Monthly Archives: January 2010

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Residential – Langdale Primary School – Sept 2010

I am in the process of back dating some of the Blog.

Apologies if you are looking at this site for winter conditions only and this is getting in your way

Here is Langdale Primary School 2009 residential, this is the second year that they have come to real adventure for their residential’, last year we stayed in the Dales at Gearstones Lodge and did loads of caving and climbing.

We have also done a progressive climbing course for the team at Langdale ending in 4 young people Multi Pitch Climbing in their valley!!

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If you have time, enjoy the slide show.

Avalanche on Raise

2 lads where Avalanched on Raise Sking on Saturday.

They both are ok.

More info to come this evening.

So a football pitch size of wind slab released, triggered by the skier 1 and taking skier 2 along with it.

Both of the party where buried one 2oom up the slope from the other.

They where carrying avalanche rescue kit and managed to dig their own way out. One of the lads had only one arm free.

They are both battered and bruised.

A great reminder to us all not to be complacent about Lake District winter conditions.

To learn more about snow and avalanche risks just ask and I can run a course for you, best done up in Scotland in more reliable conditions and a larger snow pack to study.

Lick to more info…

avalanche in lakes info

Sandbed Gill & The Trough

Steve Stout was back out again today.

He met up with Mark and Ali.

Again, conditions looking superb!

More snow forecast for Monday, its looking to go cold again towards the end of the week.

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Fisherplace Gill

On arriving at the gill we where really surprised to see no one there just after 8 am.

Today Sally, Ant, Liz and I quested up the gill trying not to fall in the pools, especially one of them that looked to be over head deep.

Temperatures today have been the highest since Christmas reaching a high of 4.5c – this will be great for the snow on the top of the hills they will change from there powdery state and dribble a little ready to freeze again. Lets hope it all stays for next weekend.

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I am back working with a group this week caving, climbing, mountain walking, gorge scrambling but will hopefully be out with my head torch. As for the rest of the team, Sally is off to Scotland and Simon will be out through the day so we will be able to keep you updated through the week.

Coniston Winter Conditions

So after a great little am session in Langdale we headed to Coniston.

The water ice is well formed and also well hacked at. We arrived at Low Water Beck at about 2:30 and where pleased to find no one on it.

The tarn is frozen over and is over a foot deep in the middle.

We climbed the largest piece of ice up behind the tarn and just at the R of the start to South Gully and then to the summit. This piece of ice showed no evidence of climbers and went at about IV, 4

The snow is well consolidated in the back of the gully. There are only small accumulations of wind slab on the face with a reasonable cornice in places.

We did not dig a full test pit but did notice the above.

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Gatesgarth Chimney – High Crag Buttermere

Gatesgarth Chimney IV,5*  55m High Crag Buttermere

Takes the deep chimney bounding the buttress on the right.

40m 5: climb directly to the base of the chimney proper, move left into it at a small spike and ascend on hooks and fist jams gradually easing to a block/turf hook belay a few metres below the chockstone.

15m 5: Thrutch victoriously over the chockstone and belay well back.

First winter ascent  J. Kettle and S. Ozanne 9/1/10

www.johnkettle.com

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Langdale Ice Falls

Today Bob and I went soloing…

Langdale first then over to Coniston

Coniston video to follow soon.

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New Route in Buttermere, Langdale am & Coniston Ice pm

For today’s video’s pop back later, Ill have them together by 9 ish.

John Kettle and Sally Ozanne have put up a new route in Buttermere.

Bob Curry and myself have spent the morning in Langdale up Oxendale and the afternoon in and around Low Water Coniston.

Get in touch if you would like a day out with me or one of the team here at Real Adventure.

www.real-adventure.co.uk

Shelter Crag

Simon Willis was up on Shelter Crag today after doing a pitch or two of Whorneyside Force.

He did Shelter Corner, excellent route but not very good snow – too powdery, so the route felt more like a 3 than a 2. Ascent from Whorneyside was good till the steepening to Shelter Crag, where the heavier amongst the team where falling through the crust.

There was no real evidence of Shelter Icefall.

Shoulthwaite Gill – Iron Crag

Simon and Mick where back out today Ice Climbing in the Lake District.

They headed up to Thirlmere and climbed a great little V,4 called Shoulthwaite Gill.

This 50m climb  is at an altitude of 300m so is below most of the soft powder and has seepage from the slopes above that catch the sun.

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