Peak District, Wales and back to Lakes

This week has been busy in a mixture of weather terrain and driving. I was working with Bull Expeditions in the Peak District planning a Greenland Trip with CCHS for 2010. Then working with Proactive Development and Simon McElroy in North Wales. A great trip over Snowdon in some very cold conditions on the summit then down to finish the day at LLanberis. Climbing was awesome and the Port Merrion day magaical. A fantastic busy full week with a great group. I also had a meeting on the way North with Laurence at Seren Ventures. Then back up to the Lakes for the Spring Nav4 weekend. I had a very strong group of Adventure Racers and runners. Mixed weather and night navigation saw some big smiles on all concerned faces. A busy time for me but very rewarding. Time now to spend a bit of time with Sarah and Keela.

Snowshoeing in France

A busy week of week of snowshoeing with Tara in France staying with most aminable host Phill Jarrett of British Snowshoe Tours. It was his birthday while we were out there and celebrated in style. Chamonix is expensive at the moment due to exchange rate. £5 for a beer!!

A great week with the weather being warmer than the UK but made the avalanche forecast a bit higher. We were out for four days recce-ing routes and one dy on cross country skis. One day we snowshoed up to 2000 mtrs then donned blades and skied back down, rather like beginners on mountainering boots!! My OMM Villan rucsac and Ultra waistbelt coped brilliantly with all the carrying needs of all the different tools needed during the week.
I then worked the weekend with Ben Keen and Bishop Wordsworth School on their D of E Gold Training in Patterdale Cumbria. A complete mixture of weather tested all involved, a great group and I wish them the best of luck on their final expedition.

Ramblings on and on

This last couple of weeks has seen me busy with the Army. Nav4 symposium and working with Chris Ensoll on a Mountain Leader Training and Assessment in the Lake District.
I then drove up to Aveimore, thanks to the local constabulary for reminding me of the speed limit! I was working at Glenmore Lodge for the MCof S Student Intro to Winter Skills weekend. My group of 5 are studying to be vets at Royal Dicks College in Edinburgh. We had a good weekend and found some very wet snow after the great thaw.

Winter Skills in The Lake District

Thanks to Bernie and Anja for a great day out in the Lake District learning some new skills to help with their confidence to get out more safely in winter. A full on day with good conditions. Eastly winds bowing powder snow and some blue sky moments all helped. The snow was great and helped with the digging of belays and Bernie and Anja showed some nice balance on and off crampons. Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team and the Air Ambulance were busy with two call outs on Saturday; both rely on donations if you are able to help.
If you want to develop your skills to travel more safely in the current winter conditions I will be running more course please contact me or check my Facebook group.
Cheers


wrote

at 00:42 on 09 February 2009

A huge thank you to Stu for a fantastic winter skills course on saturday. He shared a huge amount of skills and knowledge with us and helped our confidence grow massively. We both found Stu to be a brilliant coach by creating a safe and productive learning environment with a great big lump of humour thrown in to complete the equation. We cant wait to go out with him again and really enjoyed digging up just a bit more snow today! Thanks again Stu, Anja and Berni.

Long Hours Travelling

This week I have been working for BPE interviewing potential candidates for a Expedition to Greenland in 2010.


After an 11 hour drive to Aveimore in Scotland I was then working with Mike Margeson for Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team on a winter training course.
The weather on the Saturday was great, Sunday another story, very windy and poor visibility. We did the honourable thing; after 3 were sadly killed in an avalanche the same weekend in another area of Scotland, and didnt venture out. I then had a 5 hour drive back to the lakes where there had been avalanches on Hellvelyn. I will be running more Winter Skills courses please contact me regarding dates etc. cheers.
Stuart.

Trail Magazine Article

If you have a copy of the current best read outdoor magazine Trail Feb 09; you will see an article by me on the sleeping system I used when I was working on Killimanjaro with a group.
I took two one season bags, mad or rad?
The summit temp was about -17C and was made even colder by our "poley poley" pace and the effects of altitude. Want to know why and more about my choice of kit for my expeditions; please get in touch with me ?
Winter kit these days dosent have to big and bulky and with application can be honed down, therefore making light of the travel.
Cheers

Happy New Year

Its been a month since my last post and I have been busy. Testing some kit for Furtech, its a great system for our British wet n warm climate. In the recent cold snap all I wore is the Claw 2 and a base layer and trousers. Have a look at the website for the technical information. It should change your mind. I would like to see some changes to the jacket and trousers Overall they work well and can only go from strength to strength.
I have been observing Summer ML Training being run by Tim Blakemore in December great course and very testing. Over the Xmas break I was in Devon to do some kayaking and Surfing with Sarah. However due to lack of water and poor surf ended up with a gourmet xmas break. We went geocaching on Dartmoor and Bouldering at Leigh Tor. I aslo did some Dancing on Ice with Keela, nothing like John Sargent!!



Thanks to Andy at Furtech for the link also;
I hope you all had a good New Year and to see you all soon in 09.

Brrr Cold Weekend

This week I have been mainly assessing. First on an APIOL in Scotland and then this
weekend I have been working with Andy Brown on a ML Assessment.




Bbbrrr!! it was cold but not as the forecast. It was bright blue sunny days and light winds. This helped with the long days and short daylight hours. Tents boots and kit were frozen. I used a Montane Torque Jersey and a Scarab Jacket as my under layers. Both great bits of kit and well designed, sportwool on the Torque Jersey and zoned fleece panels on the Scarab with a hood. Over all that was winter thermic trousers and Superfly XT. I also used a PHD Minim 400, a one season bag in -7!!
I had to wear a hat in bed and kept my prism jacket on. A great cold weekend, hopefully the start of the winter snap.
I will be running some Winter Skills courses during the season, Please get in touch for dates and prices
cheers
Stuart

OMM wet weekend

Am back at home again after another weather bashing this time
at the omm in the lake district.
Its been seen on all the news channels seen on the BBC news and in the newpapers. There have been some harsh repotage in the news if you want to see sensible tales of people who were there check out sleepmonsters .

There are a lot of thank you's to be said and those go the organisers the marshals the MRT teams that attended and the competitors themselves.


Here is a video of our river crossing near to Gatesgarth mid camp. I hope your event and weekend went well and your all back home safely.

Autumn Breezes

Well another week of wet weather and winds in the Lakes. Makes picking apples alot easier. Work has involved a mixture of great clients and play has been walking and paddling with Keela the dog.

Thanks to all my clients, UPM Manager's had a taste of the first snows on Hellvelyn. A cold and windy traverse of Englands favourite mountain. Also working on an ML training course with Andy Brown and Terry Hubble. This involved an overnight expedition into Ennerdale West Cumbria. The multifunctionality of my day to day work kit, an Event Montane Superfly XT, is tested from sea level to 3,000ft and proves its worth. I will be putting kit reviews up soon.
I am now looking toward winter if you want to practice winter skills please get in touch for dates etc.

Busy Wet Week

This week has been busy keeping the wolves from the door. I have been working at the weekend for Nav+art course directing their successful mountain marathon and adventure racing training weekend in North Lakes. Mixed warm wet weather provided great training and mini event conditions. During the week that followed another test for the Montane waterproofs and a new set of industrial showa gloves; ideal gloves for wet work outdoors. Please see link for more details.
I have been shadowing a Mountain Leader assessment and training course with Apex Training, a great company based in the Lake District fronted by Paul Platt. Thanks to all there for their help and hope to work with them again.
cheers

Adventureinmind on Facebook

There is now a new group on Facebook for you to join and use all the latest social network technology. Click on the link above to access the goup. You may have to open a Facebook account but thats really easy to do.
If you want to just keep with information or people you have met on an adventureinmind course here's the location.

Wet Wet Wet Continues

The exceptionally wet weather devastating the UK and Cumbria was also making me feel under the weather. I was working for Adventures with Andy Brown and took some people up Skiddaw and then along another Wainwright favourite of Sharp Edge on Blencathra and backdown Halls Fell ridge. Both fantastic classic scrambles.
I really enjoyed the days and a real test for my Montane kit. This week am working for Patterdale Hall with a great group of 6th formers and then for Outward Bound at Eskdale.
If you would like to have some assisstance for your Wainwright completion please get in touch.

Wet Wet Wet

This week I have been working with Rolls Royce Apprentices in the Wet Lake District for Outward Bound Professional. It has rained and hailed and not much else. The group were new to Rolls Royce and to the Lakes. We covered a lot of training using different mediums including Abseiling, Canoeing and Raft Building on the ongoing development od the trainees. If you have any training needs please contact me for prices and dates. Have a look at the weather forecasts if you are planning to go into the mountains.
Last week I was working with an excellent group of Gurkha Soldiers again on an adventure training week. Its easy to see why they are respected the world over.

Back From Patagonia

I have just returned from a month working in a very cold, -15 at nights, Patagonia. I was working with Team Much a great group of girls from Chlemsford Girls School for BPE Expeditions.

We managed a winter variation of the classic W trek, with great vistas and wildlife sightings. Along with some comunity work in an orphange and vistits to Tierra Del Fuego and parts of S America that was first explored by Darwin and Shakelton.

This is possibly a first expedition by a schools group to winter Patagonia.

We had all 4 seasons in a day every day, whilst on trek. We carried all food and fuel for 8 days in temperatures from 0 to -15.

I used the OMM linkage system again with an Ultra waist pouch

and Classic 32ltr sac as my day kit. Wearing my Montane Verso

and Transactive Jacket for every day kept me warm in this antartic conditions.

For the wet days I used a Montane Superfly XT Jacket a well thought out all round jacket. Thanks to Miseal Perez at Hostel Fitzroy Punta Arenas for all his help. Along with the Outdoor Warehouse Windermere Cumbria.

take care

Stuart

Work in Patagonia/ PMRT @ 75th Birthday

Am working in Chilliean Patagonia with a great group form Chemlsford girls School for a month for Bull Expeditions.

Congratulations To Patterdale MRT for winning the "Its a Knockout" at the 75th Birthday celebrations at Ambleside. Click this link to see the gallery.

Look out for postings on my return on the trip and whats happening in the Autumn. Have a good Summer, and check my Availability Calender if you have anything coming up.
Cheers
Stuart

Work in the Lakes

This week and last I have been working in the Lakes. There has been a contrast in the weather, very hot and then very windy and wet whilst camping out at Bowscales Tarn with a group from Outward Bound.

Last week I was working with Key Network with a school group and a group of managers from MND oil company. A great diversity from 10 year old to coporate managers.

Montane MMAD Days

Here are a collection of photos from my recent MMAD days working with Montane. These have been taken a over a few months in Scotland, Wales and the Lake District. Good weather seems to have followed us around the counrty; sometimes not ideal when testing waterproofs. A good crowd of people from various regions doing some good routes in the hills. Get in touch if you are interested in any product testing days with your kit.

Via Ferrata near Briancon France

Click on the title above for some photos of a group of people doing some Via Ferrata near Briancon France. There was exceptionally high river levels and the regional department had closed kayak and rafting access after two deaths. We went out to complete some impressive routes in the rain with some begginners and more intermediate "metal highwayers"

Kit Review

Here is a kit review for a Jacket that I have been using a lot at present during my work.
http://www.outdoorwarehouse.co.uk/index.cfm?action=article.read&articleId=0B2857B9%2D19D1%2D1A1B%2D730868AD3C169E21

cheers
stuart