Cotswold Outdoors - Staff activities

In my "other life" I'm a gear person, previously for Petzl's UK company, and now for Lowe Alpine.
Imagine having a job where you can indulge your gear-freak tendancies and learn the intimate ins and outs of a product? And even sometimes test to destruction (yup, a hammer is often involved). Yipee.

This week I've been in Snowdonia scrambling, breaking kit, tugging ropes, demonstrating the use of technical climbing kit, and informing a load of shop staff on the intricasies of Lowe Alpine backpacks.

The retail shop Cotswold have been expanding across the UK and now have 50+ stores. This week they brought together a person from almost every store to do some on-the-hill activities, as well as indoors close and detailed training.

Katie & Roger on The Cannon

Scrambling on Tryfan North ridge

We were asked, for the second year, to do special backpack training and also provide a day of scrambling. To get the groups to a more manageable size there were 3 of us; Andy Cave; Andy Turner; and me.

Roger - stepping across Adam & Eve - mega drop!

Fantastic days, great people, and well done Cotswold for their staff training.

Scrambling Expedition

Back out today with Dave & Nigel, we headed up to Borrowdale (after finding the early morning cafe in Keswick) with the intentio of getting maximum scrambling variety and distance; increasing the practice of yesterdays skills.

Dovesnest Crag is vey atmospheric and a place with lots of variety. But read the guidebook carefully, it is not a place to go wrong on.
Our first ascent took us through steep climbing ground by an intricate route, next we headed up the side and then on and over the grassy ridge to drop down to the base on Cam Crag Ridge in the next valley. This is a wonderful ridge with a variety of grades up it. We headed up and then followed the hillocky ridge back down past a group climbing on Glaciated Slabs. A long but very full day.

Grade 3 Scrambling on St Sunday Crag

We headed up Pinnacle Ridge today, it's a fantastic scramble. Dave & Nigel practiced finding the route in the guide book and we did some brief revision of scrambling rope work before heading up the route. As predicted the weather changed in teh early afternoon and it snowed! There was sufficient grauple for it to build up on backpacks but everyone enjoyed the day, with me stepping into the lead whenever concerns were raised.

I've been late with blogs but will try to add photos and more later.

Scrambling in South Lakes

Glorious day out with Paula, Sue, Jane, Nicole and Sarah. We started the day scrambling up a ghyl near to where they camped overnight. The riverbed was dryer than I've seen it before which allowed us to ascend water shutes and explore areas I've not been to before.

A bit of ropework for extra confidence & security allowed everyone to climb some challenging ground.

Next we headed off to Jack's Rake, a fantastic (and popular) scramble up and across the large face of Pavey Ark

On the way back down to the Sticklebarn pub for a well earned drink we slid through a dog-gate (well, almost all of us!). For a laugh(?)

Cumbria and Lakes conditions 22~25 April

Frost on the car and blue skies today.

Weather looks good for Thu, Fri, Sat with cool nights and dry days across Cumbria & Snowdonia.

Warmer at the weekend. If you're planning to get out in the Lakes or Wales this weekend then Saturday should be the better day as rain might arrive on Sunday morning.

I'm busy on Saturday - Paula has booked another fun trip. It's wonderful when clients either progress through their climbing/scrambling/navigation, or try different areas and actvities. Over the past 2 years with Paula's family and friends I've;

Taken her husband & friends scrambling & wild camping weekend including Scafell Pike.

Family weekend with their 2 children scrambling & rock climbing, including Crib Goch and Snowdon.

4-day winter skills trip for 5 friends, enjoying winter conditions in the Cairngorms, Aonach Mor, and summitting Ben Nevis.

Supported their charity walk of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks (Ingleborough, Pen y Ghent, Whernside).

Saturday will be another day of adventure with 5 ladies (they've promised to behave.... a little bit) we've planned a ghyl trip followed by a scramble and some short rock climbs. Suncream, water, rock, and great laughs.

I'm Available for Climbing, Scrambling, or Navigation on Sunday

Raven Crag, Langdale the Lake District

A nice dry day today in the Lakes. It was 5 degrees early this morning as I took the dog out for a jog, and 4 degrees at 9pm. Although sunny it remained cool throughout the day; expect a light frost under clear skies tonight .

On Crinkle Crags and Bowfell there are still patches of snow in the gulleys

Made the most of the light and climbed a route above the Old Dungeon Ghyll pub; Odin (VS 4c, 4b), is a pleasantly challenging route located just left of Evening Wall, a classic Severe.

It started to turn chilly at 7pm and an hour later, as we headed down in the decending darkness, we called up to a party on Pluto, a fantastic HVS 5a (but not a route to climb in the dark!) and saw another party on Middlefell Buttress, a Diff with lots of big stances which make it a great route for instructing, learning to lead, practicing route navigation, and placing climbing protection.

There's a strong half-moon tonight and the climbers should all be in the pub cuddling a beer by now.

Looking towards Ambleside and over the fells

Advanced Scrambling - Pinnicle Ridge

Nigel and I had a couple of days scrambling in the Lake District, with the weather changing from cloudy to sunny at a fantastic pace. One moment with great views and the next in atmospheric clouds.

On the second day we ascended Pinicle Ridge - a wonderful grade III scramble hidden away on St Sunday Crag. An extreemly photogenic route, occasionally with wonderful views over towards Helvelyn. We were lucky and met another group with an enthusiastic photographer - thanks for the photos!