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A windy day in the hills today so it was a quick jaunt around Llyn Padarn this morning with some company near the Quarry Hospital.

Now that's what I call a high tide! This was taken this morning near Victoria Dock, Caernarfon.

I was down in the big smoke last week working for a public school. I was carrying out some Technical Advise work as well as running some in house assessments on the school climbing and abseiling towers. As usual, I received a very warm welcome and was very well looked after.

It was a tough ride around the mountains today with the cold being the biggest problem but, as well as that, there was a keen breeze against me from Capel Curig to Bethesda so it took a bit longer than anticipated. If the weather stays the same I think this may be the last long ride of the Winter :-( 

Just finished an ML training course with a 2 day camp in the Moelwynion. The hail, cold and strong winds were a bit of a challenge but, after an ascent of Cnicht, we managed to find some shelter from the NW winds near the top of Afon Cwm y Foel. The group were as enthusiastic as ever and were all fired up to consolidate skills and experience in the coming months. Well done team. ML Ropework near Idwal Cottage YHA and Y Garn in the background. ML Ropework near Idwal Cottage YHA and Pen yr ole Wen in the background. A very windy summit of Cnicht (689m) Lunch break near Bwlch y Battel.

I started running an ML training course today based in Gerlan above Bethesda. We travelled over to Capel Curig and looked at micro navigation techniques around the Crimpiau area. It worked out to be a lovely day but it turned cold by the end of the day.

Succeeded in dodging the weather over the last couple of days running a SPA training course based around Llanberis. Gabby, Paul and Jen on day two of the course with Fachwen and Snowdon in the background

Home sweet home. Just returned back from a successful trip to Mera Peak in the Himalaya despite very strong winds and cold conditions. Looking down into the Hinku Valley Rest day at Karka Summit day with Everest in the background High Camp (5800m) Descending the Zetrwa La (4600m) Buddhist Temple in Kathmandu 

Caernarfon this morning. Llyn Padarn and Yr Wyddfa Panorama

Not much of a view today.

Geoff on the upper section of Tryfan Bach Ben tackling the last steep section of Tryfan Bach The team on Bastow Buttress grade 2/3 I had a mixed weekend working on some AMI Trainee Workshops last weekend. The short roping day with Geoff and Ben was very constructive and we had perfect weather. In contrast, the improvised rescue with Geoff and Dave on the next day was a complete washout so we were very kindly allowed to use the Plas y Brenin facilities. We covered everything we needed to cover and more by using the anchors under the canopy in the morning and a load of hanging around in the teaching wall in the afternoon. The day was salvaged and Dave and Geoff went home happy and with loads to think about before their assessment.

I was in Shropshire over the weekend conducting staff assessments on rope activities such as abseiling, ropes courses and climbing walls.

This was the first opportunity I've had to visit the site of a land slip from last Winter on the flanks of Moel Eilio. I had seen it from a distance but nothing prepared me for the size and depth of the devastation. The most fascinating aspect of this full depth land slip was to see the glacial striations exposed on the bedrock for the first time in thousands of years. 

I was out with Tim and Dave today to give them a bit of a shakedown before their MIA assessment. We spent the day looking at scrambling and short roping techniques on Tryfan Bach and Nor Nor Buttress variant with a descent of North and Little Gully. It was really nice to have the mountains to ourselves after the busy Summer.

Elidir Fawr from Mynydd Perfedd Moel Hebog from Elidir Fawr

First Pitch. Direct Route  Last pitch. Polished struggle done!

A pleasant start in the sun Exposed climbing crux dispatched! 

We decided to have a rest day today so we had an easy 10 mile walk from Ogwen to Capel Curig and back along the old drovers road.

Lovely route, great friction and complete solitude. Perfect day. :-) 

We had a bit of rest-bit for the sun today with a cloudy ascent of Clogwyn y Person Arete with Dei. The cloud and the cool breeze made all the difference for a very pleasant walk in and an atmospheric ascent of the ridge. Carnedd Ugain (1065m)

I was meeting up with the Mera Peak team this weekend for some hill preparation and paperwork. Yesterday we walked from above Deiniolen to Capel Curig taking in 8 peaks (4 of which were over 3,000 feet). It was a baking hot day and felt like the hottest day of this hot spell which made the challenge even more of an achievement. We covered 20 km and 1500m of ascent and took in all the summits between Carnedd y Filiast to Glyder Fach. A great effort by all. Elidir Fawr Descending Y Garn Glyder Fawr Glyder Fach Today we headed to Tryfan to do some scrambling. We started off on Tryfan Bach (3) and then went over to the East Face to climb Nor' Nor' Buttress variant (3). We had another beautiful, sunny day but it was a little bit cooler due to a nice breeze.  Tryfan Bach Tom on Nor' Nor' Buttress variant Andy and Gwen topping out on Nor' Nor' Buttress variant Tom on exposed section of Nor' Nor' Buttress varian