Scrambling about....

Just back from a great weekend in the Lake District which say us go after Helvellyn via Striding Edge on Saturday.  This was going to be my first ever lead on a planned scramble and I'm pleased to say that everything went according to plan.  The weather was just about right - in other words not to warm, in fact on the tops it was pretty cold.  One we got onto Striding Edge proper the fun started.  We where moving along petty well but then one of the team started to lose her head for heights, so I resorted to some of the skills that Steve Holmes had taught me the previous weekend and in particular the sling trick.  After that we worked well as a team and before we knew it we had made the summit.

I'm pleased to say that I felt comfortable throughout the whole scramble despite there being dozens of people on the ridge and, it has to be said, some of them had no clue whatsoever especially the guy at the end who insisted on pushing past people - not the brightest idea in the world considering were we all where!!

Once we had grabbed a snack on the summit we moved onto Swirral Edge and made short work of that scramble.  We then joined the rest of the group who had opted not to attempt the scramble but to walk into Red Tarn instead.

So feeling pleased with myself.  Roll on 25 May when I'm taking some folk on the Zig Zags in Glencoe - another Grade 1 Scramble. 

For accommodation we stayed at a brilliant bunkhouse which I would highly recommend.

Rock & Rope

Finally getting around to pulling my blog together after a great weekend of scrambling and climbing under the watchful eye of Steve Holmes of Vertical Fever who I can firmly recommend to anyone wanting to enjoy the great outdoors in Scotland or anyone who want to step up from walking to a bit of scrambling or climbing.

On Saturday I wanted to refresh my scrambling skills and in particular look at how I can manage friends and peers when they are on a scramble.  Steve took me through a whole range of skills on the Zig Zags (Grade 1) in Glencoe.  We covered skills ranging from spotting to a simple belay using an Italian hitch system as well as covering how to lower someone if they "froze".  It was an excellent day and the weather was not too bad, although we had started the day in rain and wind.

On the Sunday, Steve had decided to get me back onto the end of a rope and to do some climbing routes in Glen Nevis.  I had been here a couple of years earlier but I also knew that my skills had faded a wee bit since then.  No matter Steve quickly ran through the fundamentals and then we where of on the first climb which was Three Pines (VDiff).  I coped with this one well, so Steve took us over to the next buttress which was the Flying Dutchman (Mild Severe).  This was a slabby route and I had a real episode of not wanting to move.  Steve was ever patient with me and got me down to a grass ledge and gave me time to compose myself.  I have to admit it took a bit of "talking to myself" to get me back onto the rock, but I am so pleased I pushed on to nail my very first mild severe route.

We then moved on to Spike Wall (VDiff) which was a two pitch route which included a hanging belay which was all new to me - and was a pretty nervous experience.  We finished the day with a descent of Scimitar Ridge (Grade II).

It was a brilliant weekend and Steve was really encouraging - I always felt safe with him and the wobble was down to my head not Steve.  I'm already booked to go back out with Steve at the end of May and I can't wait.  Also, I will be putting my refreshed scrambling skills to good use this weekend when I take a group up Striding Edge in the Lake District.

An active weekend....

It's been a good active weekend which started after work on Friday with a three hour walk in the Pentland Hills, then another 3+ hours on Saturday afternoon finishing with two training sessions with PT clients this morning.

The longer days mean that it's possible to get out onto the hill after work and that is exactly what I did on Friday.  At the moment I'm carrying my full overnight gear although I've not stayed out yet this year - but I thought it wise to start getting used to the extra weight.  I'm using the new Black Diamond Speed 55 backpack and I have to say that to date it has been excellent (I will put a review up soon).  I had the hills to myself for pretty much the whole walk so it was perfect for popping my iPod on and just relaxing into the walk.  Towards the end of the walk I found a nice sheltered spot and brewed up.  It was great sitting with a hot chocolate and just looking out over pretty much the whole of Edinburgh.  A great start to the weekend.

Saturday was supposed to be a nice easy day doing pretty much nothing but a text message from Caroline asking if I fancied hitting the hills changes all that.  We went back onto the Pentlands but this time went in a different way.  That's something I've discovered about the Pentland Hills - they are huge and you can pretty much walk on them all day and not go over the same ground twice.  We had both layered up because the weather forecast was for rain and wind but we got a really nice afternoon and enjoyed a great walk.  The hills are starting to show there different colours and they look stunning.  We got to the top of Allermuir Hill (493m) and where rewarded with great views over pretty much the whole of Edinburgh - we even spent a bit of time identifying landmark buildings within the city.  The folk of Edinburgh are so lucky to have these fantastic hills right on their doorstep (I can actually walk from my backdoor to the hills).  We dropped down a wee bit and spent some time just sitting and enjoying the environment.

I'm pleased to say that my endurance fitness is starting to build back up after months side lined with injury.  All good news as I have just three weeks before I head to Fort William for a weekend of scrambling and some easy climbing.

Primus ETA Spider Stove....

After swaying between a Primus and a Jetboil, I finally decided to go with the Primus Eta Spider 1 - 2 people trekking stove.  My decision making was helped by the fact that I had used Primus in the past and they had always performed well.  The Spider comes with it's own insulation bag, and it also has a windshield, Piezo igniter and a plastic bowl.  It is lightweight coming in at 599g and will boil 1lt of water in 3 minutes 35 seconds. 

I've used the stove twice now for boiling water to make a brew and I have to say it boils water very fast indeed, especially when you are only using enough water to make a cup of tea.  The stove is very easy to assemble and use and you can have it fired up and working within minutes.  The windshield is very effective and the whole unit is compact and easy to use. 



The igniter is okay and does work, but I would recommend you take a striker or matches because I've found you need to be pretty close the heat source when lighting the stove using the igniter provided and I've singed hand hairs on both occasions!!  The plastic bowl that comes with the stove is unnecessary in my opinion - it resembles a dog bowl and is pretty flimsy.  I've carried it twice but will be leaving it behind next time.


In summary, this is an excellent trekking stove.  I have used it twice and am very happy with it indeed.  It boils water quickly is compact, light and easy to use. 

Spring has not sprung just yet.......

Friday say me grab a much needed day off from the day job so I thought the time was ripe for packing my new Black Diamond Speed 55 pack with my overnight kit and hitting the hill.  I figured the weather would be okay........you'd think I might have learnt a few lessons over the year!!  It was raining when I got out of the car and the sky did not look promising.

I threw my kit on and headed for Kings Seat.  The going underfoot was pretty wet to start with but things started to get better as I gained height.  But with height came the wind and it was a cold one.  I made the top of Kings Seat in pretty good time but by then the wind was getting up to gale force and the rain was constant. 

I pushed on towards Byrehope Mount and by this time it was micro navigation time which was good because it's be a long while since I had to practice that and it was a good route to do it on because there was any number of escape routes.

I dropped over Byrehope Mount, took stock and decided to head back the way I had come and along the way I set myself up on a couple of compass bearings just to practice that a bit.  Again the route was good for this kind of practice.  Always better to practice when you feel really safe , than have to do it for real when things go pear-shaped.  I was also testing some new gear I've bought over the last few weeks and I will be blogging reviews of this in due course.  Needless to say my new Haglofs hard shell jacket did the business.

So a good three hours out for some much needed fresh air.

Salomon Mens Classic 4D 2 GTX Boots Review

I actually bought these boots before Christmas but have only just got round to really testing them in conditions when I really want my boots to do the business.  That was yesterday with  9 mile walk in the Pentland Hills in Edinburgh when the conditions underfoot where particularly wet and boggy.

First up the boots fit well but, as with any footwear, make sure you get the right fit and wear them around the house for as many hours as possible to allow your feet to warm up.  Mine fit really well and the feel around the foot and heel is one of comfort but stability.  After about four miles I could feel the top of the boots rubbing, but a quick loosening and retying sorted that one out.


The soles are good and during my walk they gripped just about anything I walked on, or at times jumped on.  I felt comfortable and confident throughout the outing.  It was truly wet and horrible underfoot but my feet stayed dry and warm throughout the walk - so much so that I just left them on for the sort drive to the coffee shop after the walk.

I had never used Salomon kit until I started training for ultra-marathons a couple of years ago.  That's when I discovered their range of running shoes.  It seemed a logical step t try their boots and I have not been disappointed. 

Great 9 Miles on the Hills.....but very wet!!

Me and the usual suspects managed to get out onto the Pentland Hills today for a decent 9 mile walk.  When we started the cloud was pretty low but as we progressed along our way the cloud burnt back and the sun made a welcome appearance.  It was still very cold on the face and hands - I'm convinced that at one point a dentist could have pulled teeth and I wouldn't have felt a thing.  The gang have been all over the Pentland's because basically they are on our doorstep, but recently I picked up a guide book and I discovered some great new routes for us to try.


It was very wet underfoot though - in fact in places it was simply a bog, but with a bit of jigging and a bit of jumping we managed to get through and head for the two hills that where the target for the day.  The conditions underfoot made the going tough and we had that for pretty much the whole 9 miles. At least my new Solomon boots got a good workout - look out for a review of them soon.

The short sharp ascent of the first hill was a bit of a shock to the system, but it was fairly short lived and at least the top offered some shelter from the bitterly cold wind.  We grabbed a snack and a drink then headed for the second hills, only to be presented with more boggy ground.  We travelled pretty fast between hills now and pretty soon we had topped out on hill two.  Another quick snack and we started back down and onto the route back to the car park. 

This was a great walk and it let us all see the Pentland Hills from a different perspective.  It also let Helen get some miles in as she prepares for the Caledonian Challenge in June.