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Course report – Wild Camping Weekend June 2018
Monday, 18 June 2018
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Course Report – Wild Camping Weekend
Photos and notes from our June 2018 Snowdonia Wild Camping Weekend
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Last weekend I was joined by Richard, Allan and Amy for our 2018 Mountain Wild Camping course in the hills of Snowdonia. This course has two learning outcomes – planning and preparing for a wild camping trip in the British mountains and going through one or more iterations of the essential skills of this part of mountaincraft – finding a camping site, sourcing clean water, dealing with weather, dealing with toilet issues and everything else.We keep the group ratios fairly low on this course to make sure that we don’t have too much of an impact on the mountain environment, and to ensure a better experience for the course participants.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9011″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9016″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9031″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Day One
We met up at one of our favourite North Wales eateries- the excellent and friendly Moel Siabod Cafe and sat down with the maps to discuss our options. This is an intrinsic part of the course, and route planning and the logistics of plotting a circular or linear route needed to be looked over. We went through the options of walking from the cafe itself, of catching a bus to a different valley or even some convoluted system involving shuttling cars back and forth to walk between two points. In the end we settled on a circular route, starting from a little further down the road. The combination of time available and a mixed forecast (rain/wind and poor visibility at either end of the trip with a relatively dry and settled overnight period) led us to choosing a route that kept us at a fairly low altitude for the first part of the day before climbing up to somewhere a little more remote later on.
After going through our respective kit choices – and a shake-down of my own kit to show how I could remove 300g or so of unnecessary weight (my pack weight as a leader was around 13kg ‘dry’, and about 16kg ‘wet’/including food and water) – we set off into the hills.
The first section followed the track (Sarn yr Offeiriad) over the hill from Capel Tan-y-Garth to Dolwyddelan, climbing up through oak woodland and skirting the remains of slate quarries before descending back down amidst deep, dark forests and mossy boulders. We diverted off into some overhanging trees for lunch, hiding from the rain and going through a ‘Hudsons Bay Start’ by testing out stoves, filters and a few other key bits of kit before we traveled too far from civilisation and the option to fix/solve any problems caused by faulty or missing kit.
As we arrived at the edge of the village of Dolwyddelan the skies cleared, the sun came out and we took the opportunity to dry our bags and waterproofs out for half an hour in the beer garden of Y Gwydyr. Years of walking in wet places have taught me that if you have the opportunity to ‘reset’ and dry off equipment you should always take it – you’ll be glad of it when you’re sorting through your kit inside an otherwise dry tent later that evening!
The next section of path took us up behind Castell Dolwyddelan and into the woods under the southern flank of Moel Siabod. We dodged fallen trees, performed a river crossing or two and started to discuss the plans for the evening – camp low alongside a lake and risk the midges but avoid the wind, or go high and hope to find a flat, sheltered spot? We chose the latter option and strode on into the bogs and tussocks of Cwm Edno.
We headed out for a small stand of trees partway along the cwm, hoping to find a flat spot in the lee of the pines. In the end we found a near-perfect spot; close-cropped grass, relatively flat and with a decent water source not too far away. Crucially we were also well out of sight of roads and habitation where we could practice a true leave-no-trace ethic and leave only some flattened grass as signs of our overnight stay.
With a few hours left until sunset we pitched the tents, cooked dinner and watched the clouds scud by over the Moelwyns and Moel Siabod.
Our camping spot was about 1 km short of the crash site of Douglas Dakota EI-AFL at Bwlch Y Rhediad. This airliner crashed into the side of the mountain here in 1952, killing all 23 passengers and crew on board.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9039″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9036″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9015″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Day Two
The night passed peacefully, with some gentle rain at around 5am finally forcing me to close the tent porch. The weather was deteriorating though, with the forecast rain and stronger winds looking almost certain. The visibility had also dropped down to a few hundred metres and the low clouds scraped over the top of Carnedd y Cribau just to our north – time for a quick breakfast and careful packing of kit to make sure everything important stayed dry!
After striking camp, and making sure that we had left nothing behind, we set off once again into the marsh and tussocky grass on the floor of the cwm, heading for the sanctuary of the sides of Carnedd y Cribau – dry ground, shorter grass and easier walking with heavy packs.
Next up was a gentle rollercoaster of rocks, small ponds and handrailing a fenceline over to Bwlch Rhiw’r Ychen in slowly worsening weather and visibility down a dozen metres or so. This continued as we climbed up to the summit of Moel Siabod, strong winds buffeting us from the south-west and turning this section of the trip into something verging on Type-2 fun.
We topped out on the 872m summit, hanging around long enough to touch the top of the cairn and grab a photo before starting the descent back to Capel Curig, dropping below the clouds and enjoying the views down over Plas y Brenin and the rest of the valley.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9042″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9013″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”9043″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Mountain Wild Camping Course is slightly unusual in our range of skills courses in that most of the content is not taught in the abstract – it’s done for real. We’re not discussing key subjects with theoretical scenarios, we’re doing things in the same environments that the course participants will be visiting and working in. We’re plotting a route into the mountains of Snowdonia, responding to the conditions that are presented to us and practicing good mountaincraft to keep ourselves safe.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]- Published in All Blog Posts, Course Reports, Mountain General
The mystery of the Cwm Tryfan ice axe
Monday, 15 January 2018
The Mystery of the Cwm Tryfan Ice Axe
We found something long-forgotten on the slopes of Tryfan…
So, New Year’s Day 2018… chasing the last of that patch of snowy weather we decided to welcome in the new year with a gentle scramble to the summit of Tryfan (917m) via the Heather Terrace and then the South Ridge. This is a familiar route and we started late, quickly gaining height and feeling the force of the first storm of January.
Rather than Three Men in a Boat we were three men and an ecologist (who is also a girl called Rhian). We didn’t have a dog called Montmorency but we did make do with a cocker spaniel called Darcy.
The trip to the summit and back was uneventful (apart from my stirring rendition of Auld Lang Syne on the South summit), but as we descended the path out of Cwm Tryfan alongside the stream leading to Gwern Gof Uchaf something strange occurred…
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The Discovery
The exact moment of discovery wasn’t quite captured on camera (although it was faithfully recreated for the GoPro in the video below), but it went something like this:
Tom, also known as Dr. Tom (mostly because he claims to be a doctor, but we rarely see evidence of it) ventured a short distance from the well-worn path to relieve himself in the heather. As the rest of the group reached his general location he finished and strode back up to the track. About a metre before reaching the track he spotted something sticking out of the heather and bilberry:
It turned out to be a Grivel ice axe, showing some considerable signs of weathering. It was buried, shaft downwards, in the vegetation and there is nothing to suggest that it had been placed there recently.
So, had Tom just discovered a vintage axe in the vegetation right next to a fairly busy Snowdonia footpath?
After a bit of examination on site Tom shoved it in his pack and we continued our descent – hastened onwards by the promise of hot chocolate at the Siabod Cafe.
Later that evening we examined the axe (aided by beer). It is definitely a Grivel axe, and the wooden shaft showed some significant aging and was consistent with a few decades in the elements (albeit protected by a screen of mountain vegetation). Some very gentle research (aka asking Alex Roddie) suggests that it’s a 1960s model but modified for a slightly dropped pick to suit the changing style of winter climbing in the last half of the 20th century. The surface corrosion wasn’t total so I don’t THINK it can have been left out there longer than a couple of decades, but my knowledge of the corrosion rate of mountaineering gear alloys is sadly lacking.
Tom is claiming stewardship of the axe – as he found it, and he is now armed with a vintage ice axe so probably shouldn’t be argued with…
So if you’re reading this and have any information on either this particular axe (which hundreds of thousands of mountaineers have walked within inches of and not noticed) or just the model or anything else we will happily pass it on to Tom. Please get in touch through the comments below or via email.
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Location
I was too distracted by the thought of warm sugar and milk served by a grumpy landscape photographer to remember to grab an accurate grid reference, but it was approximately SH 669 595 (although I am happy to be corrected on that).
This is the general area – not far above the fenceline that is crossed near Tryfan Bach:
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Dramatic re-enactment of the discovery of the axe
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Gallery
- Published in All Blog Posts, Articles, Behind The Scenes, Personal, Skills
Outdoor Fashion Shoots in Snowdonia
Wednesday, 13 December 2017
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Outdoor Fashion Shoot in Snowdonia
Location Scouting and Location Safety in the mountains of North Wales
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It seems like 2017 was the summer of location work for Original Outdoors. We have been putting our experience of working in the world of outdoor adventure in North Wales to use as consultants and location scouts for several years, but this was a busy summer for us.We were contacted by Claudia from German production company Natural Born Explorers for a project they were working on for a European outdoor clothing and equipment retailer. They had already chosen Snowdonia as a general area for their shoot but wanted some help finding locations, gaining permissions and just the logistics of shooting in a different country. After several Skype conversations and emails we narrowed it down to some key areas in the mountains and forests of Northern Snowdonia.
Then it was down to the usual pre-shoot planning – working with landowners to gain permissions for commercial photography on their land, timelines to make sure we had enough time on location to get what the client needed and be in the right place for the ‘golden hour’ at sunset. We also needed to keep an eye on the weather and make sure that the entire crew were equipped for several days in the mountains.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7885″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7900″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7890″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Any plan that relies on the weather behaving itself or natural light falling in a certain way cannot be too rigid, especially in the mountains. In a few hours we can go from 5 metre visibility, to blue skies then back to heavy cloud and rain. If you only have a few days to get the shots required then you need to be flexible and respond to the challenges thrown up. So that’s what we did – we bounced back and forth between locations, chasing the best of the light and hiding from the weather when it came in and making the most of the sun when it showed itself.
The photographer, Lars Schneider, and the rest of the Natural Born Explorers team all showed that they were not only comfortable in the mountains but they were competent outdoorspeople. The locations chosen were not just footpaths and flat ground easily accessible from the roadside, they included rocky scrambles and ridges requiring a walk-in of 2hrs or more.
The Original Outdoors team was also there as a safety backup in case anything went wrong (or to spot the calamity before it occurred) but the only medical or rescue assistance we had to give was to a member of the public who had suffered a lower-leg injury after a rockfall nearby. They literally hobbled down to the middle of our group, where I offered and delivered some first aid and called in mountain rescue to meet them. Other than that the safety kit stayed in the bags and we spent the days eating biscuits and occasionally looking out for incoming clouds![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7908″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7911″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7902″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Snowdonia and North Wales as a whole is a smart choice for outdoor adventure brands looking for locations to promote their clothing and equipment. 30 minutes drive from a central point like Betws y Coed could take you to a raging river, rocky mountain top or deep and mossy forest. The diversity of locations, good access and landscapes that look a lot wilder than they might actually be works well for international brands too. If you frame a shot just right, or make sure the background is neutral then that rocky ledge or forest trail could be in Oregon, Patagonia or New Zealand. We have a few days doing similar work lined up for 2018 already, and I suspect that we will be seeing more in the next few months.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7887″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7907″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7910″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width=”3″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1513168937192-fc2cda18-8608-8″ include=”7911,7910,7909,7908,7906,7905,7904,7903,7902,7901,7900,7899,7897,7896,7895,7894,7893,7892,7891,7890,7888,7885,7884,7886″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
- Published in All Blog Posts, Behind The Scenes, Company News, Mountain, Mountain General, Skills
A Private Adventure on Anglesey
Tuesday, 21 November 2017
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A Private Adventure on Anglesey
We pulled together a private ultramarathon for one of our clients
Every year we are asked to put together a private training day or adventure for somebody. This particular client first came to us in 2016 and asked for a 50km day in the mountains of Snowdonia for him and his friends – which we put together and executed one cold day in November.
This year he wanted to push it a little further, and asked for something a little more exciting. After compiling a few route options they picked a run along the Anglesey coastal path – but how to get them to the start?
We had spoken to the team at Rib Ride earlier in the year at a North Wales outdoor tourism event where we were both delivering sessions. After a bit of planning and holding out for the weather we came up with a plan – a dawn pickup on the Menai Straits and then hooning it over to a point 51km further up the coast where we could jump (literally) ashore and start the run.
The morning of the trip promised calm weather on our side of the island and everything was set for the trip. We climbed aboard and set off along the Menai Straits out past Beaumaris and Penmon before turning westward, the sun breaking through low clouds over the Carneddau behind us.
As we pulled away from the relative shelter of Red Wharf Bay and Moelfre the sea became a little rougher, crashing over waves and steering into the swell as we neared our destination – Point Lynas and the hidden cove of Porth Eilian.
We motored into calmer water as we entered the cove, and our skipper carefully placed the bow on the beach, giving us a short window where we could disembark and get safely ashore before the waves carried him over to the rocks. Once on dry land we set off – retracing our outward route on through the fields, dunes and beaches of the western shore of Anglesey.
The rest is a bit of a blur, as they put down a good pace from the very start. We dodged falling pheasants and were showered by lead from a shoot next to the Dulas estuary and fought through overgrown paths above Moelfre. We hit the halfway point at Red Wharf Bay in good spirits, refuelling on everything from chicken soup to marzipan stollen (doing events this close to Christmas does make food shopping a little more interesting). I had thought that the big climb from Traeth-coch to the hillfort of Bwrdd Arthur was going to be one of the most challenging sections – but I hadn’t reckoned on the energy-sapping boulders of the beach section before Beaumaris.
With only 6km to go and a 10.5hr finishing time in sight they put on a burst of speed that neither myself or fellow guide Jan could match (both of us no strangers to endurance work over rough ground). We jumped into the support vehicle and shadowed them as they powered through the final few miles to the finish at a hotel in Menai Bridge, metres away from where we had boarded the rib.
Private events like this always stick in the memory for us – probably as much as they do for the clients. There is a lot of planning work that goes into pulling something like this together, especially when weather forecasts and liaising with outside partners comes into play. They really are special days, and we’re glad that those clients come to us with the grain of an idea that we can help breathe life into.
If you think we can help you with your own challenge or adventure then please get in touch.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-5Kqny18mk” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7788″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7789″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7790″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7791″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7795″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7792″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
- Published in All Blog Posts, Bushcraft General, Course Reports, Microadventures, Mountain General, Videos
How to put together a first aid kit for the outdoors
Tuesday, 20 June 2017
How to put together a first aid kit outdoors
Wilderness personal medical kits
How do you put a first aid kit together for the outdoors? Or a bushcraft first aid kit? Are first aid kits for mountain biking different to ones for kayaking?
Carrying a first aid kit in your rucksack or in your personal kit is pretty difficult to argue against. The problem is – how much do you carry, and what exactly do you carry? Once you start going down the road of visualising every possible emergency medical scenario and wanting to ‘be prepared’ for it. Before long you end up carrying several kilograms of equipment that in all likelihood you will never use – but you somehow feel that you need to.
The reality is actually a lot simpler. There are two important points to remember for outdoor emergency first aid:
- Training is the absolute most important thing you can put your time and money into. Knowledge weighs nothing and the most important lifesaving techniques require good personal skills but little to no equipment.
- If you are on your own in the middle of nowhere then the options open to you self-treatment are actually very limited.
With that mildly-sobering thought in mind – how do you put together a first aid kit for the outdoors?
The answer is dependent on several factors:
- The environment you are travelling too/through and specific hazards it may contain
- The length of trip
- Distance/time to evacuation and medical care in case of emergency
- The number of people (and animals) in the party
- The existing medical conditions of those in the party
- The training and skill level of those in the party
- The activities you are performing
- Your carrying capacity (rucksack, canoe, vehicle, porters etc)
For example – the medical kit for a 5-week sailing voyage to the Lofoten islands would be different to that of a solo lightweight backpacker on a 3-day summer trip in the Cairngorms. For the former a Bag Valve Mask (BVM) and full suture kit would be appropriate but would a little ridiculous for the solo hiker.
I have used various medical kits in my work over the years. In my time in a Mountain Rescue team I carried a small personal first aid kit that contained a minimal number of items and drugs – but it was designed to be pooled with the other kits carried by fellow rescuers to form a larger and more comprehensive kit. I supplemented this with items purchased myself such as Tuffcut shears and nitrile gloves. When working as a remote-area medic as support on long-distance races and outdoor challenges I was either carrying a very comprehensive kit issued by the company employing me, or I was given a budget to supply my own equipment at my own specification. I have also put together my own for various trips, plus also kits for Original Outdoors staff and freelance contractors to use when working with our own clients. Each case has been slightly different…
The easy answer to “what’s the best outdoor first aid kit?” is – they all are. The real skill is choosing or building one that suits where you are going, what you are doing and what you’re doing when you get there. To that end I’ve put together a video on the decision-making process that I go through for any trip or scenario, and the items I carry in one of my personal kits:
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First Aid Kit Contents
The list below is based on the items shown in the video, with links to buy them directly from Amazon. Some of the brands or sizes are slightly different or only a few representations of what I carry. The items are not listed in order of importance, just to roughly match the order from the video.
I’ve also put a link to the Lifesystems first aid kit which is a very similar off-the-shelf kit that I can personally recommend – even if it’s used as a base to add other items to.
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Nitrile Gloves
Get them in any colour other than red or black – you need to be able to see if blood suddenly appears on them when giving a primary or secondary survey as it will steer you towards a major bleed you may have missed.
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Resus Face Shield
An item of personal safety that should be somewhere easy to reach but can also make your CPR technique more effective.
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Anti Bacterial Wipes
Great for cleaning up after dealing with a minor wound and preventing your kit contaminating everything it touches.
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Alcohol Hand Gel
Be aware that carrying alcohol in your first aid kit may cause issues when travelling to countries where alcohol is banned or severely restricted
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Normasol Sachets
Sterile topical solution in sachets for careful application over wider areas.
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Sterile Eye Wash Pods
Sterile topical solution in pods for washing foreign bodies from eyes.
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Fabric Adhesive Dressing Strip
Adhesive dressing strip on a roll for making custom plasters/band-aids for tricky areas like between fingers.
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SteriStrips
Temporary adhesive suture strips for wound closure.
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Blister Plasters
Being able to treat or manage a blister can make the difference between carrying on or turning around to go home
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Non-Adherent Dressings
General use dressings without any adhesive.
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Triangular Bandage
I have yet to use one of these as a sling, but they are quite useful for holding other dressings on or wrapping over wide areas.
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Wound dressings (Various sizes)
Absorbent wound dressings in various sizes
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Travel Mirror
Great for reaching places that the eyeball can’t!
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Glucose Gel
Glucose gel for hypoglycemic emergencies.
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Round-Tip Scissors
Small scissors with rounded ends for safety
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TuffCut Shears
Tough shears for emergency clothing removal
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Tweezers
For removal of small foreign bodies
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Microlance Needles
Tiny sterile needles for making small holes to drain blisters etc
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Disposable Thermometer
Of limited use in a first aid environment but helpful for long-term monitoring of a patient
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Tick Removal Card
For safe removal of ticks
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CAT Tourniquet
Not for general carry and must be trained in use
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SAM Splint
Useful but heavy and other items can be improvised to replace it.
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Lifesystems Mountain Leader First Aid Kit
A comprehensive and well-designed outdoor first aid kit.
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- Published in All Blog Posts, Articles, Bushcraft General, Emergency and Safety, First Aid, Mountain General, Personal, Skills, Tools and Equipment, Videos
UKH Review – MSR TrailShot Microfilter
Friday, 02 June 2017
MSR TrailShot MicroFilter Review
Compact pump microfilter for fast-and-light travel
It looks like a medical appliance and promises impressive performance – how does it hold up in the field?
I reviewed it for UKHillwalking.com, and you can read the full review here.
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- Published in Bushcraft General, Mountain General, Videos
Crib Goch – a realistic view!
Sunday, 30 April 2017
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Crib Goch – A realistic view
Scrambling on Crib Goch with a GoPro
The knife-edge ridge of Crib Goch is a legendary route in the mountains of Snowdonia – and for good reason. In parts it really is less than a metre wide and with a drop on either side long enough to really make you regret falling off.
The thing is, most videos showing a traverse of Crib Goch make it out to be steeper, narrower and longer than it really is. Fisheye lenses and shaky camera placements will always give videos a certain look, and it gives an unrealistic view of what walking along Crib Goch is actually like.
A few weeks ago I strapped a GoPro Hero4 to my rucksack shoulder strap and set off across the ridge with a group of clients. In the video below I have sped through the boring sections and focused on the areas of the ridge that need more attention…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/2ve03WrLXjo” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
- Published in All Blog Posts, Articles, Behind The Scenes, Mountain, Skills, Videos
Gift ideas for an outdoors person!
Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Gift ideas for outdoorsy people
Christmas present ideas for that tricky adventurous person on your list
There’s always one. That person who is always a bit untidy, always either just off on or back from an adventure. They are always a pain to buy for, and you are never really sure what they would actually want… but we’re here to help!
We are in the lucky position of getting to play and try out dozens of outdoor gadgets, pieces of equipment and other useful outdoor ‘things’. We know which ones are really good – and which ones are a bit… rubbish. We can be pretty confident that there is something in the list below that will be suitable for the person you’re buying for.
And if you’re the outdoorsy person looking to put something on your wish list then you might find inspiration here!
The items below are some of the best outdoor gadgets we can personally recommend – even if some of them have been around for a few years now. This isn’t one of those blog posts where a website just lists the last five things they saw at a trade show or in a press release – each and every thing on the list is something we use ourselves regularly and are happy to put our name to.
Finally, may we also suggest a gift voucher for one of our ever-popular Foraging, Bushcraft or other outdoor courses?
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Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker
I’ve been using one of these for around a year now and I can honestly say it’s one thing that I will always try and find room for in my kit bag. It can be used pretty much anywhere you have access to recently-boiled water and a mug. The simple piston action and filter discs are really simpel to use, and make some great coffee. It’s also lightweight, rugged and doesn’t take up much room.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] [two_third]
PEDCO Ultrapod 2
We reviewed this a little while ago and it impressed us all. It’s a small, folding travel tripod that supports a hefty weight and is suitable for most cameras up to and including DSLRs. It’s small enough to throw into the rucksack and really makes the difference when it comes to getting ‘the’ photo on a day in the moutains.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] [two_third]
Life Venture Thermal Mug
Vacuum flasks have been accompanying people on adventures for decades, but they are not all created equal. Some of the metal ‘travel’ ones only work for a few hours, and you don’t necessarily get what you pay for. These thermal mugs are basically mini flasks, just enough for one person or a day trip. The solid design and lack of a handle makes them easy to slide into a pocket or the side of a bag – I was using one this morning taking sunrise landscape photos on Anglesey, stowing it in the lens pouch of my camera bag.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] [two_third]
Ruffwear Webmaster Dog Harness
Dogs love mountains, forests and mud. A dog collar does the job, but it’s no help for lifting over stiles, into boats or just grabbing onto if they’re being a bit TOO adventurous. Most of our instructors and friends use a variation on the Ruffwear harnesses for their furry friends and they’re pretty much faultless.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] [two_third]
Black Diamond Spot Head Torch
Not only is this a head torch I recommend, it’s the one I use almost daily! It’s powerful enough for running mountain tracks at night but light enough to be carried anywhere and not be noticed. It’s pretty much waterproof (up to 1m) so suitable for the finest British weather and has a simple button arrangement for different power levels. I don’t know what else I would want in a general-use head torch…[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] [two_third]
DD 3mx3m Tarp
This might not look like much, but it’s all anybody would need with a tarp. A tarp can be used in many different ways, as a shelter in its own right or as a cover for an outdoor ‘living space’ in front of a tent or strung between two trees (or even trekking poles). The DD tarps are not the lightest or most agile on the amrket, but they are rugged, simple and relatively inexpensive.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] [two_third]
Kungix Tent Pegs
Again, not the sexiest of items but very useful! The pegs that come with even quite expensive tents bend and pull out under tension – these triangular-profile ones are suitable for stamping in with a boot and have a handy cord loop for easy removal.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] [two_third]
Harveys Maps Jigsaw Puzzles
Harveys are famous for providing a high-quality and easily-read alternative to the OS maps for the popular walking areas of the UK. These jigsaw puzzles of their most popular mountain areas (Snowdonia, Lake District, Cairn Gorms, Glencoe and Skye Cuillins) are both infuriating and addictive at the same time. Whenever we have one out at home and friends come over they always end up engrossed in trying to match fiddly contour lines up…[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] [two_third]
Go Pro Hero Session
I acquired one of these cube-shaped adventure cameras about 6 months ago to replace a much older model and it’s done several trips with me and has yet to show any signs of abuse or maltreatment. It records 1080p HD footage at 60fps – which means good quality video clips at the push of a button. It can also be paired with a smartphone or tablet for fine control of the settings and as a remote control.[/two_third][one_third_last][/one_third_last] [divider] If that isn’t enough we have a whole category of blog posts about outdoor books that you need on your shelf!
- Published in All Blog Posts, Bushcraft General, Mountain General
RSBC on Ben Nevis – with Jon Culshaw
Tuesday, 08 November 2016
RSBC 2016 Ben Nevis Trek
Raising money for RSBC – featuring Jon Culshaw
Back in October we helped organise a trek to the summit of Ben Nevis with RSBC – the Royal London Society for Blind Children.
This is the accompanying video of the trek, featuring RSBC ambassador and celebrity impressionist Jon Culshaw:
- Published in All Blog Posts, Company News, Course Reports, Mountain General, Videos
The role of Mountain Rescue
Saturday, 05 November 2016
The role of Mountain Rescue?
What job should UK mountain rescue teams be doing?
Below is a quote from the wife of a UK Mountain Rescue team member, posted on the Facebook page of a regional newspaper on a story about Police pay:
[pullquote style=”left” quote=”dark”]They farm more and more of the “unpleasant” work out to organisations such as mountain rescue teams who have to pick up the dead bodies from farm and road accidents. If they are not happy, leave and become self employed and find out how hard the real world is.[/pullquote]It’s an interesting one. Should MR teams be retrieving bodies from farm accidents? Are police forces ‘farming out’ work to unpaid civilian volunteer teams?
The history of UK mountain rescue teams is usually rooted in a community response to incidents happening in their area. The first teams came about following the rise in popularity of mountaineering without a system of rescue and medical care being in place that could deal with the inevitable accidents. Mountaineering clubs gradually improved the skills and equipment they held through the early 20th Century, formalising first with the First Aid Committee of Mountaineering Clubs, which later became the Mountain Rescue Committee. The efforts of groups of mountaineers and clubs, often working alongside the RAF Mountain Rescue teams set up to deal with the rescue and recovery of downed aircrew, became the MR teams that are busy in the hills and mountains of the UK still. The underlying principle that linked them all is that they are “saving lives in wild and remote places” – the mission statement of Mountain Rescue England and Wales (although now missing from their website).
The role many of the teams under the Mountain Rescue England and Wales banner today is varied. The busiest teams in the U.K., such as Llanberis MRT work almost solely on callouts involving lost, missing or injured walkers, climbers and other mountain-goers. Occasionally they deal with other incidents in their are where their technical expertise is crucial in accessing those areas. The gradual rise in callouts over the last decade have been attributed to many things, from the increased popularity and success of tourism promotion or the new possibilities for finding hiking friends and groups that social media has allowed. Mobile phones, cheaper outdoor equipment or just more people wanting to experience the mountains for themselves have also been blamed. Whatever the reason, the busiest teams are generally getting busier.
The quieter teams tend to be away from the popular mountain and outdoor recreation areas. They may have hundreds or thousands of square miles of wild and remote terrain in their ‘patch’, but the operational tempo is a lot lower, numbering in single figures for some teams. However these teams still work to a professional standard, with the same equipment and the same unpaid volunteers trained to a level unmatched anywhere by a salaried job in the U.K.
UK rescue teams have become involved in high and low-profile incidents away from the mountains for many years now. Missing person searches in rural and urban areas, flooding and severe weather events, murder inquiries, technical rope and water rescues, crashed aircraft and a lot more besides that isn’t always public knowledge. A quick read through the newsfeed of Mountain Rescue England and Wales shows a number of non-mountain incidents peppered amongst the usual lost or injured walkers and climbers. Like the fire service, UK mountain rescue has evolved into a set of teams that perform a role the other emergency services cannot. Where this started is difficult to unpick though – how and why did mountain rescue drift away from the mountains and onto the streets and fields?
I think for most teams they could see something happening in their community, and they knew they had the skills and personnel to help. It may be a missing child or vulnerable person, or somebody in a situation that could be resolved using techniques honed in the wilderness. In the first instances at least. For some teams (and I must stress the ‘some’) the potential diversity in their role was a way of improving their awareness and getting some publicity for their relatively quiet teams. It’s all a question of cash…
Like all modern charities each mountain rescue teams have to run like a business, even if everybody involved is an unpaid volunteer giving dozens of hours each month (or week!). Their customer is the general public, whom they rescue without charge and (normally) without criticism. The customer pays for this service through fundraising and donations. Not everybody pays, but those who do drop a pound coin into the collection tin or bequeath hundreds of thousands of pounds to rescue teams essentially fund their operations. A small amount is now given to teams by various government funds, but the vast majority of rescue teams in England and Wales does comes from the general public. The problem is – who are you giving money to? Is it the team that you see fundraising in the local town centre but have otherwise never heard of, or the one you saw on the evening news the night before as the reports came in of a daring rescue of a family in terrible weather? I bet it’s the latter. If you live somewhere decidedly flat and travel to climb, hike or otherwise play in the mountains then you may donate to a team that covers the are you visit more often, but generally speaking the teams that receive the most donations are the ones with the highest profiles.
Some teams are quite literally millionaires, or very close. The operational costs of a rescue team can be from £50,000 to over £100,000 depending on what that team needs and what they buy for team members, and that is usually without the hidden costs that are absorbed by team members and their families. Fuel, personal equipment, lost work time and so on. All teams need those donations and you can donate to a more central fund, but this is a relatively new concept still and you can still see the differences in the funds each team raises on the Charity Comission website. It must be said however that the busiest team is not necessarily the richest – Llanberis Mountain Rescue team and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation share a border and have a similar number of incidents when averaged out over a number of years – but OVMRO are decidedly better off than LMRT. So is it public profile or incident frequency that leads to more donations? Or is the type of incidents responded to that tips the balance?
And does it matter? No. A team isn’t raising money to buy a yacht or to give back to shareholders – a team raises money to buy equipment, train personnel, maintain buildings and do something that nobody else can do.
I have some (limited, and gradually becoming less relevant) experience of this. I was a team member, then Training Officer then Deputy Team Leader of a North Wales Mountain Rescue team, and briefly Operations Officer for the regional association. During the time I was there the team evolved from mainly performing missing person searches in rural and semi-rural areas with the occasional rescue or recovery of a hiker, climber or other person in the mountains. The team actually covered the biggest area of any team in England and Wales, and also responded to requests for assistance from police forces in neighbouring English counties. A quick calculation gives me an area of approximately 8,000km² at the time I joined – later shrunk by the formation of lowland SAR teams in those counties. During my time there the team developed and improved it’s technical rope and water rescue skills and got involved in some ‘interesting’ incidents as a result – flooding and water incidents, rope rescues in quarries and steep slopes on the edge of town centres, major missing person searches that dominated the headlines for months and sever weather incidents like heavy snow. For a couple of evenings one winter the North Wales Mountain Rescue teams were effectively the only ambulance response available for most areas – the local ambulance trust just didn’t have vehicles that could respond. Another evening I sat for hours (snowed in) in the farmhouse, an Airwave radio set in one hand, a couple of phones in another and a laptop on my knee and coordinated the response of several teams in North Wales as they were rescuing stranded motorists from cars on lonely mountain passes, evacuating residents from remote houses and generally being selfless and saving lives. Other colleagues spent days in the North Wales Police control room acting as a point of contact and giving expert advice to all other agencies and performing a role nobody else there could do.
And that’s the answer – Mountain Rescue teams (and their Lowland equivalents) do work that the other emergency services just cannot. If every MRT in the UK decided to close up tomorrow there would be hole in the provision of care, rescue and emergency response that the other services cannot fill. By proving time and again they cannot be matched and by doing what they do well, with professionalism and with virtually no cost to the taxpayer they are bound to be called on to work away from the mountains – and they will respond because that’s what they do, and it helps them continue to do it. You cannot blame emergency services for calling on a resource that is professional, trustworthy, versatile and, crucially, free to fill in the gaps of what they can do. You cannot also blame teams for capitalising on the increased and diverse range of callouts to raise their profile and get more donations. It’s a symbiotic relationship that both parties created – if mountain rescue teams hadn’t continually offered their services and proven that they could do what others could not then they wouldn’t be called to do those things now.
To close, to be critical of frontline emergency services officers because they have expressed concerns over the way they are being used is missing every point. Their disquiet with the role they perform has little to do with the role that UK Mountain Rescue teams have come to perform. Responding to events away from the traditional theatre of mountains, crags and moorland IS the modern face of Mountain Rescue in the UK, it just varies from team to team. To tell them to “leave and become self employed and find out how hard the real world is” ignores the fact that nobody is forcing MRT members to be part of their team – just as nobody forces you to run your own business.
Mountain Rescue teams do something incredible, and so do police officers. If you attack either because of your (voluntary situation), you’re an idiot.
- Published in All Blog Posts, Articles, Bushcraft General, Mountain General
MindShift Gear Rotation 180
Tuesday, 25 October 2016
MindShift Gear Rotation 180
Innovative gear bag for outdoor photographers
At the Outdoor Trade Show at Stoneleigh Park earlier this year we stopped and had a good look at the photographer bags and accessories that Snapperstuff.com had on offer. Helen from Snapperstuff was kind enough to give us some time to go through the range, and one thing that really stood out was the range of bags from MindShift Gear – particularly the MindShift Gear Rotation 180 series of bags. They are outdoor adventure rucksacks that conceal a top-loader DSLR waist pack.
I’ve used Nikon DSLRs for over a decade and finding a way to carry them which protects them but keeps them accessible has always been a problem. My current solution is either a bulky shoulderbag under my rucksack straps, or a drybag clipped to the rucksack straps – could this be the equipment solution I’ve been looking for?
- Published in All Blog Posts, Mountain General, Outdoor Gear News and Reviews, Videos
Visiting Fortis Clothing
Friday, 12 August 2016
Visiting Fortis Clothing
Last month I was down in Cornwall and Devon doing some promotional work and foraging around on the beaches of the south coast – and I couldn’t resist diverting to Axminster on the way home to drop in on Fortis Clothing, a family-owned and British-made outdoor clothing and equipment brand. I’ve used their kit (under their old brand, Country Covers) for a couple of years and I kept promising to come and visit their home base. On the phone the directions couldn’t be clearer – “we’re almost across the road from River Cottage HQ and there is huge carved bear outside the gate”.
Right. Can’t miss it then…
I met Oliver Massy-Birch who gave up some of his time to go through the range, show us around their factory and go into detail about the history of the company, the Fortis brand and who their customers are.
I went there just to visit and make a couple of short films, but in the end I couldn’t resist and parted with cash for one of their waterproof S.A.S. smocks – look out for the review in the coming weeks. Most people who know me know that the last thing I need is more kit, but the Fortis quality and design standards impressed me, especially after speaking to their designer and realising the research and development behind this gear. Seeing the showroom and factory in their old family sheep barn reminded me a lot of our own roots in a family business, and in a few minutes I could meet everybody involved in the process of designing, building and marketing this equipment which is now used around the globe.
You can only buy their kit through their website, at their showroom and at one of the many country shows and fairs they visit throughout the year. It’s well worth seeking them out to decide for yourself if their kit is up to scratch – but based on a few weeks of use of this new smock in the woods and on the mountains I think you’ll be satisfied.
- Published in All Blog Posts, Articles, Bushcraft General, Foraging, Mountain General, Outdoor Gear News and Reviews, Videos
VIDEO: How to rig a tarp
Wednesday, 15 June 2016
VIDEO: How to set up a tarp in the woods
Simple rigging for a DD Hammocks tarp
In a two part video I share how I set up my DD Hammocks 3m x 3m tarpaulin for wild camping and general camp use. It’s a quick, simple and versatile system that I use almost eveyr time I set this tarp up between two trees.
In Part 1 I run through the setup and packing away of the tarp in one go:
In Part 2 I go into more detail for each of the knots required to replicate this system, plus a few other tips on setting it up:
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Equipment Used:
The equipment featured in this video includes:
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DD Hammocks 3m x 3m Tarp
A basic but tough and functional tarp, perfect for woodland camping setups and general bushcraft use. I have one that has lasted for 6 years of regular use and abuse, and is still going strong.
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Maillon Rapide fastener
Essentially an adjustable chain link, this rigging item is a reliable and secure way of hanging the tarp from the ridgeline.
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Climbing Accessory Cord
The main ridgeline used, stronger than paracord and easier to work with when wet and/or wearing gloves. I use 5mm for the main ridgeline, and 2mm for the prussic loops.
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Tent Pegs
Not the same ones as in the video, but nearly identical. These angular tent pegs are easier to place and seem to hold better in stony ground and are a good upgrade from the ones included in the DD Hammocks kit.
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Beware the GWR… The rise of the Facebook guides
Sunday, 06 March 2016
Beware the Guy With Rucksack (GWR)
We’ve seen a troubling rise in online groups taking people into the mountains without training, experience or any of the necessary skills over the last couple of years.
There is a term in commercial photography, particularly the type involving models – G.W.C., or ‘Guy With Camera’. The best description I can find is from the ‘enlightening’ website urbandictionary.com (beware, possible NSFW wording on there!):
Guy With Camera
Commonly used in the modelling/photographer biz, ‘GWC’ is any poser/creep with a digital camera pretending to be a pro/semi-pro photographer. With the introduction of digital cameras, GWC’s have appeared like an explosion in a toy store.
GWC’s typically steal the work of others and don’t have any references.
It’s something that I had been aware of, mainly through professional photographer friends, but it wasn’t something I expected to see in the ‘outdoors’ world…
Over the past 2 years or so there has been an upswell in the popularity and membership of Facebook ‘community’ groups. Following on the back of Meetup.com and other dedicated ‘group’ sites, the Facebook groups are a good way of bringing people together in a forum-style conversation that has all of the extra functionality of the Facebook behemoth. We have one for our clients and fans, and there are hundreds of thousands of others out there for every activity and hobby.
Of particular relevance to the work we do are the UK-centric outdoor groups. There are dozens of really very useful sites (Ground Conditions in UK Mountain Areas, Wild Camping and Bothying in Snowdonia etc) that we regularly visit to either get information quickly, or to post it and share useful information ourselves.
But then there are the other type…
There has also been a rise in groups set up as ‘communities’, whereas in fact they are actually commercial enterprises operating on morally, ethically and legally dodgy ground. It takes only a few minutes to set up a Facebook group, and clever marketing to gain members. Facebook would charge reduced rates for advertising of those groups because they were not openly trading as businesses. Often these pages are set up by keen amateurs who want a change in lifestyle and fancy the idea of running an outdoor activities business. Many of these groups run trips into the mountains as guided walks or activity weekends, in a similar way to mountaineering clubs, but without the hive-mind of experience that those older and more responsible organisations have.
So what’s the problem?
Well, the problem is that being able to gather a huge following of ‘Likes’ and fans is definitely a skill (although you can buy followers from online services – around £8-£10 for 500-800 Facebook likes seems to be the average), that does not translate into being able to competently or legally run trips into the mountains or give advice to clients. A complete novice looking to take their first steps into the mountains may look to join a group or other organisation to show them the way (literally and figuratively), and one of these free-to-join pages is a good place to start. By deciding to come along on one of the organised trips they would naturally assume that they would be in safe hands… but their actions seem to be anything but.
Some of the things we have witnessed from these groups:
- Group ratios of 1:20, or even 1:50 (1:3-1:10 is the norm for professional leaders)
- Stealing images from professional photographers and other providers to publicise their own sites
- Covertly contacting legitimate providers to gain route advice, weather forecasts and even ground condition reports so they can then use them for their own trips (as happened to us twice last week)
- Asking qualified professionals to work for free on commercial trips as ‘exposure’
- Running trips regardless of the conditions because they have advertised it and booked accommodation
We met one of these groups yesterday on Moel Siabod – the big lump to the south of the A5 in Capel Curig. It was under full winter conditions above the 600m contour – deep snow, windscoured icy patches and cornices over the eastern slopes. Despite the reasonable forecasts the visibility was down to around 5-10m at times and a hasty descent from the summit was necessary mid-afternoon. We had full winter kit (axes, crampons, goggles, the usual safety items) and were happily within our comfort zones – but it was still tough enough to require some careful route choice. We also met around 30-40 other people (busy day!) on the mountain during the 4 hrs we were out. The one group (around a dozen members) that we spoke to led to this slightly ranty blog post – they were being ‘led’ by one of the admins from a Facebook group. They had organised the trip months before and had planned to climb Moel Siabod, so they were going to do it no matter what the conditions. They were very under-equipped for even this normally ‘friendly’ hill (no axes, mostly wearing light waterproofs and carrying tiny rucksacks and summer-season boots) and walking on terrain that an experienced walker would know to avoid (right over the corniced eastern slope).
This isn’t the first time we’ve met groups like this – online groups led by slightly wannabe (but well-intentioned) unqualified leaders, taking groups of novices into dangerous terrain. There is no legal requirement for qualifications for leading adults in the mountains (if there were I would never have discovered my love of the hills in my late teens!) but there is a duty of care that rests on anybody introducing somebody to activities like this. Some of the best ‘guides’ I have met have been un-qualified but very experienced and intuitive mountaineers and walkers who took a careful approach to leading people in the outdoors.
This isn’t a pitch for our guided walks and trips, or to advertise our own group – just a plea to anybody putting their trust in one of these Facebook group trips or leaders. Beware.
In all likelihood you will get somebody who is keen to become a leader (or ‘guide’) in the mountains but without wanting to become suitably trained or qualified to do the job. It may be they want to run a side-business, it might be just that they want to have the prestige of being the head of a group on their way to a summit… If they are unwilling to go through the established process of getting training and consolidating experience, getting insurance and building up a good reputation then you can also wonder how they will react if somebody becomes injured. Or is separated from the group. Or one of the hundreds of other eventualities a qualified and/or experienced leader has taken into account and is planning for.
Do your research. Gain the skills you need. Push yourself, but be aware of where you will end up if you push too far. Enjoy yourself. Don’t have your early experiences ruined by a Guy (or Girl) With Rucksack.
- Published in All Blog Posts, Articles, Emergency and Safety, Mountain, Skills
VIDEO: Superfeet at OTS 2015
Monday, 21 September 2015
VIDEO: Superfeet saved my feet
James from Superfeet gave us some time to talk about their product range and their new items at the 2015 Outdoor Trade Show:
A pair of Superfeet helped me get back on my feet and out into the mountains after a mountain bike crash a few years ago and I have been a big fan ever since. They have a range to suit most budgets and feet shapes now, and their custom-moulded range cannot be beaten.
- Published in All Blog Posts, Bushcraft General, Outdoor Gear News and Reviews, Videos
VIDEO: Water-to-Go – the water filter bottle
Thursday, 17 September 2015
VIDEO: Water-to-Go – the water filter bottle
We spotted Dave Shanks from Water-To-Go Ltd doing a demo of their water filtration bottle, turning dirty water into clean drinking water (with an excellent flow rate and inexpensive filter cartridge replacements!).
Finding safe, clean drinking water is always a priority whether you are on a planned wilderness/remote area trip or in an emergency situation. This product if used properly can make nearly every water source safe, without the hassle and restrictions some filtration systems have.
The 10th anniversary of the Outdoor Trade Show (OTS 2015) saw manufacturers, distributors and importers of the biggest outdoor brands in the UK come together to showcase their new and existing product lines to the outdoor trade.
- Published in All Blog Posts, Articles, Bushcraft General, Mountain General, Outdoor Gear News and Reviews, Videos
VIDEO: Paramo and the new Alta III Waterproof Jacket
Thursday, 17 September 2015
VIDEO: Paramo and the new Alta III Waterproof Jacket
Richard managed to grab a short interview with Helen Howard from Paramo Ltd at the Outdoor Trade Show 2015 to ask her about the Paramo Directional Clothing System, how Paramo works and the new Paramo Alta III jacket and how to care for Paramo garments.
We have used Paramo waterproofs and other items for many years now in all conditions and we trust them to keep us warm and dry whatever we need to do – we were keen to speak to Paramo about their new jacket the Alta III as it looks like just what we need for our next few adventures, and Helen was kind enough to give us a technical demo.
The 10th anniversary of the Outdoor Trade Show (OTS 2015) saw manufacturers, distributors and importers of the biggest outdoor brands in the UK come together to showcase their new and existing product lines to the outdoor trade.
- Published in All Blog Posts, Articles, Bushcraft General, Mountain General, Outdoor Gear News and Reviews, Videos
Training for Tromso Skyrace 2015
Monday, 01 June 2015
About a dozen times per year we get asked to provide some private outdoor skills training for a group or an individual. It might be survival or wilderness skills, or maybe foraging. Often navigation training is requested – all of which is great, working on a 1:1 basis is very rewarding for an outdoor instructor, and really tests your skills as a coach and tutor.
On Sunday I had the pleasure of working with Hernan, who came to us via a referral from a client who had used our services for private guided walks in Snowdonia. He is competing in the 2015 Tromso SkyRace, and wanted to work on his movement skills on steep rock, when scrambling and also to look at some technniques for moving quickly over rough ground. General fitness (even to the super-human level of SkyRunners) can be worked on and developed pretty much anywhere, but to train for running in the mountains you need to step away from the streets and gyms of London and come to somewhere a little more… rugged.
To give me an idea of the type of ground Hernan would be tackling, he sent me this video from SkyRunning legend Kilian Jornet:
Blimey. That is some serious terrain! We need to sort out a plan..
After a few phone conversations and email exchanges we agreed that a day of scrambling and coaching would be perfect. To replicate the kind of exposure that the race entails we pencilled in a plan for a day on Crib Goch, which has rocky steps, short technical vertical sections and a sustained narrow ridge.
Unfortunately, the weather was against us, with a forecast for heavy rain, windspeeds of up to 55mph and even hail, lightning and other hazards. So standing on top of a 3,000′ ridge that is narrower than a narrow thing wasn’t the best of ideas! However, we had a backup plan…
As heading to the summits and exposed ridges was off the cards we chose to work in the shadow of Tryfan, on Tryfan Bach, the North Ridge and the outlying ridges. This gave me the chance to not only teach some movement skills and a few techniques for scrambling in running shoes but to also demonstrate their limitations – the angle at which they will no longer grip, the difference between edging and smearing and so on. This is very important for scrambling and easy mountaineering; knowing the point at which your feet are likely to slip off gives you more confidence in placements whilst you are in the ‘zone’ before that point.
We gradually ascended the lower slopes of the eastern face of Tryfan, cutting across the Heather Terrace on a scree slope before gaining the North Ridge via a narrow gap. Here we met a couple of Summer Mountain Leader training groups practicing their ropework. Apparently we were not the only ones hiding from the wind!
We climbed as high as the famous Tryfan landmark known as the ‘Cannon Stone’ before turning around to look at some techniques on descent, and comparing various tactics and techniques for overcoming obstacles.
Eventually we found our way back to the valley floor and the A5 and retired to the nearby Moel Siabod Cafe for coffee and cake, and to talk through some of the psychological aspects of exposure, heights and ‘target fixation’.
Although it was a relatively short session, we manage to cover:
– Footwork and relative friction
– Handholds and other body placements
– Body orientation and adjustment
– Centre of gravity and proprioception
– Moving quickly and micro route-finding
– Downclimbing tactics
– Moving over rough ground
– Anxiety management
As for fitness… It was quickly established that I would never be able to keep up with Hernan, so I just kept throwing him at steep bits of rock to slow him down!
Good luck with the race Hernan 🙂
***EDIT***
I caught up with Hernan in London a couple of weeks after the race – not only did he successfully make it through the race at a good pace, but he had a great time. The terrain was tough, as tough as we had both expected, but the time on Tryfan had really helped apparently.
- Published in All Blog Posts, Mountain General, Private Training
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