Week off! 07/02/2012
 
_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
 
Good times 20/01/2012
 
Busy 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.
 
Back to work. 20/01/2012
 
_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....
 
 
It'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"
 
 
_I've had a very busy but very productive and enjoyable week with the students at the Manor.

We've been to Roche Rock, Sennen, The Dewerstone and Bodmin Moor this week.

The students have been getting to grips with setting up top ropes, bottom ropes, abseils and performing rescues as well. The Dewerstone was nice and sheltered after being battered by the wind, rain and waves at Sennen the day before!

A very good week.

Outside of work I've been climbing a bit including more on the slate at Llanberis, a trip to Avon Gorge and I'm off sport climbing to Portland tomorrow.
 
Cornwall Time 11/11/2011
 
Been working down in Cornwall this week on the Outdoor Instructor Course that I'm involved with.

On Monday we had our first climbing session at Roche Rock looking at the basics such as belaying and tieing in.

Tuesday saw us at Trewavas Head, a lucky day with the weather as we just about stayed dry and we did plenty of climbing and belaying and began to look at how to rig some set ups.

We had an intro to navigation session on Wednesday before heading out to Bodmin Moor for an overnight exercise which continued into Thursday. Thursday was spent looking at micro nav as we work towards the students doing their Mountain Leader or Walking Group Leader training.

Hovis joined me in the tent to keep me company on the overnighter. Nothing like a dog trying to share your sleeping bag!
 
 
Had a great day on Monday attending a Bushcraft training day in Dorset run by Land & Wave. It was a windy day so getting fires going was nice and easy.

We covered various methods of lighting fires, made lots of different types of shelters, skinned some rabbits and plucked some partridges.

The food we cooked was super tasty and all the more satisfying having started quite literally from scratch.

I look forward to passing on my new found knowledge as it's a session I do quite regularly.
 
 
I have spent the week working on a residential course in Swanage. Working with a year 7 seven group from London we did all sorts including walking to Corfe Castle and talking about some of the more gruesome stories, team building, high ropes adventure and bushcraft to finish.

This weekend I have been assessing two Duke of Edinburgh groups in the New Forest. Both did very well and coped with a mixed bag of weather.
 
 
Started off the week with a couple of days climbing, including another day on the Ruckle where amongst others I climbed Jasper and Lightning Wall, both at HVS 4c. Jasper has a typical Swanage first pitch - a little bit brutal, Lightning Wall is a classic, varied route a local "must do".

I then did some D of E work locally for Bryanston School in some nice sunny weather with a very pleasant group. The guys were doing their Bronze Practice and did very well.

Then on Sunday I did an intro lead climbing day at Subluminal in Swanage, a great day which culminated in the pair leading two routes each. The weather cleared up throughout the day and we focused on placing quality gear.
 
More climbing 22/08/2011
 
Went for a quick trip to the Gower in South Wales last week. First time I've been, great for easy access single pitch Lime stone.

Back in Swanage I've done some climbing work with a youth group and on Saturday I ran an intro lead climbing course with an adult group. Great day and the weather turned out to be excellent after a shaky start!

I also found time for a couple of routes on the Ruckle which is always good.

Picture