Corporate Events in The Lake District with Kendal Mountaineering Services. Seco Tools. July 7th & 8th 2016.

During last Thursday & Friday, we ran another Corporate Team Building Event for Seco Tools based in Alcester, Warwickshire.

This company came to us three years ago looking for a Team Building Event and following the success of that decided to return again.  There has recently been a restructuring of the sales team within the business and a number of new employees have been engaged. It was felt that another Corporate Team Building event with us would help to "bond" the new sales team with the ultimate aim of improving efficiency and sales.

As with the last Corporate Event we ran for Seco Tools, we started off with a competitive Team Task - Product Assembly in which the group is split four ways, given a brief and then asked to build a structure, correctly, in as short a time a possible.

In order to do this, the groups each had to devise a plan based around the brief and its constraints, discuss ideas, trial them an implement the solution.  The task ended with two "timed" assemblies against the other sub-groups. The winning team got from stacked components to assembled product in 17 seconds!

The second phase of the first afternoon was to go Canyoning in nearby Church Beck. Canyoning, for this group was intended to involve an element of challenge. For many of the sales personnel here the idea of climbing across exposed ground, jumping from height into pools of water or climbing up waterfalls whilst getting a face-full and being thoroughly soaked was something that none of them would normally entertain.

However, the group did all of these things; and with enthusiasm too as well as support & encouragement for each other. Above all, they had great fun that will be remembered - just as this activity was by those who had attended three years ago!

Having completed the afternoon's tasks, our next job was to get the group into their overnight accommodation.

As with the previous Corporate Team Building Event we ran for Seco Tools, the company had asked for something "rustic" and basic accommodation-wise. As it happened, the same climbing club hut that we used last time was available again and the company was happy to return there.

We had been asked to provide the group with ingredients to make their own evening meal  of Chilli Con Carne, however, whilst we had been Canyoning one of out staff team had prepared this for them. Photo three sees the group in the hut kitchen getting stuck into the hors d' oeuvres and beer prior to settling down to supper and a good evening in together in the remote location that the hut provided.

The next morning, we arrived early to prepare a good breakfast for the group. Cereals, tea coffee, toast & jam were followed by a "full English  Breakfast" of bacon eggs, sausage, baked beans and scrambled egg.

The group were up when we arrived, having enjoyed the evening in each others company and we had a considerable amount of help from them with preparing breakfast and then doing the dishes and cleaning the hut from top to bottom afterwards. Good stuff!

At Kendal Mountaineering Services, we offer a great deal more than the name suggests and for the Seco Tools Team-building Event, we arranged & staffed appropriate activities & tasks, arranged the accommodation and food; and provided transport for the group's baggage from the car park to the hut and back.

Our company slogan is "Giving you what you want"and this approach is applied to any aspect of our product whether it be a corporate course, Stag or Hen event, Skills Training Course or Outdoor Activity Session. Let us know what your requirements are and we will design a course or event to suit your needs!

And to finish off on Friday morning, we had decided to offer something completely different to the last group's Canadian Canoeing Session on Windermere but instead, give the group another task which again required teamwork, communication & planning - Strategy Orienteering.

Strategy Orienteering involved dividing into sub-groups again with each group being required to locate 35 different orienteering markers all located within 1 kilometre of Tranearth, with each marker being worth points.

The idea was to find all 35 markers during three separate collection phases and gain all of the points. However, there were penalties if a marker was not collected and if the group didn't arrive back before the end of each collection phase.  Again, a brief was provided and the group had to plan who was going where to collect which markers during each phase.

This was physically demanding work for each group but the planning done by each team worked well. All three subgroups gained high scores and few penalties; and it proved to be another useful exercise in getting all team members working together.

By the time we finished this task it was almost mid-day and the group needed to be gone as some were driving as far as the south coast to get back home that evening.The feedback we have had so far is that the sales-force and sales managers were very pleased with what we provided and that we can expect to see another group from Seco Tools in the Autumn - we look forward to that.

If you would like a corporate Team Building Event organising in The Lake District utilising all that the area has to offer then  we would be very pleased to design a package for you, so please contact us to discuss your requirements. We look forward to working with you!

Guided Walking Days in The Lake District. Scafell pike via the Corridor Route. July 9th 2016.

Last Saturday, Iain was working for Ambleside Adventures providing a Guided Fell Walking Day in The Lake District for Jon Sanderson, his son Alfie and friend Andy who had driven up from South Lincolnshire for the weekend.

The forecast for the day was poor, low cloud, heavy rain and winds gusting up to 40 mph on the summits, however, a walk is a walk and  provided one has good waterproofs - you can still go out!

Photo one sees the three at the confluence of  Ruddy Gill and Styhead Gill in upper Borrowdale. Seathwaite Fell (in the background- left) is reputed to be the wettest place in England! Today, it certainly felt like it!
                                                                                      

Several hours later, we found ourselves at the scene in photo two where the footpath up to the col at the head of Piers Gill branches off from the main "Corridor Route" footpath.

The Corridor  Route is one of the nicest ways up Scafell Pike from Styhead Pass (a little over an hours walk from Seathwaite in Borrowdale) and follows a gradually rising line from there to the summit.  Today, we saw little, but certainly all of the streams in spate were very impressive.

However, when we got to  the point where photo two was taken it really looked as though the weather might clear up. The clouds lifted and we got a clear view to the summit of Great End. However, this was only a brief interlude before the cloud closed in and the rain started again!

Photo three was taken by some kind chap at the summit of Scafell Pike at around 1pm (we had left Seathwaite at 09:40) and shows us all fairly drenched. Given the conditions, it was really surprising how many people were around, but there was some corporate orienteering event going on involving a lot of young people  from BMW. We can only hope that they all got off the mountain safely.

On our Guided Scafell Pike days, we will ideally do a circular route and today, Iain would have like to return to Borrowdale via the summits to the north of Scafell  - Broad Crag, Ill Crag & Great End  before dropping back to Seathwaite by way of Esk Hause & Ruddy Gill. However, with the wind picking up and conditions already poor, Iain decided that the most prudent plan was to return via our relatively sheltered ascent route.

Our final photo from this post about Guided  Fell Walking in The Lake District sees Jon, Alfie & Andy about ten minutes from Seathwaite walking alongside a considerably swollen Rover Derwent.

After we left Scafell Pike Summit, the weather worsened considerably, yet we still met people walking towards us, many ill-equipped for the conditions, all intent on reaching the summit and many clearly did not know exactly where they were as Iain was asked this question on a a number of occasions. This is typical, but really very poor!

If you are going to go hill walking in the UK's  mountains, then you should know how to read a map and use a compass. You should also be able to read and interpret a weather forecast and know when to "turn back". You should also be aware of what to take with you when going out in conditions which, in the mountains, can become very hostile in a very short space of time. We can advise you on all aspects of Hill Walking & Mountaineering in the UK and provide courses in Map Reading & Navigation Skills.

Or- you can hire the services of  an experienced Mountaineering Instructor to guide you & keep you safe in the hills. Iain has been walking the mountains of the Lake District for 47 years and knows all the routes, no matter what the weather!

Contact us here to book your guided  Lake District Fell Walk or Navigation Skills Training Course. We look forward to working with you!

Working backwards - when we can! Navigation Skills Training Weekend, June 25th & 26th 2016.

Sorry Folks. Our last Blog Post was April 29th, but we've not been out of business since - just too busy to put it all up on here! In the coming weeks, we will attempt to keep moving forward with our reporting as well as trying to work back and report on what has already gone on in May & June.

You can read about our adventures over the last two months by visiting the Kendal Mountaineering Services Facebook page and there - you'll find everything we've been up to!

Most recently, we were out last weekend with James & Christina Stevens who are on holiday in The Lake District from Hertfordshire and local lasses - Sandra & Janet from Kendal. All four had signed up to one of our Navigation Skills Training Weekends in The Lake District.

So what are these courses about? Well, the idea is to show you how to use a map to identify what  you can see around you - of course you have to make sure that you have the right map for the area first!

We make sure that you do have the right maps for the course by supplying then too you FOC as part of the course fee. All you need to bring is a compass (and we recommend the Silva Type 4 Expedition Compass as being the best one for the course), everything you would need for going out for a day into the mountains in all weather conditions; and a willingness to learn.....

Sound's pretty simple doesn't it!

And all these things were what our four turned up with last Saturday morning as we set off to venture into the fells to the north of Staveley in the southern Lake District.

We started the course by emphasizing how important it is to orientate the map (ie align it with the landscape around you) to aid identification. We discussed the various map scales on offer and their pros and cons before measuring distance on the map and then pacing it out on the ground. By the time we got int the middle of nowhere in photo three, the group could also find and give grid references and were using a compass bearing to walk in a straight line between grid references - all textbook stuff!

We spent the afternoon of day one taking more compass bearings between grid references, measuring the distance and then walking on the bearings and pacing them out. The afternoon disappeared very quickly indeed!

The next morning saw us all meet at Staveley again, but this time we drove further up the valley to begin day two of the group's Navigation Skills Training Weekend in The Lake District at a point about 2/3rds of the way up the Kentmere Valley.

The day started out sunny & quite hot (photo four). We began our day by using our compasses to identify features from our known location before setting off on our route for the day which included another short section of "hand-railing" the bye-way leading to Long Sleddale before heading off up the fell to look for something more interesting; and harder to find.

Marked on our 1:25'000 scale maps in one location on the east side of Shipman Knotts are three very small squares with a footpath leading to them.

We decided to try to locate these squares to see what they were and this meant following the rather indistinct footpath through thick bracken lower on the fell. We were able to measure our pacings per 100 metres on the first part of this path and then the group missed the route and headed off, unaware, on a different path. It took a prompting from Iain before they realised their mistake and finally headed along the right route. Eventually, we found our three squares which turned out to be 3 small walled enclosures hidden in bracken  - an ideal place for lunch (photo five).

Our final photo from this post about our most recent Navigation Skills Training Weekend in The Lake District, sees the four "hot footing it" off the hill as the forecast weather arrives (later than forecast we are pleased to say!).

After finding our three "squares", we made our way to a "ring contour" (high point) on the ridge above, which we then verified by walking on another 100 m to a wall junction (which was just where it should have been according to the map!) Then, with the wind rising  and the temperature dropping, we returned to the valley as a wall of rain moved west from Windermere towards us - fortunately not quite reaching us before we reached the Land Rover.

Christina & James and Sandra & Janet thoroughly enjoyed attending our Navigation Skills Training Weekend in The Lake District and all leave with a much better understanding or Map Reading & Navigation Skills. Our next "scheduled" Weekend Navigation Skills Training Course will be on October 8th & 9th and there are ten places available at the bargain price of £80 per person. Contact us here to book your place, We look forward to working with you!

Winter Mountaineering half day Sessions in The Lake District. Tarn Crag, Langdale. 29th April 2016.

Last Friday dawned looking rather ominous here in Kendal. From our home, Iain could see that the cloud was down to 300 metres on Potter Fell; and the snow that had been put down the previous day was still there to a lower level.  Also, it was raining. Not really a day for rock climbing then!

However, we had a Rock Climbing Session booked and so Iain set off to Langdale to meet Jon Calthrop. This was the view in Langdale  at 09:00!!

Jon turned up rather later than expected having experienced difficulties in getting over Kirkstone Pass (he was staying in Penrith). As Iain pointed out - today wasn't a day for a Rock Climbing Session in The Lake District, but if Jon was interested then a Winter Mountaineering (Winter Scrambling) Session was an option?? He was keen, so we got packed up & ready to go with our sights, initially on a winter ascent of Jack's Rake!

Jon had been in the area for a week on Holiday and had been out the previous day on Cam Crag in Langstrath with another Mountaineering Instructor. They would have undoubtedly encountered some snow on that route as we were also in Borrowdale that afternoon and you can see how snowy it was if you look at the post. Today in Langdale, there was noticeably more snow as we trudged up through it towards Stickle Tarn. (photo two).

For a 67 year old, Jon was going very well, but it  became apparent at around the time photo two was taken, that doing Jacks Rake was going to be a bit ambitious for a four hour (half day) session.

So, Iain offered Jon the option of doing two routes on Tarn Crag which was very much closer than Jack's Rake. In photo three, we were making our way up the easier South West Buttress of Tarn Crag - only grade 1 ground and one of our favourite locations for teaching scrambling. The good thing about this place is that there are a number of options for picking one's way up ground of different grades of difficulty - Jon was quite happy to be on the easier stuff; and also very happy to be on a rope as well!

The terrain proved to be ok on the rock which was dry and not too snowed up. The bits of grassy terrain between proved to be treacherous - wet grass overlain with wet snow meant it was very slippery indeed!

We got to the top of the lower buttress of Tarn Crag with time to do another route, so Iain suggested a winter ascent of The Spur (grade 2) - another of our favourite teaching scrambling routes.

This scramble starts at the foot of a rocky rib towards the south side of the main buttress of Tarn Crag and takes a line that weaves out right before moving back up on to the crest of the rib - finishing  up a few steep walls before arriving on the summit of Tarn Crag.

It was certainly a bit more exciting today with a covering of snow and the initial move across the exposed slab was interesting, but ok. Jon found it quite exciting though - he looks quite pleased with himself as he moves up to join Iain at the stance at the top of the first pitch  (photo four). That's the summit of Harrison Stickle in the background which had recently put in an appearance as the blizzard had temporarily ceased!

The second pitch of the route was much more snowed up and time was rapidly moving on, so Iain deviated  from the line of the route into an interesting gully that would soon bring us out on to an easy grassy slope from where we could escape the crag.

We descended a gully to the south which brought us out near to a ruined building on easier ground near to a footpath which descended to join the main route between the valley floor and Stickle Tarn (photo five).

The ground was extremely slippery with its covering of wet snow; and despite his Scarpa Mantas, Jon was struggling to keep his footing so, Iain kept him on the rope all the way to the main path; and a good idea it was too!

We got back to the vehicles at 13:45 and Jon was very grateful for what he reckoned, had been a much better session than he had experienced the previous day - that was nice to hear!

The session had been much more challenging than that originally planned - Rock Climbing to Winter Mountaineering, but Iain had looked after Jon well and pitched the session at just the right level for him. As an experienced Mountaineering Instructor, Iain will always attempt to give you the best possible experience regardless of the conditions; and exceed your expectations every time!

We'd like to think that's it for Winter now - but who knows! However, if you are looking for a Rock Climbing Course or Scrambling Course in The Lake District, Wales or Scotland then contact Iain here. We look forward to working with you!

Ghyll Scrambling in The Lake District. Thursday 28th April 2016.

Well, last Thursday, Iain was out  in Hause Gill at Seatoller running the Team Building Session for the second intake of Nucleargraduates Cohort Ten.

As usual, the group turned up full of enthusiasm which is not unusual for a group of undergraduates who have been successful in gaining apprentice-ships with the UK's leading recruitment agency for jobs within the Nuclear Industry.

They had an idea of what they were letting themselves in for on this Ghyll Scrambling Session in The Lake District, but even Iain was surprised at how it would ultimately turn out!

Last week, an Arctic airstream returned to The Lake District. We were experiencing temperatures more akin to February & March weather - less than ten degrees Centigrade during the day and minus figures at night. During the day, sunny spells & showers -wintry showers, were the order of things. Not really the sort of weather for getting immersed in a freezing cold mountain stream, but this group's session was booked & paid for and the client were expecting us to run it!

Nucleargraduates recruit around 30 to 40 new apprentices a year; and since 2011, when they first came to us looking for an activity to promote Team  Building between new recruits, we have run some 24 Ghyll Scrambling Sessions in The Lake District for them; and two large Corporate Team Building Events. The association continues to be a happy and fruitful one because Ghyll Scrambling (also known as Gorge Walking) can be used to get a group of strangers working together; and forming bonds as we have proven time and again!

Firstly, it is essential to get the group equipped correctly for their Ghyll Scrambling Session; and today was going to be difficult with snow settling in Borrowdale to the 300 metre mark. So, neoprene was provided for bodies, feet and hands! In addition, we also provide proper walking boots  for good ankle support grip & protection, fleece tops if needed and a waterproof pullover (cagoule) to aid insulation plus a helmet to protect heads. Harnesses are also essential where climbs need to be protected with use of a rope.

The young chap in photo three was wearing everything we could possibly give him to keep him warm;and despite the fact that the temperature had now fallen to zero degrees, everyone was warm enough.

This allowed them to focus on the task; and that was to get to know each other through working together to make progress up the ghyll in what was a truly hostile environment today.  They worked well as a team, enjoyed a lot of laughs and definitely got to know each other much better!

What happened to day will be remembered by them for a long time; and would no doubt be the subject of much discussion that evening around the dining table of a Keswick Restaurant.

This Ghyll Scrambling Session in The Lake District will be remembered by us too as the chilliest we have ever run!

We didn't get as far up the ghyll as the first group did in early April - when it was actually a little warmer, but this group worked hard and stuck at it; and that was what counted!

Once out of the ghyll, we quickly made our way back to the car park to get changed and then we provided a hot drink to everyone  to warm them up before they headed back to Keswick.

We would like to congratulate the group on their efforts during this pretty tough session and wish them all the best with their apprentice-ships within the Nuclear industry. It is clear that they will all do very well!

Our corporate client paid just £40 each for the apprentices attending this Ghyll Scrambling Session and all of the equipment they were wearing was provided as part of the fee.  If conditions are chilly then we always provide a hot drink at the end of the session.

Ghyll Scrambling or Gorge Walking as it is also known is great for Team Building, Stag & Hen Events or a group of friends or families looking for a fun & exhilarating activity to try.  We wouldn't usually suggest that you try it in winter, but in Summer it is truly great fun!

Rumour has it that the heatwave is about to happen - so contact us here to book your Ghyll Scrambling Session in The Lake District. We look forward to working with you!

Guided Rock Climbing Sessions in The Lake District. Sunday 10th April 2016

Yesterday, Iain was out in the afternoon sun - rock climbing in Langdale with  returning clients Andy Craggs and his mate Sean.

We first worked with this pair along with their mate Phil whose birthday it was on that occasion during last October. Then, we organised an introductory Rock Climbing Session for the three followed by an afternoon kayaking session on Coniston Water.

These guys are all long standing mates - having grown up in the same street together and they still get together now on regular occasions. Rock climbing wasn't really Phil's gambit, but Andy & Sean had enjoyed their previous session with Iain and wanted to try something more challenging.

So, Iain organised a half day of guided multi-pitch rock climbing for the pair. On photo one, we are about to start up the first pitch of Route 1 on Upper Scout Crag.

We were lucky here today. The previous evening, it had been snowing even in Kendal and Iain was sure that climbing would be a chilly prospect, but the day was cloudless and the sun melted the snow and warmed the rock and there was only the slightest of breeze. By early afternoon conditions were great for rock climbing, but where were all the climbers?

We had Route 1 to ourselves for most of the afternoon. After getting the lads tied on, Iain set off up the first pitch to the first stance, set up a belay and brought Sean and  Andy up to join him.

We had spent a bit of time before stating discussing how to remove anchors and deal with running belays and slings. It all went fine until Andy got to the last runner just below our stance and couldn't extract it, so Iain had to descend to retrieve it. There he snapped Photo two looking up at Andy & Phil securely attached at the top of the first pitch.

Photo three sees Sean & Andy arriving at the top of Route 1.

This fine little multi-pitch rock climb has three pitches, with good stances inbetween and lots of good anchor placements. The route is graded V Diff (Very Difficult) but in  terms of rock climbing grades V Diff lies almost at the easy end of the spectrum. There are a few interesting bits on the route- the rather smooth slab on the first pitch; and the arete (the hardest part - also known as the Crux) on the second pitch. After that, the third pitch is really, an easy scramble to the top of the route.

The route was enough to get the lads "juices flowing" though, with the exposure & challenge just right to keep them talking about it!

Photo four is a snap from  the top of the crag and one that Iain can't resist taking time & time again - particularly on such a lovely day.

There are many beautiful places in the world and many are more beautiful than here (try Patagonia!) but on a nice day, the Lake District is hard to beat with its rugged mountains,  beautiful wooded valleys and pretty lakes. The area also abounds with rock faces, there is rock climbing to be found in every valley and there area is steeped in climbing history.

In a half day (four hour) session, any Mountaineering Instructor would do well to guide two clients up a couple of multi-pitch rock climbs and Iain is no exception. How fast you get up a route depends on the conditions, the confidence of the climbers and how well they have absorbed the information given to help them follow you up a rock climb.

Sean and Andy had climbed Route 1 with confidence; and we put this climb behind us in three hours giving us time to get part way up another rock climb - Route 2 before abseiling down to the foot of the cliff as in an "abseil retreat".

Iain wanted the lads to experience the different way in which you abseil from a multi-pitch rock climb where you actually control your own descent using a belay device. Last time they had climbed with Iain,  they were merely lowered back down the route by their belayer as part of their introductory rock climbing session. Today's method was very different!

This time, having climbed up to the second stance on Route 2, they were actually going to have to untie from the climbing rope, but first, we all had to secure ourselves to something else for safety.

At the top of pitch two on Route 2 sits a conveniently sited Oak tree around which Iain attached a sling and then he got Sean & Andy to attach to this sling each with another sling larksfooted through their harnesses.  In the middle of each sling an overhand knot was tied and once they had done this and clipped into the anchor sling, it was then safe to untie from the ends of the rope.

Iain threaded the rope around the Oak tree until he reached the mid point of the rope and then threw both ends down to the foot of the crag. We all attached our belay devices into the slings between the harnesses and the overhand knot and attached them to the climbing rope. We could now disconnect from the anchor and remove it. Photo five shows the arrangement for each of us at this point.

It was now simply a case of abseiling down one after the other. Iain went first and coached Andy down  whilst protecting him by holding the trailing (dead) rope in case he let go.

Andy then did the same for Sean (photo six). Once both were down, that was the end of their Guided Rock Climbing half day Session in The Lake District.

You can experience Rock Climbing in The Lake District with us for just £45 per person for a half day (four hour) Introductory Rock Climbing Session (minimum of two persons). We'd recommend doing that before trying what these two did with Iain yesterday,  Rock Climbing is challenging, but fun and safe when the sessions are run by one of our qualified & experienced Mountaineering Instructors. Rock climbing is ideal for families with children, groups of friends, people attending a Stag or Hen Event or corporate groups looking for a team building session.

Contact us here to book your session now, We look forward to working with you!

Lake District Ghyll Scrambling Sessions. Borrowdale. 7th April 2016.

A couple of days after running a great Scrambling Skills Training Course for Owen Higgs, We have been out again, in a completely different location, doing something completely different with a group of nine young people.

Pictured in photo one, this group is the first intake of Nucleargraduates Cohort Ten. We have been fortunate to have remained associated to Nucleargraduates since they came to us in 2011 looking for a group activity that would help to bond people together.

Ghyll Scrambling is great fun for everyone not just apprentices such as these. You get equipped with a wet-suit to keep you warm as well as a cagoule to provide additional upper body insulation, walking boots to provide protection for your feet and good grip. A helmet for your head and a harness where it is likely you'll be roped up a waterfall. For ghylls with deep pools you'll also be provided with a buoyancy aid to keep you afloat.

With all of this equipment you'll be well prepared to enjoy the exhilarating experience that is ghyll scrambling in The Lake District.

So what is the sport of Ghyll Scrambling?  Well as you can see, you actually get into a mountain stream or Ghyll and walk up it - scrambling up small waterfalls and climbing up others whilst protected by one of our instructors. You'll also be wading or swimming through pools working upstream against the flow of the stream which can be quite strong, it is an exciting and challenging experience but great fun.

Ghyll Scrambling is ideal for everyone form children to adults and at only £45 per person for a four hour session (less the larger your group size) it is something that everyone should try at least once in their lives. Definitely add this activity to your bucket list and do it with us here in The Lake District!

Just look at the fun this group are having in photo three climbing up the side of this waterfall!

So why do Nucleargraduates use us to provide this activity for them. Well, here, Ghyll Scrambling is used in the context of "team building" or as an "ice breaker".

Why? These young  graduates, all with degrees in engineering or Nuclear Chemistry have been successful in gaining a two year  apprenticeship within the Nuclear Industry and will, at some point during those two years, be working alongside each other. They came together for the first time the previous day and this activity is designed to get them working together and building bonds and friendships that will last them through their apprenticeships within Nucleargraduates and beyond.

We have proven that used in this context - it works!

Whether or not  you are  a business, a family, a group of friends, or someone looking for a suitable activity as part of a Stag or Hen Event, you should try Ghyll Scrambling (also known as Gorge Walking) with us.

It's an experience you'll never forget, so contact us to book your session. We look forward to working with you!