Pretty much every winter in North Wales, I make an ascent of Banana Gully on the East face of Y Garn. It’s one of the closest winter routes to The Cottage and seems to take on a different appearance each time I climb it. Having spoken to a friend yesterday who had been on a Read more

 It was a frosty start from The Cottage this morning! As predicted, the mountains were looking stunning. We drove a few minutes up into Ogwen to start our hike, eager to get going. The lake (Llyn Ogwen) was absolutely still. Not a single ripple and a mirror-like reflection.  It’s the first time that we’ve been Read more

 While everyone else in North Wales flocked to the snow-covered mountains, we made a quick ascent of the rocky ridge above the A55. It’s a brilliant little climb and perfect for a cold afternoon when it’s good to keep moving. With my students tied on, we climbed it in about six little pitches before moving Read more

 Super low pressure and more snow forecast in the mountains… Just the right kind of morning to be in the indoor bouldering wall for another refresh of the bouldering problems. With the help from some students, we stripped off loads of old holds and kept warm with multiple ladder ascents and then putting up new Read more

There’s snow up in the mountains of North Wales! The question is, how long will it last?….   As part of my qualifications for guiding and instructing in the mountains, I’m required to do a two-day first aid course every three years to keep me up to date with the current best practice. I think the Read more

With a few hours free this afternoon, I returned to the West Face of Tryfan for a scramble with Clare across Milestone Buttress. A brilliant little route, with plenty of exposure. The rock was dry, despite a sudden shower when we arrived. Having just got out of the car, big drops of rain started falling, Read more