Another long day of scrambling again today, but this time much closer to home.   While training for my MIA (Mountaineering Instructors Award), I spent many many days getting to know my way around the complex cliffs of Glyder Fach, but it’s felt like a while since we’d been scrambling there. With poor weather on the… Read more

I had a day of indoor climbing on Friday, due to it being a very wet and windy day. It was the first time that I’d climbed indoors in months and all felt rather novel. It was a busy place to be though, as most of the climbers in North Wales had also been forced… Read more

Took a group of students up to Castle Inn quarry today. Worth remembering to check the fixed gear and where possible use your own karabiners rather than adding to the wear and tear. So of the lower-off krabs, are wearing very thin! Amazing what a bit of friction can do to metal!  It was a… Read more

Back in Wales again and arrived home to find a new rucsack had arrived from the designers from ‘Equip’ ready for a test. After all the travel that we’d both done over the last week, Monday was a slow and sleepy day at The Cottage, but on Tuesday, we ventured out into Ogwen to take… Read more

There really were some well placed check points today! I think that the last time I walked through this valley was with Paul on my Gold DofE expedition! I was pleased to find it’s still just as challenging. Stationed with my binoculars, I had a good giggle watching one team deal with a navigational error… Read more

I’ve been in the Lake District now for four days and have experienced almost all kinds of weather! I’m assessing some groups who are on a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition. After a travel and acclimatisation the hike got off to a very wet start in torrential rain. We tried to delay departure, but… Read more