Training in the Alps

This was meant to be a week of snow and ice training and an ascent of Mt Blanc. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible with virtually no visibility and a huge amount of snow.
This is one of the main webcams in the area:

This meant that it was dangerous to be up in the mountains and at the same time not possible to practice any skills.

We tried to get to one of the lower ridges but after wading through waist deep snow on the way up to the nearby hut, found that it was just going to be too dangerous to continue on the next day given the now very high risk of an avalanche. To make the week productive, we spent most of the time down in the valley working on climbing and rope skills.

Training in the Lake District

Perhaps the least favourite part of mountaineering for me is the actual climbing - vertigo being a longstanding friend of mine! Quite fortunately there is not that much actual climbing on most of the expeditions apart from the Carstenz Pyramid. So this week is spent in the Lake District under the expert guidance of Paddy Cave - one of the UK's leading climbers.

We started out doing some normal climbing however this was complicated by the fact that it was raining and that we were wearing winter mountaineering boots rather than rock climbing shoes. We started on a routes that were graded as 'difficult' and then moved onto 'v. diff' routes.

We also practised techniques for upcoming expeditions:

 jumarring; climbing using an ascender

Tyrolean traverse (using a length of rope across a large drop between two high points);and

abseiling.

A lot of fun and we did make some good progress - just hope I can avoid a relapse before the expedition in August.

Training in Thailand

After the rather cool temperatures at the North Pole it is off to Thailand for a coupe of weeks to warm up and do some training at the Tiger Muay Thai camp (link).

One piece of advice that is often given before an expedition is to eat a lot as people always lose weight on long trips. It sounds sensible and so I have followed it. In fact, I found that I put on weight as well as losing muscle mass! Thailand is an opportunity to reverse this!

A typical day starts with an hour of fairly physical yoga at 7am with circuit training / cross fitness from 08:30 until about 10. Bit of a break during the heat of the middle of the day before more circuit training / cross fitness at 14:45 followed by a session in the gym and then a run or night yoga before an early night to get ready to start all over again on the following day.

The morning circuit training / cross fitness takes place on the beach or on a long, steep hill on Tuesdays and Thursdays just in case the sessions at the camp are not strenuous enough.

Climbing week

A week that veered from enjoyable and informative to exhaustive and rather worrying.  This was a chance to add some technical skills and tricky condition experience to my prior and rather old school approach of going fast and light to power through the terrain and weather – not really an option on the beasts to come!

First was a crash weekend course in beginner’s winter skills (crampons, ice axes etc) run by Mat followed by a week of trying out my skills and equipment in anger led by Zac (see his blog Jan 14^th to 18^th for a bit more of the detail - http://www.mountainzblog.blogspot.com).

Highlights include:

·         Rarely getting off the mountain before dark.

·         Climbs included: Ledge Route, Curved Ridge, Aonach Eagach Ridge,

·         Getting to the top of my first proper climb (using crampons, ice axe and rope) in time for a stunning sunset.

·         Finding that my ‘tester’ grade III climb had changed into a grade IV in the conditions – cue moments of reflection as to what I was doing whilst teetered on a very narrow ledge with only one prong of my crampons and a rather precarious grip on my ice axe preventing me falling several thousand feet! To put things into perspective, I was also roped at the time but had not yet come to ‘trust’ the rope and so far from finding it a comfort it was still then a source of concern as being asked to put it on clarified that we had reached a particularly dangerous section of the route.

·         Spending time in the national ice centre and trying out the climbing wall in my Everest boots! More importantly, this included jumping off practice; it is amazing how much easier climbing becomes once you have realised that other people are not all incompetent and that a slip won’t lead to you plummeting to your death!

·         Getting to the highest point in the UK (Ben Nevis) in 85+ mph winds. Walking while leaning at something like a 45% angle is certainly an experience.

The drive back down was more fun and games with the wretched sat nav and an unfortunate petrol stop on the Southern Glasgow bypass became a battle of wills to get back onto the motorway. I claim victory on this occasion but the lady gets revenge when (still refusing to accept the existence of the M6 toll road) she cunningly diverts me onto the M1 rather than the M40 from Birmingham with allowing her to direct me though all the major traffic jams on my resulting traipse across London.

 

About as much fun as you can legally have in the snow!

 

Emerging from the shelter at the top of the Ben to face the winds again

Grade III suddenly becomes IV - don't look down!

Leading up to CrowberryTower.

Part way to the top...

Walking can be tricky when the wind is 85mph on top of The Ben.

Rather impressive conditions on the way down from the Ben.

More fun climbing.

Not far now...

Spot of lunch in the shelter at the summit of the Ben.

Summitting the curved ledge. Rather good view!

Tricky conditions in Scotland!

 

Sunset on the Buachaille.