M PRO
FOR THOSE THAT WORK AND PLAY OUTDOORS
WWW.MOUNTAINPROMAG.COM APRIL 2016
ISABELLE SANTOIRE
focus on ben nevis ALEX HIBBERT ■ paraclimb eiger ■ crag guides: a history ■ reviewed: tents, stoves, sleeping bags
Welcome Contributors John Appleby is a North Wales based outdoor activist, artist and writer who edits the popular Footless Crow mountain culture blogazine. footlesscrow.blogspot.co.uk
Alex Hibbert is the world record-holding polar traveller, who has skied further on an unsupported Arctic journey than anyone in history. alexhibbert.com
Richard Bentley is one of Scotland’s best known MIC’s. He runs avalanche courses for the MCofS and is a ski patroller on Aonach Mor. mountainmotion.co.uk
I found myself at a fancy dinner recently, at which the Scottish Avalanche Information Service rightly received an award for exemplary service provision. As their spokesperson accepted the Award, at the end of a winter season that saw some casualties on the hill and the usual loose talk in the mainstream media, he made a superbly concise and simple speech that seemed to me to get to the very heart of the ‘why’ question. He said “Our passion is the mountains. There aren’t many places you can have an adventure these days, not many places you can make your own decisions. And for these reasons the mountains are sacrosanct.” If you’re still wondering, then our two main film presentations may be of interest. Defiance director Euan Ryan meets the question of risk head on in a film about the Eiger Paraclimb team, and Menna Pritchard talks rehab and desire in the upcoming Magnetic Mountains project. Both are fascinating explorations of the drive to challenge ourselves in beautiful places. Elsewhere, we’ve a selection of features celebrating work and play on the Nevis Range, others that explore science and adventure in the polar regions, a history of crag guides and new perspectives on Everest and Kangchenjunga, and a whole lot more besides. For those that remain unconvinced, I can only hope that some of the ‘why’ will come through incidentally, alongside the ‘how’ and maybe even the occasional ‘wow’. See you on the hill,
Da vid
Robert Wainwright has worked as a journalist for thirty years and is the author of nine books, including most recently Sheila: The Australian Ingenue who Bewitched British Society. He lives in London.
Menna Pritchard is a mum, producer and writer based in Chamonix. She is currently producing a film exploring the psychology of risk-taking in the mountains. magneticmountains.com
Euan Ryan is a climber, mountaineer and filmmaker. He studied television production, and combining this with his passion for the outdoors, launched Finalcrux Films in October 2013. finalcruxfilms.com
Chantelle Kelly is our editorial assistant without whom interviews, book reviews and more would not happen. She is relatively new to the great outdoors, but learns fast!
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. Tom Hutton is a freelance mountain leader and mountain bike guide, as well as an award-winning outdoors writer and photographer. He’s based in Snowdonia but is lucky enough to work throughout the UK.
Alison Austin is the John Muir Trust Property Manager for Ben Nevis Estate, and also a geologist, climber and mountaineer. johnmuirtrust.org
David Lintern, Editor
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 3
Contents Alex Hibbert: Antartica
Ski Patrol
The Maverick Mountaineer
Interview: Isabelle Santoire
REVIEWS 6 FILM 8 Film News: ParaClimb eiger 9 Film News: Moving Mountains 10 ALEX HIBBERT: ANTARTICA 14 Profile: British Antarctic Survey 18 INTERVIEW: ISABELLE SANTOIRE 20 Mountain Heritage Trust 24 the MAVERICK MOUNTAINEER 26 Focus on Ben Nevis: Ski Patrol 30 Focus on Ben Nevis: John Muir Trust 36 Focus on Ben Nevis: In the Shadow… 38 CLIMBING guides: a historical perspective 42 GEAR: TENTS 48 49 GEAR: STOVES GEAR: DOWN THREE SEASON SLEEPING BAGS 50 GEAR: SYNTHETIC THREE SEASON SLEEPING BAGS 51 TRIED AND TESTED: FRAN BROWN 53
EDITOR: David Lintern e: david.lintern@targetpublishing.com GEAR EDITOR: Tom Hutton e: tom.hutton@targetpublishing.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Chantelle Kelly e: editorial@targetpublishing.com SUB EDITOR: Suzanne Cann e: suzanne.cann@targetpublishing.com SALES DIRECTOR: Ruth Gilmour e: ruth.gilmour@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810084 GROUP SALES MANAGER: Michael Wolstenholme e: michael.wolstenholme@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810067 SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE: Chris Kemp e: chris.kemp@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810083 DESIGN/PRODUCTION: Leann Boreham e: leann.boreham@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810075 MARKETING EXECUTIVE: Sarah Kenny e: sarah.kenny@targetpublishing.com t: 01279 810091 MANAGING DIRECTOR: David Cann e: info@targetpublishing.com 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.
50 48 49 51
the team
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
Cover image Shaun Hutson
The Armchair Alpinist An expanded Mountain Pro review team take a look at the latest books, films and events. After the Crash and other stories published by Vertebrate £9.99
SNOW ON THE EQUATOR Published by Vertebrate £12
Climb magazine’s David Pickford delivers a compilation of 10 finely honed fiction shorts that showcase a climber’s nimble imagination and an editor’s precision with a storyline. The stories range from a child’s woodland wander to tales of climbing, skiing and mountaineering… and the best of these are miraculous miniatures. Plot and character are pared back to an absolute minimum, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps and me to wonder how such a punch was packed in so few pages. As a result, these feel like fables, or perhaps more accurately like dreams – archetypal journeys pieced together from the wreckage of memory, barely protected and half remembered from the shock of a sudden and breathless awakening. Weren’t we just teetering on the brink of an abyss? Pickford has a surgeon’s hand and a sculptor’s heart, and has figured out very precisely how to leave us wanting more. There are perhaps one or two less effective pieces in the mix, but overall this is virtuoso stuff. David Lintern
Bill Tilman was one of the great mountain explorer-writers of the 20th century. First published in 1937, this book tells the remarkable tale of Tilman’s years in Africa after the First World War. Although expeditions to Kilimanjaro, the Ruwenzori range and Mount Kenya are fascinating highlights, illustrated by photos that show far more extensive glaciers than remain today, this is much more than a mountaineering book. Tilman tried his hand as a pioneer, coffee planter and (unsuccessful) gold prospector. Much of the book is all about his struggle to carve out a living in a rapidly changing and modernising Africa. I particularly enjoyed his tale of a 3,000-mile, 56-day bicycle journey across the continent, told with dry humour and some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. This book deserves its reputation as one of the great 20th-century tales of adventure set in the African continent. As the author concludes, ‘If she [Africa] had not given me the fortune I expected, she had given me something better – memories, mountains, friends.’ Alex Roddie
Meru Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Meru is a Himalayan mountain made of three peaks. The hitherto unclimbed 6310-metre central peak is known as the Shark’s Fin and the ambition to be first up its intimidating granite flanks is the subject of this engaging documentary. Filmed and co-directed by one of the three-man climbing team, Jimmy Chin, who along with Conrad Anker and Renan Ozturk make their first attempt on the Shark’s Fin in 2008 and a second in 2011. Like the best outdoor adventure films, Meru isn’t just about the challenge, the landscape or the people, it’s about all three. For the gear-laden climbers, it’s not only a test of their mountain skills, their journey is personal too. Those that don’t share this drive to conquer challenging mountains might welcome the film’s near-absent attention to technical details, such as climbing methods, route selection and equipment. Those that do climb probably know enough anyway. The directors belie the small budget with some judicious use of their hand-held footage – the entire project was shot on a single camera, shared between Chin and Ozturk. More aerial photography of the incredible landscape might have been welcome, but the lack thereof means that the film would play as well on a small screen as on a big screen. Overall, I found Meru a gripping and emotional journey. Andy Reynolds
National Adventure Awards 2015 Award events, like celebrity adventurers; they’re two a penny these days, aren’t they? I’m a little cynical about these affairs but this proved to be different. Hosted by outdoor ambassador Cameron McNeish in the very swanky Glasgow Grand, this appeared to have all the trappings of a high value back slapping event – big names, big sponsors and a formal dinner. But in the flesh, it was a more genuine proposition. As well as some of the more media friendly pro’ adventurers, the judges honoured quieter, and group endeavours from the edges – the St. Kilda swim team, and ‘unsung hero’ Anthony Ellis Davies being notable examples. Very real and moving speeches about the value of risk taking for all sectors of society, from SAIS (winner of ‘service provider’) and the Paraclimb Eiger (winner of the ‘inspiring others’ award) seemed to sum up the real spirit of the event. In an outdoor culture dominated by England and the Lakes in particular, it’s also significant that this event is held in Scotland. It felt federal in the best way - Whisky was served as an aperitif and a pipe band played, but people from across the UK were celebrated equally. An event gaining in both stature and confidence, one that supports and celebrates real outdoor values, and Glasgow is a great host. David Lintern
6 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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Film DOWN TO NOTHING
A six-person team from The North Face and National Geographic attempted to summit an obscure peak in Myanmar (Hkakabo Razi) to determine if it is Southeast Asia’s highest point. This harrowing expedition pushed a group of mountaineers to the mental and physical brink.
LINK SAR WEST In July 2015, The North Face alpinist Andy Houseman and alpinist/mountain sports photographer Jon Griffith travelled to Charakusa Valley, Pakistan, in an attempt to make the first ascent of Link Sar, a magnificent and daunting 7041m presence in the heart of the Karakoram Mountains.
8 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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FILM news
Defiance - The Eiger Paraclimb Filmmaker Euan Ryan presents his film about the National Adventure Award winning Eiger Paraclimb team.
▶︎ The Eiger Paraclimb was born out of an ambition to push the limits of Paraclimbing and to bring the lesser-known discipline to the world stage. Mark McGowan, a Great Britain Paraclimb Team coach and an accomplished mountaineer in his own right, came up with the idea along with John Churcher who he coaches in the team. John is a Visually Impaired (VI) climber with about 50% hearing, and along with fellow GB team member Alex Taylor who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and Welsh Autistic climber Jamie Owen, scaled the West Flank route of The Eiger assisted by Mark and another mountaineer named Colin Gourlay. The team of 5 spent 3 days and 2 nights on the route, which usually takes roughly a day for a fit team. This allowed them to take a careful and measure approach to the ascent, along with allowing time for John and Alex moving more slowly over difficult ground. Risk taking in mountaineering is almost a given, and has been since www.mountainpromag.com
the dawn of our sport. Most mountaineer’s factor in a certain amount of measured risk to any climb they undertake and will understand that accidents are entirely possible. That having been said and understood, the Eiger Paraclimb met with a lot of opposition to their proposed choice of route, and the risks they were proposing to take. Many well meaning parties suggested that perhaps the Eiger was not an appropriate climb to aim for, given that 3 out of the 5 person team had a “disability” to contend with. “Defiance – The Eiger Paraclimb” was a film I felt I needed to make. It was an extremely interesting subject matter; How much risk can Paraclimbers justify? In the end, I felt that Paraclimbers, ultimately, are just climbers. They should be ‘allowed’ to take just as much risk as any other climber. So long as it’s justified and reasoned, it’s just as much a valid risk to take as any other able-bodied climber. Unconvinced? Check out the film above, and make up your own mind! APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 9
FILM NEWS
Magnetic Mountains Menna Pritchard presents a film about risk taking, in the making…
F
inding a balance – it’s something we all struggle with. Career and ambition, work and play, health, family, responsibilities, commitments… how much of ourselves do we invest? It can be hard to know where to draw the
line. For Steve Wakeford, that line was drawn in a high dependency ward at a hospital in Central London after one of his lungs collapsed due to stress at work. Drawing a line under that chapter of his life, he packed up his things, moved into a van and escaped to the mountains to rewrite the next part of his story. This next chapter began in Chamonix, the home of Alpinism. Anyone who has been to this bustling mountain town nestled at the foot of Mont Blanc, will understand its pull. Like so many others, he was magnetically drawn to this incredible, historic massif. Over the last few years he has dedicated his time to honing his skills as an alpinist. Rewriting his story has given him incredible memories - but they came at a cost.
to the mountains surpasses all else?”.
Falling
up his camera to document his rehab, and to start asking people
In October 2014, Steve and his three climbing partners walked up
questions – perhaps in his footage he would begin to find some
the iconic Mer de Glace to join Glacier de Leschaux, before bivvying
answers. And so ‘Magnetic Mountains’ was born.
at the base of Les Petites Jorasses. An alpine start, crisp blue skies
An award winning broadcast editor by trade, Steve decided to pick
and an icy, mixed route snaking up above them – it was set to be a
Reflection
perfect days climbing. But three pitches in – Steve fell. 70 metres.
During his long winter of rehabilitation, the mountain community
Looking down the gully, he remembers his climbing partners
saw both great and tragic events unfold. The international press
screaming and then it all goes black.
went into a frenzy over Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson’s ascent
When he came round, Steve found himself with a bicep ripped off,
of the Dawn Wall, Tom Ballard climbed all six of the classic Alpine
his leg broken in three places and a shattered shoulder blade - his
North Faces in one winter, and Eva Walkner won the Freeride World
climbing partners making sure he was secure and putting in the call
Tour after returning from two and a half years of rehab following a
to the heroic PGHM. Minutes later he was plucked off the mountain
knee injury.
in a helicopter, his partners left with nothing but a splatter of blood on the snow as evidence that Steve was ever there.
Direction Finding himself temporarily left in a wheelchair, Steve lost his sense
But the alpine community also suffered some devastating losses. Much loved and inspirational personalities such as Liz Daley, Andreas Fransson, JP Auclair and many others were all lost in the hills. In order to find answers to his questions, Steve went to interview
of direction and identity. He needed to keep himself occupied,
some of the people closely connected to the tragedies, as well as
he needed to vent his frustration and he needed answers to his
those who had celebrated successes that year. He also wanted to
questions… “Is risk an essential part of what we do? Do we perceive
meet people who had inspired him on his own personal journey –
risk differently after an accident? Why is it that my desire to return
leading figures in the world of alpine sports such as Steve House,
10 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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photo: Lukasz Warzecha
This is the story of an everyman finding a balance, a story of inspiration, determination and spirit – not one of heroism.
Nick Bullock, Chris Bonington, Liz Sansov, Ellen Brennan and many
conditions and far too many panicky minutes defrosting batteries
more.
with a Nalgene hot water bottle inside a down jacket! Now that the dark days of rehab are over, Steve has become
Balance
increasingly uncomfortable directing a project about himself. After
Falling off the route was the start of another chapter in Steve’s story.
all, isn’t the film trying to challenge concepts of selfishness? But he
So much has changed – not only in his approach to the mountains,
has also come to realise he is just a small part of a much bigger story
but also in his personal life. But one constant remains - since the day
– one we are all writing, in the choices and decisions we make when
he fell, there has never been any doubt in his mind that he wants to
we head into the hills – and at home.
go back and climb the same route. The film is an attempt to capture why that is. Fed up of the current glut of ‘mountain porn’ movies, the film sets out to ask more challenging questions of the alpine community, and
If you want to be inspired by pro-climbers going climbing, by groundbreaking first ascents and summit high-fives then this isn’t the film for you. This is the story of an everyman finding a balance, a story of inspiration, determination and spirit – not one of heroism.
of Steve himself – about what is essentially a privileged, selfish pasttime. Is the risk ever truly worth it? Where do our priorities lie? How do we find a balance? The highs and lows of filmmaking have proved to be as extreme as the environment in which the film is being made. When we sit in our comfy cinema seat or stream a movie at home, we’re insulated from the time and discomfort of the filmmaking process. The sleepless nights and freezing bivvies, empty bank accounts, and endless days of editing, grading and audio mixing. 10 seconds of footage can take weeks of planning, days of hauling heavy camera kit and skinning in
▶︎
Magnetic Mountains will premiere at Kendal Mountain Film Festival, November 2016. The Magnetic Mountains team are currently crowdfunding – to find out more and be a part of the project visit: http://kck.st/1PNjkXn
to location, hours carefully observing pressure charts and avalanche www.mountainpromag.com
APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 11
ADVERTORIAL
Interview - Noel Hanna CHANTELLE KELLY SPOKE to adventurer Noel Hanna ahead of his trip to Everest. In May Noel Hanna is attempting to summit Everest from the Tibet/North side with his wife Lynne. The couple successfully summited Everest together from Nepal/South side in 2009, and now they are hoping to be the first married couple from the UK/Ireland to achieve a summit from both sides of the mountain. We speak to Noel to find out more… How have you mentally and physically prepared yourself for the trip? I have treated it like all other endurance events, I have trained to be as physically fit as possible. Once you start having problems with your fitness on the mountain it will bring you down mentally, and you don’t want to get to that. Has nutrition played a key part in this? Yes nutrition and eating healthily plays a big part on staying fit and hopefully having a healthy body (that’s not to say I would not eat a Chinese or fish and chips the very odd time at midnight after a few drinks). The guys at Pharma Nord are really good at advising what nutritional supplements I should take before, during and after a challenge like this so that I’m in peak condition. I trust their advice because they use research as the cornerstone of their product development. If it’s been proven to work and to have an effect, I’d be foolish not to take advantage of what they have to offer.
that she would not continue without me. Has this had an impact on how you’ve prepared this time? No not really because you could go to the mountain 5-6 times and nothing happen, and on the 7th time you could go and get sick with altitude sickness. I’ve climbed mountains all over the world and I understand how things can quickly change. Sometimes things happen that are out of your control and you just have to accept that.
So what supplements do you take and what support does this provide you? I take Bio-Quinone Active Q10 everyday. Coenzyme Q10 fuels the body and helps to increase energy levels, I also find it helps my muscle recovery after long days on the legs. I also take multi-vitamins and Bio-Glucan Plus which contain beta glucans to help boost my immune system. The last thing I want on a trip is a cold or the flu. These products are scientifically proven and extremely high quality, which I like. They’re blister packed too which keeps every capsule fresh; this is important when I’m away for weeks at a time.
What unique challenges does Everest present? Like all big mountains there are a number of factors that challenge you – altitude, weather and mother nature are the main. The most important thing is to stay healthy and injury free on the mountain.
You previously attempted the trip back in 2005, can you tell us what happened? Yes in 2005 both my wife Lynne and I were attempting to climb Everest from the Tibet/North side but unfortunately at North Col (7000mts) I developed Retinal Haemorrhaging in both eyes and had to come back down the mountain. After numerous phone calls to different hospitals and doctors I was advised to abandon my climb as there was risk of permanent eye damage. No summit is worth that. So Lynne decided
What essential items are you taking with you? A side from all the climbing gear, clothing and Pharma Nord products that I require for the climb, this year I will be taking my dogs ashes with me to sprinkle on the summit. When I came home from Everest in 2005 with my eye problems I got a German Shepherd pup and called him Babu which means child - son in Tibetan. Babu would train with my wife and I in the Mourne Mountains in Co-Down every weekend, he probably reached the summit of Slieve Donard over 150 times with us. We always agreed that if and when he dies we would cremate him and take some of his ashes to the summit of Slieve Donard and hopefully the summit of Mt Everest. Babu died in December 2015, so on 17th March St Paddy’s Day we sprinkled some of his ashes on the summit of Slieve Donard. This is why we are so determined, we want to stand on the summit of Everest together and sprinkle the remaining of Babu’s ashes.
12 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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Polar expedition
Conquering Demons Polar explorer and Bridgedale ambassador Alex Hibbert learns the value in going back to try again
J
anuary 2016 was very important to me. The previous three Januarys had been spent chasing huge polar goals and had brought both wonderful, immersive experiences and frustrating setbacks. The February of the year before that, 2012, lays claim
to a tough experience. After around eight days making my way
with a friend over snow-covered lava fields, through waist-deep rivers, and up onto the mighty Vatnajökull icecap, the endlessly stormy weather upped its pace. Winter in Iceland is utterly reliable in its unpredictability – a succession of storms, blizzards and dangerous freeze-thaw oscillation that soaks then freezes. That was the attraction. The grumpiest icecap on earth, perhaps? The wind speeds had been tolerable at 30, 40 and 50 miles an hour, but then rose to 70 miles an hour. We were in the middle of the icecap, but the snow quality was so poor that a wall could barely be built to protect our tent. In line with the wind it had a chance of survival, but from the side it was weak. The wind turned at right angles. Our tent’s demise was inevitable. The next day, after a sensible conversation with Iceland’s ICE-SAR (volunteer search and rescue) and having secured our immediate safety by burying half the ripped, stricken tent, we were picked up by skidoo. “Come back and try again” were the parting words of one of the ICE SAR team. A month or two ago, we did. Quietly – by design. Though a different team, and with a newly malleable route plan, it was a journey I had to make. Compared to a thousand-mile ice sheet route it is short, and it isn’t even above the Arctic Circle, but no matter. It was more important to make peace with Vatnajökull. James Wheeldon, with whom I’d lived and driven dogs with in the extreme north of Greenland in 2014, and Brad Jarvis, formerly of UCL medical research team on Everest, were my accomplices. Our lightweight, low-cost plan saw us catch one of the infrequent buses from Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, and travel hundreds of
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To the left were towering fields of jagged, pyramid glacial ice. To the right, 20 foot wide partially snowed-in crevasses. Eventually the snow thinned and glassy ice protruded, intermingled with crevasses and large moulins.
miles along the south coast. We planned to step off in the rough regional of Kirkjubæjarklaustur (Klauster to most) and cross the lava field of Eldhraun (the largest in human history) to access the western edge of the icecap at the Síðujökull glacier. The lava was unimaginably bumpy, so snow cover would be critical. Early January is early/mid-winter for Iceland, and annual snow cover peaks from late February and through March, so we risked danger through uncovered chasms, rivers and crevasses. With some challenging night navigation (we enjoyed less than six hours between sunrise and sunset), we snaked our way up the Eldhraun towards Miklafel and the mighty Laki volcanic fissure. We weathered a 20-hour period of ferocious winds and low contrast by creating a fortress of snow in large ‘one ton’ bags, a tactic I wanted to pioneer on windy polar journeys (a principle I’ve latterly found is not unlike the Hesco bags in military desert use). The wind never really ebbed much – either strong or moderate as Miklafell was left in our wake and we followed a series of volcanic craters towards the ice. Snow at sea level was perilously low, but we had approached 1000m elevation and now had a three or four feet snowpack. I was even able to dig my trademark trench in our tent vestibule to allow occupants to stand up inside. We’d not undertaken a ski journey as a trio before, but had settled into a functional routine with high morale, despite slow and sticky snow surfaces. Mountainous moraine at the icecap foot made for a clumsy transition from lava to ice. As we passed to the south of Grímsvötn, a narrow sector below the ridge where crevasses lurk, the wind grew as the light dimmed. With a forecast of a night of extremely high winds and being only a mile from a collection of small huts maintained by the IGS, we decided to make for those. The toil uphill was significant. The rise was steep and the surface poor as ever. I navigated our trio in the dark, with a snowy, strong -20 centigrade headwind towards the volcano. I had to trust entirely in my maps, crevasse chart and limited view of the snow ahead to not lead us into serious trouble. With some relief, shovelling and a quick phone call to the IGS, we were into the snowburied hut. Our descent and conclusion of a near two week Iceland winter journey would not be simple. I’d not done extensive research on the vast and wide
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 15
Polar expedition
Skeiðarárjökull but luckily did have mapping and low resolution
the other side, and our holed sleds would sink.
crevasse charts. We devised a very detailed set of GPS waypoints
I led Brad and James east along the thin ledge of ice attached to
to ‘thread the needle’ between red zones of extremely hazardous
the steep ground on the bank. Twice, our sleds tipped into the water
crevassing. It was like walking a narrow ridge with invisible danger to
or broke the ice and needed rescue.
either side.
We eventually found the source, a vast glacial ice lagoon, and
The drift and gusty wind made those dozens of miles and few
tentatively hopped from iceberg to iceberg, and then across the 500
days especially hard. The drift killed our visibility to the front. We
yard stretch of open, thinning ice. As Brad later remarked – it was the
had to feel our way down.
most ‘iffy’ part of the trip. My eyes, as the scout, had been out on
To the left were towering fields of jagged, pyramid glacial ice. To the right, 20 foot wide partially snowed-in crevasses. Eventually the snow thinned and glassy ice protruded, intermingled with
stalks, repeatedly testing the ice for strength. Lakes in Iceland are notoriously dangerous when frozen. My GPS promised a short but steep rise onto a black sand plateau,
crevasses and large moulins (scary, vertical, deep sinkholes where
and then another old 4x4 track, perhaps two hours of hauling to
water escapes in the melt season). We attached slings as brakes to
the road. We stepped off the route and onto our finishing spot, a
our skittish sleds and wiggled our way down on the final dawn of
drainage ditch beside the road, and awaited our transport. Journey’s
our journey. Our map beckoned on old 4x4 track that would help
end. It was the first moment for the entire duration that the wind had
take us our final dozen miles or so to the ring road. It was out of
calmed a little and we enjoyed a final roadside flask of hot chocolate.
date. First, we and our long suffering plastic sled shells negotiated
For me the demon has been put the rest. The technical and self-
a few kilometres of steep black sand hills and river beds. Then,
care challenges of Icelandic winter travel had been bridged and we
unbeknown to us, a mighty 30 foot wide melt river. Swimming was
finished as a cohesive and satisfied unit. We began our celebratory
out of the question as we couldn’t be sure our destination was on
drinks in Reykjavik that night at 1am. It was a Friday night after all!
16 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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Are You Ready?
PROFILE
photos: Athena Dinar
British Antarctic
Survey
Field guide (far left) Mat Etheridge with BBC weather presenter Peter Gibbs having just abseiled a chasm near Halley
18 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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Halley research base employs an array of professionals. ‘Field Guide’ Mat Etheridge swapped Outward Bound for the deep south.
A
ntarctica is a continent of superlatives. It’s the highest, driest and windiest continent that has captured the imagination of the great explorers over 100 years ago like Scott and Shackleton. It’s nearly 58 times the size of Great Britain and contains 90% of the world’s ice. Tourists pay thousands to visit on a cruise ship, but some lucky souls get paid to go. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the UK’s national operator in Antarctica. BAS employs a wide range of staff to work on its two ships and five stations in Antarctica. It’s not just scientists - carpenters, plumbers, electricians, chefs, doctors and field guides are also needed. The most remote and isolated of BAS stations is Halley Research Station at 76 degree south. Halley is located on an ice shelf, so it sits on several hundred metres of ice which floats on the sea. The ice moves several metres a day. It’s flat and white for as far as the eye can see. And whilst it doesn’t snow much (because it’s so dry) the snow drift can bury everything very quickly. A lot of effort goes into keeping the site flat with heavy-duty machinery. Your best friend is your shovel! Halley is positioned in a unique location for its ability to collect scientific data on the atmosphere and space. Equipment collects data on the Earth’s magnetic field and space weather which is fed into global data centres. As society is ever dependent on satellites for GPS, mobile communications and energy sources like the National Grid, scientists are keen to better understand space weather and how it can affect satellites. In addition, data collected from Halley on the ozone layer led to the discovery of the ozone hole by BAS in 1985 which led to a worldwide ban of harmful ozone depleting chemicals called CFCs which were found in fridges and aerosols. Mat Etheridge, 28, is a field guide at Halley Research Station. Mat started at Halley in October 2015, and is responsible for keeping the staff on station safe when they travel on the ice. During the Antarctic summer he was responsible for 60 -70 people, now he’s with just 12 others who make up the wintering team. Together they will experience four months of 24 hour darkness and have no visitors for the next eight months until the start of the next season in November when the ship and new recruits arrive. When Mat’s out and about around the station, as well in the deep field, it’s his responsibility to keep teams safe on the ice and from crevasses. The Brunt Ice Shelf on which Halley sits is full of crevasses so it’s essential that staff travelling off site have a field guide with them. Previous to working for BAS Mat worked for Outward Bound, and took young people out in the hills of the Lake District. Now on the ice he’s using snow anchors, abseiling and making pulley systems. For Mat, it’s about ‘’patience, and the ability to adapt - every day is different’’. BAS are currently recruiting for the 2016/17 season for a range of positions. Find out more here: https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/vacancies/
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Mat Etheridge on a field skidoo, the only way to travel around in Antarctica!
BAS employs a wide range of staff to work on its two ships and five stations in Antarctica. It’s not just scientists carpenters, plumbers, electricians, chefs, doctors and field guides are also needed.
APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 19
INTERVIEW
isabelle santoire
Chantelle Kelly chats to the Arc’teryx ambassador and mountain guide about her love for all things outdoors. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Photo: Angela Percival
Anything is possible, nothing is impossible; somehow life is full of possibilities. My head is always spinning with ideas, one idea generates another. My motto is: Energy Generates Energy! I have a bit of a restless personality, I am happy when a lot is going on and I LOVE being in projects!! How did growing up in Quebec affect your love for the outdoors? As a kid I always loved being outside. I could play forever in the street, running around and about, but getting me to stand still indoors for a long period was another challenge. I loved feeling my red cheeks burning after spending hours in the cold air. I savoured sipping a hot chocolate to warm my body up. I had typical adolescence wanting to ‘fit in’ with the others but always found myself different. At a young age I discovered that physical exercise
accessible and yet doing absolutely inaccessible challenges.
made me feel happy. Why did you decide to move from Quebec to Chamonix? The first winter sport that you were passionate about was
I was 21 years old, and in love with a Canadian ice hockey player
figure ice skating, can you tell us about that?
who had a job as a player and a coach in Geneva. I had finished
I practiced figure skating to competitive level, I loved the balanced
my studies as a primary school teacher and wanted to join him in
and focus required to perform well. It taught me self-discipline:
Geneva. I really fell in love for the spectrum of new experiences,
there is no secret to improving; you have to practice, practice and
and I started teaching. I pursued my studies with a master in Adult
practice. Nothing is given to you. Being able to add an extra loop
Education.
on your jumps requires hours of practice, falling over, trying again
It didn’t work out with the boyfriend, but I had fallen in love
and again, until it suddenly clicks and becomes second nature. It’s
with life - the European rhythm, the climbing, the skiing and the
exactly the same process for climbing.
mountains. So I decided to stay in Geneva. A few years later, I met my (now) husband called Rick. He had a very unusual way of life, he
Whilst growing up did you have anyone who inspired you?
only worked to afford and fully lived his passion for mountaineering
My first climbing hero was Lynn Hill, I relate to her as we seem to
- his home had to fit in a rucksack.
have a similar built and height. She also seemed like someone 20 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
We decided to share a project together, which was to ski across www.mountainpromag.com
Photo: Shaun Hutson
My motto is: Energy Generates Energy! www.mountainpromag.com
APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 21
INTERVIEW
there is no secret to improving; you have to practice, practice and practice. Nothing is given to you.
the Alps starting from Austria to Mont Blanc. I was physically strong, but I had never done anything like that before. Rick went to the
Can you explain the process you went through to become a
Antarctic for 18 months, which gave me space to figure out what I
professional mountain guide?
needed. By the time he got back, our roles had reversed and I was
There are a significant number of French candidates, 200-250
taking him out climbing! Or, it would be fairer to say, we were a
a year, compared to an average of 5 candidates for the British
perfect climbing match.
scheme. You need to have completed a substantial number of climbs in the Alps, a list of 50 long routes in the mountains (ice,
You studied teaching/education at university, how did you make the transition into guiding?
rock and mixed in the Alps). The application is followed by a series of exams. One of the
I did not decide to become a guide; it just became an obvious
physical tests had changed due to poor weather conditions and
path. Whilst we were away on our ski traverse across the Alps, I
we had to run/jump through a boulder field within one and a half
had sub-let my place in Geneva. When I got back there absolutely
minutes. It wasn’t really a fair test. This first year I failed drastically.
everything had been stolen, my clothes, my computer, and even my
Three women had tried and all had failed. Everyone said I should
photos. It was very distressing. I was left with my pair of skis and my
complain but no, I wanted to come back the following year as I
Volkswagen.
didn’t want people to think that I was given special privileges.
However, I felt I could either just cry or move on with my life. I
The failure made me really determined and I got very focused
didn’t know where I was going but I had the confidence that I had
on my training, including interval running, and made myself even
to go! Sometimes you need a wake-up call in life. Instead of feeling
stronger. The next year I applied, prepared myself mentally for the
miserable for myself, I perceived this event as a chance- a chance to
possibility of failing - but I passed!
detach myself from any material bounds and explore the outdoors as a way of life. So for the years following, we travelled just to climb and we would
Have you faced any difficult or life threatening situations whilst working on the mountains?
settle the winters in Chamonix to ski and mountaineer. I realised I
Fortunately no, I don’t think I would be able to work on a daily basis
wanted to find a job in the outdoor industry. I hadn’t realised just
having met lots of life threatening moments. Guiding is minimizing
how much experience in the mountains around the world I had
the risks… I am lucky enough to be able to pick and choose the
gathered for being a mountain guide. People would say to me that
work I want to do and the people I want to share with. I am my
because I was a woman and very petite, in addition to not being
own boss and I can choose how I want to plan my calendar. It is
French, it was really unlikely that I would break the barriers and
very important to balance the work in such a way that I can have
become a mountain guide. That was enough for me to go for it!
a less strenuous day in between longer days. A way to keep the
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motivation high, whilst not getting overly tired.
than you… don’t try to just go out and climb hard routes, learn the skills of what it is to be with people who need your assistance - you
What has been your greatest climbing achievement personally,
need to be in the decision making role. Be with women, don’t just
and as a guide?
climb with men, and climb with men who are not as strong as you.
I don’t think I can pick my best achievement, as every climb is an achievement in itself. The weather, the conditions and the people
What’s your next adventure?
you are climbing with: each climb is unique.
I have just started my role as Chamonix Core Ambassador for
I remember freezing on a bivouac in the middle of the Colton
Arc’teryx. I see this new role as an official framework to create
Macintyre on the Grandes Jorasses. Our bivouac consisted of a
‘experiences’ in Chamonix. I want to create awareness that
seat of a few cm, ice screws barely screwed in black ice. Type 2 fun.
mountaineering is accessible, it’s about enjoying the experience
Another memorable trip for me was guiding a classic walk Chamonix-
with people - and I want to convey that through different projects.
Zermatt with a family, which included six children aged from 8-15. I
For the last four years, Arc’teryx has followed me and supported
have vivid memories of our achievement, it was my first real work as
my initiatives. I now feel they are giving me a platform to move
a guide.
forward with more educational incentives. Every June, Arc’teryx organises the Arc’teryx Academy - an event focused on exploring
You’re a mum of two, how do you balance work and family life?
and learning through sharing. I would like to further the experience
That is my biggest challenge - finding the balance. I have realised
by organising skill workshops during the winter.
that finding some quality me time is important. I have wanted to start
One of my projects for this coming winter is to organise a women
yoga for years, but I always used lack of time as an excuse for not
ski touring training camp. This is to help introduce women to ski
stretching. Then I realised that just a few minutes a day is enough to
touring; it is a wonderful and healthy way to connect with other
allow my mind to rest and re-energise.
women who are passionate about the outdoors and a wonderful
I had to adapt my aspirations and projects and now it feels like it was a natural transition. I am doing less trips and expeditions away.
incentive for getting in shape. This ambassador role also enables me to do what I am best at:
The most time away would be a 10-day period at a time. I am very
connecting people. I strongly believe that by creating a network
lucky to have a husband who is very supportive and has the same
of people who share the same passion for the outdoors, it inspires
profession. We juggle the work and projects between us so that one
and gives confidence to others to get out there.
of us is always back home in the evening for the children. Photo: Shaun Hutson
Are your kids interested in the outdoors? They are very sporty. My son is 8 and he loves trail running and plays ice hockey. He doesn’t like climbing with ropes; he prefers bouldering on lamp posts or anywhere else except a climbing wall or a crag. He doesn’t love climbing as much, he likes being good at something straight away. My daughter is 6 and is super agile. She loves rock climbing, but she loves and is good at every sport she tries. She is just getting into swimming - something I’m not so good at. It’s quite an achievement to be one of just 16 women in France who are professional guides, have you experienced any gender issues in the industry? Besides having to kiss everyone at the Aiguille du Midi, no, I don’t feel I am being treated differently. If so, it is on the positive side. I probably get favours that other male guides would not. When I started I was the 12th female guide, there were a few others but most of them were not working full-time. When I passed I wanted to be a full-time guide, the others seemed to have other jobs - I didn’t realise how special it was.
To find out more Isabelle and her adventures check out her website www.isabellesantoire.com. To know more about
Do you have any advice for young women who are thinking of
upcoming events in Chamonix, follow her on
pursuing a career as a guide?
Twitter @ichamonix and on
Find a mentor and climb with other people who are less experienced
Facebook www.facebook.com/isachamonix.
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 23
Mountain Heritage Trust
‘Five Treasures of the High Snow’ The Mountain Heritage Trust focus on Kangchenjunga. photo: Doug Scott
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K
angchenjunga, the highest mountain in India and the world’s third highest mountain stands at 8586m. It is known as Five Treasures of the High Snow after its five peaks, three of which are on the border of northern
Sikkim in India and Nepal, with the remaining two in the Taplejung District, Nepal. This mountain, originally judged to be the highest in the world until 1856, and sacred to the people of Sikkim, remained unclimbed after numerous attempts - including an attempt by the notorious occultist Aleistair Crowley. It was a party led by Charles Evans in 1955 that would eventually succeed.
The First Ascent The 1955 Kangchenjunga expedition consisted of nine British team members, nine Sherpas and some three hundred labourers. Two of the British team members had previously been on the successful 1953 Everest expedition - Charles Evans and George Band. At the time, Kangchenjunga was the world’s highest unclimbed peak. Also in the team were Joe Brown, one of Britain’s best rock climbers, Norman Hardie, deputy leader of the expedition and Tony Streather, an English army officer. While ascending Kangchenjunga Joe Brown succeeded in climbing what is still the world’s highest rock climb. ‘’Goodbye George. Cheerio Joe. Good luck!’’ The support group turned to descend, leaving George and me alone on a small ledge 1,300ft below the summit” Joe Brown, The Hard Years. On the 25th May 1955 Joe Brown and George Band stopped just short of the summit, to honour local beliefs that the Mountain is a sacred dwelling place of their protective Gods, and as a promise to the Nepalese authorities. Every climber that has reached the summit since has stuck to this tradition. The following day Norman Hardie and Tony Streather also returned to camp 3 triumphant. They had summited the Mountain after finding a way around Joe Brown’s technical rock climb.
The First Lightweight Oxygenless Ascent The objective of the 1979 expedition to Kangchenjunga was to climb lightweight, as opposed the original ascent team’s militarystyle siege tactics. The expedition team consisted of Doug Scott, Georges Battembourg, Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker. During this ascent the team were forced to retreat to a snow cave several times due to severe weather conditions. Doug Scott however, felt compelled to try once again and reach the summit. Accompanied by Tasker and Boardman, they reached the summit of Kangchenjunga on the 16th May 1979, achieving the first ascent without supplementary oxygen and the third ascent of the mountain. As with previous ascents the team stayed a short distance from the summit as a sign of respect to the people of Sikkim. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Kangchenjunga, the Mountain Heritage Trust opened an exhibition at Keswick Museum and Art Gallery in May 2015. This exhibition showcases a range of objects and items taken from both the 1955 and 1979 expeditions, as well as diaries and letters home from team members. The exhibition will run until September 2016. www.mountain-heritage.org/
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 25
UNTOLD EVEREST
THE MAVERICK MOUNTAINEER George Ingle Finch was the silent and neglected partner in the early Everest campaigns. Robert Wainwright’s book examines a remarkable life.
George Ingle Finch, I have come to the conclusion that George
I
student who replaced Finch on the expedition although he had no
Mallory perished needlessly in 1924 on the slopes of Mount
experience climbing, or in the construction and use of the breathing
Everest.
apparatus that had been designed for the 1922 campaign by
that led to Finch being excluded from the 1924 campaign, despite
than reasoned consideration, nominated because of subjective
reaching a record height in the first attempt two years earlier. The
observations about his bravery and potential as an engineer rather
decision, led by the secretary of the Everest Committee Arthur
than any objective assessment of climbing experience and scientific
Hinks, was an act of bastardry based on an obsession with class
qualifications. But it was the convenience of finding a socially
and distaste of innovation that not only led to Mallory attempting
palatable replacement for George Finch that drove the decision.
n writing the biography of Australian climber and scientist
The Maverick Mountaineer investigates the sequence of events
to climb Everest with a vastly inexperienced companion, but also
Andrew “Sandy” Irvine was a 23 year-old, third year chemistry
Finch. Documents show that Irvine was chosen on a whim rather
To compound the error, Irvine despised the use of bottled oxygen
prevented the best chance of the mountain being conquered for
which Finch had pioneered in the 1922 campaign, but which
another three decades.
enabled him to climb to 27,300 feet - higher than anyone else,
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George Finch, Alpine hut, 1911 There are many aspects of the 1924 tragedy that can only be judged on supposition, but there is also a trail of factual decisions and prejudices that throws a light on why the tragedy occurred and how it might have been prevented. These include the treatment of Finch in the wake of his triumphant climb in 1922, the decision to ignore Finch’s offer to be involved in the development of the oxygen equipment even after his dismissal from the campaign, and the change of heart by Mallory both in terms of Finch and the use of oxygen. George Finch has most often been portrayed as an irritating man disliked by his companions, but I found little evidence of this beyond him being a unique individual – physically able to climb to the height of a commercial airline flight and a brilliant inventor
The article in The Field magazine set the tone for the testing relationship between long haired Australian and the Oxbridge establishment that would follow.
and scientist tutored by Albert Einstein - who was obsessed with his quest to test bottled oxygen at altitude. In fact, most of his 1922 companions liked Finch and were bewildered by tales of a fractious personality. Those stories seem to have been created and driven by Arthur Hinks, a former Cambridge mathematician who disliked Finch, whom he regarded as an outsider. He actively sought to undermine him with other expedition members. His orchestrated campaign
including Mallory. Irvine had no faith in the equipment placed into
of character assassination even descended to ridicule over Finch’s
his care, as he wrote to a friend at the time: “I really hate the thought
design of a specially-made eiderdown jacket and gloves he believed
of oxygen. I’d give anything to make a non-oxygen attempt. I think
would keep him warmer than the traditional tweed worn by alpine
the top of it … Still as I’m the oxygen mechanic I’ve got to go with the
climbers.
beastly stuff.” www.mountainpromag.com
George Finch had grown up in inland Australia where, as APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 27
UNTOLD EVEREST
a 14 year-old in 1901, he had fallen in love with the idea of
In 1924, there was no Finch. Whatever the problem, Irvine made
mountaineering while chasing wallabies on horseback and climbed
repairs and the pair carried on toward the summit, only to die.
an ancient volcano on the outskirts of his hometown of Orange.
Malory’s body was found 75 years later but the whereabouts of
When his family moved to Europe a few years later, he and his
Irvine’s remains are still a mystery. If Finch had been chosen, then it
brother Max emulated the climbing path of their hero Edward
is most likely that he would have been climbing with Mallory on the
Whymper, scaling Notre Dame Cathedral before tackling the Alps.
attempt, and using equipment that had been designed by him rather
It was then that he locked horns with the “hoary-headed” stalwarts of the Alpine Club, whom he regarded as pompous and
than the inferior system used on the day. Two decades later, Finch met with Mallory’s widow, Ruth. They
standing in the way of progress. Perhaps unadvisedly, he went into
sat in a corner talking quietly for several hours, ignoring the other
print with his observations, writing in 1913: “The spirit that saw the
guests at a gathering of climbers in Wales. Finch never spoke about
Alps a preserve for moneyed and middle-aged Englishmen is dead.”
the meeting, but Ruth told an observer that her husband had sailed
The article in The Field magazine set the tone for the testing
for Nepal filled with regret. He feared he would die and he lamented
relationship between long haired Australian and the Oxbridge
the fact that Finch was not accompanying him, reversing his earlier
establishment that would follow.
animosity. Most significantly, he had asked his wife to convey his
Finch was subsequently excluded from the 1924 team, which
regret, to invite Finch and his wife Agnes to dinner on his return
restricted progress on the oxygen sets and contributed to sub-
and vowed to acclaim Finch’s role if he managed to conquer the
standard equipment being made at the last minute. Coupled with
mountain.
Irvine’s lack of experience, it created the tragic and historic scenario
Instead, it was Sir John Hunt, leader of the 1953 expedition, who
that has become so infamous. On the morning of June 8, already
later championed Finch. Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay reached
higher than anyone before them, the two men appear to have
the peak wearing an oxygen system based on Finch’s design. Hunt,
encountered equipment trouble. This seems the only plausible
who took the eiderdown mittens made three decades earlier by
explanation as to why, in clear weather, they were delayed by more
Finch, stopped in Delhi on the way back to London where Finch,
than four hours to reach the spot arranged with photographer John
now aged in his late 60’s, was involved in scientific research.
Noel so he could track their progress through his camera lens. This echoes problems encountered two years before, when Finch
“It was a particular delight to meet again George Finch,” Hunt told The Times newspapers. “His presence among us at the time was
had also encountered trouble with climbing companion Captain
the more welcome in that we were so anxious that the tributes with
Geoffrey Bruce, who cracked a glass vial on the oxygen backpack
which we were being showered should be shared with those who
as the pair stood beneath the summit. In howling winds, Finch
had shown us the way. As one of the two outstanding climbers of
stopped Bruce from tumbling to his death and managed to repair
the first expedition to make a definite attempt to reach the summit
the equipment as they stood on a narrow ledge - using a toy football
of the mountain in 1922 – the other was George Mallory – and as
bladder he had bought at an Indian marketplace enroute to the
the strong protagonist of oxygen at a time when there were many
mountain. In the end, they decided to turn back because Bruce
who disbelieved in its efficacy and others who frowned upon its
was too exhausted to go on. Finch brought him safely down the
use, no one could have better deserved to represent the past than
mountain.
George Finch. We saluted him.”
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focus on ben nevis
Nevis Ski Patrol:
a day in the life Richard Bentley reckons he has the best job in the world.
30 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 31
focus on ben nevis
with the sun dipping behind the North East buttress of Ben Nevis, I find myself perched above the big open steep slopes of Corrie Dubh. I point my skis and drop in.
I
t’s a bluebird day. You can see for miles across the Scottish
skiing, which I have been doing for over 35 years. For the past twelve
highlands, plastered in snow. The Rum and Skye Cuillins are
years or so I have been involved with ski patrolling and the British
white jagged lines in the distance. There are just two of you
association of ski patrollers, helping to run ski patrol training courses
perched above the big open, steep slopes of Corrie Dubh on
and also ski patrolling on Nevis Range myself whenever time allows.
Aonach Mor’s east face. There are no other skiers on the mountain yet. You have assessed the Avalanche risk and know the snow on the slope is relatively stable. You point your skis and .. drop in. Yes it can be a demanding, serious and responsible job, but
I also run the back corrie ski workshops for Nevis Range. Working as a ski patroller demands that you are competent in a wide range of skills: • advanced first aid skills or emergency medical technician
sometimes, when you have the hill to yourself, and the skiing is
• winter mountaineering ability
good, I honestly believe ski patrolling must be the best job in the
• a sound understanding of avalanche issues and snow pack stability
world.
• knowing how a ski resort functions and how to sign and manage it
My proper day job is working as an MIC, guiding, teaching, training and assessing all facets of mountaineering and climbing here in
• good communication skills and a friendly manner with people • the ability to dig vast quantities of snow! (in joke!)
the UK. During the winter most of my time is spent coaching winter
Oh, and of course, you need to be a very good skier. You have to
climbing and winter mountaineering. However, my other passion is
be able to ski any slope in any condition. Maybe even with a sledge
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behind you, doing its best to put you on the floor.
A day In the life
For the resort I work at, the next issue is to decide what status to declare for the back corries, which are categorised as itinerary runs in the large east facing bowl of Corrie Dubh, and are in effect,
One of the best things about patrolling is that there is almost no
patrolled off piste runs which link back round to the main ski run
such thing as a normal day. When you are riding up in the early lift,
area. This decision is based around the avalanche risk and also the
at least an hour and a half before the resort opens and clutching a
seriousness of the snow conditions on the face.
hastily made coffee, you don’t know what the day holds in store.
This may involve some rope work lowering a colleague in to
First jobs out of the lift are to ski the runs, check for conditions
assess the slope and look at cornices. To be honest, though, most
and hazards, radio in the run reports, put out any signage, and set up
of our avalanche decisions these days are based on the avalanche
the ski lift trips and safety - all to be done before the first folk start
forecast, snow history and weather. By the time we are perched at
heading up for a day on the slopes.
the top of the slopes, in our heads, we already know the answer as
This is one of the most magical times of the day: fresh snow, the mountain empty of skiers, the dawn light peeping through; the only
to what the avalanche risk is. Correctly assessing the Nevis Range back corries is important.
sound is of the snow sliding under your skis. However, it can also be
They should be open as much as possible as they really are the
brutal: winds and drifting snow, bitterly cold with little visibility.
jewel in lift accessed, off-piste skiing in Scotland. However, it is tricky
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 33
focus on ben nevis
balancing the desire to declare them open and giving considered
Cheese Wire and Shovel work
advice on skiing them, with the inherent risks involved and the
Returning to the itinerary runs of Corrie Dubh, one of the access
changing conditions on the mountain.
issues is how large the cornices are. These can hinder skiers gaining
Hopefully, when we have done all this, before 9am, the slopes are ready for the public.
access, and also present a danger of dropping off and injuring skiers below them. Evaluation of the cornices and management of them
It’s then time to catch up with other outstanding jobs: putting
is often considered. This may entail trying to cut the cornice off and
out poles on runs that need them, marking hazards that have been
releasing it to drop onto the slopes below. Although Nevis Range do
identified, updating signposts around the mountain, and of course
have an explosives license for this, it is usually done manually. Two
being on call for any fallen skiers, injuries, or problems.
patrollers use a length of thin rope to cut sections of the cornice off
In the event of Emergency Being able to get around the resort quickly is obviously important. If there is an injury we need to access the casualty quickly. To this end
in a process called ‘cheese wiring’. It’s exactly what it sounds like! You just need to make sure no one is underneath when you are doing it. Keeping lifts running and the uplift running smoothly is no easy
we always try and have two or three patrollers at the top of the lift
job either, for the resorts engineering and operations team. Cables
system. This means we can be anywhere on the hill in just over five
and towers can have tons of rime ice built up on them overnight
minutes.
in the Scottish winter storms. Helping them de-ice equipment and
Whenever you have finished a job somewhere in the resort, your main goal is to migrate back towards the top of the hill. If a potential injury is reported, a patroller is quickly dispatched to
digging it out is a very physical part of the job. It’s late afternoon before you know it, and as the lifts start to close for the day, we try and make sure all patrollers gather at the top of
assess the incident. Once a primary assessment of the casualty has
the mountain. Once again, the hill becomes our own quiet preserve
been made, any other medical equipment and/or a sledge can be
and the final job of the day, like at its start, sees us having the slopes
requested.
to ourselves. We must now ski the mountain to make sure all clients
Although each casualty is different, the process of giving them the
are safely off the hill. There’s the jockeying for who gets to ski the
best care possible will always remain the same: doing a thorough
best lines as we decide who goes where, with the Back Corries being
primary assessment, stabilising any trauma and administering
the usual favourite. We also need to put away all safety trips and
relevant pain relief, keeping them warm and transporting them
signs as the overnight weather could see them being blown into the
down to the medical room at the top station, monitoring and
next valley!
checking for any further injuries and reviewing medical history, and arranging fast transport to hospital care if required. Skiing with a sledge is, of course difficult, but with a casualty on, it is doubly so. In the Alps you are likely to be towed away by a skidoo down to the safety of the resort medical room, or a waiting ambulance. Whilst this is a possibility in Scottish resorts, we still
So once again, at the end of the day, with the sun dipping behind the North East buttress of Ben Nevis, I find myself perched above the big open steep slopes of Corrie Dubh. I point my skis and drop in. You wont get rich working as a ski patroller, but as jobs go, it can be one of the best in the world.
mainly use skied sledges. The responsibility when doing this is of course huge. We always will have two patrollers on a sledge, with
For more information on Ski patrolling in Scotland, check out
the second back roping the sledge from behind. In very difficult
The British Association of Ski Patrollers. (BASP).
conditions, even two patrollers slowing down the sledge with ropes
www.basp.org.uk
from behind. 34 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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FOCUS ON BEN NEVIS
BEN NEVIS through the seasons The John Muir Trust look after the highest mountain area in the country. Alison Austin shares her ranger’s diary. other season. This is the time of the year when it really feels
I
about 50 metres apart, which serve as grid bearings for those
like the woodland is awakening. The path winds its way through
navigating with a compass. I will check they are in good repair and
a narrow gorge with the Water of Nevis roaring and tumbling
plan for any maintenance over the summer; if they have started
down below, past a narrow cleft where an amazing remnant of
to fall down, they won’t serve their purpose next year. We also
ancient woodland still survives.
have a path maintenance team on the ground over the year on the
love walking through to Steall in the spring more than in any
The usual suspects – birch, rowan and Scots pine, along with
In late spring, I need to inspect a series of cairns on the summit,
mountain summit path and in Steall Gorge, so I will meet up with
some hazel and oak – are coming into leaf, while some species less
soon for a walk and a flask of tea to talk through the pathwork for
common in this area, like ash and aspen, also cling to these steep
the year ahead.
slopes. The ground is studded with jewel-like golden primroses,
Over the next few years, we’ll be part of a major Nevis Landscape
which seem to grow in proliferation at this time along with tiny wood violets and bright white wood sorrel and wood anemone.
photo: Blair Fyffe
Some of these woodland flowers also grow outwith the existing woodland, on the still bleached-looking open slopes where swathes of last year’s molinia grass mask any new growth amongst the heather slopes. They leave a sort of echo of where woodland once stood. It’s easy to believe we have moved on completely from winter at this time of year - when I am in Glen Nevis listening to and recording the bird calls in the woodland, or carrying out heath monitoring or measuring our tagged tree seedlings in May. It’s a different story on the summit of Ben Nevis, where it can still feel like full-on winter in April. This can really catch people out - I’ve often come across incredulous walkers who set out in T-shirts in warm sunshine only to find nearly two metres of snow when they reach the summit. Unfortunately it’s true that many walkers without navigational experience set off, oblivious to the fact that cloud and snow are likely to obscure the higher reaches of the path. At the same time, early spring is often one best times of the year for ice climbing on Ben Nevis as all the gullies and crevices on the north face have built up thick layers of ice with repeated freeze thaw over the winter. In the summer they are wet and chossy, but in winter are perfect for climbing. They also harbour some rare artic alpine plants buried dormant deep under the ice and snow. I’m already looking forward to heading up on this year’s North Face Survey in August to find and map some of these elusive plants – more about that in a future issue of Mountain Pro. 36 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
photo: Walkhighlands
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Partnership project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund ranging across
All about the Ben
a number of activities including path building and repair on Ben Nevis,
Over 100,000
forest restructuring in lower Glen Nevis, artist residencies, wildlife
people walk to
▶︎
surveys, and volunteer opportunities. In the meantime, as part of the Future Forest Project, I’ve been out
the summit of the Ben – the
on the ground along the edges of the existing woodland looking for
UK’s highest
areas suitable for planting some native Scots pine seedling. The seed
point – every year. 40,000
was collected last year from pine cones high up on some old trees by some intrepid tree climbers! Scots pine favours slightly drier ground
enjoy the wild and rocky route through the Steall Gorge to
than we tend to have here in the west, so I have looked for locations on
the stunning Steall Ban waterfall. The Trust work to manage
the edges of knolls where the water drained more freely. Because we
visitor impact by maintaining the upper stretch of the Ben
plan to protect some of these trees from grazing, we chose our locations
Nevis summit path as well as the Steall Gorge trail. We
carefully to minimise visual intrusion from mesh and fencing.
collect litter in collaboration with local organisations such
At this time of year, I’m also kept busy planning volunteer work parties
as Friends of Nevis. One quarterly litter clearance on the
and wildlife monitoring that will take place over the summer months -
summit of Nevis filled 18 bin bags with rubbish left on the
like many rangers I hope not to be in the office much over the summer!
hill - 10 of them just banana skins (they can take years to degrade).
I need to inspect a series of cairns on the summit, about 50 metres apart, which serve as grid bearings for those navigating with a compass.
The Trust carries out regular wildlife and habitat surveys to inform their ecological restoration work. This includes deer control so that native trees, and other habitats, can regenerate. As a result, they are seeing year on year seedling growth in the area. The trust also works with neighbours and other land managers in the Nevis Landscape Partnership to manage this special and popular area. For more information, see johnmuirtrust.org/
photo: Blair Fyffe
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 37
FOCUS ON BEN NEVIS
In the Shadow of Ben Nevis Local Lochaber legend Ian Sykes has a tall tale or two to tell…
The CIC hut, Ben Nevis. The North-East Buttress is on the skyline. The First Platform is the step in the ridge; Reaburn’s 18 Minute Route goes directly up to this.
38 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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Don Whillans astride the Triumph Bonneville on the summit of Ben Nevis. Don proceeded to swig the bottle of champagne in its entirety while the rest of us looked thirstily on!
O
n 12 February 1974, two young climbers, Barry Thomas
This was a terrifying
from Bramhall in Cheshire and his friend John Beatty
situation with 400 feet
from Stockport, started up Observatory Ridge, a classic
of Zero Gully almost
winter climb on Ben Nevis. Conditions were superb, cold
vertically below him
with a deep cover of snow. They made reasonable progress up the
and over 1,000 feet to
initial system of gullies and ledges but somehow they missed the
the top.
crest of the ridge and took a bad line, which led them leftwards
His shouts for help
and off route into the fierce and steeper region of Zero Gully. By
were heard by a party
now the weather was deteriorating, it was snowing lightly and
of climbers on North-
misty.
East Buttress but it took
John told me his story some time later.
them some hours to
My belay was poor but strangely acceptable, as the climbing
complete the climb and
was relatively easy. I used a coffin-shaped aluminium nut called
raise the alarm. This was
an original Moac wedged into a slot at waist height, jammed
long before the days of
precariously between the rock and a thick, clear icicle. I stood
mobile phones and the
comfortably on a tiny ledge of snow gazing out at the rope
stranded climber and
snaking away into a wall of mist.
his partner, fifty feet
When accidents happen it is usually without warning. For
below, had a long, cold
us, just a muffled hissing sound, then soft thumping. The rope
wait ahead of them. The
tremored momentarily and tightened to a titanic heave, so
rescue team was not
powerful and sudden that instantaneous reaction is all that one
alerted until nightfall.
has. The rope, attached to me with a friction knot called an Italian
John Beatty and me on the final part of our 1,500-foot lower down Zero Gully on Ben Nevis. This was the first time this kind of rescue was attempted on the Ben, and was the first of many such lowers over the years.
We set off up the Ben path by torchlight; every time I slog up
hitch, tightened and locked under tension. My mind spun into
that bloody path I swear it will be the last. It’s easy enough; just a
action, horrified at the realisation of the small weak belay. First
long, upward trudge that goes on forever, the darkness seeming to
thought, ‘no weight on belay’, second thought, ‘add friction to
stretch the distance. Along with our climbing equipment we were
the hitch’. I pushed my fingers into the knot in order to save load
lugging some 500-foot spools of pre-stretched Terylene rope on
bearing on the poor belay. These were instant reactions because
pack-frames; they were heavy and awkward to carry.
in a second Barry was now fifty feet below me swinging freely in space over the gully wall of Zero. Barry then made a rising, unprotected traverse and
It was snowing and blowing and still dark when we reached the summit but a grey light of dawn was breaking in the east as we apprehensively approached the cornice at the top of Zero Gully.
mantelshelved on to a steep, snow-banked ledge and there he
There was a slot where climbers had emerged through the cornice
stuck, unable to reverse down and with no easy way forward.
and we peered over and shouted but could see or hear nothing.
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FOCUS ON BEN NEVIS
Gordon Smith on Route II, Ben Nevis, 1978.
‘Down really slowly, Andy. Suds is going for the leader and I’ll get the man on the belay ledge,’ I called into my radio. Suds got to the lead climber and began sorting out his ropes. I lowered on past and reached the man on the ledge and clipped into his belay. ‘Hi, how are you?’ I asked. ‘Cold and stiff but very glad to see you. I’m John,’ he shivered. The rope above me began to slacken and I realised that Andy Nichol was still lowering. ‘Hold it Andy,’ I called into the radio. The rope, still reasonably taught, came to a stop. ‘Right John, I’m clipping you in to this rope with me and we’ll be down in no time. We just lean back and relax and the boys will lower us off.’ Suds was already descending with Barry Thomas. I unclipped the belay, leaving their ropes and tackle behind as booty for the next climbers up Zero Gully. ‘Okay, here we go,’ I said to John, as we leaned back into space. The next instance we dropped vertically, both of us yelling in shock and I thought the rope had come away at the summit. Suddenly it came tight and then we began to spring upwards and then up and down, the two of us bouncing like a giant yo-yo. It was a terrifying few seconds before we settled and managed to swing back into a stable position. What had happened was that Andy had continued to lower
We knew that another party would be trying to climb up to them
when I reached the ledge and the stretch in the 1,000 feet of
from below but time was of the essence.
rope had released. With the weight of an extra man we had
‘Somebody’s got to go down,’ Suds said, looking at me.
dropped like a stone for almost thirty feet. Andy told me later
It was cold and unpleasant standing exposed in the wind and a
that they hadn’t felt anything on the summit and wondered what
bit of action seemed more appealing. ‘It should be easy enough,’
all the shouting was about.
I told myself. ‘The top half of Zero is a straightforward snow slope.’
Once we got ourselves settled things went smoothly and we
The difficulty would be the lower 500 feet when they would have
lowered on down into Observatory Gully where we met up with
to knot on another rope and pass it through the belay point.
the team heading up from below. John and Barry were able to
Huddled on the edge of the cornice we dug into the snow to get some shelter and rigged a safe anchor point. Suds went over first, dropping awkwardly over the overhanging rim. I tied the rope
walk down to the CIC hut unscathed and very much relieved. Considering their ordeal they were in very good shape. The men on the summit had done a fantastic job. They had
firmly on to my Whillans harness and nervously dropped through
controlled the ropes for several hours in the most miserable
the slot behind him, trying not to think about the enormous drop.
conditions while Suds and I had been active and out of the wind.
Immediately we were out of the wind and it was a much more
This was the first of a number of lowers from the summit plateau
pleasant place to be than the summit, where the poor guys were
of Ben Nevis. Modern equipment is more advanced these days
paying out the rope. Suds was 100 feet below and we began the
but the principles are much the same.
long, slow descent. The ropes faded upwards into the cloud like two slender
A few years later the guide Mick Tighe and I were lowered down Hadrian’s Wall to an injured climber hanging where
umbilical cords and I tried not to think how thin they looked. For
his rope had snagged. Just as we were about to reach him a
once I had excellent radio contact and was able to chat to Andy
helicopter flew in and the winch man
Nichol who was controlling the lower on the summit.
was lowered down and snatched him
After 500 feet of lowering there was a long pause and I could
to safety, much to our disgust. We felt
hear Andy and the boys cursing as they organised the frozen knot
robbed but had a grandstand view of
and passed it through the belay to attach a second spool of rope.
the proceedings.
Unlike modern climbing rope the hawser-laid Terylene was stiff and difficult to handle and everything was freezing up on them. After a while, the lower continued and we began to descend into the steeper part of the gully and almost immediately could see the two stranded climbers who were waving frantically at us. The lead guy was in a very exposed position and must have had a
In the Shadow of Ben Nevis is published by Vertebrate, £12.99. https: v-publishing.co.uk
very frightening night. 40 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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CRAG GUIDES
Guiding
Lights
What’s the future for UK climbing guidebooks? John Appleby takes a historical perspective.
42 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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Photo: Tom Hutton
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 43
CRAG GUIDES
I
In 1909, a Bangor (North Wales) schoolteacher, James Merrymen
guidebook pouch was as an essential an addition to the climber’s
Archer Thomson created climbing history by writing the very
harness as a nut key, belay brake and the assorted ironmongery,
first crag specific rock climbing guide book. There had been
which dangled and jangled from your waist. More especially if you
general area guides before this; notably area guides penned
were multi-pitching, and needed to regularly thumb through the
by the leading lights of the day including Owen Glynne Jones, and
route description when you found yourself straying into uncertain
photographer and mountaineer George Abraham. These guidebooks
territory.
offered the visitor a selective choice of crags and routes, which in
By the late 80’s and early 90’s the climbing establishment
that era generally meant gully climbs. Thomson’s Lliwedd guide
frowned as sports climbing began to get a toehold in the UK
however, was unique in that it concentrated on a single cliff and
climbing scene. With increasing numbers of UK climbers sating
offered face routes - usually his own creations - amongst the usual
themselves on the bolted sun kissed crags of Spain and the south
saturnine fissures which Victorian and Edwardian climbers found so
of France, it was little wonder that some of the UK’s best technical
much to their liking. Remarkably, the format of Thomson’s Lliwedd
climbers wanted to test themselves to the limit and bolted routes
guide remained more or less, the template for all subsequent
offered a relatively safe way of pushing yourself without the
guidebooks published by the Climbers Club and the Fell & Rock
strength sapping faff of finding and fixing natural protection.
Club who dominated guidebook production
The traditional clubs of the CC and
for most of the 20th century. Commercial
F&R were not inclined to cater for
publishers like Cicerone entered the market in the 70’s and by the 90’s, commercial publishers like Rockfax were already getting up a head of steam and starting to challenge the climbing establishment as defined by its two most powerful clubs. With specific regard to Lliwedd and its unique climbing history; Welsh mountaineering legend Archer Thomson committed suicide three years after publication of his seminal guide by swallowing carbolic acid. It would be another thirty years before Menlove Edwards produced the second Lliwedd guide. (Although generously also attributed to Wilfred Noyce, it was in fact Edwards who almost single handedly created it.) Edwards account of his testing Lliwedd guidebook campaign is described in his fascinating essay ‘Up Against It’, which can be found online. Bizarrely, Edwards like his Lliwedd predecessor also killed himself by swallowing poison (this time, a lethal dose of cyanide). The third Lliwedd guidebook author, Harold Drasdo, kept the thirty-year cycle going with his 1971 guidebook although happily, the veteran remains alive and well, as does Kelvin
These crags and climbs, as with many other out of the way venues, will never see more than a handful of ascents in a year. And it’s important that they remain on record for those of a pioneering bent to investigate. This is where the club guides will always trump the commercial guides.
Neal who edited the fourth edition. Just four
what was considered an ethically dubious practice through their official guidebooks, so the door was wide open for the privateers to enter the market. Notably through the efforts of climbers like On the Edge journalist Mick Ryan who through his Vertical Brain outfit produced guides sold through Alan James’s Rockfax publishing network, which is part of the UKClimbing empire. In hindsight, the Climbers Club and Fell & Rock Clubs’ distaste for entering the sports guidebook market could be seen as storing up trouble for the future. By leaving the market open to commercial guidebook producers, the clubs left themselves vulnerable to the privateers entering their traditional market. The publication challenge which faces clubs in 2016 is now twofold. Apart from the club’s traditional market now being shared with the commercial outfits, the digital revolution has seen route descriptions and topos appearing free online. From having a near monopoly up until the 1990’s - with only the odd BMC guide
guidebooks in over one hundred years indicates how far Lliwedd
and one or two commercial companies like Constable and Cicerone
has fallen from favour since its Edwardian heyday. In fact, Harold
offering a few selective guides and the odd guide to areas not
Drasdo’s 1971 guidebook holds the record for being the Climbers
covered by the clubs such as Clwyd Limestone - the ubiquitous
Club’s slowest selling guidebook, taking thirty years to sell out!
pocket size, plastic covered guidebooks are becoming increasingly
All climbers will be familiar with the traditional guidebook in its handy pocket size format. Initially cloth bound, the guides evolved
an endangered format. My own personal perspective as to why climbers should be
into plastic sleeved affairs in the sixties. Infinitely more user friendly
concerned about the direction in which guidebook production is
given the typical conditions and treatment metered out to these
heading is based on my experiences as a climber, and as someone
humble little books. When I began climbing in the 1980’s, the
who has been involved in guidebook production as a guidebook
44 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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team member. What the clubs are very good at, and where they leave the commercial guidebook producers in their wake is in their meticulous attention to detail. Take the Climbers Club’s last Ogwen guide edited by Mike Bailey. This happens to be traditionally the club’s best selling guidebook and under the author’s diligent stewardship, the guide was probably the most comprehensive ever. By searching through old club log books, archives, old articles and letters, many historic and unrecorded climbs emerged which had never before appeared in a guidebook. Furthermore, entire crags that had been lost - quietly dropped from the guidebooks or never reassessed in fifty years - were given a fresh look. As one of the Ogwen team one of my own tasks was to take a look at the climbs on Tryfan’s West Face. This area had seen relatively few routes recorded as compared to the East Face, and those climbs that had been recorded had the route descriptions repeated verbatim in subsequent guidebooks. Essentially, climbers at the turn of this century were still using Menlove Edward’s descriptions from the 1930’s! Further up the valley in Nant Francon, the massive rambling crag
record for those of a pioneering bent to investigate. This is where the club guides will always trump the commercial guides. The
of Creigiau Gleision, which had been dropped from the guidebook
commercial guidebook producers tend to concentrate on creating
in the 1970’s, was re introduced. These crags and climbs, as with
selective guides to an area. There’s commercial pressure to cherry
many other out of the way venues, will never see more than a
pick a selection of starred routes from the most popular crags, and
handful of ascents in a year. And it’s important that they remain on
repackage them into a shiny ‘Greatest Hits’ production.
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 45
CRAG GUIDES
What this means in reality is that unpopular crags and climbs are erased from these guides, leaving it to the clubs to maintain
with comprehensive details of first ascents, climbing history and the environmental and geological features.
the complete record. In many ways it is understandable why these
Clubs like the CC are fighting back however, and in an attempt
selective guides should prove popular to the weekend climber and
to steal a march on their commercial competitors, have introduced
occasional visitor. Why shell out a small fortune on a series of area
smart phone apps with crag and route information. The crags of
guides when you can buy a compendium. The reality is sadly that
Tremadog have already been brought into the 21st century with crag
these selective guides are really impacting on sales of traditional
apps available for as little as ÂŁ2.99.
guidebooks. Particularly guidebooks to less popular haunts like
I would suggest that, as with outdoor publishing, the future
Carneddau and Mid Wales. With relatively small sales these guides
will be digital. Already the CC has jettisoned its traditional paper
are just not commercially viable to publish and clubs like the CC
newsletter and replaced it with a digital version. I can still see book
are now being forced by financial necessity to concentrate their
versions of guidebooks for popular crags - Ogwen and Llanberis in
efforts on the more popular areas like Pembroke or Tremadog. The
Wales, Langdale and Borrowdale in the Lakes - continuing for the
crude economics of guidebook production forcing guidebooks to
foreseeable future. Outlying less popular areas, which are deemed
the unfashionable areas on the backburner, where they face an
to be less commercially viable, will almost certainly go digital.
uncertain future.
Without having to bear the printing costs, the clubs could offer
The previously mentioned guide to Carneddau is one such guide,
guides to areas like Mid Wales or the Eastern Fells at a nominal
which has found itself kicked into the long grass for the time being.
cost. Climbers visiting specific crags will be able to print off specific
Traditionally a rather slim guide with Crag yr Ysfa at its heart; an
pages or entire guides. Individuals and local activists will put out
explosion of new route activity on traditional and newly discovered
their own digital crag information with areas like the cliffs of the
crags in addition to the inclusion of the north Wales coastal crags
Culm Coast in the South West - already freely available online. iPads
and venues around Betws y Coed, will see the next Carneddau
and Smart phones will become ever more popular with activists
guide possibly doubling in size. Whether this will add a great deal
wishing to source crag and route information, and even the popular
to the numbers actually seeking out the new Carneddau guide
guidebook areas will eventually see digital versions appearing.
remains to be seen. However, it is the clubs who are at the forefront
So is it time to retire the guidebook pouch? Not quite, but that
of providing information on these new developments, and it is only
time may well be on its way for those who want more than a
in a club guide that every new route and crag will be listed along
greatest hits.
46 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
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GEAR GUIDE
1 person tents and shelters From mountain friendly designs to ultralight shelters, Lucy Wallace tests one person tents.
pr om ag.c om
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Mountain Laurel Designs SilNylon Duomid 5x9 $260 (Plus shipping from USA)
in nta www.mou
I’ve had my Duomid for two years and love it for lightweight wild camps. It’s a fly only pyramid shelter, pitched with a trekking pole (6” pole jack supplied). MLD make separate mesh inners from $165, but I’ve opted for a custom inner from Oookworks with nylon walls for extra warmth. The Fly alone weighs 515g- this is the heavier, less expensive SilNylon option, (ultra light Cuben Fibre is available). It’s tough enough for backpacking in the Scottish mountains year round, if not in the worst of storms (is any tent?). I like way the pyramid sheds wind from any direction, and is remarkably stable. Pitching takes some care on uneven ground to avoid a crooked wizard hat look- but it’s speedy to erect even in bad weather. The Duomid is exceptionally spacious for one person, with good head height. My inner is designed for one which leaves me tons of space for gear and cooking in the porch. Without this it’s a luxury tarp for two. Dimensions: L260cm x W150cm x H142cm. ■ http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com
Snugpak Ionosphere, £149.95 A tunnel tent with two poles, it pitches inner first, which I dislike in bad weather. The fly isn’t a great fit for the tent so a bit of tweaking with pegs is required. And what a lot of pegs! Fourteen supplied, and when all in use, the tent is bombproof, with a streamlined ground hugging shape. The materials are sturdy; the fly is PU coated with a 5,000mm hydrostatic head. The interior is very long, at 265cm, but there’s no porch. A lot of this space is lost and out of reach- at it’s tallest the tent is 70cm high, creating a dark and cramped living space. The lack of porch is a shame as wet kit and boots have to be stored inside and rain comes in when the door is open. Condensation build-up also niggled during the test, due in part to the low pitch. Packed weight: 1.52 kg. The advertised trail weight of 1.2kg doesn’t include pegs so is a bit disingenuous. In summary: this tent is strong, good value, but I don’t find it comfortable. ■ http://www.snugpak.com
MSR Carbon Reflex 1, £370 Recently revamped, shaving off 300g, this is a specialist tent for when every gram counts. Technically an inner first pitch, it is possible with practice to pitch fly and inner together. The 7D siliconised fly is seam sealed and DWR treated, inside is a bug net with 15D groundsheet and a good bathtub design (additional footprint available). The tent handles condensation well but wouldn’t be my first choice in windy and wet conditions. The poles are made from Easton carbon fibre, are very flexible, and prone to wobble in the wind. The fly door catches the breeze as it has clips and hook/loop fastenings instead of a zip to save weight,. Roomy inside for a minimalist tent, with 213cm length and 81cm headroom and vertical sidewalls, the porch is also very useable at 61cm wide. Weighing only 0.66kg, and easy to pitch in minutes, the design of this tent is impressive. If only the British mountain weather and terrain were sufficiently predictable for every camp to be a Carbon Reflex camp! ■ http://www.msrgear.com
48 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
BEST BUY
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A great combination of durability, design and value, it’s a hybrid tunnel design that pitches inner and outer together, in minutes. Care is needed to ensure the correct angle and pitch of the end poles for optimum tension. It sits best with the door away from the wind (preferable for comfort and cooking too). There are no external guys for the main pole, but there are tabs to retro fit them, and a clever internal tensioning system gives good lateral stability. Inside there’s generous space for one- with an internal length of 210cm and 95cm of headroom. The porch is only 50cm across at its widest point, but will take a medium exped pack and boots. The materials feel strong and the tent is well made. The 200D PU coated flysheet handles condensation brilliantly, thanks to good venting and airflow; consistently dry inside despite lots of brewing up in the porch. My only complaint is the teeny weeny pegs it comes with. Only two of the eight are full length, which isn’t enough for a tent that requires careful tensioning to get a taught pitch. However, at this price, it’s not a stretch to buy an extra set of ultralight mountain pegs. Weight 1.23kg. ■ http://www.force-ten.co.uk
.com
Force 10 Helium 1, £240 ta www.moun
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GEAR GUIDE
Solo Cooking Stoves Cooking in the mountains is often just a case of melting snow and/or heating water. Tom Hutton brings this selection to the boil.
Optimus Crux Lite Solo Cook System, £55.00 The Crux Lite is more of a cook set than a cooking system, comprising of a Crux Lite stove combined with Optimus’s Terra Solo Cook Set - a 0.6L pot and a small frying pan/ lid. The stove is superb: small and light and it simmers well if you cooking rather than boiling water. And this slots into a small bag and then slips inside the pot, alongside a 100g canister to make a system of sorts. One weakness here is that the 2 don’t actually join together, so they rattle and need careful handing. I used a rubber band. With no wind shield or high tech burner, boil times are slower than the others tested – I achieved just over 4 minutes with 0.5L water and this would be worse on a windy day. I also noticed that the very narrow base of the pan meant that heat escaped up the sides. Turning it down overcame this to some extent but if you’re dehydrated and hungry and trying to melt snow, turning it down isn’t an option. ■ www.optimusstoves.com
Primus Lite +, £95 Similar in many ways to the Jetboil, there were things I liked about the Lite+ and others I didn’t. I loved the simple solution to using the burner as a normal stove – 3 small pins screw in place and a pot can be balanced on top of them. And I loved the way it clicked together with ease. It was also reasonably quick to the boil – around the 3 minute mark on my test. I was less impressed with the main knob, which is small and awkward even without gloves, and was a little disappointed that the tripod stand, which is super-stable - wouldn’t fit inside the pot once you put the burner and a gas canister in – a small thing but annoying when you have to look for extra bits of kit when all you want to is to cook and eat. At less than 400g, it’s spot on weight-wise, and I loved the lid/cup, which has a silicone rubber strip, that makes it ok to use, even when the contents are boiling. A very versatile contender. ■ www.primus.eu
Jetboil Flash Lite, £105
This is the big boy of the test and really it’s all about performance – especially melting snow. It was by far the fastest in my mini boil test – just over 2 minutes for 0.5L. And it barely notices wind. It has a great handle that snaps firmly into position, yet holds the pot closed when it’s being carried, and the main knob is large enough to be glove friendly, yet insulated so it won’t melt them. It’s without piezo ignition – no big deal if like me, you’d carry backup anyway, but I did find it incredibly fiddly to pack away - the 1L version is an evolution from the 1.7L version and consequently, wasn’t specifically designed to pack with gas canister and burner inside the pot. It goes if you slant it a bit but it’s not pretty. And it’s worth noting the burner doesn’t connect to the pot. Weighs barely any more than 0.5L of water (inc. 100g canister) yet efficient enough to provide you with plenty more during EDITOR’S your climb/expedition. CHOICE ■ www.cascadedesigns.com
Jetboil kick-started the modern solo cooking system revolution and is still at the forefront with a wide range of stoves. The Flash Lite is a real fast & light offering, weighing in at just a smidge over 300g, yet providing a good-sized 0.8L capacity – great for melting snow – and a top-notch performance. I managed a boil time of well under 3 mins for .5L in my less than scientific comparison test. It’s a well thought out package with a small tripod stand that fits with the actual burner inside the pot, leaving room to easily store a 100g gas canister. And the bottom cover protects the burner and doubles as a cup/bowl. The handle is more basic than the Primus, and the sleeve not so easy to remove, but these are minor points. The piezo ignition worked faultlessly but I always carry a backup so see these as a luxury more than an essential. If you’re super weight conscious, this one’s hard to beat. ■ www.jetboil.com
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MSR Reactor 1.0L Stove System, £150
in nta www.mou
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APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 49
GEAR GUIDE
Down three season sleeping bags Tom Hutton lays down the law with a small but cosy selection of feathery sleeping bags. Mountain Equipment Glacier SL 400, £260
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The Glacier SL 400 is a new bag that makes the lightweight warmth of Mountain Equipment’s Helium range even better by adding a water-resistant Drilite Loft shell fabric. This makes it an even better bag for damper UK conditions, or snowy environs where the down will eventually start wetting out. It will also prevent it from soaking up too much condensation – a real plus for alpine climbing. It’s a great bit of kit – at 925g (bag only), it’s no big deal to carry, yet the 400g of 725 fill power down, combined with a really well designed baffle and hood, makes it extremely warm when fully battened up – I’d have no qualms about well below the suggested 4° comfort and would expect it to be fine well below zero in warm climbing clothing. The very slim Alpjne fit also helps here but bigger folk beware, it’s snug on my fairly average shoulders. From an ethical standpoint, the down is traceable and from humane EDITOR’S sources. ■ www.mountain-equipment.co.uk CHOICE in nta www.mou
Rab Neutrino 200, £250 At just 665g (bag only) the Neutrino 200 is a very light bag, and there’s only so far 200g of fill can go, although it is 800 fill power European Goose Down and feels incredibly warm for it weight. The suggested comfort is 6.5°, though Rab’s own Sleep Limit suggests 1.5°, which I wouldn’t dispute. The Pertex Quantum outer fabric is tough and very water repellent, and add to this the act that the down is fluorocarbon free Hydrophobic Down (developed with Nikwax), and you can rest assured it isn’t going to start soaking up perspiration either, so will deliver that performance in even the worst of conditions. It’s a lovely bag to sleep in: the ¾ length zipper is one of the smoothest I’ve ever used – almost impossible to make it snag! And the hood and baffle combine well to really insulate – I do wish the drawcords weren’t on the same side though for ease of adjustment when sleepy. The fit is very snug, which definitely helps keep that heat sealed, but again, larger folks, try before you buy. ■ rab.equipment/uk/
50 Mountain Pro | APRIL 2016
The North Face Blue Kazoo, £250 At 1170g, the Blue Kazoo is the heaviest bag tested and also the bulkiest, but it’s hard to compare warmth as The North Face only offer the extreme lower limit of -9°, which is misleading as this is a temperature at which heat damage could occur but the sleeper will survive – not ideal. My personal take would put it around the same as the Mountain Equipment Glacier, which is lighter and more compact. This is no doubt down to the fill power of the down, which is just 600, rather the 725 to 800 of the other bags featured. Warmth for weight aside, it’s a lovely product – it looks great and is way roomier than the alpine climbing style bags – comfy, although this too has a negative effect on warmth. It has a single adjuster for the hood and baffle and a small security pocket, which can be reassuring in crowded refuges and the like. Overall, it’s a quality bit of kit, but better suited to all round camping than big backpacks or expeditions into remote places. ■ www.thenorthface.co.uk
Alpkit PipeDream 250, £115 At just £115, the Pipe Dream 250 is by far the cheapest bag in this selection, and it is definitely more basic in design; but if you’re looking for a 2-season bag, or a super lightweight one for alpine climbing or bike packing or similar, then it’s definitely worth considering. Or it could be used as a liner with another bag to make a system for expeditions or year-round use. At just 640g and with a minute pack-down size, it’s definitely the most packable – well worth considering for most nights out in the British Hills. The 250g of 750 fill power down is warm and well distributed, but it has no shoulder baffle to trap heat so you are dependent on the hood being cinched tight, which isn’t always desirable. The outer fabric is DWR treated so definitely repels water; and the full length zipper works well, though is only available as a right hand. The down is from an ethical source, so no corners cut here. ■ www.alpkit.com
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GEAR GUIDE
Synthetic three season sleeping bags Synthetic sleeping bags offer reasonably priced alternatives to down that excel in damp conditions. Lucy Wallace has been asleep on the job.
At 1100g it’s a relatively lightweight synthetic option, comfort rated to 0°c with a quoted limit of -5°c. However, I’d say these figures are optimistic. Sleeping bag warmth preferences are personal and I’m definitely someone who likes a warmer bag than many, but I was chilly camping at a measured 7°c, wearing thermals and a hat. There is no neck baffle, a feature that I missed for preventing heat loss while moving around in the bag. However, there is much to like about this bag. The length is great for taller sleepers at 220cm and it has a neat pack size at 18x17cms. The hood has a pocket that can be stuffed with spare layers to make a comfy pillow. The softy Premier fill is supple and dries quickly. I really like the cosy TS1 Thermal Suede microfibre lining, which granted, does generate a bit of static, but feels warm to the touch even on a cold night. It’s not my first choice for chilly glens in spring, but as a summer bag for high camps in the UK it’s definitely worth a look. ■ www.snugpak.com
Thermarest Capella, £170 (Reg), £175 (Long) At 1.25kg for the reg length, the women’s EDITOR’S specific Capella is the heaviest bag here, CHOICE but it also felt the warmest to me on test, thanks to the puffy but compressible in nta eraLoft fill that plumps up with an almost www.mou down-like quality. The bag is lined with a reflective ThermaCapture barrier, which reflects heat and handles condensation really well but is noisy. I don’t mind this, I’m a heavy sleeper, but it is potentially annoying for tent companions. The lining can feel cold to the touch. There is a chunky draft excluder at the neck to keep the chill out, and a handy pocket for stowing small essentials. Underneath, SynergyLink Connectors - or loops of mesh to you and me, loop under a sleeping pad to help prevent the bag from sliding around. This creates a bit of a kerfuffle when sitting up and makes it harder to snuggle in to the bag, so I’d consider cutting these off to save weight…although I doubt Thermarest would approve! The regular length is 167cm long - suitable for heights up to 5’6”, too short for me, so I tested the long version- heavier at 1.36kg for 183cm length. With a Comfort/Limit rating of 0°c/-6°c it’s a realistic three season bag for temperate regions and mountains. ■ www.thermarest.com
Mountain Hardwear Lamina Z Flame, £140 Another cosy three season bag that lived up to its temperature rating of Comfort/Limit of 0°c/-6°c even with my low tolerance to sleeping cold. It is also marginally lighter than the Thermarest Capella at 1.22kg, despite being very long at 198cm. The fill is compressible but firm, lofting easily and coping well with dampness and condensation. The Lamina get’s its name thanks to welded baffles that support the fill - apparently reducing cold spots caused by stitching, and there are businesslike neck and draft excluders. A pocket secures valuables or a head torch. The polyester lining feels pleasant next to the skin and is designed to wick moisture away to prevent cold sweats. The bag has a hardwearing feel with chunky zips and quality materials. It’s not the cheapest here, but is great value when warmth, weight and durability are considered together. ■ www.mountainhardwear.com www.mountainpromag.com
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Snugpak Tactical 2, £129.95
The North Face Aleutian Medium, £95 Described as a three-season bag, this is the lightest but also the least warm of the bags I tested for this review. With a comfort limit of 3°c, it’s a sleeping bag for huts, bothies, lowland camps and warmer latitudes. The design allows it to unzip fully and become a tapered quilt plus the two way zip will also allow your feet to hang out of the bottom while the side is zipped up great for dumping heat on balmy nights. There is also an additional ¼ length zip on the opposite side tat allows for even more venting, and a concealed internal pocket for valuables or head torch. I like the tied in toggle system that allows the drawcord on the mummy hood to be adjusted one handed. The build quality is impressive, with solid zips and robust seams despite the low price. Weight 1062g, length 183cm. ■ www.thenorthface.co.uk
APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 51
TRIED AND TESTED
Tried & Tested Chantelle Kelly speaks to world para climbing champion Fran Brown.
Fran is a two-time world para climbing champion, and has won 10 world para climbing cup events in both route climbing and bouldering. Over the last two years she has focused her passion on outdoor climbing rather than competition climbing. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I grew up in Cornwall and started climbing 20 years ago, age 11. I learnt climbing indoors and outdoors so was introduced to a variety of climbing at a young age. I had my injury over nine years ago and started climbing again eight years ago. I’m a C4 incomplete tetraplegic, a wheelchair user, a two time world para climbing champion and last year became the first wheelchair user to boulder V9 and lead 8a outdoors. Is there a particular brand you always use, or would recommend? Scarpa for shoes, Blurr for clothing. What is your favourite piece of climbing equipment? Scarpa Instinct VS. www.mountainpromag.com
How did it feel when you won the world championships in 2014 for a second time? Amazing, although it was more pressure to defend my title rather than win it for the first time in 2012. What do you look for when choosing climbing shoes? Hard wearing because my footwork is inaccurate due to my disability, and a good fit. Why did you decide to focus on outdoor climbing, instead of comps? The competition scene within para climbing has not really progressed, and the training for comps clashed with the UK outdoor season so I wanted to take the opportunity to push the boundaries outdoors. What is essential to you in regards to equipment? Good shoes, kneepads, tape and my wheelchair.
To keep up to date with Fran and her adventures, check out her website: www.franbrown.org.uk. You can also follow her on Twitter @franrbrown Fran is sponsored by Scarpa and The Arch Climbing Wall. APRIL 2016 | Mountain Pro 53
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