoid undue flex

Beastmaker 1000 fingerboard

Having been unable to get to the climbing wall as much lately and recognising I could do with some more specific training to strengthen my fingers I decided to look for a fingerboard. Aside from the pretentious name the Beastmaker 1000 gets good reviews for its range of holds for a beginner/intermediate and the wooden construction is kinder on the skin than resin boards. I can't profess to being able to use many of the holds yet - but fingers have to be trained slowly for risk of pulling a tendon, so time will tell how/if it will help.

In modern buildings with plasterboard walls the main challenge is where/how to fit the board so that a) my weight doesn't pull it off and b) it's relatively out of sight. After much deliberation in went above the door on the inside of the downstairs loo, using the top of the door frame as extra vertical support.

Rab Boreas top

A bit of an impulse buy, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it. It's thin, stretchy and light, has a hood and arms that are easy to roll-up for extra cooling. With Rab gear I'm perfectly inbetween medium and large sizes - medium fits my torso but is a bit tight round my chest/shoulders whereas the large fits my shoulders but is baggy on my chest/torso. The lack of clear purpose didn't help - was it to be a base-layer hence a tighter fitting would suffice or a mid-layer? In the end I opted for the medium.

The lack of clear purpose meant it was a last minute omission from my ruck-sack for the Tour de Wildhorn trip, yet frustratingly it was whilst in the Alps I found its role! Up high, in shadow or a breeze I found just a base layer a little chilly, yet adding my ME Astron soft-shell over the top meant I would easily overheat.

The Boreas would have been perfect to pop over the base layer to add a little protection from a breeze but not let me overheat. So I rued my last minute decision to pull the 250g from my kit whilst carrying 4 kg of un-used climbing/winter gear. We live and learn!

Tour de Wildhorn - 30th June-4th July

2011-07-16T18:49:00.008+01:00

The trip started badly when one of the cases never arrived in Geneva - meaning no boots, ice-axe or crampons for two of our group. Easyjet tip - if they ask if you have any sharp objects do not volunteer you have an ice-axe and crampons in a case that's going into the hold! This small inadvertant admission by David meant their baggage had to be checked in elsewhere and in the end never made the flight. Another Easyjet tip is.......fly BA from Heathrow as I did - less risk and you don't need to worry about Easyjet's 15kg baggage limit!

This buggered up our original plan of driving straight towards Lenk and Iffigenalp, then immediately hitting the trail to head up to the Wildstrubelhutte at 2791m. As there was no other Easyjet flight into Geneva for 12 hours we decided to drive to a berghaus at Iffigenalp and then David and Gerry would drive back to Geneva in the evening to pick up the errant bag. A big thanks to Gerry who drove the 3hr journey three times that day and also got a puncture 1/2 mile from the berghaus when returning after midnight!

Day 1: Iffigenalp to Cabin des Audannes
After being woken up by the cows and their clanging bells at 4.30am we breakfasted and sorted our gear. The biggest challenge was how much food to take for lunches - a selection of tortilla wraps (long-lasting and don't squash), kompt cheese and salami, together with a multitude of cereal bars, should see us through.

The revised plan was to head straight for Cabin des Audannes - it was going to be a longer day than planned as originally we would have already gained the height the afternoon before. Hitting the trail at a leisurely 9am and heading south we were immediately into a steep 500m climb up past the deserted Blattihutte before the incline eased a bit but still climbed a further 500m to the Rawilpass. Here, looking east, we could see the Wildstrubelhutte, our original destination the day before - though the consensus was that it would have been a hell of a slog to reach it the previous afternoon and we would definitely have missed dinner!

The terrain eased and we sauntered along a plateau surrounded by peaks still holding some, but surprisingly little, snow. After dropping down a little there was more ascent to Col de Eaux Froides at 2648m before a steep descent down loose scree to the Cabin des Audanne, perched just above the icy blue Lac des Audannes. It was a tough 7 and half hours to the cabin but the cloud saved us from the worst of the sun. We were the only guests booked into the hut that evening but with no showers a quick freshen up and a cool beer was the best we hope for before a welcome hearty dinner. After dinner we has a quick game of Scrabble to while away another hour - I'm not allowed to mention my first hand netted me 160 points, using all seven letters and including triple word score!!

The official figures for the day are 1400m ascent and 700m descent, though with all the little ups and downs the log in my Suunto Core watch showed over 2000m of ascent and 1000m of descent for the day. No wonder we were a little tired!

Day 2: Cabine de Audannes to Col to Sannetsch
Whilst the Tour du Wildhorn is a natural circular route David and I had a loose idea of actually ascending the Wildhorn (3247m) hence us each carrying a harness, ice-axe and crampons, a carabiners/prussiks and a rope. The map indicated that a relatively short detour from our route at the
Col de Audannes could take us to the summit. The cabin guardian kindly phoned here husband, a local guide, who actually advised against this route, so the option was kiboshed much to the relief of Simon and Geoff who hadn't packed harnesses (I'm sure on purpose!)

We headed up our planned route to the Col des Audannes, which at 2886m was to be the highest point on the route, and stopped for a break and to drink in the breadth and splendour and of the Alps spread before us. We tried to pick out the peaks from the obvious Mont Blanc to the east to the Eiger to our west and watched as the thermals from the valleys send clouds spiralling upwards.

Looking towards Mont Blanc (right) and (I think) Gran Parasiso (left)

From here we could now see the route up towards the Wildhorn that the guide had sensibly warned us against - true to form it looked less than inviting without roped protection. Our descent from the col was steep and loose and involved a 70m descent on ladders before traversing across a huge scree slope and more descent using a selection of fixed ropes, while watching out the odd rock falling from above as the sun's rays bore down on the rock and ice.

Descent from Col des Audannes

The heat was taking its toll as we headed down into the Grand Gouilles before ascending again to join the Arete de l'Arpille just south of the summit of Arpelistock. The arete dropped steadily and increasingly steeply (and narrowly) down to the Col du Sannetsch some 600m below and back into relative civilisation (well there was a road and a bus-stop!). Our abode for the evening was to be the Auberge de Sannetch, our abode for the evening and a couple of kilometres further north.

Looking back to Col des Audannes

A seven hour day with plenty of descent was tough on the feet and legs and a hot shower was welcomed almost as much as the cool beer. The owner of the auberge was an interesting character - a bearded, bespectacled, head-scarf wearing Harley-Davidson motorcyclist. We had great food (sirloin steak lump stewed for 20 hours at 75 degrees), local wine and entertainment (a kind of 'Master of the Marmot on which was surreally bizarre) and live sorbet making involving lots of liquid nitrogen, alcohol, vigorous stirring and plenty of smoke!

600m ascent, 1100 descent

Day 3: Col du Sannetsch to Geltenhutte
The next leg of the tour was to see us dropping down from the mountains and into the green and verden alpine pastures. Beautiful to look at I do prefer the stark beauty of rock and the mountains. I was looking forward to this leg the least - it appearing more of a country bimble than a mountain route. We immeditaley descended north, the path clinging to the side of the head of the valley. We stopped after hearing a rumble and shouting to see a number of boulders tumbling down and forcing another ascending group below us to scatter. The temperature was around 30 degrees as we dropped down to 1400m, ascended back up to 1900m, before dropping again down to Lauwensee at 1380m before a long climb up to the Geltenhutte at 2000m. Geltenhutte is a lovely spot and 4 Euros for a shower was a bargain after a sweltering day.

1000m ascent, 1000m descent

Day 4: Geltenhutte to Iffigenalp
An earlier start as we had to get down to Iffigenalp, get a new tyre and get to Geneva airport. Nevertheless we we still last to breakfast at 7am with the other guests having a proper alpine start as they were heading up the glacier to either Gelthorn, Arpilstock or Wildhorn summits. We headed along the other side of the valley from our ascent the day, before gradually heading down into the pastures before more ascent to 2381m where we could see Iffigee lake way below us. Our route was to traverse and ascend the valley head up to the Wildhornhutte at 2303m where a somewhat premature celebratory beer and lunch was consumed.

Wildhornhutte

Iffigsee lake

It was all downhill from here, descending past the lake, we wound our way back down to our start point at Iffigenalp.

800m ascent, 1200m descent

We still had to sort the puncture and with the space-saver tyre fitted and a full-loaded car we descended gingerly down the single-track road to Lenk, where with the usual swiss efficiency it was replaced and we headed off towards Geneva. We detoured via Gstaad to stretch our legs and happened across the Womens Beach Volleyball World Tour - a most welcome distraction for four tired guys:)

Thanks to David for the planning, Gerry for the logistics and driving and Simon for the entertainment. And apologies for the lack of umlauts - no idea how to type them on my keyboard!!

More pics from the trip on my Picasa account here. Video here.

A Quick Post....at last!

2011-06-30T04:52:00.000+01:00

After neglecting my blog for some months now, I currently packing for a 6-day hut-to-hut route around the Wildhorn in the Swiss Alps.

The past few months have been busy with work and sorting some personal stuff, so no UK trips save for a couple of climbing weekends down in Portland, though I have been climbing regularly at Westway but it really doesn't lend itself to blogging! You don't even need much kit so no shiny new gear to test - though I did succumb to a Black Diamond Couloir lightweight harness for the Alps trip.

So I'm all packed and taxi ordered for 5am to Heathrow, so hopefully a trip worthy of a report on my return!

Excitement and Frustration!

2011-04-03T18:26:00.001+01:00

Excited! because the flight to Sardinia is booked for 20th April, for a week rock climbing and camping in the mountains...and in the sun!

That's not me!

Frustration! because I've been told the only gear I need to take is a harness and shoes, when everyone knows a trip is a great excuse to buy some shiny new gear!

My pal Hajaz has a friend over in Sardinia who will be our host for the week and I'm told he'll provide all the climbing/camping gear. We're travelling with Easyjet so anything over a couple of bags of sugar will be charged extra, but I do feel an urge to take some of my own kit!

Hajaz is already the master of travelling light - he arrived for our weekend in Wales last month with only a half-full 30l rucksack, whereas I arrived with a car-boot full of gear which I rooted through each morning to get organised for the day. For my trip to the Alps last summer I was more 'selective' and got everything in a 120l pack and weighed in at 25kg at the BA check-in desk. M'mmm I need some packing advice!

So, it looks like the Laser Comp won't get it's first outing of the year (I'm feeling sad just saying that!) but I'm sure I can sneak in my PHD Minim 300 sleeping bag (it's light and I prefer to sleep in my own bag!), a NeoAir mattress (I do prefer relative comfort) and an Exped pillow (it weights sod all anyway) at the very least. Could have been an excuse to get a new set of quick-draws and the new JetBoil Sol stove looks tempting but not available till May:( Maybe some approach shoes and a new top or two will have to do.

Excited? Definitely. Frustrated? Not really. Can't wait!

Partha Dey Everest 2011

2011-03-29T20:27:00.003+01:00

While climbing at Swiss Cottage on Saturday we starting chatting to guy who was belaying a couple of kids. Turns out he is setting off to Nepal tomorrow as part of an Everest expedition. I promised Partha a mention on my blog and I'm sure everyone will join me in wishing him every success for his summit attempt and safe return.

http://www.parthadey.com/

Crib Goch.....finally!

2011-02-14T21:38:00.002Z

Unusually for Wales the 5-day forecast was showing clear weather. That usually counts for nothing with rain assured whatever the forecast, but rules are meant to be broken and the usual trek north saw me arriving at Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite to a clear sky and plummeting temperatures. Rather than brave the cold and camp we'd booked some space in the bunkhouse, though a few hardy souls were huddled around camp stoves outside their tents.

The plan was to hit Tryfan on Saturday and.....well, we'd see how the weather and our legs held up for the Sunday. In the morning we dived back down to Capel Curig for a leisurely breakfast and headed back to the campsite to don our packs and head off to the foot of Tryfan. There was no snow visible but it had been a cold, clear night with temperatures of around -5 degrees. The north ridge of Tryfan offers a veritable playground of scrambling. It must be nigh on impossible to take the same route twice, though even after a few times I've started to recognise certain outcrops and notches.

Looking across to Moel Siabod

The Glyders viewed from Tryfan

Being in a group of climbers we were minded to look for opportunities for hands-on rock wherever we could as picked our way through the boulders and short rock-faces. There's never anything too committing with walls tending to be only a few moves each time, thus negating the use of a rope. It was clear it was going to be a beautiful day, clear blue sky and crisp bite to the air. Climbing gloveless offered a better feel but the cold meant we were unable to be without gloves for more than a couple of minutes at a time. As we gained height extra care was needed as the rock became covered with a thin frost requiring a firm foot placement with each step. We had been a little lazy with our start and didn't reach the summit till around 1pm. The planned route up Bristly Ridge and across the Glyders beckoned but days are short in winter and we suspected we'd be descending in the dark. We were watched a group struggling to make headway at Sinister Gully at the foot of Bristly Ridge due the ice, so we headed down to Bwlch Trfan and headed via Llyn Bochlwyd. A warm evening in-front of a pub fire before retiring to the bunkhouse was welcomed, if not fully earned.

Feeling a little guilty over our lazy Saturday we decided that we would get up early on Sunday and head up to Pen-y-Pass for breakfast before targetting Crib Goch. It promised to be another glorious winter's day as we headed up the Pyg Track to Bwlych y Moch, taking care on patches of ice. The climb up the east face of Crib Goch is unrelenting and a short sharp way up to 900m, but the angled rock makes for an easy scramble and we were soon on the summit staring along the narrow ridge. This was my first time up there and the view along the narrow ridge matched my expectations. We picked our way along, using hands to steady ourself where needed till we reached the pinnacles and the fun really began. They look more fearsome than they really are but care is needed.

Crib Goch with pinnacles on the left and Garnedd Ugain the summit

on the right. Snowdon keeps watch top left.

We stopped for a quick cuppa just before the second pinnacle and watched one member of a group ahead of us (in the picture below) momentarily lose his footing, slip and be saved only by be a last-ditch two-handed flailing grab. This did little to calm any nerves ahead of us following them up, but it was short-lived and we soon heading down into Bwlch Coch.

It was only when turning around and looking back you get a sense of the grandeur of the surroundings and the enormity of the drop into Cwm Uchaf below. Seeing other bodies picking their way along the ridge helped put things into perspective.

Looking back

We then made the mistake of taking a track just off the ridge which dropped us lower than anticipated and we faced a loose scree climb back up to the ridge for the pull up to the summit of Garnedd Ugain. From the summit cairn we could hear shouting and it was apparent there had been an accident on the Pyg Track below. We could see a lot of ice on the zig-zag steps and it wasn't long before a RAF rescue helicopter was in its way. Continuing up to Snowdon's summit and looking back we could see that the casualty was laid on the bottom path directly below a long ice-fall coming down from the path above - it looked like she had fallen about 50m and was quickly winched up to the helicopter.

I checked the web on our return to see if there was any news on her condition but I couldn't find any mention, though the news was somewhat unfortunately overshadowed by a walker fatally collapsing on nearby Carnedd Dafydd. In the pub afterwards we all made a point of making a donation to the Mountain Rescue team whom are sadly all too often taken for granted.

So a quick weekend jaunt and my first taste of Crib Goch. As a first real outing of the year we couldn't have hoped for better weather and it's not often you can say that about North Wales!

It's been a while..?

2011-02-12T12:53:00.004Z

My blog has been somewhat neglected for the past few months - a combination of winter lethargy and personal 'stuff' to deal with, though I've continued to keep a watching eye on others travels and musings.

I've also been spending more time indoor climbing - usually at Westway in London or Craggy Island in Guildford. My regular climbing buddies I met by chance on the Snowdon Horseshoe last summer, though I've since introduced another friend who was instantly hooked. Of course indoor climbing is no substitute for the mountains but the combination of accessibility, challenge, fitness together with a great social vibe means that indoor climbing seems to be really growing in popularity. Going regularly is the key with noticeable improvement in balance, strength and movement helping me push the grades - though I have a long way to go!

I also took advantage of Go Outdoors crazy, one-day only, 50% discount on climbing gear sale in January and picked up some trad climbing gear (a 50m rope, a set of Wild Country Rockcentrics and a set of hex's) as well as a pair of Grivel Matrix Light axe's.

After all the heavy snow in December I was looking forward to some proper winter walking with crampons and axe at the ready but the snow had all but disappeared as I arrived in Snowdonia at New Year. I spent a relaxing few days in a cottage in Nant Gwynant by the start of the Watkin Path and enjoyed a chilly and icy ascent of Yr Aran, with Snowdon looking majestic under a dusting of snow.

Plans for this year? Well, I hope to get up to Scotland before the winter's out and also plan on some more rock climbing on the real stuff this year. I'm looking forward to translating my improvement in balance and movement to the mountains and doing some more scrambling this year, as well as fitting in some weekend wild-camps. I must also try to avoid the M54 turning on the M6 and head up to the Lakes more often! Mont Blanc is a definite target for the summer, most likely early September if the weather will hold like last year. And of course tending to my neglected blog.

Looking forward to the rest of 2011 and may be meeting up with some of you this year.

Alpine Summits and Skills 4000m

2010-09-12T10:19:00.006+01:00

I'd originally planned to join Icicle Mountaineering's Alpine Autonomy course but the weeks didn't quite work out so I was booked on the Intro 4000m Summits & Skills course, excited about my first taste of alpine walking/climbing. My slight concern with the intro course was that it assumed no previous experience though I had already enjoyed a modicum of UK winter skills and some rock-climbing. My other main concern was fitness, or lack of it.

Earlier in the year I had it in mind that I wanted to attempt Mont Blanc but research soon led me to realise the summer window is rather short and non of the tour companies hold back in their assessment of the physical demands. Icicle themselves are fairly blunt on the subject - they want people to be prepared and there is also the responsibility to the others in your group since, if on a major ascent, if one turns back then everyone turns back. Icicle's fitness recommendation for MB is that you can complete a half-marathon in under 1hr 45min and ideally marathon finess level. I'm not sure I could complete a half-marathon period! - and so I set my sights lower, aimed at gaining more alpine skills and experience. I actually suspected they were over-playing the fitness angle but on arrival I quickly realised that everyone else was either a runner (marathons, fell-runners, triathlons) or had been undertaking serious training. Kingsley, the Icicle main-man, had himself just finished the North Face Ultra-Trail race involving 100km and 5,000m of ascent. I'd had good intentions over the summer but injury (badly sprained ankle) and illness (a succession of man-flu) had disrupted preparations and I left for Geneva still dosed on antibiotics and echinacea.

Meeting at the Icicle office in Chamonix there were three of us on the Intro Summits & Skills course, half a dozen for Mont Blanc, two guys aiming for the Matterhorn and others focusing on climbing classic rock routes. Joining me on the Intro course were Jason and Tom, the latter was also staying on for a further week to attempt Mont Blanc.

The evening was spent assessing each persons kit and sorting out who needed to rent boots, crampons, axe, helmet, harnesses etc. I'd taken my own stuff and was fortunate that, after some deliberation, I was allowed to use my Scarpa Charmox B2 boots, rather than rent a pair of clumpy B3 boots. In my favour was the fact that the weather forecast was good, otherwise the suggestion was my boots would not be warm enough.

Day 1: Lac Blanc

Setting the pattern for the week, breakfast was served at 7.30 giving time for getting ready to meet our guides at 8.30. Jason, Tom and I we were to be guided by Kingsley on the first day and then to be joined by Stefano, an italian guide, for the rest of the week. The first day was really a straightforward acclimatisation day and a refresher on navigation and timing. We got the train up the valley to Montroc, then ascended through the trees, picking up part of the TMB route when we started to ascend from about 1300m up to the snow-line. I had to admit I found it tough going - we were ascending 1,000m (Snowdon summit from Pen-y-pass is less than 700m) and I was struggling with the pace, definitely feeling the after-effects of my illness the week before. Kingsley was showing no mercy as she showed no ill-effects from his 100km race a few days earlier. As we gained height the temperature noticably dropped and the drizzle turned to snow. An occasional break in the clouds gave the odd short-lived, post-card view, per the photo below. We eventually reached Chalet du Lac Blanc at 2352m and quickly devoured some lunch to keep warm and then started the long ascent all the way back into Chamonix. I was already wondering whether my fitness would show later in the week.

Day 2: Mer de Glace

We caught the Montenvers furnicular railway up to the Mer de Glace glacier. The close-up view of the glacier was spectacular, framed by the blue-sky and the majestic peaks, the ice was not the pure white river I was expecting due to a liberal coating of glacial moraine. The actual glacier was now some 200m below us though the flanks of the valley clearly showed the glacier had once been much higher. After a short walk down a path we donned harness and helmets for the 200m descent down a succession of vertical ladders and cables to eventually reach the level of the glacier. We picked our way over the moraine and onto the glacier proper, heading up the valley to spend the morning perfecting crampon and ice-axe technique. After lunch we headed further up the glacier to practice some ice-climbing. A leisurely descent is usual after a long day in the UK hills, so the prospect of ascending the ladders after a long hot day in the sun was not welcomed. They were like a giant stepper-machine - rung after rung it went on, my grip slightly more tense, my foot placement slightly more precise as we slowly gained height. The train was a far leisurely way down the mountain and we eventually plonked ourselves in the Icicle office at 5.30 for tea/biscuits and an hours instruction on knots.

Day 3. Mer de Glace

Back to the Mer de Glace - this time to head further up the glacier to where it splits - one leg heading east towards the imposing face of the Grand Jorasses and the other snaking south-west to reveal the eastern flanks of Mont Blanc itself. We donned crampons and headed upwards. The glacier was dry (i.e. not covered in snow) so crevasses were evident, largely negating the need to rope up, but we also needed the experience so we short-roped - a human-chain - practising moving together, keeping the rope off the ground but not so tight to pull on the person in front. We had hoped to ascend to the Refuge du Couvercle at 2687m but as the 9am train did not run (not enough passengers!!) we were behind schedule. Continuing to the hut ran the risk of missing the last train down in the evening,so we decided to forgo the hut and after a spot of lunch headed back down the glacier to practice setting up ice anchors/belays and crevasse rescue systems. It was a longer descent down the glacier and the inevitable ladders at the end, but I had really enjoyed the more technical skills aspect of the day.

Day 4. Rock-climbing and Gran Paradiso

With a drive to Gran Paradiso planned for after lunch we had the morning free for a spot of rock-climbing. A five-minute drive brought us to Lac de Gaillands and a great crag on the outskirts of Chamonix. With numerous bolted routes Stefano our Italian guide quickly lead up and we spent the morning on four different routes before grabbing lunch.

An hours drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel into Italy led us to the Gran Paradiso national park and as we drove up the Valsaverenche we saw our first glimpse of the summit. This was to be our last view of it until the following morning. Parking at Pont we sorted our gear and after a swift cofee set off up a well made path to arrive some 2 hours and 800m higher at the Vittorio Emanuele II hut - 2635m. We mooched around for a few hours, lazing in the sun and having a sneaky beer before dinner at 7. After another check of our gear we were in bed by 9pm with the alarm set for 3.30am.

Day 5. Gran Paradiso Summit

Blearily-eyed, a quick breakfast had us on our way by head-torch by 4.30am. With 1350m of ascent ahead of us Gran Paradiso is one of the longer summit days, so it was just a case of plodding steadily upwards, picking our way through a boulder field and up the moraine, having a quick stop for a drink every hour or so. As the first hint of daylight appeared the silhouette of Gran Paradiso slowly revealed itself. We reached the glacier and now had a choice of either ascending the glacier direct or turning right and ascending a rocky, scrambly rib with some via ferrata. We chose the latter which was far more fun until the rock finished and it was time to rope up and don crampons, whereupon we were immediately into a calf-busting steep climb up to the col where we re-joined the route up from the glacier. Looking over my shoulder I could see Mont Blanc across the Alps, replete with a small halo of a cloud above it.

From here it was going to be a long slog of over an hour up the snow and ice, roped up and following in the foot-steps of others. I was last on the rope so had the benefit of 3 people pulling me up! The last 20m required a scramble up and along a narrowing blocky ridge so we removed the carmpons and climbed up. The sting in the tail was a vertical wall with a precarious 10cm ledge for your feet and little for your your hands. It was only about 12ft across with a bolted karabiner at each end through which we could loop our rope for some protection.

A few moves later and we were standing on the summit of Gran Paradiso, 4061m, with amazing views across the whole Alps. Stephano reeled off the names but the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc announced themselves in the distance.

There's an inevitable sense of achievement, even relief, at reaching the summit, but as all true mountaineers tell you - you're only half-way there! We still had over 2000m of descent ahead of us. Re-tracing our steps down to the col, we veered off and took the glaicer route, meandering around spectacular crevasses. The descent to the hut was around 3 hours and with sore feet and knees spaghetti bolognese and a celebratory beer were hit the spot before the final 800m of descent back to the car.

We did it! My fitness held up though there were a couple of times when I felt that the rope was there to pull me up. Being roped up gives you that extra incentive to keep going, keep plodding, whereas ordinarily you might stop more often for a quick breather. The fast and light alpine philosophy is an approach honed and adapted to the environment. The sheer scale of the mountains, the changeability of conditions and the altitude demands fitness, experience and speed for safe passage. Thus early starts and a steady relentless pace with few stops is the norm. I could see now that Icicle were not over-playing the fitness aspect and why most of the guides in Chamonix are small and skinny!

Overall I really enjoyed the mix of practical instruction and real experience in the Alps, learning skills that give me the knowledge and confidence to move safely in the alpine environment. You can learn similar technical skills in the UK or from books/DVD's (the BMC Alpine Essentials DVD is a good intro) but your can't replicate the experience of being there. In hindsight I would have preferred to push myself on the Alpine Autonomy course (notwithstanding the extra fitness demanded) as I felt I learnt little new on the first few days, but the week was good experience nonetheless.

I'd definitely recommend Icicle Mountaineering to anyone else thinking of doing something similar. They have a great range of course for all abilities and a straightforward, down-to-earth approach. Sarah, in the Chamonix office, is only too happy to answer any questions or concerns when selecting an appropriate course. Mont Blanc will have to wait for next year!

Chamonix - Summits & Skills

2010-09-07T22:31:00.007+01:00

Just returned from a week in the Alps, courtesy of Icicle Mountaineering in Chamonix. Had a great week of walking, climbing, via ferrata, glacier travel and which culminated in us summitting Gran Paradiso (4,061m) in Italy.

I'll write up more details shortly but I've posted a selection of photos taken with the new Panasonic LX5 on Picasa here.

Summit of Gran Paradiso

Looking up the Mer de Glace glacier

Alps - Summits & Skills

2010-08-27T22:28:00.000+01:00

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

2010-08-19T21:23:00.001+01:00

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!

2010-08-02T20:44:00.001+01:00

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!!

2010-07-30T17:25:00.000+01:00

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!

2010-07-16T09:01:00.000+01:00

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

2010-07-13T19:19:00.004+01:00

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!

2010-07-04T23:16:00.002+01:00

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

2010-06-22T19:51:00.001+01:00

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

2010-05-28T23:17:00.002+01:00

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!

2010-05-17T13:43:00.000+01:00

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.

The Quest Continues..!

2010-05-09T10:29:00.002+01:00

My quest for a new lightweight one man tent continues unabated. One of the difficulties for a fussy buyer such as myself is the fact that it's actually rather difficult to track down and see suitable tents.  A dearth of local stores means its difficult to compare tents in the flesh so when I read that the Backpackers AGM meeting was to be accompanied by Backpackinglight and UltralightOutdoors exhibiting I decided to head down the M4 on a sunny Saturday. On arrival I could see a menagerie of tents but quickly spotted the Laser Comp and a Vaude Power Lizard pitched and ready to compare with Terra Nova and Vaude both having rep's on hand.

First up was the Vaude PL which looked immediately larger than the Laser. Inside it was surprisingly spacious in all directions.  Lying down I probably had a couple of feet spare at the end while width was just enough for two at a push.  The single porch was also spacious enough and given the 1 kg weight the package was impressive.  The groundsheet was more robust than I expected but the fly and the poles (7.5mm) were noticeably thin, with the thin poles seeming to easily distort in a slight wiggle rather than a straight hoop (if that makes sense) although the internal 'power cord' did deliver more stability. One thing I also noticed was the fly was not particularly taut towards the ends -a little baggy.  The Vaude rep admitted it could do with a couple of extra pegs but even then it was difficult to get the fly taut.

I then wondered over to the TN tents to have a poke around the Laser Comp - and pokey it was, coming directly from the VPL.  Although slightly lighter the LC was noticeable smaller on the inside - definitely more cozy - not necessarily a bad thing but lying down you notice the tent inner not far from your nose!  The porch was a similar size to the VPL though with slightly thicker poles the structure seemed a little more rigid and the fly seemed a little tauter. I questioned the TN rep about the fiddly pole cover but his only response was that you don't really need it, but since it also provides additional buying points for the pole then perhaps you do.

Wandering back over to the backpacking light stall I decided to have a chat with Bob who has made some positive comments on the VPL.  He kindly offered to let me pitch his own VPL which was relatively easy once I workd out how to insert the end-poles.  Again it was difficult to see how you could get a really tight fly at the ends.  Bob proceeded to offer a discount if I wanted to purchase his barely used VPL but on the basis it was a less than inconspicuous orange/yellow cover. He clearly wanted a green tent for the same reason I wouldn't want an orange one, thus I politely declined!

Alpkit were also exhibiting and had on show a prototype one-man, two-door lightweight tent.  It's a single pole design but with the pole running end-to-end rather than across the middle. The pole also has a couple of mini-spurs coming off a single joint to give more width to the tent.  Headroom was a little low and is due to be addressed by tweaking to ensure the highest point is aligned with where you would naturally sit.  With a target weight of 1kg, two-doors and an expected price of £150 it will an interesting addition to the market when launched next spring.  I've since noticed it has appeared in a news release on Outdoors Magic.

So where am I now.  Well the VPL impressed me with its space/weight ration but felt a little flimsy and flappy. The space was almost two big for one - it was on par with my current North face Tadpole two-man tent, but less than half the weight.   The Laser Comp feels more like a proper one-man lightweight tent for hunkering down, though the limitations and idiosyncrasies are well documented and the pole cover an unnecessary faff.  Which kinda leaves me in a bit of a quandary.  Do I plump for the LC and go through the 'experience' as most others have done, or take a serious look at the Scarp 1.  I'd been awaiting Robin's report on the Scarp which was largely favourable but as he admitted it was far from a serious workout given the benign weather that weekend.  Although a little heavier than both the VPL and LC the size of the Scarp looks just about right.  The integral corner end-poles should mean it's a more solid tauter structure with the optional cross-over poles offering extra rigidity in winter. But then again the purest in me is still drawn a little towards the minimalist Laser Comp. Oh, what it must be like not to be a Libran!!

Memory Map for iPhone: First Review

2010-05-03T18:25:00.000+01:00

I've had the PC version with a full set of Memory Map 1:25k maps on my PC for a couple of years. The novelty of using my Garmin GPS and downloading tracks to MM soon wore off and I ditched the GPS and reverted to map/compass. I still used MM for planning/plotting and often printed off my own sections of mapping which were more convenient that wrestling with full OS Explorer maps in the wild (particularly in the Carneddau where you have to flip over to the other side of the OS 1:25k map). Great as the good old OS mapping is I was never really impressed with the Memory Map software - it felt old, clunky and not particularly intuitive. As a long time iPhone convert I was excited to see a slew of mapping applications being released early this year. The excited anticipation of a MM for iphone app quickly evaporated when they launched it with a £20 price-tag. This was seen by many as a bit OTT a) for an iphone app, and b) when you've already paid for the OS maps.   The early version also didn't allow you to create routes on the phone though this has since been added.   I waited for the updated version before downloading their 'free' version which is for people who don't already have MM maps and offers the abillity to download maps directly to your iphone via MM's own online mapping store. I figured I'd have a play with the version before shelling out the £20 for the privilege of transferring my own maps. I was also interested to see what the Government's much touted freeing up of the OS mapping data would do to the market - not a lot it seems!.

With the free version of the MM app you are immediately greeted with the OS GB1:1 Routeplanner base map which is of little practical use.   What was not immediately clear is that by opting for the 'More Maps' option you are invited to create an online account on the MM map store from where you are entitled to download 400 square km of mapping for free. You can choose what area and what scale mapping you wish. As you zoom in on an area any un-purchased mapping is automatically blurred out. However by clicking on the 'activate' button you are taken to the online store. Before you download it tells you the size of that map portion (e.g. 47 sq.km) and how much of your free 400 sq.km you have remaining. Thankfully the map sections are far smaller than normal OS maps and so I could easily select all the relevant 1:25k mapping for the Carneddau and the Glyders I neede for the weekend, and I still have over 200sq.km free so I can't see the need to buy the £20 full version just yet.

With the mapping for the weekend sorted it was now down to playing with the app and getting to grips with the MM way of doing things. Creating waypoints and routes was not quite intuitive - it looks it but I should have RTFM! Routes are rather fiddly as you cannot place waypoints very accurately with your finger - if you have large fingers then creating a route would be a painful experience, though you can move the individual points afterwards. This is also a limiting function of the iphone and its touchscreen interface as much as MM's software.

Of course playing with an app in the comfort of your own home and out in the field is different. It's a well know fact that the battery life on the iphone isn't great and so I realised I was unlikely to start the MM app and leave it on, choosing to hit the top button the phone to put it to 'sleep'. The app includes a logging feature which includes speed, distance, moving time etc.    I found myself periodically taking the phone out of my pocket, switching it from sleep to check my position. The phone appears to get a GPS location fix quickly and displays your position on the map. In terms of creating a 'track' it assumes you have travelled in straight lines since your last position, so a review of my route shows a series of linked points.

One hint that I picked up from the MM Support Forum was that if you open the iphone ipod app and play music and then open MM, then when you hit the sleep button the phone continues to track you. Althoug the screen is blank (saving the battery) it must be do to with the fact that until the new iphone OS4 software is released and supports mutli-tasking, the ipod app is one of a select few apps that is able to run in the background and hence must keep the phone on. I haven't tried this and I'd imagine it would have a dramatic affect on the battery life.

In use, one odd problem I did encounter on the first day was a couple of spurious incorrect GPS fixes which has the affect of making it appear that I'd suddenly jumped 100km or so to the east and back. This happened a couple of times on the first day and as well as resulting in spurious spikes in my on screen route, it also rendered the logging info useless as it meant my distance travelled was exaggerated - see screenshot below as I'd be hard-pressed to do 244km in 1hr33min!!

Of more concern was that on the second day when descending Tryfan via Heather Terrace this appeared to happen every time I switched on the phone to get a fix - see screenshot below. N.B. for those who do not have an iphone I don't mean physically switch it on and off every time like a normal phone - pressing a small button puts the screen and any open application to sleep but the phone is still awake to receice calls.

In real use some of the limitations are a function of the iphone itself, particularly battery life and robustness - I dont normally use a case, preferring less bulk but in the mountains a case would make sense - possibly one with a built-in battery-pack. GPS accuracy seems good, aside from the spurious spikes which I'm still unsure whether they were a function of the MM software or the GPS receiver. I seem to recall having the occassional similar spike on my Garmin GPS tracklogs - but certainly not to the extent in the screenshot above. I keep meaning to post the screenshot on the MM support forum for feedback.

Things I haven't yet tried are transferring my existing MM maps onto the iphone (I would need to buy the full £20 version for that), transferring my tracks from the iphone to my PC (they can be emailed as .gpx files) or transferring routes from my PC version of MM (where it would be easier to create routes) to the iphone (probably need the full version of the MM app).

All in all, its a reasonable effort. The availability of full OS 1:25k mapping on your screen is impressive - though in practice the small screen size means you do need to regularly zoom in/out. At the moment I'd still class it as a nice to have or luxury and would only see it as a back-up option (as I would any battery-reliant GPS device) though as I would normally take my phone anyway then it does offer the benefit of ditching a separate GPS device. As battery and processor technology improves then you can envisage discrete GPS devices coming under more pressure from other more-unified devices such as the iphone and other smartphones, which in the end can only be a good thing for us consumers.

A write up at last!

2010-04-20T23:52:00.008+01:00

After a stressful week at work I took Friday off with the promise of fine weather for the weekend making a pleasant change to the usual forecast - in fact I was beginning to think that the iphone weather app was stuck on the rain symbol when looking up Betws y Coed. The strangely quiet traffic conditions were offset by me making the mistake of checking my work emails thus kicking off a flurry of frantic phone calls inbetween bouts of no mobile signal as I sped along the A5. Snowdonia looked fantastic spread out before me, the clear skies made it easy to pick out the profiles of all the major peaks which were still dotted with the last remnants of winter snow.

Arriving in Betws-y-coed around 4pm I did the usual round of Cotswold Outdoor and stocked up on provisions for the weekend. I'd already decided I was to camp at the Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite at the base of Tryfan (not to be confused by Gwern Gof Isaf a 1/2 mile back down the A5). I could walk straight from the campite so I stocked up sufficiently so I wouldn't need to pop back to Capel Curig in the morning. The campsite is rather small but has hot water, toilets and a shower and is in a great location. I had a few Mountain House meals but the lure of some decent food (I needed the energy for the next day, honest!!) - led me to drive down to the Bryn Tyrch Inn in Capel Curig. Sitting on the sofa in front of the fire I chatted to a teacher who was attending a refresher first-aid course at Plas y Brenin. Arriving back at the campsite it was apparent that the clear skies were going to mean a cold night and chilly it was. I took the PHD Minim 300 bag and my old Thermarest Prolite3 mat and certainly noticed the cold - my Suunto Core showed 3 degrees C during the night and there was a hint of frost as I nipped to the loo at 6am. I'm sure my NeoAir mattress would have been warmer (and more comfortable) but alas it had mysteriously succumbed to a rip (more like a cut) when our daughter slept on it at my parents a month ago and I had yet to track down a repair kit. I'm still finding the limits of a) me and b) my sleeping bags and I suspect the Minim 300 and I were at our limit.

I was up and off by 9am and it was already clear it as going to be a warm day. I'd packed light in lieu of the forecast (including leaving my dSLR camera behind) and crossed the A5 and headed up towards Cwm Lloer and the east ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen which I'd last tackled in several feet of snow. I was already perspiring as I reached the summit, getting a much better view of the route of our winter climb at New Year. Though there was no snow directly on the summit, the ridge around to Carnedd Dafydd was lined with a cornice and pockets of snow clung to the steep sides of Cwm Lloer.

Carnedd Dafydd was quickly dispatched with a quick snack-stop to admire the views across the Glyders to Snowdon beyond. The ridge along to Carnned Llewelyn is longer than it looks and last time here we had to cut-short and head off down into Cwm LLugwy due to the wind. As I headed around the ridge long I kept turning around to study the intricacies of the cwms below Carnedd Dafydd (Cwmglas Bach, Crib Lem) as they unfolded into view. I was trying to make out the Crib Lem spur, a grade 1 scramble to the summit of Carnedd Dafydd, which I planned to do another time.

The summit of Carnedd Llewelyn was bit of an anti-climax, as you're already quite high its a relatively gentle trudge up to highest point of a relatively innocuous summit plateau. Yr Elen looked far more attractive out to the west.

What the summit lacked in drama it made up for in terms of the 360 degree panoramic views. After a spot of lunch, hiding under a cap to give my poor head some respite from the sun, I needed to decide where to head from here. The Carneddau is more of north-south spine - a traverse of the range would make a great day out if you arranged for transport at the other end, otherwise it tends to be an out and back affair. It was a toss up between heading over to Yr Elen or heading further north along the Carneddau and getting a feel for the more isolated, outlying peaks. I chose the latter quieter option which would give me a different perspective on Cwm Eigau and the route of my last wild-camp. The northern slopes of Carnedd Llewellyn and in particular the drop into Cwm Eigau still held a surprising amount of snow and a suspect looking cornice was to be avoided. I headed north losing height and then climbing back up to Foel Grach - another somewhat anonymous summit but which is still a proud 976m. From here Yr Elen and the steep cliffs dropping into Cwm Caseg really take shape - a real mountain reveals itself. The psychology of knowing that going further north would merely lead me to re-trace my steps led me to head back to Carnedd Llewlelyn. The heat was taking its toll and I was conscious that I didn't really know how much liquid I had left in my 2 litre Camelbak bladder - one of the downsides of a bladder over a bottle.

The summit was now much busier as I arrived and took an immediate left, heading east down towards Bwlch Eyrl Farchog. Dropping down the initial slopes, crossing odd mini-snowfields and looking directly down towards Ffynnon Llugwy you suddenly get areal impression of how high you really were. The descent down to the bwlch took longer than expected but offered impressive views into Cwm Eigau, the silence occasional punctuated by climbers calls. My feet were hurting a little by now and I was slurping on my last few drops of water. Upon reaching the lake (and probably just missing Robin and his Scarp) I chose to follow a feint track down to the bottom of the valley which gave a softer (often very soft and boggy!) option for my feet than the metalled access road. A quick shower and I decided I'd earned a proper meal and drove to the Tyn y Coed pub in Capel Curig for a curry and a pint of Guinness. A warmer evening meant I slept better and whipped up a fried bacon sarnie for breakfast - one of the undoubted treats of camping!!

As I was due to head home later in the day I decided to simply head up the north face of Tryfan, planning to descend via Heather Terrace, the obvious band cutting across the east face. I decided to pack even lighter and used a Berghaus Mach 24 pack leaving the camera and flask behind, packing only food, water and a LIM Barrier smock. The old adage that you'll never re-trace the same route up Tryfan holds true. Approaching from the east rather than the usual route up from car-park on the A5 I soon came across several groups coming up from the north-west. The lower slopes tend to funnel people into one of a few routes as people tend to follow the more obvious worn tracks. More confident from my recent indoor climbing I was keen to take a more direct route where I could, giving me more flexibility in avoiding the crowds and practicing a more hands-on approach. It was great fun picking a route up - even the steeper bits are short-lived so although you can get into a few awkward spots you're rarely over-commited. The summit appears all to quickly and was, as expected, rather busy with the usual bravado being exhibited by mortals stepping across from Adam to Eve (or vice-versa). An Aussie girl spent 15 mins before being coaxed into making the step/jump to much applause. Heading directly south, up and over the south peak, I picked my way down towards Bwlch Tryfan ending with a rather awkward down-climb, before heading over the stile and scrambling down the scree slope to the start of Heather Terrace. Picking my way along I stopped for 30 mins to chat to a couple climbers who were attempting to find the start of a grade 3 scramble, hoping they'd correctly counted to the 19th rib of rock! I always seem to find the return leg longer than the outward leg and Heather Terrace stretched back north but dropping surprisingly little height in the process. Eventually I reached the path down into Cwm Tryfan and headed past Tryfan Bach to the campsite.

Weekend trips are always over far to quickly but it's always well worth the effort - the sense of well-being even making the 4 hour drive back more bearable. The fantastic spring weather, clear skies, big mountains interspersed with the last remnants of winter snow combined to give a real 'alps' feel to the weekend that my iphone camera would never do justice No wildcamp, but I'd put in more miles and metres than I would have done encumbered with a bigger pack. The Carneddau had revealed more of their character and yet there is still far more to explore.

I'll post some observations on kit including the iphone Memory Map app later and I have a few more pics online here.

Welsh Alps...the prequel

2010-04-13T22:30:00.002+01:00

Back from a weekend in North Wales. Fantastic weather (with sunburn to face/neck to prove it), clear blue skies, big mountains and the last remnants of winter snow combining to give a real 'alpine' feel to Snowdonia. I'll post some words and photo's later in the week, but I'm already regretting not taking my dSLR and relying on my iphone for pic's, though I did get to try out the new Memory Map application on the iphone.

I spoke too soon!!

2010-03-22T20:41:00.002Z

Well, just a few days after my previous post I received an email from Amazon advising that they are unable to supply the Vaude Power Lizard UL I ordered and it has been 'discontinued'! This smacks of Vaude being unhappy with Amazon selling it at £256 (against an RRP of £350) and refusing to supply them, even though Amazon upped the price last week to £296!

I can probably get hold of a VPL for £300 but it doesn't look such good value at that price against a Laser Comp (available for around £220 ) and the Scarp 1 (circa £230 depending on exchange rate, VAT and handling charges). The up-shot is I'm back to square one! Bugger!

Guilty!! Vaude Power Lizard UL

2010-03-19T22:51:00.007Z

I've been patiently sitting on the sidelines watching the developments on the 1+ man tent front, the thought of lugging my trusty old TNF Tadpole (2.3kg) through another year weighing on my mind. Last autumn I was set to jump on the Laser Comp bandwagon, complete with Robin's mod's, but with winter approaching I held off and found a host of young pretenders gaining airtime. New(ish) boys on the block included the Scarp 1 with its latest iteration of longer flysheet. Henry over at Tarptents has a loyal and growing following, the tent gets grand reviews and the option of the extra cross-over poles offer more security for 4-season outings, though at around 1.5kg its not the lightest.. I've watched and listened as others have received their new Scarp - Robin is already fettling with his - when along comes the Vaude Power Lizard UL, replete with ridiculous name....guess its better than Scutum!

Looks like a Laser Comp without the fiddly pole cover, and bit of extra room (for 2 if you're very good friends). The good bits...

Lightweight at 1 Kg
Small packed size (35cm x 10cm)
Power frame should aid stability
More space than Laser Comp
No fiddly pole cover
Space for two (at a push!)

The main con at the moment is that it's unproven in the field (though Vaude do have a good reputation)..... and that RRP of £350(!!)....oh, and a 2-way zip would have been handy. There was a quick review in last months Trail magazine, an interesting thread over at Outdoors Magic with the usual pro's and con's and some more feedback from Bob over at backpackinglight who has used it overnight in the wild.

A quick Google (can I use it as a verb?) showed that you could find it for £300 (still expensive) though all were awaiting stock. Just as I was about to close the search window I saw Amazon's name on the screen.. Strange, I didn't expect them to be stocking this type of gear but a quick click showed them selling it at £256. It was out of stock but you could place an order at that price....and with another click on impulse.....I did.....with a slight guilty feeling....which somewhat lessened when a few days later Amazon increased the price back to £300 and I still have the safety net of Amazons no-hassle returns policy. I also feel a wee guilty for not ordering from Bob at backbackinglight but I promise to atone by spending the money I saved, and more, with him over the coming months.

So have I bagged a bargain or a turkey? Time will tell - there's no right or wrong answer - if it works for me and I nabbed it cheap then great. The basics are there and I'll find its limitations (or mine) with experience, just as others did with the Laser Comp and who will no doubt with the Scarp. Some lived with the Laser, some changed it, some have moved on. We're each at on our own personal learning curve and thats no bad thing.

An Extra Dimension

2010-02-23T21:25:00.010Z

In lieu of hill time, whilst I've been busy at work and the weather has been lousy, I plumped for having a go at some indoor climbing.   A couple of lessons at Craggy Island in Guildford sorts you on the basics of ropework, which is basically knowing how to tie yourself in to the rope (re-threaded figure of eight with a stopper knot) and belaying safely.   Under the guidance of an instructor you move through some easy climbs, finding your feet and balance and learning some basic movement. Although the sessions were only 90 minutes it was hard work and odd muscles were protesting the day after!    All of the walls are graded, based on you sticking to the same colour holds for that route. You soon start stretching yourself (literally), determined to crack a route...if you have the energy. Though the pro's will no doubt say its skill and balance though I'd say strength and endurance definitely play a part as you move up the grades and my forearm and grip strength were sorely exposed!!
There is also a mental element with some moves a real jigsaw that need piecing together carefully. It's great fun and I can see it really helping movement and balance when scrambling. It's pretty busy at the weekends but it's a great atmosphere, even if you're simply sitting in the cafe watching others over a coffee.

We spent a few days in Wales last week and while the weather wasn't great we headed over to the Beacon indoor climbing centre, a few miles west of Llanberis.   Confidently signing ourselves in as 'competent' (after reading a lengthy disclaimer!) we were let loose on the bewildering array of walls. Taking responsibility for ourselves added to the sense of achievement and we managed to complete our first grade 6a route and left exhausted some four hours later!   The actual building has an interesting history as it was originally used by Marconi to transmit signals across to the US and Australia - ironic as the mobile phone signal wasn't great! If you're in North Wales and fancy trying something different then its well worth a visit - but take a fleece as it's a little chilly in winter!

As we left Betws y Coed I couldn't resist popping into the Cotswold Outdoor Rock Bottom store as we were passing. They had harnesses and climbing shoes on sale pending the arrival of new 2010 stock so I managed to pick up a Black Diamond Momentum harness and some Red Chilli shoes with 20% discount.   We were headed over to my parents in North Lincs so the next day took the opportunity to venture over the Humber Bridge to Rock City in Hull - an excuse to dirty our shiny new gear.   Having negotiated the practical test (tie-ing in and belaying) without embarrassing ourselves I was unsure what to expect, but we were greeted with the largest indoor wall I've seen so far.   A vast selection of routes/grades, easy angles, over-hangs, multi-featured walls and a couple of large bouldering areas. At a fiver for a whole day (a bit more at weekends) and only a pound to hire a harness its also a very cheap day out, have fun and get fit into the bargain!

I'm actually kicking myself for not trying climbing earlier. I'd always imagined there was some kind of mystique about it but as I've gradually found my hill feet again and started a bit of scrambling, then a spot of climbing was an obvious next step.   When the weather improves I'd like to have a crack at some outdoor climbing - adding an extra dimension to enjoying the mountains.

Snowdonia New Year

2010-02-08T21:10:00.008Z

It's a little late but I thought I'd drop in a quick summary of our snowy exploits in Snowdonia over the New Year. No winter wild-camp, base-camp was a small hotel in Betws-y-coed, but as we drove up the weather was deteriorating as we headed west along the A5. Snow...let there be snow!!!

Per my earlier post we spent the next morning and a few pounds equipping Michelle with some Scarpa Manta boots, Black Diamond Serac crampons and an ice-axe. Suitably heavier with shiny new gear and lighter with cash we grabbed some lunch provisions and headed along the Ogwen Valley. It was a fantastic sight seeing the whole valley covered in snow, Tryfan's jagged profile jutting into the heavy sky. The weather was closing in with the wind and driving snow hampering kitting up by the car. Bracing ourselves, he headed up the path towards Llyn Idwal and soon realised we were far from alone. The snow had tempted many out for a winter jaunt, from hard-core climbers jangling back-down from Idwal Slabs to grannies out for a bimble with the dog. I'd considered heading up to Cwm Cneifon which tends to be sheltered from the wind but chatting to a couple of climbers coming downb they said they'd battled through waist- deep snow before giving up. Instead we continued along the rising path to the east of Llyn Idwal, heading into the cwm and up towards Devils Kitchen.

By now the visibility was reducing as the wind whipped up the snow. The ice-axe's came out to help balance when you were unsure of whether your feet were dissappearing into 2 or 20 inches of snow. Heading up to the rocky outcrops at the head of the cwm, where the main path ascends into the gloom of Devils Kitchen, we found an over-hang deep enough to pass as a shelter of sorts for lunch. The frozen cheese and ham roll was devoid of taste, but swiftly surpassed by a welcome flask of sugary tea.

We decided don the crampons before setting off, hoping no-one would notice how shiny and new they looked!! A few tentative steps later and you realise how much extra grip and confidence twelve spikes afford, especially when descending. With no let up in the weather we decided, rather than head up into the gaping mouth of Twll Du, to head down the main path via the west shore of Llyn Idwal and back to the car to thaw out. We'd managed to find our winter legs.

Looking up into Devils Kitchen (Twll Du)

Two days later we woke to a clear blue-sky. A quick breakfast and detour into Cotswold Outdoor and once again we headed along the A5. With a sharp northerly wind I selected Cwm Llloer, below Carnedd Daffydd as a likely candidate offering some shelter and the option of ascending the east ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen (a grade 1 scramble) or heading further up in to the cwm. A similar route was featured in the Routes section of a recent Trail magazine that I had to hand. Parking on the A5 we geared up and crossed the road ascending the path which was submerged beneath the snow. Ahead of us were a couple of guys with cross-country ski's strapped to their pack's. It was a tough slog up with around 8-12 inches of snow, much of it un-trodden. We met a family coming down who had turned back from trying the east ridge, which they described as an ice-rink and a no-go without crampons. We by-passed the start of the east-ridge and decided to head into the cwm to explore. It was the first time I'd been here and although the drifting snow made it difficult to see the profile of the land or the lake I'd imagine it would make a good wild-camp spot.

Look carefully and you can see some bodies ascending

Stopping for a quick snack we met some climbers heading for the very head of the cwm, but I could see a few people ascending the south wall of the cwm up a shallow gully. Crampon's donned we headed for the foot of the gulley, kicking steps through the frozen layer of snow. The route quickly steepened and the kick-kick-plunge routine became a steady rhythm as we gained height quickly. Stopping to back and we realised it was steeper than we thought and Michelle began to get a little nervous. As we gained height the the snow became firmer and we crunched through the top layer with each step, whilst convincing Michelle there wouldn't be an avalanche. Eventually we reached the top of the ridge and were exposed to a strong biting wind and smooth, wind-blasted ice surface. We met a group who had just summitted and were on the way down. Michelle was tempted to join them but I persuaded her to push on to the summit which was only another 50m higher. But for the wind the summit would have been a glorious place for lunch. The sun was breaking through the clouds but the biting wind meant for a barren, deserted plateau devoid of shelter, so after few pics we headed back down towards the East Ridge.

A frozen Pen yr Ole Wen summit

The route down the ridge was fairly obvious and didn't seem it would merit a grade 1 scramble, even in winter, but for one short-lived section. We reached the main path back down to the road just in time to be overtaken by the guys on cross-country ski's...now why didn't I think of that!

No big epic trip, no snow-bound wild-camp, but two glorious winter days in the mountains and more experience gained.

Sunnto Core Update

2010-02-01T18:10:00.001Z

Over the weekend I took some pic's for comparison. What is noticeable is the difference in readability of the reversed LCD screen in different situations. Outdoors in daylight the negative screen is much more readable and in bright sunlight actually more readable than the standard screen. In poor indoor light the standard screen is more readable, and clearer than the second picture suggests. Given that the watch is going to be used outdoors I've decided to go with the All Black - which I'm also more likely to wear on a casual basis at the weekends. I also find the larger bezel of the All Black easier to rotate and the luminous compass sighting marks more practical. Ok, I know I'm just trying to convince myself!!

Suunto Core...First Look

2010-01-30T23:24:00.005Z

My new Sunnto Core watch arrived on Wed and my initial response upon turning it on was "mmm, it's not that easy to read". I'd chosen the All Black model with the reversed LCD display.(see pic below) but was already aware that owners tend to be polarised over the readability of the reversed display. You can enter the service mode and adjust the contrast of the display but it makes little difference as it adjusts contrast, not brightness. Indoors I was finding I had to really squint at the display or use the back-light just to read the time. The display is better and crisper outdoors in natural light but forum comments from other owners suggests they get used to the poor display. I decided to order a Regular Black model with a normal, or positive, LCD screen so I could do a side-by-side comparison. Ordering midday on Thur the watch arrived from Gaynors on Friday morning.

First impressions of the Regular Black was that the screen was much more legible, although you do notice the large expanse of blank screen on some views, more so than on the reversed LCD. A straw poll of a few friends showed a clear pattern - the All Black won praise for its looks while the Regular Black was clearly more legible. The Regular Black does look better in the flesh than in the Sunnto photo, whereas the All Black probably looks better in the photo than on the wrist.

Size wise, I did wonder whether Core would look rather ridiculous on my not so large wrist but it wears its size well, is light and comfortable.. Although both watches have the same body and strap, side by side the Regular Black actually look slightly larger The regular LCD screen make it appear larger in diameter and the slimmer bezel makes the watch slightly flatter in profile. The All Black's bezel includes luminous markers for sighting a bearing and its more bulbous profile makes the bezel easier to rotate (especially if wearing gloves). The All Black display is definitely better when viewed outside in stronger light but the regular display still wins out wherever you are.

The menu and user interface is fairly straightforward with the main view switching between time, Alti/Barometer, Compass. Each main function allows you to select a smaller supplementary display (e.g.in Time you can also choose to show either day/date, second time, sunrise/sunet, stopwatch, timer). The Altimeter/Barometer works by measuring absolute pressure and hence needs calibrating to a know altitude or sea level pressure. As with all ABC watches this does mean you need to select either Alti or Barometer mode according to your activity. If you are not changing altitude then using Baro mode will track the change in pressure and give an indication of weather changes. If you're heading up then switching to Alti mode means altitude change is tracked. The Core also includes an Auto mode which switches between Alti/Baro depending on whether it detects vertical movement. The Core also includes a storm alarm if it detects the pressure dropping. One slight problem is that my high frequency hearing has been affected by one of my chemo drugs so I can barely hear the alarm. I have an old Casio G-Shock and I can't hear it's alarm at all, though at least the Core has a multi-chime alarm and I can just about hear one of the chimes, though it wouldn't wake me up!

On the Suunto forums there are plenty of people who have a collection of Suunto's, some even own a number of different style Core's but for me one will have to be returned. A decision will have to be made over the weekend. Looks versus legibility, form versus function - superficial I know! The All Black display is definitely better when viewed outside in stronger light but is very poor indoors. Out of the box the Regular Black was a bit plain but is actually growing on me - I quite like its more utilitarian looks and the the slightly larger/flatter profile. Tough, important decision.....watch this space!

It's your fault!

2010-01-26T20:23:00.002Z

Well, spurred on by your suggestions on my previous post that I treat myself I did just that and ordered a Suunto Core All Black watch. I've been u'mming and a'arghing for a while on buying a ABC watch. Since I ditched my Garmin GPS I do miss the convenience of having an altitude reading (a useful aid to navigation) and the built-in compass will serve as a handy back-up for when I next lose my hand-held compass.

There are some active forums for Suunto watches and it is well-documented that earlier versions of the Core suffered from reliability problems but these seem to have been resolved with the later firmware.

The hardest decision was choosing from the umpteen colours/styles of the Core, but I couldn't resist the stealth looks of the All-Black despite the negative display being allegedly less readable than a positive LCD display. I'm hoping it will arrive tomorrow and I'll have a play and report back!

All Clear!!

2010-01-22T20:23:00.003Z

This week has seen the awkward few days wait between having a CT scan and getting the results. I trundled over to the Royal Marsden this morning to receive the news that my scan was clear and the 'lump' which was visible on my lung from my last scan has actually shrunk slightly, which backs up the consultant's original view that it was probably scar-tissue from my last operation. It's now two years since my last treatment, which is a bit of a milestone having previously twice re-lapsed after 6 months, and the risk of recurrence is diminishing with each passing month. I think I need to treat myself to a mountain-top or two to celebrate!!

Snowdonia lives up to its name!!

2010-01-17T18:45:00.006Z

I haven't had chance to write up our trip up to Snowdonia at New Year, but I have posted some photo's online here.

There was plenty of snow in which to try out some new kit including Black Diamond Serac crampons. Michelle managed to pick up a bargain at Cotswold Outdoors Rock Bottom store in Betws-y-coed - a pair of new Scarpa Manta's for only 60GBP(!!) courtesy of CO's boot guarantee policy which allows punters to return boots if they are not happy with them (and they haven't been worn outside). Returned boots can't be sold as new so find their way to the Rock Bottom store. I suspect the fact that we bought the BD crampons and Michelle bought a DMM Cirque ice-axe helped us get a bargain on the boots!

Carneddau Capers - 13th/14th Dec

2009-12-19T11:47:00.016Z

Better late than never (I hope!). I've been meaning to write-up a few recent trips but Xmas and New Year is a such a busy time!

After my last swine-flu aborted trip I was determined to fit in a quick weekend before Xmas. With the a wet November giving way to a cold and crisp December my iphone weather app was showing five clear rain-free days so I chucked all my gear in the boot of the car and headed up to Snowdonia. I was still unsure whether to stay on a camp-site and do a couple of day walks/scrambles or brave a winter wildcamp. After a quick cuppa in the Pinnacle Cafe in Capel Curig I decided on a wildcamp and set about packing my OMM Villain....and un-packing it...and packing it again as I rummaged around the jumble of gear and clothing in my boot. I had a loose idea of heading N-W from Capel Curig up the flank opf Pen Llithrig y Wrach and then onwards either to Melynllyn reservoir or Llyn Eigau.

Looking back into Cwm Eigau

Heading off along the A5 I crossed the stile and headed north up towards Llyn Colwyd. The map showed it was about 7km to Llyn Eigau and since it was already almost 3pm I knew I'd have to get a move on before the light faded. The ground was sodden which made it hard going and I quickly found my feet and socks soaked, having stuck with my TNF Hedgehogs rather than switch to boots. Upon reaching the southern tip of Llyn Colwyd I continued up and N-W aiming for Bwlch y Tri Marchog, a small pass where I could then drop down into Cwm Eigiau. The cluster of contours made the drop look pretty steep on the map and on reaching the top in fading light and with cloud closing in I felt I was standing on the top of a black-run as the ground fell-away! Melynllyn was now well out of the question and whether I would be able to reach Llyn Eigiau without torch-light was questionable, so out came the Petzl Tikka in readiness. I picked my way down the mountainside, slipping a few times on the sodden grass and rock to eventually reach the valley floor some 700 feet below. The sun was well behind the imposing cliffs of Cwm Eigau and my trek was hampered by the boggy ground and a patch-work of streams, some of which I had to backtrack and detour around. My head-torch seemed overwhelmed in the vastness as I searched around near the lake for a suitably flat and relatively dry spot to camp. My definition of dry quickly changed to 'without running water' and flat changed to 'looks flat in the dark, by torchlight' as the tussocks of grass meant several unshapely mounds underneath the floor of the tent.

I pitched by torchlight and un-packed - that awkward time when you realise what you have and what you have forgotten. No spare socks!! My feet were sodden - I took off my socks and wrung them out and wrapped my feet in my sleeping bag. I was resigned to the fact that I'd be putting on wet-socks in the morning. A quick cup-a-soup restored morale as I organised my tent for the evening ahead - nights are long in the winter.

I was tempted to go for a wander but the thought of donning wet-socks persuaded me otherwise. One luxury I had packed at the last minute was my down-jacket, which although a little bulky was a god-send. I was looking forward to my Mountain House pasta and bolognaise and had just added the boiling water when upon reaching for the spoon to stir I dropped the bag, spilling the contents over my lower leg, bare ankle and trainer. Luckily the spill was in the porch but as I had earlier removed my socks the boiling water scalded my ankle, not to mention the rather awful mess and that my hot dinner was no more. I laughed at the ridiculous mess, cleared it up as best I could and resigned myself to another cup-a-soup and some chocolate.

The sky was clear and cold but as the night wore on I could feel the damp air permeating my down jacket and sleeping bag with the down loft gradually subsiding. The night was peaceful and I was warm enough but my wet socks were half frozen by morning. After a hearty pot of porridge I broke camp around 9am and headed back up into Cwm Eigau.

Looking back up to Bwlych y tri Marchog and Pen yr Helgi Du in the morning

I had worked out a route of about 20km to take me back to Capel Curig. I'm still getting to know the Carneddau, picking them off piece by piece, but their scale and bulk still surprises me each time. As I reached old mining ruins near the head of the cwm the path headed north and up the side of Gledrffordd. As I trudged upwards with increasing effort the cloud starting descending and the first few flakes of snow appeared in the air. As I neared the top of Gledrffordd I just had time to do a quick check of my location by compass before visibility fell to around 200 yards and the snow and wind became stronger. I set a bearing for the N-W shoulder and trudged across the strange landscape, counting paces for around a kilometer. I was pleased with myself when I reached a wall I'd spied on the map as a handrail - who needs GPS!?! The path dropped slowly down and around Clogwynyreryr and then I headed south to the dam on Llyn Eigau for lunch.

Coming off Gledrfford with Clogwynyrery on the right

Re-fuelled I headed south-east up Hafod y Rhiw I picked my way around numerous rocky outcrops, each time expecting to see Llyn Cowlyd, but each time being dissappointed. It was a strange sesnation knowing where I was - yet I wasn't quite sure! I was a little annoyed at myself, particularly as I'd managed so well the day before, but I'd underestimated the distance on the map. And then I lost my compass - I kept thinking I ought to tie it on somewhere but was content to loop it around my wrist. The sun was breaking through so I'd taken off my gloves and I'm always conscious that if you're carrying more than one thing in a hand, its easy to drop something without noticing - and so I did!!

Luckily I knew that I wasn't far from the lake and the route back was straightforward. Looking back west I could see snow settling on the high ground of Carnedd Llewelyn and five minutes later Llyn Cowlyd reservoir thankfully came into view. It was a long trudge along the shore of the lake which is 3km long but on reaching its southern tip there remained only a steady route back down into Capel Curig. I hadn't seen a soul for 24 hours!

Snow settling on the high ground of Carnedd Llewelyn in the distance

My first winter wild-camp, a few lessons learned (some the hard way!) and more experience gained - all from an un-planned quick trip! What more could I ask?

Whiling away the hours..

2009-11-10T19:15:00.010Z

Swine flu meant I had a whole long week of nothingness to fill and without the internet I think I'd have gone stir crazy!!! What did we do before t'internet?..or did we just not get ill!!

In view of my plan to climb Mont Blanc next summer I spent a wee while trawling web-sites for info on alpine climbing and came across a few interesting articles and video's including the one below {it currently appears to have dissappeared from Vimeo) but was here.

Ueli Steck is somewhat of a legend in speed soloing, not just climbing by himself, often without protection, but doing it bloody fast! In 2008 he set the record for climbing the north face of the Eiger in 2hr47min and then followed it with the Grand Jorasses North Face, some 1200m ascent including a 95-degree ice-wall in 2hr21min. This guy climbs quicker than I can get up the stairs (well, actually getting of the sofa was a major effort last week).

More info and some great photo's can be found on the Alpine Exposures web-site.

I think I need to get fit!!

The weekend that wasn't...what a swine!!

2009-11-01T20:02:00.007Z

It was all planned as I headed up the M6 on Thurday afternoon. After picking up my nephew at Charnock Richard services, another 90 minute drive saw us into Ambleside for last minute provisions, before heading for Great Langdale camp-site.

I'd been feeling a little ropey over the past few days - a bit of a sore throat and a few snuffles, typical of a brewing cold. We pitched up the Tadpole at the NT campsite and after sorting our stuff headed over to the Stickle Gill Barn for dinner. The weather was overcast and though the forecast didnt look great, I was still hopeful. Retiring to the tent I proceeded to have a terrible night's sleep... hot then cold, searing headache, streaming nose and little actual sleep. At breakfast I really wasnt feeling well, so we decided that rather than the planned wildcamp, we'd leave the tent at the camp-site, go for a day walk and see how I felt.

The weather was OK as we headed along into Mickleden valley along the Cumbria Way to where the path splits; right to Stake Pass and left heading up the eastern flanks of Bowfell to the col between it and Rossett Pike, our planned route up to Angle Tarn and Esk Hause. It had been a struggle even walking along the floor of the valley and I realised then I just didn't have the energy to start heading up, so with regret we headed back to camp and packed our gear.

Looking up Mickleden to Rossett Pike

A prolonged five-hour journey on a Friday afternoon saw us arrive at my parents house, where an early night was followed by the whole of Saturday and most of Sunday in bed with flu. Following the NHS Swine-Flu Questionnaire I was afforded an on-line prescription of Tamiflu - a little late I suspect!!

Looks like the Lakes had other ideas this weekend, as Robin over at blogpackinglight also had his trip cut short. Best laid plans and all that......!!!

Landscape Photographer of the Year Award 2009

2009-10-23T16:12:00.017+01:00

If you haven't already seen these on the BBC web-site then they are well worth a look. Click here

The winner is Emmanuel Coupe's photo of sunrise over the Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye. Stunning!!

Autumnal Blues?

2009-10-19T20:31:00.009+01:00

I've been bereft of hill time over past couple of months and so it's been a little quiet here. Whilst I've been working hard I have tried to keep an eye on others blogs - its always great to read of others adventures to keep the flame burning. And on the health-front my latest blood test came back normal so my visit to the Royal Marsden this week should be a formality.

Its a funny time of the year as summer has faded and yet winter seems just around the corner, with the first frost apparent this week. It feels as if we're getting ready to hunker down for winter, the cold nights drawing in, the dark mornings, hearty stews displacing the summer salads, fleeces and scarves making a re-appearance, leaf-blowing replacing lawn-cutting.....! I love the colours, but unlike Spring, Autumn always feels more like an end, rather than a beginning! Maybe I'm suffering the autumnal blues!?!

As an antidote, I do have a weekend trip planned with my nephew at the end of October, with North Wales again the likely destination. A wild-camp is doubtful as my nephew wants to do some scrambling so we'll leave the weight behind, though still probably still camp - Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite by Tryfan will likely get the vote as a base. I'm keen to test my Minim 300 sleeping bag's limits - actually the bag is probably fine so perhaps I'm testing my own limits as I do seem to sleep colder than I thought!!

As a (poor) substitute for being out in the mountains I have been starting to put together a kit list for both winter and my planned Mont Blanc trip next year. I've also been loosely sketching out a few trips next year as a build up to MB in the summer. The winter-skills course we did in January really whetted my appetite so I'm going to make a concerted effort to make the most of winter this year and as a result my (Christmas?) kit wish-list is ever-growing....!!

And having decided, finally, to go for a Laser Competition tent, the pending winter and a plethora of new lightweight tents about to come onto the market has forced me to defer yet again. The updated Scarp 1 that Martin has details on over at SummitandValley is attracting a lot of interest.

Lastly, I must apologise for the shameless plug in the form of our ski-chalet in Bansko available for rent - click on the pic opposite for more info!! Having just been stung for the years maintenance and service charges, as well as a council tax bill, I need a bit of rental income to cover the bills!!! Although the skiing is not the most extensive, Bansko is relatively cheap, good fun and the Pirin Mountain range is quite spectacular and well worth a visit even in the Summer. There, plug over!!

Ok, back to my duvet and a cuppa tea.....!

Kit Update

2009-09-07T21:12:00.013+01:00

I thought it was time to comment on recent kit purchases now they've seen a few outings and I am (or was) on a plane with a few hours to spare - though typing on the iPhone keyboard generally involves 3 keys forward and 2 back!!

Thermarest NeoAir mattress:

A revelation in both comfort and packed size. Comfort is vastly better than my old Prolite3 and it packs to about half the size, though the Neo is a little on the narrow side. I opted for the medium size which in hindsight is probably a bit small. The depth of the mat means I have my pillow actually on the mat (else its too low) which shifts me down the mat, leaving my feet off the end. The medium only saves 40g so with hindsight I ought to have bought a standard size, which add six inches.

PHD Minim 300 Sleeping Bag:

Bought in the PHD sale the Minim is only 570g and packs small. I opted for the Drishell waterproof fabric and had a short zip added, which aids entry/exit but is not really long enough to aid ventilation. I've used a few times during the summer, including a night when there was frost on the tent. I probably sleep a little cold so I'd say the Minim 300 is a late spring till early autumn bag, which could extended with the odd layer of clothes if needed. The distribution of down seems well placed with a higher concentration in the foot.

Optimus Terra Weekender pot set:

Good quality, useful size for two as you can boil amount if water needed for 2 dehydrated meals (but you'd have to boil again for tea!). I was already thinking about buying the smaller version for solo trips when I forgot to keep an eye on breakfast and welded porridge to the base of the pan, a fate from which it was never to recover..... and oven cleaner made it worse. That was the excuse I needed to buy.....

MSR Titan titanium pot/kettle:

£43 seemed a little expensive but I got it for £29 from TheOutdoorShop. Its a work of art crafted in titanium - light, good size for one (or 2 cups of tea), not too tall so quite stable, a lid that stays on and an insulated lid handle whose design includes a little notch to allow it to stay vertical when required, so you don't burn your fingers. No volume graduations (which I intend to address with a judicious scratch or two or a permanent marker pen) and no insulation on the handles, which I've already solved by taking the insulation from the retired Terra pot handles and sliding onto the Titan handles. I also picked up a Primus windshield - a far more elegant solution than my old thick foil sheet, if a few grams heavier.

OMM Villiain 45 MSC

I've mentioned before that I've never quite clicked with the Villain and I can't quite work out why. Love the size, design, features and ethos but it just doesn't seem as stable on the hips as it should be when loaded. However tight the hipbelt is pulled the pack seems a little unstable. Not sure if it's the lumbar-pad which being removable offers potential for some movement, or could be that the back length is too long for me. Haven't heard similar comments about it but its a salutary lesson that fit is the number one priority for a rucksack, and in particular, fit when loaded. I'll probably persevere for a while and keep an eye out for an alternative.

My experience reinforces the fact that kit is a very personal affair and its only from using/abusing and experience do you find out what works and doesn't work for you. As ever most kit is a compromise - a best-fit for a purpose, and if that purpose suits what what you do and how you use it then you'll get on well. As plenty before have reminded us, its not all about the kit - don't forget to get out into the mountains and enjoy!!!...and if the kit helps with that enjoyment just a little bit more then all the better!

Bochlwyd Horsehoe......Bristly Ridge at last!!

2009-08-24T20:02:00.012+01:00

The trudge up north on a Friday evening is never much fun and we finally arrived at Betws-y-Coed around 9.30pm, grabbed a bite to eat then headed further along the A5 to the trusty Dolgam campsite, pitching in the dark and in the rain. The forecast for Saturday was much better. With no wildcamp scheduled, the plan was for some unencumbered scrambling, with Bristly Ridge the objective.

After a quick breakfast in Pinnacle Cafe (of miserable staff fame!!) we set off towards Milestone Buttress at the base of Tryfan and headed left toward the north ridge. It was fairly busy as befits a summer weekend but my last outing had given me more confidence to try the not so obvious lines and make it more interesting.

For the second time I scaled the Cannon Stone only for camera gremlins to deny the proof - thats Michelle in the pic above, not me! The rest of the north face was largely uneventful apart with no real difficulties apart from my shoulder playing up again. Lunch at the summit of Tryfan is never a solitary affair, more like Clapham Junction at rush-hour.

Descending to the south summit you had a great view of Bristly Ridge directly ahead. I stopped a few times to see if I could see the obvious line of the starting gully. Down to Bwylch Tryfan we then followed the wall up towards the base of Bristly Ridge and were joined by another couple who proudly anounced they had 'done' Bristly Ridge 26 years ago! The first gully, blocked by fallen boulders was easily scaled on the right, then a quick move right brought us to a more imposing looking gully (I'm not sure but it may be called Sinister Gully?). The older couple duly pulled out helmets of their packs and suddenly looked rather well-prepared!

We were comforted(?) that we were in the correct gully when another party joined us......either that or they had made the cardinal sin of following people who didn't know where they were going!! Looking up the gully it was pretty vertical but soon appeared to ease-off and as ever in the Glyders a comforting handhold/foothold was only a stretch away.

Keeping near the ridge the scrambling was cleaner than Tryfan, with a greater feeling of exposure coming with an ever-narrowing ridge. The pinnacles added interest with the first pinnacle was flanked to the right. We had to chuckle when looking back when the leader of the following party was scrambling directly up the pinnacle. 'Yes, it's ok...yes..yes..............noooooo!" he declared as he popped his head over the lip, peered down into gap and hastily retreated.

Great Pinnacle Gap (seen as the obvious notch in the right-hand ridge line in the photo's below) was fairly obvious when reached and I could now see first hand the view that I'd only previous seen from afar. A nervy down-climb to the left was easier than it first seemed, followed by a shuffle down directly into the gap. The main pinnacle was flanked to the right and we then ascended a steep gully leading back up onto the ridge. Thereafter the scrambling was pretty non-stop till the ridge joined Glyder Fach summit.

With new-found confidence I tackled Castell y Gwynant head-on and climbed directly up and over the pinnacles, before we headed over towards the top of Y Gribin ridge, the usual descent route of the Bochlywd Horseshoe route. Todays descent of Y Gribin was a little less precarious than the last time, which was during Winter Skills training in January, when the combination of snow/ice/crampons/rope/darkness all added to the fun!

The route did offer a great profile view of our mornings ascent but I was disappointed to find the route being more loose rock and scree, rather than scrambling and with sore knee's it turned into a real trudge on the descent to Llyn Bochlwlyd from where we headed north back down to the A5. Bristly Ridge done - a great day out and a real-sense of achievement!

Mont Blanc

2009-07-29T23:01:00.004+01:00

A goal, an objective...it always helps focus the mind. I've had Mont Blanc on my mind since a 'boys' snowboarding weekend in Chamonix in Feb 2006, which is remembered for three reasons:-

The might and presence of Mont Blanc itself, which left an indelible imprint on my mind
My first helicopter ride after a heavy snowboarding fall led to me being airlifted off the mountain to Chamonix hospital
Arriving home to a letter confirming my recent check-up had confirmed my cancer had returned.

There's been lots of water under the bridge (I couldn't think of a mountain metaphor!) since then but presently back to full health and getting back into the mountains mean I feel able to realistically set myself the goal of climbing Mont Blanc next summer. I know if it were a mere tick-list item I could probably go for broke and try for it this summer but half of the fun is in the planning and preparation. I realise technically the Gouter Route up MB is not that difficult, but I enjoy learning new skills so its a good excuse for more scrambling, more winter skills/experience, perhaps a bit of rock-climbing and perhaps a trip to the Alps early next summer in advance of going for MB later in the summer.

Climbing Kilimanjaro gave me some idea of the effects of altitude, though there was little aclimatisation built into the the Kili trip and I hardly trained for it. Fitness and stamina, particularly hill-fitness, will be important for MB, so there's no substitute for getting out into the mountains. Some longer wildcamps with a heavy pack would perhaps be ideal training!! It's also a good excuse for looking at new gear - as if I need one!!

So, in fact, just setting the goal ticks lots of boxes well in advance of actually summitting!!

Tryfan

2009-07-13T18:49:00.013+01:00

Bloody weather! I'd cancelled the trip a couple of weeks ago due to the weather and the forecast for this weekend was exactly the same - torrential rain and gale force winds. After a bit of ' umming and argh'ing on Friday afternoon I headed up north and after a terrible journey arrived in Capel Curig at 2030. Heading straight for Bryn Tyrch pub for dinner it was 2200 hrs before I pitched the tent at Dolgam campsite on the A5.

I awoke to low heavy cloud and drizzle - not ideal scrambling weather but as I headed down the A5 towards the base of Tryfan I could see several parties making their way up the initial path, heading diagonally up and left below Milestone Buttress. As the path peters out you are forced to take a more direct line up, careful that you don't hit a dead-end. I'd caught up a larger group who had stopped for a breather and as they were above me I asked whether there was a route up. They suggested it was ok and there was indeed a narrow gully but there was no way into it unless your legs were 6ft long. We all retreated and worked our way a little further towards the main ridge and I ended up tagging along with a group of 6 guys from Chester who were on a regular monthly trip.

We soon reached the Cannon stone and posed for the obligatory pictures, though somewhat spoiled by the lack of a background view due to the low cloud. The occassional break in the cloud did allow you to spot Llyn Ogwen below. We then spent 10 unsuccesful minutes trying to bluetooth onto my iphone a photo of me perched on the Cannon, taken on someone else's phone, but to no avail. Proof indeed that mountains and technology do not mix!

The rest of the climb was largely uneventful save for the worsening weather - picking our way up the north ridge accompanied by thickening cloud and increasingly heavier drizzle. Last time I did Tryfan was a few years ago on a scrambling weekend with Plas y Brenin. This time we were a little quicker up and we reached the summit just at the same time as a large group who proceeded to unleash a rendition of happy birthday to one of the members of their group - so much for peace and solitude at the summit! Lunch was taken huddled between rocks trying to shelter from the wind and the rain. No point in getting the camera out as the views were non existent by now.

The large group descended back down the north face route they'd come up, which I thought unusual, but then re-appeared about 10 mins later back onto the summit and starting down to the south summit at the same time as us. Taking a more direct route we managed to overtake them and quickly reached Bwlch Tryfan. My orginal plan, and that of the guys I'd met, was to continue up Bristly Ridge but the the worsening weather put paid to that and so we descended left, down past Heather Terrace and into Cwm Tryfan, following the path back down to Tryfan Bachm....and by then the weather had cleared!!

On arriving back at the car parked on the A5 it turned out that I'd actually parked right next to the group, so we ended up having a quick coffee. I'd just like to thank everyone (I'm useless at remembering names but...Rob, Dave, John, Mark et al) for allowing me.....although I'm not sure they had a choice.... to tag along for the day and thank them for their company.

Another evening in the Bryn Tyrch pub (which incidentally is featured in the TGO magazine this month) was followed by a rather blustery and wet evening back at the campsite. I nipped to the loo about 4 am and several tents had received a real battering, one with its fly sheet half off and still flailing horizontally in the wind. Mysteriously I seem to have pulled something in my arm/shoulder while climbing Tyfan and it gradually got worse through Sat evening to the point where I couldn't actually move it to turn over in my sleeping bag without using my other arm to lift it. Getting dressed was quite a challenge!!! Four days later and it still bloody hurts, the tent is still wet in the garage and I yet again didn't get to do Bristly Ridge!!!

Bristly Ridge (Updated)

2009-06-24T20:56:00.017+01:00

The past couple of times I've been up to Wales I've been up the Glyders from the east and watched jealously as others picked their way up and around the pinnacled profile of Bristly Ridge. Inspired by a wee bit of scrambling on Pen y Ole Wen on my last trip - which wasn't helped by a heavy wild-camp pack on my back - we've decided to pop up this weekend for a bit of unencumbered hands-on scrambling.

No wild-camp this time, we'll probably camp at Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite, within easy reach of the base of Tryfan. Up the north ridge of Tryfan and then up Bristly Ridge is the plan, with return via Y Gribin. Now then, boots or trail shoes....?!?

Bristly Ridge in Profile. Photo Copyright of trelewis

Tryfan in profile

UPDATE: Bloody English (well, Welsh really..) weather! MWIS forecast shows the weekend Snowdonia weather to be thunderstorms and torrential rain! Probably not the best weather to be scrambling and camping!! We're going to re-schedule for 2 weeks time.

Glyders and Carneddau Wildcamp

2009-06-10T19:39:00.009+01:00

Well after a couple of cancelled attempts I finally headed up to Wales for a promised wildcamp weekend with my nephew, Connor. Picking him up from Shrewsbury railway station we headed along the A5 towards Betws-y-Coed. The Friday evening traffic was a little busier than expected so we arrived later than planned so we dived into Dolgam campsite, near Pont Cyfng, pitched the tent and headed for the pub for dinner.

Our planned route for the weekend was a traverse of the Glyders from Capel Curig to Y Garn with a wildcamp at Lyn Clyd, then descending down into the Ogwen Valley before heading up and over Carneddau and back round to Capel Curig. On a scorching hot Sat morning and after the obligatory bacon buttie and tea at Pinnacle Cafe we set off at 10am - just after Connor bumped into his geography teacher from York in the car-park!

My pack immediately felt a little lighter than last time though the benefit of sharing the load of the tent was restricted to Connor carrying the tent-poles. We were soon in our stride with me expending a little more effort in avoiding the boggy ground thanks to making a last minuted decision to wear my new TNF Hedgehog trainers, rather than boots. The lack of weight on my feet was immediately noticable, as was the fact that they're a little 'baggy' around the forefoot! We reached the top of Foel Goch (805m) and stopped for a snack before continuing westward and up to Glyder Fach. I was a little unsure of whether the sharp Glyder rock would shred my trainers but the they were wearing well, giving excellent grip on the rock and allowing me to be a little nimbler on my feet than normal. Connor was suitably amazed by the Cantilver stone and edged gingerly up for the obligatory photo-shot before he clambered up to the actual summit of Glyder Fach.

My nephew Connor, looking nervous on The Cantiliver

We continued along the ridge and up to the summit of Glyder Fawr for lunch. We'd started with 5 litres of (heavy)water between us but, on what was one of the hottest days of the year so far, we were getting through it rapidly and Connor finished his by lunch. Looking west you could see the summit of Y Garn and the frustrating realisation that to reach it we would have to descend about 1,000ft before then re-ascending. The scree slopes down the west face of Glyder Fawr were steeper than I recalled and called for careful foot placement. We topped up our water from Lyn y Cwn, giving the Steripen its first outing (giving it 2 cycles just for good measure!) before the last climb up to Y Garn - my first time up there. From the peak we could see down into Cwm Clyd and our intended camp at Llyn Clyd.

Descending north-east from the summit we veered off the path and headed into the cwm in search of a suitable pitch by the lake. A good scout around found only a couple of spots flat enough to take the tent. One was ideal but for obvious signs of previous wildcampers - a half-buried bag with unknown contents but enough to put us off! By now Connor was making strong hints that he'd like to camp on the island in Llyn Idwal that I'd previously frequented and so we decided to descend another 1400ft down to Llyn Idwal.

We arrived around 6pm and the lake was busy with tourists swimming and walkers descending the main path from The Devils Kitchen. It was way too early for a conspicuous tent pitch on the island so we bided our time rock-hopping and exploring the shore. With still no sign of people leaving we decided to get the stove out on the shore and prepare dinner. The dehydrated Mountain House pasta with lasagne source was positively delicious and welcomed after our exertions of the day. It was 9pm before the swimmers left and even then there was the odd couple still coming up to the lake so we didnt pitch the tent till almost 10pm.

Island wild-camp

The strange thing was I never really felt comfortable on the island this time - I felt way to conspicuous and the island showed signs of animal occupation and human visitors (which we took away with us, but why do people have to leave stuff??). The night passed away uneventfully but conscious of our exposed position we were up early to drop the tent before following the main path back down to the Ogwen Valley for 9am.

Crossing the A5 we soon located the start of the path which heads straight up Pen yr Ole Wen. From the other side of the valley I'd noticed that about half way up there was a large buttress with the path veering off to the right - a fact I forgot about an hour later. The first 10m of the path involves a short scramble which set the tone. It was a steep pull up and before we knew it we were on a steep scree slope with a feint zig-zag path evident amongs the loose rock. Looking back I realised we'd missed the path off to the right of the buttress but we decided to press ahead. Connor then tells me he's not keen on heights and he was a little nervous on all this loose rock, clambering on all fours!

Scrambling on Pen y Ole Wen

As we got higher the mixed terrain involved short sections of loose scree, path and the odd rocky scramble until we reached a rather (almost vertically) steep and narrowing gulley - and there was little option to climb up an almost vertical wall, aided by convenient hand-holds and spikes everytime you reached up. We probably only climbed about 10 meters though with some trepidation over where we were actually heading. Would it get worse, would it head nowhere? I wouldn't fancy down-climbing it but I was comforted by the fact the polished rocks gave a sign that the route was relatively well-used and Connor was actually enjoying this more than the loose scree (don't tell his mother!). Eventually the slope eased and we rejoined the main path to the summit, tucking into an early lunch behind a shelter wall.

I'd never been up onto the Carneddau before. From a distance they almost look like gentle rolling hills, compared to the presence of Snowdon and the Glyders bare rock across the valley. Once up high I was amazed at the sheer bulk and enormity of the Carneddau mountains and the scale of the west-facing cliffs and cwms. Heading across the ridge we ticked off Carnedd Dafydd and continued on. The obvious (and originally planned) route was onward to Carnedd Llewelyn and then south-east, crossing the ridge of Bwlch Eryl Fachog and onto Y Braich before dropping down gradually back towards Capel Curig. I was however conscious of the time - we still had a 4-hour car journey that evening and it was clear I'd underestimated the time it had taken to climb up Pen yr Ole Wen and the sheer size and distance involved once up on the Carneddau. The wind had also really picked up so we decided on a short-cut, dropping down directly into Cwm Llugwy, heading straight down towards the reservoir. Again it was easy to underestimate the time taken to pick our way down but after couple of hours we'd reached the road which leads back down from the reservoir to the A5 whereupon we still had a 4km walk along the valley back to Capel Curig.

We'd had a great weekend, with fantastic weather (too hot, really), covering about 14km on Sat and 17km on Sunday (see below) and great to get out after my recent health-scare. I'll write up some notes on my new kit in later.

Fig 1. Day 1 Profile

Fig 2. Day 2 Profile

Fig 3. Route Map

Lakes Weekend

2009-06-03T20:39:00.018+01:00

Despite being a Bank Holiday other commitments meant Michelle, Lauren and I couldn't set off till the Sunday, which ran the risk the campsites were liable to be full - you can't book since they all seem to be first come first served but armed with a long-list of sites and telephone numbers we reached Ambleside and then headed towards Coniston where there's a smattering of campsites all along the lake. No surprises that they were all full but a pleading last ditch phone call to the National Trust site in Langdale managed to blag us a pitch. We arrived to see a great big 'Full' sign on show, yet the 'group' field was only 50% full. It's a great little site (good showers!) in an ideal location near the head of the valley, with spectacular views up to the Langdale Pikes, Bowfell, Crinkle Crags etc. and 3 pubs within a 10min walk.

We were joined on Monday by my sister, her boyfriend Dan and my nephew and headed off upthe path which follows Stickle Ghyll. After Lauren failed to reach a true summit on her first walk a couple of months ago we were keen to keep her motivated all the way to the top and the extra company helped. It was a warm day and I knew my Scarpa Charmoz boots were a little overkill! Michelle was wearing her new Salomon XA 3D Ultra trainers and was positively bounding up and over the rocks (mmm, maybe a lesson there!). We reached Stickle Tarn and veered right around towards Pavey Ark and the bottom of Jacks Rake. Though Jacks Rake scramble looked tempting the sensible option was to leave it for another day when we didn't have company so we headed right up some boulders to join another steep path on the eastern shoulder which led straight up to the top of Pavey Ark. From here we headed over to the top of Harrison Stickle and soaked up the fantastic panoramic views. Descent was via the steep west face down to Loft Crag, picking up the track back down to the New Dungeon Gyll Hotel and a pie and a pint. A short, hot day and Lauren could be proud of bagging her first peak!

Pavey Ark

Tuesday was a bimbling day around Grasmere and up to Keswick for a mooch around the shops. I had it in my mind to look for a pair of casual/outdoory trainers with possible trail use in mind, but tono avail. Tuesday evening it chucked it down and we awoke to find the field a little waterlogged so after quickly packing we headed into Ambleside for some more retail therapy.

As part of my quest to reduce my pack size/weight I plumped for a new sleeping mat in the form of a medium size NeoAir - half the size of my Prolite 3 and a little lighter. I also ended up buying a pair of TNF Hedgehog XCR trainers, more for casual wear in mind than trail-use, though I did end up wearing them for my wildcamp trip to Wales last weekend.

Don't Think, Just Do....

2009-05-19T20:57:00.007+01:00

"Don't think, just do" - lyrics from a Snow Patrol song on their Eyes Open album. Paradoxically I 'think' its sometimes easier said than 'done' but the essence of it is true. It's all too easy to think about doing things rather than actually do them - life sometimes seems to get in the way. Not to say thinking is bad - its part of the mental planning, preparation, assessing options........ a necessary pre-cursor to the act of 'doing' and making the right decisions. Funny that we sometimes say life gets in the way - as if we don't have a choice over what we do. Of course we do have a choice but as ever its a compromise and balance between life's other responsibilities - family, work, play. Sometimes a difficult balancing act, even for a Libran! I've suddenly become conscious of this after seemingly not having had time to reschedule my planned trip to the mountains with my nephew since illness prevented our trip last month, and jealously reading the blogs of others who always seem to be able to find the time.

Anyhow, enough of my philosophical ramblings. Enough thinking and onto the doing. Lake District this weekend and then wild-camping in Snowdonia with my nephew the weekend after. Done, sorted! Well, they're in the diary....now I just need to 'think' about where to go, the routes, which rucksack, what clothing..........

Mountain Equipment Astron Hoody

2009-04-26T20:46:00.011+01:00

My hunt for a soft-shell is finally over after purchasing a Mountain Equipment Astron Hoody from Snow & Rock this weekend. The Powershield Lite fabric is highly wind resistant yet breathable and I liked the idea of an integral hood. I also tried on a Rab VR Trail Lite - which I found better than the regular VR Trail which seemed a little warm - but the medium was too snug and the large like a tent on me. I'm always inbetween sizes with ME gear - the medium was snug, particularly around the back and shoulders, so I went with the large which with its active-cut was a better fit. This also gives me the option of wearing a micro-fleece underneath for extra insulation in the winter. The clincher of course was the yellow zips(!) - quite why Cotswold Outdoor only stock the blue version I know not (conservative Buyers who select the stock?)!

My new PHD Minim 300 sleeping bag also arrived in the post this week. I plumped for the half-zip option (which is more like a quarter-zip in reality) and the Drishell fabric. Its noticably lighter than my Marmot Sawtooth so definite weight savings, but its noticably thinner too - I'll need a road-test to check how toasty it is.

...and while my credit-card is still warm I can feel a TN Laser Comp getting closer...!

Thoughts and fears

2009-04-18T09:56:00.015+01:00

Seeing as though I'm sitting at home this weekend rather than being in the mountains I thought I'd share some thoughts and fears from my recent wildcamp weekend. Thoughts on kit etc. and fears because it was my first solo trip and I have to admit there was some trepidation as I set-off.

My car - one of the first concerns was my car! Where to park, will it be safe, will it be there when I get back, etc. I hadn't helped myself by reading other reports of cars being torched in S.Wales. I still had the odd worrying thought on the Saturday and then again as I approached the car-park at Capel Curig on Sunday. The car was fine but unfortunately it is a serious consideration you have to make when leaving your car overnight.

Route choice - how much planning should I have done, should I know my route and stick to it, will I find a suitable camp-spot? I'd set off without a concrete plan, but I knew my options and in the end kind of went with the flow and felt a little more relaxed as a result. Although there is a tendency that you don't push yourself as much as a result - its a bit easy to take the easier route unless you have a set objective/goal in mind. I guess there'll be trips where both approaches have merits. Interpreting the map, reading the landscape is half the fun.

Going solo - will I get bored of my own conversation, will I look like billy-no-mates, will I be scared!? I'll admit it was a strange sensation setting off from the car-park knowing I wouldn't be back that night and not knowing where I was really heading. Watching the last walkers descend the path past Llyn Idwal at dusk I was conscious I was alone, but not lonely. Go at your own pace, stop when you want - I never felt alone, more at peace with the surroundings, it was easier to absorb the wilderness when solo..and I don't mind my own company.

Kit Thoughts:

OMM Villain rucksack - as I mentioned in my earlier post it never felt totally secure with almost 13kg, the weight not really transferring satisfactorily to my hips. Lowering the weight would of course help, I'll also experiment with shaping the Fformat back-pad and how its packed for the next trip.

Sleeping Bag - I'm awaiting delivery of a PHD Minim 300 to replace my Marmot Sawtooth and save me almost 1kg in the process.

Tent - I knew my TNF Tadpole23 was heavy (2.3kg) for one but I had little choice. Of course the TN Laser Comp is the defacto lightweight solo tent (sorry Akto owners!). The dilemma is whether to plump for the Laser Comp for those solo trips and bear with the Tadpole for when there's two of us; or go for the slighly bigger TN Laser which is a little heavier but could (at a push) be used for two people as well.

Water - I took a new Aquagear filter bottle which was fine if not a little slow and hard work to fill a Camelbak. Finding clear water was no problem so I'm thinking a Steripen would have been an easier option - though few fellow bloggers seem to mention them?

Cooking - I took an Optimus Crux stove and Optimus Terra Weekender pot/pan set. Both worked well - the Crux stove boiling water quickly without a wind-shield, though I'll pack one next time. The Reiter dehydrated meal wasn't up to much - must do some more research. Also learnt that pitta-bread sarnies disintegrate too easily - wraps next time.

Jacket - I'd bought the Montane Atomic DT jacket in Pinnacle stores just before I set-off. It was light, small (you wouldn't believe it would fit in its stuff-sac) but since the weather was dry and blustery its chief role was cutting the wind, but as ever lack of breathability was evident. I'm still hunting for a lightweight softshell/fleece that fits me and perhaps a Montane windproof top. With most brands my shoulders are too big for medium but the large drowns me - anyone any suggestions?

So that's my thought and fears - my first solo trip and definitely not my last. I'd rather be in the hills this weekend than sipping Lemsips, but hey, that's life - I just need to get the diary out!

Best laid plans.....

2009-04-17T18:06:00.000+01:00

A severe cold and bad chest have put paid to this weekend's trip - much to the disappointment of my nephew! The car was all packed on Wed evening but I woke up with a stinking cold and a few days of wet and windy Wales is not going to do me much good!

Last Minute Planning

2009-04-15T13:08:00.002+01:00

As I'm away on business for a few days, my planning for this weekend has had to be brought forward, meaning I'm gonna have to pack tonight. I'm taking my 15 year old nephew on his first backpack/wildcamp weekend in N.Wales. The plan is to explore the Carnedd range and possibly get over to the Glyders. I have a loose route in mind but I'm sure things will remain fluid till the last minute.

I'm still waiting (fingers crossed, as it will need to arrive today!) on my new PHD Minim sleeping bag which should shave almost 1kg of my pack weight. My nephew can carry the tent, though he doesn't know it yet!! I'd been tempted to grab a NeoAir and a Steripen (quicker, easier, lighter to use than the Aquagear filter, since there is an abundance of clear [i.e. no need to filter] water in Snowdonia) but time is against me.

Today is the hottest day of the year so far....just hoping the weather holds for the weekend!!

A Window of Opportunity

2009-04-06T20:25:00.002+01:00

A window of opportunity. Chance to stuff my pack and jump in the car. The journey up to N. Wales was uneventful until reaching 15miles from Betws-y-Coed when the road suddenly opens up, stretches ahead for miles and the full expanse of Snowdonian range suddenly fills the skyline. From left to right, the Snowdon horseshoe, the Glyders, the unmistakable profile of Tryfan, and the mass of the Carneddeau laid out against the evening sun. It just makes you feel alive - a mountain high!
I dropped into Dolgam campsite between Betws-y-Coed and Capel Curig and pitched at dusk, before popping down to the Tyn-y-Coed hotel for dinner. I was still unsure of tomorrows route at this stage, knowing only it would involve a high camp. I'd check out the map when snuggled up in the tent later.
It was a cold night and I awoke to find a layer of frost on the tent in the morning. I wasn't in a rush as I knew I'd be walking till late so after porridge I packed up and headed into Betws-y-Coed in search of some provisions and gear. I was after a Rab Vapour-Rise smock or similar (something breathable but wind and weather-proof) but as usual Cotswold Outdoor stocked only TNF or derivatives. I headed up to Capel Curig and parked behind Pinnacle Cafe, hoping the car would be OK for the night. A quick browse in Joe Browns but they didn't have my size in the Rab or a ME Equilibrium. Next door, Pinnacle Stores stocked some Montane gear and after trying a Scarab jacket (ok apart from a gaping neck) I plumped for a Montane Atomic DT lightweight (240g) jacket, which would probably save me 5oog over my old Berghaus jacket.
After a quick cuppa in the cafe I headed west from Capel Curig down towards Ogwen valley, still unsure whether to head up the Glydereau or the Carneddeau (what happened to the planning?). After a few miles, as I approached the east face of Tryfan, I decided to turn south and leave the Caneddeau for another trip. The sheer might of Tryfan just drew me in to Cwn Tryfan - a giant ampitheatre. As I climbed the path along the base of the east face I could hear the calls of climbers above me. They tend to take Heather Terrace, a natural line of weakness which slants up the east face, giving access to the numerous gullies which offer high-end scrambles and climbs.

I was heading to meet the Miners Track which joins Bwylch Tryfan and the saddle between Glyder Fach and Y Foel Goch. I joined the main ridge just above Llyn y Caseg Fraith, which was on my mental 'possible' camp site list, but it was quite exposed and a strong breeze from the S-W quickly eliminated it from my mental list.

I was finding it tough going with the weight on my back and general lack of fitness (note to self, must weigh my pack and get fit!). The OMM Villain also seemed to be struggling under the weight, never feeling totally secure on my hips, with too much weight on my shoulders. Either I need to reevaluate my packing or I'm pushing the non-framed Villain to it's limit. My soon to be replaced Marmot Sawtooth bag (1.5kg) and a TNF Tadpole tent (2.3kg) being the main culprits.
I stopped to chat to an old chap who was asking directions for getting back down (!) and we watched people scrambling up Bristly Ridge, which looks particularly, well, bristly, in profile. After a slog up and over the boulders I reached the summit and continued on towards Glyder Fawr, past the impressive Castell y Gwynt pinnacles. I had not summitted Glyder Fawr before and on reaching it I was surprised (dismayed!) at the extent of the drop down to Llyn y Cwn before the steep climb up to Y Garn. Llyn y Cwn was also on my list of possibles and as I slipped and scrambled down the scree, patches of snow still evident, it looked quite appealling but it was only 5 pm and it was still exposed to the S-W wind which was forecast to increase during the night.
My feet were starting to feel it now. The weight of my pack coupled with my new Scarpa Charmoz boots taking their toll. The Charmoz excelled in amongst the sharp boulders and rocks atop the Glyders, the full rubber-rand taking a battering, but there's little in the way of cushioning - they offer precision over comfort.
I decided, thus, to head down Devils Kitchen path to Llyn Idwal. I'd only seen Devils Kitchen from Cwn Idwal and couldn't imagine how a path could negotiate what looked like a vertical cliff from below. The path is a long steep rock-step fest running down parallel to the Devils Kitchen itself, the steps bearing the tell-tale scratch-marks of crampons from earlier in the season. As I dropped towards Llyn Idwal I decided to circumnavigate the lake in search of a good camp spot. On the west shore there is a small island (just visible on the OS 1:25000 map) reached by a dozen stepping stones and a quick tour round confirmed it as an ideal pitch. There were still quite a lot of people still heading down and conscious of pitching the tent in such an open spot I sat and made a brew until dusk. I pitched quickly and set about re-hydrating my Reiter chilli con carne (horrible, but tastier after I threw some lumps of cheese in it) and settled in for the night, with my iphone for company (ideal for writing up draft blog posts and listening to music).

The night was slightly milder than the one before and I slept well until being woken by some very strong gusts of wind at 3.30am. Lack of tent pegs meant I hadn't used the guy-lines but the Tadpole is naturally stable (and heavy) so I wasn't too worried and after 10 mins of so the wind abated and I drifted off.

I woke before 7am and made a brew. Conscious of my inconspicuous pitch I decided to break camp early and I had just finished packing as I saw the first person heading up towards Devils Kitchen at 0730. I headed down towards the Youth Hostel at the west end of Lllyn Ogwen and then trekked along the road (feet bemoaning the tarmac) before heading up towards the base of Tryfan. There were a couple of climbers getting ready for Milestone Buttress, and I headed around towards Tryfan Bach, joining the path along the bottom of the valley which tracks back to Capel Curig, where the car and the a well-earned full-english breakfast in the Pinnacle Cafe, beckoned.

It was great to get away, unplanned as it was. I'll post some further thoughts on kit/gear and lessons learned in the next few days.

OMM The Villain 45+10 MSC

2009-03-26T18:36:00.000Z

In readiness for our wildcamping weekend in Wales I needed a new pack (that's the justification I used to the wife!). I'd toyed with the idea of the Osprey Exos 46 and Talon 44, but kept coming back to the OMM The Villain 45+10 MSC. OMM gear always gets good reviews. I like OMM's ethos and the fact that their packs are well designed, reasonably light, British(!) and are well thought out with plenty of scope for tinkering/tailoring to your needs (you need to read the extensive product manual on the OMM web-site to appreciate this). Oh, and it's not orange, unlike my Michelle's Talon 33 - a recent acquisition - though you can get an orange version if you wish!

Before plumping for The Villain I read with intrigue the thread on the LFTO forum about wildcamping pack sizes - a kind of inverse 'mines bigger than yours' about who could get a weekends gear into a washbag! With a smaller tent (TN Laser Comp?) and sleeping bag (Pipedream 400?) I'm sure I could comfortably get down to 32l, but 45l fits the bill for me, suits a wider range of activity (winter days/climbs etc.) and plugs a gap in my sack heirarchy. I could have gone lighter, Marcus pointing me towards GoLite and ULA, but practicality, ruggedness and comfort need to be balanced against absolute weight. The Villain is a fair bit lighter than my current 32l sack, without me stripping anything.

Coincidentally Martin over at http://summitandvalley.blogspot.com/ has just ordered an OMM Mountain Mover, when I was convinced his next pack would be an Exos. There must be sOMMthing in the air!

I ordered mine fom Backpackinglight and received excellent, personal service as has been commented by many before. Placed the order yesterday afternoon and its here today, complete with a wee box of Mini-eggs and a hand-written note! My first, and I'm sure not the last, experience of the fantastic service from Bob and Rose.

Now I'm off to un-pack and play with my sack - I must admit I'm a little worried at how small it looks......!!!

Kilimanjaro

2009-03-20T19:20:00.000Z

The Red Nose Day Kilimanjaro celebrity climb shown on TV last week brought back some great memories of my own ascent in 1997. Here are a few (poorly scanned) pictures I managed to dig out.

New boots...at last!

2009-02-23T20:58:00.000Z

My boots have been a standing joke in our house for the past year or two - trusty old Scarpa's originally bought some 12 years ago to go up Kilimanjaro and which were on their last legs and well past retirement age. I'd ummed and arrghed for so long, read umpteen boot reviews, watched the lightweight revolution gather pace, tried a few boots here and there and basically never taken the plunge. I had it in my mind to find the perfect all-year round boot destined to never be satisfied but our winter skills day had tipped the balance. Rather than a do-it-all pair I recognised I needed a stiffer winter pair for crampon-work and bit of climbing/scrambling, and then a lighter-weight option for less demanding summer outings, trail-shoes perhaps.

Scarpa Manta's seem to be the definitive 4-season boot but they just looked and felt a bit clumpy. After chatting to the guys working in Cotswold Outdoors while we were up in N.Wales they all seemed to have the Scarpa Charmoz (they obviously get a decent discount), which work well for winter as well as summer scrambling. After trying on the Manta's the Scarpa Charmoz were a revelation and fitted my like a glove - I usually struggle to get boots to tighten round the ankle in lieu of my low-volume, fallen arch feet. Still B2-rated but slightly less stiff and much lighter than the Manta's at 1470g the Chamoz seemed ideal. They are (at the moment) rather silver and shiny and they were a little expensive but no buyers remorse yet, though I did have brief moment when I saw a pair of Scarpa Mirage GSB (which is really a fabric version of the Manta) on offer for a ridiculous £79!

Now I have a few months to find suitable summer footwear. Lightweight boots vs trail shoes, goretex vs no-lined, my head's hurting at the thought......help! Suggestions welcomed, nay needed!

Lauren's First Mountain

2009-02-23T19:00:00.000Z

Lauren had been desperate to join us on a walk for some time, so we planned to pop up to Betws-y-coed for the weekend and find a suitable wee mountain she could claim as her first. We took Friday off work to get up to north Wales early as she (and I) needed some new boots. Cotswold Outdoor don't publicise it very well but they do operate a childrens boot exchange program - when kids (inevitably) grow out of their they'll buy them back, so Lauren got the equivalent of 30% off a shiny new pair of Meindl's.

Michelle hadn't been feeling well so it was going to be me and Lauren only for her first walk. I'd hoped to find a small peak she could comfortably reach the summit, but lack of knowledge coupled with the need to choose somewhere convenient for Michelle to mooch around waiting for us led me to the car-park at Capel Curig, just behind Joe Brown's and Pinnacle Stores. I had it mind to head up the path just behind and up the spur heading towards Y Foel Goch at the east end of the Glyderau.

We set off and immediately by-passed the established path and picked our own way up through the crags and boulders, allowing Lauren to choose the route, eventually climbing a gully which brought us to the top of Cefn y Capel. It's always surprising how quickly you seem to gain height - Lauren measuring it on how the cars in the valley looked smaller and smaller. Heading south-west the bwlch drops slightly and as a result is pretty boggy meaning plenty of detours to keep our feet dry. The route then rises over a couple of stiles to a steep drag up towards Foel Goch. It was around the 650 contour mark when Lauren began to complain about her new boots rubbing so we stopped for lunch, sheltering from the breeze between a couple of rocks. The hot ribena was a recent tip and went down well.

With her boots rubbing and the fact we couldn't actually see the summit from where we were I guessed she wouldn't be up for continuing upwards. She'd done really well so far and was enjoying herself and whilst I could have probably encouraged her further I decided to quit while I was ahead. Telling her the hills would still be there for another day she agreed it would be better for us to turn back while she was still enjoying herself - so we headed down, finding a few remnants of snow lurking in the shadow of a wall.

We re-traced our steps a few hundred metres then headed s-w down towards the gloriously named 'The Ricks and Racks' crags. The path was pretty steep at times but Lauren seemed quite confident following in my foot-steps and using the pole for support. In fact I had to override her choice of route a couple of times as she sought out the steep, rocky option. It was Lauren's longest walk by far but her only moan was during the last half mile, along the floor of the valley just opposite Plas y Brenin back to Pinnacle Cafe. She clearly takes after her mum, preferring the challenge of the climbs and descents to the walk-in/out. It was with a big smile on he face that she proudly told mum all about her day on the mountain and couldn't wait to write in her diary.

The next day we'd hoped to catch an indoor rock-climbing taster session at the Beacon climbing centre but they were fully booked so we headed up the forest road north-west of Betws y Coed to reach Llyn Geirionydd - a beautiful spot well worth further exploration. We only had time for a saunter around the lake before heading home but Lauren insisted in taking the more difficult route at each opportunity, hopping between the boulders along the shore. I think she might have the bug!

Winter Skills

2009-02-15T22:52:00.000Z

As a belated Xmas present Michelle arranged a winter skills day in North Wales. We'd considered going up to Scotland where the 'winter' bit was more certain but the logistics for a quick weekend were against us. After a few emails back and forth with Gareth at Sea2Summit we were assured there was some snow high up and the prospect of more at the weekend. A late drive up on the Friday night saw us arrive at Ty Gwyn pub cum B&B on the A5, just west of Betws-y-coed. We'd arranged to meet Gareth and Richard, our guide for the day, at the Pinnacle Cafe in Capel Curig at 0900. Rich had checked the weather reports and with the prospect of 80 mph winds forecast wasn't too hopeful even though there was snow high up the Ogwen Valley. We headed along the A5 past Tryfan and parked up opposite Llyn Ogwen. The plan was to head up to Cwn Cneifon or the 'nameless' cwm, which was still holding snow on its north-facing flanks.

It was a bit of a slog up from Idwal Cottage but our new year outing at least gave us a modicum of hill fitness, despite the extra weight of the fully-rigid boots being noticable with each step. On reaching the shore of Llyn Idwal we continued south, within full view of Devils Kitchen, climbing below and around Sub Cneifon Rib until we reached the first few snow patches. Here we had our first practise of kicking steps and using the ice-axe for balance and security. Heading further up we soon reached the base of Cwm Cneifon where we stopped for lunch. It was bitterly cold and Rich, thankfully, had a couple of spare insulated jackets. He also pulled out a bothy shelter - I'd seen them advertised but never seen anyone use one but once huddled inside I was amazed how cozy, yet light and airy we were, secure from the cold and wind. Michelle has already added one to the shopping list. After lunch it was on with the crampons, getting used to the John Wayne gait necessary to prevent catching your trousers (I failed miserably and now have holes in my waterproofs!) and practicing ice-ace arrests.

Throwing ourselves downhill in varying forms using the ice-axe for arrest was great fun! It was now 3pm and I fully expected us to be heading down, so it was with great surprise that Rich said we were going to head up the cwm to the summit. As we headed upward, kicking pigeon-toed into the snow, the slope gradually steepened. We didn't really notice as we plodded on feeling quite secure.

Kick, kick, plunge was the rhythm. About half way we stopped for a breather and only on looking across the slope did we realise how steep it was getting. Rich got out a rope and passed slings around the odd rock spike and as he lead we had the benefit of using his footholds. We soon reached the summit, clambering over the solid cornice, whilst secure on the rope.

As our heads popped over the top a few walkers could be seen to be thinking "where'd they come from?"

By now it was still light but getting a little later than planned. After a quick cuppa we headed over to the top of Y Gribin, the narrow scrambly ridge that heads down from between Glyder Fach and Fawr. Its classed as a grade 1 scramble in summer and the top is quite narrow and exposed, yet the snow and ice added an extra dimension, so it was out with the rope for additional secuirty. We gradually picked our way down, threading through and around the snow and ice - thankful to have ice-axes in hand and rope on waist through a few sections. The gradient eased and we were over the worst bits as the light gradually faded so it was head-torches on as we made our way down to Llyn Bochlywd in the dark. We weren't the last off the mountain as I could see other head-torches making their way down from Cwm Idwal as we approached Idwal Cottage and the warmth of the car.

We'd both had a fantastic day out and done much more than we'd imagined. We felt a real sense of achievement having put our skills to use reaching the summit and would like to express thanks to Rich our guide. We were at home on Monday was when I heard that two brothers had fallen to their deaths on Snowdon that same weekend - a sobering reminder of the risks of mountains in winter. I'd picked up a leaflet showing some of the danger spots in winter - it showed a picture of the top of the Snowdon Pyg Track in summer and the same spot in winter conditions - almost unrecognisable. I'm glad that we'd taken the opportunity to learn some winter skills but you can never be complacent. Be prepared and then be prepared to turn back would seem apt - the mountains will always be there for another day.

Glyder Fach & Cnicht

2009-02-04T05:48:00.000Z

We were joined at New Year by Carl and Paula at New Year - another couple of newbies who we had helped kit out a day earlier. After a later than planned start I decided we would head up on to the Glyders from the south-east, parking on the A498 by the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel. It was a steep slog up from the road, avoiding the precariously frozen path and eventually joining the old miners track. 'Is that the top?' was Paula's continued query each time we approached a crest, only for her to realise there was another higher one behind it. Reaching the ridge we had fantastic views of Tryfan in front of us. It reminded us of our ascent on a scrambling course in 2005 - yet it looked more severe from this angle. You could just make out people standing on Adam and Eve, the two summit boulders. We could also see Bristly Ridge in profile and picked out a small party making their way up, whom we later met at the summit. More hands on action up the last few hundred feet, past the odd smattering of broken snow, brought us to the top, adjacent to where Bristly Ridge joined the summit plateau. A saunter across the shattered rock, past the 'cantilever' brought us to the summit of Glyder Fach. Well almsot as standing on the actual summit involves picking your way up the final few boulders, legs and arms wedged in cracks, hustling yourself up that final few feet. The top of the Glyders is an eerie place, with huge bolders and shattered rock, looking as though they are the remnants of a giant game of Jenga. No visit to Glyder Fach is complete without the obligatory photo on the gravity-defying Cantilever. Michelle gingerly inched her way across it, convinced it would tip. After a lunch stop to admire the views we made our way back down the same route, Paul surpisingly admitting she had enjoyed herself. Carl may have been bitten but I wasn't too sure about Paula.

The next day while Paula rested her aching limbs, Carl and I ventured out with the aim of climbing Cnicht, sometimes known as the welsh Matterhorn, in lieu of its shapely profile, i.e. it looks like a 'proper' mountain whe viewed from the south-west. Parking in the small hamlet of Croesor we headed N-W for a few hundred yards before picking up the start of Cnichts south-west ridge. It's from this angle that the peak is at its most impressive - looking directly up it always looks steeper than it real is, with Carl suddenly concerned about his fear of heights.

We could just about pick out other bodies clawing their way up the final few hundred feet to the summit. As we climbed higher the ridge narrowed and steepened, with drops to the east. Plenty of handholds offered extra comfort over the final 50m. When you arrive you find what appears as a real conical summit from the south-west is actually the start of a longer ridge which gradually drops north-east, eventually leading to the head of the valley.

The wind picked up as we traversed the ridge to the end Cwm Croesor and a quick map/compass check saw us head right at Llyn yr Adar, heading south-east, to the left of Llynau Diffwys and dropping further to reach the disused quarry buildings. Time was pressing after our late start and slightly unsure whether we should have picked up a different path we re-traced our steps slightly down Bwlch y Rhosydd, and then dropped of the main of the main track to join a path which clung to the south side of the valley, dropping gradually as it made its way back down to the Croesor.

Mountains at last!

2009-02-03T05:15:00.000Z

After the trials and tribulations of the past 4 years I had been itching to get up to Snowdonia and get out into the mountains for sometime. Reading others blogs had given me the motivation and inspiration to make a real effort in 2009.

In my sights was Moel Siabod which I remember was the first real mountain I saw as a child. Travelling though Betws-y-coed on holiday with my parents, I remember looking up in awe at this huge mountain rising above us. Our AA road atlas at the time included the names of some of the major peaks and so the name of Moel Siabod was etched into my mind at the age of 11.

It was a beautifully clear, crisp winters day with plenty of surface frost, though I didn't really need to take my Xmas present from my wife Michelle - a Black Diamond Raven Pro ice-axe (that's the present not my wife!). Joining Michelle and I was my sister and her fella Dan, neither of whom has ever done any walking but had kitted themselves with the basics a few days earlier. We climbed up from Pont Cyfyng, stopping every 10 mins to stare at the ever expanding view - you just know the photo you've just taken will be superseded by an even better view a little higher up. We passed to the right of Lyn Foel where the mountain opens up and the ridge of Daear Ddu fills the skyline up to the summit. As we reached the saddle where we would start our ascent of the ridge you could just pick out Dolwyddelan Castle through the mist down in the valley to the south. As we climbed Daear Ddu it was evident there was more fun to be had on the top of the ridge but we kept to the south side, encouraging my sister as she clambered up the boulders. As ever the summit seems to appear out of no-where and the were ethereal with distant peaks breaking through the low-cloud.

A quick lunch stop huddled behind some rocks for shelter allowed us to re-fuel. Only when you stopped moving did you realise how bitterly cold it was. The descent down was rather precarious due to the solid ice on the path but we picked our way down carefully, eventually re-joining the path back-down to Pont Cyfyng and the car. Over a pint, Dan confessed he'd been bitten - I'm not sure how my 'sis will take to being dragged out by him on wet and windy Sunday morning!!

What am I doing here?

2009-02-02T04:40:00.000Z

Currently in remission following testicular cancer that twice spread to my lungs 'A Mountain High' is an attempt to blog my re-kindled passion for the mountains. It's a branch out from my original blog chroniclling my fight with cancer and twice disrupted our booking to Everest Base Camp. Hopefully I can inspire others in the same way as others blogs inspired me through my illness.

I returned to work early in 2008 and started getting my life back to 'normal'. Despite being an avid reader of Trail magazine I was conscious that always seemed to be more concerned with reading rather than doing! My health, work, even my recent wedding were all were reasons for not doing, but if my illness should have taught me one thing it is to make the most of each and every day, week, month. I had thrown myself back into work, as if it offered a sense of normality and yet I was not concentrating enough on quality time for me. This was brought home during an annual health assessment last Nov during which a 'life' counsellor asked about what I liked doing, and then asked what I actually do. A big mismatch was obvious and reading others blogs, particularly those listed on the right (thanks especially to Martin Rye, PTC and Marcus) gave me the impetus to make a concerted effort to get out in 2009. We started with a New Year trip to Snowdonia, details of which I hope to post shortly.

My chosen name of the blog 'A Mountain High' is also reference to the sense of wellbeing, freedom you seem to experience in the mountains - a kind of natural high provided by nature.

Still relatively new to blogging I aim to post when appropriate and not just for the sake of it. Lack of content will hopefully shame (or incentivise) me to get out more! I hope you'll pop back from time to time - if it inspires just one person in the way other blogs did me then its presence on the web is vindicated.