www.mountainguides.co.uk

NAVIGATION SKILLS COURSE

2010-06-21T03:54:00.000-07:00

Another Navigation Skills course in June met with perfect weather as Craig, David and Jim met with some complex routefinding in the Silver Howe area of Langdale. This must be one of the most badly mapped parts of the Lake District with numerous errors relating to path positions, but it's also an excellent area for learning to Navigate. Day 2 was spent on Cold Pike and the Crinkles, providing training on a beautiful part of the higher fells. Navigation Skills courses run on the first and third weekends in every month.

SCAFELL PIKE - THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

2010-06-21T03:43:00.000-07:00

SCAFELL PIKE AT 3am - WAS IT WORTH IT??
Three Peaks challengers Penny Neal and her team from Superdrug arrived at Wasdale Head recently at 3am to walk Scafell as the second part of their Three Peaks Challenge. Still weather with temperature inversions meant a damp and misty start in the dark from Wasdale - no bad thing as at 3am the best tactic is simply to focus on the next footstep....We slogged our way up Brown Tongue, and as we traversed across below Pikes Crag we suddenly came out of the cloying mist and into the most magnificent sunrise. Soon, the cloud lay below us as we looked out towards Gable, Skiddaw and the higher Lakeland Peaks peeping out above the inversion. Was it worth it? - unquestionably - it was brilliant!

SCAFELL PIKE WALK

2010-05-24T04:31:00.000-07:00

Nomenca asked for a walk to Scafell Pike for 30 members of their teams from across Britain. Having had previous experience of walking from Borrowdale, and the group having walked Snowdon and Ben Nevis before, we challenged them with one of the classic through walks from Mosedale through to the Great Moss in Eskdale, up to Mickledore and the summit, then back to Langdale. It was a great day with some cold but bright weather and even some snow showers on the tops. A tough walk though, with some welcome beer at the end at the Old Dungeon Ghyll.

TEAM BULD EVENT WITH LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY

2010-05-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

Early May saw another team build event with Loughborough University, involving a range of outdoor activities and film making - each team had to make a film promoting the Lake District as 'The Adventure Capital' They were an excellent group as always and we had great fun watching the films!

NAVIGATION SKILLS WEEKEND

2010-05-24T04:17:00.001-07:00

Denzil, Leanne and friends had a couple of cold days for their navigation skills course at the beginning of May, with sleet and hail on the fell tops for a while - ideal conditions for learning to navigate! Weekend courses run throughout the year - contact us for dates.

CLIMBING MIDDLEFELL BUTTRESS WITH JO AND MICK

2010-05-24T03:59:00.000-07:00

A really nice day's climbing with a lovely couple, learning to lead climb and a refresher on abseil retreats. A perfect day!

SCAFELL PIKE WITH CREW FROM GERMAN TV ARD

2010-03-21T01:57:00.000-07:00

John and Jack White, along with Paddy Cave and Dave Willis helped German TV Station ARD reporter and film crew to reach the summit of Scafell Pike recently. Walking in from Borrowdale, the Corridor route provided plenty of wintry conditions and some steep snow slopes in places, though fortunately the freezing level rose to 850m which made things easier. Pride of place went to a folding bike, which reporter Bjorn had taken with him throughout this travelogue, and which he insisted on carrying all the way to the summit - a good effort! Lots of snow high up on Scafell still.

WINTER SKILLS ON DOLLYWAGGON

2010-02-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

Kevin, Jean, Michael and I had a great day out in the Dollywaggon Pike area last week, in Alpine-like conditions with blue skies and great snow. We covered all the basic ice axe and crampon skills and enjoyed some fantastic views. MORE SNOW FELL TODAY (SUNDAY) WITH MORE SNOW AND COLD WEATHER TO COME - WINTER CONDITIONS ARE EXCELLENT

Lakes Climbing Conditions

2010-02-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

There is still alot of good condition available in the Lakes at present. Many high gullies and ice routes are in good condition, and will improve as the weather gets colder again during the week. There is alot of ice about that will be climbable for the next few days at least. Some easy angeled mixed routes and high mixed routes should also be possible. Climbed Botterills slab and Moss Gyhll on monday, the gullies of Great End on Thursday and a new mixed route on Scafell on friday, conditions where great for all venues as shown in the photos.

Winter Skills on Striding Edge, Snow, Ice and Sun!

2010-02-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

Had a great day out with Sue and Bill Thornton on the Helvellyn Edges. Conditions were superb on the mountain, we covered various skills whilst completing the horseshoe.

Thanks to Sue and Bill for a great day!

Wind, Spindrift and Snow Holeing.

2010-01-25T01:35:00.000-08:00

Had a great three days and two nights out last week in the Cairngorms with Andrew. He has plans of adventure racing in cold and windy places, so the Cairngorms was the perfect training ground! We were kept cool by 70 mph gusts throughout our three days, making the bivvy experience all the more entertaining and valuable as a learning experience for Andrew. The photos show Andrew as we were making our way up to Corie Cas from the closed snow gates. The scene is that there is no evidence of the road at this point as it was snowed out, we stumble over a drift and find a car, not expected. A great three days out in Scotland with brilliant winter scenery and conditions. Skis or snow shoes may be a good idea if anyone is heading into the Northern Corries.

Winter Skills Course, Great Conditions!

2010-01-25T01:09:00.000-08:00

We just had a great winter skills weekend out on Raise and Helvellyn. Conditions were perfect for this sort of course with hard neve snow and a good covering. Some folks out on skis still on Raise though is getting patchy and fairly icy. Perfect climbing conditions in most high snow gullies, good ice in reliable spots also. Due to a dusting of snow on Saturday night and wind + freeze, the easy angled mixed routes were also looking good ie. Viking Buttress. All high winter crags should have something to offer currently, perhaps not steep mixed routes though. A temporary thaw is due tomorrow, followed by another freeze, so snow and ice should only get better. Photos taken by John Ealing show us out on the Sunday looking at some rope work on Striding Edge and enjoying the last light of the day before heading for Glenridding.

SNOW FOR MANX VISITORS!!

2010-01-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

Isle of Man visitors Jane, Kirsty and Katie had led a snow-starved existence on the beautiful Isle of Man, so this visit to the Lake District offed a chance to make up for lost time. Severe gales and generally harsh conditions meant that Loughrigg was the best option, but this lowly fell still provided some severe winter conditions, lots of snow and a windswept and icy summit where we all had to hang on to the cairn to stay upright. A lot of fun, and we saw some beautiful ice formations on Grasmere too.

LANGDALE NEW YEARS DAY DAY WALK

2010-01-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

A group from the Langdale Hotel enjoyed a fantastic New Year's Day walk with Highpoint guide John White, taking an 'off piste' route up to Copt Howe, then to Silver Howe and all points to High Close. Early sunshine gave some brilliant views, and snowfall towards the end of the walk added a truly wintry touch if one was ever needed! Snow conditions varied from icy crust to windslab, but walking was generally easy given the conditions.

Alpine Conditions in the Lakes!

2009-12-29T07:50:00.000-08:00

The Lakes have had as much snow as I've seen since living here and the hills are looking fantastic at the moment. Temperatures have stayed very low high up so the snow hasn't consolidated very quickly. This has made for laborious climbing but perfect skiing and walking where anybody else has broken trail first! I went for a ski tour over Raise and towards Helvellyn yesterday in incredible weather. Bright sunshine, blue sky, no wind and perfect powder felt more like the Alps than the Lakes in December. Hopefully the pictures will make you all suitably jealous! Lots of people have been out on Striding, Swirral and Sharp Edge recently and these along with anything else that's had a bit of traffic will give great days at the moment. It looks like there's more fresh snow on the way tomorrow so it's not over yet. Once everything settles the Lakes is set for a phenomenal winter and I think we will have great winter conditions for a long time to come..... for once a thaw would be useful. Get in touch if you'd like information on Lakes winter skills and climbing courses over the coming weeks and even months!

Rich

LAKE DISTRICT UNDER SEIGE - FLOOD WARNING

2009-11-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

THE LAKE DISTRICT IS UNDER SEIGE - HEAVY RAINS ALL WEEK AND STORM FORCE WINDS ON THE FELLS ARE CREATING MASSIVE FLOODING PROBLEMS CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

CLIMBING IN NOVEMBER!

2009-11-12T00:07:00.000-08:00

Some recent sunny days have given us the opportunity to climb. On Saturday I took Emma, Kath and Fergal to Stanage Edge. A keen wind on top of the crag meant some cold belaying sessions, but on the rock wasn't too bad once you got warmed up. Following on from some previous climbing courses, the group was quickly back on the rock, though as usual gritstone takes some getting used to! Highlight of the day was an ascent of the classic Christmas Crack, on one of the finest pieces of gritstone in the country.

Yesterday (Wednesday 11th) I took Mike and Laura up Middlefell Buttress (D) in Langdale for their first taste of climbing outdoors, and they loved every minute of it. Blue skies and sunshine probably helped! We did the main route plus the Curtain Wall (VD) finish, and ended the day with an ascent of Castration Crack (S), one of the alternative starting pitches. Photos to follow........

HCA GROUP HIT THE TARGET!

2009-10-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

A group from the Homes and Communities Agency recently visited Langdale to undertake a range of activities with Highpoint including Gorge Scrambling, Abseiling, Fell-Walking, Archery, Survival Skills and various Multi-Active Challenges.

The weather turned out to be excellent and a grand time was had by all!

SCAFELL PIKE - ENGLAND'S HIGHEST RUBBISH DUMP

2009-10-13T09:39:00.001-07:00

Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England and undoubtedly one of the most popular, but is it one of the best?

I decided to consider this question after meeting a farmer friend of mine in Langdale a couple of weeks ago. Bruce is a born and bred Langdalian sheep farmer, whose parents still farm at the head of the valley. If you cut Bruce in half, he’d have the word LANGDALE printed through him like on a stick of rock!

In spite of having spent many long days gathering sheep on the rough terrain of Crinkle Crags and Bowfell, Bruce had never been to Scafell Pike and so had decided to walk there with his family one September Saturday if the weather held.

The weather was good on the day, and I bumped into him (almost literally) as his Landrover tore along the track to Baysbrown later that afternoon on his way back. 'Did you have a good day Bruce', I asked. 'Aye, OK' he said, 'but it’s’ a b..... s.......up there isn’t it' He doesn’t mince his words doesn’t Bruce. 'I’ll not be gaan back'.

I knew what he meant. I’d been to the summit many times over the years and when I was the National Park Ranger for Langdale I’d been up there on several occasions to clear piles of rubbish from the summit plateau. Maybe he had a point.

As luck would have it, a few days later a lady contacted me who wanted to be guided up Scafell Pike. Fitness wasn’t a problem for her, but she had limited map reading experience and was worried about finding her way. I suggested we walked from Borrowdale along the Corridor Route, arguably the finest way to the summit.

Saturday morning saw us parked up at Seathwaite 'Welcome to the wettest place in Britain' the sign should say, but maybe that’s something Seathwaite does not want to boast about! There are signs though, asking walkers on the Three Peaks Challenge to respect the residents of Seathwaite and to pass quietly through. Herein lies one of Scafell Pike’s deep-seated problems, if you’re the highest, every man and his dog wants to get to the top.

We only saw a handful of other walkers on the ascent, which is a wonderful walk, and much of the top 1000 feet was shrouded in mist, but my companion was astounded at how many people were on the summit, and how many more walkers arrived while we had our lunch there.

The rocky summit plateau is liberally peppered with cairns, stone shelters old and new……and rubbish. Walk a few yards from the top and sit behind one of the many shelter walls and you’ll find chocolate bar wrappers tucked under rocks, loo paper, banana skins and orange peel. As Bruce said, it’s a.............

The approach walk is fantastic though, with stunning views into the head of Wasdale, onto Gable’s screes and crags and into the magnificent ravine of Piers Ghyll .It’s just a shame about the top!

The rough and rocky terrain of Scafell is a test for anyone’s footwear, and I continue to wear my Brasher Borgues for this sort of walk, which cope with anything below the snowline with ease and which have become established along with the Lithium as favourites for 3 season walking. One of our instructors recently wore a pair of Borgues on Kilimanjaro, and the legendary Lake District author Bill Birkett now slips his Brashers on in preference to anything else.

John White and the Highpoint Mountain Guides offer waking and climbing guides for walks and climbs countrywide and year-round.
www.mountainguides.co.uk and 01931 713115

CHAMONIX - SUMMER 2009

2009-09-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

As the autumn nights draw in, here are a few photos from summer in Chamonix to brighten up your evenings.....

LOCATION SCOUTING

2009-08-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

John White has been busy recently scouting locations for Brasher's next photoshoot. Following on from last year's shoot in the Dolomites, this year sees the Lake District as the main and very appropriate location to provide a background to Brasher's increasingly popular range of mountain footwear. Here are a few of the potential locations........

Austria: Dachstein Via Ferrata

2009-07-29T02:56:00.000-07:00

The blog seems to have gone very quiet.... largely because things have been ridiculously busy recently! A recent highlight for me was the week in the Dachstein region of Austria where we climbed some of the best Via Ferratas anywhere. The nature of these mountains means that the routes are often longer and a little more serious than those in the Dolomites but a keen group were up to the challenge. With the assistance of local guides Pru, Sue, Andy, George and Mike ticked all the classics in a week culminating with the long and involved Johann route. This classic VF feels more like an alpine climb with a long approach and a finish on the glacier. Happily you are only 45 minutes from the cable car at the top so at least the descent is straightforward! Apparently we had the first settled weather of the summer as we arrived and it was snowing high up when we left so we were very lucky.

Back in the Lakes things are a little frustrating at the moment as wet and windy weather is making rock climbing pretty tough. I'm off to Africa for two weeks on Friday so here's hoping that Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro are faring a little better! Get in touch with John for availability in the meantime..... and if the rain continues have a look at our trips to Sardinia and Spain in the Autumn. Great climbing, beautiful locations and lots of sun!

HAWESWATER

2009-06-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

One of the many sunny evenings recently in the Lakes - two photos of reflections in the Haweswater. This is a great place for wildlife - with a great selection of water birds alongside the mountain species.

Skye

2009-05-22T04:49:00.000-07:00

I've just got back from a great week working on Skye. Despite the mixed weather we managed some great scrambling and climbing as well as having an amazing day out sea kayaking with Gordon Brown [the sea kayak legend, not the PM!]. We were based in Glenelg, an idyllic spot.

LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY TEAM BUILD EVENT

2009-05-13T15:04:00.002-07:00

HIGHPOINT RECENTLY RAN A 5-DAY TEAM BUILD EVENT FOR A GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY. TACKLING A RANGE OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS PROBLEM SOLVING, FILMING AND BOAT BUILDING, THE STUDENTS ONCE AGAIN SHOWED THE REQUIRED SKILLS, CREATIVITY AND SENSE OF FUN TO MAKE THE WEEK A GREAT SUCCESS.

lou

2009-05-13T15:04:00.001-07:00

WHAT A NICE DRESS DEAR...STAG DO PHOTOS

2009-05-13T03:40:00.000-07:00

Highpoint recently provided a climbing and abseiling session for Chris Trimble and friends on their Lake District Stag weekend. Great fun was had by all (especially us) on a memorable morning.

The Piz Badile Last Summer

2009-05-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Fellow Highpoint instructor Chris Walker and I [Rich] have finally sorted out our photos from an ascent of the Cassin route on the incredible Piz Badile last summer..... it's only taken us 10 months. Climbing we can do but IT is not our strong point! I'm looking forward to more adventures on the rock this year both at work and on holiday. A busy Bank Holiday of rock climbing for Highpoint now after a great week with Loughborough University that finished today. A full multi-media update from John shortly!

Navigation, Climbing and Good Weather

2009-04-23T04:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything for a while so rather than a complete run down I'll just give you a few highlights from the last week or so. Last weekend Keith and Jeff came up for a navigation course and, despite the perfect visibility and glorious sunshine, a lot was learnt. In the Ullswater area we looked in detail at contour interpretation, timing, use of the compass, pacing and many other things. We also covered what to do when, despite your best efforts, you get lost. All that remains is for them to go and practice what they learnt, they might actually be looking forward to some mist and rain now!

Earlier last week Glen and I had a great day out in Langdale. The brief was an easy one with plenty of climbing and abseiling required. We visited Cathedral Quarry initially as the overnight rain had left things pretty damp. Once the rock dried out made our way to Upper Scout crag and climbed a couple of the excellent routes there. A particularly good effort by Glen on the second steeper one!

An unexpected day off earlier this week saw myself and fellow instructor Ewen heading to Reecastle Crag in Borrowdale. This short but steep crag is home to some excellent routes on perfect rock, ideal for getting the arms going again at the start of the season. We climbed the Finger Flake Finish, Rack Direct, White Noise and The Rack. The photos above are of me on Rack Direct. Lets hope that this is the start of a long, dry summer!

the Steall Bridge, Ben Nevis in the background...

2009-04-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ben Nevis still in pretty good condition

2009-04-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

The North Face of Ben Nevis from Torlundy. Most snow in Scotland is thawing steadily in the warmer weather, but highest level stuff is hanging stubbornly on.....this photo of The Ben from 17th April.

The Langdale and Coniston Fells from near Kendal

2009-04-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

A great Easter panorama of the Langdale and Coniston Fells from above Kendal

KITE SKIING IN FRANCE

2009-04-08T03:40:00.001-07:00

SENT IN BY BRUCE CORRIE, VIDEO OF CHASTA KITE SKIING - TOP STUFF

UPSKIING IN FRANCE FROM BRUCE CORRIE

2009-04-08T03:37:00.000-07:00

From Bruce Corrie - 'Childcare doesn't have to be dull!' - Upskiing somewhere in France.........

LANGDALE FROM HERON PIKE

2009-03-31T02:50:00.001-07:00

A quick walk up Heron Pike on Sunday evening gave me some delightful views across to the Langdales.

RIGGINDALE EAGLES

2009-03-31T02:45:00.000-07:00

Went to see the Riggindale Eagle(s) on Sunday but no sign of them. Did see some Goldeneye and Barnacle geese on the lake though. Beautiful day, but with a very cold NW wind.

ADVANCED PARKING SKILLS - TESCO

2009-03-31T02:41:00.000-07:00

Though it's not particularly a mountain activity, I could not help but be impressed by the parking skills exhibited by this driver in Tesco. Like me, the driver was clearly frustrated and angry at the increasing levels of 'you can't do this here, can't do that there' and decided to park as close as possible to the No Parking sign. A pretty good effort I thought!

NAVIGATION SKILLS COURSE

2009-03-31T02:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot from last weekend's Navigation Skills course - bright and dry weather but a cool wind. We tried our best to get lost on the fells above Haweswater, but failed - no thanks to the inaccuracies of the map in some places! The photo shows the group by two ancient standing stones above Haweswater.

The next Navigation Skills weekend is on the 18/19th April - spaces available.

Late Season Winter Climbing

2009-03-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

The blog seems to have gone a bit quiet over the last couple of weeks! As John appears to be missing in action I'll give you a quick update of what I've been up to over the last week or so.

I got back from the wild and windy west coast of Scotland last night where I was running an introduction to snow and ice climbing course. After the sunshine and warmth of the previous week in the Lakes it was a bit of a shock to be plunged back into full on winter conditions. On Monday we climbed Dorsal Arete in Glen Coe after a winter skills refresher, a great short climb to start on. The following day we headed up Ben Nevis to try Green Gully but were beaten back by the vast quantities of snow being swept down it, a quick retreat was made and we climbed Ledge Route instead. A wild day out that ended with a thorough soaking on the way down! A shorter day out was needed on Wednesday so we made a very alpine ascent of Curved Ridge with a mixture of snow and dry rock to climb along the way. A navigation refresher took us back down to the car in good time. Something a little harder and more serious was needed by now so Thursday saw us battling our way back into an apocalyptic Coire na Ciste on the Ben in pretty 'challenging' weather. Visibility was virtually zero as we made our way carefully towards the base of Number 3 Gully Buttress although happily the avalanche danger was limited and we excavated a belay. We had a brief meeting to discuss whether we were going up or down in what were now extremely character building conditions....... everyone was keen, or at least I assumed so given what little I could see of their faces behind goggles and balaclavas! Reasonable ice took us up the first part of the route before some stella Nevis neve helped us make it to the top in good time. A brilliant and very exposed climb for the grade that should be on everyone's tick list. Incidentally the much steeper nearby route Two Step corner looked in great condition for interested parties... a great grade V with good rock belays. We descended Number 4 Gully after I had 'dismantled' the cornice on an abseil rope and had a careful look at the stability of the slope beneath. All was well so we headed rapidly back toward the CIC hut. Tired legs and horrible weather yesterday meant a day learning some technique on the Ice Factor's excellent indoor ice wall and doing some tricky dry tooling near Onich. It can be easier to learn the finer points of steep ice climbing when you're not being blown sideways!

All in all a great week and I suspect there will be conditions on the Ben for a few weeks to come unless there is a very substantial thaw. That concludes the winter for me so get in touch now for Spring adventures and lets hope for a dry summer. Tea and rest for me today and then more climbing tomorrow but this time on the bike.... the Fred Whitton awaits!

Rich

2009-03-02T04:49:00.000-08:00

Mountaineering in the Lakes

Peter, Keith and Paul headed up to the Lakes for the first time [what have they been doing?!] this weekend. Given the 'mixed' conditions and changeable weather we set off up the hill on Saturday with a few different plans depending on what we came across. Although there wasn't that much snow left on Helvellyn we did find an ideal spot to revise the use of an ice axe and then look at various types of snow anchors.... even managing to build a bollard in the soft snow that easily held all four of us! After that we made our way up Striding Edge and down Swirral, our axes proving essential in descent.

It was still raining when we reached the Old Dungeon Ghyll car park on Sunday but everybody was looking keen so we set off for Raven Crag anyway! We climbed Middlefell Buttress 'Integrale' in our big boots with parts of it getting quite dry by the top as bursts of sunshine rewarded our optimism. From the hillside above we continued across to Pavey Ark and finished the day with a pretty damp ascent of Jack's Rake. All in all a good weekend even if I did forget my camera so no photos I'm afraid!

OFCOM IN BLACK HOLE

2009-02-27T06:58:00.000-08:00

A team from OFCOM found themselves in a hole when out for a walk with Highpoint's John White!! With the weather conditions too poor for a higher level fell walk, the group enjoyed a classic low level walk to Black Hole Quarry via Slater's Bridge. Photos show the OFCOM group in The Cathedral - plus - a rare glimpse of the Black Hole Goldfish....

SNOW REPORT

2009-02-23T01:50:00.001-08:00

Snow remains in drifts above approx 1500 feet, wth main gullies on highest fells remaining intact at the moment. Any freeze cycles will really harden the snow.

Phots show the corrie left of Sharp Edge Blencathra on Friday 20th February. Note the large cornice.

SHARP EDGE BLENCATHRA

2009-02-23T01:47:00.001-08:00

Photos from Sharp Edge, 20th February. Still somes snow left especialy in gulles and hollows hgh up.

AVALANCHE ON RAISE

2009-02-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

A significant avalanche in an inconspicuous and unlikely location near to Raise Ski Area. The avalanche had happened several days before the photo was taken.

WINTER SKILLS COURSE 14/15 FEBRUARY - LAKES

2009-02-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

11 of us set out for Raise and had an excellent winter skills course, wih cracking conditions!

SNOW AND ICE CLIMBING ON HELVELYN - SENT IN BY JOHN NEATE

2009-02-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

Fron John Neate:.....Dave, Keith, Simon and myself have just got back from the 2 days winter climbing instruction in the lakes and wanted to say what a fabulous time we had. On Friday, Richard and Ewan lead us up Gully 1 in Red Tarn Cove in the most magical conditions. No wind, good visibility and hard snow. It really was Alpine-like. Then on Saturday with Richard and Nick it was up Central Gully on Brown Cove Crag. The snow had softened a bit and there was more cloud around but again, superb instruction meant another fantastic day.

We all learnt a tremendous amount with the emphasis on safety at all times. I’d especially like to thank Richard for making it so enjoyable-and for his patience!

Hope to be in touch again in the not too distant future.

2009-02-16T04:20:00.000-08:00

Introduction to Winter Climbing in the Lakes

Keith, David, John and Simon came up to the Lakes for an introduction to winter climbing on Friday and Saturday and conditions couldn't have been better for it. Ewen and I went to Helvellyn with them on Friday where we climbed Gully 1 with plenty of good ice on the main pitch and lots of opportunity to look at rope work and anchors on the way. A short abseil down from the plateau gave Simon and John a chance to be impressed by the strength of snow bollards as well! A careful descent of Swirral Edge provided a great end to the day.

On Saturday we wanted to avoid the crowds so went to Brown Cove crags where the team did a great job leading Central Gully, even getting some solid ice screws in at the bottom! A steep descent was followed by a little bit of steep ice on the bulges at the base of the crag to finish the day. All in all a great couple of days so lets hope the current thaw is short lived.

WINTER HILLWALKING IN SCOTLAND FROM YVONNE O'KEEFE

2009-02-11T02:36:00.000-08:00

Great conditions for winter walking from Yvonne O'Keefe - looks like hard work in that deep powder!

GLEN AFFRIC FROM RICHARD STRIVENS

2009-02-11T02:28:00.000-08:00

A couple of views of winter walking in Glen Affric from last weekend, sent in by Highpoint instructor Richard Strivens.

UPSKIING ON RAISE - FRIDAY 6TH FEB FROM JOHN WHITE

2009-02-09T04:53:00.000-08:00

UPSKI - TOWING THE KIDS - YAD MOSS - SATURDAY 7TH FEB

2009-02-09T04:38:00.001-08:00

Great conditions on the Pennines for skiing and touring - Yad Moss open and very busy and lots of kites around.

PHOTOS FROM RAISE AREA, FRIDAY 6TH FEBRUARY

2009-02-09T04:30:00.001-08:00

THINNER SNOW CONDITIONS ON SKIDDAW

LOOKING TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN FELLS FROM RAISE

SUNSET FROM RAISE

BROWN COVE CRAGS

LOOKING TOWARDS SWIRRAL EDGE AND HELVELLYN

HIGH STREET FROM NEAR RAISE

Here are a selection of photos from the Raise area from Friday 6th Feb. Lots of snow - some hard, icy neve and also lots of windslab and satstrugi - a real mix, but great winter conditions. It was possible to ski from the summits down to approx 1200 feet.

WINTER CLIMBING ON DOLYWAGGON AT THE WEEKEND FROM PHILIPPE GALLAND AT BRASHER

2009-02-09T04:04:00.000-08:00

From Philippe Galland at Brasher - Trash Corner and Rescue Groove on Dolywaggon from the weekend.

2009-02-07T03:49:00.000-08:00

I've just got back from a good week working in Scotland where amazingly there was less snow than Devon! Climbing conditions are great at the moment and we had a varied week climbing everything from grade IV ice on Aonach Mor to super classic mountaineering routes like Curved Ridge on the Buachaille and Ledge Route on the Ben. We finished off by topping out on a very snowy Dorsal Arete into 'full' conditions yesterday..... a bit of a contrast to the blue skies and amazing visibility on Ledge Route the previous day. I've come home to stories of amazing Lakes winter climbing conditions which sound like they're going to be around for a while. Get in touch for guiding and instruction if you've always fancied trying some snow and ice climbing but have never been keen for the drive to Scotland!

Rich

BLENCATHRA - FRIDAY 6TH FEB 9AM

2009-02-06T01:39:00.001-08:00

Blencathra looking fantastic in the early morning sunshine after more hard frost overnight.

CROSS FELL AND THE PENNINES 5TH FEBRUARY

2009-02-06T01:31:00.000-08:00

Good looking snow cover on the Pennines - taken 5th Feb 3pm.

SNOW AT ALL LEVELS

2009-02-04T01:28:00.001-08:00

Snow has fallen at all levels in Cumbria, but with more snow on the east side of the county than the west - Keswick for example, has very little snow.

PENNINES - CROSS FELL AND DUN FELL 3RD FEB

2009-02-04T01:26:00.000-08:00

Significant overnight snow transformed the Pennines into a creamy white, winter wonderland.

PENGUIN SPOTTED IN LAKE DISTRICT

2009-02-02T02:46:00.000-08:00

Blown off course by the current cold weather, this penguin was spotted this morning in a garden near Bampton, Cumbria. Wildlife experts are on their way from throughout the area to try to identify it. Goldfish in a nearby garden pond had disappeared overnight as the penguin foraged for food.

2009-02-02T02:42:00.000-08:00

monday morning: Overnight snow closed 90 schools in Cumbria and caused problems on many roads.......as I suspect it did in lots of other places. Tough life being a squirrel though...

The Birdman of Raise

2009-01-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

Rare sight today on Raise. Gordie Oliver, speed riding down the snowy slopes of the Lake District.

He did a masterful turn to avoid my head, but in the next turn his bindings released and he had a "sporting" landing amongst the rocks.

Looks great fun, just the ticket for a day when the wind was too light to UpSki or Kite.

Bruce

UPSKIING AT RAISE FROM BRUCE CORRIE

2009-01-27T05:22:00.001-08:00

Upskiing near Raise, sent in by Bruce Corrie

VIDEO CLIP OF STAG GROUP ABSEIL, BLACK HOLE QUARRY

2009-01-27T02:16:00.000-08:00

DAILY PHOTO JANUARY 27TH - LOADPOT HILL, HIGH STREET

2009-01-27T01:24:00.000-08:00

Photo taken 9am looking towards Loadpot Hill, alt 350-500m approx. Still plenty of snow even at these modest levels.

WINTER COURSES

2009-01-27T00:33:00.001-08:00

WINTER COURSES: Current thaw conditions look likely to be short lived, so the large amounts of snow in the Lakes should remain at higher levels, and should provide some excellent winter conditions in the weeks to come. The same goes for Scotland, where there is even more snow!

Winter Courses are running regularly in the Lakes and Scotland now - contact us for details

From Jo:
Hi John,
I wanted to drop you a line just to say what a fantastic weekend we all had
this weekend. I know I speak for Beth and Cheryl too in saying that the
course exceeded our expectations. I would never have thought I'd be making
my way up swirral edge with axe in crampons within 2 days!!! Amazing. Both
of the instructors were professional, friendly and encouraging with just the
right balance of teaching, sharing their stories and having fun. I think the
image of Dave flushing porridge out of his kit will stay with us all :).
Despite the terrible weather, hard work and patience required on the way up
Helvellyn we were duly rewarded with glorious views on the way down.

From Cheryl:
Hi John,
Just a quick note to let you know what a fantastic time I had on the Winter Skills course in the Lakes this weekend. Dave and Richard were both fantastic, I feel I learnt a lot from both and while always knowledgeable and professional they were also both great fun and made it a really memorable couple of days! Please pass on thanks to them - I shall definitely recommend this course to my friends!

2009-01-27T00:31:00.000-08:00

ABSEILING FOR STAG GROUP

2009-01-26T08:02:00.001-08:00

It might have been a bit on the cold side on Saturday, but that didn't stop a stag group organised by Nick Strachan from enjoying some adventurous abseiling with us at Black Hole Quarry. After a quick try on the short abseil, all members of the party managed the big abseil at the back of the quarry - all 140 foot of it. Well done chaps - I'll bet the beer tasted good that night....

WEATHER AND CONDITIONS PHOTOS POSTED JAN 26

2009-01-26T07:14:00.001-08:00

FROM BOTTOM UPWARDS - LOADPOT HILL FRI 23RD JAN, BOWFELL, SAT 24TH JAN, HAWESWATER AND EASTERN FELLS MON 26TH JAN AND LOADPOT HILL MON 26TH JAN

2009-01-26T03:05:00.000-08:00

Beth, Jo, Cheryl and I had a fantastic day out on Helvellyn yesterday. Following on from their first day out with Dave looking at winter skills on Raise we headed up through the mist to Red Tarn. An enthusiastic session practicing self arrest was unfortunately interrupted while I went and assisted a guy who had fallen off Striding Edge..... once he was safe and the rescue team had arrived we carried on our way. Swirral Edge had an alpine feel to it with all the snow and after a few final metres of frontpointing we all arrived on the plateau where some careful navigation was required, confidently done by Beth. The clouds cleared as we walked down giving fantastic views and a fitting end to an eventful day. Best wishes to Dave if he reads this, I hope you enjoyed the helicopter ride!

Cheryl writes: Hi John,
Just a quick note to let you know what a fantastic time I had on the Winter Skills course in the Lakes this weekend. Dave and Richard were both fantastic, I feel I learnt a lot from both and while always knowledgeable and professional they were also both great fun and made it a really memorable couple of days! Please pass on thanks to them - I shall definitely recommend this course to my friends!

and from Jo,
Hi John,

I wanted to drop you a line just to say what a fantastic weekend we all had
this weekend. I know I speak for Beth and Cheryl too in saying that the
course exceeded our expectations. I would never have thought I'd be making
my way up swirral edge with axe in crampons within 2 days!!! Amazing. Both
of the instructors were professional, friendly and encouraging with just the
right balance of teaching, sharing their stories and having fun. I think the
image of Dave flushing porridge out of his kit will stay with us all :).
Despite the terrible weather, hard work and patience required on the way up
Helvellyn we were duly rewarded with glorious views on the way down.

Friday 23rd January

2009-01-23T01:45:00.001-08:00

More overnight snow at all levels, and some significant accumulations at higher levels bode well for the rest of the winter barring a massive thaw. Snowpack needs to settle and undergo some freeze/thaw to improve. Lots of windslab, so avalanche danger quite high generally. Photo looking towards Loadpot Hill at the start of the High Street ridge.

22nd January

2009-01-23T01:42:00.000-08:00

Overnight thaw, but still lots of snow left - photo is looking towards Loadpot Hill, 300-550m. Extensive drifting.

West Coast Winter Climbing

2009-01-22T03:39:00.000-08:00

An extra post from me [Rich] today just to let you all know that I'll be based up near Glen Coe for all of February and still have some availability left for winter climbing courses. Whether you'd like to try winter climbing for the first time, want to brush up your skills or have always wanted to climb Point 5 then I can help! It's looking like it'll be a great season so get in touch with John via the website for bookings and further information.

21 JAN view towards Haweswater

2009-01-21T01:34:00.000-08:00

View towards Haweswater and low level fells. Significant drifts are forming on est facing slopes at higher levels.

2009-01-20T01:17:00.000-08:00

OVERNIGHT SNOW AND STRONG WINDS HAVE LEFT EAST FACING SLOPES IN THE LAKE DISTRICT LADEN WITH SNOW, EVEN AT LOWER LEVELS SUCH AS IN THE PICTURE ABOVE BAMPTON ON THE END OF THE HIGH STREET RIDGE. 20TH January 2009

2009-01-19T06:00:00.001-08:00

18TH JANUARY - HELVELLYN WITH FRESH SNOW COVER

BEN NEVIS PHOTOS FROM PHILIPPE AT BRASHER

2009-01-16T04:12:00.000-08:00

Photos from Philippe at Brasher of Philippe and Steven topping out on Good Friday Climb, and the view from the summit of Ben Nevis.

BEN NEVIS JAN 09

2009-01-14T04:18:00.000-08:00

A view from the summit from Derek Bain after doing Good Friday Climb between Christmas and New Year....

John White with David and Albert Higgins on the summit.

We had a great day on the Ben on the 3rd January, approaching via the Waterslide from Glen Nevis and ending up at the old abseil posts before continuing up the finish of the Carn Mor Dearg route to the summit. This is such a superior route to the normal track for experienced hillwalkers.

UPSKIING - the new way to the top.....

2009-01-14T04:08:00.000-08:00

Early winter snow brought some great sport for those Lakeland locals who Upski - skiing uphill and across slopes with giant sails. With 55 sq metres of sail, a strong wind produces some awesome power output. The videos are not the best I've ever seen, but you'll get the idea!!!
Upskiing on Raise
Upskiing Howgills
You can try out the sport of Upskiing with Highpoint - contact John White via the website for details:

CIMA SAT & SALLOGONI GORGE

2008-11-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

These photos are from 2 classic routes - the Cima Sat, which towers above Riva del Garda, and the gorge of Sallagoni.

2008-11-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

Here are some snapshots of the last Via Ferrata holiday of 2008 to Lake Garda. Great weather, top group and some amazing scenery (not to mention the ladders.....) made a great trip. Lake Garda holidays start again next April. The pictures above are from a classic route near Mezzacorona which acends the gorge marked red on the photo.

BIRTHDAY CANOEISTS CHEAT THE WEATHER

2008-10-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

David Lane chose NW Scotland to celebrate his 40th Birthday with his pals. Highpoint provided the canoes, tents, food and a guide and the group braved the elements to make a it a birthday to remember!

You can book canoeing/hillwalking trips to NW Scotland with Highpoint as a group, or as an individual, couple or small group on one of our May-October mini-expeditions.

2008-10-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

Check out this fantastic speed climbing video - I used to climb Middlefell Buttress in under 5 minutes and thought that was fast - I was wrong, it was positively snail-like compared to this...http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=l-oc-lhqpIA

2008-10-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Philippe at Brasher for sending in some pics of the 'summer' - climbing at Finale in Italy, and a really nice shot of the top of Bosigran - thanks Philippe!

2008-10-03T03:42:00.000-07:00

Walking in NW Scotland 20/21 January. A great time was had by all, despite limited sunshine. We had great view from Suilven, a delightful scramble on Stac Pollaidh and stormy seas at Sandwood Bay. We also found a dead whale washed up on the beach at Sandwood, and saw a tremendous display of fishing by the local Gannets!

HIGHPOINT PROVIDE MODELS AND LOCATION MANAGEMENT FOR BRASHER BOOTS PHOTOSHOOT

2008-09-25T00:58:00.000-07:00

Above - Rich Bailey posing like only Rich can....

Highpoint recently provided a location management and modelling service for Brasher footwear. Based in the spectacular Dolomites, the photoshoot was a great success - watch out for a really interesting new range of products for Spring/Summer 09!

Above - the famous Monte Cristallo Suspension Bridge, at over 3000m.

RAINBOW ULLSWATER

2008-09-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Rainbow over Ullswater. A large storm passed to the south of the valley tonight (9/9/8) providing lots of thunder and some amazing rainbows. Personally, I'd rather skip the rainbows and settle for a dry day...... The lake is so high that a sign at Howtown, where the ferry calls, reads ' FERRY CANCELLED DUE TO TOO MUCH WATER'....

2008-09-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

August in NW Scotland - hard to believe, but day after day of dry weather with plenty of sunshine while most of Britain was drenched.

Mountainguides Blog

2008-09-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Photos wanted! Been on a course with us?....done a memorable route?......been to a great place - we want your photos! Please send with description to info@mountainguides.co.uk.