Spaces available - SPA Assessment July 18-19th

I have 2 spaces currently available to join a Single Pitch Award Assessment course here in Snowdonia.
If you are interested the course fee is £130 (includes entry fee to climbing wall).

Get in touch if you are interested.

Bryn

AMI Workshop

This weekend I worked as a trainer for the AMI (Association of mountaineering Instructors) on a teaching multi pitch climbing course. The course members are al MIA (Mountaineering Instructor Award) trained and are gathering further experience and skills before they put them selves forward for the big assessment (5 days) to become qualified.

The first day we worked on Tryfan Bach and the second day on Milestone Buttress. both days we looked at introducing novice climbers to multi itch climbing and how we teach them the skills they need to progress and be able to climb for them selves.
Both days the weather was damp and very cold for the time of year, so this helped add an extra element of teaching into the course.
Good luck to them all with their upcoming assessments.
Bryn

University of Central Lancashire Single Pitch Award Training

The last couple of days I have been spending out on the crags with 7 students from the University of Central Lancashire. The students are studying Outdoor Leadership and are all keen climbers who are interested in developing their skills and becoming instructors. Joining them was their tutor Mark Tozer, who worked alongside me on the course.
The first day was spent at Lion Rock along with 10,000,000 midges!! Arrgh! Where we covered group management and bottom rope skills, common problems and simple solutions.
We then spent the evening at the Beacon Climbing Centre looking at indoor climbing supervision and coaching climbing skills.
The following day was at Holyhead Mountain, where we had super weather all day with a cool breeze.
The students did some lead climbing and in the afternoon some group abseiling skills followed by some more climbing.
I wish them well with their course and hope to see them out in the crags soon.

Bryn

Smart Climbing Workshop

After travelling back from Italy the following day I was working for Rebecca on her Smart Climbing Workshop.
I had two groups of climbers and we spent the time looking at problem avoidance and problem solving in rock climbing. The time was spent at Lion Rock where we practiced prussic skills and safe abseiling techniques.
The day went well and I was glad to be home and able to wear short to work.
Happy days!

Bryn

Arco, Italy

Well I came back from Skye, then re packed my bags and did some washing in preparation for the next trip to Italy.
We flew to Pisa for some friends wedding, then made the drive North to Arco, which is next to Lake Garda. The campsite here was very well setup (compaired to Skye!), and the towering cliffs of the town loomed all around made me itch to do some climbing.
We had a few days here and managed to climb at a couple of the popular crags (Massone being one of the best), with mostly great weather and the odd thunder storm late afternoon.

The town of Arco was great to with a mix of good places to eat and a super ice cream shop.
The climbing we did was all well bolted with good access to the crags and due to weight restrictions we went with a single 60m rope and did mostly single pitch routes.
Before we knew if we were driving to Treviso to fly home (vouching never to use Ryanair again!)
Great trip.

Bryn

Skye adventures

Returning client Peter joined me for 2 days of whatever Skye could throw at us!
The weather by thins point had gone from hailstones and very cold, wet and windy conditions to 24 deg c! Even better was the breeze that kept the midges away.
The first day we did the long walk in to Sgur nan Gillean, and climbed Pinnacle Chimney (diff) on the West ridge and followed the ridge to the summit (grade 2-3). We enjoyed lunch on the summit with amazing views, and were a bit shocked to meet a couple with a dog who were keen to go down the way we had come up - hmmmm! We arrived at the top of the climb on our decsent and prepared to abseil while the couple look around for alternatives, but as there were not very keen on advice, left them too it and carried on down (we did see them in the bar later, so at least they got down safely). This peak was truly ace, and a big day out with 11k of walking, a rock climb and an Alpine style ridge to a airy summit.


The second day we set off at 7am we walked into do a 3 pitch route called Window Butters. After a sweaty walk in of just over an hour and a half we got to the bottom of the route and started climbing. The route was great but a bit steep for Diff on the first and last pitch. The Gabbro rock was super too and once again we had a cloudless sky.
A great couple of days. Good luck to Peter in the Alps on his upcoming course.

Bryn

Skye scrambling

After I got back from Cornwall, I swapped the board for my hill bag, scrambling gear and tent and drove up to the Isle of Skye on Scotlands West Coast. Skye is renowned for its steep ridges and the world famous Cullins. I had never worked here before so it was good to have Rob to work with who has been coming here each year for 15 years. The island is truly amazing, but the weather is unpredictable!
I was here for 7 days.
The first course I worked with friend Rob with 4 clients, Monica, Geoff, Sue and Ian.

On Monday morning I woke up to an old neck injury which was very painful, so could not head out on to the mountains, much to my disapointment. Luckily Sue and Monica were physio's so managed to wrestle the pain away that evening. The only plus was that the weather was poor this day so I stayed dry!

Tuesday I was much better and keen to head out. We headed up on Banachdich via its South Ridge. This gives a great grade 2 scramble along a knife edge ridge that is similar to Crib Coch in Snowdonia, but longer and a bit more technical. We had a cold front come in with strong winds and hail stones, then sunny weather and good views later.


Wednesday was a poor weather forecast so we drove to Schoolhouse Buttress at Elgol looking at a spot of rock climbing and abseiling to prepare the guys with more useful skills for the scrambling.

Thursday was a very damp day and we walked into the Cioch Nose, and managed to scramble in and do one pitch of climbing before the weather got a bit too much so we bailed!

Friday the forecast showed signs of improving so we went for the aim of the week which was to climb the Inaccessible Pinnacle, which is said to be one of the hardest mountains in the UK, as the only way to the summit is via a climb. It is also a Munro (over 3000ft). We had a pleasant walk in and the enjoyed views as the cloud was clearing, but the wind was still strong. A few hours later we had climbed to the summit in 60mph gusts and then abseiled from the summit.


A great course had by all, and a huge well done to all.

Bryn

Cornwall - quick holiday!

I headed down to meet up with family in Cornwall after my last course. It was great to get away and have really good weather too. I took the surf board and went to Senan Cove on the first day, but waves were a bit too choppy to be worth getting in for, so lunch, coffee and ice cream!
The following day I went to Newquay, which is a very popular spot and managed a few hours of surf in 3ft swell and blue skies. Great workout too as I have not been on the board in a while.
good to catch up with the family too.
Bryn

Rock climbing skills

On Monday and Tuesday I was joined by returning client Peter for some advanced rock climbing skills. Peter has done many courses with me over the last year and a half. He had come to Snowdonia to do some more work on his leading skills, but once again a poor weather forecast was issued.
The first day we went to the Gwynant Valley and climbed the famous Lockwoods Chimney (Diff). This is a route which every climber needs to do before they call them self a climber! It is a narrow chimney which spirals through the crag with one very polished section which can be the hardest climbing you'll ever do. You then pop out on a ledge with only the top pitch left to do which is very exposed. Great route.
We then went to Tremadog and Peter led Oberon (Sever). A great choice in poor weather as it is relatively sheltered (you may have guess by now as I have been here a fair bot recently!).

The second day we went to Cwm Idwal and Peter led Ordinary Route on Idwal Slabs (diff) in big boots with rucsacks on in the rain. We had the whole place to ourselves and got a good soaking! The walk out saw the sun make an apperance so we dried off by the time we reached the car.
Both days were damp, but we had a great time and made the best of the conditions and had some adventures.
Peter will be joining me on the Isle of Skye next weekend for some more scrambling skills.

Bryn

Snowdon charity walk - last weekend

Last weekend I had instructors Louise and Jason working on Snowdon with Chris assisting. The group of 33 had travelled down from Birmingham with a hope of attempting the Llanberis Path. The weather had different ideas though and despite the groups best efforts the instructors made a call to turn around near Clogwyn Station. This was the same day that 5 separate incidents occurred on Snowdon, so a great call by the instructors.

Snowdon walk raises £5000 for Communities 8 & 9 School in Accra, Ghana
Members of staff from the Entec International UK office were joined by customers, friends and family for a charity walk up Mount Snowdon, last weekend. The walk which took place on Saturday 16th May has raised over £5000 in sponsorship which will be used to build a memorial library in Accra, Ghana. The library will be erected in memory of Keith Phipps, our overseas business development manager in Africa, who sadly passed away in 2007.
The Snowdon walk marks first annual event to raise money for the Keith Phipps Community Development Fund which has been set up by Chris Syner, (CEO, Adepto Group) in memory of a close friend and colleague and to support projects which benefit local communities in regions where Entec International operate.
The party of 40 people set off on Saturday morning and tackled Snowdon in heavy rain, hail and severe winds ranging from 40 to 50 mph. Conditions were treacherous at best and although spirits were high it was clear how dangerous Mount Snowdon can be as a rescue helicopter carried an injured party off the mountain. At this point, mountain guides advised that conditions were too dangerous to continue and their suspicions were confirmed as Mountain Rescue services closed the Mountain to walkers.
Not fazed by this experience, the group are eagerly planning to return to Mount Snowdon in the summer in order to complete the climb in better weather conditions and fulfil their ambition to reach the top.
Entec International and all those who took part in the Snowdon Walk would like to thank our sponsors for their generosity, In particular Rod Williams and the staff at Diageo for their kind donation of £ 500.

Advanced rock climbing skills - attempt!

Last weekend clients Helen (Mountain Mentor Scheme) and Simon came to do some advanced rock climbing skills. On their last trip in October we cancelled the day due to snow and extreme weather.
They were back to pick up where we started last year, but the weather had different ideas. We had a violent cold front with heavy downpours and 70mph winds forecast so went for the shelter of Tremadog. We climbed Boo Boo (V Diff) and did some self rescue skills during the climb in the shelter of the trees, then completed the climb but nearly got blown off the top!
We then moved to Oberon (Severe) and stayed on the first pitch to do some more advanced rescue skills and also had a play on Y Broga (HVS 5a), which both managed well. We then did a retreat from the first belay and finished the day.
We cancelled the second day due to the sever weather forecast and the following day we had snow above 900m in the mountains!! What month is it?


At the end of the first day I went into Peris Base (Llanberis Mountain Rescue team) as the pager had been going off all day, and ended up on the Llanberis Path to help with the evacuation of a casualty who had suffered a knee injury after being blown over high on Snowdon. In total there were 5 incidents on Snowdon, which all came from the sever winds, with people being blown over.

Bryn

MIA preparation

I was joined on Friday by Chris, who I had previously met a few years ago in Scotland.
Chris is an experienced instructor and looking to work towards the MIA (Mountaineering Instructor Scheme) as part of my Mountain Mentor Scheme.
The weather was less than ideal but gave a great example of how we make decisions during bad weather when looking after clients on multi pitch rock climbs.
We went to Tryfan Bach in Ogwen and climbed here looking carefully at the different tactics of teaching the essential safety skills of rock climbing, and some self rescue techniques too.
A good day out with many skills getting covered. I look forward to seeing Chris in the summer.

Bryn

click here for more details on my Mountain Mentor Scheme

SPA Assessment

On Wednesday and Thursday I ran a Single Pitch Award assessment course for Lucy, Jodie and Vaughn. The first day was spent at the Upper Tier of Tremadog. We went through lead climbing and abseiling skills and also setup a few bottom ropes too. The rain came in at the end of the day and we ended up in Eric's Cafe to do the question paper.
The second day we went to Lion Rock and covered group climbing and abseiling sessions and late afternoon went to the Beacon climbing wall where we finished the course.
I'm glad to report that all 3 passed well, and was a great course to work.

Bryn

click here for more info on my SPA courses

Clash of the Titans film

Yesterday I took out Warner Bros location scout to the Glyderau mountain range to look for locations for an upcoming film. We walked up from Pen y Pass and across Glyder Fawr ad Glyder Fach and photographed a huge amount of areas and looked into logistics for the upcoming film.
The production company are using various locations across North Wales as it has proven a great area for it. Films like James Bond, Last Knight, Willow, Harry Potter and Tomb Raider have all been here before to make the most of the rugged landscape.

Bryn

Bouldering on the agenda

I have had a few days of bouldering indoor and outdoors over the last few days. The weather has been kind enough to allow a bit of dryness so escapism to the Llanberis Pass has been a welcome sight from the admin backlog!

On Sunday I went to Tremadog to oversee Rory teaching Tany and Charlie multi pitch climbing skills. Rory is prepairing for his upcoming MIA assessment so is spending time teaching skills to friends to help get prepared for the 5 day assessment. The weather was a bit damp, but after a few hourse started to dry off and allowed them to finish off in the sunshine. They climbed Boo Boo (V Diff), and Oberon (Sev 4a).

Bryn

Here, there and everywhere!

This last week has been hectic but with no courses running. I have a very busy period coming up with a mix of holiday and work away thrown in, so I have been trying hard to get out climbing, but the weather has stopped play a few times, so I have resorted to indoor climbing and cycling to build some fitness up.
Last Sunday we had a busy day with the rescue team with 3 incidents happening during the afternoon. 1 medical issue, a sever cut to the hand high on Snowdon and a fallen climber in the slate quarries. The climber was with a friend of mine and sustained a broken ankle, broken heal and 2 broken vertebra. I wish him a speedy recovery.
Incase you were wondering about my ski trip, unfortunately my friends son was rushed to hospital and was in there for a week so we cancelled the trip - I am glad to say that he is now home and recovering.
I'm off out this afternoon for a quick climb as the sun has come out - hurrah!

Bryn

A sad day in the hills

On Tuesday the pager went off which was a welcome to leave the admin work and head out to the hills. A walker had broken their leg on the Llanberis Path on Snowdon. As I arrived in base in Nant Peris the RAF Seaking was already at the scene and managed to deal with the incident without needing any of our guys to help. A great job done by Rescue 122, cheers boys!

Determined to get in the hills I went bouldering in the Llanberis Pass for an hour, which was great and then headed home for some dinner. Dinner was interrupted by the pager going off once again. A fallen climber in the Llanberis Pass.

I scrambled to base and we managed to get a huge response to the pager message and we had between 20-30 personal turn up to help. The casualty had fallen while coming down from the top of one of the crags and was known to us as he was from the Ogwen Rescue team. Despite all efforts from those around we were unable to save him as his injuries were too severe.

Further details can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/8025439.stm

Hill skills weekend

This weekend I was joined by new clients Jeremy and Tat.
Both are experienced long distance country walkers who were now looking to improve their knowledge and skills to venture into higher mountains.
The first day we covered equipment choice and weather forecasts then headed off to Cnicht in the Moelwyns to practice some navigation skills. The weather was a bit threatening with cold fronts producing heavy sharp showers and hail, followed by sunny spells. The day went really well and the guys picked up many news skills in navigation and safety awareness. On the way down we saw more cloud building and thunderstorms kicking-off in the distance, so I was pleased with the choice of route as one of my biggest fears in the mountains in thunder and lightening.

The second day Tat needed to head home so myself and Jeremy headed off to the Careddau. The weather was cooler on this day. Jeremy led the way up Pen yr Ole Wen, and across to Carnedd Dafydd and we enjoyed fine views across Snowdonia. We worked on contour interpretation and bearings today as well as emergency procedures.

We had a short shower at one point, and cool temperatures too and managed to see the Carneddau wild Pony's too.
A great weekend in the mountains had by all.

Bryn

Slate climbing evenings

Last week Tanya, myself and a few friends got together for a few routes on a couple of separate evenings on slate.
It has been great to get back on the slate as I love it! And already I can feel enthusiastic for some new routes and some classics this year.
One thing I have noticed is that the many small flakes of slate are still coming off in places and care is needed. Check the condition of all the bolts you clip and look for fracture lines around the bolt area. If in doubt, then don't use. I removed a bolt when I discovered that it had become loose (the stem not the hanger) last week and plan to put a new one it on more solid rock soon.
You can report such findings on the slate wiki website:
http://slate.wetpaint.com/

The new bolts are very strong indeed, but only as strong as the rock its in.
Happy climbing!

Bryn

Slate climbing

Yesterday afternoon I joined up with friends Rob, Colin and Sue and headed up to the slate quarries for a spot of climbing. The weather was a bit overcast and quite cool compared to the last few days.
We met at Dali's Hole and did a couple of routes then went to look at a new project which we are hoping to start work on soon. The new line is quite long and needs a fair bit of planning in how we bolt it.

Bryn

Single Pitch Award - places available

I have a couple of courses upcoming with places on them:

TRAINING
17-18 June


ASSESSMENT
9-10 May (weekend)
13-14 May (mid week)

Courses cost £130 per person which includes the entry fee for climbing walls too.

Private courses are available on dates to suit for groups of 4 (training and assessment) for a discounted cost of £90 per person based on 4.

Please get in touch if you are interested.

Bryn

Peak District Climbing

I had been waiting for a break in the good weather to catch up on some much needed admin work last week and took Friday off in the end to get up to speed. I got a bit distracted and booked a apartment in Chamonix for next winter for 4 weeks, so already looking forward to that! Maybe I should keen the admin to a minimum from now on!

This weekend we went visiting family in London and enjoyed lazing around in the sunshine and eating cake and ice cream.

On the way back Tanya and I went via the Peak District for a spot of climbing. I try to make the most of trips when visiting people and the weather looked great too.
We arrived in Hathersage by 1pm and had some lunch then strolled up to Stanage Edge. We parked near the Plantation car park and walked up to the crag. The weather was awesome, but a bit too warm to be honest – but no complaints!

We did 2 routes, Sandy crack (Sev with 1 star), and Paradise Crack (VS 4c with 3 stars). It was great to get in on the grit and we had a great time.

I’m back in North Wales now with a few days off but some gardening stuff to do, but climbing is on the cards for sure. I am also going to do a bit of running as I am off to the Alps next week for some ski mountaineering – can’t wait!

Bryn

nb. no pics from the Peak so thought a nice ski one would be cool!

Single Pitch Award Training

Last week I ran a Single Pitch Award Training course. I had 3 candidates on the course, 1 was a returning client from previous courses and the other 2 I had not worked with before – Andy had travelled from the UAE to get some qualifications in rock climbing!

The first day we were at Lion Rock near Fachwen covering use of bottom rope setups and group management with some problem solving too.
The second day we went to Pont y Cromlech in the Llanberis Pass to do some personal climbing skills and group abseiling. We finished the course at the Beacon Climbing Centre.

Good luck to all 3 who are looking to do their assessments this summer.

Bryn

Bank Holiday Weekend

Last Bank holiday saw the start of summer arrive to North Wales. Usually I like to take a few days off on Bank Holidays as the mountains are crawling with people and working becomes difficult.

On Sunday Tanya and I had a day at the seaside doing some cliff jumps and enjoying being in the water. This is great fun and after what has seamed like a long winter it was great to have a swim around and laze in the sunshine.

On the Monday we went to Craig y Gesail to climb Bramble Buttress, which is a superb V Diff 3 pitch route. This crag is very quite and we were the only ones there.

On the way back the rescue pager went off so I went to Nant Peris base and that evening we had 5 separate 999 call outs! There were 3 broken ankles, 1 broken leg and a suspected heart attack. The use of the Seaking Helicopter allowed us to manage all incidents quickly and get the casualties to hospital and me back home for a beer by 9.30pm.

Bryn

Mountain Mentor - Rock Climbing skills

On Saturday I spent the day with new client Richard, who has joined me for the Mountain Mentor Scheme I offer. The aim is to work through his personal rock climbing skills so he can then become a rock climbing instructor (Single Pitch Award).
We spent the day at Lion Rock looking at various pieces of equipment and setups, before moving onto some basic lead climbing skills.
During the afternoon he had done 3 lead climbs and we also spent some time looking at safe abseiling skills too.
I hope to see Richard again in the summer after some time for consolidation from the days skills.

Bryn

Family rock climbing

I was joined by the Holmes family this week for a day and a half's scrambling and rock climbing.
The weather stopped play on the high mountains on Wednesday, so we changed plans and had a day of rock climbing at Lion Rock. Everyone did 9 climbs and picked up some good skills on the way.

The second day the winds were even stronger so we opted for an indoor climbing session. We climbed lots and also spent time developing more belaying skills and bouldering challenges too.

A great couple of days done with lots of climbing done.
Bryn

Single Pitch Award Training - Peak District

Last Monday and Tuesday I ran a Single Pitch Award Training course in the Peak District. The group had travelled up from London and mainly work in the large climbing walls down there and were now keen to gain the rock climbing supervision qualification.

The first day we went to Burbage North and covered all aspects related to group use on outdoor crags - bottom roping and abseiling mainly. The weather was windy and cool, but dry.

The second day we went to Birchen's Edge to do some climbing skills. Great crag and everyone led a climb and did some more skills and abseiling before we went to off to the Foundry Climbing wall in Sheffield to cover group supervision and climbing coaching skills.


A great 2 days with a highly enthusiastic bunch - hope to see them soon.
Bryn

Mentor Scheme - Mountain Leader

Last Sunday I worked with chris who is a new client of mine on the Mountain Mentor Scheme. Chris is keen to gain the mountain Leader award so we spent a day in the hills looking at navigation skills and also sorting out a plan of action for the upcoming year.

We walked around the Moelwys and worked on micro navigation and had a nice breezy day out. The mountains were very busy with lots of cars parked with keen walkers heading off to Snowdon. I would encourage anyone who is keen to walk up Snowdon to park in one of the main big car parks in Llanberis and use the bus service to Pen y Pass to start their walk. This will help the congestion problem that happens on these good weather weekends and reduce the chance of the Local Authority putting heavy restrictions on parking in the National Park (rant over!!).

All the best for Chris on the Mountain Leader scheme.

Bryn

Winter Mountain Leader Assessment

My final week in of winter work for the 2009 season was in the Cairngorms as an assessor for the Winter Mountain Leader. I was working alongside Phill George and we were based in Glenmore for the course and greeted by 8 slightly anxious candidates for the course.

The Winter Mountain Leader is renowned for being a challenging award due to the nature of Scottish winters. We had great week with mostly blue skies and light winds, which is very rare indeed! We spent the first day on group teaching skills, second day on hazards of steep ground then the rest of the course on the winter expedition using snow shelters.

A great week was had with a high pass rate on the course. Conditions were favourable, but this was still a hard week for all involved and well done to all for seeing the week through.

Well done folks! See you in the hills next winter.

Bryn

Single Pitch Award Training UPCOMING

Hi folks,
I have a Single Pitch Award (SPA) Training course with 2 spaces on 15-16th April.

This award enables holders to supervise people on single pitch crags and climbing walls in the UK. To gain this award you need more than just personal climbing skills. Safe group management, indoors and out, crag etiquette, environmental responsibilities and more. You will learn how to become an effective supervisor, encouraging others to enjoy their climbing safely, whilst also improving some of your own climbing skills.

Course cost £130 per person
Based near Llanberis

Get in touch for details.

info@dragonmountainskills.com

Bryn
0787 6634 607

Single Pitch Award Training

Well after 10 days in Scotland I headed back to North Wales and ran a SPA training course for a group of friends.
We had good weather for both days, a bit cold at times but dry.
The first day we were at Lion Rock near Fachwen covering use of bottom rope setups and group managment with some problem solving too.
The second day we went to Pont y Cromlech in the Llanberis Pass to do some personal climbing skills and group abseiling. We finished the course at the Beacon Climbing Centre.
A great 2 day course with lots of skills covered with a great bunch of emthusiastic climbers. I'm sure I'll be seeing them again soon.

The SPA (single pitch award) is a rock climbing qualification that allows instruction and supervision of rock climbing activities with groups in the UK. If you are interested in becoming a rock climbing instructor get in touch for details.

Bryn

Winter Mountain Leader Training

Last week I joined Phill George to run a Winter Mountain Leader Training course in the Cairngorm's.
The 6 day course went really well with a mix of mostly fine weather and still enough snow to cover all skills needed for the course. The snow-hole expedition was particularly good, with very still conditions, so I decided to sleep outside rather than inside a damp hole!


The group of 11 were great fun too who were all very keen to learn and have a fun time both on the hill and back at the lodge.
Best of luck to them and I hope to see them next winter on the assessment.

Bryn

Winter Skill Liverpool JM Uni

I had 2 days work in the Cairngorm's with Liverpool John Moores University as part of the Outdoor Education course. I enjoy working with these students as they are great fun and keen to learn too.
The first day we went to the twin Ribs area in Corie Snechta and did some basic winter climbing skills in good weather but quite sting winds, which made the day more like a typical Scottish winter climbing day.
The second day we walked about 50 meters from the car park and used a pack of hard packed snow to construct 2 igloos as part of a friendly competition (my team won though!).
We then got into shovel racing and finished the course a great couple of days, and I look forward to working with them again soon.




Bryn

Scrambling rope skills

Last weekend I spent 2 days with new clients Lucy and John, who are both super keen hill walkers who are now venturing into graded scrambles. The aim of the weekend was to teach them some rope work skills which would help them to start undertaking harder scrambles and know how to retreat too if things got too tricky.
The first day we went to Tryfan Bach and spend the morning going through all the different equipment used and techniques and then put them to use on one of the routes there. We had chosen this venue as we had strong winds and low temperatures, so a sheltered spot was needed.


The second day we did a spot of shopping in V12 and then went over to Lion Rock, which had much better weather conditions than the mountains did and went through the skills from the pervious days and looked more into the abseiling skills and retreat.
A great couple of days with 2 very keen mountaineers!

Bryn

Rescue Training

I have been home for over a week now and been experiencing quite dull weather and mild too so no snow on the hills. Last night I went over to RAF Valley to do some training with 22 Squadron on the Seaking Helicopters. No flying was done due to stormy weather but we spent the time familiarizing ourselves with the crew and procedures.
I woke this morning to lots of snow fallen on the mountains and a reasonable weather day - unfortunately I cannot make it to the hills today, so fingers crossed for the cold weather to hang in there.

Bryn

Winter Skills - Scotland

I am back in North Wales now for a few weeks, a bit earlier than planned but will be heading back to Scotland at some point in March.

Last weekend I ran an open winter skills course from Fort William. Attending the course were Peter (regular client), Gillian (returning client), David and Chris. The snow has been thawing quite rapidly, but will still had plenty for what we wanted to do.
The first day we went up to Buachaille Etive Beag and covered use of axe, crampons and avalanche awareness, then the most popular part of each course - how to glissade safely and effectively!


The second day we went back to Glen Coe and had quite a wet and windy day ahead. we made the walk into Corie nan Lochan, and then worked our way up the snow slopes to the East Ridge, and were met by strong, but manageable winds then continued to the summit. We descended the West Ridge in strong winds (55mph) which added an additional element to deal with. Once off the ridge, more glissading and then a pint in the pub after a great day out.

The last day we used the cable car to reach Anoach Mor ski area and walked around to the Nid. Here we talked about different types of snow shelters and made an igloo and had lunch in there. During the afternoon we looked at emergency ropework and snow belays, then finished the course with a couple of big slides in the snow.

A great course with a nice bunch of enthusiastic mountaineers.
Bryn

Winter skills - Scotland

The last four days have been spent with regular client Helen and her nephew Andrew. This was there first taste of winter skills, and we had a great few days out.
The first day we used the cable car on Anoach Mor and walked round to the Nid area to cover basic skills including ice axe arrest, cramponing and avalanche evaluation. We found some good ice smears to climb on to and had a fun day out.
The second day we headed into Glen Coe and walked up to Buachaille Etive Beag and did some emergency ropework training on the slopes of spot height 902m. We looked at a range of snow belays and techniques for safe travel on steep snow and did some great glissading on the way down.

The third day we had a good forecast and made the long walk into Ben Nevis’ North Face. This is a truly spectacular place indeed with a true Alpine feel to it. We did an acsent of No 4 Gully (grade 1) in good snow conditions and topped out to great views to the West and made an easy decsent down the Tourist Path. A great day out.

The last day we had Paul and Christine join us who had met Helen on one of my climbing courses and the 5 of us went up the sweaty approach to Stob Coire nan Lochan, and again had good snow and made our way up Broad Gully (grade 1), and to the summit. Our descent was down the West ridge then by glissade for as far as possible. A great end to a good course.

Winter Skills - Scotland

I have just finished my first winter skills course today in Scotland. I had the pleasure of spending the last 3 days with John, Ian, Harry, Jason and Sandy as they joined me for an introduction to winter walking in the Glen Coe area.
The first day we went up to Buachaille Etive Beag to cover ice axe arrest and avalanche awareness. The weather was quite cloudy and the snowline was down to the road with no wind (very strange!).
The second day we used the mechanical advantage of the Anoach Mor cable car, which took us to 650m. From here we walked round to the Nid area and built an igloo in great snow and also used crampons for most of the day and played on some ice smears. Weather was cloudy and again no wind!
The final day we went into Glen Coe with a plan of heading up the Lost valley to climb the corrie headwall, but I was unsure of the snow conditions (due to avalanche risk) so opted for an alternative route which stuck to ridges away from the risk of avalanche. We walked up in to Corrie nan Lochan, and followed the East ridge to the summit, and enjoyed great views for most of the ascent (we also saw that there had been some avalanche activity in the Lost Valley, so a good call confirmed). We enjoyed a brew on the summit and headed down the West ridge until it was possible to glissade as far down the valley as possible – a great day out and super end to the course.

Bryn

Snowdon Rescue

Yet another rescue on Snowdon for the Llanberis Team a few days ago. I was called out early evening to assist a fallen walker near the Llanberis track (details can be found on the BBC Wales News). Snowdon is currently under full winter conditions with hard pack snow and ice covering all paths and the railtrack, so full winter kit and knowledge is needed for safe travel. Full kit includes ice axe, crampons and stiff winter boots and know how to use them.
Be safe people, the mountains in winter can be the most amazing of places, but it is very different from summer time conditions.

I'm off to Scotland today for the next 10 days to start this years winter skills courses in Fort William. I will be back and forth to North Wales a fair bit to so can possibly arrange some Welsh WInter Skills if you can't make it to Scotland.

Bryn

Birthday Climbing

Well yesterday was my birthday so I headed out with friends Mike and Simon into Cwm Idwal. I am not ready for winter climbing yet as I still get some pain in my ribs and wrist so taking it easy was the theme.
We climbed Idwal Satircase which had a fair amount of water ice on it and was good fun, at probably grade II. Following that we continued up ad into Cwm Cneifion and climbed on of the frozen streams there whoch was great fun and around the same grade, before the weather came in and it was time for a Guiness!

A great day out in Snowdonia.
Bryn

Winter in Snowdonia

Well I've been home for a few weekns now and recovery from my broken ribs is going well. I have had to re shuffle a few things that I had planned for this winter which has been a bit inconvienient and meaning I am home in North Wales for a little wile longer.
The good news is that the winter has fully arrived and everyone is excited and getting out in the hills lots. I have been busy this week with 2 mountain rescue call outs on Snowdon, and also 2 days out in the snow. Its been great to get back into the mountain as it feels like an age since I was there.
Check out the video from Parsley Fern Gully, which is on Garnedd Ugain, just next to Snowdon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcILCOiCF5o

Single Pitch Award Training - April 6-7th

I have a SPA Training courses running in the Peak District from the 6-7th April.
The SPA is a Nationally recognised rock climbing qualification for people who are interested in supervising groups on single pitch crags and indoor walls. So if you would like to become a rock climbing instructor then this is the course to start on.
Candidates need to have registered with the MLTUK for the award and be a minimum of 18 years of age and 12 months rock climbing experience.
You need to also be a member of an affiliated mountaineering club or a mountaineering council (British Mountaineering Council)
Have led a minimum of 15 outdoor rock routes of any grade, using leader placed protection.
The course cost is £130 per person.
If you would like any further details then please get in touch.

Bryn

Hill Skills day

Yesterday I worked for Rob at Expedition Guide.
The course was a Hill Skills course and I spent the day out with Jason, Steve and Neil. The weather was great with clear skies ad we enjoyed great view from the Crimpiau area behind Capel Curig as we covered navigation skills all day.
It was great to be out in the Welsh hills again, which was the first time since the start of December and my ribs are healing well so I am looking forward to some more hill days soon.
In the meantime I'm still spending lots of time away from exersize to ensure a good recovery in time for my Scottish season which starts in a few weeks.

Bryn

Winter Skills new availability in Scotland

I am now home and have been recovering from my ski crash. I have also taken the next 3 weeks off work too to make sure I recover properly! As I write this the snow is falling outside in North Wales and reports of large snow fall in Scotland have been coming through and the season looks very promising for winter fun.

I now have a few additional dates for winter skills courses in Scotland during the next couple of months. I will be based in Fort William which offers good access to the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe areas which are super for developing skills for winter walking and safe travel under snow and ice conditions.

I will be offering private courses during the following dates for any group size from beginner level. I include use of ice axes and crampons as part of the price, which is £200 per day for up to 4 people.
9-12th Feb
28 Feb - 5th March

In addition i have 1 space left on a open winter skills course which runs from 20-22nd Feb, and 2 spaces left on 6-8th March. Course cost £295 for the 3 day course which includes use of crampons, ice axes, helmets and ropes.

Courses can be run at any length but I do recommend a minimum of 2 days to get the most out of the course.
If you would like further info please contact me on info@dragonmountainskills.com

Bryn

Jumps, rails and ribs!

Well last week I moved to Argentiere with my good friend Rich (he's one of those snowboarders - no comment!), and we spent the week looking for off piste conditions and natural challenges and jumps. The ski conditions in the Chamonix valley have gone a bit downhill and getting quite icy, and in need for more snow, so several visits to the snow park were done. After a couple of days playing in Le Tour and Grand Montets I was getting quite use to air time and taking a few tumbles in the process.
But Thursday we headed out to Grand Montets and did a few good runs through the snow park and I decided it was time to try a rail slide, but the rail won the battled and I skied away winded and battered with a couple of suspected broken ribs, strained thumb and a few other bumps! No scores for style, but pain was a good 8/10!
I did one more run through the snow park, then decided that it was time to rest and have a beer.
I took the following day off and realised that no more skiing or climbing was going to happen so packed up and headed for home.
Time for rest now and to catch up on admin before I head to Scotland in a few weeks time for winter skills courses - hope to be hill ready but not climbing for a short while - bugger!

Bryn

Ski Mountaineering - Col du Belvedere

Darragh and I headed up the Brevent lift system and skied across to Flegere resort to try and make as much height as possible. We then made a large traverse across towards Lac Blanc, then put skins on our skies and started heading uphill to Col du Belvedere. It was at this point I started to regret having not taken a day off in quite a long time, and my legs felt heavy and I felt knackered!
Ski Mountaineering (touring) is probably my favourite of all mountain sports. We were away from the resorts and wandering into exciting places to ski areas that only a handful of folks end up going.
Once at the Col, we had 2 big abseils (100m total) to do to get down to a suitable place to put skis on again to start the ski descent.

The slopes we arrived on were a bit avalanche prone so we exercised great caution (skiing one at a time, and using as many islands of safety as possible) until we were on better snow then the fun began!
The glacier had knee deep powder and we were the only people on the route and laughed are way down the 1600m of decent we had until we arrived in Le Buet for a beer and ice cream. We enjoyed the beer too much and missed the train back to Chamonix, so skied down the fields to Vallorcine, where we took the cable car up and skied down to Le Tour and got the bus back.
A wicked day indeed.
Bryn

Off Piste New Year

New Year arrived with a bang to Chamonix.
The streets were crowded and the snow started to fall. Chamonix had needed another dump of snow as it was getting tracked out and icy, so with the new snowfall I to the oppertunity to have a slightly early night after celebrating in the New Year, to make the most of the new snow on New Years Day.


I woke up to blue skies and over 30cm of fresh powder - Yee haa! I headed to Grand Montets with Darragh (who may not have had any sleep!!) and met up with a few more friends for some great skiing. The resort was pretty quiet in the morning so we got some great runs in with very little waiting in the lift queues.
The next few days I skied with Pauls, Stephan and Rainer and we made the most of the conditions and stayed off piste for the rest of the week at Grand Montets and Le Tour. The weather was great and the skiing was super.
Bryn

Ice climbing in Italy

After Christmas in Avoriaz I headed back to Chamonix and did a couple of days skiing on the Brevent area. The weather once again has been really sunny and very cold with a temp of -25c at the top of the lifts on one day. Chamonix needs some more fresh snow now as the off piste is getting very ice and hard.

On Tuesday Darragh and I decided that the skiing could be put on hold and went on a search for some ice climbing. We ended up heading over to Cogne in Italy as this area had the best reports for ice conditions. During the drive over we saw evidence of some major avalanches, which had destroyed areas of woodland and cut roads off during the last week.

We ended up doing 2 routes at Cascade de Lillaz. This was a great venue with a short and flat walk-in with bolted belays too. We climbed one short line which was graded at WI2, and the second was a much longer line in the main column at grade WI4.


This was my first ice route in nearly a year and the first route of the season always gets me slightly anxious. I felt nervous climbing, especially when the ice was a bit poor and brittle, but after finishing the climb had a great feeling of satisfaction and was keen for more once again.

Bryn

Christmas in the Alps

I wet over to Avoriaz, which is a small resort above Morrzine in France to spend a few days over Christmas with some friends from back home. We skied each day under blue skies and with good snow, and Christmas day was spent doing several runs and some jumps too before having Christmas dinner in one of the mountain huts.

A great way to spend Christmas.


Bryn

Vallee Blanche

This morning Neil, Gary and I headed up the Aiguille du Midi cable car which goes to 3880m, and skied the world famous Vallee Blanche back to Chamonix. This off piste ski run covers 20km of mostly glaciated terrain and goes through some of the finest views the Alps has to offer. The skiiing is not too hard, but care is needed as there is lots of crevasses to cross and avoid.


We had a cloudless sky and only another 3 skiers were seen! I have done the route a few times before and still get excited about it - I'll be back to do it again soon I'm sure.


The last few days I have been skiing lots. I finished my off piste ski course and now feel more like a skier as suppose to a rigid robot with planks on me feet! Part of yesterday was also spent as photographer for 2 friends who are off to Alaska in May who wanted some dramatic pics for publicity.


Fingers crossed for a sunny, snowy Christmas!

Bryn

More ski action in Chamonix

Well I have done 1 week in Chamonix now and since Tuesday I have been attending a off piste ski course run by BASS Chamonix. The course is for mountaineers for are keen to improve their skiing in a variety of off piste conditions. I have had a day off from the course today and have been skiing deep powder all day at the Grand Montets in very soft and fluffy, thigh deep snow – a super day!

Back on the course tomorrow and Saturday and looks like skiing is on the cards for a while as there is too much snow for climbing.

Bryn

Powder days

Well lots of snow here in Chamonix now, so much that trying to track down snow chains to fit my car has become a big problem - they do every size except the size I need!
The last couple of days I have been on the Grand Montets with various friends (Cat, Neil, Alun and Ian) and been enjoying the powder and being on planks again. It's like a home from home being in Chamonix - bumpong into friends and people from back in North Wales so the vibe is really great.
Yesterday was super with good weather and great snow. We did have an injury in the team though - a twisted knee, so I hope that Tamsin gets that sorted and is not out of action for too long - a great effort in skiing down though!
I am moving into an apartment this weekend so hope to get that sorted and then get playing again very soon.
Bryn

Holidays

Last weekend I turned the house upside down in preparation for my latest adventure. I have now arrived in Chamonix in the French Alps and will be here until the end of January to spend my time climbing and skiing.
Snow conditions are great in Chamonix at the moment and I have some nice fat skis to try out and new boots too this afternoon
Keep up to date on the BLOG via the RSS feed button on this page.
I will still be on email every other day and planning the Winter Skills courses and the new 2009 courses, so keep in touch.
Bryn

Mountain Leader Training

The last 6 days has been spent working along side Phill George on a Mountain Leader Training course. This was the summer element - and with snow and ice down to 600m made me think twice about the course title!
We had a very enthusiastic group of 11 from varying backgrounds and it was great to work with motivated individuals.
The weather was very cold at times and sunny, until we went on the camping element then the wind picked up and rain came in (as usual!). We finished today and had great feedback from the group.
This is my last days work until I head to Scotland in Feb. In the meantime I will be out in the Alps doing a mix of skiing and climbing for my personal development (and fun!). I'll keep the BLOG going and also add info on availability for the winter courses.
Bryn

AMI Workshop

This weekend gone I spent 2 days at Plas y Brenin as part of a training workshop. The idea of the weekend was to train several members of the AMI (Association of Mountaineering Instructors) so that we could deliver consolidation workshops for members who are preparing for the MIA (Mountaineering Instructor Award) assessment.
We had input from MIA course directors from Plas y Brenin and also Glenmore Lodge who are the providers of the MIA Award.
The first day we headed to a single pitch crag to look at coaching climbing skills of the awards and self rescue elements of the syllabus. The second day we looked at the short roping elements that candidates sometimes struggle with.
Next year the AMI will be hosting these workshops for MIA trainee members to attend.
A good weekend, bit chilly but great weather.
Bryn

Mountain Leader Assessment

This week I have been working along side Phill George on a Mountain Leader Assessment course. The week went well with cold conditions and wet and windy conditions during the 3 day expedition. All candidates enjoyed the course and it was nice to spend 5 days with a motivated group of mountaineers.

Bryn

Windy conditions on Snowdon

Today I was with Stu and Stef who had joined me for a days mountain awareness and navigation training. They had done some wlaking and now wanted to expand their skills so we set out on the PYG track on Snowdon doing navigation along the way. We reached Bwlch Moch and decided that the wind and icy conditons higher on the mountain would be too much for this day so carried on to join the Miners Path which we followed back to Pen y Pass.
We did lots of navigation and training on weather and equipment use along the way and had a pleasant day in very windy and wintery conditions.
Good luck to them both with their future in the mountains and I hope to see them next spring for a refresher course.
Bryn

Kendal Film Festival

Well I had a meeting in Manchester with the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI), and following a succesful meeting went over to Kendal for the legendary Mountain Film Festival.
On the Friday I went canoeing for the first time in 9 years! and yes I did swim very quickly! Dan, Kat, H and myself did a 8k section of grade 2 in cold but pleasant conditions. We then spent the evening bumping into clients, friends and associates within the climbing world in Kendal and helped the financial crisis by buying more beer than usual!
I watched 2 films, 'Onsight' by Alistair Lee - a very good film indeed, and also Catherine Destervilles new film, which was the most amazing climbing film I have ever seen - and the 900 other people agreed - keep an eye out for it!
A great weekend.
Bryn


nb. yes Steve did finish all the Guiness!

Peak District Climbing

Last week I went over to the Peak District with Kat for a couple of days climbing. The weather was a bit damp on the first day so no climbing got done but we managed to catch up with some good friends in Sheffield.
The following day we got a great afternoon on Stanage. We climbed 4 routes on the popular end in sunshine and cool conditions. The routes we did were Narrow Buttress (vs 4c), Hollybush Crack (v diff), an attempt on Queersvile (hvs 5a) but was very damp, Leaning Buttress Direct (hvs 5b) and a top rope session on Wall of Sound (e6 6b) to finish off.

Bryn

Advanced Scrambling

Last week I spent a day with regular clients Paul and Alistair. The aim of the day was to learn some advanced techniques for safe and efficient travel on harder mountain scrambles.
Most hill walkers end up progressing onto grade 1 scrambles then find it hard to go any further from there. The best way to get onto harder scrambles is to take up rock climbing, then after a bit of time doing this, learning the techniques for harder scrambling is far easier and much safer too. This is exactly what Paul and Alistair have done so the day went really well.
We went to Cwm Idwal and made our way up good rocky ground to the right of Idwal Slabs and then over to Cneifion Arete (grade 3 scramble or grade Mod/Diff rock climb). We had lunch here then battled up the ridge in very windy weather to finish on the Gribin ridge, before descending down to the car as darkness was slowly coming.
A great day out in really fun conditions.
Bryn

2009- New Course. 4 weeks climbing performance

Next summer I will be offering a unique opportunity for 4 people to do our longest progressional course ever. 4 weeks of rock climbing! The schedule is to run the course on Mon-Fri so you get the weekends to relax before setting out again the following week. The course is aimed at absolute beginners, new climbers and climbers interested in gaing further skills and experience. The course would also appeal towards people wanting to gain the Single Pitch Award for rock climbing with groups.
The course will be run on a 1:4 ratio for the first week, then 1:2 for the following 3 weeks to make the most of every opportunity.
The course will cover all aspects of rock climbing (except solo climbing!):
- bouldering
- single pitch
- sport climbing
- trad climbing
- multi pitch climbing
- sea cliff climbing
- Self rescue
The course will be a flexible approach and can be tailored towards your goals.

The course cost is £1495. Cost includes:
- all technical equipment needed
- small ratios for maximum climbing and input
- single pitch award training / assessment qualification
- a free place on our sport climbing course in Spain during September

Course Dates:
3-28th August (Monday - Fridays)

For more information please get in touch.
Bryn

2009 New course - Cullin Ridge, Isle of Skye

Well I promised a few more exciting adventures for 2009, so here's the first.
I will be running 2 and 5 day scrambling courses on the amazing Isle of Skye (home to the famous Cullin Ridge) on the West Coast of Scotland during May 2009.
Weekend course: 30-31 May (classic scrambles of Skye)
5 day course: 1-5 June (Cullin Ridge and classic scrambles)
Weekend course: 6-7 June (classic scrambles of Skye)
Courses will be run on a 1:2 ratio for maximum scrmabling potential, and these dates are available as private bookings. Please get in touch for more details. More information will appear on the website over the winter.

Bryn

(photo curtsy of Rob Johnson - cheers mate!)

Winter Prep

Well this week I was going to head to Scotland for some early season winter climbing, but mild temperatures and stormy weather changed my mind. So I have been busy working on ideas from next year, and there are some very exciting developments, which I hope to have on the new website which I will launch at some point over the next couple of months.
In addition to office work (which usually consists of good coffee and music), I have been starting to train for the winter months - so yesterday I took a nice run on the beach while the afternoon light was fading over the Irish Sea. Not been the weather for climbing but maybe I'll get out next week once the office starts to effect my brain!

Bryn

Winter Skills update

Just a quick update, I now only have a few spaces left on 2 long weekend courses this winter (based in Fort William):
20-22nd Feb
6-8th Mar
Cost is £295 non residential and cost includes use of ice axes, crampons, shovels and I do have various sizes of winter boots too. If you are interested in attending a course get in touch.
If you would prefer to book a private course for 1 day or several days then I only have a few slots left during Feb and Mar. Private days are £200 per day for up to 4 people.
Look forward to seeing you there.
Bryn

Mountain Navigation

I spent Saturday with Adrian and son Tom for their second day of navigation training. the first day was a couple of months ago.
The weather was windy and wet so we made our way along the Heather Terrace on Tryfan, which was out of the wind, then crossed over to the old miners path and back down via Cwm Tryfan, in great navigation weather.
We may see them both in Scotland for some winter skills.
Bryn

Mountain Leader Training in Lake District

Last week I spent 2 days working in the Lake District on a Mountain Leader Training course. The first day we went to Red Screes to cover hazards of steep ground in cool but dry weather. The second day was spent locally to the youth hostel where we went through many different problems and mountain rescue procedures.
A fun 2 days with a very motivated good.

Bryn - sorry no pic!

Family rock climbing

Well a couple of weeks ago I took the Snell family for a 1/2 day rock climbing adventure. They got in touch with some pics and some feedback:
'I had taken the kids to the local indoor wall but this was so much better - outside in the fresh air - sun on our backs (even in November with snow on the mountains in the distance). Beautiful scenery. Real hard rock. Real danger. Hearts pumping. Working as a team. Great fun. Very impressed with Bryn - calm, good fun, good looking... managed to persuade my wife Jackie who is scared of heights - to climb. Great family experience - thank you.'

Crib Coch

After finishing work with Jim I sat in Petes Eats for a brew and saw the afternoon sun starting to set over Snowdon so decided to rush up to Crib Coch to get some sunset pics. The great thing about this time of day on the hill is that you get the place to yourself. I drove to Pen y Pass and quickly found my way up to the summit as the sun was setting and sat and took pictures in the most amazing place you can imagine, and had it all to myself. An hour later I was back in Petes Eats!
Check out the short video clip:

Mountain Leader Refresher

This weekend I worked with Jim, a new client to us. Jim is preparing for his upcoming assessment next April and so we spent the weekend covering rope-work skills in very cold conditions in Ogwen on Saturday, and then went on a night navigation exercise in the evening in the Llanberis Pass. On Sunday we did some further navigation skills on the slopes of Moel Siaobod in clear and cold conditions. There is still some snow on the mountains but looking at the forecast I think it will start to thaw quite quickly - take care on popular trails like the Zig Zags on Snowdon.
Bets of luck to Jim for next April.
Bryn

SPA refresher

On Friday I worked with Andrew who has done courses with us in the past. He is now keen to work towards the climbing qualification - Single Pitch Award, via my Mountain Mentor Scheme (see website for more details).
We had a calmer day and slightly warmer than the last few and went to Lion Rock to work on gear placements and leading skills. During the afternoon the rain started so we bailed early to V12 Outdoor for some shopping! Looking forward to seeing Andrew next year.
Bryn

Wild weather week!

Well this week I met up with returning clients Helen and Simon. The plan was to do some advanced rock climbing skills, but the weather gods had different ideas. The temperature plummeted to 2 degrees and snowed heavy with high winds. The plan to re-schedule was a good one! They both still managed to get out for some great walks in the area though and had some exciting times by all accounts! Helen will be joining me for some winter skills in Scotland in Feb where we will be hoping for the same weather!
Bryn

Snow arrives to Snowdonia

I had to cancel an advance rock climbing course yesterday as it snowed quite heavy!
Cold temperatures are still with us today with the snow-line down to 300m
I am hoping for some skiing or winter climbing if it allows.
Bryn

SPA Training

This weekend I worked with Helen, Paul and Christine. I had taught all 3 rock climbing in the past and also worked with them on their Mountain Leader courses. They had joined me to do the SIngle Pitch Award training course.
Saturday had particularly wild weather, so we went to Lion Rock and after being blown around on the top of the crag decided the indoor wall would make a far better choice (the hot chocolate was the deciding factor).
On the Sunday we went to Clogwyn Cyrrau near Betws y Coed. The weather was much better and we were able to put skills we had covered in the climbing wall into real use. In the afternoon we went to Wilies Crag in Ogwen but then the rain and wind came in hard and we ran off to the pub for a de-brief!
A great 2 days.
Bryn

Rescue callout

Thursday was particularly bad weather - I had cancelled the days work as the forecast had torrential rain and 90mph winds.
I went to the cafe to do some admin and drink nice coffee, but decided to pack my rescue bag and leave it in the car.
At lunchtime the pager went off and we were called to help a group stuck on Snowdon.
6 of us battled through incredible weather up the upper part of the Minors Path to reach the group (being blown over most of the way). We then abandoned all their rucksacks and some of ours as it was to hard to manage in the hurricane strength winds. An hour later we had the group down to safety, but with everyone soaked to the skin!

Tremadog sunshine

Well Friday saw awesome weather so some climbing needed to be done.
Mark and I headed to Stromboli Buttress in Tremadog. We walked to the top of the crag and abseiled in (the bottom pitches are far too overgrown for my liking!). Mark led the great Stromboli (HVS 5a), which goes through some very steep ground on great holds.
Several years ago I seconded Plastic Nerve (E2 5c), a steep and strenuous route, and had found it hard, so had wanted to come back to lead it. We abseiled back down and I tied on and went very quiet and started the route. Sometimes leading a route you have done before can make you feel anxious and that was definitely the case. I pulled into the crux, a short overhang, and then stayed there for a few minutes and placed 2 good bits of gear, but by this point my strength was fading, so moved on very quickly and onto a good rest. The top was very steep with one more overhang to pull through. Shortly after I belly flopped onto the top in a very knackered state!
After some sandwiches we went down to Erics Cafe for a brew but only had 20p between us! So we decided to do another route. We climbed Merlin Direct (VS 5a), then went home for a beer.
Very happy after a great day out.
Bryn

Sport climbing

I met up with good friends Rob and Rich for a day of sport climbing. The weather was wet and very windy in the mountains so we headed to Castle Inn quarry and Penmaen Head near Colwyn Bay. After a lot of cake and good coffee we climbed several route at both crags before rain stopped play and a visit to the pub was made.
Great day out.
Bryn

Liverpool John Moores - Rock climbing

Last week I spent 2 days working with Liverpool John Moores University on their renowned Outdoor Education course.
I worked with the second year group covering rock climbing skills. The group had varying abilities and experiences and the first day we went to Lion Rock near Llanberis and went back over basic skills then split into small teams for some lead climbing.
The second day we went to Tryfan Bach in Ogwen and did more consolidation in lead climbing and also abseiling skills.
A great couple of days with a real nice bunch of motivated and enthusiastic students.
Bryn

ML Refresher weekend

I have 2 spaces on a Mountain Leader refresher weekend on 1-2 November. The weekend targets the common problem areas folks have when preparing for the assessment.
For further details please get in touch.
Bryn

MIA preparation week

This week I have been out with Steve, Cat and Mark. All 3 are busy in preparation for their upcoming MIA assessments. We have been out doing navigation in the Moelwyns in really foul weather, stance management on the Milestone Buttress, scrambling skills on Tryfan and self rescue skills at Tremadog.
Good fun days out with a mix of weather. Good luck to them with the upcoming assessments.
Bryn

Climbing weekend in rain and sun

This weekend I climbed with friends Cat, Chris, Keelie, Ric, Ben, Em and Matt. We had a mass acsent of the Milestone on Saturday in less than perfect conditions but fun was had by all!
Sunday was a slate day in perfect sunshine (summer arrived for a day!). We started in Bus Stop quarry and climbed several routes and top roped some harder lines too. Ru and Mark also joined us for this day. Mark and I then went onto to climb near Never Never Land and did a very tricky and reachy f6c route up very steep slate.
A great weekend : )
Bryn

Windy at Gogarth

Al and I headed over to Gogarth, but the weather was not looking great for a day on the main cliff. We battled against the wind to arrive at the top of Wen Zawn and looked down towards a spectacular rough sea and decided that a more sheltered venue was required.
We decided to visit a small area that hardly gets any accents called Tsunami Zawn on the North Coast of Holy Island. Here we were able to scramble down in to the base of the crag and climb in a completely sheltered area. After a bit of investigating we climbed A Groove (VS 4c), which is one of the obvious lines there. The climb was incredibly loose, but with easy climbing and suspect gear!
The drizzle then started and the day was done (after ice cream on the way home!)
Bryn

Weekend availability!

For the first time in a long time I have a weekend available for bookings.
18-19th October.
Good time of year for either some navigation training, scrambling rope work skills or rock climbing skills.
If you are keen to get out ad do some skills then get in touch. Details of private course fees are available here:

Between the rain on the slate

Yesterday I went out with Dan to try and get a few route in slate done - the forecast was not the best and we headed to Seamstress slab.
We first climbed Seams the Same (E1 5b - probably hvs 5a really though), then put a top rope on Heading the Shot (E5 6b). A very hard route which took a couple of goes to work the moves. After this we moved the rope over to My Halo (E7 6b) and had a few goes on here before the drizzle came in and the coffee shop was calling.
I'm quite glad it rained as I may have been tempted to led something hard! A good training day though.
Bryn

SPA Assessment

Last weekend I ran a SPA assessment with Dave (1), Dave (2) and Oli.
We had 2 great days the first being more like a sailing award with the amount of wind and rain! We started at the climbing wall and in the afternoon went out to Craig yr Undeb near Fachwen to cover group supervision skills.
The second day we went to the Upper Tier of Tremadog and had a great days climbing in very warm and sunny weather!
All 3 passed the course, so well done to them and I hope to see them working hard on the crags soon.

If you are interested in gaining the SPA qualification then I have 1 space on a training course on 25-26th October. Get in touch for more details.
Bryn

SPA Assessment

Last weekend I worked with Phill George on a Single Pitch Award Assessment course.
There were 6 candidates who had good levels of experience in both personal climbing and group supervision and I was pleased that all 6 passed well. We visited the Upper Tier of Tremadog on the first day and then Clogwyn Currau near Betws y Coed on the second day.
Good luck to them all now with their new qualifications and I hope to see them out working soon.
Bryn

Can't stop climbing!

Well since my boost of enthusiasm with the good weather I have been out climbing every day. After 15 days of consecutive climbing (not including work!), the rain was back, and as I write this today snow has fallen on the summits! Time to start thinking about winter fun.

My last days and evenings out on rock have included:
Monday eve, Vivian Quarry with Mark where we climbed Mental Lentils HVS 5b, Monster Kitten E1 5c, Ladder Resist E3 6a and Psychotherapy E2 5c. Great evening and got dark on the last route.

Tuesday eve:
I joined Rory and Mark and we went to Craig Ddu in the Llanberis Pass. We climbed Yellow Groove (E2 5b) in 2 pitches - the first being my lead and feeling quite delicate in places. The top pitch was Mark's lead and involved a grove which was quite strenuous to say the least!

Friday eve:
Kat, Mark and I met under Suicide Wall in Idwal. Mark had wanted to lead Suicide Wall Route 1 (E2 5c) this route for a long time and tied on and went for it - he climbed in good style with a variety of interesting gear placements to say the least! I found the climbing fantastic and can't wait to go back to lead the route soon.

Sat eve:
I joined up with Kat and Mark as they were in Vivian Quarry just after Kat had led Comes the Dervish (E3 5c). She had wanted to lead this climb for a while now and cruised to the top with not trouble. They then dropped a rope down and I climbed up to join them. The climbing on this route is truly something else!

Sun eve:
I joined Kat and Mark once again for some evening slate. We went to Rainbow Slab and Mark led Pull my Daisy (E2 5c), a greta route which I have done in the past. Following this we climbed Holy, Holy, Holy (E2 5c) as the darkness fell. We then hada great dinner and some wine and at midnight climbed Fool's Gold (E1 5c) with head torches! A great evening.

4 Day Climbing course

Well Last week I spent 4 days with returning client Denis and also fellow rescue team member Gillian on a intro to rock climbing course. Over the 4 days we were blessed with great weather and got lots of great climbing done.
The first day we Went to Willies crag in Ogwen and placed protection and set up bottom ropes and did a few climbs.
The second day we went to Lion Rock and did some further skills on gear placement and rope anchors before heading off to the slate for a handful of routes in Dali's Hole. Well done to both for getting their first leads done on bolts!
On the third day we went to Ogwen and climbed the Ordinary Route (Diff) on Idwal Slabs. A great day out and a nice route and abseil - true adventure.
The last day was spent with both leading climbs at Tryfan Bach. The course went really well and we had a great time and I hope to see them out on the crags soon.
Bryn

Super Slate

On Monday eve I joined up with Rory ad we went to the Dervish Level of the slate. Ihad done the famous Comes the Dervish (E3 5c) when I was 18, but I was skint at the time and had no money for cams which protect the crux, so had fiddled in a nut key near the crux, then fell off - it did hold though!

The route was one I had wanted to go back and do in good style, and after a fair bit of climbing this week went for it.
We warmed up on Last Tango in Paris (E1 5b), which is a great route, then I tied on and went for the Dervish (equipped with cams this time!). I found the start hard but felt in control and enjoyed the moves which got better and better. The climbing was great for the whole route and I was very pleased when I arrived at the top having done it in good style : )

Rory then had his moment and led Flash Dance (E5 6a) which is a very bold lead with not much protection, and goof effort to him, he climbed it well!

Great evening crag which glowed in the sun.
Bryn

Weekend climbing

The good weather is still with us ad last weekend I went to Ogwen with friends Dave and Ollie.
There were 2 short climbs on Clogwyn y Tarw which I have wanted to do for some time now - Hertford's Crack HVS 5a, and Flake Crack VS 4c.
Both climbs were great with hard jamming on Hertford and a tricky move off a massive wobbly pinnacle on Flake.
The weather was great and we climbed at the end of the afternoon to get the best of the sunshine. A great spot and a great couple of routes.
On Sunday I went with friends Allun and Ollie to the Moelwyns (near Blaenau Ffestiniog)) and climbed on Craig y Wrysgan. We were a bit pushed fro time so only did one route - Space Beneath My Feet, a very stiff HVS 5a. Good leading skills by Oliie on this one!


More climbing happening, so stay tuned for more updates!
Bryn

Summer Climbing!

Well I though this post would never arrive!
I have had a bit of time off and the weather has been really good so some climbing has been done and much needed!
Wednesday:
Climbed with Cat, Ru and Mark on the slate. We climbed:
Looning the Tube, E1 5b, Gadafi Duck f6b+, Goose Creature E3 6a, G'day Arete f6c, Walk this Way f6c and The Burning E3 5c (backed off due to damp corner!)

Thursday:
Climbed with Cat and Mark. We went to Gogarth which is a serious big sea cliff which sends the jitters through me when thinking about it! I have not done many routes here as I am a fan of mountains, but we climbed the route Gogarth (E1 5b), which was awesome and changed my feelings towards the place! A great day out.
Friday:
Off to the Llanberis Pass, and Cat, Mark and I climbed WInd HVS 5b and Brant Direct HVS 5a.
A great few days with some very cool and inspirational people!
Bryn

Short roping skills

Last tuesday I spent the day with Cat and Ru in the Ogwen Valley.
Cat is MIA trained and was preparing for her upcoming assessment and had booked me to help cover some short roping skills.
We went to Cwm Idwal in quiet wet conditions and did lots of ropework and problem solving on tricky ground.
Good luck to Cat for the upcoming assessment.

Weekend intro scrambling and mountain skills

I had the pleasure of spending 2 days with a very nice and motivated bunch of folks who joined me from various part of the UK on a intro scrambling and mountain skills weekend.
The first day we talked about equipment for such activities then after a little re-packing we went round to Ogwen and scrambled up Y Gribyn and onto Glyder Fach (one of my favorite mountains in Snowdonia). We took a challenging line which offered good exposure and great scrambling in great conditions.
A few photos later on the Cantilever saw us making our descent down the Bristly Screes and the end of a great day.


The second day we took a shorter option and went for Moel Siabod and scrambled the East Ridge. Once again we were rewarded with great views and good scrambling and a fun time had by all.

A really good couple of days out and I now hope to see everyone again, maybe in Scotland for some winter action!
Bryn

Mountain Leader Assessment

Well 5 days spent along side Phill George doing a Mountain Leader assessment course.
The conditions were really good on the first day, then into quite testing conditions for the rest of the week.
Strong winds and heavy rain on the expedition added an extra element for the guys on the course.
Well done to them all for completing the assessment in such conditions.
Bryn

AMI Workshop

Well a little while has gone by since my last post. Thinks have been reasonably busy and the weather has been mostly wet!

I worked on a AMI (Association of Mountaineering Instructors) workshop last weekend. The idea of the workshop was to give further training to the trainee members who are looking to do their assessment to become full members.
We went to Tryfan Bach and spent the day in the rain covering rescue techniques. We have lots of scanarios going on from simple problems through to major problems!
The day ended with a short session at the climbing wall to do a few more skills and then a feedback session.
Good luck to them all with their upcoming assessments.

Bryn

Quick routes on slate

Yesterday Rob and I got together to plan our next Alpine climbing trip (in a couple of weeks), and also managed to get 2 good route done at Bus Stop quarry. This had been the only dry day in ages so it was good to get out. I had spent the morning attending a rescue call out on Snowdon which was sorted reasonably quickly.

We climbed Gnat Attack (e1 5b) and Fool's Gold (e1 5c). Great couple of route which I have done many times over the years.

Bryn

Rescue callout

Yesterday afternoon I attended a rescue call out on the Snowdon Ranger path where the casualty suffered a broken ankle. We deployed 2 teams onto the hill and were assisted by the RAF Search & Rescue helicopter who airlifted the casualty to Bangor hospital.

Bryn

Rescue Training

Last night we had a brief training session with the RAF Search & Rescue Seaking from Valley.
We did a safety refresher and then did a winching exercise in the Llanberis Pass.
The training was slightly disturbed by a 999 call, but this ended up requiring no action.
Bryn

18th birthday present

Mike had just turned 18 and his dad had booked me for a days guided rock climbing.
We started off in Tremadog and climbed Boo Boo, then did a multi pitch abseil down Oberon, then climbed up Oberon. By this time the weather started getting a bit damp, so we headed into Ogwen to climb on the Milestone Buttress. The weather was better than Tremadog (not very common that!) and we had some lunch then climbed the first pitch of Super Direct (vs 4c), which is a great pitch then followed the Direct route to the top. We then came down the descent gully and did Pulpit Route, followed by the Ivy Chimney. By this time Mike was getting a bit tiered (youth of today!) and we finished the day off there.
A great day with a lot of good climbing. Mike will be moving to Cardiff so should be able to get some good climbing done at Pembroke - al the best to him.
Bryn

Family rock climbing

On Tuesday I took the Davy family out rock climbing. We stated at Lion Rock and did several climbs and a few abseils too. Kat, Miles and Jules along with Dad did lots of climbing and started picking up the skills of belaying along the way. Every climb we did, everyone reached the top!
During the afternoon we mover to Pinetree Slab and did some more climbing on this slightly higher cliff ad also did a rope slide from the top, which was done again and again!
A great fun day was had by all.
Bryn

Dad and lad navigation

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of teaching navigation skills to father and son, Adrian and Tom (later to be named Tom Tom).
We did a nice walk in reasonable weather near Capel Curig and covered lots of navigation skills along the way. Both picked the skills up well and dad was very kind in letting Tom get more points correct in the process!

Bryn