<![CDATA[JB Mountain Skills, rock climbing and mountain skills courses in North Wales and all over the UK. - Latest News]]>Sun, 27 May 2012 00:53:23 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Frustrating weather.... again!]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 09:13:27 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/05/frustrating-weather-again.html I've still got plenty of routes done though. Highlights include Superdirect HVS 5a, on Milestone Buttress, Sabre Cut VS 4c on Dinas Cromlech, Yob Route HVS 5a on Clogwyn Tarw and plenty of others!

Work wise it's been the usual mixture, been out working on Snowdon today in some blustery conditions.

Off down to Swanage and then Cornwall for a bit next week, hopefully to start my summer sun tan!

Pic of me on the crux traverse of Superdirect below.
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]]><![CDATA[More Rain!]]>Fri, 11 May 2012 14:02:44 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/05/more-rain.htmlBut still managing to squeeze some climbing in! Recent highlights include a trip to Dinas Mot where I did Diagonal and Lorraine Direct, both good multipitch HVS 5a routes and a few sport routes at Penmaen Head. I'm currently working  a 7a project which still needs some practice!
Also got a really nice E2 5c route done on the Skyline Buttress over on the slate.

Having to do some work as well, mostly D of E stuff. One more quiet week before work gets super busy so need to make the most of the free time to climb and keep practicing for my MIA assessment...

Below is Tim reaching one of the belays on Diagonal.
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]]><![CDATA[April Showers]]>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:36:55 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/04/april-showers.htmlAfter getting stacks of climbing done in March, work and rain have conspired against me this month. I've still got a fair bit done but mostly sport and bouldering.

I've been working in Dorset this week for Land and Wave on a residential course, mostly running climbing sessions at Hedbury Quarry.

More D of E work this weekend before heading back home to Wales.

I did have a great two days in the Rhinogs last week. We camped up high with great views of the Lleyn and Snowdonia.
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]]><![CDATA[D of E Week]]>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:31:23 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/04/d-of-e-week.htmlGreat week at home in N Wales working on a Gold D of E expedition for the London Oratory School who I have worked with for a few years now.

Great bunch of students who did really well in some awesome weather for the time of year.

This week I'm down in Swanage doing some staff training for Allnatt Venues ]]><![CDATA[Time off to play]]>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:42:00 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/03/time-off-to-play.html_Had a couple of well deserved weeks off!

I've been doing loads of climbing, at lots of places including Stanage, Tremadog, Llanberis Slate, East Face of Tryfan, A55 sport and lots more....

Not all play though, I've been doing lots of multipitch days with clients towards my MIA assessment which I have at the end of the summer.

A busy couple of weeks of work coming up but I'll still find some time to climb, no doubt.

Below is a photo of a pair I took out for a day on Milestone buttress one day, the next day we went up Grooved Arete on Tryfan where
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]]><![CDATA[Back at home!]]>Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:53:21 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/03/back-at-home.html_After working on a WGL (walking group leader) course with Rick Abbot and an ML (mountain leader) course with Brian Dent, I've finished my work on the instructor course in Cornwall.

I'm very happy to be back in North Wales and enjoying a bit of spare time. I've done some routes at Tremadog, practiced for my MIA assessment on Idwal Slabs and Milestone Butress and today I've done a few routes at Stanage in the Peak District.

Busy week next week with some more MIA practice and a couple of days personal climbing.
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]]><![CDATA[Week off!]]>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:13:15 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/02/week-off.html_Had a much needed week off last week so had a nice week at home in Wales.

Got plenty of climbing done, roadside cragging at Castle Inn, climbed a couple of nice routes (Plastic Soldiers 6a & Clash of the Titans 6a) up on the slate in Llanberis and on Saturday headed up for some winter climbing in Cwm Cnefion.

I did do one days work though, helping Brian Dent on a Mountain Leader training course micro nav day.

This week I'm down in Cornwall again working with the students, climbing yesterday and we've had a great day mountain biking today.

Pic of Mike leading a pitch on Tower Slabs, Cwm Cneifio
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]]><![CDATA[Good times]]>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:54:45 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/01/good-times.htmlBusy at work as always.

Finally got round with climbing Dream of White Horses, HVS, at Gogarth last weekend which was one of the best routes I've ever done.

At work we've had a trip to Swanage for a couple of days where we went to Dancing Ledge and Hedbury.

We spent the second half of the week at Chudleigh and Dewerstone where the students did their official SPA training with myself and Brian Dent as the course director.

Below are the students on their SPA and Mike about to follow me on the final pitch of Dream.
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]]><![CDATA[Back to work.]]>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:41:37 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2012/01/back-to-work.html_A varied week, I spent a day teaching some navigation in cold and windy conditions up in Snowdonia before heading back down to Cornwall working on the Manor course.

We had a good day recapping SPA skills at Roche rock in some challenging conditions before heading to Granite Planet on Thursday.

The students had a really good day there learning lots of games and having a good play on some routes and cranking out some steep bouldering.

A busy weekend for me, climbed in Torquay today at Daddyhole, did a few routes including Gates of Eden at HVS 5a. Off to Avon Gorge tomorrow....
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]]><![CDATA[Christmas Break!!!]]>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:00:41 -0800http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/1/post/2011/12/christmas-break.htmlIt's been a super busy year, but it's nearly Christmas and I'm work free until just the week after New Years. I will be off up to Scotland to get in some quality winter days in preperation for my Winter ML.

Had a good final day of the year with tha Manor students today on Hawk's Tor, followed by our Christmas meal.

Recently I have been mixing it up a bit with a days sunny sport climbing on Portland and a couple of days making the most of the snow in North Wales.

Below is a picture of one of the students doing a little stomach traverse in homage to Dave Macleod's free ascent of "The Longhope Route"
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