Sunday - Part 3

Nicki on the overhang of Scratch Arete - Pitch 2
Nicki on the upper slab

Matt looking good after the overhang

After lunch we had time for a final climb before getting back to PYB for tea and cakes at the end of the Student BMC Seminar - so we decided on Scratch Arete (HVS). Pitch 2 leads to the overhang and then the final slab/arete. Both Matt and Nicki have lots of experience on gritstone, so I was sure they would fist jam / hand jam their way up the final crack - but no! - They both decided to do completely different styles. Nicki prefering to lay back whenever possible and Matt going for an alternate face climb! 2 abs took us to the ground, to the car, and then to the cake .. Happy days. One of you left a small dry bag in my car.. No cake inside :(

Sunday - Part 2

Nicki showing off after the crux of One Step In The Clouds

We decided to do the Uber classic One Step In The Clouds (VS) before lunch, so yet again we dashed over hoping to beat the crouds (and rain clouds). We had about 1 minute of rain after pitch 1, but then it warmed up again - brilliant. I love this climb.

BMC Student Seminar - Sunday 4th - Part 1

Nicki on pitch 2 of Christmas Curry

Matt and Nicki
Matt on the final Christmas Curry arete

On the Sunday of the BMC Student Seminar, Nicki, Matt and I met early at 9am in PYB for a quick get away to Tremadog - to beat the crouds. We jumped immediately on one of the lower grade classics - Christmas Curry (Micah Eliminate HS). It soon got crowded, with other teams arriving below us and on the Plum. I always love this climb - awesome. The weather was threatening - we were warned of possible showers, so we all had jackets on, but soon the sun came out and we bathed in heat. We found out later that the teams who went to Ogwen had rain for most of the day and the slabs were a waterfall :( Tremadog climbing - a winner again.

BMC Student Safety And Good Practice Seminar - Saturday 3rd

Jon Garside (BMC / MLTE Training Officer) organised another successful Student Seminar this year. The Seminar was based at Plas Y Brenin on the 3rd and 4th October. Over 100 students turned up from all over Britain and the 2 day program was packed for both nights.

I was one of many instructors in the 'Instructor Army' for the weekend. On the Saturday we took a team of the students out from PYB to a local single pitch crag to look at some single pich issues - warming up, bouldering, environmental impact, suitability of venue, sensitivity towards other climbers, top roping, bottom roping, rigging, belaying, scenarios etc.. An excellent session and even the weather was good for us.

Catrin Climbing Multi Pitch Climbs At Fall Bay

Catrin doing the small traverse on the VS 'Eden'.

Catrin on Kingwall, by Fall Bay on Gower.

Catrin on 'The Bottle' on Lewes Castle East.

Catrin climbed Fafnir, Balder, Vanir, Pytt, and Trying Lines on King Wall. Here she is on Balder.

Catrin on the tricky section of Fafnir. Nothing seems to be that tricky for Catrin.

Catrin loves abseiling. Here she is abseiling down off Lewes Castle East after climbing Gethsemane, Eden, and The Bottle. These were her first multi pitch climbs and The Bottle, gave her, her first hanging belay. The whole family were involve in picnicking down on the Great Terrace, even Meg the dog was wearing a harness - for paniers (but no abseiling for Meg today).

An Evening At Three Cliffs

It was meant to be an ordinary evening of climbing down at Three Cliffs. I went with Ed to do Arch Slab and Under Milk Wood. Ed can be seen in the photo breezing Arch Slab.

When we got to the beach, we realised we had to share it initially with this heard of cows. They were looking for somewhere to chill out and sokething to drink. I think they discovered that the water was not fresh but I wanted to tell them that the beach would be under the tide in 2 hours..

That was enough for one night but then we heard a plane (normal), which then landed on the beach (not normal). A passenger got out and the plane, obviously aware of the tide timetable, made a hasty take off into the setting sun.. Wow.

20th - 25th Sept, Training Army Recruits

Training can be exhausting.

Trying to learn how to stay in a canoe.

Learning that seven soldiers is a little too many for 1 canoe.

Another week delivering adventure training to soldiers. The soldiers are constantly focused on their core values - Courage, Discipline, Respect, Integrity, Loyalty, Selfless Commitment.

An excellent week, well done to all the recruits.