When 2 become 1...

Winter in the UK can be very hit and miss. You blink and it's gone. Scotland usually does 'alright' but the mountains of England and Wales constantly tease you, leading you on like a school boy crush. A fall in temperatures, a dumping of snow, word on the grape vine that 'Route X' is in condition. The eyes begin to glisten, fingers tingle and stretch for the winter gear, a decision is made to go this weekend...then BAM! Thaw sets in, temperatures rise to double figures and that white gold we all crave is stripped from your grasp! UK winter IS gambling. It's addictive. It should come with a warning. Instead of pouring over the Financial Times and trying to decipher the stock market or working out this weekends winning lottery numbers (which by the way, is way easier then the following), we, as UK winter climbers, are looking with a vacant expression, at the cryptic lines and symbols on weather charts, pressing refresh on the Met Office Mountain Weather page, MWIS and that other weather website your mate Dave swears by because he saw it mentioned on an AD break while watching Bear Grylls repeats on...DAVE, to try and decipher the weather patterns criss crossing the UK to figure out...will Kinder be in this weekend?

My Top 10 bivis

Sleep...

We all love it, we all need it. A fundamental part of any holiday or trip away is based around where we'll be counting sheep, the rest just falls into place. At the end of the day, all we can think about is getting into a nice comfy bed and closing the day. Some of us can function on very little, which bodes well if you're a climber. For any normal person, a bed, four walls and a roof is the accepted minimum, or standard should I say, if you count going camping as an acceptable holiday, in this case, at least some form of electrical hook up and functioning toilets and showers. But for us 'dirt bag' climbers, who don't deem a bed as 'necessary' and want everything free (even the beer), we'll get our heads down literally anywhere. So here are my top 10 bivis. They aren't ranked from worst to best, more the story behind them and their location. After all, why pay for something which I already have at home?

Clogwyn Du: Round DeUx

Last season was a very disappointing period for me in the winter climbing scene as the only time I used crampons was for the descent down the Midi ridge to do the Vallee Blanche, and the axe came out once for a traverse in boots across a slope. I spent hours flicking between weather forecasts and looking at conditions for North Wales and the Lakes but nothing seemed worth the 5 hour drive north. So with the new winter season well under way, my luck this year has paid off and with a rare free weekend, good conditions and a partner, I was heading North for some good old Welsh winter. The only trouble was the weather. MWIS has forecast 80mph winds with a windchill factor of -21C.

...This will be interesting....

Three's a crowd...No it's not!

Chris had mentioned that for a while now, the North ridge of Tryfan (I/II) had been on his wish list. So, we decided to head up and do it the next morning. Little did we know the new friend we'll be making today

Idwal Skills

Just a quick post.

After an amazing day on the black ladders, me and Chris headed over to the other side of the valley and into Idwal. We had a few routes in mind but the only one free at the time of arrival was Chicane Gully (III, 4). Although, there was a team on the second pitch. We waited at the base, gearing up and out of the fall line of the ice they were knocking off! I did contemplate Grecian 2000 at this time, but decided against it for some unknown reason.

Black 'Leash' Ladders

I must admit, I've neglected this blog for the past month or two. After my last winter trip to North Wales of the season, I jetted off to Egypt to visit my girlfriend studying out there. Ever since i got back, I've been pretty busy. So finally I've gotten round to updating it. And so...

Trinity Threesome

The night gave way to morning as the cold, clear sky above Pen Y Pass began to glow a light shade of orange. The frosty blanket covering my bivi bag had woken me long before my alarm, but I burrowed my head into the warmth of a goose down cocoon and waited for the jingle to wake the car park. Cold with clear skies. Perfect day for winter climbing on Snowdon. 

Clogwyn Du food theif!

Idwal or Clogwyn? Or maybe somewhere else? Oh the joys of deciding where to go in the winter climbing game. It had been cold all week, and ice was forming. But how good will this ice be? And what will the conditions be like higher up?

North Wales Ice Climbing

This week has been a bout of disappointment. At first I missed out on a night climb of Torpantau falls in South Wales with Tim, which turned out to be a blessing any way as he didn't even reach the falls. And secondly, Chris had to work at the weekend and Tim was already in Wales, so no climbing partners were free. So, I posted on UKC for a partner, with the slim chance that someone would answer.