Ice, ice baby!

Yesterday Al and I headed to Cwm Idwal and joined the queues for the ice routes. One thing I'm not a fan of is climbing ice routes behind other teams, and the plan of climbing the Screen (winter grade IV) needed to be changed - loads of folks out and lots of ice being knocked off.
We opted for the Ramp (winter grade III). We still had other teams ahead but it was a little safer if anything fell down - which it did a lot (rock and ice). The temperature was not great for climbing ice and the conditions were brittle and the ice hollow (it was a great blue sky day though!).
Al led the first pitch to the cave belay. I followed up and led on over the crux pitch which was very hollow sounding and with no satisfactory gear, so it felt a bit more serious! The rest of the route was fine, and we enjoyed the chance to climb on our door step.
I'm now looking forward to more winter climbing after our trip to the alps at New Year.

Bryn

Rescue callout

On the eve of the same day that the Mountain Safe warning went out we were called out to help someone with breathing difficulties on Snowdon. We headed up form the Ranger's Path at a good pace, and had requested the Seaking from RAF Valley to assist. The aircraft managed to get to the casualties before us and was able to winch on board - saved us the walk!

The following day we had a call from 2 people who had slipped while following the railway down from Snowdon summit - at the time I was in Cwm Idwal so was unable to attend. The aircraft was once again able to help.
Click here for footage of the rescue:
BBC News

It is worth noting that following the Railway down from Snowdon in winter is a major accident spot. The track is cut into the hill-side, but the gap get filled with snow and becomes the same angle as the slope, with major cliff below. Crampons, winter boots, ice axe and the skills to use them are needed for winter walking on Snowdon.

Bryn

Winter warnings

Last week I was involved with Mountain Safe. An initiative involving North Wales Police, Mountain Rescue, British Mountaineering Council, Plas y Brenin and Mountain Leader Training Wales.
We had a press conference to pass a message out to folks that they should come and play in the mountains, but be prepared. The BBC, ITV and local papers attended and we spent an hour or two at Pen y Pass car park doing various interviews etc. I don't own a TV so never got to see the final viewing!

BBC News
Bryn

Winter fun

Last weekend North Wales got a good hit of ice and snow.
On the Saturday Tanya and I took an afternoon stroll up to Cwm Idwal, it was wintery with people climbing thin ice conditions on Idwal Stream. We played around near Idwal Staircase and Tanya had her first intro to ice axes skills.
On the Sunday we went up to Cwm Cyrn Las, and played on Afon Cwm Glas which is to the left of Sergeants Gully. I was keen for a blast on Sergeants Gully, but the 21 people around put me off! This day was Tanya's intro to crampons and swinging axes - smiles all round.

Bryn

Frosty bike ride

On Sunday morning Tanya and myself headed up from home over to Llanberis and back. A great morning on the bikes but very frosty in places making for slippery conditions on some of the steeper tracks above Llanberis.
Great bike ride and made for a nice relaxing day.

Bryn

More sunny rock in December!

On Friday, Al, Cath and myself started the days as all great climbing adventures do, with a big breakfast - cafe of choice being Fitzpatric's in Bethesda.

Once fueled up we went over to Craig y Forwen, near Old Colwyn. This great crag has had access issues for donkeys years, and in recent times access to the left hand side has been tolerated (if you are visiting please keep a low profile and avoid the right hand end while BMC work with the negotiations with the land owner),
We led one route each and kept the grades to a nice level to move efficiently.
Kath led Arian, Al led Larks a Bumbly and I led Kiwi, All these routes are of great quality around the Hard Severe, Very Sever grade, all well recommended.

In the sun it was t shirt weather, with warm rock. on the tops and in the shade of the trees, belay jackets were worn.
A great day out.
Bryn

Found - big yellow thing in the sky!

At last a days cragging!
After what seems like an age since I've been out on the rock, I had a day off and the weather was great.
Al, Keith and myself drove down to Tremadog thinking that it would be one of the few places dry enough and ot of any wind to climb on a December's day.

We climbed Grotto a VS 5a route which wonders up to the left of Christmas Curry. A great little gem of a climb which we did in 2 pitches from the ground.

I had taken, hat, gloves, belay jacket, gilet, fleece and thermals and was far too warm!
An easy walk off and coffee and cake in Porthmadog marked a succeful day.

Bryn

BMC funday

On Saturday I was working at the BMC Funday at Plas y Brenin. I had a short session on ropework skills for Mountain Leaders in the afternoon. We went out to a good training ground close to PYB and played with the ropes until we were soaked through and nearly blown over enough to bail back to the bar!
That evening it was the BMC Cymru (Wales) AGM, with some interesting developments being talked about. Including access issues at the slate quarries and a proposal for a large area of the Carneddau to be fenced off to allow re-growth of the vegetation - this was very thought out and would not effect walkers so I'm hoping that it gets the support needed to make it happen.

Bryn

Winter arriving!

Last weekend it got really cold and snowed to a low level. tanya and myself went for a afternoon walk up the PYG track on Snowdon, and once the storm came in decided to retreat down the Miners Path and back to Pete's Eats for hot chocolate!
Some very keen climbers have been out pretending to do winter climbs, but I'm not convinced yet. As I write this the freezing level has gone about the summits and stripped all the snow. If we do get a good freeze, there will be some fantastic conditions.
Bryn

Brrrr, SPA Assessment in December!

Last week Chelie and Jake joined me for their Single Pitch Award assessment course. Also joining us was Jack who is working towards becoming a Provider of SPA courses.
Over the 2 days we went to Pont y Cromlech, Lion Rock and the Beacon Climbing wall. the weather was very cold and windy with occasional heavy downpour too. Chelie was feeling a bit poorly in the mornings, but what do you expect from someone who is pregnant!!
I am pleased to say that both had done really well and passed.
Well done guys.
Bryn

nb. this pic is of Jack learning how to look like an instructor

MLTW work busy, busy!

November was a really busy month for Mountain Leader Training Wales.
We had our board meeting in Mid-Wales, which tied well with a trip to mum's house and also to visit my niece on her birthday, and a circuit at Coed y Brenin on the way home (MBR Trail).

We ran a induction workshop for Providers for the new Climbing Wall Leading Award. This new award is for SPA and CWA holders keen to gain a further award to coach leading skills on indoor walls. I attended the workshop in Manchester. Later that week we had the MLT board meeting in the Lake District and managed to miss the floods and get some good progress with various projects. I had a day off after this and it rained once again, so more biking action at Beddgelert.

The following week I travelled with Elfyn from the BMC to Cardiff to arrange a reception at the Welsh Assembly for next March. We are keen to promote mountaineering in Wales. We did some checking of access to one of the sea cliff while there, but it was a bit stormy so no climbing for us! That evening we went along the South Wales BMC meeting, and then travelled home the following day.

The weekend after that was the AMI (Association of Mountaineering Instructors) AGM at Plas y Brenin. MLTW and MLTE joined forces to run a workshop for Providers of our awards. Mal and myself did a indoor session for the morning then were joined by John Roberts from the Snowdonia National Park, who gave an excellent session in upland archeology.

November rain

November saw its fair share of rain, to a point where even North Wales was struggling at times!
We have managed to get out biking in the shelter of the forests of Gwydyr and Coed y Brenin over the last month, which have involved getting completely soaked to the skin, blown over, river crossings and then hugging a hot chocolate afterwards.
The biking has been great fun and a good way to try and keep some sort of fitness in preparation for our upcoming ski trip to the Alps next month. One thing is for sure and that is the camper-van has been awesome for jumping into after a cold damp day out!


On the way to Capel Curig after one very wild storm, I was a bit shocked to see a caravan on the far side of the river near the Cromlech boulders. We had a 999 call the evening before about a caravan which had been blown over, but the fire service dealt with it (which meant I could stay in and enjoy the warmth of home and a bottle of red).

Single Pitch Award Assessment (SPA) 2 spaces left

Hi folks,
I have an assessment course coming up on the 1-2 December, based in North Wales. The course fee is £130 per person, which includes the MLT Stickers fee and climbing wall entry.
If you are interested then get in touch for more details.
info@dragonmountainskills.com
0787 6634 607

Bryn

More wet weather - great for biking!

The rain keeps on coming, so play in the mountains and on the crags is at a low.
We have been out mountain biking a lot recently and this is proving the best choice for such a wet autumn.
Last weekend we went to Penmachno and enjoyed Loop 1. Tanya, myself and Charlie had a great time, but were racing the clock towards the end as it was getting dark and we had tickets to see Eddie Izzard in Manchester that eve!

I had a MLTW meeting in Mid Wales on Weds, and drove onto visit family in Aberystwyth (including my new niece Cari). The following day I had an incredibly wet ride at Coed y Brenin, where I did the MBR trail (18km) - one to do again for sure.

MLTW Workshop

Last week Mountain Leader Training Wales joined with the English MLT put together a workshop for the Providers of Mountain Leader Awards. This was run at Plas Caerdeon near Barmouth. We had a morning of updating and discussion on new awards and current procedures, followed by an afternoon with John Roberts from Snowdonia National Park, where he works as their Archeologist. We went to visit several sites in an area called Egryn, where we learned of bronze and Iron age settlements and burial grounds. This proved to be highly interesting and gave the course participant more knowledge of the upland environment to pass onto their students on MLT courses

Bryn

Rescue Training

Last night I ran a evening training session for the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team, on night navigation.
15 keen members tuned up armed with compasses, maps and head torches and we headed out to the Llanberis Pass to run through the techniques and have a nice stroll under a full moon.
The rescue team is still very busy with more call-outs for walkers without torches getting caught out by the daily phenomenon that is darkness!


I took out a new Petzl head torch to try, which was pretty amazing, and very powerful, but won't be buying one at the cost of nearly £300! Donations welcome :o)

Bryn

Tryfan North Ridge

Yesterday I worked for a friend of mine Rob with two clients, Dave and Ian. They were on day 2 of a 5 day course on scrambling.
We had a forecast of heavy rain and strong winds so went for the North Ridge of Tryfan, with the idea of seeing what it was like, and if conditions were poor, we could escape the wind and head up the Heather Terrace.
We enjoyed a cool day with a stiff breeze and dry conditions (but greasy underfoot, making for slippery rocks) and good views from the summit.
A grand day out and a reasonable pace too considering we were in the cafe enjoying a latte for 3pm!

Bryn

ML Navigation assessment

Tim joined me on Saturday for a re-assessment on ML navigation.
We went up on the south side of the Llanberis Pass, starting from the Cromlech boulders and walked towards the PYG track. Tim led the way and had various features to navigate too which I had set him.
By the afternoon I was more than happy with his performance so granted him his pass for Mountain Leader - well done!

Bryn

Single Pitch Award Training

On Thursday and Friday I delivered a Single Pitch Award Training course for Liverpool John Moors University.
On the first day we had good weather and went to Lion Rock for the group rock climbing and abseiling session. In the eve we went to the Beacon Climbing Centre to cover delivery of an indoor session.

The second day we had an early start then went to Pont y Cromlech before the lay-by filled up. Here we covered personal climbing and also had a chance for some repetition from the previous day. The day ended with heavy showers, but all went away happy with a very successful 2 days.

Bryn

Biking in Penmachno

The damp autumn has made for some great biking weather, so on Monday I went out to Penmachno and did the Loop 2 run. This trail is graded a Red run and well over 25km. It was a great work-out and also travelled through amazing scenery with the autumn colors too.
Bryn

Dark evening rescues

Last week we had several call-out from walkers on Snowdon who had been be-nighted.
On Monday we assisted a female down who had a suspected broken ankle, and on Tuesday we sent a small team out to help a couple who had lost the PYG track while descending in the dark.
As a safety note it is really worth each person in a team having a head torch in their rucksack (all year round), and unforeseen events can put you in the dark quite easily.
Bryn

Mountain Rescue Training

Today we ran a practical exercise from Nant Peris.
The scenario was 2 fallen climbers on a multi pitch crag (Craig Ddu, in the Llanberis Pass), one with serious injuries and the other with minor injuries (but being loud and distracting - or annoying for a better description!).
We lowered 2 advanced medics down to the casualties, then rigged the ropes for a stretcher lower and managed a slick evacuation. The exercise went really well and involved close to 20 people.
The Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team has now had over 140 rescues for this year which is quite a lot for an organisation relying on donations to offer this essential service to the public.

Bryn

More biking action

On Friday I had a blast out on the bike from Llanberis up to the top of the quarries and down to Nant Peris. I am really enjoying the wet weather alternative now and find peddling up hill to be a great challenge with the downhill always to look forward too.
The quarry blast was great, but I was saddened to see the increased security measures which the quarry owners have put in place to stop climbers entering the quarry. I hope that the BMC negotiations carry on and that some progress can be made as it is one of my favorite rocks to climb and also enjoy exploring the history that the place has too.

The downhill was great to Nant Peris, and the speed got me thinking about skiing this winter coming :o)

Bryn

Long weekend of play - my legs hurt!

Well the plan for the long weekend didn't quite go to plan.
On Friday morning, Frank (our Chameleon) got very sick so needed to be rushed to the vets for an operation, followed by a check-up the following day, so we needed to stay home to keep an eye on him.

So Friday afternoon we went mountain biking in Beddgelert. I have a new bike to me and had decided to get back into mountain biking as it had been 19 years since I had been biking properly and wanted to work on my leg strength before the winter arrives.

Mountain biking reminds me of ski touring - heading up hill and just dreaming of the downhill!


Tanya, Rich and I all shared the crashes, but I won the award for best crash, as I left the pub and fell off the curb!

The following day (Saturday) we took Frank back to the vet and got the all clear, which was great news.

That afternoon we headed to meet up with friends Rich and Dani for some Stand-up Paddle Boarding in Colwyn Bay.

This is a very relaxing activity which I'm sure I'll get into, and if anything is great to get into the water now and again.



After that we managed a couple of very quick sport climbs at Penmaen-head in Old Colwyn before it got dark.
Sunday we headed over to Betws y Coed and after my crash session the other day invested in some body amour for mountain biking, and we started the famous Marin Trail. This was a long ride with 25km and over 400m of up, but worth all the effort for the downhill sections. We were running out of steam towards the end and finally finished the route in a reasonable time, but knackered!

Monday I biked from home around to Llanberis and up Telegraph Alley against a strong head wind, but was rewarded with great, muddy downhill on the Snowdon Ranger Bridle-way path to the road and cycled home.



Tuesday I was looking forward to the office for some rest and had a productive day working for the Mountain Leader Training Wales. That evening the pager went off, and spent a fair few hours on Snowdon searching for 3 lost walkers, in low cloudy and rain. We found them uninjured and walked them off and I got to bed at 2am.
Busy few days to say the least!

Bryn

Camper van!

Last week we found the camper van we were looking for. Problem was it was in London, so we had a very long day driving there and back to collect it.

Last weekend we took it on a test run to Mid Wales to visit family and are looking forward to having more adventures now. Pembroke planed for this weekend.

For those interested its a Mazda Bongo, and its called Bertie!

Scrambling rope skills

Last Friday I spent the day out with returning client, Chris.
Chris is on my Mountain Mentor Scheme and is working at gaining further skills as a mountaineer to work towards the MIA scheme.
We focused on scrambling ropework and visited Cwm Idwal in the Ogwen Valley. We went up steep ground to the right of the Idwal slabs and came down the very damp Idwal Staircase.
The day was spent looking at efficient ways of short pitching and also descending from steep ground. We had the area to ourselves and the rin came in at the end while we were drinking coffee at Ogwen car park.

Bryn

AMI Workshop

This weekend has been spent out with 5 AMI (Association of Mountaineering Instructors) Trainees.
All have completed the Mountain Instructor Award training and were getting prepared for their upcoming assessments.
Yesterday we had a wet and windy day near the North Ridge of Tryfan running though roped scrambling skills in ascent and descent.
Today was spent at Tremadog were the sun came out at times. We were looking at problem solving skills and self-rescue procedures and managed to climb Yogi (VS 4b), Cnychwr (HS 4a) and had many problems to deal with - such as people getting stuck, going off-route, or becoming injured on the crag. It was a busy day there today and lots of time was spent waiting for the abseil stations to become available.
All the best to them for the assessments in a few weeks.
Bryn

Peak District Single Pitch Award Assessment

Following the Training course the group that we had trained back in April had returned for their assessment.
We had good conditions for the 2 days and used Burbage North and Stanage once again for the ease of access. On the second day we went to the Edge climbing wall where we finished the course.
I am pleased to say well done to all, and everyone passed. It was a great course to run, and each had been well prepared.
Bryn

Peak District Single Pitch Award Training

After flying home from Ireland the following day I was up and driving to the Peak District for 2 SPA courses.
The training course was run for a friend jack who had a group for the course.
The first day we went to Burbage North and covered group skills and managed to cram lots of skills into the day. It was windy and cold but stayed dry. we left the crag as the sun was setting and went to the pub for dinner.
The second day we went to Stanage to do some personal climbing skills. We had very windy weather but again dry. The afternoon we drove to Sheffield and did group supervision skills at the Edge climbing wall.

A great course with highly motivated individuals.
Bryn organised

Tollymore Northern Ireland

I attended a long weekend meeting over in Norther Ireland in the Mourne Mountains. The first day was an Officers of the Mountain Leader Training UK, then the second dat was the main Mountain Leader Training AGM. The event was hosted by Tollymore Mountain Centre (Norther Irelands National Mountain Centre).

The 3rd day was a day off before we were flying home. Steve Long (Chief Officer MLT), Martin Skinner (Mountain Leader Training Wales Chair) and I enjoyed a days climbing at Lower Cove in the Annalong Valley. we did 3 quality routes on great granite. A steep crack climb at E1 5b, a run-out wall climb at E2 5b, and a misleading arete at E1 5b (once we found were it went!).

Bryn

Birthday wishes, climbing and films!

We had a busy weekend with 2 birthday parties to attend. The first was for a dear friend Sue, who was celebrating her 70th birthday a few weeks ago. She is a true inspiration as still seeks adventure and travel along with her husband Colin.
Here is Sue new routing in the Llanberis Slate Quarries just over a year ago:


The following morning we were en-route to London for another friends birthday and decided to stop off at Penmaen Head in Old Colwyn for a quick blast on the sports routes. We did several routes and had the place to ourselves. This is a great place for easy access and some very good routes:


We enjoyed an evening with friends in London and the following morning set off home via the Peak District for a spot of climbing. We went to Hathersage for late lunch then off to Stanage Popular and climbed Crack & Corner (3* HVD 4b), Manchester Butress (3* HS 4b) and Heather Wall (2* VS 4c). a great later afternoon in fading light. A true sign that autunm is on the way. On the way home we went via Buxton for the Best of Banff Films, which was great and inspiring, and eventually got home late that night.

Busy times

I have done a few weeks of my new part time post with the Mountain Leader Training Wales and the job is going really well. Its great to be involved in the process of reviewing and contributing towards the way the MLT works.
Its been a few weeks since I have had the chance to update the BLOG so apologies for that.

Bryn

Single Pitch Award Training UPCOMING

Hi folks,
I have a few spaces on a Single Pitch Award Training course on the 14-15th November.
The SPA is the nationally recognised award for supervision of climbing on single pitch crags and climbing walls in the UK.
For more information click here.

Click here for details on my course.

If you would like any further info then please get in touch.
Cheers,
Bryn

Navy Marines Rock climbing skills

The last 3 days I have spent with John, Adam and Matthew who are Navy Marines who had some time off following a busy summer.
They had come to develop some rock climbing skills and wanted to learn multi pitch skills and how to climb as a 3.
The first day we went to Tryfan Bach, where we covered lots of anchor placements and each led a climb and at the end we did an abseil retreat.
The second day we had heavy rain and strong winds so went to Lion Rock and they led a pitch each and used a different belay method. We then went to the indoor wall to look at self rescue skills for the afternoon.
The third day we had sunshine! We went to Tremadog, and the guys led Oberon, then abseiled down to climb the last pitch of Cnychwyr, abseiled down to the ground and finished by leading Oberon.
A great few days.
Bryn

Rock climbing skills

Last week Ian and his daughter Victoria joined me for 2 days of rock climbing skills. I had assessed Ian on his Mountain Leader summer award and also trained and assessed him on the Mountain Leader winter award.
The Father and daughter duo had just returned from a great trip to the Alps and were en-route to the Isle of Skye.
The first day we did lead climbing skills at Tryfan Bach - this was Victoria's first lead. We covered escaping from climbs and efficient belay systems.
The second day we climbed Rowan Route on the Milestone Buttress and abseiled off just before the weather turned foul, and headed indoors to cover some movement techniques and also dynamic belaying - so both enjoyed the art of falling while lead climbing, or at least I did while watching!
A great couple of days and I wish them well on Skye.
Bryn

August bank holiday

As most bank holidays can be really busy, I decided to book the weekend off and have some time to play. I was starting my new part time post with the Mountain Leader Training Wales on Tuesday so was keen to climb or get in the hills with the 3 days off.
The weather arrived as expected with heavy rain and gales! So climbing at the indoor wall, skiing on the dry slope and a handful of rescues with the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team later, the weekend was over.
Bryn

Rock climbing skills

Last week I was joined by returning client Richard, who is relatively new to climbing and is working towards doing the Single Pitch Award. the aim of the 2 days was to pass over further skills so that he could expand his climbing skills to multi pitch ground and sort out problems should they happen.
The first day was spent at Tryfan Bach, where Richard led 3 climbs with a variety of different belay techniques.
The second day we went to the Beacon Climbing Centre as the weather was truly horrific (one again!), and we did lots of self rescue skills and also some abseil setups in preparation for SPA training.
A great couple of days and I'm sure we'll see him soon for some further training.
Bryn

Evening climbing

The last coupe of evenings Tanya and I have managed to grap a couple of routes.
Monday eve we climbed Mental Lentils in Vivian Quarry (HVS 5b), a great route on really good slate - we had to leave quickly after this to avoid getting locked in the car park though, but still managed to enjoy a good climb during a nice evening.
Last night we planned for more slate, but lots of rain stopped play so we drove over to Castle Inn Quarry near Old Colwyn, where the sun always shines and did a few routes here in the evening sun.

This time of year I suddenly get quiet excited about climbing, as the rush of the busy months slows down and the long evenings start to close in - just a shame the weather was truly horrific today!

Bryn

Advanced rock climbing

Helen and Simon returned to North Wales to pick-up from where we left off a couple of months ago.
They are both keen climbers who were now eager to learn some more advanced techniques in rock climbing and mountain scrambling.
The first day we had dry and very warm weather and headed to Tremadog. Sundays weather had still left the crags damp at tree level but dry follwoing that. We Climbed Poor Man's Peutrey (a classic Serve 4a, but feels full on for the grade to say the least!), with Helen leading all pitches in fine style on double ropes. We also had a visit from a small adder while on one of the belays.
An abseil from the top of the very steep Barbarian was done to reach the base of the crag to end the day with cake at Eric's cafe.

The following day we had cold and wet conditions so headed to Ogwen and walked into Cneifion Arete. It felt like a winter's day which was a huge contrast from the previous day. This is still one of my favorite scrambles to do and Helen took the lead and both moved confidently with slick rope work which made for a speedy ascent.

A great couple of days had by all.
Bryn

Long weekend off

After a busy few weeks Tanya and I had booked a 3 day weekend off with a plan to climb or walk in the hills.
On Friday we headed down to Tremadog with a hope that the weather would clear, but sat in the car with heavy rain outside so headed back home.
On Saturday we had attempt 2 at Tremadog and this time enjoyed some very warm weather with clear skies. We climbed Mr Ranger (grade VS 4b) which was a bit scrappy on the first pitch, but had a very nice second pitch so worth while. An abseil off got us to the bottom of Yogi (grade VS 4b), which is a fabulobs climb. And to finish of we did Cnychwyr (grade Severe, 4a) in one one pitch.
It was great to get out in some very warm weather which actually proved to be a bit too warm by the end so we headed to Eric's Cafe for some cold drinks then called it a day.
After a great day's climbing the pager wen for the rescue team, so went to base to help out with 2 separate injuries (broken ankle and a lad who couldn't walk because of blisters) on the Llanberis Path of Snowdon, with the help of the Cambridge Search and Rescue team who very nicely helped out by carrying the stretcher for the lad who had blisters (hmm, I hear you say!). I chose to stay with the Landrover and ook after the radio communications between the guys on the hill and base.
On Sunday the weather was absolutely horrendous, so a cafe, coffee and cake day was in order.

Bryn

Outside work

The last few weeks has been really busy with some very good courses being run. I have managed to find some time to climb for myself and do some running too. Tanya and I have done a handful of sessions at the wall and are still holding out for some dry weather soon to get on the rock!
The Llanberis Rescue Team is very, very busy with over 105 rescues this year, which could be that the area seems a bit more busy than most years or the weather has been worse than usual too - who knows!

Bryn

A very damp day!

Yesterday I worked with a new client in preparation for his Mountain Leader assessment. We looked at rope work skills in the morning in Nant Peris then navigation skills in the Llanberis Pass in the afternoon. We managed to cover all skills we needed, but I have been surfing before now and stayed dryer!

Bryn

Multi pitch climbing skills

I spent the day with Joe and Mike who were on a 5 day course with rob from Expedition Guide (Rob needed a day off as they have a new addition to the family!), so we headed down to Tremadog as the weather in the mountains was unseasonal to say the least!
We climbed Oberon (Severe) and Boo Boo (V Diff), which are 2 very different routes. we looked at different ways to attached to the belays and the belaying skills. In addition we did a multi-pitch abseil from the Grim Wall point to give the guys some more skills which would be essential for climbing.
a really good day out and it stayed dry and warm too.
Bryn

More climbing!

Ceri had booked another day for climbing skills, and wanted to get milage in on the rock so we went to the Upper Tier of Tremadog and climbed 9 routes! Great place to consolidate but it can get busy with groups, but with good negotiating with the other instructors we can all work around each other and make it work.
Well done Ceri!

Bryn

Single Pitch Award Training

Last weekend I was joined by 4 students from Aberystwyth who had booked me to run a Single Pitch Award Training course. This is the supervising qualification for indoor and single pitch outdoor rock climbing.
The first day we went to lion Rock in Fachwen in torrential rain and looked at group climbing skills and problem avoidance. The afternoon and evening was spent at the climbing wall looking at supervising and teaching skills.
We all stayed after the course to do some more climbing and Tanya joined us and had a great session.
The second day we went to Pont y Cromlech and did some personal climbing skills, and then spent the afternoon consolidating skills from the previous day.
All 4 were at a good standard for the training and will be ready very soon for their assessment courses.
Great couple of days with highly motivated individuals.
Bryn

Climbing skills

Kathleen and Blaithin joined me for 2 days rock climbing skills. Both climb regularly at the climbing wall in London, and also manage to travel to North Wales or the lake District a couple of times a month for some climbing and mountaineering.
The aim was to enhance technical skills and do some coaching on climbing movement skills.
The first day we went to the Upper Tier of Tremadog where both led climbs and we looked at improving rope-work and gear placements. At the end of the day we top-roped a VS 4c, which both managed to climb with very little problem indeed!
The second day we went to Bus Stop Quarry to do some more movement skills on 'Solstice' HVS 5a and 'Equionox' VS 4c. We did both climbs twice and managed an eliminate line between to the 2, and as the day went on the footwork improved, but the weather did not so a retreat to the Beacon Climbing wall was made.
We did lots of bouldering at the wall which was a new activity for these keen climbers. Bouldering is a great way to build strength and improve technique, and we spent the rest of the day here.
A great couple of days and I wish them both well with future climbing.
Bryn

Rock climbing day

Returning client, Ceri had travelled back from Australia to visit family here in North Wales, and 2 years ago did some climbing skills with me, so was keen to get out on the rock once again. We had to cancel one day due to poor weather, but the other day we went to Tremadog and climber the great 'Bramble Buttress', a super V Diff, which gets only a few accents as it is away from the popular area of Tremadog. We then had lunch at Eric's Cafe, then climbed the famous 'Christmas Curry', yet another great climb graded Hard Severe.
A great day out in nice weather.
Bryn

Men's Fitness - Timberland

I worked a days with my mate Rob from Expedition Guide, on a promotional video and photo shoot for Men's Health and Timberland. Rob was taking a presenter scrambling and my job was to look after the film crew and photographer on steep ground.
We went to Pen yr Ole Wen and did some short sections of scrambling and managed to get all the shots we need quite quickly and the day went really well.
Looking forward to seeing the shots soon.
Bryn

Eisteddfod - Welsh Cultural Show

As part of my new appointment with the Mountain Leader Training Wales, I headed over to the Welsh Cultural Show in Llangollen - the Eisteddfod. The MLTW had a stall along with Plas y Brenin, Outlook Expeditions and Clwb Mynedda Cymru (Welsh Mountaineering Club).
The 'Hill Walking' handbook which is used by leaders going through the Mountain Leader scheme had just been translated into Welsh, which was a mammoth task and is a great step forward for helping to develop the Welsh language into the industry. My hope is that we can start encouraging more local mountaineers to train up and become Mountain Leaders in Wales.
A nice day out, and quite warm too so lots of ice cream consumed :o)

Bryn

Evening climbing

I headed out with Gareth for a evening climb - we went to Craig Ddu in the Llanberis Pass, but the route we were keen for was still damp, and so was the rest of the crag. We then scrambled up above to a small crag called Drws y Gwynt and Gareth led 'Too hard for Jim Perrin', a very strenuous route at E1 5C involving hard finger jamming and being very sustained from the start to the finish - I decided that the route was 'Too hard for us!' and were both knackered by the top!
A really nice evening's climb.
Bryn

More family rock climbing

On Thursday I was joined by Gordon and his daughter Emily for half a days climbing. We had super weather and went to Lion Rock. We arrived early and climbed every line there by lunch time.
A great time had by all - well done guys! enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Bryn

Family rock climbing

On Monday I worked for Rob, a good friend of mine who has just had a new addition to his family making now 4 boys - well done Kate!!
I took the Galvin family out for a day's rock climbing. We went to Lion Rock and managed to climb all day in quiet windy weather and at the end the rain came down, and a natural finish to the day was found. We had a great day and a good start to their course. Rob worked with them for the next 2 days.

Bryn

Bouldering and bolts

In between work over the last week I have managed to dodge some of the showers and got out climbing for myself. Gareth and I headed to Penmaenhead, a recently developed crag in Colwyn Bay. The crag has a vast amount of sports routes and we managed half a dozen before forearms gave up (but we blamed the weather!).
Also a couple of evening have been spent with Tanya bouldering in the Llanberis Pass at the Cromlech Boulders. A great road side venue which becomes a very social place to climb after work.
All other attempts have been aborted due to the poor weather.
Bryn

Expedition preparation

Last week Ian joined me for 2 days expedition preparation. I had met Ian a couple of years ago when I assessed him on the Mountain Leader Summer Award. Ian was getting ready for his upcoming expedition to Cho Oyu (8201m the 6th highest mountain in the world!).
We spent 2 days of getting to grips with fixed lines and climbing skills in big boots and mitts. We wanted to make the process of climbing fixed lines as simple as possible and automatic too so when Ian is doing it for real high on the mountain the skills become automatic and almost with thought.
Our time was spent in Ogwen on Tryfan Bach which proved to be ideal practice for fixed lines.
All the very best for Ian on his trip.
Bryn

Family rock climbing

Last week I was joined by Monica and her family who were in Snowdonia for their summer holiday.
The weather was a bit grim to say the least, but we headed to Lion Rock and managed to climb all the routes that the crag had to offer, then did an abseil from the ledge. The sun came out for a while in the afternoon, and as we finished the heavens opened!
A great day out had by all - well done!

Bryn

AMI Workshop

Last weekend I ran a 1 day workshop for the AMI (Association of Mountaineering Instructors) Trainee MIA holders. The theme of the day was teaching multi pitch climbing. We went to Tremadog to avoid the crowds that had gathered in the mountains and were able to climb Oberon and Boo Boo. Each took turns in running short sessions on teaching progressive techniques for multi pitch climbing. We finished the day by abseiling down from Striptease as the Grim Wall abseil had several teams all wishing to do the same.
A great day out, and I wish all 3 the best of luck with their upcoming assessments.

Bryn

Single Pitch Award Assessment

Last weekend I was joined by Paul, Helen, Alun and Joel. All were attending the SPA Assessment course. Joining us too was Mark Tozer who was observing the course to progress into becoming a provider.
The first day we went to Holyhead Mountain and climbed several route and did some abseiling. The rain came for a short period, but mostly enjoyed a fine and cool day.
The second day we went to Lion Rock to cover group work skills and group abseiling, then a session at the Beacon Climbing Center.
I was very pleased with the level of performance on the course and all 4 passed. I now wish them well and hope to see them out on the crags soon.

Bryn

Thanks to Mark for the pic and his input on the course.

National Development Officer for MLTW

Well last week I spent a few days preparing for an interview. A job that I had always been interested in had com up with the Mountain Leader Training Wales, and I had applied and been shortlisted for interview.
On Friday I attended the interview at Siabod Cottage and was pleased to be offered the position of National Development Officer. I accepted and start this part time post in September. The work will involved promoting the Mountain Leader Training schemes in Wales as well as moderating the providers for in Wales who run Walking Group Leader, Climbing Wall Award, Single Pitch Award and Mountain Leader Awards.
As this is a part time contract I will still be continuing with Dragon Mountain Skills, but on a smaller scale.

Bryn

Sunny France - holidays

I'v just got back from 2 weeks in the South of France. For the first week I drove out and met up with a good friend Giles, who is based near Menton close to Monte Carlo. Tanya flew out a few days later and we enjoyed some sport climbing and via ferrata in the area.

We did a bit of a road trip and visited Monaco to see how the other half live (they must be bored was the conclusion I came to!), before moving on to Sisteron for some more climbing. The trip was great and very hot and good weather all the way through - thunderstorms at the end of the day, but cold beer was in flow by this point!

Back home now and need to catch up on a few things today.

Bryn

Mountain Leader Training

It's been a few weeks since I posted. I have been away in the South of France and a few days before going I was working for Phill George on a Mountain Leader Training course.

The group were all well experienced hill walkers and I worked the expedition element of the course. We walked up Yr Aran, and then camped in Cwm Tregalon. The weather was great with blue skies and light breeze (so no midgies!). Once it got dark - around 11pm, we did some night navigation skills around the cwm.

The following morning we walked down and had a good breakfast at the Gwynant Cafe, then did some improvised rescue skills and river crossing further down the valley. By the afternoon clouds had gathered and a huge thunderstorm kicked off!

I wish them all well with the Mountain Leader scheme.

Bryn

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