Winter Wonderland

"...as long as you let me know, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow".. For some, the onset of winter is met with groans and a retreat into the home, for me, it means it time to sort out the crampons, take the ice axe off the wall and hit the hills. A winter skills course earlier this year has allowed me to go out in some of the most beautiful conditions the hills have to offer.

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Mrs W and I are off to Scotland in the New Year and some winter skills refreshing for me and introduction for my trusty Sherpa were in order. An early start saw us in the Ogwen Valley for a day walking across the Glyders. An Initial navigational error early on saw us miss the Griben ridge, which was our intended route. We instead opted for the Devils Kitchen as our way onto the Plateau. This holds water at the best of times, so was frozen over nicely. Strapping the crampons on we made steady progress, passing some nice looking ice climbs (Although not quite in season yet) we marched on to Glyder Fawr in brilliant sunshine and traversed across to Glyder Fach. A picture of the Castle of the winds and the obligatory shot on the cantilever stone, which was covered in ice, saw us looking for the route down. The descent, sporty during the summer, was further complicated by the snow and ice and a slow, delicate, descent was called for. This pushed Claire's ability and confidence to its limit. Cheered on by several fellow walkers who thought she was "game" for following the loony ahead down the slope, we found the car 8 hours later. After getting a push out of the car park, we went to the Tyn Y Coed for a sherbet and to reflect on a wonderful and in some parts challenging day. The first picture is Tryfan from Llyn Idwal. The second is the same shot with me trying out the remote release on my camera and finally the Castle of the Winds on top of Glyder Fach.

Nice day (Shame about the camera)

Fells climbed: Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar and Dow Crag

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The forecast was set fair for Sunday, so loaded up the car with all the essentials, (Food, camera, trusty Sherpa Mrs W) and headed to Coniston. As the weather was so grand, we took a detour up to Tarn Hows. Sadly my early start worked against me and the sun was barely up when we arrived. The waterfall scene at the bottom was the only image worth salvaging from the detour. We arrived in Coniston and began the trek up to Levers Water. Spotting a waterfall in full spate, I thought another shot would look nice. I set up the tripod and then noticed a camera bag like mine in a pool bel.......oh. I now know that cameras don't like water much. To say this took the "jam out of my doughnut" (and potentially £400 out of my wallet) was a mild understatement. However, we plodded on up to Swirl How, where the summit pose was shot using a camera phone. (The exercise regime looks like it working) There was a faint smattering of snow and ice on top which hopefully augers well for Winter. We then proceeded to "bang out" the other hills on our itinerary, leaving us close to sunset when we arrived at the Sun hotel for a hard earned pint of Bluebird. The last picture is the Scafell range from Great Carrs, A testament to the quality of the weather

Honist(er) Endeavour

Fells Climbed: Grey Knotts, Brandreth, Base Brown, Green Gable and Great Gable.
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As Claire has taken a bit more interest in our walks and the skills etc associated with it, I elected to let her choose the location for this Sunday's stroll. Scanning the map, she picked Great Gable (A good choice I may add). After discussing the merits of the myriad of ascent options, it was decided a start from Honister.
We set off, with me weighed down with the tripod for my camera and other kit. As the weather was nice, I taught Claire some movement skills associated with simple scrambling and we moved over some small rocky outcrops. This stood us in good stead as we ascended Great Gable as there was a couple of "sporty" moves for the inexpericinced. Alas, the clag was pretty solid up high, apart from a brief interlude on the way from Green Gable to Great Gable, which is shown above.
We met up with a mature couple at the summit who were struggling with their navigation and so took them under our wing for the descent as we went old school with a map and compass, including one pokey downclimb which required a little "spotting". We arrived back at the car over six hours after setting off. A good day out but a longish drive home. I may let Mrs W pick more often if she keeps up this talent of picking classic summits!!!

Lazy Saint Sunday Afternoon

Fells Climbed:

Arnison Crag, Birks, St Sunday Crag, Fairfield (again) Hart Crag, Hartsop Above How:

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After a lay off of a few months, the Trusty Sherpa Mrs W decided to re-enter the Sunday ritual of early starts, sugar laden snacks and knee destroying purgatory that is walk in the Lakes with me. " 10 miles should be OK" were words which came back to haunt her as I took her around the Deepdale Horseshoe. To be fair she gamely plugged up the first half with some gusto. I was trying out my "spiffy" new winter boots and finding them comfortable and really good for small holds on some of the bits I decided to scramble up, whilst Claire took the path.

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The second half of the horseshoe saw the bounce go out of Mrs W's bungee somewhat. The 10 miles went and 4 more Wainwrights added to Claire's count and 4 more for my "3 times or more" count (6 times in Fairfield's case).

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The first picture shows Sherpa Wardle on the top of Cofa Pike. The second is the sun almost breaking through the cloud on Arnison Crag.

Halls Fell Ridge, Blencathra

Fells Climbed: Blencathra, (The Mighty) Mungrisedale Common, Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell and Souther Fell.
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The summer had not been what I had planned for walking etc, so was pleased to get back into the swing of things in early September when my regular walking companion, Paul, came up, looking for some scrambling and to bag a few Wainwrights. We decided to give Halls Fell Ridge (Grade1 **) a bash. To say it was underwhealming would be an understatement. Despite taking the most demanding line possible, it did not tax our skills. (Subsequent training has indicated a grade 2 scramble is more the level we are at now)
However all was redeemed when we scaled the mighty East flank of Mungrisedale Common, probably the most pointless Wainwright in all seven guides. After congratulating ourselves in not falling asleep in its lofty environs, we tagged Bannerdale crags, Bowscale Fell and after some brief liquid refreshment, Souther Fell.
It seems the tribulations of the summer (A bereavement and an illness) took their toll and struggled around the last mile. Not a good portent for the winter season coming up.
The picture is me trying to make the scramble look difficult.

Sinister Gully, Devils Kitchen, Heavenly pint

This weekend saw me head to Snowdonia for a weekend of camping and scrambling. Hugh, one of the Scotland regulars was celebrating his Birthday and I was kindly invited to join the usual suspect, Paul, plus Simon and his "bro" and Dave plus family. The weekend promised a mixed bag of weather, with Friday being the better day. With this in mind we elected to tackle the Grade 1 *** scramble up Bristly Ridge. I had done this before, in terrible conditions and was apprehensive about the "re-match". After some creative navigating by Hugh, which nearly saw us climb the west side of Tryfan, we reached the start of Sinister Gully. This is a steep and (for a grade 1) challenging job of work. I have borrowed a picture from the Internet to give you an idea of what is all about (we did not have the rope though). After a challenging but fun scramble up the gully, we were over the worst and apart from the Pinnacle Gap, (Bit of a downclimb which can be avoided via an exposed traverse to the left) we hit the top of Glyder Fach. Posing for the obligatory picture on the Cantilever Stone, we scoffed butties and traversed the ridge, taking in Glyder Fawr, before descending back into Ogwen via the Devils Kitchen. A pint of something cold at the Bryn Tyrch and a few more back at the campsite saw us feeling pretty pleased with the days work.

We awoke Saturday to low cloud and drizzle, which put paid to plans of a scramble we had planned on Snowdon. With the weather set in for the day, we decided to visit The Beacon, a local climbing wall, where we had a couple of hours on the bouldering walls and had a good time traversing routes and basically keeping dry.

After checking the forecast for the rest of the weekend, we reluctantly decided to call it a day (or a weekend) and broke camp on Saturday evening, pausing only to grab a steak at the Bryn Tyrch and returning home.

He Came, He Saw, He......Cragged!!

As I have mentioned before, I am always looking for something a little different to do when outdoors. I had started to do a bit of climbing at my local climbing wall to improve my foot work for scrambling, which is something I am interested in. I am now finding climbing one of those frustrating pastimes, one which I am completely addicted to, but not that good at. I was especially intrigued by the idea that it is a lot different on actual rock, than the indoor wall. This last week, I have been fortunate to try and remedy this skill gap. I spent two days of contrasting weather in Wales with Rob of Expeditionguide.com on an intro to climbing course. On the drier first day we looked at several single pitch climbs. I managed to top out one at "severe" as well as a couple of V Diff. I sadly could not negotiate the crux of the VS climb we tried. The following day we had a bash at a two pitch climb. (Boo Boo (HVD)) which I got up quite nicely. I was a little more apprehensive about the lengthy abseil down Yogi (VS 4b). The day was rounded off with some ungraded single pitch stuff around Llanberis before a trip to the legendary Pete's Eats.

A chance conversation with my neighbour the day after revealed that he was returning to climbing after an absence of a few years and asked me along to a morning at Anglezarke Quarry with a friend of his for some single pitch climbing (My attitude to heights has not completely gone so 8-10 metres was quiet enough thank you). The vertical gritstone of Lancashire was in contrast to dolerite of Tremadog. With little in the way of "juggy" holds I struggled to ascend anything, scraping over the crux of Aldreds Original (V Diff) but got "becalmed" 2/3rd of the way up "Wedge" (HS 4b).

Whether I get frustrated with this new direction, or get sufficiently bloody minded to try and "improve my grade" I am not sure. The mental aspect, as well as the energy sapping is keeping my attention for now. The fear of falling is perhaps holding me back a little (Although I came away a couple of times today)

The first picture is of "Tim" a guy on the intro course, who climbs like a mountain goat in trainers, so will be handy in proper shoes and the second is me, taken by Rob, whilst I was holding an abseil about five minutes before the first picture.