Schmoolz fun

Dave Buckett using the Schmoolz tools at the Ice Factor.

Dave Buckett and I decided to go indoors again to the Ice Factor, but this time Isi Oakley (Ice Factor Assistant Centre Manager) lent us her 2 Schmoolz tools. So we bottom roped and led up everything we could until our forearms exploded... Awesome fun - Happy days.

I think I'll be buying some for myself... Schmoolz.com

Caving Revalidation

The entrance to the 'Hell' passage in Longchurn Cave, Ingleborough, North Yorkshire.

The other day was my time to revalidate my caving qualification through the British Caving Association, so off to Yorkshire I went for the 1 day course.

Longchurn Cave

After our intros we had a LCMLA quiz, then set about learning from lots of the caving incidents over the last 5 years, all of which revolved around the theme of water, flooding and drowning. Each incident had learning outcomes for the future, and we looked at group management, risk assessment, and flood avoidance. We visited Longchurn cave to look at some of the issues in more detail, and in context, and to share some common best practice.

At Ingleborough Hall, we used their training SRT tower to look at some vertical caving scenarios, and play with some kit, and practice some techniques including those used in alpine caving - new to me - including some incredibly efficient hauling and rescue techniques.

PETZL Industrial Descender ID S

Not Frozen

Lost Valley Minor Buttress left of centre, and Lost Valley Buttress

Lena and I headed out early this morning keen to find out if there was anything wintry to climb at the moment. We knew there was a good dump of snow high up, and also that the turf wasn't frozen, but we thought we could find a non turfy mixed climb under the snow...

We walked through the low cloud into the Lost Valley. The Valley can now be accessed again by the bridge, now the staircase and bridge work is completed. We popped out of the cloud in the valley to see the very wintry appearing upper cliffs. The snowline was at about 550m.

Lost Valley lost in the low cloud

We walked easily up to the Lost Valley Minor Buttress Crag without any need for crampons. The snow is still unconsolidated, and hiding all the loose scree beneath. We haven't climbed on this crag before, and some of the routes looked good fun. The Chimney route looked good, but wouldn't have been a winter climb at all today - just bare black rock on the right side and in the chimney. Right Edge looked inviting - so I started up.

Right Edge (IV,4**), on Lost Valley Minor Buttress

It was easy enough getting to the chockstone, but after this was the steep groove, which felt like climbing a vertical scree slope, under snow. There were just enough solid hooks to get me up (there were 2).

The difficult section, pulling up the groove. Spot Lena, and her right leg out wide on the bare rock slab (I didn't find any hooks there)

Above Lena is climbing the steep groove (vertical loose rubbish). This section would however be excellent after a solid freeze.

On easier ground to the belay

At the belay, the next pitch was obviously not going to happen - there was nothing solid about it at all. From the ground I thought it would be a hook fest - but unfortunately it was more about the turf than the hooks. When frozen it looks like it will easily earn it's 2 stars. We abseiled off - and walked through the low cloud back to the van.

A new handrail, and fencing on the Lost Valley Bridge

A pretty substantial new staircase by the Lost Valley Bridge - much safer than the old one

Nav Assessment As The Snow Falls

Buachaille Etive Mor - what a difference a day makes - see the first photo from yesterdays blog, then there was no snow on the mountain.

The snow level is down to about 700m, so we decided to go to some lower hills with the Uni First Years for their navigation assessment today. We drove past Buachaille Etive Mor, and I couldn't resist taking the photo above to compare to yesterdays shot, when there was no snow. Today the winds didn't turn out to be as strong as the forecast suggested, but there were plenty of wintry showers - hail, snow and plenty of rain. A good day to test your waterproofs.

The Buachaille from the King's House

Glencoe Mountain Resort on the Left Hand Side, Sron na Creise on the RHS

I was with Andrew, Andy, Sean, Lynsey and Micheal today. Sean has mostly recovered from his torn ACL in his knee (previously he climbed Stob Coire Nan Lochan, before he had it diagnosed as being torn!), and Lynsey has partly recovered from her cracked ribs. After a few easier legs, we got off the paths and headed for the hills and started to test their nav a little more.

Navigation in a little winter weather

Lynsey, Sean and Micheal. Snow at 650m on Meall Bhalach, with Blackwater Reservoir behind.

Sean

Sean still on his nav leg. The Buachaille in the background on the left

Lynsey. The Buachaille on the RHS

Unfortunately the visibility remained good for the entire assesssment, but the team has shown good navigation today and on previous days of the module - it was an easy pass for the whole team.

The ground is saturated, soft and never close to being frozen (we only got to 700m today). There was evidence on the hills of how bad the ground had flooded recently, but the water levels had returned to normal now. The snow line will move up tomorrow towards 900m with a higher freezing level, but then at the end of the weekend onto the new week, the freezing level drops again, helping to freeze the turf on the higher hills.

Wet And Windy Nav Assessment

It's definitely not winter on Buachaille Etive Mor

Assessment day at the Uni again, but this time it was Navigation for the First Year Degree Students. I was with Vlada, David, Alan and John. The weather was not inviting to say the least - it seemed to be constantly driving heavy rain, in gusting winds, and a good wind chill thrown in - good hill conditions to test their navigation and their personal organisation.  When we got to the Buachaille, there was clearly no snow on it, but when Glencoe Mountain ski resort became visible, there was a little white dusting at the top.

The team on the way up to the Devil's Staircase

With smiles and a good spirit, we got on with the day, and everybody did well showing their nav skills. It was a good day to test gloves, and my recent £4.50 yellow leather gloves lasted a good 3 hours (and made my hands yellow too!).

Alan and John discussing the nav leg

David and Vlada happy to be in the bothy shelter

Bothy shelters are always a winner, and it was the first time in a shelter for most of the team - a quick way to bring the smiles back.

A happy wet team heading back to a warm bus

Congratulations everybody for sticking with it in a less than friendly day.

Kit review: Hardshell vs Softshell in Scotland

Depending on where you do most of your climbing whether it in the UK, Europe or further afield you'll undoubtedly come accross those clad in full waterproofs, softshells or a mixture of the two.  Many outdoor clothing companies these days are catering for the ever developing demand for kit that is fit for any and many purposes.
Below is a generic lowdown of what's out there and my ideas about suitability.  Everyone has their own preference and experiences which may side them towards one more than the other (usually getting drenched or sweating their body weight).  I wont go into huge detail about the construction of each type as i'll be here all day and suspect it would be quite boring for most.  So simply: I'll name only a few and keep it short!

So what is the difference between a 'Hardshell' and a 'Softshell'?

Hardshells tend to have a laminate or membrane behind the outer material of the clothing.  These would be known to most as 'Goretex', 'Event' and the like with many others made by the well known brands such as The North Face 'Hyvent' (a PU laminate).  Whilst Goretex and Event are membranes that aid in the expulsion of body moisture (sweat) and keeping water out externally; Cheaper laminates are not as effective at one or both of these jobs.  The expuslion of sweat from the interior to exterior of the garment is known as the 'breathability'.  Nowadays manufacturers are introducing stretch membranes into their garments to follow along the lines of the more versatile softshells.
The construction of these, along with the outer clothing material will dictate the breathability, durability and weight of the garment.

Waterproof and Weatherproof?
A waterproof will have a hydrostatic rating which relates to the amount of pressure the material can cope with before leaking.  A garment that doeas not have a sufficient rating to be designated 'waterproof' would normally be called 'weatherproof'.  Remember this as it may save you from making a bad descision.

Softshells rely on the technical fabric and proofing for its ability to stay weather proof.  They do not have membrane or laminate technology and therfore have far superior breathability than waterproofs (99% of the time.  Schoeller is one of the market leaders in softshell technology along with one of my other favorites; Pertex.  Tight nylen weaves, material coatings and treatments are to anem but a few of the ways these companies achieve their top quality products.  You may have seen pertex on not only jackets but also sleeping bags too.  Shoeller is one of the great examples of why certain softshells have such a strong place in the active outdoor market. They have designed garments with a high degree of stretch and flexibility allowing the user to gain maximum comfort and freedom of movement.

So what do i use?
I tend to use a mix throughout the year.  In the UK i believe we are more at the weathers mercy as it tends to be a lot more changeable here that on the continent.  This means that as we all know things can get a lot damper here!  I have garments with both Event and some with Goretex and find them equally excellent performers.  I would not but a cheaper PU Laminate mainly due to the comprimise in performance for price.  I have my favorites and they get used more than others depending on the time of year.  If the worst happens and i'm wearing a softshell when the heavens open then i would happily put a hardshell over the top as i'm not comprimising too much breathability.  Why carry a hardshell if softshells should see off all but the worst weather?  Well i have a lightweight and heavier duty jacket for walking and climbing and the light jacket only comes in at 450grams.

In conclusion: make your own mind up.  It may take a couple of purchases and numerours days out on the hill but you'll find what works for you ar a close comprimise.  However; don't skimp on the essentials to find yourself in a downpour with only your stylish looking stretch softshell that may only be designed to hold out some of the impending torrential downpour (been there, done that)...

Rock Assessment On Dry Rock

Stob Ban (999m) clear of snow

Today at the college it was assessment day on the rock for the second year degree students on the Adventure Tourism Management Course. I was with Jordan and Mark. Jordan was up first and set up a group abseil, and taught Mark how to do a basic abseil, and then how to do a personal abseil with a prussic. Unfortunately, Mark kept having abseil problems - which Jordan had to solve, at the end of it, he was pretty slick with the ropework, and bored of stuff going wrong. Unexpected problems for the team became a theme for the day. Now it was Mark's turn.

Mark starting up Pinnacle Ridge

Mark was up for a bit of climbing, so led up Pinnacle Ridge. Unfortunately, we then had to retreat from the cliff, from the first belay ledge. When it was my turn to abseil - I accidentally fell unconscious half way down - Jordan thankfully rescued me then.

Dry, but cold rock

Mark ready to belay

The Outward Bound bus leaving the Glen on the road behind.

Later in the afternoon, we worked on problem solving with multi pitch belays. During all this the weather stayed dry and cold - a great day for dry rock climbing in the Glen. The guys did well with their ropework, and managed to solve everything I threw at them - well done.

Woodlands O.E.C.

Last week I was working for Woodlands Outdoor Education Centre, one of the centres of the Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning service. The other out of county Oxfordshire Centres are Yenworthy Lodge and Kilvrough Manor O.E.C., where I spent several years.


Last week Woodlands had a Primary course and a GCSE PE course running - a busy week for everybody. I worked (played!) most of the time with the visiting Primary School, but also enjoyed a little nav training on the GCSE PE course. The weather was great and I can't remember any rain during the week.

Not my photo - from the Woodlands O.E.C. website

At the beginning of the week I got to play on the climbing tower, high ropes course, Jungle Jim and all the in grounds problems. I tried to get a good photo of the high ropes course, but was busy having too much fun swinging about so here's (above) one from the Woodlands website.

Year 5 and 6 high up in the trees

It was great making learning so much fun for the kids, and helping some of them overcome their fears, although some of them were just dreading caving later in the week!

Wednesday was the mountain walk. We headed for a scramble up the Red Gully then on towards Twmpa @ 690m (which is definitely a mountain when you're only 3ft tall and in year 5!

Towards the top of Red Gully.

An exciting view in the hill mist over the drop down the side of the Black Mountains.

Not far to the top now!

It was actually quite mild for November last week. On the way down the group discovered for the first time in the week, and not the last how much fun mud can be.. I basically had to stop them rolling around in it!

We had to share the top with just 1 other group - who just appeared out of the mist.

On the way down. We managed to find a place where we could do a mini grass slide in our waterproofs. This is the summer equivalent of winter snow glissading :)

On the way to the cave - and we've hit the Welsh RUSH HOUR... Luckily they passed by quite quickly with very minimal sheep road rage.

Porth yr Ogof. This is Chris's group of SUT (soldiers under training) from the SDW (soldier development wing) in Sennybridge.

On to the canoe day now and this is where we had our 'picnic' in Brecon with the Usk on one side and the Canal on the other.

Canoeing is great fun - but is splashing in puddles even better! After the picnic it did seem to be!

So a great week for everybody - everybody is a winner - even the traffic warden - but that's another story!!!

I'm still here

Ahh, we all must admire this time of year; the nights are dark again, the weather is unpredictably bad most of the time, cold and flu are hopping about and everyone seems super busy.

I'm sitting sniffling as i write this having had to put off route-setting at Transition today because of feeling fairly pants. To brighten my day however a new delivery of kit came (Christmas presents).

I've not managed to get out much over the last wee while as I've been keen to spend time with Sam as we have a baby due in 4 weeks now and that, along with the busy season at the wall; things are a bit hectic.

With the onset of getting out in winter looming ever closer (or so it seems) I'm psyched and already have some routes and trips planned for the days i can get away. Until then I'll take a bit of time out to post some snippets that may be of use to anyone getting out to the hills, going to the local wall or looking to get some new kit.

Being particularly good at giving all my kit a good bashing and test I tend have a lot of climbing gear and clothes. So to this end I'll make use of that and put up a few postings of my own personal kit reviews of items I use, don't use, or wont use.

Until then, keep keen and healthy out there!

First winter route of the season

Yesterday gave me a chance to get out to the hills for a route to make the most of the current conditions.  After changing my original plan of heading out on Monday I was alone in my endeavour (boo to those of you in Monday to Friday jobs!).

Lochnagar was on the cards with no real set plan of action as I didn't know what to expect with regards to conditions.  I left the Spittal of Glen Muik car park at 08:50 in minus six degrees after a wee nap in the car to boost the enthusiasm/energy.

Everything was frozen en-route and the view of the corrie was very enticing as the hillsides were plastered and rimed.

I made a break for Central Buttress (III) having only seen one other pair of climbers heading for the Cathedral area and one man and his dog walking towards the summit.  Having climbed Central Buttress before on a number of occasions I mixed things up a little by heading to some technical ground to get the body moving as it should from the previous week's abuse of long journeys and comp setting.

Topping out threw me from calm windless climbing to the forecast howling wind and spindrift for later in the day.  As you may agree hanging about was not an option.  A brisk walk back saw me down at the carpark a mere five hours after leaving.

To Ballater and the bakers!

FUNdas, Assessments and Training oh my!

After a blustery flight to Kirkwall on Thursday morning I have been busy with work in the Islands two main climbing walls.

Some PPE inspections and meetings at the Kirkwall Grammar School followed by Route setter assessments, Fundamentals of Climbing 1 on Friday and Climbing Wall Award Assessment with a CWA Abseil module Assessment on Sunday.


Thanks to everyone involved on the FUNdas for contributing so much!

Shark attack!

Centre of gravity and weight transfer.

The CWA and Abseil assessments went well too with 100% pass rate!  Just what we like.  So now Kirkwall has six new CWA holders ready for action!

CWA group work.

Back home now for a quieter week with some Climbing Wall inspections and plenty of office work to keep me out of mischief!

Rigging at floor level for the abseil.

Al Halewood adopting an 'alternative' pose.

Coaching tips after the assessment.