3. Mpro April2015

FOR THOSE THAT WORK AND PLAY OUTDOORS

WWW.MOUNTAINPROMAG.COM APRIL 2015

HELI SKIING:

BREAK THE BANK, NOT YOUR NECK

High on Ama Dablam Messner Mountain Museums ■ STEVE MCCLURE ■ ED DOUGLAS ON BEN MOON ■ SHAFF NEWS ■ TESTED: GPS AND APPROACH SHOES

Rudolf Abraham is an award-winning travel writer and photographer. He is the author of eight books and has contributed to many more, and his work is published widely in magazines. www.rudolfabraham.co.uk

This is my third Mountain Pro as editor, and it’s just beginning to feel like home. With the help of some really excellent contributions, I hope we’ve started to carve a bit of a niche for ourselves as a magazine focused on mountain heritage and hill culture, regardless of activity, qualifications, region or skill level.

In this issue, Di Gibert has our backs on the snow and rock, with a frank and hype-free report from her autumn Himalayan summit bid. Alf Alderson summons the adrenaline with some breath-taking photos, in an incredibly thorough, global overview of heli-skiing – best start saving now. Rudolf Abraham visits the Messner Mountain Museums in the Tyrol, housing a collection that the famous mountaineer sees as his lasting legacy. I’m very pleased to have not one, but two new columnists join us: Dr Liz Auty from the John Muir Trust brings us a regular land management perspective from her patch in Highland Perthshire, and Claire Carter is out roaming the crags on the hunt for inspiration. Our (now) usual round-up of books and films from Steep Edge, Vertebrate Publishing and others bring up the rear guard. Of special mention is Chantelle Kelly’s brief encounter with Gavin Francis – never has someone with such a way with words used them so sparingly in an interview. Gear-wise, Steve McClure offers some advice, gear editor Lucy Wallace got hands-on with GPS units, and we both tried a scary amount of technical trainers.

See you on the hill,

Da vid

David Lintern, Editor

www.mountainpromag.com

contributors

welcome

Di Gilbert works full time as an Independent Mountaineering Instructor, based in the Cairngorm National Park. She has climbed the world’s 7 summits and completed all 282 Munros. She represented Great Britain in the International Ski Mountaineering Federations World Championships and is a Director of Skimo Scotland.

Alf Alderson is an award winning freelance adventure travel journalist who when not travelling divides his time between the French Alps and the Pembrokeshire coast. www.alfalderson. co.uk

Claire Carter is freelance writer based in Sheffield, near the Grit. She climbs, runs, and ski tours. Claire is also the Film Officer for Kendal Mountain Festival, her objective is to support creativity, diversity and development in the adventure film industry.

Lucy Wallace is a Freelance Winter Mountain Leader, Wildlife Guide and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Assessor based in Scotland. She works with adult and youth groups, coaching navigation and hill walking skills, as well as leading schools expeditions overseas.

Dr Liz Auty is the John Muir Trust’s Biodiversity officer and the Property Manager for East Schiehallion. She has been visiting mountains to search for wildflowers since an early age, and gained her PhD studying primulas in Upper Teesdale.

APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 3

contents 26 News

18

Ama Dablam

6

NEWS BOOK REVIEWS MOVING IMAGE INTERVIEW: GAVIN FRANCIS GET CARTER: INSPIRATION DRAWN FROM PAST MASTERS HIGH ON AMA DABLAM NOTES FROM THE FAIRY MOUNTAIN: SPRING TOP DROP: SKIING THE WORLD BY HELICOPTER WORK IN PROGRESS: ED DOUGLAS ON BEN MOON MESSNER MOUNTAIN MUSEUMS GEAR REVIEW: APPROACH SHOES, HER GEAR REVIEW: APPROACH SHOES, HIM GEAR REVIEW: GPS SHELTERS AND BIVIS CUTTING EDGE TRIED AND TESTED

49

6 9 12 14 16 18 24 26 34 36 40 42 44 46 47 49

Tried & Tested

Gear Review: Approach Shoes, her

Cutting Edge

40

47

Gear Review: GPS

44

meet the team EDITOR: David Lintern GEAR EDITOR: Lucy Wallace e: lucy.wallace@targetpublishing.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Chantelle Kelly e: editorial@targetpublishing.com SUB EDITOR: Amy Robinson e: subeditor @targetpublishing.com GROUP SALES MANAGER: James Lloyd e: james.lloyd@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810069 SALES EXECUTIVE: Chris Kemp e: chris.kemp@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810083 DESIGN: Leann Boreham e: leann.boreham@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810075 PRODUCTION: Hannah Wade e: hannah.wade@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810076 MARKETING MANAGER: Sarah Kenny e: sarah.kenny@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810091 MANAGING DIRECTOR: David Cann e: info@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 816300 Some material may be speculative and/or not in agreement with current medical practice. Information in FSN is provided for professional education and debate and is not intended to be used by non-medically qualified readers as a substitute for, or basis of, medical treatment. Copyright of articles remains with individual authors. All rights reserved. No article may be reproduced in any form, printed or electronically, without wriiten consent of the author and publisher. Copying for use in education or marketing requires permission of the author and publisher and is prohibited without that permission. Articles may not be scanned for use on personal or commercial websites or CD-ROMs. Published by Target Publishing Limited. Colour reproduction & printing by The Magazine Printing Company, Enfield, Middx. EN3 7NT www.magprint.co.uk . ©2012 Target Publishing Ltd. Produced on environmentally friendly chlorine free paper derived from sustained forests. To protect our environment papers used in this publication are produced by mills that promote sustainably managed forests and utilise Elementary Chlorine Free process to produce fully recyclable material lin accordance with an Environmental Management System conforming with BS EN ISO 14001:2004. The Publishers cannot accept any responsibility for the advertisements in this publication.

15 YEARS

2000-2015

Published by Target Publishing Ltd, The Old Dairy, Hudsons Farm, Fieldgate Lane, Ugley Green, Bishops Stortford CM22 6HJ t: 01279 816300 f: 01279 816496 e: info@targetpublishing.com www.targetpublishing.com

NEWS

In the News New vision offers a positive future for Scotland’s mountains MSPs and decision - have been challenged to adopt fresh policies to protect and respect mountains – and the public are asked to help too.

Scotland’s decision-makers have been challenged to support a new vision for the future of the country’s mountains and wild land – a major resource increasingly under threat.

And the public are being asked to add their weight to the call, by signing an online petition demanding that recognised areas of wild land are protected from large scale development.

Just weeks after highlighting shortcomings in the Scottish Government’s handling of wind farm applications, where counsel from its own advisors is too often ignored by Ministers, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has challenged the Government and all politicians to take a more positive view of our mountains.

After wide consultation, The MCofS, which represents climbers and hill walkers in Scotland, has published ‘Respecting Scotland’s Mountains: MCofS Vision for the Future’, which points the way ahead to a sustainable future, where appropriate development and conservation can go side by side.

MCofS president Brian Linington said: “We call on politicians to protect and promote our mountains as the incredible asset that they are, to open their eyes to the permanent damage being done to this irreplaceable resource by ill-considered developments.

“With a General Election looming, the moment has come for all the political parties to be absolutely clear that they are committed to the protection of our mountains and wild places. They can do this by joining us in working for a future which respects our natural heritage and makes

the most of it for our country and its people.”

At the same time as speaking directly to politicians and decision-makers, the MCofS has appealed to the public to get involved by signing a petition at https:// you.38degrees.org.uk/p/wild-land, urging better protection of Scotland’s remaining wild land.

The proportion of Scotland from which built development cannot be seen has dropped by two fifths in just 11 years, to 27 per cent in 2013. The petition calls for a ban on further industrial development on the remaining wild land, as mapped

by Scottish National Heritage last year.

The petition seeks wider public support for the message in the Respecting Scotland’s Mountains booklet.

At its heart of Respecting Scotland’s Mountains is the vision: ‘That Scotland protects and respects its mountains and wild places, while encouraging people to enjoy the mountains in a responsible manner.’

It is built on five key elements: ■ That our mountains and wild land should be safeguarded as an irreplaceable natural, cultural and economic asset.

■ That the mountains provide opportunity to develop and improve informal recreation, tourism and health and well-being.

■ That Scotland should harness the potential of mountains and wild land to contribute to a foundation for sustainable futures for fragile rural communities.

■ That change should be planned and regulated to enhance rather than diminish our wild lands and mountains.

■ And, finally, that appreciation and enjoyment of the mountains – including good practice and responsibility – should be promoted from childhood.

NEWS

SPRING ADVENTURE TALKS The Road & The Sky by Emily Chappell (in association with Osprey) From London cycle courier to adventurer, Emily Chappell has discovered a world that exists outside of Zone 1. She’s passionate about her bike, and it is this passion that has taken her across the world, and most recently to Alaska, to ride across the snow in the middle of winter. This talk is a must for bike heads, adventurers and anyone who just wants to be inspired! Tickets £8 Dates: Tuesday 14th April – Covent Garden 8.00pm Wednesday 15th April – Bristol 7.30pm Thursday 16th April - Manchester 7.00pm Wednesday 22nd April – Cambridge 7.00pm

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Big Rock, Bigger Hills

by Calum Muskett (in association with RAB) Calum Muskett recounts his journey from the crags of North Wales to some of the most revered mountains and big walls in the world. The progression wasn’t always a smooth one, with daft and cringe-worthy moments, such as leaving the car keys five pitches up one of the most difficult routes in the Dolomites. Now 21, Calum feels like he is beginning to get the hang of climbing, but remains unsure if wisdom really does come with age. Tickets £8 Dates: Tuesday 24th March - Covent Garden 8pm Wednesday 25th March – Bristol 7.30pm Thursday 26th March – Manchester 7.00pm For more information and to book, visit www.ellis-brigham.com/events

APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 7

NEWS

BRITISH MTB CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURNS TO THE SCOTTISH BORDERS

The 2015 British Mountain Bike Marathon Championships are again to be staged over a challenging 75km single lap course in the Scottish Borders, as part of the ever-popular Selkirk Mountain Bike Marathon open cycling event, on Saturday 2 May 2015.

With a choice of three single-loop and fully-marked courses (approx.

25km, 50km and 75km), all setting off from Selkirk High Street, the Selkirk MTB Marathon is an epic ride through the best trails the Scottish Borders has to offer, something for families, novices, intermediates, enthusiasts and racing snakes alike. All three courses are filled with a mix of flowy natural and man-made singletrack, twin-track forest roads, ancient drove roads, lung and thigh busting climbs and grin-inducing descents - ‘real’ mountain biking. Riders will visit the valleys of the Rivers Tweed, Yarrow and Ettrick, with stunning views across the Scottish Borders guaranteed.

The 2015 British MTB Marathon Championships will be run as a separate ‘wave’ start, shortly before the ‘sportive’ events begin. It will be raced over the single lap 75km course that also includes some of the man-made trail centre downhill tracks at Innerleithen Trail Centre. It is open to male and female riders (19+) who are British citizens and hold a full British Cycling or UCI recognised racing licence. Coveted red, white and blue British Championships winner’s jerseys will be up for grabs in both male and female classes.

Paul McGreal of Durty Events said: “We’re really chuffed to have been asked to organise the British Championships alongside the Selkirk Mountain Bike Marathon again. With the best trails the Scottish Borders has to offer, and the most popular and challenging course in the UK, we

8 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

are keen to challenge riders of all abilities, while making sure that they have the maximum amount of fun at the same time.

“The additional financial support from EventScotland will make an enormous difference to both the marathon events and our family Bike Festival in Selkirk on the 1st of May.” On the evening of Friday 1 May 2015, Durty Events are taking over the centre of Selkirk, and will turn it over to a free festival of two-wheeled mayhem for all the family. From 19:00 to 21:00, The Selkirk Bike Festival will be staged on the High Street, with an action packed programme that includes bike stunt displays, head to head Rollapalooza-style racing, bike film screenings, a pump track and a mountain bike obstacle course.

To round off the weekend in style, The Selkirk MTB Marathon and The British MTB Marathon Championships will be followed up by ‘The Reivers Raid’, the fourth round of the Scottish MTB Challenge Series (mtb orienteering) on Sunday 3 May 2015 - http://www.smbo.org.uk/.

The British MTB Marathon Championships and the Selkirk MTB Marathon will take place on Saturday 1 May 2015. Entry fees (including camping) are: British MTB Marathon Championships (age 19+) - £45 Selkirk MTB Marathon - 25km (age 16+) / 50km (age 16+) 75km (age 18+) - £35.

Selkirk MTB Marathon - entry on the day (subject to availability) - £40.

12-15 year olds ride for free over the 25km course, but must be accompanied by a full price entry adult.

Online entry is http://www.entrycentral.com/festival/328 www.selkirkmtbmarathon.com.

www.mountainpromag.com

OUTDOOR BOOKS

Book Reviews CHANTELLE KELLY BRINGS THE OUTDOORS INSIDE, WITH THREE RECENT PRINT PUBLICATIONS. HIGH POINT Published by Vertebrate Publishing RRP £14.95 In 2008, author Mark Clarke set himself a goal: to visit all of Britain’s 85 counties, and to reach the highest point of each. Most of us ‘get there’ on motorways or by air, driving or flying through to reach our destination, but as Mark points out, we don’t give these places proper time or appreciation. High Point explores his four year project, and gives Mark’s personal account of the 500 miles he covered. Following the order of the Historic Counties map provided in the book, we can follow each route that he took, with his easy to read directions. It’s a great book for anyone wanting to get out and explore more, and provides an insight into the more remote corners of the British Isles.

BEYOND LIMITS Published by Vertebrate Publishing RRP £20.00 Beyond Limits is the autobiography of Steve McClure, who famously completed the hardest route in the UK; Overshadow, the first 9a+ route in the country. It’s evident that climbing isn’t his only talent, as the book is truly superb, and undeniably one of the best climbing autobiographies I’ve read. I was right there with him from his early years, as he gives an honest insight into the choices he made to be the best. The book explores Steve’s true passion and life dedication to climbing; it displays his raw love for the sport, which is absolutely inspiring. His keen climber parents exposed him and his brother to the sport from a young age, and they shared their enthusiasm. This is a captivating read that traces Steve’s development as a climber, and enables you to experience the journey that made him the climber he is today.

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BETWEEN THE SUNSET AND THE SEA Published by William Collins RRP £18.99 When I first opened Simon Ingram’s ‘view of 16 British Mountains’, I had no idea what to expect; the back cover gives a vague description, telling you it will take you on a journey through Britain’s mountain landscapes. I have to admit, its contents surprised me. Between the Sunset and the Sea is divided by seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Simon takes you through the mountains’ journey through the changing conditions that each season provides, and with each mountain’s change through day and night. He states that the aim of his journey is to see the mountains at their most wild, and experience their most extreme moods. Simon’s love affair with mountains is obvious as he tells his personal journey with each one. The one real issue I have is the lack of images. The pages feature the odd grainy black and white photograph, but I feel it could really benefit from a set of strong photographs to portray the mountains he describes.

APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 9

OUTDOOR FILM

Moving Image HENRY FROM STEEP EDGE GUIDES US THROUGH NEW AND VARIED RELEASES.

F

inally, spring is upon us! In the UK, this last winter has felt particularly long, with cold, wet, snowy weather stretching way

WAINWRIGHT RECORD ATTEMPT:

out into the final days of February, making the prospect of getting Middle-aged

outside increasingly difficult and unappealing. Here’s a selection

to get you psyched to get back out on old projects and head out on new

university researcher

adventures:

Steve Birkinshaw is an unassuming figure when it comes to

IN THE FRAME:

elite sportspeople, but in the world

In 2011, Joe Beaumont was involved in a serious climbing accident,

of fell running, his

taking a forty-metre ground

long-distance feats

fall and suffering life-altering

make him a revered

injuries. Despite disability and

personality in the

trauma, Joe has been proactive

sport. As a fell runner

in recovery, and in September

living in the Lake

2013 he set off with a team of

District, there has

friends to travel from the lowest

been one challenge, which has always intrigued Steve

point in the UK to the highest

– to break the record for the continuous round of all

– on a recumbent bike with a

214 Wainwright summits. However, the bar had already

surgical brace pinning his leg

been set by legendary Lakeland fell runner Joss Naylor

together. Delicately filmed by

at a staggering time of 7 days 1 hour and 25 minutes, a

Dom Bush, we’re given an insight

record that had stood unbroken for twenty-seven years,

into the thoughts and behaviour

until Steve set out on his attempt in the summer of 2014.

of an adventurer who refuses to

Beautifully captured by filmmaker Alastair Lee over the

alter his lifestyle as a result of

course of seven days, we see Steve push himself, mentally

his injuries.

and physically, beyond most human limits as he traverses the Lakeland fells.

EXPOSURE VOL. II: Following the athletes who are pushing the limits of difficulty in rock and competition climbing around the world today. Capturing Alex Megos’ seemingly effortless ascent of Action Directe, Daniel Woods climbing one of the world’s hardest boulder problems, Lucid Dreaming (8C+) and Alex Puccio climbing her first 8B, the film has no shortage of hard ascents outside. However, in my opinion, the most intriguing chapter of the film is the one focusing on reclusive Russian competition boulderer Dmitry Sharafutdinov, who, despite being winner of three bouldering world championships, remains a little-known figure in the climbing world. Exposure Vol. II follows him to his training facility in central Russia to find out how one man has managed to get so strong, while simultaneously staying out of the media spotlight.

12 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

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INTERVIEW

Empire

Antarctica GAVIN FRANCIS SPOKE TO CHANTELLE KELLY ABOUT HIS 14 MONTHS AS THE BASE CAMP DOCTOR FOR THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY.

CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?

for different reasons.

I’m a Scottish internationalist, who’s been trying to see as much of the world as I can.

YOUR BOOK, EMPIRE ANTARCTICA, EXPLORES YOUR TIME IN ANTARCTICA; WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO?

WHEN AND WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR THE OUTDOORS AND

I wanted to go to the widest, blankest canvas on earth for a while, to

WILDERNESS BEGIN?

unravel my thoughts and take stock.

As a boy, when tree-climbing was always more interesting than TV. HOW DID YOU COPE FOR A YEAR IN SUCH AN INHOSPITABLE PLACE? YOU HAVE TRAVELLED ACROSS ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS; WHAT IS YOUR

My three tips: get some good thermal underwear, wipe your snot

FAVOURITE LOCATION AND WHY?

away before it freezes, and camp with a pee bottle.

Impossible to say - the Turkish Aegean is wonderful, as is Patagonia, as are the west coasts of Greenland, and New Zealand, as is

WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST THOUGHTS WHEN YOU REACHED ANTARCTICA?

downtown Manhattan, and upstate Yunnan. They’re all my favourites

This place feels extraterrestrial.

14 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

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DID YOU HAVE MANY MEDICAL EMERGENCIES TO ATTEND TO? A few, but nothing too serious. Transferring someone on a stretcher for any distance is almost impossible, with the cold and the terrain.

Drugs freeze and plastic goes brittle and cracks. Carry eye drops inside your gloves, or you can’t put them in. year in year out is enough to gladden anyone’s heart.

TALK US THOUGH AN AVERAGE DAY AT THE HALLEY RESEARCH STATION. There are no average days - you decide your own working and living

HOW DID YOU, AND YOUR 14 OTHER COLLEAGUES, COPE WITH THE

pattern, necessary in a place with almost four months of constant

ISOLATION?

daylight in summer, and four months of constant darkness in winter.

We didn’t have a choice.

My day involved medical research, writing, skiing for several days under the vastest skies on earth, visiting the others, and managing

WOULD YOU GO BACK?

all the base waste. I did far more generator maintenance than I did

Of course.

medical practice.

AFTER YOUR TIME IN ANTARCTICA, YOU SPENT SIX MONTHS IN THE WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT SITUATION YOU DEALT WITH?

HIMALAYAS; WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT

The fact that you can’t get out, even if you want to or need to, day

ONCE AGAIN?

after day for a year.

Antarctica is stunningly, elementally beautiful, but it imposes certain restrictions on your movement. Being back in the world

HOW CHALLENGING WAS THE EXTREME ENVIRONMENT?

after Antarctica was tremendous - the possibilities of movement

There’s a British saying: there’s no such thing as bad weather, just

and change, of anonymity, colour, culture and life. The diversity and

wrong clothing.

beauty of exploring the Himalayas was a big part of reacquainting myself with that richness again.

WHAT WERE YOUR STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH THE EXTREME COLD? Keep busy and wear a neoprene facemask under your balaclava.

TELL US ABOUT THE TWO WEEKS YOU SPENT CAMPING ON THE ICE AMONG EMPEROR PENGUINS. They’re great company, emperor penguins. Always happy to see you, and the fact of them living there, in the worst conditions on earth, www.mountainpromag.com

To read more about Gavin’s adventures, visit his website: www.gavinfrancis.com.

Empire Antarctica won the Scottish Book of the Year Award in 2013, and was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize, as well as the Banff Adventure Travel Prize. It’s available to purchase here: http://amzn.to/1aCf4xo.

■ All photos by Gavin Francis, taken from his book Empire Antarctica.

APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 15

GET CARTER

Following in

barefoot steps

CLAIRE CARTER DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM BRITAIN’S FIRST FEMALE MOUNTAIN GUIDE.

“

I stood on a sloping ledge and looked at the problem. It

We find ourselves suddenly beyond the holds and the familiar,

was a confidence move. I tried to pull up several times, but

propelled by something – reflex, futility, ‘psyche’?

the confidence was lacking. I shifted my feet, making the uncompleted motions of stepping up, then down, thinking,

Bestseller lists are filled by books on how to make life decisions.

As climbers we ‘commit’. Between the literature of pop-psychology

looking, and finally no different from the other times, but this time I

and the school of rock I should be sorted, but I get distracted by

continued. I stepped up and through, using the rock very precisely

fantasies of the door I didn’t choose, the fall I nearly took. In this

and gently in a watching silence while the world stood still.” Gwen Moffat (1972) Survival Count.

industry particularly, I feel like I’m on a life-choice ghost train.

How many decisions are made like this, on or off the rock?

Secure job or continue freelancing, train for which discipline, plan which trips, do what before it’s too late, have a baby?

Gwen is the subject of a new film by Jen Randall and Claire Carter, funded by BMCTV. Watch out for it this Autumn.

16 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

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As it stands, I am working freelance, using my car as a bedroom while I work away, with a small dog for heat. I feel extremely lucky.

This particular week I’m winging it across the Kirkstone pass on a January night, grinning with vindication after interviewing a woman who seems to have lived most of her life in the moment, in the mountains.

Gwen Moffat is as piercing today as her prose was in 1961, when she published her flowing, frank autobiography and climbing memoir Space Below My Feet. At 91 she is still working as a crime fiction critic, and her work ethic has shaped her life as much as her love of mountains. Moffat became the first female British Mountain Guide in 1953. She would refute any suggestion she was a pioneer; gaining the guide certificate was just one way of sustaining a life in the hills. As well as gliding ghost-like though this glass ceiling, Moffat was a spirit-like climber, routing barefoot, living an itinerate existence in barns, on boats; in her own space on Alpine ridges, American plains, and edge land communities. She worked as a farm

LOVE AFFAIRS, ROCK CLIMBS, ICY WATER, REMOTE COTTAGES. MOFFAT COMMITS, AND HER INDEPENDENCE OF MIND SEEMS REMARKABLE GIVEN HER SOCIAL CONTEXT. THE MIST OF THE FAR FUTURE IS RARELY QUESTIONED; SHE USES HER INTUITION AND INSPIRATION TO NEGOTIATE LIFE.

hand, a scriptwriter, stage mistress, tea lady, anything that would allow enough money for the moment, though she practiced fasting in case it really came to it. Moffat discovered the mountains after a chance meeting with a conscientious objector, when she was serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. His tales of a ‘free and splendid world of mountain climbing’ caught her as she was beginning to feel a sense of frustration with life as it had been served to her. She went to Wales on leave and climbed at Idwal. Returning to Stoke on Trent after just over a week of the mountain world, she packed her bags and deserted.

When I first read Space Below My Feet, I was fully indoctrinated

by Moffat’s headlong plunges into life. Love affairs, rock climbs, icy water, remote cottages. Moffat commits, and her independence of mind seems remarkable given her social context. The mist of the far future is rarely questioned; she uses her intuition and inspiration to negotiate life. You might say she ‘follows her bliss’, (though she would probably think Joseph Campbell’s phraseology a bit romantic). Moffat demarks her decision making as intuition, craving

Weekdays off when conditions are mint.

Leaving the ODG late, I walk the dog back to the car through

and impulse, or conclusions that are arrived at while wandering.

the fields. It’s snowing and we gleefully eat the flakes for dinner.

Often they are enacted rather than articulated. As she deserts the

The next morning’s a bluebird. We head out with the surprising

ATS to follow the climbers to the hills, she describes that silence of

number of other fly-by-nights who have somehow made all the right

thought that is familiar to the experience on a crux of a climb.

decisions to be free to be here right now. I want to interview them

“My mind had been dead for an hour; I don’t remember making any decisions to go. I don’t remember thinking at all since I’d walked into the Nissen hut and hated it on sight. Now all the emotions which had been held back during that blank hour came flooding in.”

Just keep moving until you find yourself in the next place. Go with

all. ‘What do you do? How are you here? What’s the trick to always being able to do this?’

I worry a lot about whether or not to have kids. In her autobiography, Gwen slides over this decision. She becomes a mother under much less description than she becomes a VS leader.

your gut. I’m driving to Langdale because I can’t ‘decide’ where to

It clearly affects her, and affects her climbing, but, in her writing at

go; Moffat now lives near Penrith, and heading off the motorway after the interview, that’s the way the wheel turns. I’d pretend it’s

least, she manages to make child-rearing incidental to climbing.

Despite this, she states in one of her later books, Survival Count:

exploratory, but it’s the only place I know in the Lakes, and the Old Dungeon Ghyll is familiar, and frequently in ‘Space…’. Driving

published books and sixteen years as a mountain guide. Apart from

fast through snow I imagine Moffat steering her beloved trucks,

Shelia, these are facts not achievements.’

motorcars, engines of independence. I’m so inspired by the lady I’ve

‘The statistics of my life were: One daughter, two husbands, three

Achievement poor and statistic-free for now, I press on with

just met. She survives life by returning to the mountains, going alone

vigour. Clouds gather at the notch beyond the Band. A fly-by-night

into wild places. I want to get up top, stop faffing about on email or

has written ‘Live Life’ in the snow. Fair enough. The dog stares down

with logbooks, or worrying about my average navigation. Just stomp

back into Langdale, and then dives head first in to a powder bank.

up and see where I get to. That’s the point of freelancing isn’t it?

Refreshed, we pad on greedily.

www.mountainpromag.com

APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 17

FEATURE

High on

Ama Dablam

DI GILBERT IS ONE OF SCOTLAND’S FOREMOST MOUNTAIN LEADERS. SHE ALSO LEADS EXPEDITIONS TO THE HIMALAYA. HERE SHE RECOUNTS HER LAST TRIP TO NEPAL. Airy traverse above Camp 2

18 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

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I

am at the Everest View Hotel overhearing a

Ama Dablam seen from the Valley Floor. The route takes the second ridge on the right

conversation by some foreign tourists.

Tourist #1 “Is that Everest?” [points towards a

mountain in the distance]

Tourist #2 “No, that is Ama Dablam, Everest is over

there.” [points to a black pyramid peak further to the left] Tourist #1 “Well, it should be because it is the prettiest one.”

For any person that has trekked up the Khumbu Valley in Nepal, Ama Dablam is perhaps the most stunning mountain that they will ever see. Standing at a lofty 6856m, she can be admired by the thousands of trekkers that pass under her every trekking season from the safety of the valley floor. For the climbing community, she is possibly one of the most sought-after peaks in the Himalayas. For a commercial Expedition Leader she can prove to be one of the most rewarding and challenging mountains to work on. During November 2014, I was fortunate to be the Expedition Leader for the Adventure Peaks Ama Dablam Expedition. This article is a behind the

a day hit to Ben Nevis or the Cairngorms, let alone find compatible

scenes approach to leading one of the most challenging commercial

climbing partners for a four week expedition. We are all busy people,

expeditions.

whether it be work or personal; we all have families or people that

THE ROUTE The trek to base camp is exactly that. The approach provides an

care about us; we all have a life outside the mountains, and we all have financial obligations.

In an ideal world, we would have a team made up of our mates - a

excellent opportunity for the group to get to know each other, get to

group of people who know each well. My main climbing partners

know the Sherpa team, experience the Nepali culture and adjust to

know when to push me and know when I have bitten off more than I

high mountain life.

can chew. They can tell when I’m not myself and they can tell when

The route from Base Camp to Camp 1 follows and passes a

I’m in my comfort zone. They will happily carry more than their share

series of ridges to begin with, before encountering a boulder field.

if needs be, and if it all goes wrong I know that they will do the best

Once you have passed through this, you then have a very pleasant

that they can. I allow myself to hope that they think the same about

scramble up some slabs before popping you out at the bottom of

me.

the SW Ridge. The slabs provide an excellent opportunity to practice moving along fixed ropes in a relatively safe environment.

Camp 1 to Camp 2 is an absolute joy to climb - well, it would be if it were at sea level and you were carrying a light rucksack. Soon after

Unfortunately we don’t live in an ideal world, and for many climbers to achieve their high altitude goals, the only option available is to join a commercial expedition.

I’ve worked for Adventure Peaks since 2004, and led numerous

leaving camp, you clip-and-go along a selection of fixed ropes. The

expeditions including Khan Tengri, Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Carstenz

terrain is a mixture of compact slabs, short, steep corners, numerous

Pyramid and Aconcagua for them. I have confidence in the team that

grooves and the infamous Yellow Tower - the most technical section

they have back in the UK, and over the years have learnt to trust

on the entire ridge. The biggest decision that you have to make is

them to organise the logistics required before I arrive in the country.

which rope/s to clip into - the answer will always be all of them.

It is Adventure Peaks who pull the team together, including the in-

In previous years, the majority of expeditions camped at Camp 3, broad snow shelves situated high on the mountain. This all changed

country Sherpa team and clients.

However, it’s not a bed of roses. At the end of the day, our team

in 2006 when a serac collapsed and swept out several tents, killing

was a group of individuals who have paid to summit. Our team

six climbers. This serac, called the ‘Dablam’, continues to pose

would certainly be operating independently on the mountain,

problems for expeditions.

keeping in close communication via radio. My job was to give them

As a result of this, the majority of teams will depart from Camp 2 on their summits bids. The terrain above Camp 2 is very similar

the best opportunity to summit.

to Scottish climbing conditions, with some amazing exposure.

OTHER TEAMS & MOUNTAIN EXPERTS

Superb mixed climbing, snowy/icy slopes, and a traverse where

You will never have a route like the SW Ridge of Ama Dablam to

you certainly do not want to fall. Onto the famous Mushroom Ridge

yourselves, so there does need to be some communication with

before hitting the final snowy summit slopes. Simple.

other teams on the mountain. I try and target the information I

TEAM COMPOSITION It is hard enough to find compatible climbing partners in the UK for www.mountainpromag.com

receive to save time and sift out unnecessary scare mongering.

It never fails to amaze me how suddenly everybody on the mountain becomes an overnight expert. As soon as you mention APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 19

FEATURE

HOWEVER, IT’S NOT A BED OF ROSES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, OUR TEAM WAS A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PAID TO SUMMIT. OUR TEAM WOULD CERTAINLY BE OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY ON THE MOUNTAIN, KEEPING IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION VIA RADIO. MY JOB WAS TO GIVE THEM THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO SUMMIT.

Perched camp 2

that you are heading to Ama Dablam, people are very fast to tell you what to do. If you listened to the comments about this season, you wouldn’t step foot out of Kathmandu, let alone base camp.

Every single route/mountain that I have climbed has risks; it’s simply a case of managing the risks. I have lost count the amount of times that I have heard a comment or read an online report about Scottish winter conditions, to find them completely inaccurate.

Sometimes, people don’t want to lose face, and look for an excuse on why they failed on a route. Failure is not necessarily a bad thing; it’s all part of climbing. In my view, there is only one way to approach climbing, and that is to stick your nose in and find out for yourself.

I was very lucky that as soon as we arrived in Base Camp, some friends (Ken and Hannah) from Fort William had just summated, so in return for dinner I was able to pick their brains about the route ahead.

THIS YEAR’S SEASON Every climbing season has its challenges, and this year was no different. We arrived to a relatively quiet base camp, having later heard that there had been three fatalities on the mountain and many expeditions had departed early. I can’t comment on those fatalities because I wasn’t there. Having spoken to Ken and Hannah about the route itself, I was certainly aware of the fixed rope situation (which by all accounts seemed a shambles) and the Dablam itself. These things were cause for concern, since it was essential that the ropes be fixed properly for safe ascent and descent. The thought of travelling underneath a serac that was collapsing did not appeal. It should be easy to make an assessment about the ropes as we ascended, and we would be able to monitor the Dablam during our time on the mountain to watch for any activity.

LOGISTICS We were a small team - 4 westerners and 2 climbing sherpa’s - and I had planned our logistics around this. Sadly, when acclimatising, one of the team members decided that Ama Dablam wasn’t going to happen for them, and decided to bail. Sometimes the magic doesn’t flow in Scotland and the Himalaya is no different, but it is a bigger

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Will above Camp 2 blow. As always, the team and I worked around this unexpected

sort itself out, and I have sometimes made bad decisions. There is

challenge the best we could. Numerous options were explored, but

nothing different about climbing a route in the Himalaya, it’s just

in the end we had no alternative than to split our team into 2 smaller

harder to stomach because you have spent three weeks on it.

teams, to make 2 separate summit bids.

ACCEPTING FAILURE

REWARDS Leading Himalayan expeditions is both extremely challenging and

Our first summit team, comprising of Andy and Phurba, successfully

rewarding - the bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward. There

summited Ama Dablam on 25th November. Will and I were following

are obvious rewards such as financial remuneration, opportunities to

two days behind, and made very good progress to Camp 2. I made

travel to amazing places, climbing mountains and meeting characters

the very hard decision that I was not prepared to carry on beyond

that are sometimes larger than life.

Mushroom Ridge, due to the condition of the mountain - the fixed

I often use a saying; “You can be in the best place in the world

ropes were in very poor condition, the anchors were melting out and

with the worst people and it will be hell on earth, but you can also

the Dablam was grumbling. Phurba and Will followed suit.

be in the worst place in the world with the best people and it will

I have failed on many climbs in my professional and personal

be an utter joy”. Thankfully, the majority of expeditions I’ve had the

climbing career due to numerous reasons. I have walked out of

pleasure to work on fall into a third: “You can be in the best place in

corries with nothing in the bag; I have sat for days in valley floors

the world with the best people, and it will provide you with one of

waiting for certain routes to come good and/or the weather to

life’s unforgettable memories’”.

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VIDEO

Outdoor Enthusiast Montane part one - ISPO

LAND MANAGEMENT

Notes from the Fairy Mountain: Spring IN HER FIRST REPORT FOR MOUNTAIN PRO, JOHN MUIR TRUST BIODIVERSITY OFFICER, DR. LIZ AUTY, GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO LAND MANAGEMENT AT EAST SCHIEHALLION.

Photo: Keith Brame

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Photo: Schiehallion MAP

S

pring is a fantastic time at Schiehallion. As we start to come out of winter, the bird activity increases exponentially.

Multiple species start filling the air with flight and song as they compete to set up territories. I’m now listening out

for several bird calls. The most common call to hear is the meadow pipit; they have a lovely song, and sound like mini skylarks trilling as they parachute down onto the heath. I’ll be spending time in April surveying breeding birds and watching for ground nesting raptors setting up their territories. This year we’re also on the lookout for long-eared owls. These are secretive birds, often under-recorded, and we’ve had reports they’ve nested in the area in the past. In February, two volunteers and I carried out our first survey visit, and were rewarded with the haunting ‘hoo hoo’ call of a male owl.

The John Muir Trust is a member organisation with educational objectives. Part of my work in the next few months will be leading a group to watch a black grouse lek. We can count on the black grouse giving a memorable display, as they are doing well in the area. On misty mornings in April it feels like the whole valley is filled with the distinctive warbling call of the male black cock. It’s a memorable

While bird activity is a noticeable sign that spring has arrived, I

sight as they strut their stuff on the lek to impress the grey hens.

spend a lot of this season thinking about trees. Schiehallion has the

We may also see and hear snipe add to the spring cacophony with

potential to have trees right from the edge of its rocky slopes down

a music all their own, as they carry out their characteristic display

to what remains of its former woodland.

flight and drumming.

Historically, there would have been a gradual change in the vegetation with increasing altitude, from woodland to montane shrubs and then on to the summit boulder field with lichens and mosses.

We’ve lost the shrubs such as juniper and dwarf willow higher up, but if you look, it’s still possible to find remnants of woodland along steep burn sides and a few larger areas of native trees.

Where possible, we at the John Muir Trust try to encourage natural regeneration without fencing, but where there are incursions from neighbouring sheep, we sometimes consider temporary fencing to give the trees a helping hand.

In recent years, we have been part of an agreement through the local deer management group to reduce red deer numbers in the area for the benefit of protected sites. Surveys commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage indicate that impacts are beginning to reduce on the designated sites.

It’s challenging work. The red deer cover a wide area. Their movement is dictated by numerous factors, including weather and wind direction. The number of the deer on the mountain fluctuates from a handful to several hundred.

May will see me leading a group to survey small tree seedlings that we marked with cable ties five years ago. We’ve been regularly recording their height and looking at whether they have been browsed. This latest survey will give us new data for this winter. I’ll cross-reference this with footage from some newly-introduced trail cameras. These have been capturing movements of deer with time stamps.

Liz is the John Muir Trust’s biodiversity officer, and the property

We are lucky to have a committed team of volunteers coming out

manager for East Schiehallion. East Schiehallion is an area of

to do other surveys, including heathland monitoring and searching

mountain and moor in Perthshire, Scotland, with a wealth of

for water voles, as well as practical conservation tasks including

interest for wildlife, plants and geology. It’s also the location for

path work. I’m looking forward to working with them this year, and

Maskelynes ‘weighing the world’ experiment.

will let you know how we have been getting on in the next issue.

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APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 25

FEATURE

Top Drop HELI-SKIING. IT COSTS A FORTUNE, BUT IT’S WORTH IT, RECKONS ALF ALDERSON.

B

efore we go any further, allow me to disabuse you of any notion that I am a man of means – all my heli-skiing has been done in my capacity as a freelance (or is that freeloading?) journalist.

And while many of the people I’ve met on these trips would

scarcely notice the eye-watering charge for it being deducted from their bank account, for me – and I dare say you – this is the most expensive ski experience you’re ever likely to have, so it’s one that you want to get right.

That said, heli-skiing is not exclusively for the fat of wallet.

Several times I’ve met regular, mad keen skiers who have saved hard – and maybe for some years – to indulge themselves in what for them may be a once in a lifetime ski trip.

So, you may just find a ski bum from Whistler or Chamonix rubbing shoulders in the helicopter – literally – with a captain of industry, surgeon or banker. Since everyone looks the same in their ski gear it’s a surprisingly good leveller, especially if you consider that the beardy ski bums are probably better skiers than the banker and surgeon.

THE ALPS It is actually possible to enjoy heli-skiing without breaking the bank though, as I discovered in Italy last winter. Head to Livigno, and you can get two ‘drops’ out in the superb backcountry on the edge of the Stelvio National Park for a not unreasonable €275 (www.

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WHEN YOU’RE IN TRULY WILD AND REMOTE LOCATIONS SUCH AS THIS, THE SKIING BECOMES THAT BIT MORE SERIOUS. YOU’LL BE SUPPLIED WITH AN ABS BACKPACK, TRANSCEIVER AND SO ON IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR OWN, AND THERE’S A COMPULSORY TRANSCEIVER PRACTICE OUT THE BACK OF THE LODGE BEFORE YOU GET ANYWHERE NEAR THE SHARP END.

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heli-guides.com/en/heliski-alps-en/levigno-it-heliskiing.html); this obviously includes a guide, which is standard with any heli-ski operation – in fact, most will also have a ‘tail gunner’ along to bring up the rear and pick up the oafs like me as they wipeout in the thigh deep powder and get themselves stuck in tree wells.

A few weeks after this I got the chance to hop out of a helicopter with my skis again (not literally, they’re carried on the outside in a metal basket), this time almost within sight of my home in the French Alps, although we were actually in Italy. Heli-skiing is banned in France, but companies such as Val Heliski (www.valheliski.com) will meet you in La Rosiere on the border of the French and Italian Alps, from where you use the lift system to ski to the border.

Here you’re picked up by your ‘heli’ (a Canadian guide once told me; “Never call them ‘choppers”; I’ve no idea why), dropped atop a peak within Italy and enjoy as much as 2000 metres of vertical descent down to La Thuile, from where you take the ski lifts back to La Rosiere (the two resorts are linked).

Cost – from €299, lift pass not included. Not a cheap day out, but it still makes heli-skiing available – just about – to the masses.

CANADA The purists might argue this isn’t the real thing, by which I mean the whole wilderness heli-ski lodge experience, and having been fortunate enough to enjoy this kind of heli-ski adventure too, I have to admit that this really is about as full-on a ski trip as you could

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ever hope to enjoy.

BC is the destination that automatically comes to mind, along with Alaska. I’ve enjoyed skiing with a couple of excellent outfits in BC, and may even have been to Alaska with one of them; Last Frontier (www.lastfrontierheli.com) – they’re based right on the BC/ Alaska border, and it’s quite possible that during the 33,00 feet of vertical we got in on our best day’s skiing, we crossed the border into the USA. No one knew for sure, as there are no border posts, and you certainly don’t have to worry about customs officers ‘welcoming’ you into the USA when you visit this way.

When you’re in truly wild and remote locations such as this, the skiing becomes that bit more serious. You’ll be supplied with an ABS backpack, transceiver and so on if you don’t have your own, and there’s a compulsory transceiver practice out the back of the lodge before you get anywhere near the sharp end.

You also go through a detailed drill on how to enter and exit the helicopter without losing your head, and this being North America, you naturally enough sign away all rights should your craft plummet out of the sky or crash into a grizzly bear.

And since we are in BC, you also get spectacularly vast amounts of talc dry powder to play in. I won’t bore you with flowery words on the pleasures of skiing powder, but instead give you some plain statistics which put it all into focus: Last Frontier – the biggest heli-ski operation in the world – has a staggering 2.2 million acres, or 9000 sq kms of terrain to play in.

If that doesn’t mean much to you, that’s over six times the size of Greater London, all of it uninhabited by humans, in which there are around 450 named runs.

The superlatives continue – between 65-100 feet of soft, fluffy BC powder floats down onto these limitless acres every winter; the snow base is between 15-18 feet, and an average day’s skiing will see you cover 25 000 feet of ‘vert’ - although take my word for it, there is absolutely nothing ‘average’ about skiing here – check out their new promo video for proof of that: http://www.lastfrontierheli. com/heliskiing-videos.html.

Another splendid thing about Last Frontier is their helicopters – funky little Bell 407s flown by incredibly skilled pilots that take a maximum of five skiers and one guide, which means very little down time after each run, so you certainly get the miles under your belt.

And then when all the action on the hill is over, there’s the lodge complex – cosy timber cabins, superb dining, sauna and massage facilities – you will want for nothing (other than a spare pair of quads perhaps – it really is worth getting in tip-top shape before you go heli-skiing, in order to make the most of it).

This kind of skiing doesn’t come cheap – I stayed at the most northerly of Last Frontier’s two lodges, Bell 2, which costs from $CAN 6670 for four days; plus you have to get yourself there.

However, there’s one heli-ski option that you can get to with Easy Jet. Iceland.

ICELAND For me, Arctic Heli-skiing (www.arcticheliskiing.com) is as good an

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option as European-based skiers will get. Cheap access (even the connecting flight from Reykjavik to Arctic Heli-skiing’s base on the north coast is less than €200 return) and, by heli-skiing standards, good value skiing at ‘only’ €5285 for four days.

Some things are not quantifiable in mere monetary terms though, and my experience on Iceland’s north shore was one of them.

Iceland’s ski terrain is unlike anything the ski resorts of Europe and North America can offer. Huge, flat-topped mountains rise up above steep slopes and wide, ancient valleys, crags and cliffs streaked with black-banded rock outcrops, which contrast starkly with the white of the snow. In places the higher peaks are glaciated, and you’ll ski over some of these glaciers while heli-skiing, but the most striking feature of the Icelandic heli-ski experience is the constant presence of deep blue fjords and the Atlantic Ocean way down beneath most of your drop-off points. Sea level is actually where you’re heading for on many runs, and the presence of the ocean serves as a dramatic backdrop, with mighty North Atlantic swells booming onto the black volcanic sand beaches where several descents finish.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION It wouldn’t be accurate to call this a unique experience though, since you can do the same thing on the other side of the globe in Kamchatka. Along with quad searing 6000 foot descents to sea level, you’ll also be skiing on active volcanoes, on vast powder fields, in some of the most remote mountains in the world.

The skiing, which I did with the excellent EA Heliski (www. eaheliskiing.com), can be challenging, since Kamchatka’s Pacific coast climate throws all sorts of weather your way; we endured a four day blizzard, as well as four days of perfect bluebird conditions, but catch it when the weather is playing ball, and this has got to be the most spectacular place on Earth in which to ski.

It’s not for the faint-hearted though – where in North America any time spent in or around the helicopter is closely monitored and rules must be followed at all times, the massive ex-military Mi2 helicopters in which you fly to and from the mountains in Kamchatka are like an aerial party.

They carry up to 12 skiers and their guides, have bench seats on which the use of seat belts is not compulsory, and you don’t need them anyway, since you’re allowed to wander around and enjoy the view on either side as you’re flying along; hell, you can even open the porthole-style windows and stick your head out for a better view…

But, of course, this Siberian ski adventure don’t come cheap €5800 of your European Euros my friend; and that’s before you pay for London—Moscow-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky with the Ryanair of intercontinental flight, Aeroflot.

But when all’s said and done, heli-skiing is about far more than money. Sure, it’s expensive, but it’s a ski experience like no other, and one that you really will never forget, whether it’s a single drop in Italy, or a week-long adventure in one of the more remote corners of the planet.

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APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 31

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Outdoor Enthusiast Berghaus ISPO

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SALEWA is a truly authentic mountain sports brand that is dedicated to constantly innovate, improve and optimize gear and services for mountaineers and mountain enthusiasts even for high altitude experiences. With a meaningful use of latest technology as well as a responsible use of resources we successfully evolve the user benefit, not at all trading off on safety. Our mountain passion is reflected in the determination and courage of all our doings. As a reliable “rope fellow“ we inspire our partners and costumers. We lead by example on how to live in respect with and in the mountains.

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THE BEN MOON STORY

Work In Progress AN EXTRACT FROM THE NEW BIOGRAPHY OF BEN MOON, BY ED DOUGLAS.

B

en was constantly experimenting with new ways to train, new treatments for injuries and new approaches to nutrition, hunting the right balance between power

WHAT YOU STRUGGLE AGAINST IN CLIMBING IS FAILURE ITSELF. NO ONE IS WAITING FOR YOU IN THE RING, THERE’S JUST AMBITION AND THE PASSING YEARS – AND THE ENDLESS, ENDLESS TRAINING.

and endurance, keeping his motivation and focus

burning brightly. Analysing these innovations, particularly those to do with injury and nutrition, with the benefit of hindsight, he often comments: ‘I’m not sure they made any difference.’ What made a difference was hard work over a sustained period of time.

Occasionally he berates himself for a lack of application. In early February 1995 he’s complaining about feeling tired: ‘Have been very unprofessional these past few weeks and will get all I deserve. Will pay heavily for two hard nights – Friday and Saturday.’ His weight, he records with an exclamation mark, falls to 62.5kg or 138lb. Yet clubbing kept him sane, offering a release from the intensity and focus of his training week.

Sometimes he wonders if the training hasn’t taken over the climbing. In Volx a few days after regretting his two nights out on the trot, he tells his diary: ‘Feel like I am climbing absolutely terribly.

Really inefficient. Feel great deal of pressure and want to start enjoying my climbing again. Need to do some routes, just some ticking. There is no doubt I’m very strong and reasonably fit. I’ve just forgotten how to climb and what it is like to do a route. Had some

Boredom is not only deadening his personality but killing his soul.’

Then again, as Ali himself acknowledged, the depth of your ability

long talks with Zippy and [Scottish climber] Spider [McKenzie], and

– its heft – and the confidence to succeed can only be built through

came to some good conclusions and new decisions. I am still able to

training. ‘The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the

look at my climbing objectively and know what it is I need to do.’

lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under

Norman Mailer, in his account of the 1975 fight between

those lights.’ Except that for climbers it’s different. What you struggle

Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in what was then Zaïre, writes

against in climbing is failure itself. No one is waiting for you in the

about the immense psychological weight of constant training: ‘In

ring, there’s just ambition and the passing years – and the endless,

heavy training fighters live in dimensions of boredom others do not

endless training.

begin to contemplate.’ As Mailer points out, that is where boxers need to be. The boredom engenders a kind of restless anger that ultimately finds an outlet in violence: ‘Boredom creates a detestation for losing.’

Mailer likens the training boxer to a man serving a long jail

‘It’s why I packed in route climbing,’ Ben says. ‘Training is time consuming.’

‘Tedious?’

‘It’s not tedious. Well, maybe it is. But you need a lot of time – hours and hours each day. Your lifestyle changes because of it. It’s not very

sentence, how the scale of his boredom, its unrelenting pressure,

glamorous, is it? You’ve got to knuckle down. These routes, they’re

will tip him towards despair. ‘Sooner or later the fighter recognises

like an iceberg with all its mass under the surface that no one ever

that something in his psyche is paying too much for the training.

sees.’

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‘In some of the entries in your diary you seem quite depressed.’

together, they were motivated differently. Crag X became a favourite

‘I don’t think I was. It’s not the right word. I don’t get depressed. I

training location, a brutal curl of polished limestone where Ben and

might feel a little down, but that’s it. Mostly I get annoyed that I’m

Jerry added powerful problems. Superman, at Font 8A+, was Jerry’s

not doing well, that things aren’t going my way. I’d get fed up at not

best-known contribution. As the rock ran out, Crag X acolytes began

being motivated. I’d be doing the same problems again and again.

eliminating holds to create new and harder problems. Ben even

It’s a thin line between caring deeply and it becoming pathological.

managed to eliminate holds on Superman, and was delighted. Jerry,

It’s a pretty lonely thing.

on the other hand, was furious, not because Ben superseded his

It’s not easy. Not that many people could do it for a long time.’

problem, but because Ben seemed content with doing desperate

‘Was it easier training with other people?’

things in training and not converting this

‘It’s fun with people, but I would tend more to do it by myself.

progress into something more eye-catching

Unless you have the perfect training partner it’s easier to do that side

somewhere less humdrum. Yet for Ben,

of things on your own.’

the realisation of something previously

Ben and Jerry [Mofatt] were often in each other’s company in

unimaginable was success in itself.

the early 1990s. These two were so committed and so strong, that several of those in their orbit span off in new directions, incapable,

Statement: The Ben Moon Story is

for lack of means or motivation, to do what seemed necessary to

available from Vertebrate Publishing

be at the leading edge of sport climbing. But although they trained

priced £20: http://bit.ly/1BtUGKP

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APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 35

MMM Ripa is housed in a restored 13th century castle. Here, a Japanese Buddha from 1940 surrounded by Mani stones, within the castle battlements.

FEATURE

Museum in the clouds RUDOLF ABRAHAM VISITS THE MESSNER MOUNTAIN MUSEUMS IN SOUTH TYROL

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O

n the 2181m summit of Monte Rite, at the heart of the Dolomites, and surrounded by such iconic peaks as Monte Civetta, Monte Pelmo and Marmolada, clouds billow around summits and rock faces stained red by the

first rays of the rising sun. The museum on this dizzying summit plateau, the so-called Museum in the Clouds, can safely lay claim to being the highest museum in Europe.

The Museum in the Clouds is one of six properties which make up the Messner Mountain Museum, an outstanding group of museums scattered across Italy’s gorgeous South Tyrol region, dedicated to the mountain world (its people, art, traditions, geology) – a world few of us ever even catch a glimpse of – as well as the experiences of those who’ve spent (or lost) their lives exploring it.

The museums were created by renowned mountaineer and adventurer Reinhold Messner – he of those legendary ascents, several of them without oxygen, of all the world’s fourteen 8000m peaks, among other near superhuman feats of endurance. Messner still lives in South Tyrol.

The collections themselves are fascinating – from art to ethnographic displays to mountaineering paraphernalia. The sculpture is a particular highlight, much of it from the Himalaya, making a visit rather like stumbling into some hidden Tibetan kingdom in the middle of the lush apple orchards and bijou mountain towns of northern Italy. Three of the museums are housed in beautifully renovated old castles converted into impeccably presented, modern museums, their rambling medieval battlements, towers and passageways providing a wonderfully immersive, at times maze-like exhibition space.

As well as the museum on the summit of Monte Rite (also known as MMM Dolomites), there are properties at Brunico/ Bruneck (MMM Ripa), Bolzano/Bozen (MMM Firmian), the Adige Valley (MMM Juval), Solda/Sulden (MMM Ortles) and, due to open in early summer 2015, on the summit plateau of Kronplatz (MMM Corones). All the museums are privately funded, and an enormous amount of thought has obviously gone into them, from the careful conservation of the castles themselves, to the fact that – appropriately enough – they can be reached by hiking or cycling trails, as well as by car.

MMM Firmian, the centrepiece of the museums, sits on the outskirts of Bolzano, housed in the mightily impressive Sigmundskron Castle (20mins by foot on trail #1) – a sprawling red stone fortress, first mentioned in the 10th century, though most of what you see today dates from the 15th century. Steel walkways lead you on an almost labyrinthine route around the castle – up over battlements (no, you don’t want to be walking around these bits in a thunderstorm), among ruins, and over several floors within the glass-roofed shells of medieval towers, their timeless stone walls covered in art. Concentric spiral staircases lead playfully to locations almost within arms’ reach, but which you can’t quite get to without going up, or down, one staircase and returning on another, past a seemingly endless succession of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain sculpture.

The wildly eclectic art collection ranges from 19th century

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FEATURE

academic painting to Warhol, to memorabilia from the world of Messner’s mountain adventures and those of other climbers – some who succeeded, some who failed, some who died trying. There are

Hiking in the Ortler area of the Stelvio National Park, near the small mountain town of Solda.

stories told in the words of Messner himself, as well as those of philosophers, poets, adventurers, singers and sages. I found MMM Firmian fascinating beyond words – at turns awe inspiring, witty and thought-provoking, and quite unlike any museum I’ve ever visited before, anywhere.

For kids, it must all come across as decidedly un-museumy, more like one giant adventure park. There were plenty of children at Sigmundskron Castle on my visit, none of whom looked in the slightest bit bored about spending an afternoon in a somewhat eccentric museum with mum and dad – they were all having far too much fun scampering across walkways and up and down stairways, surrounded by an exotic world of interesting rocks, fluttering prayer flags and strange sculpture.

Northeast of Bolzano in the Puster Valley, MMM Ripa is housed in the beautifully renovated 13th century Bruneck Castle, prayer flags billowing from its turrets, just a short walk up from the town of Brunico itself. The ethnographic collection here is particularly strong, covering the lives, customs and religions of the various peoples inhabiting some of the world’s remote mountain regions – the Svans of the south Caucasus, Nagas and Nepalis from the Himalaya, Kafirs and Kalash from the Hind Kush, among others.

Exhibits include a succession of nomad tents from different parts of the globe, which visitors are encouraged to walk through; carved wooden furniture and coffins of the Kafirs; and a whole room full of haunting, twisted and grimacing wooden figurines from Tanzania.

And like MMM Firmian, since MMM Ripa is laid out across several floors of a castle and within the confines of its towers, you feel that you are always climbing.

Around 1500m above Bruneck, at one edge of the broad summit plateau of Kronplatz, one of Italy’s most popular ski resorts, lies the latest instalment of Messner’s Mountain Museum, MMM Corones.

In case the 2275m summit location, with its jaw-dropping views of the Dolomites (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), was not enough, the new museum is designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid – twice recipient of the Stirling Prize, in 2010 and 2011, and recipient of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture in 2004 (the first woman to be awarded the latter).

The museum is quite literally buried within the mountaintop, with only its sleek entrance and viewing windows protruding.

The asymmetrical, almost organic looking design of the interior –

THE COLLECTIONS THEMSELVES ARE FASCINATING – FROM ART TO ETHNOGRAPHIC DISPLAYS TO MOUNTAINEERING PARAPHERNALIA. THE SCULPTURE IS A PARTICULAR HIGHLIGHT, MUCH OF IT FROM THE HIMALAYA, MAKING A VISIT RATHER LIKE STUMBLING INTO SOME HIDDEN TIBETAN KINGDOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LUSH APPLE ORCHARDS AND BIJOU MOUNTAIN TOWNS OF NORTHERN ITALY.

Hadid’s architecture is famous for its sleek parametric lines and curves – demanded new construction techniques and materials,

detail was impressive – extra deep steps for ski boots, lockers for

including concrete panels too thin for steel reinforcement, so

ski gear – while the building is top-rated for energy efficiency, and

infused with carbon fibre instead. The endless variety of angles

access is provided via the existing ski lifts, keeping development to

means that no two pieces of concrete are the same, and all had to

a minimum. And instead of just creating a mass of earth and rubble

be made in Germany, transported to Kronplatz and assembled with

to dump back on top of the completed structure, the top 30cm of

the aid of a 3D computer model. The surface finish of the panels,

turf and soil – including the delicate Alpine grasses and flora which

polished and black, is more like marble than concrete, the edges

would otherwise take several years to re-establish themselves –

almost knife-like in places.

was carefully removed and set aside, and used for resurfacing the

I visited the site during construction in November 2014, in the

mound once the main construction work had been completed.

company of Andrea Del Frari of Skirama Kronplatz. The attention to

Kronplatz provides a captive audience, so to speak, with an

38 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

www.mountainpromag.com

MMM Ripa

and hiking trails meander up among the slopes, cirques and passes of the idyllic Stelvio National Park. Solda is the location of MMM Ortles, the theme of which is the world of ice and glaciers. One average of some 10 000 skiers per day in season, and provides a

display does a remarkably good job of conveying the staggering

welcome alternative to the more familiar restaurant and bar at the

force of an avalanche – poke your head through a little wooden

top of a ski lift. When facing the museum, the lifts and slopes are

window, into a confined space where you are confronted with

behind you, making it all seem (admittedly untested in season!)

footage (and the deafening sound) of it rocketing towards you head

remarkably remote and tranquil.

on, and simply erasing what looked like a sturdy wooden hut (rather

Northwest from Bolzano along the Adige Valley, where the road heads towards the Reschenpass through a sea of apple orchards, Juval Castle sits perched up a steep side valley. A shuttle bus takes

like it might belong to the window you’ve got your head through) from the face of the planet.

Messner, who turned 70 towards the end of last year, describes

visitors part of the way up from the car park on the main road,

the museums as his legacy. A way to pass on something of a lifetime

following which there’s a short walk to the castle itself – home to

crammed with adventure and extreme experiences, the likes of

MMM Juval, and to Messner himself for several months of the year.

which, let’s face it, go way beyond what the vast majority of people

Ironically, the homely Juval is famously the place where Messner

could hope to experience for themselves, even in several lifetimes.

suffered one of his worst climbing accidents – climbing up to a

His fifteenth 8000er, he fittingly called them.

back window after leaving his keys at home, he fell, resulting in a shattered heel. Just below the castle there’s a rustic inn and organic

For more information on the Messner Mountain Museum, visit

farm run by Messner, serving some delicious meals prepared from

www.messner-mountain-museum.it and www.mmmcorones.com.

local seasonal produce, from steaming plates of sauerkraut and

For information on South Tyrol, visit the website of the South

homemade sausages, to vast platters of local smoked ham and other

Tyrol Tourist Office www.suedtirol.info. There are frequent trains

antipasti.

to Bolzano from Verona (which has direct flights from the UK with

Travelling further west from MMM Juval brings you to Solda, a

Monarch www.monarch.co.uk and other airlines), as well as from

pretty little mountain town where yaks graze pastures in the shadow

Bolzano to Brunico; bus routes link Bolzano to MMM Juval and MMM

of the vast bulk of Mt Ortles – at 3905m the highest peak in the

Ortles. For further information on Stelvio National Park, see www.

Eastern Alps – their distinctive bells clanging in the mountain air,

stelviopark.bz.it.

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APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 39

GEAR GUIDE

Approach Shoes for her FROM HANGING OUT AT LOCAL CRAGS TO TACKLING BIG MOUNTAIN SCRAMBLES, LUCY WALLACE AND DAVID LINTERN PUT APPROACH SHOES TO THE TEST. MERRELL WOMEN’S GRASSBOW SPORT GTX, £110

ANATOM V1 STONE ROAD, £85 More of a muscular walking shoe than a technical approach shoe, the V1 Stone road has a fantastic all-terrain tread on the outsole - the best I’ve seen for this review - designed to bite into mud, wet grass and gravel. It’s all pretty chunky however, so there is a distinct loss of precision when scrambling, as all that tread feels somewhat squishy underfoot but this is not really what the shoe is designed for. The uppers are a nubuck/mesh combination, with a Tri.aria waterproof membrane insert. It is hardwearing, well-made and available at a very competitive price. The fit is broad and comfortable, and could be improved with a more sensitive lacing system.

■ www.anatomfootwear.co.uk

KEEN WOMEN’S DURAND LOW, £125 Very comfortable and chunky, but too broad and bulky for technical approach, this is more of a walking and general-purpose outdoor shoe. The fit is very generous, and it is hard to tighten the shoe, as the lacing system doesn’t offer much adjustment. It copes well with bad weather and boggy ground, aided by a beefy rubber bumper and Keen.Dry waterproof membrane. It’s a good option if you are on your feet all day outdoors, and it is best suited to easy trails and lowland walks.

■ www.keenfootwear.com

40 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

np rom ag.com

If you prefer more of a lightweight running shoe style and fit, then this could be the shoe for you. The Grassbow has a supportive platform for the heel, with lots of stability and shock absorbency, but plenty of room to flex at the front, allowing the joints to spread out and do their job. The trade-off is a loss of precision when scrambling, but it works really well as an extremely light hiking shoe, weighing just 283g each. On the outsole, leaf-shaped lugs get traction on gravel and rock, as well as mud and wet grass. A Gore-Tex membrane helps to keep rain and puddles out. There are no tabs on the back for clipping on to a harness, which limits its use as an approach shoe for climbers.

■ www.merrell.com

BEST BUY i ta www.moun

LA SPORTIVA BOULDER X, £100

When it comes to technical footwear, La Sportiva rarely go wrong. I love these surefooted approach shoes.

Support and control come from an advanced lacing system (a tad fiddly), running from the toe and up around the ankle to lock the foot down when needed.

Happily this doesn’t compromise comfort; the shoe has a soft padded cuff and tongue, good underfoot cushioning and support for load carrying. These shoes will tackle easy climbs as well as mountain trails. A dotty tread with a climbing zone gives grip on rock, and a wavy tread on the heel provides traction on loose ground. Heavy-duty rubber wraps the toes, midfoot and Achilles - not only does this protect the shoe from rough rock - but also helps keep weather out - there is no membrane, so it is not waterproof. This isn’t always a bad thing - the suede uppers are very breathable, perfect for keeping cool on sunny crags, but perhaps not best suited to the average bog approach in the UK. Nevertheless, I’ve stomped about in them on Scottish footpaths over the winter quite happily with dry feet.

■ www.lasportiva.com www.mountainpromag.com

GEAR GUIDE

MAMMUT WOMEN’S REDBURN LOW, £120

ASOLO WOMEN’S JUMLA GV, £150

The Jumla is a really lovely solution to the boot/shoe conundrum when walking into mountain crags. There is a little bit more ankle support than you would expect in a standard approach shoe, great for carrying a pack full of heavy climbing gear through rough boggy terrain, but this is still just about a nimble shoe rather than a chunky boot, at 411g for a size 5. The midsole is quite minimalist, with Antishock PU built in to the heel but - there is a fair bit of flex, the plus side being superb sensitivity and control on steep stuff. Top to toe lacing ensures a precision fit, coupled with a funky square dotty tread and climbing toe zone on the sticky Vibram outsole. Waterproofing comes from a Gore-Tex membrane. It is an excellent approach shoe that will go from your local crag to the Black Cuillins without breaking stride.

■ www.asolo.com

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

in nta www.mou

SALOMON WOMEN’S X ALP GTX, £145 The X Alp is something a bit different, a hybrid of a super lightweight mountain boot, combined with ultra-minimalist walking shoe uppers. It really is all about the sole unit, which is stiff and rugged and solid - the underfoot protection is superb. The Salomon Contagrip outsole sports deep lugs that perform on loose and grotty terrain, with a climbing zone platform at the toe. A luxurious rubber rand wraps the foot from toe to Achilles. Above this, by contrast, the fabric uppers are flexible, dare I say it flimsy, with skinny drawstring laces and minimal protection for the foot. A Gore-Tex membrane ensures waterproofness. I quite like the way this shoe handles a variety of terrain, but think it could be improved for steep ground with better lacing - down to the toe for a neat, locked down fit. 410g each.

■ www.salomon.com www.mountainpromag.com

This is a neat and functional shoe in the technical approach style that does the job, but doesn’t shine. The lacing system is reasonable, but does not extend far enough for a precision fit. The outsole isn’t overly chunky, and provides good traction on a variety of terrain, from wet rock to soggy grass. There is a climbing zone at the toe for scrambling, a rubber rand at the toe, and a Gore-Tex membrane for waterproofing.

An aggressive heel cup helps provide stability for the Achilles. The fit is fairly asymmetric, so try before you buy, as they won’t suit all foot shapes.

■ www.mammut.ch

BERGHAUS WOMEN’S CUERRA CUESTA GTX, £120 They have a lot going for them, and to my mind, are ‘almost there’ on the approach shoe scale of excellence. I like the precision lacing that extends right down to the tip of the toes. The midsole is the perfect combination of flex in the forefoot and stability around the ankle, locking the heel in place. There is a Gore-Tex membrane for waterproofing, and the whole package weighs under 800g for the pair. My only gripe is with the outsole - which has a nod to the tried and tested dotty tread for grip on rock, but the little geometric triangles that Berghaus use just don’t seem to make enough contact to feel really solid when compared with others in this test. The toe overhangs the ‘climbing zone’, making it less effective for edging on small footholds, only of concern if you rock climb in your trainers. For general use on moderately technical ground they feel comfortable, agile and tough.

■ www.berghaus.com

SCARPA WOMEN’S ZEN PRO, £129.99 This funky looking approach shoe is comfortable and hardwearing, going easily from crag to café, and standing up to daily wear in all sorts of situations. I’ve had this pair on test for a while, and I can really recommend it as a walking shoe, simply for its durability and comfort. As a technical approach shoe however, I’ve found it too broad, and I can’t get the precision fit at the toes that I look for, and similarly there is some heel lift - but it would be a good option for someone with a wide forefoot. There is no membrane, so it isn’t waterproof, but I’ve never had wet feet from sploshing through puddles in these, as the suede uppers are very water resistant. 800g for a pair.

■ www.scarpa.co.uk APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 41

GEAR GUIDE

Approach Shoes for him HANWAG APPROACH II, 550g £155

SCARPA ZEN PRO, 960g £129.99 Easily the most comfortable shoe on test, these are built a little like a rock shoe at the front, with a trail-friendly back end. They are also sans waterproof membrane, which instantly rockets them up my priority list as a multi-day option. Rand is low and toe only, but the lacing system is simply excellent, as is usual on Scarpa shoes. These are heavier than a lot of the competition, not that I noticed on the foot to be honest – I was too busy luxuriating in the fit, which is superb. Although the toe tip does not have as much flat rubber real estate as others here, there’s enough for easy scrambles and widely-spaced studs elsewhere for gentler ground. The vibram rubber also feels a lot stickier than some others here, which helps with grip on rock, if being a bit less durable on the trail. For low cut approach shoes there’s a really usable amount of lateral stiffness on the outside of the sole too, so these are far being just spivy looking hiking shoes. In fact, these were my favourites until the Jumla’s.

■ www.scarpa.co.uk

42 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

ASOLO JUMLA GV, 465g £150

Superb footwear for scrambling and via ferrata, these are the only ‘boot’ in the test. Again, another comfy fit straight from the box; these are longer and thinner, but still fit my wide monkey feet with ease. The toe is fairly precise, aided by slightly asymmetrical lacing, and the sole is studded on the heel and ball with a flat rubber toe, which works well when edging on easier scrambles. A good, sticky and grippy vibram sole provides a medium level of support, with some flexibility and feedback from the ground, and the extra ankle support without the weight and bulk of a full leather boot can be of huge benefit on talus and scree. The rand is a little low for my preference, and runs around the front of the boot only. Water resistance is provided by Gore-Tex… although there is the matter of that big hole where your foot goes. I liked these, a lot.

If they made them without the Gore-Tex liner, I’d be stockpiling as a summer Alps and Pyrenees shoe.

■ www.asolo.com/en

EDITOR’S CHOICE

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These very nearly won the ‘Editor’s Choice’ rosette of loveliness – almost, but not quite.

Among fierce competition, these stood out for me because of the combination of a precise toe and walking comfort. The dense rubber rand is usefully high and runs right around the shoe, and flat rubber at the front of the sole means great positioning. The vibram sole is heavily studded and aggressively grippy at the ball and heel sections, and offers just the right mix of flexibility and lateral support on the sole of the foot. There’s a fair amount of heel cushioning, with a shock absorber built in. The sole, although stiff when edging, seems to ‘rock’ when walking, making these really comfortable for long approaches and not just a techie fit. What didn’t work so well for me was the Gore-Tex liner (I’m fairly realistic about waterproofing in shoes!) and, more importantly, the fit. I couldn’t seem to adjust the lacing to prevent heel rise, despite a comfy memory foam in-sole. But if the fit works for you these offer an outstanding amount of support and structure for hiking and scrambling.

■ www.hanwag.com

in nta www.mou

www.mountainpromag.com

GEAR GUIDE

A really usable and comfortable upper on these shoes, which are clearly aimed at scrambles and easier climbing. The rand is dense rubber which wraps around both toe and heel, and the lacing is low to the toe.

A good, precise fit is possible despite the slightly longer, thinner Italian fit.

Edging is this shoe’s forte, due to a very stiff two part sole unit – the outsole is vibram with a usable amount of stickiness, and the midsole is die cut EVA. I wasn’t so keen on the two part approach, as it made feedback through the sole difficult to read. I imagine this level of stiffness will really work for some, but for me, these felt almost like office shoes equipped with a rubber bumper. However, they are small on the foot, lightweight and low profile, which means they are a good, viable option for people carrying rock shoes or mountaineering boots in.

■ www.aku.it/en

ANATOM V1 TRAIL EX VENTIA, 895g £60 Not for the first time are these getting a ‘Best Buy’ award, and rightly so. As the ‘trail’ in the title suggests, a slightly less technical shoe than some of the others in this test, but at this price these are really excellent, especially if you aren’t planning on too much high-in-the-grade stuff. They BEST BUY are also one of only two on test without a i ‘waterproof’ membrane to get all clogged ta www.moun up with mud and sweat, which makes them doubly useful in my book. There’s a good amount of cushioning and support here, which makes for a supremely comfortable shoe straight from the box, but will stay wet for longer in a downpour. I found these surprisingly grippy on mud, and less so on slimy rock. Most surprising was the toe, which was fairly precise and structured, although there is less protection in the toe box than in others here, so more demanding terrain could mean sore digits at the end of a long day. The rand is toe only. All that said, amazing value, and I’d have no issue wearing these for a three season hillbagging weekender, where breathability and comfort were of paramount importance. np rom ag.com

AKU ROCK II GTX, 420g £165

■ www.anatomfootwear.co.uk/

BERGHAUS CUERRA CUASTA GTX, 877g £120 MERRELL CAPRA SPORT GTX £125 I don’t have the weight of these, but they are certainly one of the lightest on test. Not a hugely technical shoe, being quite flexible and bendy they are useful for general hiking and basic rocky ground. On the plus side, the vibram sole is very soft and grippy, with deep, widely spaced studs. Lacing doesn’t run particularly low, but certainly works well enough for a hiking shoe. The same is true of the rand, which is low at the toe but offers enough protection on easier ground.

There’s not much flat surface to edge on, and no lateral stiffness to speak of, but that lack of apparent structure does make for a hugely comfortable fit straight from the box. There was no break in time at all, and the heel cup fit, cushioning and protection is especially good.

I found the Gore-Tex liner to be a touch less breathable than some others here, but otherwise these are a good option for all day walks and hikes on mixed terrain.

■ www.merrell.com/UK/en_GB/home www.mountainpromag.com

This is a low profile walking, scrambling and easy climbing shoe – in a way it’s probably the best compromise here for all three of those activities in balance. Apparently there’s a three part midsole at work here, although it feels very much like one shoe, not three. The vibram is studded, and the toe is precise enough. These are petite enough on the foot to even manage a bit of smearing and edging, although the sole could use a bit more grip. The rand is a bit underwhelming and toe only (with a bumper at the back), but has proved durable. Lacing is thin and isn’t the most comfy, but it is precise and runs to the toes. Water ‘proofing’

by Gore-Tex. These have been fine for slacker trail runs as well as easy, rocky muckabouts. I found them a versatile all-rounder, and like the Aku, small enough to use as a second pair when mountaineering boots are carried in to base camp.

■ www.berghaus.com/

APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 43

GEAR GUIDE

GPS devices FROM SIMPLE NAVIGATION AIDS TO POWERFUL TRAINING TOOLS, LUCY WALLACE PUTS FOUR VERY DIFFERENT GPS UNITS THROUGH THEIR PACES.

SATMAP ACTIVE 12 GB EDITION (UK OS 1:50K MAPPING) £450

EDITOR’S

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This is a workhorse GPS that is a great option for someone expecting to get a lot of CHOICE heavy use from their device, especially in a professional or mountain rescue setting.

Satmap GPS units are relatively bulky, but the superb 3.5” high-resolution screen takes in nta www.mou up a big part of this, which is large and easy to see, even in bad light. The Active 12 has seen some big improvements on the older Active 10, including a Bluetooth facility (to talk to HR band or cadence sensor), barometric altimeter, and I’ve noticed an overall enhancement to the sensitivity, speed and performance when navigating. Peer to peer sharing allows routes and waypoints to be exchanged between units, great for team data sharing in the field. Battery life is pretty good – it will chug along happily all day in cold weather. It can be charged via the USB cable supplied, economical if you expect to use it a lot, and it also comes with a battery pack for Lithium AAA batteries if you are away from a power source for a while. The one drawback to this GPS is that the operating system is frustratingly complex, with endless nesting menus, none of which seem intuitive on first use, plus lots and lots of buttons. This is not a gadget that can be switched on and used straight out of the box. The package is pricey, but comes with Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps for the whole of the UK. The bright screen, coupled with button controls that are designed to be glove-friendly, make this a superb choice for use in foul weather, especially in winter, when it would definitely be my first choice of GPS unit. Weight 200g. ■ satmap.com

GARMIN ETREX 20 (UNIT ONLY) £169.99 I specifically requested the Etrex 20 from Garmin to test, as on paper it looked like exactly the kind of device that I would choose for myself to have in the bag for emergency use (I’m a paper map and compass kind of a gal). It did not disappoint. Powerful, lightweight, waterproof and easy to operate, it has all the basic features of a modern GPS - including paperless geocaching, routes, waypoints and tracks, LCD display and USB interface.

It runs on a pair of AA Lithium batteries, and I found the advertised 25 hours of battery life to be fairly accurate. The screen is quite small at 1.7” x 1.4”, but the plus side is the compact size of the overall device. I like the fact that it doesn’t depend on a touchscreen - it is easy to operate in gloves, with buttons on the side and a toggle select button, plus it is small enough to slip into a pocket. Garmin track GPS and Russian GLONASS satellites, and the results are very swift satellite locking and noticeably enhanced precision when navigating. The PC interface is simple to operate, and routes and tracks can be shared easily via Garmin Connect, but this isn’t an all-singing, all-dancing gadget; if you want Bluetooth add-ons and extra connectivity, then look elsewhere. It comes with topographical maps, although outdoor users will have to purchase Garmin’s OS licensed mapping separately, which is where the downside comes in, as this is very expensive; Garmin GB 1:50K full coverage mapping will set you back a hefty £199.99, more than the cost of the GPS itself. It also doesn’t include an SD memory card - and has only 1.7GB of internal memory. With these extra costs, it no longer looks like such a bargain - but what you are paying for is impressive simplicity - in a neat and reliable GPS that doesn’t weigh you down. Weight 147g.

■ www.garmin.com

44 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

www.mountainpromag.com

GEAR GUIDE

SUUNTO AMBIT 3 PEAK (HR BELT NOT INCLUDED) £450

MEMORY MAP ANDROID GPS SEALS (UK OS 1:50K MAPPING) TX3 £299

np rom ag.com

I’ve been lukewarm about smartwatches in the past, but this clever little wrist-top device (I’m reluctant to call it merely a watch) is great fun. It has an eye-popping array of features - too many to list (but I will try), including: digital compass, barometric altimeter, daily activity tracking (via a built-in self calibrating sensor), Bluetooth Smart for HR band or other external sensors, smartphone syncing (via the Suunto Movescount app), PC/Mac interface, a whole host of training programs and performance analysis, plus of course, GPS tracking and navigation… As you would hope, it is very simple to get a grid reference, but the system will also store up to 250 POIs, and has a trackback facility. However, unlike the larger units reviewed here, it isn’t possible to load maps, so in reality it has relatively limited applications as an outdoor navigation aid, beyond the ‘emergency grid ref’. It does have a Go-to function, using pre-programmed waypoints (uploaded from the route planner on the Movescount website). Distance covered can also be tracked using the exercise function, which can be set to a range of activities, for example; swim, run, bike, and trek. As a training aid, it’s like wearing a sports scientist on your wrist. Considering the enormous depth of functionality, it is also pretty simple to operate the basic features - switching between Logbook, Navigation, Exercise and Displays views - the latter being where you can select information settings and also bring up tools such as the compass and altimeter. The device is charged via a USB cable, and a full charge will easily cover a day of intensive use. In basic watch mode, Suunto say it should run for up to 200 hours. And yes, it also tells the time.

Weight 89g. ■ www.suunto.com

If you have ever destroyed an expensive smartphone in the outdoors, then you BEST BUY i will appreciate this rugged and waterproof GPS unit with Android smartphone ta www.moun technology. As a GPS, it is a user-friendly little device with a bright 3.5” touchscreen that works even when damp (although touchscreens are not so handy with gloves on).

The software is logical and doesn’t take much research to negotiate your way through the various modes and functions. As you would expect, it has ‘Go-to’ navigation, and the 8GB Micro SD card is included for storing waypoints, tracks and routes. Additional features that enhance it as a GPS include Bluetooth and preloaded maps. It is compatible with, and includes, Memory Map software. This allows you to plan routes, print maps and share your adventures, as well as transfer routes, tracks and waypoints to your PC. Battery life is mostly good - the removable Lithium battery stood up to two days of intensive use as long as I didn’t get too enthusiastic with the 5MP camera - which quickly eats into the battery. It also has a compass and a barometric altimeter. It’s a bit of a cumbersome smartphone however. The technology savvy will find it bordering on old fashioned, and certainly less intuitive than leading smartphone models. Nevertheless, it is possible to access thousands of apps via the Android operating system, and send or receive data and calls via 3G, including webpages, emails and messaging. The unit has come down in price to perhaps coincide with the launch of the TX4 - at this price, with 1:50,000 OS maps included, it is superb value, (even more so if you take up Memory Map’s current £50 discount offer, when you trade in your old model). Weight 207g.

■ www.memory-map.co.uk

www.mountainpromag.com

APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 45

GEAR GUIDE

Bivis and Shelters CONFIRMED TARP ADDICT DAVID LINTERN TAKES A MINIMAL LOOK AT MINIMAL SLEEPING OPTIONS. THE THEORY WORKS Rii SHELTER £140 On paper, this looks great: tough silnylon modular ‘elements’ that zip together in multiples dependent on size of expedition, the ability to use the side walls as snow valances, in a more traditional mode with approx one foot high vertical walls, or down to the ground under a groundsheet for wet conditions. Once up, the version I tested provides a good deal of room for two people with the vertical walls up, and as expected, in ‘wet mode’ the sides drop a little and the living space is reduced.

The modularity means there are a lot of components; it’s not light by modern tarp standards at around 1570g, but once I figured out the configuration I was supposed to use for an Rii setup, the pitch was straightforward enough, and a good degree of tension was achieved. The shelter is supported by walking poles and a fabric ‘pole union’ to join them handle-to-handle, but in high winds I’d be concerned about the leverage here. The rings at the top of each ‘element’ require you use the pole with the point upwards, so using the poles handles up, with a blind section of joiner in between is ruled out. Second, the rain cover cinches down on top with Velcro, but in serious weather I’d want some way of making that more secure. The shelter worked well enough in the benign conditions I used it in and I suffered no issues. In theory, yes, this does work: in practice I’d be nervous about relying on it in more typical UK mountain weather conditions.

■ www.thetheoryworks.com

SNUGPACK BIVVI £65 A little heavier than the Moonlight, this weighs in at about 340gms. It’s a good deal simpler too – a basic sleeping bag liner and draw cord closure – no more, no less. Again, I’ve had this out over the winter and it’s kept my bag dry, so the heavy duty ‘Paratex Dry’ fabric is 100% waterproof and all seams are taped. It’s designed to house you and the bag only – there’s not a great deal of room for a mat or anything else inside, so you’ll need to have the mat under both you and the bivi. I found this to be less breathable than the Moonlight, suffering a good deal of condensation around the head (where the hot, wet air is, and where temperature differential between inside and outside is lower, meaning that the PU coating doesn’t transfer vapour as effectively) although it is a good deal cheaper. The draw cord closure does mean you can seal up the head against rain a little more, although the manufacturers do warn against that due to suffocation – again the solution would be to turn the bag around with the opening facing the ground. This is a budget option that will keep you dry in a pinch for a night or two, but I’d prefer not to use it as part of my regular sleep system.

■ www.snugpak.com 46 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2015

TERRA NOVA MOONLIGHT BIVI £100

The Moonlight is certainly minimal at just over 200gms, but is fully tape-seamed, and allowed me to endure a positively testing winter night after Christmas in relative comfort – it was one of the items I used that night which didn’t fail! It’s a good size inside, and light enough not to compress a down bag too much, even with a sleeping pad inside – although if you use a fat mattress you’ll have less room. A fairly ‘half moon foot’ area too. The main body of this is definitely waterproof, and had no problem fending off the elements, even when they encroached on. Sensibly, there’s a net screen around the face and a zip closure and draw cord, so this is an option for summer in the Highlands too, at least if you’re a lightweight masochist. Bear in mind though, that the netting means the bag can’t be completely sealed – not that any bivi should be, but if you use this on its own and it rains, your face will get wet unless you turn the bag upside down. Unlike some water resistantonly models, there’s no zip down the side, and so you do need to ‘shimmy’ in and out. Breathability – yes, there was condensation around the head from breath, but it wasn’t a major problem, and I’ve suffered worse in other bags. This is well-designed, light and very protective.

■ www.terra-nova.co.uk

www.mountainpromag.com

GEAR GUIDE

Cutting Edge LUCY WALLACE AND TOM HUTTON TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PRODUCTS LEADING THE WAY THIS SEASON. THERM-A-REST EVOLITE MATTRESS £100

RAB NEO GUIDE JACKET £300

Therm-A-Rest have blazed the trail in recent lightweight sleeping pad innovations, but until now the revolution has not touched traditional self-inflating mattress designs. Enter the EvoLite, a lightweight mat with foam insert that aids self-inflation. Size Regular (51 x 183cm) weighs 430g, which is only 100g lighter than the lightest of Therm-A-Rest’s cutting-edge NeoAir Xlite, the lightest in their series. The EvoLite doesn’t require lots of huff and puff to inflate, lofting of its own accord in a few minutes, although it usually requires a little top-up to reach its full, luxurious 5cm depth. The foam provides a stable and comfortable base, with a lot less of the creaking and wobbliness that plagues over-inflated air mattresses. The foam will also provide a modicum of comfort, should you suffer a puncture that you are not able to fix immediately. All this comfort adds to the bulk; the packed size is 20x13 m, so this isn’t the best option available if you want to save space as well as weight.

However, if you can find the room in your bag, this is a great compromise of comfort, durability and weight - ideal for overland expeditions, for example. LW ■ www.thermarest.com

There’s something wonderfully reassuring about the new Polartech Neoshell fabric. As waterproofs have generally got lighter, they have also become more delicate – fine when they spend most of the day in the pack; but when you spend a lot of days working as a leader in the rocky and frequently wet environs of Snowdonia, there are obvious drawbacks. The other great thing about this fabric is the breathability.

And while I can’t measure it in a laboratory, I know how much I sweat as I push hard uphill, yet I’ve not been experiencing the wetness I would expect. The downside to the tougher fabric is the weight and bulk – all outdoor gear is a compromise. Featureswise the Neo Guide is spot-on for me: a superb hood (and it’s not distractingly crinkly either); two cavernous Napoleon pockets that aren’t obstructed by a pack; Velcro at the cuffs and a draw cord at the hem. Two lengthy underarm vents make it possible to spill a bit of heat when needed.

It also has a small, secure inside pocket and an elasticated mesh one. For lightweight summer striding, the Neo Guide might be a bit much; but for year-round work outdoors, it’s about perfect, and will last long enough to justify the £300. ■ rab.uk.com/

PRIMUS WINTER GAS 230g £6.75 This winter I’ve been trying out an innovative new gas canister designed to give maximum burn efficiency down to temperatures of –22 °C. At low temperatures, the evaporation process by which liquid propane/isobutene becomes gas is hindered, with the cartridge losing pressure as the gas is burned. This in turn reduces the power of the stove, increasing boil time. If you have struggled to get an efficient burn in cold temperatures out of a cartridge that feels as though it still has plenty of gas to go, you will appreciate the problem of this drop-off in efficiency. Primus has introduced Vapour Mesh; a paper lining that absorbs the gas in its liquid state, and increases the surface area for the evaporation process. This helps to maintain the pressure in the canister as the gas is burned away. Primus says that after 60 minutes of cooking, a Winter Gas cartridge is nine per cent more powerful than an ordinary one; after 120 minutes, this advantage increases to 15 per cent. On test, towards the end of the cartridge, this difference was certainly noticeable - although I’m a bit of a miser who likes to squeeze every last drop out of my gas that I can, so I did also eventually resort to the traditional ‘shuggle’ method to speed up boil time (effective, but not recommended for obvious reasons). Another good way to improve the efficiency of your gas on cold mornings is to keep it warm in the bottom of your sleeping bag at night. I even pop mine in a little modified insulation sock during the day. LW ■ www.primus.eu www.mountainpromag.com

APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 47

TRIED AND TESTED

Tried & Tested CHANTELLE KELLY CAUGHT UP WITH STEVE MCCLURE, ONE OF THE UK’S TOP PROFESSIONAL ROCK CLIMBERS, FOR HIS INSPIRATION AND KIT LIST. CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? I was brought up on Teeside, but legged it to Sheffield for the great climbing scene. I’ve always been a climber; brought up by two keen climbing parents, we were out all the time. My first routes were before I could walk! Climbing and the outdoors is part of who I am. I love the whole package; the scenery, the weather, the banter with mates, the moving over stone, travel, the whole lot. I started more performance orientated climbing when I was about 25, a late start, but it was the perfect time for me. It’s been a rollercoaster since then, having climbed some of the hardest routes anywhere and making a career out of my passion. www.mountainpromag.com

IS THERE A PARTICULAR BRAND YOU ALWAYS USE, OR WOULD RECOMMEND? I’m lucky to be involved with what I think are the best kit manufacturers in the world. I’m supported and work on behalf of Petzl, Beal, 5.10 and Marmot. Sponsorship has never been a major part of my life, and so I’ve been in a position to use only what I really believe is the very best.

WHAT PIECE OF KIT DO YOU USE THE MOST? I’ve got a few Marmot powerstretch fleeces that are simply amazing for route-setting, climbing, cycling - pretty much anything. They are lightweight, quick drying, comfy, and absolutely indestructible - which is why I’ve still got them, even though they are a good few years old and I’ve put them through hell! I’ve been gobsmacked at the wear resistance of Marmot clothes.

WHAT IS ESSENTIAL TO YOU IN REGARDS TO EQUIPMENT? Quality and function. I’m an engineer, so poor design gets noticed. I’d rather pay more for something high quality that does the job well than suffer with inferior products. Simple products that get the job done are what I look for.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR CHOOSING QUALITY CLIMBING ROPES? Not all ropes are the same. People spend so

much time researching equipment for safety, wear rate, durability and weight, and then choose their rope simply on price - with no knowledge of its characteristics or performance. Of all the safety products we use, the rope is THE number one bit of kit we rely on.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING CLIMBING SHOES? It’s all about fit. Decide how snug the shoe needs to be: A beginner will wear their shoe like a street shoe, but an expert will wear it like a ballet dancer, with a tight fit around the whole foot. A tight fit is essential for standing on tiny footholds, but should still feel comfortable. However, all brands have a different fit. I have been wearing 5.10 shoes for over 20 years now and rate them as totally cutting-edge. They fit my feet like they were designed with only me in mind. But regardless of what the stars wear, or what friends recommend, no one can climb hard when their feet are in agony!

For more information about Steve McClure, visit his website: www.steve-mcclure. com, or visit his Facebook: www.facebook.com/stemcclure APRIL 2015 | Mountain Pro 49

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