Winter Conditions Blog Category

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Winter Conditions

Happiness is a Good Piece of Ice

All old blog posts coming soon

See the old Blog site here

SAIS Report Service Feedback Survey – Please help

This is information and a request from SAIS.

Our aim is to continually develop the avalanche information service for all mountaineers, climbers walkers and skiers that enjoy the Scottish mountains and hills during the winter season. We have produced this survey in order to obtain your views and user information.

We aim to provide a service that gives the best possible mountain and snowpack information to mountain users, enabling them to enjoy the Scottish winter mountain environment with greater knowledge and awareness of the avalanche hazard. Your feedback is important in helping us achieve this.

Please use the link/address  below to access the survey thankyou.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SAISsurvey

Weekend Road Trip

Each year Robin and Jenny come to Scotland for a weekends play in the cold stuff.

This year we stayed in Torlundy, Robin and I headed to the ice and Jenny Skied on the Saturday, Sunday we all headed to Glencoe then home after a meal in the Drovers Inn on the way home.

[wpvideo ymXWiv6w]

Ice Climbing – The Ben

With a high Avalanche risk today and Glen Coe out for climbing in we headed to a safe location for a great little piece of ice to teach John and Sarah how to climb ice, they had given it a go inside in a large fridge but wanted to see what it was like on the real thing.

Just past the dear fence and close to the path back to the CIC hut from the top of The Ben there is a great little icefall that can be climbed at grade 2 – 3 depending on the line you take.

A great day was had and the views and feeling the mountain gave was inspiring.

[wpvideo Dk04xShW]

Winter Hill Walking and Skills – Mam na Gualainn

This weekend is a winter skills course for the civil service walking group. We are staying at Kinlochleven with 18 in the team and 5 instructors.
Today I was out with the hill walking team. With the avalanche condition as they are we made a choice to stay lower and out of the main risks.
After a quick shuttle in the morning we headed up Mam na Gualainn.
There was a really thick layer of haw frost with a significant layer of wind slab on top, however the patches of slab where isolated and it was possible to avoide most dangers.
Tomorrow I am with two climbers.

Lakes Winter Skills Day – Red Srees

A very humbling experience… John, what a star (you will see what I mean when you see the video clip).

We headed up Kirkstone Pass and onto Red Srees, only just made it to the top. The griter had cleared it by the end of the day.

Skills included -

• weather report interpretation, route planning and avalanche awareness
• foot work and step cutting
• crampons skills on rock and snow
• self arrest
• emergency shelters
• winter navigation
• practical test on the snow pack
• ice skills
• simple rope work for mountaineering

On the way down we spotted a short icefall and had a little climb then back to the pub for a well earn t pint.

Today was John’s first time in crampons, first time using an ice axe and first ever ice climb.

Be inspired…

[wpvideo YP3TQKUu]

Ice Screw and Thread Testing

Came Across this on You Tube, its worth a look…

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1863958284744514965#]

See you on an adventure soon…

A short taste of the kind of things we do.

• School Residentials
• Adult Skills & Qualifications ML, SPA & CWA
• Educational Activity Days
• Family Adventures
• Winter Skills and Guided Ice Climbing

[wpvideo zZudh327]

Video by Aqueous Films, Stills by Real Adventure

Glovers Chimney

Today, Bridget Roger and I headed to the Ben.

We climbed Glovers Chimney

[wpvideo jARfvrKG]

Intro to Ice Week

This week I have been working for Jagged Globe on an “Intro to Ice Climbing week”

• Day 1 – Lochan, refresh climbing skills.
• Day 2 – Ballachulish horse Shoe, Mountaineering Day
• Day 3 – Ben Nevis, Ice Climbing
• Day 4 – The Buachaille , Curved Ridge

What a week for it. We had a little snow overnight on the tuesday which meant we had to alter plan a little and stay away from certain aspects but the rest of the week saw wall to wall sunshine and cold temperatures.

A thanks to the people who I coached during the week and hope to see you again in the future.

[wpvideo J4D7Am0I]

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