Lyon PPE Training

Whilst I was in the Lakes for an AMI committee meeting I had the chance to take part in a training day run by Lyon Equipment for AMI members.  The day looked at PPE inspection and maintenance highlights and moved onto equipment use Sports vs. Industrial in areas such as route setting on climbing walls and setting up tensioned lines (eg. Tyroleans and Zip wires).

MMM gear heaven!

 

Looking at Industrial equivalents of Sport set ups.

Within these topics there was a host of information on offer and it was all rounded off niceley by the chance to break some gear.  Items destroyed included various scenarios (cross loading, gate open etc.) with good kit and failure tests with old used and abused kit (providing some interesting results for some).

Breaking kit is always fun (as long as its not in use)!

A great day with loads of information for us to take away and digest.

Winter On The Cuillin Ridge (AMI Workshop)

The Cuillin Ridge in winter conditions

Association of Mountaineering Instructors - AMI

This weekend was a chance to take part in the AMI Cuillin Workshops on Skye. The workshop I attended run by Derek Bain, was to discuss working on the Cuillin Ridge Traverse in summer conditions. On Derek's workshop, besides myself were Monty, Iain and Karl. We knew there was still snow on the ridge, so we took our winter kit, but didn't quite know how much to expect. Saturday started with poor vis, but as soon as we hit the ridge, the mists cleared and we had a few hours of great weather and reasonable snow conditions. The weather turned at the end of the day, as the clouds descended again, and the rain started. The winds picked up through the night and Sunday turned out to be a very different weather beast - more snow and rain on reasonably strong winds.

One of my top dozen winter days this 12-13 winter season (in late April!). Excellent.

Loch Coir a' Ghrunnda

Approaching the Castle from Sgurr nan Eag

The Castle

Starting the traverse to Sgurr Dubh Mor

The scrambling is normally easy in summer, but under the snow and ice a great deal of care was needed

Some steep wintery scrambling

Sgurr nan Eag was really popular on Saturday with 10-15 people on the tops

See our footprints on the left of shot. The snow made a little of the going easier, freezing the loose boulders/scree together

Gars-bheinn to Sgurr nan Eag

Sgurr Alasdair to the middle of the ridge

The end of the ridge to Sgurr nan Gillean

Firm snow up to Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn

Up to Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn, from Sgurr Dugh Mor from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

A look around at the Cuillin Ridge from the top of Sgurr Dubh as Da Bheinn from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

One of the ridges bivvy spots - some snow clearing needed!

Thank you Derek B., Sandy P., and AMI.

Glenmore Lodge Induction

Sam Leary - Boot axe belay

On Friday I, with many other instructors attended the Glenmore Lodge Induction day. It was a good chance to meet up with people I haven't seen since last Feb/March, have a gossip, and meet new people. In the afternoon we went out onto the snow to chat about current ideas on teaching avalanche avoidance, snowpack/weather conditions, hands on snow investigation (eg pits) and current thoughts on stompers. Thank you to all the Glenmore Staff, especially Giles T, who led our session. It all finished perectly as usual, with a piece of cake.

RAF CPD At RAC Corner

At The Soldier Development Wing (SDW) Milly is on a visit from the RAF. She is a Corporal and a Rock Climbing Leader but is looking for more Professional Development. She wanted to do outdoor climbing, and was expecting to do group sessions on rock, or indoors. Last year nobody would have expected outdoor ice climbing in South Wales this Jan. So I took Milly to RAC corner for her first day on crampons, first day with an axe and we did the grade II climb. A great first winter experience.

May the ice last - but already we can feel the temp rising...