It’s the beginning of October and the days are getting shorter, so not long now until the first wintery weather in the mountains. It’s the perfect time to dust off your winter kit, make sure it is fit for purpose and maybe treat yourself to something new and shiny. But – and we’ve talked about this before – the vast array of kit to choose from can be bewildering, so here’s a few tips.
Read MoreWalking in the rain? Why would I want to do that? Because it can be fun and exhilarating! And if, like me, you live in an area where rain is a pretty constant feature, you often have no choice. If you have the right kit and know how to use it, you should be able to have lots of fun whilst staying warm and dry.
Read MoreMy climbing rack is one of my basic tools of the trade. Every piece of gear on it has been used many times and is very familiar to me. What I actually select for my rack on a day out depends on the rock type and grades of the routes I am expecting to climb. When on granite or gritstone I carry more cams, and sometimes doubles of common sizes like 1 and 2. When on slate or harder Lake District routes on rhyolite I take more small wires. Here’s a summary of anything I might carry, and why.
Read MoreAs a Mountain Leader course provider, a lightweight tent is an essential piece of kit for me. Each course has a one-night or two-night mountain expo, and I have to be prepared for weather extremes. I'm a minimalist when it comes to expo gear, and I don't want my tent to be any heavier than absolutely necessary. I have two lightweight tents: the Terra Nova Laser Lite (the forerunner of the Laser Competition 1) and the Hilleberg Akto, both of which I have had for several years.
Read MoreWendy Dodds has featured in a few of our blog posts over the last year. In July 2017 she booked some time with Chris, hoping to climbing the Matterhorn. In January 2018 we interviewed here for our Who Needs A Mountain Guide? series, and she also got a mention in last week’s blog post, Don’t You Just Love It When a Plan Works Out? This summer she booked a ten day slot with nine guided days, with the aim of revisiting her aim of climbing the Matterhorn, after her hopes were dashed in 2017 by an injury during the preparation days. Oh, and maybe Mont Blanc as a bonus - not a bad aim for a woman in her 60's. This is Wendy’s account of the two summits in her own words.
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