Spanish rock with Trainee Instructor Students

A brief summery interlude, and I am now in Spain, Costa Blanca, staying in a lovely Villa in the Xalo valley surrounded by lots of fantastic rock climbing. A large change from the wilds of Scottish winter. This is an area I have visited numerous times, it was my first taste of rock climbing, many years ago and for the next two weeks I am working here with an instructor training course based in the Scottish Highlands over the winter. For some this will be basically their first time on rock and for others we will be revisiting and improving skills they have already aquired. The aim of the trip is to come away with everyone sport and traditional lead climbing in preparation for their Single Pitch Award training. I am working alongside three other instructors, Stephen, Lena and Josh who are assisting in the process of teaching these nine students.

Heres a look at some of the things we have been up to:

 

Day one at Sierra de Toix, a nice introduction by the sea with sunshine and warm rock... a different scene from scottish winter.

Simulating leading as a progression to Sport leading

Day two at Echo Valley, a busy section as everyone gets stuck into sport leading.

 

Lena on day three assisting me teaching traditional leading.

Stephen supervising Duncan traditional lead climbing, debating a gear placement.

Lunch time entertainment at Sierra de Toix TV; last year we watched planes drop water on the hill side below from this crag, as they tried to put out a natural fire. This year slightly more chilled watching parapenting above the crag.

 

Me and James experimenting with some new set up systems.

Trad and sport climbing at Alcalali, the local crag, we smuggly watched the heavy thunder showers on the other side of the valley.It has been a week of unsettled weather of which we have done very well to avoid most of the rain.

 

 

The forecast is looking good for the next week so we should get some more great climbing in. Day off tomorrow, some sunny sport climbing for the instructional staff and chance for the students to get a bit of practise in and some rest.  

Winter skills with James

James and I set off for three days of adventuring around the Cairngorms and an introduction to walking in the mountains in winter for James. We managed to visit most of the vacinity between the ski centre and Ben Macdui looking at snow craft skills, emergency shelters, avalanche awareness and winter navigation. We were blessed with some calmer weather and a good mix of beautiful views and poor visibility to hone in our navigation skills.

On our way up to Cairngorm, a break in the clouds while we were practising a navigational tool, aspect of slope.

Walking into Corrie an Lochain

Where next??

A winter mountain leader training group on the approach to the summit of Stob Corrie an Lochan

A fine day in Corrie an T-Sneachda, plenty of climbers making their way in.

Emergency shelter building, better known as playing in the snow.

The Finished product.

On the Summit of Ben Macdui, great navigation by James to get us there.

 

 

White Magic...

A good, if slightly soggy day was had by the three of us on White Magic in Coire an T-Sneachda. Thanks to Will for leading both myself and Gordon up the route which turned out to be quite a battle to protect. Brilliant climbing with icy hooks all the way up the crack even though it appeared to be thawing somewhat. Conditions will be great if it all freezes up tomorrow, although still plenty of digging for gear.

Gordon following up the first pitch, brilliant ice on the face.

Will cruising up the not so well protected (magic) crack pitch. Fantastic ice hooks all the way.

 

Winter Mountain Leader Training

The First Winter Mountain Leader training of the year and a wild one it has been. They are off on expedition tomorrow night with Pete Hill the course provider. The wind looks to be in their favour, however the temperatures not so much. Potentially a wet night in a snowhole for them, all good training.

 

We have been exploring different winter skills techniques, security on steep ground and generally consolidating skills.

Step cutting on the ridge up into Coire Laogh Mhor

 

Donning the goggles for a windy blasting in coire and T-Sneachda. Still all smiling.

Avalanche debris from cornice colapse, between the Mess of Potage and Aladdins buttress. A very white corrie, wet wind slab, conditions looking pretty tricky. We stuck to the moraine for some digging and tranceiver skills.  

 

Original Route and Auricle

Yet another windy scottish winter day and we sneak out to see if we might get chance to tacle fingers ridge or atleast steal another route before christmas. We kept the options fairly open as the forecast was for increasingly stronger winds. In the end we opted for Original route in Coire an T-Sneachda, which was a brilliant choice with westerly winds, once up the first pitch you are sheltered all the way to the top by a corner and the rest of aladdins buttress to the right. We were excited to find some neve, the first of the season, so Josh got to swing his axes into something solid for the first time.

The clouds breaking to reveal a wintering looking coire.

Me on the first pitch, some nice neve up the corner

 

Josh following up the final tricky corner.

 

Auricle

30th of December, Straight back from a cozy visit to Devon for christmas and feeling the need to burn off some mince pies. I teamed up with Dave Sharpe to follow up Auricle in Coire an Lochan. This route was a little above my grade for leading, but a great oportunity to second. Quite a tough little number, i didnt manage many photos as I was attentively belaying. It rained all the way on the walk in until the bottom of the coire but the temperatures dropped and then it snow persistently all day, peas soup and a bit of careful navigation required on the walk off. The snow created trouble for other teams trying to top out through unstable cornices.

 

Dave on the crux pitch, steeper and harder than it looks from the bottom. Some thin moves on poor hooks or a very long reach.