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Ice Climbing
Ice climbing Ice climbing, a pursuit that combines physical strength, mental fortitude, and a profound connection with the frozen elements, stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of adventure. Scaling frozen waterfalls and ice-covered rock faces opens a door to a unique and exhilarating world of vertical exploration. In this blog post, we’ll delve […]
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Winter Mountaineering
Winter Mountaineering As winter blankets the mountains in a glistening coat of snow, the allure of winter mountaineering beckons adventurers to embrace the challenge of the frozen wilderness. Winter mountaineering is a thrilling pursuit that demands a unique set of skills, preparation, and a profound respect for the unforgiving conditions. In this blog post, we’ll […]
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Scottish Winter Climbing
Scottish Winter climbing When the rock climbing season comes to a close in Scotland, winter is just around the corner. With the first dusting of snow, which can be as early as October, climbers from everywhere sharpen their axes and crampons. Ready to tackle the early season Scottish winter climbing. The reason Scottish […]
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The best Scrambling guidebook for North Wales
The Best Scrambling Guidebook for North Wales Having owned the North Wales Scrambles guide written by Garry Smith for nearly 9 years, I think it is the best scrambling guidebook for North Wales. Describing 50 of the most classic scrambles up in Snowdonia National Park, and a few of Garry’s favourites. Ranging from grade 1 […]
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Inny or Outy – the long debate
Inny or Outy – the long debate This is the century long debate in rock climbing. When you go climbing, do you have your gates facing in or out?? Are you an Inny or an Outy?!? There is only one right way, and here I will explain why. The long-standing debate about whether […]
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Sea Cliff Climbing
Sea Cliff Climbing So, you have some trad climbing experience and are thinking of having a go at sea cliff climbing. What an adventure you have let yourself in for. Here it is not a case of turning up when the weather is dry, and giving it a go. It is a little more involved […]
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An Alpine adventure, well, miss-adventure
An Alpine adventure, well, miss-adventure from my early days I arrived on Sunday at around 14:30h local time in Geneva, on my way for an alpine adventure. Everything seemed to work efficiently as you’d expect in Switzerland. The stairs and buses were already there waiting to unload us from the plane. Within 10 minutes […]
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Falling on trad gear in climbing
Falling on trad gear in climbing So where does the mind set come from in trad climbing, where the leader doesn’t fall or we are unsure about falling on trad gear in climbing? Does it come from the olden days, where with the use of twill ropes, which have the dynamicity of a steel […]
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Rope Rescue Techniques
Rope rescue techniques Before I did my instructor training many years ago, I thought I knew how to get myself or climbing partner out of most sticky situations. Once I had completed my training, I realised I had no clue. We, as climbers learn how to climb, and 99.99% of the time, all […]
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Training the most important muscle in climbing
What is the most important muscle in climbing? In climbing we train our movement, we gain skills through practicing them, and we gain strength though training and strength/power regimes. But what about our brain?!? Why do we just assume we should be able to feel comfortable at height? Why do we get frustrated when we […]
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How to climb Tower Ridge in winter
How to Climb Tower Ridge in Winter? How to climb Tower Ridge in winter? One of the more if not, most infamous Alpine style routes in Britain. First climbed in 1894, it is 600m long and an incredible outing, not to be underestimated. Attracting a lot of climbers who like to measure their ability […]
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Winter Climbing Tips
Winter Climbing Tips Winter climbing can be an all encompassing and intimidating activity, and can very quickly go from type 1 to type 2 or 3 fun. So we have come up with a list of winter climbing tips, that will help you enjoy winter climbing a little more. So, here is our list of […]
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How to stay warm in winter tips
How to stay warm in winter tips When out winter walking, climbing or mountaineering, it is hard to find a balance between keeping warm and not sweating. Or being too cold, because you decided that the extra layer was too much weight to take out. This is something that can be very easily managed, […]
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Aid Climbing
Aid Climbing So, you have decided you would like to venture into the dark art of aid climbing, and would like to possibly tackle a big wall, like El Capitan. Well, you need a toolbox with lots of different tools in it. By this I mean, you need to know lots of little techniques, […]
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The Tricam
Tricam The tricam, is one of the most underused pieces of climbing protection in the UK. People who know how to use them, love them. Most know it exists, but don’t know what it looks like. For the ones that do, they find it a little weird or scary piece of gear, a bit […]
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Fear of Falling
Fear of falling Probably the greatest aspect in climbing that holds back most people, the fear of falling. Where the feeling of fear prevents us from trying moves where we think we may fall off, instead prefer to downclimb 4-5 moves to the safety of a tight rope, as an example. We train […]
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Climbing Psychology Book
Climbing psychology book Many years ago, I had a few incidences where the fear of falling became a huge thing in my head, due to a bad belayer. Which prevented me from pushing my climbing, and left me not enjoying the activity I love so much. It became such a big issue in my […]
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Fear of Failure
Fear of failure Fear of failure is the fear of not completing or succeeding in a task or action. This fear can be so overpowering that it prevents many from even attempting a task. It is a form of self-sabotage or procrastination and affects people in many different ways. The fear of failure can […]
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Renegade Motel on The O2
Renegade Motel on The O2 We have been working on a really exciting project with Performance Communications, a brand communications specialist. Who come up with weird, wonderful and exciting campaigns to deliver awareness of a product. The Renegade Motel, an idea 2 years in the making. Where at first, a crazy idea, had finally come […]
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Top 5 HVS climbs at Avon Gorge
Top 5 HVS climbs at Avon Gorge Here I have listed my top 5 HVS climbs at Avon Gorge: The Corpse HVS 5a Malbogies HVS 5a Great Central Route HVS 5a Hell Gates HVS 5a Suspense HVS 5a Britain’s unique city crag, with very easy access. Situated along the A4, on the edge of […]
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Top 5 VS climbs at Avon Gorge
Top 5 VS climbs at Avon Gorge Here I have listed my top 5 VS climbs at Avon Gorge: Piton Route VS 4C Unknown Wall VS 4C Gronk VS 4C Giants Cave Buttress VS 4C Clarion VS 4C Britain’s unique city crag, with very easy access. Situated along the A4, on the edge of […]
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Top 5 low to mid-grade climbs at Avon Gorge
Top 5 low to mid-grade climbs at Avon Gorge Here I have listed my top 5 low to mid-grade climbs at Avon Gorge: Morpheus Vdiff Sinister HS 4b The Arete S 4a Fossible HS 4c Surprising Conclusion S 4a Britain’s unique city crag, with very easy access. Situated along the A4, on the edge […]
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Top 5 HVS climbs at Wintours Leap
Top 5 HVS climbs at Wintours Leap Here is a list of my top 5 HVS climbs at Wintours Leap: Cheetah HVS 5a Puma HVS 5a The Angel’s Eye HVS 5b Guytha HVS 5a The Burning Giraffe HVS 5a Wintours Leap is a limestone cliff, towering over and almost kissing the river Wye. Just […]
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Top 5 VS climbs at Wintours Leap
Top 5 VS climbs at Wintours Leap Here is a list of my top 5 VS climbs at Wintours Leap: Freedom VS 4c The Angel’s Girdle VS 5a Swallow’s Nest VS 4c African Killer Bee VS 4c Nibelheim VS 4c Wintours Leap is a limestone cliff, towering over and almost kissing the river Wye. […]
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Top 5 VDiff climbs at Wintours Leap
Top 5 VDiff climbs at Wintours Leap Here I have listed my top 5 Vdiff climbs at Wintours Leap: Central Rib Route III Original Route Bottle Buttress Corner Buttress 1 Corner Buttress 2 Wintours Leap is a limestone cliff, towering over and almost kissing the river Wye. Just 2 miles north of Chepstow, renowned […]
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Training for climbing in isolation
Training for climbing in isolation How can we start training for climbing in isolation? With these uncertain times ahead of us, and lots of climbing centres closing across the country, what are we as climbers going to do!?! We will literally be climbing the walls in a few weeks’ time. Not being able to spend […]
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Self doubt
Self doubt Self doubt can be limiting in life. I recently was inspired and thought I would share my feelings. I don’t usually read books. Never having had the drive as a child, or being taught how to love reading. Comics were more my thing, because I found this easier to follow the pictures. […]
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To helmet or not to helmet?
To helmet or not to helmet? That is the question. We all know what the obvious answer is, yet why do most of us, when we go sport climbing not wear a helmet. Is it just one more thing to carry? Maybe it is not cool, or are we just like sheep and just […]
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Winter Climbing Rack
Winter Climbing Rack Have ever wondered about what to take out on the hill when going winter climbing. How many nuts shall I take? Should I take my cams? How many ice screws will I need? What pitons shall I take? Here is our recommended winter climbing rack. Again, this is a general view, […]
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How to prepare for winter
How to prepare for winter With the winter season fast approaching, most of us are hoping for a cold and snowy winter. So, what can we do and how to prepare for winter. Whether we enjoy winter walking, mountaineering and/or climbing. Here is my list of how to prepare for winter advice. Right layering […]
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Winter Climbing Rucksack Content
Winter Climbing Rucksack Content If you have ever wondered what you would need to take out on the hill when going winter climbing. Here is our winter climbing rucksack content list of suggestions on kit to take out as a winter climber. A 35-45l rucksack with hip belt Waterproof trousers Waterproof jacket Insulating jacket […]
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Winter Walking Rucksack Content
Winter Walking Rucksack Content If you have ever wondered what you would need to take out on the hill when going winter walking. Here is our winter walking rucksack content list of suggestions on kit to take out as a winter walker. A 35-45l rucksack with hip belt Waterproof trousers Waterproof jacket Insulating jacket […]
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Winter Climbing advice
Winter Climbing Advice So you have decided you would like to try winter climbing. But you are unsure as to where to start. Well, you have several options. As I am an instructor, I would obviously say book onto a course with us, or another provider, and learn the basics first hand. The benefit of this is that […]
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Winter Mountaineering advice
Winter Mountaineering Advice So you have decided you would like to venture into the dark art of winter mountaineering. But you are unsure as to where to start. Well, you have several options. As I am an instructor, I would obviously say book onto a course with us, or another provider, and learn the basics […]
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Winter skills advice
Winter skills advice So you have decided you would like to dabble in winter walking, but unsure as to where to start. Well, you have several options. As I am an instructor, I would obviously say book onto a course with us, or another provider, and learn the basics first hand. The benefit of this […]
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The Ice piton or “Bulldog”
The ice piton or “Bulldog” For most of you who have played around winter climbing, you would have come across a piece of protection called “The Bulldog”. For those who haven’t, it is not a dog. It is an ice piton, or ice hook, shaped like a miniature ice axe, with a sling on the […]
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The importance of stretching and flexibility in climbing
The importance of stretching and flexibility in climbing I could give you the same intro as the previous article on the importance of antagonist training . But will save you the headache. In this article I will talk about the importance of stretching and flexibility in climbing. This can be related to other sports too, […]
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Importance of Antagonist exercises in climbing
Importance of Antagonist exercises in climbing What is the importance of antagonist exercises in climbing? Over the last 4 years I have endured several climbing injuries, and have had to learn to manage these. As climbers we rarely will stop climbing completely, although we are aware that it may be the most beneficial action to […]
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Top 5 HVS climbs at Symonds Yat
Top 5 HVS climbs at Symonds Yat Red Rose Speedway HVS 5a White Heart (2) HVS 5b Orange Wall HVS 5a The Russian HVS 5a Sickle HVS 5a Symonds Yat, situated in the heart of the Forest of Dean, and overlooks the river Wye. It is a village in the Wye Valley, and […]
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Top 5 VS climbs at Symonds Yat
Top 5 VS climbs at Symonds Yat Whitt VS 4c Pam’s Pride VS 4c The Druid VS 4c Tiger Cub Special VS 5a Offspring VS 4c Symonds Yat is situated in the heart of the Forest of Dean, and overlooks the river Wye. It is a village in the Wye Valley, and straddles […]
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Top 5 VDiff climbs at Symonds Yat
Top 5 VDiff climbs at Symonds Yat Snoozin’ Suzie Traveller’s Rest The Little Red Edge The Seven Deadly Dwarves Tea on a Rainy Day Symonds Yat is situated in the heart of the Forest of Dean, and overlooks the river Wye. It is a village in the Wye Valley, and straddles Gloucestershire and […]
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Trad Climbing Rack
What is in a trad climbing rack? This is the second in a series of articles where I will be writing on suggestions of what different climbing racks consist of, from our point of view. We looked at a sport climbing rack on our previous article (click here). We are yet to look at trad […]
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Sport Climbing Rack
What is in a sport climbing rack? This is the first in a series of articles, where I will be writing on suggestions of what different climbing racks consist of, from our point of view. We will be looking at sport climbing, trad climbing, aid climbing, winter mountaineering, and winter climbing. We have already looked […]
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How to survive a whiteout
How to survive a whiteout Bad weather, in winter in Scotland is common ground. We seldom experience sunshine, blue skies, the ability to see for miles around, and no need to use the map and compass. So, possessing the skills to navigate accurately, and confidently in whiteout conditions is a must in winter in Scotland. […]
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BMC Climbing Injuries symposium
BMC Climbing Injuries symposium summary As a climbing coach and instructor, I thought it would be interesting to attend the BMC climbing injuries symposium. The room was filled with medical professionals, from Osteopaths to physios and doctors. I must say, it was interesting, but a fair few terminologies went straight over my head. Below, […]
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Winter Walking Advice
Winter Walking Advice – Top 10+ tips Winter walking can take you to some stunning locations and views in Scotland, the Lake District in England and North Wales. As beautiful as winter can be, it is all the more challenging and engrossing because of the potential dangers. But don’t let this statement discourage you, just […]
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Staying injury free – article 1
Staying injury free – general overview Having spent the last three and a half years with injuries on and off, dealing with the frustration of not being able to climb, coming back to climbing too soon, and either re-injuring or having a set-back. I realise I have learnt a lot from the sport injury specialists, […]
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Progression from beginner to climber
Progression from beginner to climber Here I’ll be describing the steps you can take to progress from complete beginner to climber, regarding the skills gained (taking away the learning of climbing movement). I’m just describing the steps to take, and assuming that you will gain experience first before moving onto the next step. Some […]
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Scrambling – Article 3
Staying safe on scrambling terrain – scrambling ropework Scrambling ropework is a hot topic, and tricky to explain. So, I will do my best. There are a variety of ways of protecting scrambles. This depends on the experience of the participants, the route, terrain, weather, etc… Please find below the different belaying techniques that […]
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The psychology of climbing
Psychology of Climbing The psychology of climbing is such a broad subject. Ranging from the fear of falling, the fear of failure, the influence of negative thoughts and a self-image which can all affect your climbing and make it less enjoyable. Does the psychology of climbing, i.e. any of the above mentioned topics, get in […]
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Scrambling – Article 2
Staying safe on scrambling terrain – the scrambling rack We provide an array of SCRAMBLING & ROCK CLIMBING COURSES. Here in our second article, on scrambling. Here we will explain what to carry on your scrambling rack. As described in our previous article, grade I scrambling terrain, consists of the occasional difficult and steep step, […]
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Scrambling – Article 1
Staying safe on scrambling terrain – Scrambling grades explained Here in our first article, on scrambling. Here we will explain the scrambling grades. Firstly, what is scrambling? Scrambling is the middle ground between hill walking and climbing. Where the path steepens to the point which also requires the use of hands to gain height. It […]
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Snow Hole – near Glen Feshie
A snow hole for rent. Located near the beautiful area of Glen Feshie, with views over the Cairngorm mountains. As you can see, with its beautiful porch area. Which can be used as a dry room, storage area, restroom (if it was windy). It has many uses. Please also note the beautiful, personalised name plate, […]
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Tower Ridge
The conditions on Tower Ridge today were stunning, although a bit windy. Covered, mostly, in hard neve and ice, which made the climbing much easier than usual.
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Why go Winter Climbing?
I was recently asked by a friend why go winter climbing. I thought long and hard about it, and the following was my response. You get up at 5 am, try and force some breakfast – your digestive system is still dormant. All your body wants to do at that time in the morning […]
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Grey Corries conditions – 02 March 2018
The Grey Corries conditions today was a little windy, as we managed to dodge the Easterly winds. Lots of snow flurries, made for bad visibility. Most of the new snow was settling around 200m, with greater accumulations higher up the mountain. Lots of soft slab around, but underneath is very good neve. Took a […]
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Freedom and entrapment
The feeling of freedom and entrapment is common as a climber, father and husband. As a climber, I want to climb more. Being a husband, I want to spend more time with my wife. As a father, I want to spend more time with my kids. Then there is work. (Having worked very hard at […]
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How to sharpen an ice axe
How to sharpen an ice axe or ice tool 26 January 2018 To sharpen, or not to sharpen an ice axe, that is the question. As climbers, we might spend a lot of cleaning our gear, drying it out after a day out in winter, neatly and orderly storing it. But once the winter season […]
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Hot Aches – How to improve blood circulation
23 January 2018 How to improve blood circulation, and prevent the hot aches, whilst hanging on a belay when winter climbing Most of us who climb in winter have experienced the “hot aches”. It brings hardy grown men (and women), to a wincing crumbling mess. For those few minutes, whilst the blood flows back […]
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Creag Meagaidh conditions – 13 January 2018
The Creag Meagaidh conditions today was a little windy, the wind definitely started to pick up a little around noon. The snowline started around 450-500m, and the path was pretty straightforward to follow. Lots of small pockets of slab around, and the consistency of the snow was wet, until you got higher. No blue sky […]
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Glen Coe conditions – 11 January 2018
The Glen Coe winter conditions today were a little cooler than previous days, sunshine, blue skies and no wind. The path from Loch Achtriochtan was clear of snow up to around 650m above sea level. The path was slippery in places due to verglas that has formed on the stones on the path. Higher up […]
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Ben Nevis Conditions – 09 January 2018
The Ben Nevis conditions today were windy and warm. Some of the snow has consolidated, other areas have been cross loaded, etc… some instability present. The view of Castle area: Ice has formed on Gemini and Waterfall Gully, with the warm temperatures today, not sure if it can be trusted. The view of Coire […]
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Success and failure
22 October 2017 – Success and failure are part of climbing? Right?? After a recent trip to Yosemite Valley, I came back with mixed emotions. I had set out to try and rope solo a route on the mighty El Capitan. Managing to get to the top of pitch 12, then an old injury […]
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Climbing Psychology Workshop
We will be running a climbing Psychology workshop on Saturday 03 February 2018, at The Warehouse Climbing Centre in Gloucester from 2pm till 7pm. As climbers we train physically to try and gain strength and movement to be able to climb the next route we obsess with, but we forget to train our minds. Here […]
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In Situ – article
Aha! A nylon loop protrudes from a crack, ‘My saviour. Clip it.‘ I relax and my body snatches some energy as I breathe again. But now the crack plays mean; too wide for torquing the pick but too narrow for the shaft. My tools hang from my wrist as I jam and crimp for another […]
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