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Smiling through
Image of the winter past
Mountain Matters
 
Greetings!Welcome to an occasional newsletter from West Coast Mountain Guides, highlighting news, views and opportunities for mountain adventures. This newsletter is being sent to anyone who has contacted me asking for advise on courses. mountain guiding or mountain matters over recent years. Please feel free to unsubscribe if you wish and the link for that can be found at the foot of this newsletter. However, I do hope that the content will prove interesting and encourage you to continue to look out for the West Coast Mountain Guides news. As a keen photographer I hope to inspire you with some good images. Many more photos and stories can be found at the West Coast Mountain Guides Blog Should you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch via email and I will include your queries and hopefully some sensible answers in future newsletters.
Spring has arrived
Winter is slowly releasing its grip on most of the Scottish mountains. The higher peaks and shadowy hollows continue to hold snow from what turned out to be the best winter for climbing and mountaineering since I arrived in Fort William forty years ago!

Spring on Nevis

The north face of Ben Nevis. Point Five Gully was climbed that day on May 3rd.
Spring and Summer plans
Thinking of a rock climbing or mountain scrambles course, either in Scotland or the Alps? Please feel free to get in touch if your summer needs an extra spice of mountain adventure in the hands of knowledgeable and careful instructors. The guest testimonials on our home page are worth considering if you need some positive feedback about our courses. West Coast Mountain Guides

Summer Rock

An introduction to traditional rock climbing. Get away from the dusty confines of indoor climbing walls and breath some clean fresh air for a change. Learn how to place traditional gear and get to grips with some proper rock climbing holds!

Exposed Scrambling

Isle of Skye Scrambles

Alpine Trips - Bernese Oberland
This summer attention will be concentrated on a hut to hut trip in the Bernese Oberland
 
No previous experience of snow and ice is required, as this can be taught on the course. Just make sure you are fit and enthusiastic enough to handle five/six days of high alpine activity. Two programmes are being run alongside of each other. The first is five days 9/13th August amongst the mountains. The second programme adds a sixth day and is 9/14th August on the mountains. Places are available for booking now on both trips.

Overnight stops at Konkordia Hut - Finsteraarhorn Hut and Monchjoch Hut are planned, along with ascents of Fiescherhorn - Finsteraarhorn - Monch - Jungfrau assuming good weather.

Finsteraarhorn

Finsteraarhorn, the highest peak in the Bernese Oberland. The normal ascent route is from the new Finsteraarhorn Hut at bottom right of the photo and travels up diagonally left to the final skyline ridge that drops down to the left towards the Hugisattel, which is identified by the first flat section in descent on that ridge.

Glacier travel

Sensible roping technique for glacial travel. Finsteraarhorn at dawn behind.

Oberland

Finsteraarhorn summit with the rocky Eiger South Face behind on the left.

Oberland Course

The final mixed ridge on the Finsteraarhorn, leading down to the Hugisattel

Jungfraujoch train

Access to the high Oberland glaciers is achieved using the Jungfraujoch railway that slices through the Eiger before emerging at around 3500 metres. On the first day a descent is made to the Konkordia Hut at 2850m to ease the acclimatisation process.

Barkers of Ringwood
Barkers of Ringwood have moved to new premises. For anyone living on the south coast of England or passing through Hampshire and seeking good advice on a wide range of outdoor equipment, this is the place to visit.

Barkers of Ringwood

Nuun Rehydration
For sometime now I have been using Nuun suger-free rehydration  tablets. A complex electrolyte drink that recharges your salts. They taste okay as well and ensure that essential fluid replacement is properly maintained.

Lightweight Paramo
Vista JacketFor years now Paramo have been reducing the weight of their great range of clothing and shell gear. Following on from the light weight Velez smock comes the Vista jacket. This will be superb shell gear for the Alps and UK summers used with Cascade pants. From Mt Blanc to Ben Nevis, I'm sure this set up will excel. I recently used this same jacket on Point Five Gully in combination with the Torres overlayering sleeves and Gilet and it worked very well. I feel this system will give good insulation coupled with light weight for the alps.

For me the pocket layout is useful, as it allows storage of a lightweight camera or video cam easily and quickly. The hood is adjustable and fits easily over either a peaked cap or climbing helmet.
Yet another well produced garment from Paramo.

Black Diamond Helmet
Helmet Survey
Check out the BMC web site if you are looking for advice on buying a new helmet or any other climbing equipment for that matter.

Write a Book - Online
An interesting and modern way to share your mountain holiday memories and photographs is through the many online publishing sites now available. An Alpine Journey by Chris Carruthers is one such example. Chris and I have been treading the hills together for more years than I care to remember and this trip outlines in photo and text a trip we made together in July 2008. Chris has two other online publications.
Thanks Chris.

The Matterhorn
The Matterhorn from Cervina - Photo by Chris Carruthers
Bunkhouse
Accommodation in Fort William
Check out our accommodation web site if you are looking for somewhere to stay. We specialise in looking after outdoor folk and have good self-catering facilities, plus efficient drying rooms on site. We also have a bouldering wall with over sixty problems of all grades and guests receive a discount on the wall.
Feedback
You can find details of what some of our guests think about the courses on the new website and the self-catering at Accommodation Feedback  Please feel free to leave a comment about the accommodation if you have used it.
 
FAQ 
Brief details of frequently asked questions can be found at  FAQ
 
Sponsors - Helpful Retailers - Good Gear
An important area of an outdoor instructor/guides work is keeping up to date with equipment in order to be able to answer a wide range of questions about mountaineering kit. In the ever changing world of equipment this is difficult and that is where some good outdoor manufacturers and retailers come in. There are many and varied outdoor shops and I cannot hope to know all of them. However a few come to mind as being very helpful to our mountain visitors over the years. Some clients have driven many miles of a weekend to get good sound advice and here is a small selection.
 
Paramo Manufacturers of the best shell clothing I have ever used in 40 years of mountaineering.
 
Barkers of Ringwood For anyone living in southern England Steve Barker will give them good sound advice, especially on footwear 
 
Ardblair Mountain Sports In particular for AKU footwear which were recommended to me by Steve Barker. If any of you have seen my awkward feet you will know that to find a  comfortable pair of boots is not easy for me. The AKU Spider and Spider Lights are very light, warm and comfortable. The Spider is very good for the Alps in my opinion.
 
Any good pair of boots will be enhanced by proper insoles and I'm convinced that Superfeet Footbeds really help. Go for the custom fit insoles. They may be expensive, but are a good investment towards comfort and stabilisation of the whole body frame.
 
Needlesports will be well known to anyone visiting the Lake District. Once again sound advice from passionate outdoor folk.
 
914 Outdoor is worth a visit for anyone on their way to the Isle of Skye, especially as the view towards Eilean Donan Castle in one direction and the Black Cuillin to the west is stunning. Friendly advice and a chance to pick up some last minute kit.
 
Cioch-Direct on the Isle of Skye made to measure Paramo outdoor clothing is very close to where Norman Collie and John Mackenzie are laid to rest. There is also a good spot over the road for tea and scones.
 
Mac Mountaineering If you land up in Inverness and prefer an old style independent shop instead of the larger apartment store layout.
 
Mountain Spirit A very good place for getting your Superfeet, custom-fit insoles sorted by Rob, the very knowledgeable and friendly owner, in the heart of the Cairngorm National Park

Freetime for online or when passing through Carlisle.

Aiguille Equipment are my first choice for rucsacs. No fancy straps. Just simple, comfortable and hard-wearing. Currently I'm using the Zenith for both Scotland and the Alps.
 
 
 Alps Flora
AALA  LOGO IFMGA  Logo AMI  LOGO BMG
Alan Kimber, Director of West Coast Mountain Guides is a member of these associations and licenced to offer mountain activities with AALA. Forty years of mountain experience backs up these qualifications.