Mike, Maria and I decided that kicking off the new year with a jaunt up North was a good idea and based on an optimistic MWIS forecast we packed climbing gear, warm clothes and headtorches; and pottered up to Crianlarich YH – arriving in time for a quick look at… Continue reading
THREE OLD COVES Two old coves (Loch and Andrew) headed up into Brown Cove (Crag) on Helvellyn on 12th December.. Easy gulley, good neve, excellent views. Continue reading
GRAMPIAN GLORIES October 6th and 7th, 2012 “I’m a little Teapot, short and stout…….” A clear though windy day in early autumn, and a steady pull from Loch Muick up to the summit of Lochnagar at 1155 metres. The last time I was here, had been via the Stuic ridge,… Continue reading
An Ambush* of Tigers Little Chamonix, Borrowdale (23 September 2012) (*The collective noun for a group of tigers is an ambush, which I think seems fitting!) After investing in tiger outfits for Pete’s 30th birthday party in Keswick, the opportunity for some tiger-based climbing action seemed too good to… Continue reading
SANDWOOD BAY AND CAPE WRATH…… SEPTEMBER 2012 The noise. Like being next to a busy motorway it was thunderous, deep, incessant, and tinged with menace. In the aftermath of an Atlantic storm, the surf of Sandwood Bay heaved and banged and rolled. Near to the most northwesterly… Continue reading
Andy and I have managed to get in a couple of pretty special days despite the criminal weather that we have endured this month. A couple of Fridays ago an excellent outing to Middlefell Buttress in Langdale (with the obligatory pint in the Old Dungeon Ghyll after). Then on the… Continue reading
Monte Rosa & Mattertal 2012 Maria and I were lucky enough to have 3 weeks in the Alps this year. We based ourselves in Täsch (a few km away from Zermatt), and managed to get ourselves up a reasonable few mountains during the trip (in between the fondu eating and beer… Continue reading
KLETTERSTEIG IN THE TYROL The suncream came out in the afternoon heat at Munich Airport, where I met York MC’s longest serving expat., Jack Pezzey, now an Australian. However by early evening the Tyrol was resounding to Gotterdammerung as the thunderstorm boomed and cracked and the rain came… Continue reading
FLYING THE FLAG ON FAR-FLUNG FOINAVEN June 2nd to 5th 2012 Foinaven, Foinaven…… some hill that one ! It’s very big, very rocky, very remote. I had seen the long grey bulk of Foinaven from Ben Hope, and it stood as a compelling objective in the furthest possible northwest… Continue reading
Cuillin Ridge Traverse, June 2012 After a sprained ankle scuppered Maria’s attempt at the Cuillin Ridge in May, and my attempt with Dave & Brian ended with a bail-out at Sgurr a’ Mhaidaidh, there was only one way for us to spend a sunny Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend… Rather than… Continue reading
