Paramo Repairs - top marks (almost)

Paramo clothing is one of those subjects that seems to split the (UK only ?) outdoor scene and I'll happily own up to be being on the positive side - at least for UK Winter use.  I have a Paramo Aspira smock which I think is the best thing ever for being out in the UK mountains in Winter ...but this is not a review of the Aspira or Paramo clothing in general (maybe a later blog) but of their repair service.

One of the things often quoted by hopeful salesmen is that garments damaged in the field can be sent back to Paramo who will repair at a reasonable cost.  After 3 years of winter use my Aspira, whilst still functioning well, was beginning to show signs of the abuse I give it, with small rips on the shoulders (from shouldering skis), the back and the pocket, which had been repaired with a combination of gaffer tape and gore-tex patches.  So, I decided to give it a treat and try out the service in advance of this winter.

I went onto the Paramo website and found the instructions, printed off and completed a form to describe the damage and sent it off as instructed.  I also added a note asking if they could put reinforcing on the shoulders to protect them from the skis.  Whilst guideline prices are quoted on the website, the first thing Paramo do is send back a formal quote which has to be accepted by phone before they proceeed.  With my quite came a little note saying they could do reinforced shoulders and even provided a material sample for me to check.

Once the quote was confirmed came the least satisfactory part of a somewhat clunky process - the wait.  I was quoted over 2 weeks which was ok, but it took over 4 weeks in the end.  I did receive a phone call just after the due date, apologising and saying the smock would be back within a week, but it was a further 2 weeks before it finally landed back on my doorstep.

However, once I opened the package and checked it out,any feelings of dissatisfaction evaporated as a I surveyed my repaired Aspira:

• The rips are repaired by replacing the whole panel, so in my case I have a new back panel, two new shoulder panels and a new pocket. 
• Best of all, the shoulder panels are in the reinforced (black) material which is tougher than cordura and give my garment a customised look:-)  
• The garment had also been properly washed and re-proofed.
• Apart from a few general wear marks and the slightly brighter new material panels, it could almost have been a new garment !

So how much did this cost I hear you ask, surely not cheap ? Well, it cost £60 all in from Paramo (inc return postage) plus about £5 for me to send it to them which I think is a bargain for the quality of work and the new lease of life it has given my Aspira.  I now also have confidence that as I keep abusing it, I can get quality repairs at a great price and it will last for years.

So in summary: 

Pros:

• My Aspira feels almost like a new garment, due to the quality of the repairs.
• Customisation is possible.
• Great price.
• Adds value to the whole Paramo concept.

Cons: 

• The process of printing off and snail mailing things back and forth is a bit clunky in this day and age, and the time-frame of over 6 weeks feels a long time, so make sure you aren't going to need your garment for quite a while when you send it off.

The pros far outweigh the cons in my opinion and I wholeheartedly recommend the service, but if they could tighten up the process and timing it would be perfect !

Gear Review: Low Alpine Alpine Attack 35/45

I am aiming to publish some occasional reviews of some of my favourite items of kit, hopefully around one per month depending on commitments.  By their very nature they will probably be positive (clue in the word ‘favourite’) although I may also comment on items that I bought that just haven’t worked out as they should.   

All reviews are personal opinions and don’t mean that other items out there don’t work just as well.  I am not paid to endorse anything and don’t get any equipment provided to review, so I don’t have the luxury of trying lots of different options.  However, what you do get is personal experience, built up over time, of a particular item so you can use it or not, as you wish J

I have already done an initial review of the Garmin fenix GPS watch and am building up my experiences of it and a ‘snagging list’ which I will use to provide an update in the near future.

Next in the series is my trusty sack, a Lowe Alpine ‘Alpine Attack 35:45’.

Note, mine is the 2010 version, I believe the 212 is basically the same.

I can sum up this pack and why I like it in a few short sentences:

It a great size – I can make this work as daypack for a walk in the hills, a full winter day of technical climbing or an overnight mountaineering expedition. 

It just feels right on my back.  It is very comfortable even when heavily packed and its own weight at around 1KG is not onerous.

It seems to take whatever I throw at it without complaining and without , as yet, failing in any way.

I have other packs, but this is my ‘go to’ pack even when it is probably a bit overkill. The only time that I don’t use it is when I need to carry more than its literage can cope with, which is generally only on multi-day self sufficient expeditions - in which case, I use my other trusted friend, a BOD Thin Ice.

The next paragraphs are a slightly more in-depth look at the pack and its features:

• Great size:  The 35/45 combo just seems to work really well.  I know this is not a feature unique to this pack but to does seem to be generous on size compared to other packs of the same nominal literage.
• Decent balance between lightweight and robust: just over 1KG standard, can come in at around 850g with bits removed -  but is very robust thanks to the use of dyneema ripstop and a reinforced base and pockets.  Mine is still going strong with only a minor stitching issue on the upper draw-cord in 2 years of very regular use.

• Good shape: nice and neat on my back without restricting arm movement and not to high over my head.  
• Compression straps are well placed and work well for both stabilising the sack and holding items such as poles, axes and skis in place.
• Two outer pockets are made of particularly rugged material so hold my axes or poles without ripping or puncturing and can be used for sliding the lapstrap into and out of the way when climbing, a feature I use regularly.
• The lid straps and shape mean its works well in a variety of ways – its extends well when the rucksack is stuffed full and will accommodate my rope sitting on top of a very full pack but it will also fold into my sack and be held properly by the drawcord when the pack is half full (e.g. when climbing) to reduce profile. It can also be removed completely quite easily though I almost never bother because of the previous mentioned capability and because I like to use the lid pockets which are also a decent size and incorporate a clip within the outer pocket.
• The strap on the top of the pack (under the lid) works well for keeping my rope or crampons safe on the top whilst letting me get into the pack without loosening it.
• The single lid closure buckle and the mechanism are great for speed and efficiency with gloves on.
• The lapstrap seems a good balance between comfort and weight and the clips are still doing fine which has not been the case with my two previous packs at this stage of their life.
• The back is lightly padded and vented and I tend to use it with the light stiffening frame and sheet/bivi mat left in place, though it can be removed to save weight.  Both ways seem pretty comfortable but the extra stiffness just makes it easier to pack, unpack and generally grovel around within it.  However, without it, as well as being lighter, the pack will roll up and stuff inside someone else’s if you plan on climbing with only one sack.  One minor point, I think the term bivi mat is a bit of joke here for a bit of 5mm foam measuring 52 x 22 cm, but maybe I’m not hard enough ?  It is also not that easy to get at or replace once out on the hill so I could never imagine using it as a ‘bivi mat’.
• The slightly funky axe retention system seems to be a bit of a marmite thing – like it or hate it.  I actually really like it within certain parameters:

it’s great for a long walk in when you know you won’t need your axes for quite a long time.  It holds the axes firmly, snugly and safely against the pack and is IMO much better than the traditional loops.

It works well with my BD viper axes , which is what the system is advertised with, but not so well on older / more traditional shaped axes.

You can store skis very securely as sell using the webbing system.  I’ve only done a bit of ski touring with it so far but what I did was fine and much better than the standard compression strap option of my old sack.

It takes a bit of getting used to when you are opening and closing your pack as the tensioning system is part of the pack closure strap – open the pack and the axes go floppy on the pack.  In reality I didn’t find this an issue once I was aware of it.

‘You Tube’ clip of the system in operation, including skis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4zoaJDrI-I

That said, I would always chose to stow my axes with the compression straps and/or behind my shoulder once onto ground where I might want to use them, so this system is not a clincher for me either way.

There are a number of more professional reviews of this sack, and informal forum chat, some of which you can find below:

• Big brother, The 45:55 version on UKC: http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=4211
• Outdoors Magic (2012 version) http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/gear-news/just-in---lowe-alpine-alpine-attack-3445/9616.html
• http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=457195

(My) Winter has started ...

And what a great way to start !  On Monday evening one of my partners in crime, Ian got in touch to say he could take a couple of days off to take advantage of the cold spell and likely weather window in Scotland we have both been watching, so there and then we made a plan to go up on Tuesday night, do the Aonach Eagach ridge on Wednesday and then decide on where to go Wednesday after that, with the am of trying to get on skis for a day.

So after the usual faffing by me and baby sitting duties by Ian we eventually set off at about 8.30pm Tuesday night and drove straight up to Glencoe, getting there a little after 2 am and kipping down in the camper van for a few hours before getting up at 7.30am and setting off up Am Bodach at about 8.30 am - phew !

Day 1:

Despite the lack of sleep it was impossible to feel tired on a beautiful crisp, but sunny morning and what looked like a a good covering of snow higher up.  We set off in the morning shadow but hit the sun just as we hot the snowline at about 600 m. The ascent is a fairly steep haul of around 800M, which we achieved quite quickly, catching a couple of pairs ahead of us just at the summit, one pair being an instructor/client combo. Apart from a lone walker at the far end, these were the only people we saw all day !

At this point we geared up with an acceptable amount of faff given it was the first outing of the season, I realised that I had forgotten to put a charged battery in my camera (hence no pics !) and the fun began immediately with the tricky descent of the chancellor. The weather conditions were superb, blue sky, sunshine and great air clarity, though a light northerly wind quickly drained warmth when stationary.
  
The conditions underfoot however, were quite tricky - a good covering of unconsolidated snow to hide holds, placements and protection options, any turf was semi frozen so unreliable.  All in all, this made the route quite tricky and delicate without ever being very technical.  After managing to overtake the instructor (who kindly let us though) we made good progress to Meall Dearg and on to the Pinnacles. This is definitely the trickiest part of the traverse, quite exposed and delicate in the conditions and our progress slowed, though we kept moving together for all put a couple of short sections - in fact we never placed any gear apart from slings on the whole route.  After what seemed like an age with one tricky down-climb after another, we cleared them and headed onto Stob Coire Leith. It was now past lunchtime and we were both starving, but we decided to get to Sgorr nam Fiannaidh before eating.  

On reaching the summit we found some shelter just below on the south side from the now fresher north wind and tucked into a well earned lunch at around 2.15 PM, relaxed now the main event was finished and pretty satisfied with our progress.  We chose the long descent via the col with the Pap of Glencoe and into Glencoe so that we could ensure we got a taxi back to the waiting van - this proved to be a bit tedious in the fading light and bracken particularly as we succumbed to our usual trick of trying to avoid using headtorches, before bowing to the inevitable in the end.  However, we made it down in one piece tired, but well pleased with the day. 

The taxi duly arrived and after being dropped back at the van, we retreated to the Clachaig for dinner with celebratory drinks and tried to stay awake until a respectable time to go to sleep !
Day 2:
During the previous evening we had managed to say awake long enough to determine our objective for the following day - a trip up Ben Lawers. Neither of us had been up it at all and were (rather hopefully) taking skis in the expectation of enough snow to practice some skinning and a bit of downhill action.  The day was again superb and this underestimated group of hills looked majestic with a good snow covering.  The car park at around 500m gave some relief from the uphill metres and in fact the ascent was quite gentle to the point where we could gear up with skis & skin up to the col at the head of coire Odhar.

We then undertake quite a tricky traverse round the north slopes of Beinn Ghlas, with quite a lot of unconsolidated windslab breaking off at points (evidence of the previous south westerly winds) to the col below Ben Lawers where I ditched my skis for the shortish but steep haul to the summit. Ian carried his skis to the summit hoping for a ski down at least part of it, which he got though it didn't look that great ( I was able to run/glissade down faster) and was clearly above my ability.  

We then had a really good, rapid skin up to the summit of Beinn Ghlas followed by some limited and sketchy skiing before I gave up and walked.  Ian being a superb off piste skier had quite a bit more success but is was never smooth or flowing for any length of time.  we complete the day with the remaining walk out, getting back to the van and a brew just after sunset. Despite the lack of real skiing on my part still a great day out and lots of skinning practice :-)  All that remained was the 6 hour drive home,trying not to get depressed that we weren't staying longer, but Ian had to be in work on Friday and I had a house to empty by the end of the week-end !

CCF Crimpiau day out

Last Saturday (24th Nov) I had the pleasure of taking a group of young CCF cadets from Kings and Queens School onto the hills for an 'AT' day.  The brief was to provide a good hill day including navigation tuition and practice. The location and outline route was already chosen by the cadet unit, a route in the Carneddau area of Snowdonia, starting along Llyn Crafnant then up to the col leading to Capel Curig, up and over Crimpiau before circling back to to the col and returning along the same route.  On doing a recce I decided that it wouldn't have been my ideal choice - too much tramping along the gravel track by the lake - but it was safe enough and importantly, unlikely to be made less safe by the bad weather forecast for Thursday, which was duly delivered and resulted in severe flooding in Llanberis.

After a thorough review of the forecast for Saturday courtesy of MWIS as well as a a check on the state of the roads, we gave the green light on Friday night, met at school at 9AM and had a thankfully uneventful drive to the car park near the head of the lake, despite the narrow road and wide minibus which had our driver (who also happens to be my wife) muttering that she was choosing the route next time !

The weather was pretty much as predicted, dry, with almost no wind, although the hoped for patches of sunshine never materialised which was a shame given all the autumn colours in evidence.

My group was the more advanced  / stronger group and interestingly comprised 6 girls and 2 boys as well as the Contingent Commander ! A few exploratory questions revealed that we had a range of navigation levels within the group, so we started with basic map setting and pace count checking, talked about handrails and collecting features and then set off with some easier nav legs which would gradually get harder, a lead pair navigating to a point set by me and the others following and trying to relocate.  At the end of the leg the navigators were asked to explain why they thought we had 'arrived' using 3 to 5 items of evidence and then the re-locators were asked to say where we were and why.  The general pattern seemed to be that navigators got it there or thereabouts, but the re-locators came up with a variety of interesting variants including being by a totally different lake at one point ! The main reason for this was I think, simply a lack of concentration, not entirely surprising given they were a group of 13/14 year olds who were happily chattering to their mates and enjoying the day out :-)

We had lunch at the col and chatted about some of the plants we could see - mainly mosses and lichens at this time of year - and what they could be used for, and spotted a couple of wild welsh mountain ponies.  

Next up was the ascent onto the summit of Crimpiau which involved a couple of small, easy rock steps - almost unnoticeable to the seasoned hill walker but quite daunting to some of our young group.  With me standing by at each step they all managed them quite comfortably but the buzz they got from doing them and feeling like they were on more serious ground was quite evident and gratifying.  It also served to show how important it is to understand the comfort zones and expectations of the group you are leading.  The summit itself has a pleasing little rock cone which provided a perfect group photo opportunity along with quite a few oohs at the panorama despite the low cloud hiding the big summits.  Some of the group were amazed at how much lower the lake looked and how far we had climbed, even though the summit is only 475m.

With time moving on, we descended the easier but very wet and slippy grassy slopes of the west side, with Mr Lee, the Contingent Commander providing much amusement as he executed a full 'banana skin' slip onto his backside about 30 secs after I had warned the group :-)  There then followed some interesting but very boggy tramping round the hill - including two bog rescues - back to the col just as the anticipated rain began, requiring a quick waterproof stop.  From there, we headed down the hill to the lake at a good pace, though the reduction in chatter compared to earlier was a give away that young legs were starting to get a bit tired. At the track head we bumped into one of the more junior groups, which kick started the chatter once more as we returned along the easy track beside the lake to the minibuses, in what was now a constant drizzle, though it didn't seem to dampen spirits in any way.  A quick turn around at the buses and headed out to arrive back at school 5 minutes ahead of 6 pm target.

In summary a good day out - nearly 12km and 750m of ascent - with a very engaging and enthusiastic bunch of young people.  They seemed to enjoy themselves so objective number 1 was accomplished.  Hopefully they also learnt a few nav skills along the way !

Rembrance Day on Great Gable - Report

As previously blogged, last week-end I made a small pilgrimage to the Lake District for a rather special Remembrance Day service. We arrived at our week-end base in Eskdale on Friday night in time for dinner and quite a few beers at the Woolpack a little further down the road. Saturday was occupied by a traverse of Crinkle Crags which in the end turned out to be a tutorial from nature in precipitation thanks to a combination of rain, hail, sleet and snow and low cloud/mist ! Saturday was more subdued night, nobody wanting to be in poor shape for the following morning.

Sunday dawned beautifully clear and crisp after a star filled night and hopes were high for clear conditions on Gable. However, as we drove round we could see cloud stubbornly clinging to the top of Gable and Kirk Fell from the col of Beck Head upwards. No matter I thought, in some ways cold, murky conditions are more fitting for the occasion.

As we arrived we could already see a steady stream of people labouring their way up the grinding slope of Gavel Neese and once parking was negotiated we set off ourselves to join the upward flow of humanity. There were all shapes, sizes and ages; I reckon I saw an age range between about eight and eighty but it was probably broader than that. Some people trekked up relatively easily, others having to stop every few yards – all equally determined to get there by 11 AM. We hit the cloud at the col and from there upwards care was need as the going became more of a scramble and the rock was very greasy.

We gained the summit plateau at around 10.45 AM to be greeted by the uplifting sight of a large throng already gathered there, wrapped up against the chill mist and breeze. With a lot of people behind us, this was clearly going to be quite a large gathering. We gained a good spot close to the top and put on extra layers to wait for service to start. 

At around 10.55 an individual from the Fell & Rock Club brought the crowd to silence as he began to tell the story of how and why the service takes place on the top of Gable and to explain that an event, which began as a private tribute to fallen comrades from the Fell and Rock Club has grown with their blessing into a non religious, non political tribute to those who fell in WWI and later wars. 

Finally, at 11 AM he called for two minutes silence, which scrupulously observed by the hundreds massed around the memorial stone, many removing hats and hoods despite the cold – a sight every bit as moving as I thought it would be. At the end of the silence there was a moment’s pause before a steady dignified clapping of hands quickly gathered momentum and volume. 

And then, by 11.05 it was over, about as simple a service as one could get, but all the more powerful for its brevity in that the stunning location.  I spent a few minutes looking at the memorial stone before we began our descent.

 

I felt that my earlier suspicion that the cloud and cold would add to the solemnity of the occasion was confirmed and maybe someone/thing agreed because about 5 minutes after the end of the service, the cloud started to lift and we were treated to bright sunshine as we (controversially ?) descended via the screes of Great Hell’s Gate.

When we reached Wasdale Head again, a somewhat unusual vehicle told us that we'd had some unexpected guests !

Remembrance Day with a Difference

This week-end I am off to the Lake District, to the Wasdale / Eskdale area in fact to meet up with a group of friends of my good friend and Alps / Scotland buddy, Graeme.  The wintry feel may have gone for now but I'm still looking forward for a good week-end of walking and scrambling.  But this is a week-end with a difference because it is remembrance week-end and Sunday is 11/11.  So this year I am going to mark the occasion by attending the remembrance service on the top of Great Gable. This is a service with a proud history (acknowledgements to www.uktv.co.uk/eden):

After WWI a climbing club based in the Lake District wanted to create a memorial for members who died in the conflict. Deciding on a grand gesture, surviving clubmen purchased 3000 acres of high mountain in memory of their fallen comrades. Included in the purchase, among other peaks, was Great Gable, the most beautifully situated peak in the Lakes. In 1923 these hills were presented to the National Trust in perpetuity. Each year, a group of climbers ascends Great Gable for a Remembrance Sunday service (held on the second Sunday in November, the closest to Armistice Day on the 11th) and stands by the plaque that marks the summit. 

Over the years this non-denominational service has become one of the more popular and unusual Remembrance Sunday activities.  By 11am each year several hundred hardy souls will have gathered, regardless of the often inclement weather, to hear readings and observe a period of silence. 

 This year I shall be proud to be one of them.

IML Summer Training successfully negotiated !

My training course is finished and I've been spending the week-end chilling out and considering next steps.  Overall, a very enjoyable course with lots of new learning, it's quite different from previous courses in that there is almost and even split between classroom and outdoor learning with subjects such as Law, High Altitude Physiology, Environment and Marketing being covered as well as the core outdoor skills.

There isn't a lot new on the technical side but existing skills are expected to be executed to a higher level.  New skills such as use of slings and carabiner, movement on ground with fixed protection are introduced, expectations on environmental knowledge are significantly increased and the river crossing was rather more exciting ... if you can class wading chest deep through a raging torrent as exciting ! ... with more emphasis on use of rope, though the emphasis on avoidance remains.

The navigation speed test was on everyone's mind as it is an assessed element of the IML scheme included within this training.  This is a test of efficient navigation over mountain terrain at ML standard run on an orienteering format. Fortunately, this was run on Tuesday so we could get it over with and relax.  In the end, the test was fine and I finished about 45 mins within the time limit and all controls correct - phew !

Highlight of the course was the full mountain day on Thursday, in quite wintry conditions with a light dusting of snow above 800M. Our personal and leadership skills were put under the spotlight with unfamiliar maps and foreign route descriptions and we had to deliver an informal talk we had prepared in advance - my choice being a blend of mythology and geology on the Pyrenees.  The best part though, was just being out with a good bunch and a very experienced instructor who seemed to be able to find interesting things everywhere even in a fairly wintry environment.

The other highlight was meeting a group of like minded people, some of whom have considerable experience in a wide range of environments and were happy to share it.  We even had an Everest summiteer who was happy to be persuaded to give us an impromptu slide and video show.  I also now have a possible winter ski touring partner in Scotland :-)

Oh yes and I can give @PlasyBrenin the thumbs up for training at least.  Superb location with stunning views of the Snowdon horseshoe, quality instructors and decent food.

IML Summer training course, here I come

Winter seems to be making its first appearance ... so it must be time for my International Mountain Leader SUMMER training course !  Typical really, I can't go to where things might be interesting but the change will probably add a level of spice to the training .  Hey ho, its all part of the fun I guess.

This will be my first training course with @plasybrenin. They have quite a reputation, so we will see how it goes.  I am irrationally nervous about the navigation speed test, but I guess anything with word 'test' or 'assessment' is guaranteed to raise levels of adrenalin and this half day exercise mingled into the training is actually part of the assessment process, so fingers crossed !

Garmin fenix: Early Review

Being the kit & gadget  freak that I am, I recently invested in a Garmin fenix , their new outdoor GPS watch. As it is so new, I thought it worth sharing my initial thoughts for anyone considering it. This review is biased towards use as a mountaineering device but I also use it as a sports watch. I haven't provided the full tech spec or marketing blurb as you can get that from Garmin's website.

So what is it ? Garmin fenix is a hybrid; its an ABC  (altimeter, barometer, compass) mountaineering watch which is also a GPS.  It is also Garmin’s answer to the Suunto Ambit, which I haven't tried or seen so this is not a comparison.

So what is the point ? Aren’t both functions critically compromised ?

Let’s start by saying that if you are the kind of person who uses a GPS as their primary navigating tool instead of a map and wants full colour OS mapping then this is not the device for you and never will be.  However (if like me) you are comfortable with and enjoy navigation by map but would like the core functionality of GPS alongside the capabilities of a mountaineering watch, in a handy -  always there on the wrist – form factor then read on …..

The critical things I personally would like in such a device are:

• All the typical functions of a watch and stopwatch.
• An accurate fix on my position in the most appropriate format for my locality (e.g. OS grid ref, lat/long) for if I get into a navigational mess or an emergency situation.
• An altimeter which recalibrates itself when it can (as I regularly forget to do so as often as I should with my barometric altimeter) but which keeps working if GPS signals are weak  / not available.
• Barometric information to provide a view on weather changes.
• A clear, easy to read display. My eyes are not what they were !
• Easy and intuitive to use on the hill in poor conditions.

 The next items are not critical, but are important to me:

• Different types of data available to view on the display - such as average speed - and the ability to customise the display as I see fit.
• A stopwatch facility that stops and starts when I do, so I don’t have to remember to do it every time.
• The ability to store and download trip information in a standard format.

Then there are the nice to haves:

• A compass function is a nice to have for me as I have a compass and won’t ever be leaving it behind (or the spare in rucksack), but if it is provided then I don’t want to have to re-calibrate it every 5 mins.
• Re-trace my track – again to get me out of a hole.
• Usable as a sports device for running, cycling etc. and if it provides heart rate and cadence monitoring then even better.
• Ability to navigate against pre-loaded waypoints and record waypoints en route.
• Any other cool stuff I may not have thought about.

 All this must be in a package which is wearable in comfort on my wrist without getting in the way and will last multiple days without needing a re-charge.

So does the Garmin  deliver ?  On the question of functionality, its early days but my answer so far is definitely YES:

• It is a full featured ABC mountaineering watch and works just fine in this mode
• It gives me everything I have asked for and much more on the GPS front, most of which I haven’t tried out yet, but critically it provides me with a location fix in OS GB and other formats and the GPS continually re-calibrates the altimeter when it can.
• The display is clear and easy to read, the data page system for showing data is easy to set up logical and flexible.
• Configuring and using it in general is easy, though I should declare that I am an existing Garmin user.  I certainly find it easier to use than my Satmap !
• It looked quite big off my wrist, but is comfortable to wear all day – much more so than my old expedition watch .  It doesn’t rub on my bony wrists and the strap is soft for a plastic strap; I believe a leather one is/will be available.
• It is a very good sports GPS; different profiles can be set up for different sports and activities so  data displays can be tailored to suit and it uses the ANT + standard to communicate with external sensors such as my heart rate & cadence monitors. I have found it every bit as good so far as my forerunner 310, so much so that the latter is shortly going to appear on ebay , which will help offset the cost of my new toy !
• It exports and imports using the gpx standard so I can get my precious data into endomondo, my mapping software or even onto my satmap if I want.

BUT does it deliver on battery life ? Which after all is the killer for gps devices previously.

It is early early days and I haven’t really had chance to test it out properly, but the spec from Garmin indicates it will and early signs are promising. In full GPS mode the battery life is quoted as 16 hours – ok but no better than other devices and certainly not good enough for my needs !  However, the fenix has tricks up its sleeve to improve things:

• Firstly it has an ultratrac mode which means it only samples data once a minute.  This ups the battery life to 50 hours - starting to get more like it.
• The killer though, is that GPS mode can be turned on/off as wished without compromising the ABC capabilities. So you only need put / keep it on when you need it.  This might seem obvious, but it only has meaning in a hybrid device - a GPS without GPS is a lump of plastic, but the fenix carries on working as traditional ABC watch.
• If GPS is not switched on at all, the battery is reported to last 2 weeks with the sensors in ‘always on’ mode and there is also an ‘on demand’ mode which is less hungry again.  In pure watch mode the quoted figure is 6 weeks.

 I reckon with GPS switched on about 8 hrs a day in ultratrac mode it might last a week;  more than good enough for most of my requirements and if I am likely to be out longer than that I can be more selective and maybe just switch it on briefly when I need it.

In use so far, I have gone a few days wearing it and using it for hill days and training runs without charging it and the battery was still healthy.  And that was not in ultratrac mode. However, I have yet to put it to a stern test, so  it will be interesting to see if the real life figures match the spec and if they deteriorate significantly  in the cold.

The other unknown is ruggedness. Garmin claim it is very rugged, but it’s plastic so I’m sceptical and will remain so until it has had a full winter’s use.

So any gripes or negatives ? To be honest, not much but I have come up with a few minor points:

• The Basecamp Mobile  ‘app’ that allows the fenix to upload data and generally communicate with an ipod / ipad doesn’t work with anything less than a 4S.  It isn’t really Garmin’s fault as the problem lies in Bluetooth capability of earlier Apple devices, but their blurb didn’t make it obvious to me.
• The Basecamp app for PC seems to be junk to me from the little I have played with it, but my preferred option is to use the gpx files into my own software anyway.
• when using it for running  it seems to under record slightly in the field compared to the file I later upload. For example: I wanted to run 10K. The watch told me I had run 10K so I stopped it to get an accurate time and then started my warm down.  But, when I uploaded the file I apparently only ran for 9.93K – not a large difference but bloody annoying if trying to record an accurate time.  It is not something I have noticed with previous devices.

So how much do I have to pay for all this finery ?  Well it doesn’t come cheap at rrp around £350!  However, that is comparable with the Suunto  Ambit .  At the moment it is under an exclusive UK  launch promo with Cotswold so anyone who gets their 15-20% discount via BMC, BCU, MTA etc. can get this for less than £300.  It is still a lot of money and probably above the budget of the casual hill-goer or athlete, but compared to buying two separate devices maybe it’s not so bad.

Summary: I am currently in love with this device !  It gives me everything I want, does it in an easy to use way, is comfortable to wear and the display is easy to read.  Battery life looks like being a winner, but it is very early days - the proof of that will be some sterner tests in harsher conditions. Ruggedness also will require the test of time and a Scottish winter to make a valid judgement. It is also a significant investment so you do need to decide if you need what it provides.  I will aim to provide occasional updates on how it is doing and whether this turns into a long term love affair or a short term infatuation !

Cadets day out in the hills

Last week I was fortunate enough to secure some work with Kings School CCF, as part of an 'Adventurous Training' day in Snowdonia.  The day was split into two half day activities, hill walking and mountain biking. I was asked to run the hill walking sessions and to include some basic navigation skills within it.

I chose to use the north eastern approach Moel Siabod up to and around Llyn y Foel as the venue; partly because it fitted in well with the mountain biking venue (Marin trail) and because it offered a number of interesting options and easy exits to deal with varying abilities and the vagaries of the weather which last week was very unpredictable. The time I had available meant a summit attempt wasn't an option, but there is some interesting and challenging ground to be had around the Llyn.

A lovely start to a great day

The session started with some basic navigation skills concentrating on understanding and orienting the map both from the surroundings and compass, pacing using my trusty GPS to check out their accuracy, handrails and catching features, all easily facilitated on the approach to the lower lake.  It was interesting to note that even the more experienced had forgotten or mis-remembered some elements, so it was a very worthwhile exercise.  Interspersed with this was some impromptu aircraft identification for the RAF cadets as it seemed to be a busy flying day in the area .... I learned that American F-15s do fly in the area !

Yes I know its 'Aventurous training' - but you still can't go swimming !

The morning group were the more experienced and fresh, so after we had done the initial work they relished a slightly tougher round of location finding in more complex terrain.  We carried on up to the Llyn and then used the steeper ground south and east of Llyn y Foel to pose some tougher questions - which they answered pretty well - before completing a circuit back to the track and yomping down in the nick of time for the afternoon change-over.

Beginning some more complex nav work

The afternoon group were younger, smaller and less experienced and pretty tired from the bike ride, so enthusiasm wasn't high ! There were mutterings of 'do I have to do this ?' and 'I hate walking' - certainly an interesting challenge for a newbie leader !  Taking note, I decided to make sure all were properly fed and watered before we set off and slightly downgrade the afternoon walk, whilst still doing some of the nav work.  


To be fair, the youngsters soon got into it and by engaging them in conversation and throwing in some fun elements such as stone skimming they all seemed to enjoy it in the end.  Top fun activity seemed to be learning to use the group shelter (bothy bag) which went down a storm and we had quite a job getting them back out before a more leisurely return down the outward path.  By the end the comments had changed to 'we didn't think we would enjoy this, but we did', 'better than the mountain biking' and 'I don't normally enjoy walking with my parents but this was fun' not a bad result in three hours ! 

Huge orange caterpillar spotted on Siabod !

After a ride up a the narrowest road in Snowdonia in the mini bus (thank God I wasn't driving) to meet the bikers we hot footed it to Llanrwst for chips and then back to Kings School where I got a surprising number of 'thank-you's considering we had a bus full of tired people and parents waiting to whisk them back to civilisation !

Overall, a very rewarding and enjoyable day with an engaging group of young people - more please !

Superb day on Blencathra

After a dreadful couple of weeks weather, we were blessed with a nice forecast for the week-end. We were on family duty in Lancaster on Saturday so decided to get out in the Lake District on Sunday. Despite being brought up within an hour of Windermere and gaining my first impressions of mountainous terrain in the Lake District, I haven't really done it justice, the North lakes in particular.  

So, we decided that Blencathra via Sharp Edge was long overdue and drove up from Garstang on Sunday morning in glorious sunshine mixed with some spectacular cloud inversions and after a pit-stop in Keswick for a boot fitting (more on that another time), parked up by the side of the road.

The approach is quite a benign walk across the toe of Scales Fell to the head of Mousthwaite Comb, though too busy talking and marvelling at the scenery and weather we managed to turn too high up the ridge line and as a result had a steep little descent to the beautiful Scales Tarn a small tarn in a classic glacial bowl framed on one side by our objective.

Sharp Edge close up

Sharp Edge is a classic 3* grade 1 scramble, with some narrow sections, gaps and steepish slabs. It's not particularly hard at its grade in good conditions but being slate has a bad reputation in the wet - something I could easily imagine as we padded up the steep slabby section - but on this day it was a delightful, airy romp in the sun, the only negative being that it ended so soon !  

Julie looking pleased with her ascent

As we climbed the polished rock told us that this is a popular route which has been climbed by countless people and the myriad of crampon scratches which indicate that this is also a popular grade I/II winter climb - something I hope we will be back for this winter.

Looking down on Scales Tarn

The day was finished with a summit of Blencathra's highest point, Hallsfell Top and quite a while sitting on the top taking in the views of the Lakes to the south and west, Pennines to the east and Scottish hills to the north whilst eating pork pies and chocolate - perfect !  
Finally, we reluctantly stirred ourselves for our descent and in keeping with the day chose to hang a right after the initial drop and continued via the slightly 'off the beaten track' of Dodick Fell to complete a most excellent day.

Beautiful panorama from Blencathra summit

More Nav and back to Trad climbing

Well, its been a fairly quiet last 10 days - hardly surprising given the weather, and I'm sat here looking out at heavy rain for the second day in a row. The road to Mold was a bit of a white knuckle ride yesterday, due to flooding and rivers of water and mud coming off the fields !

I did manage yet another day of nav practice in drizzly conditions, just managing to avoid the huge downpour which hit a DofE Silver group my better half was monitoring.

I also did my first bit of DofE work with the Queen's School Bronze group on Saturday, getting them in a fit state to set off with much repacking and re-arranging of 70 litre rucksacks.  Most of their packs were heavier than I'd take on a 3 day winter expedition, and their Mums had sent them off with enough food to last them a week !

We also managed to make the best of the 1.5 days of good weather over the week-end by getting out and doing some long overdue trad climbing.  I've been desperate to get out and hopefully capitalise on the gains I feel I've made on the sport front, but the weather has had other ideas.  We went to Pinfold on Saturday and Pot Hole Quarry on Sunday, both Clwyd limestone venues and I definitely feel progress has been made, though having to place gear came as a culture shock and I was definitely rusty in this area, being both slow and inaccurate in gear selection, which up the adrenaline somewhat !  I warmed up on a horrible VS 4b before attempting a Pinfold classic, Toccata (VS 5a) a climb I backed off on  a little under 3 years ago when my shoulder problems were at their peak and finally clinched the decision to go for a shoulder operation, which I had a little over 2 years ago and so far has been a success, allowing me to climb with confidence and focus instead of wondering when my shoulder would pop out !  Anyway, back to the climb, the crux is supposed to be a block at 3 metres but I found the first 2 metres harder !  Once established, I managed the block pretty well and sailed up the remainder on an emotional high, the biggest indicator yet that I am ready to make forward progress from where I was pre injury.  Julie followed me up in some style, especially given her reduced reach, which she reminds of only half a dozen times every outing.  I followed this up with a romp up Devil's Alternative (HVS 5a) which after working out the crux sequence was despatched comfortably.  Not sure why the HVS compared to VS for Toccata as the gear overall was just as good - maybe a little less so at the crux where I used a DMM brass offset and it needed double ropes - but I always find grades a bit of a puzzle anyway !  

Now high on success I went for a final flourish on  Maranda, an E1 5a ... and got spanked ! Not only that, I took my first ground fall, even if it was from only 2.5 metres.  I faffed loads putting the one piece of gear in which then popped, couldn't work out the pull onto the ledge with fading strength and finally peeled off with totally pumped out arms, pulling the gear in the process and hitting the deck with nothing hurt beyond my pride - gutted ! I was sure I was going to nail this E1 on-sight. I had another half hearted attempt, but my arms were blown so we called it a day.

With a worsening forecast for Sunday, we stayed local and went to an old fave, Pot Hole. I warmed up with a TR on the Dog (HVS 5b) the classic of the crag (and E1 in the older book) and then lead it, my second successful lead of this climb, my gear placement efficiency still being found somewhat wanting, but it is a lovely route, steep technical limestone crack climbing at its best. I then move on to an other classic, Ceba (E1 5b), which I'd done on a solo top rope a few weeks earlier and now wanted to lead. As such, It couldn't be an 'on-sight' but a clean E1 lead was the goal here.  It is another technical crack climb with a few tricky sequences to be worked and a final strenuous section round an overlap. I found I didn't really remember much from the previous top rope, but made steady progress to the overlap, finding the 'thank God' jug above it and placing two welcome cams in the break, including a new totem cam in a pocket (early indicators are that these cams are superb on limestone) before executing the shuffle sideways and reach for the top to complete a successful E1 just as the rain started .. and it hasn't stopped since !

Moelwyns & Cnicht Nav Day

Moelwyns & Cnicht Nav Day, a set on Flickr.

Had a great day in the Moelwyns doing some more micro nav work and bagging the summit of Cnicht, which I have never done before, via the aesthetic south west ridge. The Moelwyns are a beautiful place, lots of small hills, rocky outcrops and lakes of various sizes. Weather was superb but a little weird, blue sky & sun but with blankets of low cloud moving around, sometimes swirling round the peaks like water and the day was topped off with some superb cloud inversions which I have tried to capture here.

Early September ramblings

Tuesday Sept 4th: Top rope solo try out

Given that I have free time when my limited supply of climbing partners are hard at it keeping the country afloat, I decided to to a local crag (Three Springs) and have a go at top rope soloing as an option to get a few more days in and tried out various options to see what worked best.

So, what is it ? Basically it is climbing on a top rope, but solo ;-)  Seriously, instead of a belayer, one uses devices such as ascenders which will move up a rope more or less freely but grab it as soon as any downward pressure is felt.  There are various devices that will do the job,   though none designed specifically for this so they all come with major health warnings from the manufacturers and TO BE CLEAR, this is NOT A RECOMMENDED TECHNIQUE particularly for people without a lot of experience of setting up rope systems.  For that reason, I won’t be describing the techniques I tried out in any detail.  Notwithstanding the health warning above, I am a fairly cautious climber so all my options included full redundancy and backup, including using two ropes.  On my third attempt I arrived at the optimum approach and successfully climbed an E1, as well as giving myself a refresher on rigging techniques, so all in all a good day

Thursday 6th Sept: Sport Climbing – Castle Inn quarry

We were due to set off for Wasdale in the lakes in the morning, but a dodgy forecast convinced us that there was likely to be little climbing to be had, so we went via Castle Inn - only a ninety minute detour ! – for a quick hit.  The weather was chilly and overcast but the rain held off to allow us a great couple of hours.  I nipped up ‘Route 2’ (F5) and Mogadishu  (F4+)to give Julie a couple of nice routes to climb, Route 2 in particular is 20 metres of pure climbing pleasure.  She then returned the favour, leaving the rope in situ after we climbed Finale (F5) to allow me a go at working out ‘The Outsider’ (F6c) which is well above my pay grade. Despite this I made a decent fist of it, though I’m not sure the handhold on the crack I used at one stage is ‘in’ for the full 6c.  if it is, I think it is generously graded at 6c, I’d say more like 6b or 6b+ tops.  We finished off with a lead attempt on Indian Summer, at 6a+ still above my usual outdoor lead ceiling and after a fall on the first attempt due to poor route choice, I made it ok on the second go ..the continental climbing is paying dividends ! Flushed with success we then hot footed it to Nether Wasdale to meet up with friends in the Screes pub and compare summer exploits over dinner and beer.

Friday 7th Sept: trad multi pitch – Buckbarrow, Wasdale

Despite waking to a fine day, we knew the forecast for Scafell was poor and so my target route ‘Botterills Slab’ was probably a no go.  A quick look at the guide showed some likely routes on Buckbarrow, a lower crag with a 20-30 min walk in, so we headed round and worked our way up the inevitable scree slope to Witch buttress to climbed the signature route, ‘Witch’ a two pitch VS 4c.  On close inspection I was not impressed !  A corner (though the book describes at as a chimney) over hanging at the top, quite vegetated lower down ,water running down the crack and the wall to the right looking decidedly green. Still with the weather closing in, it was this or nothing, so off I went, the first few metres living down to my expectations, and with my lack of recent trad climbing I found gear placements quite tricky.  However, the higher I got, the better it got and the more I relaxed into it.  I made the crux quite comfortably, particularly pleasing because I thought my way through it, finding and choosing the best holds.  Post crux, P1 was a lovely romp up the wall on good holds to a stance on top of the pillar, where I found an old thread with a maillon.  The thread looked quite weather worn, so although I used it I also place three other equalised pieces and brought Julie up just as the rain set in properly, leaving me an awkward and poorly protected slab to climb in the wet – gulp !  fortunately P2 was quite a bit shorter and protected form the rain fairly well, so after some dithering with small nut placements and thanking the fates that I had my brass offsets, I made it reasonably easily and brought Julie up as fast as possible before we tackled the new crux – a small track down steep wet grass in rock shoes back to our packs & boots !  We then headed gingerly down the wet scree and adjourned to the Strands for coffee and cake.

Sunday 9th Sept: Coniston Old Man and Champagne !

The primary reason for the lakes trip was for the wedding of Chris my step brother and his fiancée Joanne, being held at Brantwood, Ruskin’s House on Coniston, and though I had an idea we might get on Dow crag and do Eliminate ‘A’, Saturdays weather said ‘no’, but we did enjoy a lovely occasion complete with food on the steam Gondola as it sailed up the lake and back.  Chris is also a  keen outdoors enthusiast so the plan for Sunday was for all who were physically able to climb Coniston Old Man and enjoy wedding cake and champagne on the top.  A cool idea, but with dodgy weather on Saturday there were mutterings amongst the troops in the bar on Saturday evening.  Sunday confounded the pessimists, a bright, sunny day and we had lovely chilled stroll up to Goatswater, where the climbers amongst us looked wistfully at a dry and sunny Dow, and on up to the summit to toast the new couple.