A weekend at Plas-Y-Brenin. The Jagged Globe 2014 Leaders Forum. December 6th 2014.

It is quite a while since Iain has been in North Wales. Kendal Mountaineering Services doesn't get much call for Skills Training Courses in Snowdonia which is a shame, as for mountaineering and climbing, the area has more to offer than our native Lake District.

However, Iain recently received and invite to attend the Jagged Globe Leader Forum which was to be based at Plas Y Brenin - the UK's leading Mountain Training Centre. Photo one is a view of the lake to the west of Plas Y Brenin - the Llynnau Mymbyr. Crib Goch can be seen beyond the head of the lake and there is snow on the south side of "The Glyders" to the right. Plas Y Brenin is set right within the heart of some of Snowdonia's most striking mountain terrain and has a very long history as a centre providing training courses for Outdoor Pursuits.

The second photo is looking in the opposite direction - east along the Nant Gwryd. Plas y Brenin has great facilities of all types and great access to watersports on site as well as the mountains.

Iain well remembers a Level 3 Open Boat Training Course that he attended here in 2003 that started on the slipway to the left in this view. We all headed out on to Llynnau Mymbryr where we very quickly discovered just how unmanagable an Open Canoe, paddled solo, becomes - in anything more than a force 3 wind!

The Brenin has also long been famous for its dry Ski slope which gets used all year round in addition to its other facilities. The main building has a bar in addition to accommodation & dining facilities, a conference room and a climbing wall. There is plenty to do here for the outdoor enthusiast both indoors and out.

Jagged Globe were here to use the Brenins facilities as a venue for their Annual Leader Forum. The day spent in the Conference Room was very interesting - more in that in a moment!

Photo four is a view from the bar looking across to Moel Siabod - one of the biggest hills in the area and as you can see - in Winter Garb yesterday morning.

Iain, along with a number of other people had arrived at the Brenin the previous evening having booked the weekend package of two nights B & B and breakfast. The first evening was spent "networking"!

Photo five - another view from the bar looking along Llynnau Mymbyr yesterday morning. So who are Jagged Globe? Well, for 27 years, Jagged Globe has been at the forefront of organising mountaineering expeditions, mountaineering courses, adventurous skiing and high-altitude treks from within the UK. The company specialises in organising logistics and travel intineraries to the world biggest mountains including Mera Peak and Aconcagua which Iain has already climbed.

Business tends to quieten down for us here at KMS over winter and Iain hopes to get on to Jagged Globe's books as an Expedition Leader. With that in mind, the company invited him to attend their leader Forum which was great fun. As regards working for them? Well - watch this space!

Photo six sees some of the organisations many Expedition Leaders as we all prepared to enter the Conference Room. Topics were diverse but centred around mountaineering and altitude. First up was a discussion around the tragedy of trekker - Rachel Burke who died from Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) in 2011 on the Everest Base Camp Trek. The discussion centred around the events leading up to her death; and how this could have been avoided.

Second up was Kay Mitchell from Xtreme Everest telling us all  about the effects of high altitude on human physiology and what can be done to prevent AMS. This organisation recently set up camps on the route up Everest from the Nepal side with the support of Jagged Globe and a number of other organisations and here trekkers & mountaineers underwent significant physiological testing for the effects of altitude. The results made for very interesting reading.

After Lunch, Iain Sherrington from Glenmore Lodge told us all about the steps the organisation has taken following their avalanche tragedy in 2013. Glenmore Lodge subsequently invested heavily in Avalanche Tranceivers and other equipment and now provide avalanche training to clients as part of all their winter courses. A three year trial programme will lead them to conclude whether or not to coninue with this course of action beyond that point.

Photo seven looks towards the bunkhouse accommodation at Plas Y Brenin from outside of the conference room.

After Ian Sherrington's presentation there followed a rather moving presentation by Paul Sheridan - a trekker who survived a snowstorm on the Thorung La in Nepal during October in which a large number of others lost their lives. The presentation only served to strengthen the view of a need for education with regards to the importance of proper mountaineering clothing being carried by trekkers and their guides and the putting in place of a strategy to deal with the effects of bad weather on this and other high mountain passes.

The final photo is of the front of Plas Y Brenin on the A4086 at Capel Curig.

To finish off the day, we heard, from a well known local instructor, about his recent experience on Ama Dablam when, due to an impending turn in the weather, some clients decided to ignore a carefully planned acclimatization programme for ascending the mountain and climb too high, too quickly! The result nearly led to the death of one of the trekkers when other members had to go to his rescue. Lessons were learned!!

After an most interesting day, all those attending the forum adjourned to the dining room at Plas Y Brenin for a pre-arranged Christmas Dinner. What followed was a merry occasion which continued into the small hours.

Thank you to Plas Y Brenin for hosting the event and for providing great facilities and a great setting in which to conduct this forum. For Iain, it was great to be back at a place from where he has many great memories - as he prepared to gain his Mountaineering Instructor Award over ten years ago.

And also thank you to Jagged Globe for arranging a fantastic and informative forum which was a great deal of fun to attend. Looking forward to the next one.........

Outdoor Activity Gift Vouchers. Ideal for Christmas presents, Birthday Gifts or any special occasion!

Christmas is only five weeks away! Still unsure of what to buy that loved one, special friend or family member? Do they enjoy the great outdoors? Have they expressed interest in learning an outdoor sport such as Rock Climbing, Canoeing, kayaking or Map Reading? Would they like to try out an activity such as Ghyll Scrambling or Canyoing or abseiling? If so - then we have the answer for a Christmas Gift with a difference that they will love!

Our Gift Certificates are ideal for that special Christmas Present. They can be used in full or part payment towards any of the activity sessions or Skills Training Courses that we provide. Buying your Christmas Gift Certificate is very simple. First - browse our selection of courses on our website homepage under Courses & Tuition, Upcoming Courses or Upcoming Skye Cuillin Ridge Trips. Secondly, visit our prices page and finally contact us to buy your gift certificate.

You have two choices as to how you can receive your Gift Certificate. We will either email the certificate to you for you to print and present at no extra cost; or, for only an extra £1.50, we will print your Gift Certificate to high quality paper and post to you - it's that simple!

So get online and browse our courses. We have a whole range of activities and courses to delight the Outdoor Enthusiast, Adventurer and Adrenalin Junkie and they will just love one of our Gift Certificates. Order yours today!

Navigation Skills Training Courses in The Lake District. November 2014.

October and November have been quiet times for us here at Kendal Mountaineering Services. True - the weather hasn't been great, wet cold and grey overcast days aren't the most inspiring conditions for encouraging people into getting out but if you are looking to have an adventure then caving is ideal and water levels are also good for canoeing or kayaking.

We have also had some good weather days too! There is nothing like some sunshine & blue sky to lift your spirits and the Lake District Fells can be very beautiful in their Autumn colours. Fell Walking is a great pastime on days like these and if your map reading & Navigation Skills are not what they might be then you can always enrole on one of our Lake District Based Map Reading & Navigation Skills Training Courses.

Our most recent bit of work has been with Pam Hallesy who booked a 1 day Navigation Skills Training Course (photo one). Pam lives in the south east but regularly visits the area as she loves fell walking in The Lake District. Pam found our 1 day bespoke Navigation Skills Training Course very rewarding and plans to return for a second day in the New Year.

Photo two sees Belinda, Becky & Al who attended one of our weekend Navigation Skills Training Courses in September. These courses are run over two days and provided we get four people booking, the courses will run at the bargain price of only £80 per person. Dates are now up for our 2015 Navigation Skills Training Weekends and bookings are coming in. Three places are already taken on our April course so, with only one more person required for it to definitely take place it's worth thinking about joining!

As well as running Navigation Skills Training Weekends on set dates, we will also run you your very own bespoke Navigation Skills Training course in The Lake District at any time you choose. Our prices start at £160 per day for one to four persons with discounts being applied if you are a family and want to bring your children along.

This was the case in photo three with the Kendall Family who came along with their three sons looking for a one day map reading course. With a discount for the lads the day cost the equivalent of only £44 each and as well as learning new skills with which to venture into the hills - they also had a great deal of fun!

Photo four was taken during the April Navigation Skills weekend this year which was fully subscribed and run in good weather. We spent day one learning most of the skills required to map read & navigate successfully in an area not to far from the meeting point at Staveley. Day two was spent on the hills in the distance - part of the Kentmere Horseshoe learning more skills and putting into practice those learn the previous day.

Our Lake District based Map Reading & Navigation Skills Training Courses are a very rewarding way to learn the skills you'll need to venture into the UK's mountains with confidence and very good value. These courses are also ideal for aspiring Mountain Walking Leaders wishing to brush up on their navigation skills prior to an assessment or re-assessment. The weekend courses at only £80 per person make an ideal present so if you are wondering what to buy a family member of friend this Christmas then buy them a  space on one of our courses and present it to them as one of our Gift Vouchers. Contact us here to book your Navigation Skills Training course  in The Lake District for 2015 and get ready to venture into the hills.

Navigation Skills Training Courses in The Lake District. September 27th & 28th 2014.

Just before we headed south for our holiday in Jordan, Iain had one more bit of work to do. The first of our Autumn/winter Lake District based Navigation Skills Training Courses was scheduled to run during the last weekend of the month.

Despite being amazing value at just £80 per person for this two day course, it didn't book up well. However, we did have the minimum of four persons booked on to it for the Saturday at least, so Iain decided to run it anyway!

We were joined by two returning clients Al & Becky (centre & right, photo one) who joined Iain for a hardcore day of Caving in the Yorkshire Dales last February. It was good to see them again and they were joined by their mate Belinda who came out for the Saturday. Of the fourth person, there was no sign; although Iain later discovered that she had thought the course was not going ahead!

However, with those who did turn up, we cracked on through the usual syllabus on Saturday. This starts with our discussing the importance of map orientation followed by a comparison of map scales and their effect on detail.

We then set off on a linear route having discussed pacing and measuring distance. By the time we had gotten to the point in photo two, the girls were also able to find grid references on the map and had just walked on their first bearing. Good progress!

We spent the remainder of day one walking from grid reference to grid reference always on a bearing; and pacing the distances as accurately as possible. We finished the day discussing Naismiths Rule (3km per hour plus 1 minute for every 10m contour crossed and then spent a while working out timings between a number of grid references before walking back to the cars. A good day with a lot of learning having taken place.

Day two saw Iain, Al & Becky parking up further along the kentmere valley with the intention of taking the usual route up Shipman Knotts & Kentmere Pike.

Iain started the pair off by adding a new skill - how to use the compass to identify something you can see from a known location (photo three) The pair were already very good at reading from map to ground but this new technique would help them confirm what they thought they were looking at - a useful boost to confidence which is essential in the mountains!

We set off with the intention of ascending Shipman Knotts from the bridleway linking Green Quarter to Sadgill, but that involves  following another linear feature (the wall running along the crest). Iain wanted to push this pair a bit harder so we set off around the hillside above Sadgill - firstly to find the head of a small stream. Real Mountain Walking Leader Standard stuff!

And of course Becky & Al found their stream head no problem through a combination of pacing, walking on a bearing and being able to read the shape of the ground from the contours on the map.

We then went on to find a significant change in direction in another stream before heading up to a gently sloping shelf on the otherwise steeply sloping east face of Shipman Knotts - the pair could identify where they were going even before we got there! It wasn't until we got on to the summit plateau of Kentmere Pike in thick mist walking on a long leg from another stream head to the summit Trig Point that they really had to work hard; and then they were pretty much bang on finding that Trig Point!

By this time, it was mid afternoon so Iain's last instruction was "Right! - get us back to those cars now please!" which of course they did no problem.

So our first Navigation Skills Training Course of the Autumn went well with three people learning a lot of new skills which should help them venture into the mountains with confidence in the future. Job done!

Our next Navigation Skills Training Course in The Lake District  is projected to take place on November 1st & 2nd with a further on on November 29th & 30th.

There are plenty of spaces available on both weekends and at £80 per person for the two day course they are a bargain. Contact us here to book your place today!

Also, dates for our 2015 Mountain Navigation Skills Training Weekends are up on the website here so you can plan well in advance to attend one of these great courses. We look forward to working with you.

Cuillin Ridge Traverse Trips 2015 dates now up. Join the conversation here!

Details of our 2015 Cuillin Ridge Traverse Trips are now up - early to allow you all time to plan well in advance.

Details of what is involved can be found be visiting the webpage here.

Join in the conversation about these trips on Facebook here.

Interested in joining - contact Iain at Kendal Mountaineering services here or call on 07761 483364.

We look forward to your joining us for an amazing week on this amazing ridge on the Isle of Skye.

Ghyll Scrambling in the Lake District. Church Beck. 23rd September 2014

Wednesday 23rd Sepember found Iain back at Church Beck near Coniston - this time running a Ghyll Scrambling Session in The Lake District on behalf of The Scouts for St Cuthberts RC Primary School from Chester Le Street, County Durham.

These children were on a five day residential course based at Great Tower Scout Activity Centre near Windermere. We have enjoyed running a considerable number of activity days for The Scouts this Summer - in particular caving sessions in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

With the continuing warm weather, it was still fine to take these young people for a thorough soaking in Church Beck in their attire of personal clothing underneath Sailing Oversuits - it was just enough to keep them warm - good news as primary age children tend to get chilly a lot quicker than adults.

Ghyll Scrambling; or gorge walking as it is also known, involves walking/wading up a mountain stream - clambering up waterfalls and swimming through and jumping into deep pools. It is fun and exhilarating and best done in the Summer months when temperatures are warmer.

For people of all ages it can be an adventurous and challenging experience, it is also great family fun! We find Gorge Walking Sessions in The Lake District are very popular with Stag & Hen parties looking for an event with a difference. Read about our last Stag Event here and enjoy this video from that event!

Gorge walking sessions are also great for Team Building Events and we have a corporate client - Nucleargraduates, who regularly use our services over the Summer Months as part of their recruitment process. Our involvement in the Nucleargraduates Induction workshop programme sees us running a Ghyll Scrambling Session as as "icebreaker" to get groups of successful graduate apprentices forming friendships and bonds that will help them work together over the next two years of their apprentice-ships within the nuclear industry. So far, these sessions have proven to be highly effective for the client.

We have never yet run a Ghyll Scrambling or Gorge Walking Session in The Lake District that wasn't fun; and today, with this primary School Group, was no exception.

All of the children had loads of fun getting soaked and attempting challenges such as jumping into pools or crawling under logs through the water (as in photo three) Eventually though, the smallest & skinniest of them started to feel a bit chilly - so it was time to get out. Anyone for hot Chocolate & Cake in Ambleside? - words enough to bring a smile back to the face of even the chilliest child! Our prices start at £45 per person for a half day (four hour) ghyll scrambling session in The Lake District. However, if you are a family group we do apply discounts as we know how expensive it can all become on the holiday budget! Contact us for details, we look forward to working with you.

Rock Climbing Courses in The Lake District. September 21st 2014.

After Iains busy & varied day on Saturday providing an Introductory Rock Climbing Session and a Canyoning Session, he was out the next day with Kathryn West Rock Climbing as a follow up to the Rock Climbing Skills Training Day in The Lake District that Kathryn had attended in August with Sarah Payne.

Unfortunately, Sarah had to withdraw from this second pre-arranged Rock Climbing Skills Training Day at short notice. This left Sarah with the option of being guided by Iain on some multi-pitch rock climbs; or being allowed to attempt leading on multi-pitch rock routes of the easiest grade only.

During the previous Rock Climbing Skills Training Course, Kathryn had gotten on very well with all aspect of the syllabus covered and was regularly seconding climbs graded at VS/HVS with a climbing partner. After some consideration, Iain felt that it would be safe for Kathryn to lead whilst being mentored by him.

We therefore returned to Langdale where Kathryn led, first of all, on Middlefell Buttress.

Middlefell Buttress is a fine multi-pitch climb graded Difficult (which actually means that it is an easy low grade climb!). The route is a popular choice with people aspiring to lead multi-pitch rock routes and beginners will often be found climbing there. It is also a popular route with Mountaineering Instructors who use it as a place to teach the techniques of Multi-pitch leading. The route rises up good rock in a series of 4 pitches before one can abseil off into the gully forming the left hand boundary of the buttress or, as Kathryn chose (in photo 1) there is an additional and pleasant fifth pitch which can also be climbed.

Kathryn demonstrated good climbing ability and her anchor placement and belay construction techniques improved as we progressed up this rock climb. Photo two sees Kathryn at the final belay on Middlefell Buttress - looking justifiably pleased!

Time always flies past when you are taking your time and learning about climbing; and by the time we had completed Middlefell buttress it was already 2pm. This meant that we were going to struggle to complete another rock climb by 5pm unless it was somewhat shorter.

Iain decided that Centipede (a 3 pitch Severe) would be appropriate in terms of time and length. Kathryn led the first pitch from the Raven Crag descent path up to below the steep wall & traverse and then Iain took over on this rather harder pitch.

Photo three sees Kathryn appearing around the corner at the end of the traverse on Centipede's second pitch. On arriving at Iain's stance she then took over again and led on up the diagonal crack to the top of the buttress. There was still time for Kathryn to lead on from here up the final easy ground which she did, well.

The final photograph from this post about one of our Lake District Rock Climbing Courses just had to be taken and shows the head of Langdale from the base of Middlefell Buttress. It had been another warm & sunny day!

We have been blessed this year with one of the best Summers in recent times with weeks & weeks of hot, dry & sunny weather throughout June & most of July - just want you need for rock climbing out of doors! After a largely wet & cold August, we were lucky that the good weather should return; and then remain throughout all of September.

As we now move through a rather wet & miserable October - here's looking forward to a cold & snowy winter ideal for winter climbing, but in the meantime, you can still enjoy adventures with us in the great outdoors. How about trying caving, canoeing or kayaking; and we have plenty of availability on our Navigation & Map Reading Skills Courses running in November. Contact us here if you are interested in any of these activities or courses, we look forward to working with you.