27th / 28th July - Wild camping and Wainwrights

More rain, but still we wandered upwards... with So, Kate, Angela and Muzz, we left the van at Bridgend and followed the path up below Angletarn Pikes to Angletarn where we pitched 3 Vaudes; one for each year, 05 to 07! The rain that had been falling since early afternoon carried on well into the wee hours resulting in the evenings conversation becoming more of a shouting match between tents and against the sound of the rain.

"Tweaked" panorama of the Helvellyns from High Street

Before breakfast I made a quick dash over The Nab and Rest Dodd; back to eat and strike camp before we headed up toward the High Street Ridge. Kate and So had had enough by the time we were under Satura Crag and decided to bale out, arranging to collect the van and meet later at pub by Brotherswater. Angela, Muzz and I carried on, over High Street, Thornthwaite Crag and Gray Crag before dropping down to Hartsop and along the road to the pub.

Me and Muzz heading to Gray Crag, Rest Dodd in the distance

Threshthwaite Cove from above Hartsop

July 8th / 12th - Wet 'n windy in Snowdonia

Off for a long weekend camping outside Bethgellert; coincidentaly I had a meeting in Warrington the day before I was meant to meet Gary, Allan and Rufus in Betws y Coed! After a brew we drove over the pass to Bethgelert and spent the afternoon walking in the Glaslyn Gorge before going back to the campsite, and pitching tents. Angela and D'Arcy let us know that they were going to be arriving late and so we nipped back to Llanberis and made the most of the evening in Pete's Eats.

It was wet and cool come morning, so we dossed about over breakfast then decided to go to the Ogwen Valley and up to the Slabs. Ange and Allan followed me up Hope (or Faith, or Charity??) while D'Arcy and Gary explored the top of the cwm / waited with the dogs, depending on your point of view! Getting off the crag, as ever, was the hardest bit, with Ange preferring the abseil to scrambling down the usual decent route. Being pretty damp and certainly not particularly warm, it was a unanimous deciscion that saw us back at Pete's for dinner!

Another overcast morning, so a few hours in Port Merion let the clouds blow over before getting the rock boots on for a few hours playing on the slabs of Tryfan Fach.

Finally, the weather was meant have cleared - but this is Snowdonia and it didn't. At least the rain stayed off until we arrived at the Pen y Pass car park; then it decided to do the shower / sunshine / shower thing that leaves everyone pondering what to wear! Up Snowdon by the Miner's path, down the Watkin (I'd dumped my car at the bottom of Cwm Llan) with good views low on the both the Miner's and Watkin tracks, but the summit, with its extensive building works, shrouded in thick clag.

First view into Cwm Llan from the Watkin path

That's that then; back to Bethgellert for a couple of beers and our last night before I had to head North and the rest of the team made their seperate ways south. A good weekend, not at all compromised by the weather.

Saturday 7th July - Wild camp at Blind Tarn

Angela, Muzz and Kate, just below cloudbase, Blind Tarn below Dow Crag. We walked in from Walna Scar car-park through some miserable, clarty drizzle, but the clouds lifted as we gained height and we were able to pitch in relative dryness. The wine came out before I started to cook and by the time it was dark the three of us were quite the worse for wear!

Time to catch breath, Blind Tarn

Still wet by morning and we just dropped the tents and legged it back to the car, stripped wet kit off and headed back to Over Kellet where we re-packed all our gear into various vehicles before I sped down the M6 en route to Snowdonia...

Dear reader, a word of advice.... When in a hurry to get off the hill and away, remember to put your boots in the car rather than under it. This will save you driving off and leaving a £140 worth of brand new size 9's in the bloody carpark!

30th June / 6th July - ML Training week

Summer Mountain Leader training at Dallam; how long has it taken me to get off my ass and do this? Far too long, but better late than never... A good bunch in the main, Andy, Big Andy, Liz, Reese, Stephen, and our instructors Ian and Robin.

Day One was given over to Navigation around Low Torver Common in heavy rain followed by classroom based work on navigation and weather. A good day, getting to know each other, but hard work in the persistent, heavy rain with more due over the rest of the week.

Day Two and more heavy rain. Up to Coniston and the Walna Scar car park where we split into two groups for a day of leadership and more navigation. From the moment we left the path, just west of Boo Tarn, we were in, at best 50m visibility as well as heavy drizzle or rain. Taking it in turns to lead the group, navigate and providing a commentary on local flora and fauna made for an interesting day; luckily I stumbled across a skylark's nest with hatchlings during my spell in front, so brownie points for that (luck rather than judgement though!). A short lunch break and haul up and over the summit, followed by a descent from Goats Hause and the Walna Scar track saw us back at the bus, drying off and getting ready for tea and buns before an evening session looking at the legalities of Mountain Leadership.

A day in the clouds...

Coniston Old Man - some view!

Day Three and after a quick briefing we piled into the bus and drove over to the Kirkstone Pass for a few hours looking at security on steep ground, protecting each other manually and with ropes. The last part of the session was given over to abseiling using just ropes; a new South African technique made for the easiest and most pain-free method I've yet come across. Back to Dallam for a brew then out again to the hill above the village and improvised carries and stretchers rounded off the outdoors work for the day. More classroom work (First Aid, sourcing information, planning, etc.) and we were done - a good day with plenty of learning points.

Day Four and it was still hissing down! We were on the hunt for a stream to cross of course and it was so frustrating to find that everything was steaming, well on the way to bankfull levels, and there I am on the hill instead of in my kayak! Needless to say there was more rain and a real struggle to find a river low enough to play in. We eventually ended up out in the Dales in Bardondale where we got thoroughly wet crossing a small beck in a variety of ways. Don't heavy willow poles come in handy? And how common they are out in the hills...! Back at Dallam, after drying off and another brew and buns session, we sorted who / what and why we were packing to take on the overnight expedition planned for the following day. Much amusement at my Wendy tent / Telegraph sleeping mat / cooking arrangement suggestions; all worked well though and I ended up carrying my own kit and going solo... Interesting discussion about food and nutrition; Big Andy volunteered to carry the wine box!

Day Five and the dreaded expedition and night navigation exercise. Our group drove over to Gatesgarth Farm and, after putting waterproofs on in the car park (yes, it was still tipping down), headed up into Burtness Combe and the NW ridge onto High Stile. Plenty of practise on steep, broken ground and all taking our turn in front, navigating and route finding in cloud with occasional breaks and views into Buttermere; this was probably the most enjoyable day so far. Still in cloud as we made the top of High Stile, we followed the ridge, easy walking to High Crag and the steep drop to Scarth Gap. Liz was having problems with her knees so we took a ten minute break here before gong back up the hill and over Haystacks. The weather began to clear and, for the first time, we were walking with decent visibility. Just as well as we worked our way around Blackbeck Tarn and on to our campsite at Great Round How where my pack was quickly dumped and a brew going while the tent went up and overnight gear sorted. Both groups were camping in the same area and, once we had been "inspected" by the intructors, a sociable evening was had, set off by a spectacular sunset and Robins harmonica playing. A good feed on veggy cous cous and fresh brewed coffee and an early night set me up for the midnight call and night nav. exercise.

Big Andy and Liz get a brew on, Great Round How

Sunset over the Buttermere Fells

Night nav. was all we'd been led to believe; wandering around in circles, in the rain, cross country with random instructions as to where to head next. Typically legs were 200 - 300 metres long, involved crossing some heinous terrain and we were put under quite a bit of pressure to ensure pinpoint navigation. Often each leg would need to be broken into two or three shorter stages and each had to be fully described - bearing, distance, number of paces and timing - to the instructors. After about two hours we rebelled and headed back to the shelter of our tents and sleep; a testing but enjoyable session.

Our Expedition; good route, pity about the weather!

Day Six, second day of the expedition and last day of the course. Away by 9 and straight into drizzle and limited visbility in thick cloud. More navigation and leadership work, including giving some TLC to a near hyperthermic straggler from the Cambridge University boat-race squad "Hare and Hounds" event, but eventually we topped Brandreth and Grey Knotts, zig-zagging our way along the ridge and finally, in clearing weather, down to the top of Honister Pass where the other group were waiting in the minibus to take us back to Heversham.

A group debrief over tea and cakes, then one-to-ones with the instructors brought the course to an end. For me, the recommendation to go for assessment at the first opportunity was pleasing, but more so was the fact that it had been such an enjoyable week, good people, good craic and a lot taken on board.