Derbyshire shots 2

Kinder downfall

Alone

Swans on ice

The Downfall

Derbyshire shots

Derbyshire

Fernilee reservoir

The Downfall

Pepper sausage 

with 

Peppermint Tea

Kinder Downfall

14:00 hrs and i am at home picking up my kit, deans due soon. Bleep of the vans reversing horn and the dogs going nuts, hes here he barks. into the car loaded and ready. walking past Kinder res at 15:11, alls looking good. The winds keen and the reser is looking cold, our minds are racing with vivid thoughts of solid ice routes ahead. Sandy Heyes is looking down with a keen interest in our intentions. The route clear with an abundance of snow all the way up to the top. We make our way in, and the skies are starting to turn, a thick swirl of mist and snow start to appear. In and out goes the weather, just like our body temperature. Get to the top of Sandy Heyes and the down falls in sight, upping the speed now. The path in is clear due to the wind over the last few days, its dumped everything over the side giving some impressive cornices.

The Downfall

On arrival at the Downfall everywhere looks smashed out with snow, deep drifts over the edge of the main routes. Not looking good, the snow looks loose and crap. Abbing down the left side into the ampritheatre the ice is not the best, with sections of really loose snow on the way down.

                                     Direct Route                                                                        

Nothing worth taking a risk on so we head back to our little corner to do a couple of routes on our slushy ice route we abbed down on. Four climbs on we head out with the gear, back down and into the lower reaches of Sandy Heyes. Back at the car, kit and away. Another good trip with nothing lost.

(Kinder Downfall)     

http://youtu.be/9n2D6_WBtwA

We're off

We're on

-6 climb on, kits packed, routes sorted. The ice is in condition, we will report back on the day,nights outing on Friday. Probably be to knackered to BLOG on Thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndD6OcpED4o&sns=em

Kits packed.

Looking back on days gone by

Summer days on Bamford Edge

Bouldering at Bowder Stone

Keswick

Castle Naze 

Derbyshire

Sunset slab 

Froggat Edge

Green Gully

Ben Nevis

Plans planned

Derbyshire fridge

Weather still very cold up here with a severe wind chill. Everywhere is freezing down nicely so it looks like Wednesday is target day, head torch at the ready. Keep watching for the next episode, pictures included with lots of ice. 

-6 and ready

Peak ice

Planning a jaunt in the peak this week, weather and chill depending. Given -6 above 600 meter line all week. Looking outside there is a severe wind chill, this should make ideal conditions. Keep watching for pics and stories yet untold.

High Peak under HIGH snows

Snow bound
Sunday

Bored, bored, bored, cars snow bound every rd in town is blocked. Could have gone dry tooling to Halifax with Dean Dalton

( http://betweengritandacoldplace.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1) i

but that was a no go. Even dean failed to get there. Oh well, shankes pony is out of the stable, not something I do a lot of if any, walking from home. What a journey, got out over towards Horwich end on the Goyt valley side and it was bizarre, struggled to find the styles even thou I could see we're I was, technically I was going round in circles. Wind snow you name it, like being in the bloody arttic.

As you can see, not much stile to look for from a distance. Ps the poles in the foreground, what a great purchase. Deans idea, poles from Cotswolds in Fort William. (Explorer UL ultra lights) 158 grams. Absolutely fantastic piece of kit. Saved the day on numerous occasions, stopped me falling on my ass several times. An absolute must on the Ben, which is why we bought them. So hats of to Cotswolds, great piece of kit.



Mr Tractor

Round the next bend, mr tractor. This guy new how to get the roads clear, they had been snowed in for two days and needed to get the milk tankers in to take the milk, not sure the tanker will make it. As the guy was pushing it out, it was blowing in behind him.

Cornice on the road side, flowing over the wall.








Further down the road, the top of the wall is just showing. The road is under about 5 ft of snow.


Back home for tea and cake.

The super Alpine day out

Mountain Equipment

Super Alpine Gloves

Ok, good opportunity to give the super alpine gloves ( SAG)  a second test in less hostile conditions. Wore the gloves out today on the hill, quite windy with lots of snow about. Good chance to dig in with the old hands. No water or wind penetration at all. These are a great fitting piece of kit. I am going to test them out on mountain rescue call outs, see how they hold up to varying situations. Stretcher carries and rope work ect.

Last used these gloves on Ben Nevis on the N face climbing green gully. They were excellent, no issues. Warm and wind proof, to be honest forgot I had them on. Clipping gear on and off they were great, far better than any glove I have had before.

Waiting

Waiting, planning

Team Dalton will be out at the weekend forging new adventures , winter is still here so it's based on we're the car will get us to if the snows arrive.

Lake District climbs is on the table, wine in the glass. The mind is running wild with route mania.

Check in to see what we got up to.

Premier inn does us proud

Premier inn

Fort William

Climbers paradise, superb base for the Ben, close to morrissons super market and just down the road from Nevis sports. Grog and gruel but minutes away, beer and food on the door step.

Plus oober amounts of space to sort your gear out.

My first day on the BEN

                                                          BEN NEVIS 

                                             Cold climbs and chilly belays 

                                 

 Back to front BLOG, Dean cutting pieces of peppered sausage and handing them over while I sit sipping mint tea and honey at the shelter on the summit of Ben Nevis. 30 minutes earlier I was dragging my sorry ass out of a cornice from hell like a bummed mole. Last pitch of the day, green gully. Running out the last pitch while dean belayed, took a couple of screws off my belt, what the F***k 4 ,you know they ain't goin to bite but hey let's go through the motion and pump yourself out while they just push through the crust like a spoon on the top of a creme caramel. Deans below feeling the long wait, whats he doin, I'll Tell you dragging my torso along the ridge hoping no fuck wits got a camera. It was ace, got to my feet and felt epic (money Ben Nevis dot com) not. 4 am start, up for porridge in a pot. Coffee, car north face car park all by 5 am. Walking to the CIC HUT now cool cold suns rising. Deans new shirt is starting to bead with a bit of frost, the sun is rising over the CIC Hut and the mind is starting to run wild with stories untold. We pass a couple of climbs and chat about future trips, I can see more adventure in the making. Passing the CIC hut now, lots of people gazing down. We are like fresh meat to a pack of dogs. Up we go our goal, green gully. Deans picked an absolute superb route, no fresh foot steps ahead, looks like the fresh meat is off and away. Before you now it we are crossing the snow field and pushing hard up into Coire na ciste. Setting up the first belay, having mint tea and coiling out the ropes. The route looks awesome. First pitch is deans and he leads it in fine style, not a foot out of place. Three tugs and and a shout on the radio, SAFE. I sort myself out, pack the ruck sack and here comes the call, off I go. Deans stood in a really shit belay stance, oh well alls good and it looks good ahead. Quick swap of the gear, rack. We only brought one rack as it speeds the pitches up less swapping over. Up and away I go, fine climbing ahead with lots of loose snow packed out in the gully with hidden snow below. At my stance now, not a placement anywhere. Last run out must be 50 ft plus, not looking just concentrating. Bashin out the rime on the wall, amazin a heritage peg as dean calls them ( piton) in goes a crab and I am clipped on. Deans off and pushing hard up the crux pitch, 30 foot vertical ice wall. A superb piece of climbing, well lead. I am off close behind the wall is tough, it's pushing hard to peel you off. I am up and movin well to deans stance. Swap of the gear and the final pitch is mine. Choice one, right hand over hanging cornice middle over hanging cornice, or really shit left over hanging cornice. You guessed it, lets bash out the left side. I am off, and the rest is just another pub story away.

SA video test

Test video for Super Alpine gloves

Genuine Lakeland water was used for this test, direct from Lakeland sky's.

http://yfrog.us/n9naicddqstzmyzzvwsclhoxz

Super Alpine

Mountain Equipment verses {A} other

Bought a pair of gloves at Xmas, well two pairs actually. Went to Norway on an ice climbing trip, 6 days climbing. Said gloves fell a part, £109 a pair. Didn't do what they said on the label. Oh well movin on, went on the mountain equipment web site, rang them up to confirm, great advice so I settled on the Super Alpine Glove. The glove looks great and feels awesome, wind proof to a fault. Ran a small test, ran under the tap for a while and the water just ran off. Testing them out on the Ben this sat so looking forward to a good result. Will post my findings.

Winter ice climbing in Norway

Rjukan

Norway

Looking from the river bed up the gorge at Kroken. Superb weeks climbing 6 days solid with three good men, dean, richy and cliff from Roxcool. See also cliff lowthers blog at roxcool.