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Petite Aiguille Verte - Chamonix.
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Mountain Matters
Greetings!
Welcome to the latest newsletter, 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.
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Alpine Trips The summer alpine programmes are now finished, although a number of bookings have already been received for 2012 and I'll be updating the prices shortly. Whether its high and glaciated or dry and sunny, Switzerland and France have a great deal to offer the aspiring alpiniste.
No previous experience of snow and ice is required for the Alps, as this can be taught on arrival. However a winter trip to Scotland would be good training. Just make sure you are fit and enthusiastic enough to handle six days of high alpine activity. .
| Climbing in the Aiguille Rouge with my daughter in July this year. |
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Christmas Gift?
Okay, I hear you, not Christmas already! Chances are if you are like me you sometimes struggle to come up with an unusual festive gift for a close friend or relative. Well, when the time comes to choose, why not consider a short course or a day of instruction for that special person in your life. It could make them just that little bit safer on the hills this winter. West Coast Mountain Guides also offer winter courses during the week between Christmas and New Year.
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Winter Courses
Although last winter finished early (end of March), it was a good one again. Let's hope this coming winter provides similar conditions. For the second year running winter course prices have been kept mostly static in line with the current economic situation.Videos of Tower Ridge - Point Five Gully and Orion Face can also be viewed on the winter courses page
| Curved Ridge - Glen Coe
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Winter essentials DVD
The Winter Essentials DVD shows the essential skills and techniques for winter mountaineering. The film follows a group of three winter mountaineers and a pair of winter climbers on a typical day out in the Scottish mountains. See how they cope with this potentially hazardous environment and what measures they take to ensure that they both enjoy the experience and return safely.
Following on from the film are 11 chapters that expand upon the good practice message, providing information on navigation, self arrest, clothing and equipment, use of ice axe and crampons, avalanche awareness and emergency procedures.
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Avalanche
Chris Walker Memorial Trust On 24th February, 2010 Chris Walker lost his life when he was taken by an avalanche whilst descending from Buachaille Etive Mor. Chris was a highly talented, accomplished and popular mountaineer who loved to share his enthusiasm, knowledge and skills with others. He already held the MIC, was a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors and no doubt would have fulfilled his life-long dream of becoming a British Mountain Guide. In order to assist other climbers who share the same passion for the mountains as Chris, the Chris Walker Memorial Trust has been set up.
The CWMT will award an annual �1000 grant to help fund expeditions to the Greater Ranges. We welcome applications from aspiring Greater Ranges climbers who need help to fund expeditions with the objective of establishing new routes, repeating rarely attempted lines, or visiting unexplored areas. The closing date for applications will be 1st December each year, after which the trustees will meet and make their decision.
The CWMT will also be liaising with the national association of British Mountain Guides in order to provide a grant to subsidize the cost of the avalanche training part of the Guides' scheme for 2011/12.
In conjunction with the CWMT, the British Alpine Ski School (BASS) are annually offering a free place on their 'Ski Performance Course for Mountaineers'. The closing date for applications is 11th September each year. More details can be found at www.chriswalkertrust.co.uk
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Waymarkers on Ben Nevis
If like me you find the waymarkers on Ben Nevis useful, especially in winter, this news from the John Muir Trust could be of interest. Whatever your view I'm sure they would be pleased to hear from you in order to form a wide opinion on how to proceed.
Proposed Work
John Muir Trust advocates a presumption against way-markers or poles and the removal of any remnant or new ones in consultation with MCofS and any other relevant bodies or individuals.
Abseil Sign and Posts
After discussion with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland Mountain Safety Advisor John Muir Trust has concluded that the Abseil posts on Ben Nevis are redundant and we cannot identify anyone that actually uses them as an anchor. The majority are in Coire Leis (not Trust ground) and are not upstanding. The top marker sign and post (on Trust land) are not in the most appropriate place for starting a descent BUT are used as a useful and much appreciated navigation marker by even experienced climbers.
John Muir Trust proposes to remove the top marker sign and post on the Trust land situated at the lip of Coire Leis. After initial discussion with MCofS Mountain Safety Advisor the Trust propose to replace this with a cairn similar to the navigation cairns on the summit of the mountain, a short distance away at the most appropriate location for descent so retaining a navigational aid. This location will be identified by an on site visit with John Muir Trust and the MCofS Mountain Safety Advisor.
In the May 2007 edition of MCofS magazine an article noted that the abseil posts would be removed and that MCofS supported this. We are proposing that further articles / publicity are generated to notify climbers of this work if it is agreed. If agreed, the work would be carried out during summer 2012 with volunteers on JMT work parties.
No 4 Gully Marker
No 4 Gully Flag is used both as a very important navigation aid and as an anchor from which a rope can be retrieved (i.e. pulled through from below without snagging on a rock to lower/abseil into the first steep part of No 4 Gully). As a navigation aid the Trust could replace this metal pole with a built cairn in keeping with the others on the mountain, however this would not be as useful as an anchor from which a rope could be retrieved.
It appears there is no obvious alternative. The John Muir Trust seeks the advice and comments of the MCofS and Lochaber Mountain Rescue to see if any alternatives emerge.
My view
I spent a lot of time lobbying successfully for way markers (of any sort) on the plateau of Nevis and I feel that we now have useful cairns on both the summer and winter trails above 1100m. I would be happy for the metal sign at the top of the abseil posts to be replaced by a substantial cairn and all of the downhill metal posts below it to be taken away. The rotting alloy posts which are so useful in guiding folk down towards CMD Arete from the summit should not be moved, unless replaced by something more substantial in the way of large cairns. Personally I'd replace the posts with like for like. The reason the posts were put in place remains as relevant today as it was back in late 60's. I find them very comforting and useful for navigating towards the CMD Arete when descending towards Coire Leis. The No4 Gully post is useful for abseiling in to the gully and should not be removed in my opinion. It also provides a traditional navigation point, which is enshrined in many guidebooks. Any alternative should consider the navigation issue before the abseil issue, as many mountaineers can now easily rig a secure roped back-up quickly in descent.
| Safety marker at the top of Number Four Gully ob Ben Nevis | |
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Fort William Accommodation this winter Our base camp is Fort William and we also offer good accommodation to outdoor folk visiting the area
| Calluna self catering accommodation |
Bouldering Wall This coming December Dave Macleod will be running a day-long route-setting course at the wall. Places are limited to a maximum of six people. The cost will be �50 for the day and Dave will discuss setting and review of setting and ideas throughout. Dave will cover general good practice and tips for setting good moves, avoiding common problems such as making moves height dependent, things that work and don't work for setting on boulder walls and longer term management and maintenance of wall setting. He'll sit down with everyone and work through some basics to start off with and later on it will be more practical and will keep going as long as everyone want to really!
| Calluna bouldering wall |
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FAQ
Brief details of frequently asked questions can be found at FAQ
Sponsors and Helpful Retailers
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 is my final recommendation for now, if you land up in Inverness and prefer an old style independent shop instead of the larger apartment store layout.
Alan Kimber
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