Peak Mountaineering
The climbing blog of Paul Lewis
November 16, 2008 at 11:11 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
Yep, it all been about assessment this weekend. As part of our annual CPD programme I headed over to Snowdonia to attend the ‘Mountain Assessors Workshop’. This is a 2 day workshop for anyone involved with assessing others in the mountain environment - and the weekend certainly involved plenty of discussion, assessment, more discussion and a bit more assessment.
Luckily, it’s also quite a practical weekend. So we enjoyed a fine day out around the Horns today putting a variety of the latest assessment techniques into practice - good news for anyone we work with on assessed courses in the future.
Oh dear. I count 10 uses of derivatives of the word assess in this posting…oops - there’s another! I assess that to be overuse of the word assess….oops - there’s another 2! I better quit while the going’s good!
Have a great week,
Cheers,
Paul
November 14, 2008 at 8:57 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
I’m gonna write it in a thatched beach hut on a beautiful sun drenched African beach!
In my dreams! That African hut seems like a distant memory as I sit in the office looking out at lashing rain - but the bit about writing is at least correct!
Much of this week has been spent on the boring stuff - accounts, admin and more admin shaken up with a stack of emails and a sprinkling of phone calls, but it has also given me a chance to finish the report from the BMC Technical Conference and to iron out some glitches on an upcoming article about responsible wild camping. Both of them will soon be winging their way to various publications and should be up and running on the website in the next few days too.
I can’t stay inside all the time (not good for creativity!) so earlier in the week I headed out for a fine days multipitch action in Wales with returning clients Ellen and Sue. We had a great day at Tremadog enjoying ascents of Christmas Curry and Oberon - as well as a fine cake eating contest at the end of the day. Sue was looking victorious after the carrot cake but Ellen managed to force down a final slice of flapjack to scrape victory - awesome climbing and phenomenal cake consumption!
Cal and I also met up with long lost buddy Steve at the awesomeness that is Awesome Walls in Stockport for some middle of the day resin action on Thursday. Its all very civilised when you are sharing the place with just a handful of people and we even managed a bit of cake action there too - although nothing to worry professionals like Ellen and Sue. Awesome Wall is all looking very sorted now and it really is worth a visit if you’re one of the 8 people left in the solar system that hasn’t had a chance to check it out yet!
A final bit of outdoor action (all to aid the writing creativity you understand) was a ride in the Hope Valley with Si on Friday. Only 3 hours of riding but throw in Si’s infamous technical challenges and it felt a whole lot longer!
November 9, 2008 at 4:24 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
Ashdown Forest
I’m just travelling back from the Ashdown Forest where I’ve spent the last 4 days running an expedition training course for a team heading for Borneo next year. The course covered a whole range of skills they may need during their trip including medical issues, equipment choice, navigation, dealing with emergencies, river crossings and hammock use.
Its been a full on few days, especially with the torrential rain that hit the area, but at least it prepared the team for their time in the rainforest! A great team with some exciting objectives planned - my very best wishes for a happy and successful expedition.
November 6, 2008 at 4:08 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
No. Not the quality cbeebies show. This bits and bobs is just a few things we wanted to tell everyone! So here goes…
- If you missed the heads up about this on our ‘latest news’ section, here it is again…Decathlon are selling the excellent Suunto Altimax Altimeter (or wrist computer as they like to call it!) at the bargain basement price of £79.95. I used one of these for years and always found it to be a brilliant altimeter with all the functions you need amd none that you don’t. True, there is no compass, but in my mind that’s a positive thing - You’ll be carrying one anyway so why have an electronic one as well? A quality altimeter and an absolute snip. Highly recommended.
- Our latest newsletter should be hitting everyone’s inbox next week. If you want to be on our mailing list please fill in your details on the newsletter subscription page or email your details to us. All the latest Peak Mountaineering news and some bargain course details too. Tell your friends and we’ll send them one too!
- Lastly, we are planning a Christmas climbing quiz to be publicised on the website as well as via UKClimbing. Watch this space and be ready for some brain teasing action - and no confering!
That’s it for now.
Cheers,
Paul
November 4, 2008 at 4:49 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
Gate sign around the Ladybower Reservoir
The window of our office is directly behind our computers. This makes it a light and airy office………but when the weather is good you sometimes find yourself looking outside more than at the screen!
Today was no exception. So, despite a pile of admin and 2 articles to write, I bailed out at lunchtime for a lap of the Ladybower Circuit. Perfect bike therapy. The Derwent Valley is looking fantastic at the moment and the ride was just what I needed to clear the cobwebs. Now I’m back at my desk and its dark outside……no excuses for not concentrating then!!
Cheers,
Paul
November 3, 2008 at 9:53 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
The family have been out for some gritstone action today. No new routes but a lot of fun!
November 2, 2008 at 7:53 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
The final camp at Llyn Bochlywd
Occasionally it happens on Summer Mountain Leader training courses that run in Spring and Autumn…………on my own Mountain Leader assessment many years ago we had sleet, hail and arctic conditions for most of the week. I’ve spent the last few days helping on a mountain leader training course and the same thing - snow down to 500 metres across Snowdonia and a very very wintery feel to the mountains.
Lauren, Georgina, Helen and Heather bravely stuck it out and we covered all areas of the syllabus using a variety of locations in the Peak District and North Wales. For me the highlight of these courses is seeing how candidates develop in confidence and gain an understanding of the broad remit of the award - now the team need to spend time consolidating all those skills before presenting themselves for assessment when they feel ready.
Thanks for a great week and thanks to World Challenge in Buxton for the work.
October 29, 2008 at 10:19 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
Cal and I have been out at Stanage plantation for some very wintery bouldering this morning. But….and I know my mates will rib me for this….we deserted the great outdoors and retreated to the great indoors this afternoon.
Numb fingers and a temperature gauge that absolutely refused to move above 2 degrees gave us enough reason (in our minds at least!) to head to The Edge climbing wall in Sheffield. Great routes and great cake…..and I can feel my fingers again! Thats better!
Charlie also called to say far more snow has fallen in Snowdonia today….anyone for an early winter skills course!
October 28, 2008 at 10:01 pm · Filed under peak mountaineering
Okay. So I admit I’ve pinched the title for this blog posting from a Steve House article in the latest Patagonia catalogue - but it does rather sum up the need to keep things moving today……………
I’ve been scrambling over in Snowdonia and was as caught out as everyone else by snow…and plenty of it! Cal and I were joined by returning client Jake and we had a great time on North Ridge and Bristly Ridge. Jake is a man of steel and a little snow simply added to the ‘gnarl factor’ of his day - what a star!
More snow is forecast in Snowdonia so predictions of a full on winter may not be far of the mark!
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