RBS ESSA Bronze Award Entry 2013

Hi All,

Could everyone please watch this as many times as possible, this has been entered in the RBS ESSA Bronze Award 2013. The more views we get the more likely we will get some money into the club. Please pass it on to everyone you know to try and get more views for the video :)

Thanks
Tom
President

Information Update

All those who have not done winter skills yet for whatever reason, we will not be running a second course for you. If you want to do winter skills we can recommend various places to go and give you costs and contacts but you will need to organise it yourself (transport etc) . You can still attend climbing sessions and the meetings but while winter conditions exist in the mountains you won't be able to attend those trips.

Climbing Review

Climbing today went well. With all the routes reset from the last time that we went we all felt like kids in a candy store :)
Sorry, I didn't take my camera again.
Also, for the next trip we will all meet at the Ibrox, this means more time climbing and less time seeing what time people arrive.
Looking forward to getting back on the wall on Wednesday :)

Trip Calcelation

The Weekend trips have been cancelled due to the Weather conditions alongside the Avalanche Forecast. Below is the Avalanche Forecast for Glencoe Today:


With winds of up to 75mph ripping the snow that is deposited on the Southerly slopes and dumping on the Northerly aspect, this results in the Southerly aspect being of no use for our aim (to practice Winter Skills).
The Westerly and Easterly slopes are of high risk and the Northerly slope is not worth risking. The forecast remains basically the same until Creag Meagaidh. 
Then On Sunday there is a risk of lightning as well as strong winds.

All in all, it isn't worth going out into that weather and to meet those snow conditions. Instead we will be going to the Ibrox Climbing Center and getting some climbing done. We will be meeting at Sunday at 10am in the Saltire Center and heading off as soon as possible.

Winter Skills Training Review

When you stand on a mountain’s top, look down over the wide fields below you and see other Bens not far away you know you have reached your goal for the day. The last few metres are the best ones, when you get into “summit fever” and know, soon you can have your last chocolate bar because you have finally made it!
However getting to this point can be complicated. It is a lot of work, from reading maps to find the right path up to putting in physical strength to get to where you want. Though everybody who gets there will agree- it was worth it.
However, this is even more difficult and dangerous in winter as the area is snow and ice covered which sometimes goes up or even over ones knees. Strong winds with up to 50mph that carry snow with them make both rise and decent more dangerous and strenuous. On top avalanches are constant threats.
To ensure that the members of the GCU mountaineering club are well-prepared for those difficulties, know what to do in case of an emergency, but first of all, know how to avoid getting into dangerous situations in the first place, we held a Winter Skills Weekend from the 18th to the 20th of January.
Our members (Eleven in total in two groups) went out into the Cairngorms with instructors to cover the essentials from learning how to read avalanche predictions in combination with weather forecasts, to using crampons (metallic spikes at the end of the boots) in order travel over frozen areas. On their two-day seminars they learnt how to dress themselves appropriately for winter and what to pack (that is dress with three to four layers initially and pack lots of extra stuff), how to use ice axes correctly and how to prevent themselves from sliding (and in case that didn’t work how to stop this slide). They learnt a lot about navigating in a total white-out (when you can’t see anything because of falling snow), how to analyse and check layers of snow (because snow is not just white and fluffy) and that, if one does not want to get into danger, one best stays inside with a blanket and a hot chocolate or tea (with or without milk).
However, because our members are adventure seekers and you can’t have adventure without a little bit of risk, this course prepared them essentially for the fantastic trips that we have planned this winter (and spring considering we live in Scotland and snow starts to fall in October and only clears in early May).

So far!

Weekly Update

We had a traverse competition on Wednesday for the reopening of the wall, thank you to all those who turned up and congratulations to those who won or came second in the various categories. We will be having a route setting day sometime soon so we can have a play about with the routes and get some different inputs to the routes.

Also, we have a few people going on thir introduction to winter skills this weekend, best of luck to them and We hope they all enjoy it. We will have 2 reviews up ASAP from the 2 courses that we have (one at Glenmore Lodge and one at the Cairngorms Christian Center).

We will resume normality on Wednesday when we will go climbing straight after the meeting. Following that we will be going on 2 days of winter skills for everyone to expand and practice the skills learnt this weekend.

Looking forwards to seeing you all there :)

Advanced Winter Skills Trip Review

On the 9th to 11th January a few members of the club traveled up to Oban for an advanced winter skills course. Shortly before setting off on the adventure our instructor informed us that the snow conditions were not good in the original area and we would have to travel up to Glen Coe to find some snow. This meant a 6:00 AM start to get there in plenty of time.

Approaching Glen Coe as the sun rose on day 2 we were amazed at the lack of snow on any of the hills.
Arriving at the carpark and meeting our instructor Zac Poulton our destination for the day came into sight (Stob Coire nan Lochan).

We then started on the journey up to Stob Coire nan Lochan, estimated snowline at 700m so a long way to go to get some snow.

The group proceed, the wind is blowing through the valley but we will be sheltered before long as we exit the middle of the valley.

Then Martin's bag burst and required a little surgery with duct tape.

 Our target gully is slowly coming into sight as we progress up the slope.

Now a test of navigation to see how we are adapting to the scale (1:50000 from 1:25000).

Kris refuses to have his picture taken.

Getting closer and closer to the gully and about at freezing level now.

We approach the main body of snow where we will be doing some crampon and ice axe work to get back in the swing of things.

The summit photo :)

The normal summit view... clouds and sky, damn it.

The clouds lift for a brief moment to review a stunning view.

Now as the clouds are beneath us, water vapor in the air and the sun behind us, we are treated to a rare phenomenon, the brocken spectre.

Now back down that gully, its looking really daunting from the top.

Day 2: Ben Nevis Gully 4

The North Face of the Ben keeps disappearing into the clouds.

We approach the mountain hut to stop for lunch, following that the plan is to do some Ice Axe Arrest practice at the bottom of gully 4 before proceeding and doing some belaying practice.

The summit photos :)

Now back down...

We got back to the van in complete darkness after a wonderful weekend of learning how to be safe in the hills. We look forwards to practicing the skills that we learnt over the weekend in the future.