Dragon Mountain Skills

Single Pitch Award course dates online for 2012

2012-01-26T10:32:00.001-08:00

My most popular course is the Singe Pitch Award.
Each year I train and assess many climbers who are looking to gain a national award to supervise groups on crags and climbing walls. If you are interested in undertaking the award, then please get in touch.
Cheers,
Bryn

December update

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

Finally December arrived and it was time to head south to the Alps for 2 weeks of ski action.
Tanya and I drove out with friends Simon and Michelle, and once there and settled into our appartment several firends had made the journey too.

Usually the early season ski is a bit of a gamble, and a week before we had thought about cancelling the trip due to lack of snow - however a few days before we left it dumped it down, and it didn't stop! The film below will show more than I can write about:

Towards the end of the trip, Tanya and I got engaged, which we are both delighted about.

We stayed in London for Christmas with Tanya's family, then went to South Wales to pick up our new edition, Odie the puppy and after a few days at my mum's house in mid Wales made it home and introduced Odie to his new life :)

A full on and great end to 2011!

Bryn

November update

2012-01-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

November was another mixed month. Lots of MLT work to do to and some good progress was hard on several projects. The nicer parts were out undertaking moderation visits of other courses. This is always enjoyable and a great chance to catch up with candidates and Providers working on MLT leadership courses.

We had a very successful training day (Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team), which medical and helicopter exercises were carried out. It really helped being crisp, clear and cold with some good banter too!

Later in the month I attended the MLTA conference on 'Professionalism' in the Lake District. Around 60 members made the journey and workshops were scheduled all weekend on an array of topics. I was representing Mountain Leader Training and had a good chance to meet lots of very enthusiastic members and take part in the workshops too. The evening talk was done by Adele Pennington, and was first-class. Shame the weather was truly horrific!!

Bryn

October update

2012-01-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

October was the mini summer for North Wales.
I was joined by 4 very experienced rock climbers who work as indoor climbing coaches in London, for a Singe Pitch Award training course. We had fantastic weather and the highlight of the course was a days climbing at Holyhead Mountain.

Rory, Tanya and I managed to get out on the limestone one sunny afternoon, but due to my re-occurring ingrowing toe nail problem (how much details do you want?!), I only managed a few routes.

I was working in Mid Wales for Mountain Leader Training Wales, and Tanya and I extended this trip to visit family and enjoy some of the remote walking that can be had in mid-Wales. Also Mountain Leader Training UK ran the first pilot course 'Train the Trainers' which was aimed at equipping leaders and instructors with structured delivery styles and feedback skills when working on leadership award courses.

One weekend was taken up with a Emergency Care Mountain Rescue course (intermediate level). This course I had done in the past, but it was still quite full of information and techniques. The Exam and practical test went well and all the group from Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team who attended passed the course.

Bryn

It's been a while - here's what I've been up to

2012-01-02T01:21:00.000-08:00

Following the summer I have not updated the blog. I had thoughts of moving over to a new system for my website and ran out of time in learning the new system I was interested in, so in the end I decided to stick with what I have (for now!).

September
During September we had reasonable weather here in Snowdonia. I ran a Single Pitch Award Training course, and then a week later an assessment course. The Training group were very experienced climbers and we had a great time at Holyhead Mountain on a sunny day.

The assessment course went well I am pleased to say that both candidates passed the course.

To end September Vivian, Chris and myself entered a Sprint Triathlon on Anglesey (Viv swam, Chris ran and I biked). Not much training went in as the month was busy with work, but pleased that we came first and made this little video of the event. Not a bad effort, but my legs were dead for days after!

Mountain Leader Training course

2011-08-31T01:40:00.000-07:00

Last week I was out for 2 days on Mountain Leader Training course for Tony Halliwell from Robinwood Activity Centre.
The first day we went to Ogwen and covered group leadership and group management in mixed, rocky terrain. We went up from Cwm Idwal and up the Gribin ridge and back down towards Cwm Bochlwyd and covered many aspects of leadership.

The following day we were in Nant Peris looking at emergency rope work techniques for the ML scheme. This included use of direct and in-direct anchors, for safeguarding a group up and down a short rock section and personal retreating as well as confidence roping skills.

A nice couple of days out with an enthusiastic group.
Bryn

Private rock guiding

2011-08-31T01:09:00.000-07:00

Last week I was joined by Peter for 2 days of private rock climbing. Peter has done lots with me in the past from his first time on rock 4 years ago.

The first day we went to Holyhead Mountain and climbed Hat (V Diff), Elephant (V Diff), Slab Direct (V Diff*) and Sump Direct (HS 4b*). Following this we drove to Rhoscolyn and climbed the fabulous Symphony Crack (Diff ***). By the end of the route the rain had arrived and it was time to call it a day.

The following day with a better forecast we went to Ogwen, and walked up the Heather Terrance onto the East Face of Tryfan (one of my favorite climbing areas). The weather was cold, cloudy and a bit breezy when we arrived, but as we climbed it cleared up to allow a cracking day. We climbed the first 3 pitches of First Pinnacle Rib (V Diff), then joined the Second Pinnacle Rib (V Diff) at the Yellow Slab pitch, 4a), and finished on sting in the tail of the route - Thomsons Chimney (HS 4b), which led us to the summit of Tryfan.

A great few days out.
Bryn

Chamonix summer trip

2011-08-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month Rory and I headed out to Chamonix in the Frech Alps for some summer mountaineering. We hit a good spell of weather once we arrived and managed a few outings. Here's a couple of short films from the trip.

Sea cliff climbing

2011-08-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I was joined by Helen and Simon for some sea cliff climbing adventures.
Its been a while since out with them , and this time the weather was great.

The first day we went to Porth y Garan, near Rhoscolyn. We looked at abseiling and prep skills for sea cliffs and then Helen and Simon took it in turns to lead a couple of climbs each, up to Severe.

The following day we went to Rhoscoyln and Helen led Symphony Crack (a classic V Diff, with lots of star ratings!), and then Simon led Solo Slab (V Diff), and then Helen finished the day by leading Truant (VS 4b/c) - a fine effort and a great route.

Bryn

Self rescue skills

2011-07-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I updated the blog.

Currently Tanya's graphic design business is taking off and its been all hands to the deck for support during this exciting and busy time.

Anyhow back to mountain stuff! A couple of weekends ago I was joined by Laura and Mark who have done a lot of climbing and were now keen to learn some self rescue skills. As with most bookings for theses courses, an event or close call prompts the booking. The couple had a thought provoking moment during a multi-pitch climb and wondered if they could deal with it if things went wrong, so here they were for some further skills.

The first day (with a poor forecast) we went over to Lion Rock and went through the main basics of avoiding problems in the first place, and also anticipating problems. The afternoon was spent covering the building blocks of self rescue such as prussics, escaping the system, assisted hoisting and unassisted hoisting.

The following day we went to Tryfan Bach and did a few more technical rescues, such as an injured lead climber on multi pitch terrain and a injured second climber on a multi pitch traverse.

All in all we had plenty of problems and lots of new solutions.

I hope they have the added confidence in dealing with incidents now and never have to use these skills for real.

Bryn

Scrambling skills

2011-06-19T00:53:00.001-07:00

On Saturday I was working for a friend of mine Rob who runs Expedition Guide. I met up with Danny who had been out the previous day with Rob and was keen to consolidate some scrambling rope work skills.

We went to Tryfan Bach in the morning and did 3 scramble routes with use of the rope where we looked at belaying and anchoring skills. In the afternoon we walked over to the start of the north ridge of Tryfan and did some retreat and abseil skills. Danny is hoping to join Rob next year on the Isle of Skye for some advanced scrambling.

The weather cleared up, but a cold wind was blowing at times. After finishing the day the pager went off and I spent the evening on 2 separate rescues on Snowdon. Luckily with the help from the RAF these were carried out quickly and I could get home to join friends for dinner.

Bryn

AMI Workshop

2011-06-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I was working on an Association of Mountaineering Instructors trainee workshop. Todays theme was problem solving and self rescue. I was joined by Ian and Mike. Heavy rain and a poor forecast drove us to Tremadog, where we enjoyed some sunshine for the day.

We climbed on Bramble Buttress on Craig y Gesail (classic 3* V Diff), and on each belay set a scenario to deal with. We had the following scenarios:
- second climber, climbed passed a runner and got stuck
- second climber could not finish the pitch
- second climber become unresponsive
- evacuation of multi pitch crag
- hoisting a slightly injured second

So a bit of an epic day! The guys did well and we enjoyed the climbing too.
Bryn

AMI Workshop

2011-06-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I was working a Association of Mountaineering Instructors trainee member workshop. I was joined by Ian, Lawrie and Tony, and the theme of the day was teaching multi pitch climbing.

With the weather being poor in the mountains we made our way to Tremadog and climbed Christmas Curry (classic 3* Severe) in 4 pitches. Following that we moved onto Boo Boo (V Diff) with an abseil descent.

The day went very well with a good share of experiences going on.
All the best to the guys with their assessments this year.
Bryn

Evening slate

2011-06-17T00:20:00.000-07:00

On Monday eve I met up with Paul for a few route on the slate. We went to Rittersport level in Vivian quarry - never been here before, so always nice to see a new area. We climbed The Madness (E1 5b), then moved onto One Step Beyond (E3 6a). Phil and Rachael had joined us at this point and they climbed Ritter Sport (E3 5c). The second route took a long time to work out the last move and in the end I bottled the move - not keen to clip the bolt at full stretch off really poor holds, so I lowered off. Paul had a blast and faced the same problem, then Phil came along and had a blast, and confirmed my thoughts of the terror-clip scenario -luckily he stayed on and is about 2 feet taller than me!

All in all a nice evening climbing.
Bryn

SPA Training

2011-06-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was joined by Colin, Chris, David and Matt for an Single Pitch Award training course. I had previously worked with a few of the guys in the past on a rock climbing course and it was good to see them developing their skills further.

The first day we spent at Lion Rock covering the group climbing and problem solving skills of the syllabus. That evening we made a visit to the Beacon climbing wall where we looked at bouldering and teaching skills.

On the second day we went to Clogwyn Cyrrau, near Betws y Coed. This day was spent looking at the group abseil, and also personal climbing skills.

A great course and I hope to see the guys again soon.

Bryn

Slate action

2011-06-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

Rory and I headed up to Upper Australia in the quarries for an afternoon of slate climbing. We started with Rory leading Razorback (HVS 5a), then I went onto Rastaman vibration (E2 6a). Next up was Feeling Rusty? (F6a+).

A good few routes then we wondered down to Gymnastic Fantastic (f6c) with Rory on the sharp end - as he started a hold flew off and unfortunately split his finger. The end of a good afternoons climbing. It was his birthday, so the pub was the next stop!

Durham Uni Climbing Club, SPA Training course

2011-06-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

I was joined for a Single Pitch Award Training course by Matt, Matt, Jordan and Alex from Durham University Mountaineering Club. All 4 were very keen climbers and interested in gaining the SPA to further their experience with the climbing club.
On the first day we went to Craig yr Undeb near Brynrefail. This small crag is in a great position and ideal for looking at the group elements of the syllabus.

That evening we made a visit to the Beacon climbing wall and covered group supervision, belay and bouldering skills.

The following day we went to Lion Rock and covered group abseiling skills, then moved to Nant Peris and did some lead climbing skills at Craig y Ddol. The guys did a good job as the climbing here is quite stiff for the grade!

A great course and great weather.

Bryn

Rhoscolyn sea cliff climbing evening

2011-06-16T08:45:00.001-07:00

With some decent weather arriving to North Wales, Tanya and I made the most of the good weather and following work went over to Rhoscolyn. Tanya was keen to lead for the first time in a while, so we headed for Symphony Crack (a classic 3 star diff).

Watch the video to see how it went.

Bryn

Between the rain - slate climbing

2011-06-12T12:41:00.001-07:00

The weather has been mixed in Snowdonia, with the temperature being pretty warm when the sun is out to arctic when the clouds covers the sun.

I met up with Paul for an afternoon of climbing. The morning was damp and misty so we opted for a later start and went for the slate. Keen to try some new stuff, we went to the Gorballs level, and there's plenty to go at here, but nit much to ease in gently.

We started on 'Slab Rog' (f6b+), which has a tricky start, and in the rock shoes I wore gave me very sore toes! We both led this route, then moved onto 'Old and Complicated Under the Olive Branch' (f5b).
By this point my toes were bruised form badly fitted shoes so we bailed out for ice cream in Llanberis!

A nice afternoon out.
Bryn

Moel y Gest climbing afternoon

2011-06-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I met up with Rob for the afternoon and headed down to Moel y Gest, near Tremadog. This was a new venue for both of us, and after the 30 min walk in we arrived at one of the buttresses. There are several small climbing areas on the crag, which overlooks the coastline of Criccieth and Porthmadog.

Rob ledFflat Huw Puw (VS 5a), then I led Mynd i Forio (VS 5a) and Das Boot (E1 5c). The rock was in great condition and super friction. The finish on Das Boot took a while to figure out and by the time we had done this route, it was time to head home.

A nice afternoon out and always good to get to a new crag.

Bryn

Climbing skills

2011-06-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I was joined by Jenny and Richard for a days lead climbing skills. With the weather being a bit dodgy in the National Park, we went over to Holyhead Mountain, where we enjoyed a fine good weather day (still windy though!) to cover climbing skills.

Jenny led Hat (VDiff) and Richard led D'Elephant (VDiff) with me along side to chat through runner placements. At the end of the day we looked at abseiling skills for retreating from climbs.

A great day out.

Bryn

Scrambling skills

2011-06-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Lee and Glen joined me for a days recap of their multi pitch climbing skills, and scrambling techniques. With a mix of things wanted to be covered we went to Lion Rock for the day.

We looked at shortening the rope for quick-pitched scrambling and a few new techniques such as use of italian friction hitch and guide plate belaying. We also dd some rescue skills and also some abseiling skills.

A great day and I hope the guys get to put their new skills to use soon.

Bryn

AMI Workshop

2011-06-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I ran a 1 day workshop with Carol and Richard. The theme of the day was slick multi pitch climbing at VS 4c, however the weather was truly horrific! More slippy than slick!

We headed down to Tremadog and decided that easier graded route in shelter would be the best move, so we opted for Oberon and Boo Boo. During both climbs, we were being battered by the wind and rain, but despite this were able to pack a good days workshop in with lots of ideas being put forward.

Bryn

SPA Assessment

2011-05-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Last week I was joined by Alex and Paul for their Single Pitch Award assessment. The first day was spent at Lion Rock in Fachwen, where we went through group rock climbing and abseiling along with some problem solving techniques. The day went well and the weather got better as the day went on. The evening session was spent at the Beacon Climbing Centre, where the boys ran a session on bouldering, belaying and teaching the basics.

The second day we went to Holyhead Mountain where the theme was about personal lead climbing. The guys did well and passed the course.

Well done!
Bryn

Slate evening

2011-05-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

The recent wet weather has been more than annoying. A few evening visits to the climbing wall have been done in an attempt to gain some much needed strength!

On Wed eve, Rory and I headed out to Vivian quarry. A great place to go if the weather is a bit dodgy as its easy to get too and quite sheltered in windy weather.

I climbed Psychotherapy, which is a really good route with some great moves on the crux. Rory then went to to lead Weetabix Connection, which was a strange climb with some random designer danger bolting on it - luckily the rain started so we ran away before being tempted on anything harder!

Bryn

AMI Workshop

2011-05-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Peter, Mike and Dan booked onto a teaching multi-pitch climbing workshop. Once again the weather in Snowdonia was like a monsoon, so after some thought we went to Holyhead Mountain, where we enjoyed fine weather all day - a bit windy and cool, but better than wet!

We climbed Plimsole (HD) in 2 pitches, then moved onto The Sump (Diff). During both climbed we looked at teaching progression on multi pitch terrain for a range of varying levels of experience for clients.

To round the day off we did some abseiling skills and covered the teaching elements of this for multi pitch terrain.

Bryn

AMI Workshop

2011-05-15T05:03:00.001-07:00

Last Monday I was working for the Association of Mountaineering Instructors on their trainee workshop program. I was joined by Peter, Richard and Dan. The theme of the day was teaching climbing in 'parallel'. This is a great technique of taking 2 clients climbing quickly anda useful skill to instructors to master.

We went to Tremadog to avoid the heavy rain of Snowdonia, and climbed on Y Cnychwr (VS 4c), then moved onto Yogi (VS 4b) before the rain moved in, so a quick visit to Eric's cafe was taken to fue up on toasties for lunch. Following the rain we moved over to Boo Boo (V diff) to cover the teaching of led climbing skills.

Bryn

SPA Assessment

2011-05-08T01:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I worked with Serinde and Trish who had joined me for their Single Pitch Award assessment. We had 2 great days of weather, with the first day being spent at Lion Rock, where we covered group climbing skills, abseiling skills and problem solving. Following this we spent the evening at the Beacon Climbing Centre.

The second day was spent at Holyhead mountain, where personal climbing skills was the theme of the day. Both led 2 climbs with one graded at Severe.

Very pleased to report that both gave a great performance of their skills and passed the course.
I wish them well with their new award.

Bryn

nb. I have some availability on upcoming SPA assessment courses, so please get in touch.

Early summer in Wales

2011-04-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

After getting back from Austria the weather here has been great - the shame was catching up with lots of work and chores. I rode to Siabod Cottage (MLT office) on Wednesday, in glorious weather - stunning! The ride home was easier with a gentle tail wind and also the Llanberis Pass gave miles of easy going. I met Tanya in Llanberis and we went up to Bus Stop quarry for a quick route. We climbed Gnat Attack (E1 5c), which is a great climb and catches all of the evening sun.

This weekend I have been really boring at after 2 years of living in Gwynllys, have decided to decorate the main bedroom - sanding the floors for 2 days (while the weather is great outside!), and now getting ready to paint and do a bit more wood work. On the plus side I missed the 5 rescue call-outs today on Snowdon, so big well done to the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team for working hard this weekend.

Bryn

Austria road trip

2011-04-22T05:03:00.000-07:00

Tanya and I are now in London chilling out for a ffew days with family before heading back home. We drove out to the Austrian Alps 2 weeks ago for some ski and climbing fun. A long drive, but in the vw, was no problem and we got to see lots of the country by doing this.

We skied for 5 days in Solden - highly recommended, and I'm definately going back there again in the spring for the ski touring potential. The off piste resort potential is really good too, and fresh lines were easily found as most people stayed on the piste in these resorts.

After the skiing we headed down the valley to Oberried, which has a brilliant sport crag and did some climbing and also checked out the other crags access and via ferrata too - loads to do in this valley so will need to go back for longer next time.

On our way home we decided to go via Fontainebleau - a world class mecca for bouldering.

A great trip, with lots of new areas being found for us, which means the sumer trip may have to be extended!

Bryn

Back on the rock and new van!

2011-04-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Rory and I headed off to the slate quarry for a few routes. The wind was still cold and we started on Fresh Air (f6a), which was very pleasant and in the sun. We then moved on to Peter Pan (f6a+), but this was in the shade and the rock temp was quite cold to say the least. We decided to look for some more route in the sun but got distracted by some new possible lines, which we may head back to do sometime. In the end, we decided enough was enough and strolled out - a lazy day to say the least!

This week I have enjoyed a few good wall sessions in the evening due to the poor weather, a couple of routes with Tanya on the slate one evening, and a visit to the RAC boulders last night as the sun came out and the strong wind dried the boulders off nicely.

Currently packing the new van up with kit and driving out to Austria tomorrow after a days work. Tanya and I will be out there for around 10 days and armed with skis and climbing gear, so looking forward to it.

Bryn

Spring's here - dust off the rock shoes!

2011-03-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend the sun has been shining - nowhere better than Snowdonia when the weathers good!
Yesterday I went to the Llanberis Pass and dusted off the rock shoes and went bouldering for the afternoon. It was good to get on the rock again, but the sharp nature of the Cromlech was tough on the hands after a winter of wearing big gloves.

On my way home the bleeper went off and the Llanberis Rescue Team assisted the ambulance service with a collapsed casualty near Moel Eilio.

Today I went over to the RAC boulders, where the rock is a bit smoother and friendlier on the skin.

New van will be ready tomorrow - fingers crossed (just getting the cruise control fitted).

A nice weekend in sunny Snowdonia.
Bryn

Llanberis Film Festival

2011-03-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

Well Spring have arrived! - unfortunately I have been busy at the MLT office at Capel Curig during a lot of the sunny weather.

Last weekend I helped on the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team stand at the Llanberis Film Festival weekend which was a great opportunity to catch up with lots of people I hadn't seen over the winter. The Friday night quizz was great fun, and we did pretty well but no prizes!

The best part of the weekend for me was a unexpected trip to the VW garage and test drived a Transporter Combi van, and the following day took it out for a longer test drive and then signed the dotted line! We pick it up on Monday, so stay tuned for pics.

Bryn

MIC Assessment week

2011-03-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Following the MLT Board meeting I travelled back to the West Coast to start my MIC assessment course.
We had a good start on the Monday and climbed White Line on Ben Nevis (grade III) in 10 pitches, and reasonable weather. From then on the wind stayed above 60mph and the snow started falling!

Got good feedback from the first 2 days, but need to return next winter for some more teaching. Bit disappointed with the result, but glad to have got the first few days sorted.

No photos from the week - too busy!!

Bryn

MIC prep week

2011-03-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

I headed back to the West Coast of Scotland and joined a few friends who were all preparing for the upcoming Mountaineering Instructor Certificate (MIC) assessment.

Monday, Roger and I headed up to Coire na Ciste on Ben Nevis and climbed Moonlight gully (grade II) and then made a journey around the coire looking at the different approaches to the climbs and familiarising with the terrain. We enjoyed a fine weather day and good snow too. The aspects in the sun looked more like summer routes at the time though.

On Tuesday Simon joined us and we made our way up to the North East ridge of Stob Ban from Glen Nevis. This is graded at inter II-III, and we climbed on 1 rope and spent time giving each other feedback and also discussing the methods for looking after people on this type of terrain. The weather was fairly cloudy, but we stayed dry, so thats always a bonus!

Wednesday, Simon and I headed up to Ben nevis. We climbed Number 3 Gully Buttress, which is a great route and also we managed to get a good ice on the start. After topping out, we abseiled into No 3 Gully, and then climbed Winter Cascade (grade IV, 5), with Simon doing a great job on the lead. A really good day on the Ben today!

On Wed eve, I travelled over to the Cairngorms, and joined a group from Liverpool John Moores University. I took Paul and Alex out to Coire Snechda and we headed up to te Mess of Pottage. we geared up and climbed Hidden Chimney (grade III), which was in pretty good condition, but most of the rock on the buttress had been stripped with the recent thaw. We climbed the route in 4 pitches and then enjoyed good view across the Northern Cairngorms before heading down via windy gap, where we practiced bollard anchors for use in descent.

A good few days and pretty good weather. Off to the MLT Board meeting for the weekend.

Bryn

Nice day on Mynydd Mawr

2011-03-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Tanya and I had a nice afternoon out on Mynydd Mawr - also known as Elephant Mountain to some of the locals.
This great mountain is only a short drive from home and Tanya used the walk to look at fine tuning her map and compass skills.

We enjoyed the fine views from the summit, then made our way back down as a weather front was approaching. We got bac to the car before the weather turned worse.

A great little day out.
Bryn

Blue-bird day, on the Big, Bad, Ben!

2011-02-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Well last Thursday Rory and I headed out early to the North Face of Ben Nevis.
Its been a little while since I was here, and what a day we chose. Wall-to-wall sunshine, but the problem was, this is the North Face!

We climbed Faulty Towers(grade III) on the Douglas Boulder, which was a bit cruddy in places, and didn't really offer much in the way of protection at all (always find that annoying - dragged up a comprehensive rack, and place 1 piece in 50m!). After 3 pitches, we were sat on Tower Ridge having some lunch and trying to decide whether to head for the sunshine we could see on Ledge route, or head back for coffee and cake.

After much thought on this we decided that coffee and cake would still be there following Ledge Route, so abseiled down Western Gully of the Douglas Boulder and went across to Ledge Route (grade II, but loads of snow making it more of a romp today). We moved up great snow and hit the sunshine, and before we knew were sitting on the summit enjoying spring like conditions.

With lots of fresh snow around we opted for the Red Burn Path, and made the long plod back down and then got our coffee and cake, followed by pub dinner and a few pints!

A great day to finish this trip.

Back home in Snowdonia now until the end of next week, then I'll be heading back North for the final visit of the season and my MIC assessment.

Bryn

Beinn a' Chaorainn East Ridge

2011-02-13T02:38:00.000-08:00

Tuesday

Heavy snow fell during Monday and with the strong winds too made deciding where to go a bit of a headache. In the end we decided a ridge sheltered from the westerly winds woud be the best option, so headed to Beinn a Chaorainn. We took the long walk in and broke trail in the snow, then luckily got overtaken by Di and Gregory, who made a great trail to the start of the ridge.

The wind was strong and throwing snow everywhere, so we goggled-up and went for it. The Cloud cleared and the wind eased as we gained hight.

Here is a video from the day.

Bryn

Winter Skills refresher

2011-02-13T01:52:00.000-08:00

Monday

I was joined by John and Phil, who were planning a trip to South America later this year. Both were keen to brush-up on some winter skills and so we took the gondola up to Anoach Mor and walked through lots of fresh snow to the Nid area.

We did lots of ice axe skills and avalanche evaluation. The wind was strong and the avalanche risk was increasing as the day went on, so we stayed on shallow angled slopes to do our skills. In the afternoon we also did some basic rope work too before retreating back to the gondola.

All the best to them with their upcoming trip.
Bryn

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-02-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

Sunday was my Birthday and to celebrate in style I decided to help my mate Rob and took his group out on a winter skills day.
This was the second day of a intro winter skills course and we decided to head up to Buachaille Etive Beag. The weather was kind to us, but did not allow much in the way of visibility, but at leaset it was dry!

We went through avalanche assessment skills and also how to make decisions for safe travel techniques on the go. Many other teams were in the same area too and we finished the day with some controlled sliding - great fun!

Bryn

Weather improving

2011-02-12T10:58:00.000-08:00

Saturday

On Friday I met up with Chris who is a mountaineering instructor from North wales. We wanted to do a training day in preparation for our upcoming MIC (Mountaineering Instructor Certificate) assessment. The assessment is the last one of the whole MLTUK Scheme and has taken a long time to get to this point and this winter is about preparing for this.

The weather over the last few days had seen storm force winds and high freezing levels, and this had stripped most of the buttress routes of snow and also making the corniced edges a bit dodgy too. We decided to climb Boomerang Arete (grade III). This turned out to be a great climb which leads all the way to the summit. We descended Broad Gully and had a look at the start of several other lines on the way.

A good prep day.
Bryn

Wild weather on the West!

2011-02-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

Tuesday / Wednesday

Well the weather here on the West Coast of Scotland has now gone truly bonkers. This is the third day off now due to storm forces winds (120mph forecast on the summits), heavy rain and snow which makes for a very high risk of avalanche, so winter climbing is on hold at the mo. This is the frustration of winter climbing and a lot of patience is needed.

Tanya has travelled up here and the last couple of days we have done a few low level walks while we wait for a improved forecast to get climbing. We did managed to get some good wild-life viewing done though including a Golden Eagle carrying a mouse and lots of red deer.

Bryn

Cairngorm wind!

2011-02-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Monday

On Monday I met up with Rory, and we went up to Coire Sneachda. The weather was very windy with gale force strength forecast. We were wanting to climb Hidden Chimney (grade III) on the Mess of Pottage, but as we got closer, the wind increased with some violent gusts. We opted for Jacobs Ladder (classic grade I-II snow gully), as it had a lot more shelter than the buttress routes.

We did the route in 2 pitches on great snow and pulled through the cornice and enjoyed the views across the plateau and made a hasty descent back to the car via point 1141m, as the cold front came in hard with strong winds and heavy snow, then enjoyed lunch at the Mountain Cafe.

A fun day out!
Bryn

Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM

2011-02-12T10:41:00.001-08:00

Sunday

With a fussy head on Sunday, I joined a workshop run by Carl from Glenmore Lodge. This workshop was for Trainee MIC's and covered the problem aspects of the MIC assessment. We walked into Coire Sneachda and played on the broken ground near Mess of Pottage. The wind was string, with some considerable gusts throwing ice particles around the coire.

Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM

2011-02-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday

The weekend was packed with Mountaineering Instructors and there was a varied program available. In the morning I attended a workshop hosted by the Scottish Avalanche Information Service, which covered up-to-date thinking for evaluating avalanche conditions.

The afternoon was a much more practical session with Pete Hill (www.drytooling.co.uk), where we got to grips with the dark art of Dry Tooling.

The evening itself was the AGM, and the AMI now have compulsory CPD for full member, which is great news.

No pics from today so here's a short film of some avalanches!

Back North to Scotland

2011-02-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Friday 31 Jan

Rob and I have headed up to Aviemore for the Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM weekend. With the weather forecast looking good we travelled a day early so we could get some winter climbing done before the weekend.

On Friday we had a good start and walked into Sneachda and up the Goat Track and over to Hell's Lum. The plan was to climb Deep Cut Chimney (graded V,5), however there were 2 teams at the start of the route and we didn't like the idea of following them on such a confirmed route. The main ice routes were in the sun and look friable, so we opted for the classic of the crag - Hell's Lum (grade III).

We followed 1 team on this route (RAF boys from North Wales), and enjoyed fine climbing and a steep exist over the cornice.

With the weather being truly fantastic, we had a leisurely lunch then strolled over to Snechda, and climbed the classic Fingers Ridge (graded IV, 4). The cloud came in during this route, and the temperature dropped too. We did the route in 4 fine pitches and then walked back down the Goat Track and back to the car.

A fine day indeed.

Bryn

Back home to Wales

2011-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

I've been home for a week now and working hard at the MLT office.
All signs of winter have long gone and folks have been out on the rock on Anglesey and Tremadog - in the sun and out of the wind is not too bad.

Today I was joined by Corri, for a day of navigation training with GPS. We went around to Nant Gwynant and followed the Watkin Path up part of the way the did some mico navigation and relocation skills with the gps, map and compass and then made our way to the summit of Yr Aran and enjoyed the view for a short while.

We the followed the East ridge down with looking at entering grid-reference waypoints along the way.

A nice day out and good weather too.

Bryn

Winter Skills Intro

2011-01-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

Following the rather damp day to Ben Udlaidh, I was joined by returning client Lee and his partner Ellie, and also the husky Sasha. Lee had done some rock climbing skills with me in the past and was now keen to get the basics going to explore the more mountaineering potential.

The first day was damp and windy so we took the slow ride on the gondola on Anoach Mor and walked around the the Nid area. Here we were sheltered from the worse of the weather which allowed us to cover lost of new skills such as cramponing, ice axe arrest, avalanche evaluation etc. The snow was wet and deep at time making for hard work to get any distance! We left a little earlier incase the gondola had closed due to wind, but luckily it was still running - but very slowly, so we enjoyed the ride back (better than the walk of shame!).

The second day was for freezing levels above the summits and heavy rain and gale force wind (I love Scotland!!). We drove around to Glen Coe and walked up to Buachaille Etive Beag and found a bit of shelter near to col and practiced some basic ropework skills for winter. The weather soaked us all and by early afternoon it was time to bail and head to the warmth of my favorite pub the Clachaig Inn for a well deserved beer.

The 2 days were truly Scottish and both had learnt a lot of what the mountains can throw at you, and I hope that it didn't put them off. When Scottish winter is good, its REALLY good and when its bad, well you get wet, finish early and go to the pub!

Bryn

Beinn Udlaidh - damp!

2011-01-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

Today the weather forecast - mild and wet conditions for the West coast, and after a couple of days we were really keen to climb. The deep snow has put a stop to climbing and the avalanche conditions have contributed towards this too - stories of climbers wading through deep snow to then try and climb routes buried did not sound inviting!

Rob, Alec Dave and I headed over to Beinn Udlaidh and made the walk in, with rain and low cloud and were getting wet from the word go. On arrival in the corrie we were damp to say the least and a short walk towards the main crag revealed black crags with hardly any routes in climbable condition.

There was a short route on the way out called Tinkerbell (grade III, 4), which was in condition so we climbed this in 2 pitch as as pairs and enjoyed the ice and rain, and then made a dash for the car and coffee at the White Corries Ski centre on the way back.

A bonus day for us as we thought chances of getting a route were slim.

Bryn

Thanks to Rob for the pic.

Heavy winter on the West

2011-01-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

Well it has been snowing hard in Fort William, with many roads closed and a High avalanche warning issued for the mountains. My plans for winter climbing this week have been put on hold, and I was pleased that I had packed my skis, so headed up to Nevis Range on Aonach Mor with Rob on Monday afternoon. We enjoyed fantastic views with a clear sky and great skiing conditions.

On Tuesday, Rob and I made the walk into Steall Falls in Glen Nevis with the hope that the low altitude and relatively safe from avalanche paths would make a good choice. Unfortunately the route was not in condition, with only a little ice on the sides, so we walked back to the car and went for another afternoon on the skis and joined up with friends Andy and Dave. Once again the views were fantastic and the weather was great.

A nice couple of ski days, but keen for climbing now.
Bryn

Dinner-time Buttress, Glen Coe

2011-01-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

Today Tanya and I headed up to Glen Coe. The weather had given a lot of fresh snow over night along with some strong wind, which in turn made avalanche conditions quite high. I decided on Dinner-Time Buttress (grade II) which is a good choice under such conditions.
We followed the rib up between No1 Gully and No2 Gully and put fresh tracks into the unconsolidated snow, which was slow progress and hard work underfoot with loose scree. The weather had cleared by mid morning and we were enjoying a blue-bird day with fantastic views.
The main pitch of climbing was good fun, but again could do with some firmer snow. We continued to the col between Aonach Dubh and Stob Coire nan Lochan and then descended deep powder snow to the vague path back to the road and finished off with Nachos and a pint at the Clachaig Inn (one of my favourite pubs).

A great day in Scotland.
Bryn

Snowdon - Clogwyn y Garnedd

2011-01-07T03:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Gareth and I made the most of a good forecast and headed high up on Snowdon to climb on Clogwyn y Garnedd.
We had herd of a new route called 'Gwyn ein Byd' (grade V,5 I think?) and were keen for a blast.
Being my first real winter climb of the season, I was a little unprepared - late start, forgot the guidebook, not enough rack etc, etc!!!
On the walkin in we met friends Gruff and Greg who gave us some info on the route, and we set off. The weather was not as good as hoped and we were suspicious when it started to rain while gearing up. After nearly an hour of trying to find the route (without a guidebok!) and in poor viability, the cloud cleared and we spotted the line and went for it.

Gareth led the main pitch, which was steep and not very well protected with the rack we had with us! With a full rack this would have been better and a few more quick draws would have helped too. I was on the lower belay for what seemed like a lifetime, getting dumped on with spin-drift and shivering. Gareth made the belay and I followed up. The climbing was tricky and relied on good axe placements.

From the belay we quickly made 2 more pitches to the top and enjoyed the sunset while packing our kit away and making a hasty retreat down the PYG track.

A great start to the winter climbing season.

Bryn

Scotland - delayed for a few days

2011-01-07T03:03:00.000-08:00

I was getting ready to head to Scotland with Tanya when she had a call from a client with a change to the deadline on a big project she was working on, so decided to wait home for a couple of days - the forecast in Scotland didn't look great anyhow, and the motorway was closed due to black ice for the day.

I hooked up with a few friends and did some good road biking in the hope that it will get me started on some fitness for the big winter days looming. Thanks to Emma for the pic - she is off to New Zealand to cycle the whole length to raise money for Breast Cancer, so wish her good luck:
http://emmaevans.blogspot.com/

Bryn

Filming work

2011-01-07T02:50:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday I was employed for the day as a safety advisor and actor.
The scene was to involve a confused man trying to find his way up a mountain, who was then helped by an expert - just in case you were wondering, I played the expert - like I said, I was acting!

There were 2 cameras and a small team and we used the area above Pen y Pass and got lucky with the weather, which in turn led to a successful day.

I look forward to seeing the footage and will then make a decision if I post it on here!
Bryn

Back home to a proper winter!

2010-12-29T04:01:00.001-08:00

The winter has been fantastic!
Following the Chamonix trip I had a bit of admin to get through along with starting my Christmas shopping, but once that was all done, the fun began.

Tanya and I enjoyed a night time ski accent of the mountain road up to Moel Eilio once the full moon was out just before Christmas, which was a great way to spend the evening.

The following day Rory, Greg and myself battled heavy snow to park as hight as possible (good old Bertie the camper is 4 wheel-drive which made life pretty sweet at times) and began what was to become one of my top 5 ski days!
Check out the video:

The day following that Rob and I headed up to Moel Eilio and did a ski traverse over to Telegraph Alley and back to Llanberis. The weather was great but the snow conditions were a bit poor due to wind the previous evening. Never the less a nice day out.

Christmas eve Tanya and I headed up towards Elidir Fawr for a short ski tour - last minute preparations for Christmas was needed, but we enjoyed fresh tracks in places and a very pleasant day out.

Bryn

Chamonix video

2010-12-27T01:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a short video on the recent trip to Chamonix - enjoy!

Chamonix - ski holiday

2010-12-21T15:24:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks I have been in Chamonix with Rory. We also met up with Alun and Ian, and also skied several days with other good friends out there. The journey out was reasonable, but the journey back took 26 hours (to London!) due to snow and we had to spend 1 night in the car, and also call for recovery when the windscreen wiper flew off during a storm!

The skiing was great though! We had several days at Grand Montetes enjoying the off piste. We also did a spot of ski touring at Le Tour and a day trip to Courmayeur. New skis worked well and lots of fun was had.

Now back in Wales and more snow is falling, so the skiing aint over yet.

Bryn

Crib Coch, Dec 2010

2010-12-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago the snow arrived to Snowdonia and Tanya and I headed out to undertake one of the best winter journeys Wales has to offer - a traverse of Crib Coch in full winter conditions.

We had waited until lunchtime to head up, this allowed the potential busy route to quieten down and we had the ridge to ourselves in the fading evening light.

Bryn

Intro Hill Skills

2010-11-16T02:15:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was joined by Corri for a 2 day intro to hill skills course.
The weather last week was horrific, and by the weekend it had improved a bit, but still some bad weather forecast from the West.
On Saturday we made our way over to the Northern Carneddau, which was the area I grew up near, so it was great to go there once again. The other advantage is that the weather is generally a lot better to, and that was the case. We had strong winds to deal with, but this was ok. The day involved lots of navigation skills and mountain awareness (equipement, planning etc).

That evening I was just getting ready to have a nice night in, and the mountain rescue pager went off. I was involved in a rescue from 6pm until 2:30am which was hard going, but with a good outcome.

The following day we were out in the Northern Carneddau again. We visited Moel Wynion and made the most of the good weather and had a great day out.

Bryn

Snow arrives - time to play!

2010-11-16T01:55:00.000-08:00

Following the road biking day out, the snow arrived overnight and then the weather cleared in the morning to leave the mountains looking fantastic. This time I decided to fulfill something I have wanted to do for a while - ride from the summit of Snowdon in winter conditions.

After 2 and a bit hours of slogging up the Llanberis Path with my bike, I arrived at the summit and got a fair few odd looks from people - it was full winter, and I had my winter boots so felt quite well prepared. A spot of lunch and on with the fiull body armour, then set the watch. The plan was to ride down the Rangers Path to the road.

I set off and got a bit excited and really went for it - it nearly ended in disaster at 3 times with some dramatic, over-handle bar crashes at high speed. I had never really biked on steep snow before, and you learn very quickly that brakes do nothing no matter how hard you pull! I had to stop at least half a dozen times to get the feeling back in my arms. I carried my bike past one section, then got back on and enjoyed the lower slopes to the road - this part was very muddy and wet.

Total time from the summit to the road - 28min.

What a day - best bike ride i have ever done!
Bryn

Road biking

2010-11-16T01:48:00.000-08:00

Its that time of year when I start thinking - I need to get fit! Winter is approaching and I plan to be in the Alps and then in Scotland for a lot of this. Usually a bit of mountain biking helps the process, but I will have to admit now that I got myself a roadbike a few months ago (apparently its the new thing for mid-life crisis!!). So far I have used it a fair few times (mainly to get to the Mountain Leader Training office in Capel Curig when I'm working there), but there are conditions of use - it must be dry roads, and not windy!

Last weekend Tanya, Lynne and I set off from sunny Waunfawr and cycled down to Beddgelert then onto Nant Gwynant cafe (big breafst was had). Next stop was Pen y Pass, which marks the end of the the climbing on the route, before a speedy decsent of the Llanberis Pass and down to Llanberis and home to Waunfawr. A great day out, but a bit cold at times.

Bryn

Mountain Leader Refresher

2010-11-16T01:42:00.000-08:00

I had 2 days out on recently on a private Mountain Leader refresher course. The first day was spent near Cwm Idwal where we looked at various rope techniques in what can only be described as 'hideous' weather. Never the less, it was a great day, and quite dramatic watching the water lift off the lake and blast any walkers who were near!

The following day we went to the Moelwynion range. The forecast was for severe gale force winds. we managed to get a bit of shelter on the lee side of the hills and did lost of navigation on 1:25k, and 1:50k maps.

A great couple of days out ti blow the cobwebs away!

Bryn

Single Pitch Award training

2010-10-30T03:33:00.000-07:00

Following the trad climbing course, I ran a 2 days Single Pitch Award Training course.
During the first day we went to Lion Rock to look at the ways to set up bottom ropes for taking groups climbing and also a revision on gear placements and problem solving techniques. We were blessed with good weather on this day, and we finished the day at the Beacon Climbing Centre with some teaching skills.

The following day we went over to Holyhead Mountain. This great venue is perfect fr the personal climbing skills part of the course and the guys each lead a climb and then we moved to doing some abseiling skills.

A great course, with keen and enthusiastic climbers.
Bryn

Intro to Trad Climbing

2010-10-22T11:54:00.001-07:00

Last week I was joined by Lee and Glenn who had done a fair bit of indoor climbing and were super keen to learn the ropes and tack up traditional rock climbing.

The first day we went to Lion Rock and looked at gear placements and belay setups, and in the afternoon, we did a 4 pitch climb to the top, with the guys leading and building belays.

The following day we went round to Tryfan Bach. The forecast was to worsen as the day went on - which is did!
The guys led 2 multi pitch routes with me along side, and both did really well and we finished, a bit damp and with the crag to ourselves, as all other teams had left once the rain arrived.

A great couple of days out.
Bryn

Spot of climbing

2010-10-22T04:17:00.000-07:00

Things have been really busy of late - lots of running around, but despite this we have managed to get some climbing done.
Since Tanya's first few lead climbs she has done a few more at Tryfan Bach and Tremadog. We have also had a nice sunny afternoon on the North Wales Limestone, where the warmth of the sunshine made it feel quite like the South of France!

Daylight hours are drastically getting short, so here's a pic of Tanya (head torch at the ready) finishing a dusk ascent of Boo Boo at Tremadog. We did this after a visit to South Wales, and dashed back to get a quick route done.

Happy days!
Bryn

nb. I'll be programming my winter stuff for Scotland soon :o)

SPA Assessment

2010-10-22T04:05:00.000-07:00

I was joined by Christine and Frank for their SPA assessment a few weeks ago.
With high winds forecast we went for the shelter of Clogwyn Cyrrau near Betws y Coed. The first day was spent doing personal climbing skills, before heading off to the climbing wall for the evening to look at group management and belaying skills.
The second day was spent at Lion Rock, where we covered group climbing and abseiling skills and problem solving.
I'm pleased to say that both had prepared well and passed the course.
Best of luck to them both.
Bryn

SPA Assessment

2010-09-19T03:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I was joined by Sarah and Dom for their Single Pitch Award Assessment.
We had 2 good days out - the first at Clogwyn Cyrrau near Betws y Coed, where the guys did some lead climbing and abseiling skills. The second day was at Lion Rock and the Beacon Climbing Centre, where we looked at group supervision and teaching skills.

I am pleased to say that both passed the course and I wish them well with their climbing in the fututre.

Bryn

Gritstone weekend

2010-09-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Tanya and I met up with friends Gareth and Charly in the Peak District from a weekend of climbing.
We took the camper van and stayed near Hathersage on Friday night, and on Saturday we started with a great breakfast in Outside cafe, then went on to enjoy a day bouldering at the Plantation area of Stanage.

On Sunday Gareth and Tanya did their first lead climbs at Burbage North. A great effort and enjoyed with good weather too.

Great weekend - will be planning the next trip soon.
Bryn

Sunny scrambling skills

2010-09-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I was working for Rob Johnson on a scrambling course.
I was joined by Paul and George, and we had a quite National Park and great weather so spoilt for choice.
We ended up taking a walk into Cwm Glas and scrambling up Clogwyn y Person Arete. This is one of my top 3 scrambles in Snowdonia, and we enjoyed dry rock and great views.

We returened down Crib Coch and followed the NW Ridge back to the Llanberis Pass. We did meet a few folks on Crib Coch who were a bit wobbly and offered a few words of encouragement, and hope that they had a good day out, and maybe will visit some of the outdoor shops to buy some decent footwear for their next visit.

A grand day out.
Bryn

Bank holiday fun

2010-09-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

I try not to work on the bank holidays as Snowdonia turns into a wildlife safari park and every crag and peak is mobbed. So we took the opportunity to visit friends and family near London for the weekend.

We did however take climbing gear, and made a sneaky visit to the crags above Llangollen on the journey there and the journey back.

Tanya and I managed a few sport routes on both visits, but on the return visit the midges got the last say, so we left early.

Bryn

AMI Workshop

2010-09-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

On the Tuesday I joined 2 more AMI trainees to cover a day of self rescue and problem solving. The first problem was the weather!
We went round to Tryfan Bach to try and get some shelter, but the rain and wind was kicking-off big time. The crag started with several teams and in the end we were the only team still there as the sensible ones had legged it to the cafe - but not us, we had rescues to practice!

Well done to both for surviving the day and best of luck for their upcoming assessments.
Bryn

AMI Workshop

2010-08-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

On Monday I was working for the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) on a trainee members workshop. The theme was roped scrambling and short roping skills, and we had true Welsh summer weather - rain and wind!
I worked with Angela and John, and we visited the Milestone Buttress and followed a scramble route up onto the North Ridge of Tryfan. We covered various issues around taking people scrambling and looked at common problems and a variety of rope techniques.

All the best to them both with their upcoming assessment.

Bryn

Weekend rock climbing

2010-08-23T00:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was joined by new clients Tom and Ali. Both are keen climbers and were keen for some further input into their ropework skills so they could start venturing further into the mountains for bigger adventures.

On Saturday we went over the Milestone Buttress in Ogwen. It was a sunny day so there were lots of people around and after a short wait we climbed Pulpit Route (Diff) and descended into the gully just before the Ivy Chimney.

The following day we went to Tremadog and climbed Bramble Buttress (V Diff) and Boo Boo (V Diff). We did a abseil retreat from the top of Boo Boo in two sections to finish the weekend off. We enjoyed a very warm day on the crags and great views across the coast.

A nice weekends climbing.

Bryn

The sun shines on Anglesey!

2010-08-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

I was joined by returning client Peter for 2 days of climbing. We have done lots of days out together over the last couple of years so it is always great to see how folks progress.

On the first day we went to Holyhead Mountain. This crag is a good choice when the weather looks a bit iffy. We enjoyed a dry day and managed 5 routes in total, with Peter leading 2 of these.

The second day saw a weather warning in place and some very heavy rain and strong wind. We walked into Cwm Idwal, hoping that we could get a route on Idwal Slabs done, but once there is was clear this was not an option! So we walked back and had a coffee and decided to re-schedule.

2 very different days in deed!

Bryn

Single Pitch Award training

2010-08-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was joined by Serinde, Mills and Jim. All were keen climbers and were now starting the SPA scheme.

The first day we went to Lion Rock and covered lots of technical rope-work which would be used to supervise a group on a single pitch crag. We also looked at common problems and aslo abseiling skills. Later that evening we went over to the Beacon climbing centre and looked at how to run a climbing session at an indoor climbing wall.

The Second day we went to Holyhead Mountain for a spot of personal climbing and also some consolidation from yesterdays new skills. We enjoyed a very sunny day, which has been a rare think during the last couple of weeks.

All in all a great course with an enthusiastic bunch of climbers.

Bryn

A nice day cragging in Tremadog

2010-08-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

I was joined by John and Neil for a days rock climbing. Both had done some lead climbing in the past and were keen to further their skills in becoming established climbers. So to start the day properly we had a coffee in V12 and talked about climbing, then decided to head to Tremadog. This crag is really close to the road which avoids any kind of walk-in, and has a cafe for lunch - the climbing aint to bad either.

The guys led Oberon (sev) and we looked at tidying up the rope-work skills and making belays and change overs more efficient. After a cheese toastie in Eric's cafe, the guys led Yogi (HS 4b) and then we arranged a abseil.

All in all we did lots of rope-work and hopefully the guys picked up lots of new skills to make their climbing more efficient.

Bryn

South Wales adventures!

2010-08-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a couple of days work with MLTW at the National Eisteddfod in South Wales. Following that we drove on to Pembrokeshire for a mini break in the camper van.
We stayed on the beach at Freshwater West and had 2 days of surfing in reasonable conditions, then went for a days climbing at Porth Clais and then on to St Govan's for another day of climbing. After a day here the rain moved in and the waves went flat, so we travelled on to Mid-Wales to Mum's house and did 3 days of mountain biking at the Nant yr Arian forestry centre.

Back home now in North Wales, and the wet August is definitely the theme!

Bryn

Summer showers

2010-07-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

Between the showers of the summer Tanya and I have been trying to get some climbing done, but its been tricky with the rain and wind of late. Last week a jolly day trip to Llandudno for some bolt clipping ended up in coffee and cake by the seaside as the rain even reached there!

We have managed a few routes and the best of these included Toy Soldiers - a very long route at f6a, and Seamstress (VS 4c). We have spent some time indoors at the Beacon, which for this time of year can be depressing!

The rest of the time I have been working on developments on the website which I am pretty close to uploading. Improvements to the Instructor Courses pages and course dates for my Single Pitch Award courses will be online for the rest of this year and 2011. A new feature too of MLTA CPD courses and also Hill Skills course dates will be added.

The summer holidays have also arrived, and with that the rescue team pagers have been busy bleeping away, so this has occupied a fair bit of time for me. The rescue team is up to 80 incidents for 2010.

We are off to South Wales later this week to the National Eisteddfod, then on to Devon. Only taking basic climbing gear as the main aim is to surf as much as possible, but may be a chance to climb somewhere along the way.

Catch you soon,
Bryn

Upcoming SPA courses

2010-07-18T01:34:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,
I have a couple of courses upcoming soon which have some spaces available:

TRAINING
14-15th August

ASSESSMENT
9-10th October

I can run courses on dates to suit for groups of 4 people. So if you have a few friends or colleagues who are interested then get in touch and we'll sort some dates. Courses are based in North Wales, but private courses can be arranged in other areas of the UK.

For more information on the SPA Scheme visit the MLT website.

Get in touch fir details if you are interested:

07815 144 874
info@dragonmountainskills.com

Chilled slate afternoon

2010-07-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

Last Monday afternoon Tanya and I were joined by friends Gareth and Charly for a spot of climbing.
As ever the day started slowly and with some lunch at Pete's Eats, coffee and shopping at V12, then on to Bus Stop quarry.

A nice chilled out day.
Bryn

Birthday climbing course

2010-07-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was joined by Mark, who had recieved a 2 day private climbing course for his birthday.
The first day heavy rain and wind had arrived to Snowdonia, so we spent a day at the Beacon Climbing Centre doing loads of climbing and getting Mark lead climbing too. We also had trainee instructor Paul with us. After a whole day there and knackered arms Mark finished the day with a great lead fall while trying to clip the lower-off - a spectacular finish to the first day!

The second day we visited the Milestone Buttress in Ogwen, and Paul took the lead and structured a days climbing for Mark. We climbed Rowan Route (V Diff) and also did the first pitch of Direct Route (V Diff) and then abseiled off.

2 very contrasting days and all good fun.

Bryn

4 New SPA holders!

2010-07-09T12:06:00.001-07:00

Last week I worked with Carly, Casey, Steve and Mark who were all attending a Single Pitch Award assessment course with me here in Snowdonia.
We had a day at Holyhead Mountain were the guys enjoyed climbing for the day and the second day was spent at Lion Rock and the Beacon Climbing Centre covering group supervision skills.

I'm very pleased to say everyone passed the course, and I wish them all the best with upcoming adventures.

Bryn

Charlie and the Magic Mountain

2010-07-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Charlie was visiting from London - a great friend and very talented photographer.

We had a days climbing at Holyhead Mountain - a magic place on a sunny day. The crag has fantastic amounts of routes at all grades including single and multi pitch routes.

We climber Black & Tan (VS 4c) and Bruvers (HVS 5a). A great way to spend the afternoon.

That evening we joined several friends at a birthday party and enjoyed BBQ burgers and beers.

Sunday had a slow start and the rain arrived once again, so we opted for some mountain biking action down at Coed y Brenin.

Bryn

Llech Drws y Coed

2010-07-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last week Tanya and I took a day off to enjpy the sunshine while it was forecast - rain moving in!

We decided to make the most of where we live and visit a crag just down the road. The crag is called Llech Drws y Coedand one description of the venue states:

'Very nice single pitch Slab climbing upto 25m height at Drws-Y-Coed in snowdonia. Excelent friction due to lack of polish and quartz in the rock. Rock is very stable unlike many of the multipitch climbs in the area.'

For more info visit UKC.

By the time we got there after some maintenance on the camper van (needed a dry day to do some rust work), coffee and cake we only then had a chance for a quick route before the rain started to come in - earlier than forecast.

We climbed a HVS 4c called Ffion Gwyn, which was a 1 star route and a bit run-out.

Bryn

Eastern Arete, Y Garn

2010-06-30T03:20:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Tanya and I went over to Rhyd Ddu and made the sweaty walk-in to bottom of Eastern Arete (this is a classic mountain V-Diff which was first done in 1905 by Hasket-Smith). The route follows a ridge pretty much to the summit and is exposed and has lots of loose rock and a very tricky last pitch.

We then had lunch on the summit and enjoyed the views before heading down for a pint.
Bryn

Rescue team summer BBQ

2010-06-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team gathered in Nant Peris for a summer BBQ.
It was a great evening and nice to spend time with the members without being out on a call-out. The RAF guys dropped in too for some burgers, and we also managed to sell a few burgers to hungry climbers who were passing by!

Bryn

Navigation Skills

2010-06-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was working for my mate Rob (Expedition Guide). I was running a 2 day hill skills course from Capel Curig.

On the first day we went around Crimpiau near Capel and covered lots of navigation skills, including pacing, timing, measuring distance and planning.

The second day we went to the Moelwyniau, and climbed a great hill called Cnicht. The guys did a good job on their navigation skills and we enjoyed 2 days of excellent weather (not great for navigation - but who's complaining!).

Bryn

Evening in Ogwen

2010-06-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last week Gareth and I headed up to Clogwyn y Tarw near Cwm Idwal after work for some evening climbing in the sun.

Gareth had his eye on a route called Trouble with Lichen (E1 5b). The route follows a steep crack which is quite a tough with no real rests for placing gear.

He got to the top in good style and I followed, and felt glad that I was seconding (after a day on the Idwal Slabs already done, my feet were getting sore!).

A real good route, but we both thought was closer to E2 5c, when compared to other classics around the area.

Bryn

2 day climbing course

2010-06-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Last week I was joined by Henry and Chris. We had 2 days booked for adventures as the guys had done very little before (Chris had done some stuff with me a few years ago).

On the first day we went to Tremadog and climbed Oberon and Yogi. This was a good intro to climbing and quite a satisfaction to get straight onto multi-pitch terrain. A pleasant day was had with lunch in Eric's Cafe too.

The following day we went up to Cwm Idwal and climbed Tennis Shoe (graded at Hard Severe), but crossed into the Ordinary Route to finish off. We had a great time and enjoyed hanging out eating sandwiches while on one of the belays.

A great couple of days was had and I hope to see them out and about sometime soon.

Bryn

Sunny evening at the Milestone

2010-06-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

Tanya and I headed off to the Milestone Buttress after work last week. The Milestone catches the evening sun so makes for a perfect destination for a route.
We set off up the Super Direct first pitch (VS 4c), which is great climbing at then joined into Director Route and followed this to the top.
A great evening was had and several other teams were also out enjoying the sun.

Bryn

Cragging in sunny Tremadog

2010-06-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Last Monday Gareth and I went for an afternoons climbing in Tremadog.
There were a couple of single pitch routes that I had been keen to do for some time.
Having forgot the guidebook (and my lunch!) I set-off up what I hoped was Gwaed (welsh worked for blood - hmm), which is E1 5b. A few minutes later I was below the main overhang and unsure which was to go, but settled for left, which led to a great position and a massive 'thank god hold' over the lip of the roof.

The next route Gareth led, which was Chwys (E1 5b). This was very steep to and had a hard move past a old, rusty peg, which caused a moment of thought before making the high step up. Our thoughts were that this should probably be E2 5c, so we'll await the arrival of the new upcoming Tremadog guidebook and see what the up-to-date consensus is.

Bryn

Teaching multi-pitch climbing

2010-06-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Following our day of rescue skills with Alun and Wil, we were joined by Geordie for a sunny day at Tremadog.
This day was aimed at teaching multi-pitch climbing to new climbers. All 3 are preparing for their upcoming assessment and were keen for some input into this element.
We climbed Christmas Curry in 4 pitches and managed to covers lots of skills on this great climb. Following this route we looked at descents and then teaching lead climbing skills and retreating from crags. We did this at the Oberon slab and enjoyed a bit of shade.
A great day out and I wish them all the best of luck in September.

Bryn

Self rescue skills

2010-06-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Last week I was joined by Alun and Wil.
Both have completed their MIA Training and were now keen to refresh skills and consolidate before going for assessment in September.
The areas we covered on this day were the problem solving. Things like abseiling past a knot, prussicing up a rope, hauling a second up and assisting an injured climber down.
We went to Tryfan Bach and used most of the crag to setup these scenarios and the weather had cooled a bit so kept the midges away.

Bryn

Evening Rescue

2010-06-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

On Saturday eve the Llanberis Mountain Rescue were call to assist 2 climbers who were having difficulty on Clogwyn Du Arddu ( a massive crag on the slopes of Snowdon).

We drove round to a point were we could see the cliff and used the telescope to see what was happening. By this time 2 other climbers were able to get to the stranded couple and help them down. As a back-up we started walking in towards the crag incase we needed to intervene.

Luckily the 2 other climbers managed to sort the problem out - so a big thanks to them for their efforts.

Bryn

Self Rescue Workshop

2010-06-08T23:56:00.001-07:00

On Saturday I was working for Smart Climbing (a holistic approach to climbing performance workshop).
The part I was delivering was the self rescue and problem solving skills.
I used Lion Rock as my venue for the day as I have different teams in the morning and afternoon. We practiced safe abseiling skills, prussic skills and assisted hoists.

The weather was fine and sunny and the groups were good fun to work with.

Bryn

Evening climbing

2010-06-08T23:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I got out a couple of evenings. First I went to Penmaenhead in Old Colwyn with Rob and did a handful of sport routes in the evening sun.

On Friday eve Gareth and I wen to Craig Du in the Llanberis Pass and climbed Orpheus (a steep and bold E2 5b). Gareth led the crux pitch in good style and led the middle pitch. The last pitch Gareth took a diversion (aiming for the 4c pitch but ended up on another route and finishing up a E3 6a pitch - a lot harder than we had planned to do and a great eve out.

A quick pint in the Vaynol was had to finish a great evening.

Bryn

Cragging!

2010-06-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

With the nice stable weather Tanya and I decided to take a day off and went cragging. We were joined by Alun and headed to the slate. I was keen to have a relaxing day and wanted to climb at the Sidings Level as I had not really climbed here before.

We started in true style with coffee at V12.

We climbed around 4 routes each and were baked by the strong sun (not expected), so a early finish was needed.

A really nice day - if a tad hot!

Bryn

AMI Workshop

2010-06-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last week I worked for the AMI (Association of Mountaineering Instructors) delivering their Trainee Workshop. AMI Trainees are preparing for their MIA (Mountaineering Instructor Award) assessment.

The first day was damp and cloudy, so we headed into Cwm Idwal to cover short roped scrambling skills. We covered lots of skills but unfortunately had to finish early as one of the group took a small tumble and sustained facial injuries, and so a visit to the hospital was needed!

The second day I was pleased that we had a full group and opted for a day at Tryfan Bach. We were joined by lots of families and groups who were all out enjoying the half term. We worked on further scrambling skills then went onto climbing terrain and ran through various rescues and problems.

Bryn

Bank Holiday Weekend

2010-06-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

The bank holiday weekend was great here in Snowdonia. We had friends visit from London and we took them for a stroll up Moel Eilio, which is the extension to our back garden and enjoyed the view and then went on to Llanberis for lunch at Pete's Eats, coffee in V12 and ice cream at Georgios!
The same evening a gentle wind was blowing so a visit to the beach was had for some kite flying while the sun set.

Bryn

Tremadog part 2

2010-06-03T23:57:00.000-07:00

After our failed attempt at Tremadog we went to visit mother down in Mid-Wales. On the way home we went via Tremadog and were blessed with fine conditions and an empty crag.
We were a bit short of time so went for Grim Wall area. We did the first pitch (VS 4c) which is great climbing and takes you to a really nice belay stance. From here we did the second pitch of Grim Wall direct (E1 5b - probably closer to HVS 5b though). This great pitch is steep and well protected with some fantastic moves.
We abseiled off and ran home as we needed to get ready for meeting friends for dinner.

Bryn