Walking with Dogs

With more than a few column inches in the blogosphere this month being devoted to the subject of walking with dogs (Andy, John, WD), Ali and I borrowed a Jack Russell (“Gadget”) for a test drive.

A pleasant lunchtime stroll through the local footpaths of Hampshire led us through fields of golden oil seed rape and into woods carpeted with bluebells.

Wildthings Icesac with bullet pocket

I was pleased with my new Wildthings climbing pack when trying it out for the first time in North Wales.

Particularly satisfying is the ingenious new configuration for securely carrying ice tools that protects the pick and the large front zipped pocket. Designed for climbers by climbers and hand made in New Hampshire this sack has the trade off between weight and durability just right for multi-day alpine routes.

Other notable features include - Composite VX-21 fabric (200 p.s.i. waterproof); 2 gear loops on padded, removable hip belt; compression straps; whistle-lock on sternum strap; hydration system compatible; crampon / essentials pocket; 2 haul points; contour-cut removable lid; roll up snow skirt.

Volume: 52 litres; Weight: 1.3kg

Essential Alpine Skills Course – Day 2

Day 2 and we head off for the Ogwen Valley for some more practice on the crags above Lyn Idwal. This is familiar ground for Ali and I and some grade 1 scrambling terrain that we would normally tackle unroped. However, the emphasis is in efficient use of the rope and moving together quickly yet safely with running belays over rock spikes – an essential alpine skill. We also practice fixed belays using an Italian hitch and the odd nut placement.

When we top out on fairly level ground we again practice the Z hoist from yesterday – an excellent and, for me, a much needed refresher. Over lunch we discuss our homework assignment and get some good tips from Simon.

The afternoon is spent protecting a descent with a final abseil. Lee goes first (see photo) and looks surprisingly at ease for his first time. Andy provides backup protection on a safety line before it is his turn to abseil – electing to use an Italian hitch rather than the usual belay plate he finds it hard work as this method is much harder to control. Ali and I follow in turn and then Simon makes it all look so easy.

We head back to PYB and Simon is kind enough to spend some time with Ali and I preparing a three day alternative to our planned first Chamonix trip which would take in the Swiss summits of La Luette and Pigne d’Arolla. Food for thought.

An excellent course that was spot on for what we needed. Next stop the Alps! Good luck to Andy and Lee – keep in touch guys and let us know how you get on.

Murder of the impossible

If you are at a loose end after a day hillwalking or climbing in Snowdonia then why not pop into Plas y Brenin for an evening lecture? The staff give illustrated lectures every Monday, Tuesday and Saturday evenings at 8pm and these are free, open to the public (you don’t have to be on a course) and there is no need to book in advance. Just turn up, grab yourself a pint from the Snowdon bar and follow the horde into the lecture room next door.

We did just that and settled into our seats to listen to Neil Johnson recount the first successful, all British assent of Cerro Torre in Patagonia.

Walter Bonatti, the Italian born climber who set new standards in post-war Alpine climbing had declared Cerro Torre “impossible” and from the photos Neil displayed it was easy to see why.

However, in 1970, Bonatti’s countryman, Cesare Maestri climbed a route on the south-east side of the mountain, the "Compressor Route", so-called because he used a petrol-driven air compressor weighing 70kg (yes 70kg!) to power a drill and place 350 bolts up a blank section of rock – thereby murdering the impossible.

Neil kept us spell bound for an hour and a half with his tale of repeating the route in 2005 but I came away with three enduring memories of the lecture.

Firstly the simplicity of life on an expedition – long periods of boredom interspaced with short periods of pure terror. The normal day to day activities of life and decision making are stripped away and as Neil puts it you are left with:

“move your hands, move your feet,
move your hands, move your feet,
eat,
move your hands, move your feet,
move your hands, move your feet,
sleep”

Secondly, climbing ethics – Maestri bolted the climb and even left the compressor, now rusting, roped to the blank vertical face 35m below the summit. It is all too easy to sit in your armchair and criticise this approach but Neil describes the moment when he reaches it and, without hesitation, stands on it as a man made ledge – pure relief – “ethics are for the elite like Messner”

Finally, the horror as Neil dislodges a large chunk of ice from the compressor which falls onto two climbers below, knocking his boss unconscious and breaking the ribs of another.

A gripping, humorous and inspiring lecture.

You can read teammate, Steve Long’s account of the trip here

Essential Alpine Skills Course - Day 1

At last we are back in North Wales attending a weekend Essential Alpine Skills course at PYB. Breakfast is served in the dining hall and we get chatting to Gerwyn and Ceri Williams, a local couple from a village near Caernarfon. They are booked on a discovering navigation course and since it is their first time at the centre we give them the low down on what to expect.

Following an opening “welcome to PYB” talk in the lecture room we file out to meet our instructor, Simon Hale, and fellow participants for a course specific briefing.

We met Simon last year on an advanced scrambling course at the centre – he spends each summer guiding in the Alps, so we feel in expert hands.

There are two other chaps on the course, Andy Sykes and Lee Melling, both IT professionals from leading merchant banks. Andy has the only alpine experience amongst our group with an ascent of Gran Paradiso last year. Andy and Lee are planning a four day attempt on Mont Blanc in mid June which sounds tough given Lee’s only previous hill experience is the UK three peak challenge. Well he survived that, and the subsequent car crash, and these are not your stereotypical bankers – both keen skiers and used to living life in the fast lane – quite literally as Lee races a Fiat Punto on the track when he isn’t at his keyboard. We bond quickly as a group given our shared goal of climbing Mont Blanc.

Simon gives us an introductory talk on what to expect in the Alps - the longer routes, the night time starts required to summit by early morning to avoid the worst of the snow melt and thunderstorms in the afternoon, mountain hut etiquette etc. Lots of practical information and advice that should ease our transition from UK to European mountaineering.

Today we will focus on alpine rope work and we head off to the grounds to practice safely moving together whilst roped keeping the rope taut to minimise the shock loading if one of us falls into an imaginary crevasse.

Next we look at unassisted crevasse rescue techniques for a party of two using a Z pulley hoist – this is rather complex and not something you would want to figure out from first principles when your mate is down a crevasse with his full weight on your harness! In brief here is what we learnt: (caveat - if you think by reading this you will know how to do it then think again my friend – get some instruction and practice it – the investment may well save your life)

Firstly stop the fall – the most likely scenario is that the leader goes “in the slot” as a snow bridge collapses. The weight will come on the Second almost instantaneously and without warning so get into a sitting position and dig the heels of your crampons into the snow. It is a good idea for the Second to have attached a prusik loop between the rope and harness, in advance, so that the force of the fall is taken on the hips and not the chest coils.

Hopefully the Second has now successfully held the fall and can commence the rescue assuming that the leader is unable to self rescue. Immediately construct a horizontal buried axe belay next to you and by the use of a prusik gently transfer the weight of the fallen climber from your harness to the belay. Clearly you cannot select your spot so you may have to use an ice screw rather than an axe depending on the conditions. Ali and I had a chance to practice buried axe belays in Scotland.

Tie in a backup knot above the prusik in case it fails. The second is now free of the weight of the fallen climber. Remove chest coils and, allowing enough rope to reach the edge of the crevasse, tie yourself into the belay.

Proceed carefully to the edge of the crevasse to assess the leader’s condition – falling in next to him does not help matters! To reduce rope drag kick out snow on the edge and if possible get a rucksack or spare axe under the rope to stop it digging into the snow during the haul.

Attach another prusik and pulley to the rope near the edge of the crevasse and then return to the belay to remove the backup knot and untie yourself. Run the rope through the lower pulley and tie in close to it, thereby forming a Z shape with the rope and giving a 3 to 1 mechanical advantage.

On all fours the second can now haul the climber up until the prusiks meet. At this point the weight can again be gently transferred to the higher prusik and with the lower one reset the haul can continue.

After lunch we looked at self rescue from a crevasse with the leader attaching two prusik loops on the rope in order to climb out himself. For those of you who have read Touching the Void by Joe Simpson you will know how important it is not to drop your prusik loops!

Whilst the other three were soon moving swiftly up their respective vertical ropes I was really struggling because I had a slightly thinner rope and new prusik cord. I was soon sweating profusely even under Simon’s expert guidance. We tried a ropeman device in place of the prusik cord but I messed up and relased it causing me to “crater” fortunately from only a few inches off the ground. Clearly I need more practice at this one!

This perhaps illustrates a point I know already – that my rope work is not what it should be. Ali is a natural and exudes confidence I on the other hand am not. I need to practice, practice and practice some more to become slick and safe – it’s not just my life at stake. But this is why we booked the course and why we have a practice trip to the Alps planned in June.

On a more cheerful note we end the day’s instruction recapping what we have learnt and reviewing maps and guidebooks for the Alps. Simon closes by setting us some route finding homework.

Alps: Day 1 Planning

Thought we would plan to have an easy first day in the Alps. The afternoon before we will take the Charamillion-Balme ski lift up from Le Tour in the Chamonix valley and stay overnight at the Albert Premier Hut (2,702m) which is located about 1 hour 45 minutes above the top of the lift.

The Glacier du Tour closes the top of the Chamonix valley with Mont Blanc to the South and its eastern edge marks the border between France and Switzerland. It is a favourite location for newcomers like us.

In the morning we will set out before first light, having remembered to take a bearing the day before, and pass between Signal and Signal Reilly. From here it’s a steady glacial walk passing the North and South Peaks of Aiguille du Tour to the foot of Tête Blanche which we should reach after 2 hours.

Here we plan to practice the self arrest and belay techniques that we learnt in Scotland on the gentle southern slopes of Tête Blanche.

Time permitting we will take the ordinary route, first climbed in 1857, to the summit (an easy Grade I.F) to admire the view back across the Glacier du Tour and to peer down the much steeper (55 degrees) North Face (Grade II.AD) into the Plateau du Trient before returning via the same route to the Albert Hut.

Well that’s the plan for Day 1