Duchy AITP Climbing 28 Jan 2011

Guess what? Yeap, it's another freezing day. Still, the guys and girls are keen to get on the rock, especially as they are looking at doing some multipitch routes for the first time. We went down to the Dewerstone, a delightful riverside crag, located up the secluded River Dart valley, near Plymouth. I first climbed there nearly 25 years ago and have been back there sporadically over the years. Its home to some great climbs, including the Classic Rock route, Climbers Club Ordinary (VS 4b). Well, we had the crag to ourselves and the guys did brilliantly, with ascents of Colonel's Arete, Mucky Gully and Central Climb. It was a fitting end to a good couple of days and it's nice to see the student's enthusiasm for climbing grow and grow.

Duchy AITP Climbing 27 Jan 2011

Bloody Hell! It's ffffffrrreeeezzzzing! There was ice on the crag and the ground was solid! Had a short day out on Kesstor, a steep little crag. There's a couple of easy routes on one side and a tough little severe up the middle. Spent most of the day wrapped up in 2 duvet jackets. Now suffering from the onset of manflu :-(

Duchy AITP Climbing 26 Jan

Well, the weather was better today. As these guys are working towards being outdoor providers and require experience and qualifications in various activities, climbing being one of them. They all hope to undergo Single Pitch Award Training and need to be able to lead climb on real rock, with leader placed protection. I was working alongside Mark Garland, a long time Culm Coast pervert, who suggested we headed up to Millook to check out a small crag that might suit the student's needs. Needless to say, it was the usual North coast pile of rubble, but the guys and girls had a good time and got a route or two under their belts.

Duchy AITP Climbing - 25 Jan

Weyhey! Its back to work again. This time the weather was terrible. I tried to convince the students that it would be a good idea to go and climb in the rain, but they were having none of it. Wimps. So it was off to The Barn for some indoor climbing and plastic pulling. Ouch! my arms hurt!

Surf's Up 20 Jan

Managed to surf twice today. At South Fistral in the morning and then again at Watergate Bay in BIG surf! Sets were double overhead and the sneaker sets even bigger! not many out, most of whom were sat inside, catching the smaller waves. I was out on the rhino chaser and managed to drop into some BIG waves. Haven't been out on the Chaser for a long time. Great fun. More please

Surf's Up 19 Jan

Mellow waves at South Fistral with my mate, Jez (SUP rider). 'Twas sunny too. Happy Days :-)

Duchy AITP Climbing - 17 Jan

Well, its back to proper work. Had a day working with fellow MIA and all round climbing loon, Mosseeee, with a small group of students from Duchy College. Pity it was damp and miserable. Still, undeterred we headed down to the Dewerstone (lovely crag by the River Dart, close to Plymouth) and got the guys and girls to solve problems and escape the system!

Surfs Up - 15 Jan

Surfs Up! 4 foot grinders at Harlyn. Best I leave my longboard behind and go on something shorter, otherwise I'll have two halves of a longboard!
Update: and very nice it was too :-)

Scotland 3 (early Jan)

Yeap, I went off to Scotland again. This time was a solo trip into the Cairngorms to get some Quality Mountain Days under my belt in preparation for my Winter Mountain Leader. A good friend of mine (Heavy Whalley) dropped me off at the Sugar Bowl so I could walk through the Charlemagne Gap to access the Lairig Ghru and on to the Corrour Bothy. Conditions were superb - blue skies, no wind, cold temperatures and not a soul about. I took my time and got to the bothy after about 6 hours and it was nice to find the bothy empty. The next day I ventured up onto Cairn Toul and Angels Peak. Strong winds and poor visibility made going slow, but I then returned to the bothy and enjoyed a fine evening with the bothy mice (the little buggers kept me awake for ages). The next day I walked over Ben Macdui and across the plateau in complete whiteout. When this happens, it is very difficult to see any features or the horizon, making travel and visual navigation difficult and one has to rely on walking on compass bearings and timing/pacing. Fortunately I eventually recognised the edge of the Northern Corries and dropped down through the ski area to a well-deserved bath and vegetable stirfry!

First Aid Course 6/7 Jan

One of the necessary evils I have to undergo as an Outdoor Instructor is First Aid courses. I need to remain current for professional reasons. Trouble is, I've been subjected to these courses every year for nearly 25 years. Surely I should be exempt from doing them now?

New Year's Bouldering

Went down to Little Fistral to test out my new Alpkit bouldering mat. The rock was a bit damp, but I had a couple of hours fun!

New Year's Eve

Back in Cornwall.

Ssssssssshhhh!...........don't tell anyone, but I went sea kayaking today and I quite enjoyed it!

Scotland 2

Yeap, I went up again before Christmas. Again with Heather (and Milly). This time we went climbing in Corrie an T-Sneachda, cross country skiing in Glenmore and had 2 nights in the Ling hut, up in Torridan. Conditions this winter are unbelieveable. Theres been so much snow early on. Driving down the Torridan road was 'interesting', to say the least. I had a big day out on Ben Eighe, which included wading through knee deep powder snow on the approach and battling 60mph winds on the summit ridge in fading light. It was quite an experience, but I was pleased I could handle it well. Just need to get some new ski goggles - an essential item of winter mountaineering equipment!

Scotland 1

Have been up in the Highlands with a friend of mine from Aviemore. Heather Morning in the Mountain Safety Advisor for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. She also is a member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team and has a Search and Rescue dog, Milly. Those of you out there who read Trail magazine will know of Heather's and Milly's exploits from many of Heather's articles! She's a very busy girl, but she managed to come out with me and spend a few days out West on some big hills. Conditions were great - cold and crisp, with a covering of snow on the tops. We stayed in a Bothy, which is like an open shelter, free to use, but very basic. Bearnais Bothy is in a very idyllic, but isolated location, but it suited our needs perfectly as a base to walk up some Munros and a Corbett. I am working towards the Winter Mountain Leader award and this trip certainly gave me a good opportunity to get some quality mountain days in for my logbook!

There be snow on the Moor - December 2010

Have been out with Duchy College students on Bodmin Moor. All quite exciting as there is plenty of snow (for Cornwall) and even some ice! We made an ascent of Cornwall's highest peak, Brown Willy (420m), travelling from South to North. The peak is a longish ridge and, although it presents no real difficulty, its felt quite exciting in these cold conditions!

November - Sunny Spain

10 days working for Duchy College on their Advanced Instructor Training Program. These guys and girls already have experience of working in the Outdoor Industry but want to further their experience and qualifications. Part of that course is having to go to the Costa Blanca region of Spain, a firm favourite of British climbers wishing to escape the cold and wet weather at home and climb on sun-kissed rock! The region is full of limestone crags on which are a variety of Sport and Trad style of climbs, plus Via Ferrata, Gorge scrambles and exciting ridge walking. We were hosted by Rich Mayfield of the Orange House. Rich has been climbing out there for a number of years and his local knowledge is extensive. The students all learnt how to lead and some found the transition from climbing on indoor walls to climbing on real rock quite difficult, but all were comfortable about being on the 'sharp end' by the end of the trip. Some of the 'superstars' were leading F6b+, which was fantastic. I reckon they'll find climbing on British 'Trad' routes a bit of a challenge though. With fellow instructors Mark Garland, Pete Smith and Lee Abdul, I climbed the big route on the Puig Campana on our day off. Fab!

16th October - A Journey to Ixtlan

A beautiful day today. The sun shone and the sea was calm. All good for my first visit to the majestic cliffs of Carn Gowla. Down here its the full adventure package (proper climbing) and none of that sport climbing rubbish. Definitely not a place for the faint hearted and where a strong survival instinct plays dividends. Went with Jerry from Helston. Check out the look on his face as he prepares himself for the big crux pitch!

I've been slacking

Well, firstly apologies for not updating my Blog over the last half of 2010. Lets just say things got very chaotic! There was plenty of climbing, surfing and mountaineering to be had in Cornwall and further afield, with a variety of friends, students and clients. Rather than try and write up what I've been up to over this period, it's probably best if I post some photos, so here they are: