Ogwen valley in the distance with Tryfan
Scrambling on south buttress with some exposed positions
Scrambling on Tryfan. A New route on the east face of Tryfan. We were on the South Buttress and Paddy wanted to find a new way up the buttress. So we select a weakness just to the left of the South Rib route. It was an excellent day with grade 3 scrambling ground, weaving in and out of the blank sections to find interesting the grade 3 ground. Have a look to see what we have to offer http://mountaineeringjoe.co.uk/rock-scrambling-courses/
Some exposed positions …the belay before the crux
We had a full on day working our way up Diffwys Ddu, on the south side of the pass. It was a great mountaineering day out. Main Wall has just about everything on it. Walls, grooves, chimneys, slabs, cracks and ramps. The crux is two thirds of the way up the route. A move around a corner which feels very committing as you leave your second but it’s easier than it looks. It’s a great route for practicing placing gear without being too committed , never being too steep. You do need good route finding skills as it zigzags up the cliff. So if you are looking to develop your leading techniques with solid route finding skills it’s a good one to try, but allow yourself a long and good weather day for it. Have a look at our learning to lead climbing courses, where you will get very personal and tailored coaching. http://mountaineeringjoe.co.uk/rock-climbing-courses-snowdonia/
Beautiful fine views across the Snowdonia range. On the final approach to Snowdon.
Learning to remove gear while hanging on is important when climbing outside.
We had a great day out practicing some multi pitch climbing on Idwal Slabs. Bud wanted to do more than just easy slabs all day. So we climbed Tennis Shoe which has a short but harder crux towards the top. It’s a great route for practicing placing gear without being too far outside your comfort zone as it has good foot placements, where you need them. It is worth while taking your time over the crux on routes before you commit to making the hard moves, as it can be to difficult to reverse these if you get it wrong! If you are looking to develop your leading techniques have a look at our learning to lead climbing courses, where you will get very personal and tailored teaching. http://mountaineeringjoe.co.uk/rock-climbing-courses-snowdonia/
Just back from a night navigation
We made it!
The final steps on the North Ridge of Tryfan
Ray scrambling on the real mountain in Snowdonia, Tryfan. Ray wanted to catch the end of the summer with some scrambling. We approached Tryfan from the east side walking up to Heather Terrace. We then scrambled up Nor Nor Groove (Grade 2), reaching the top of Nor Nor Gully on the North Ridge (Grade 2). We continued to the top of Tryfan scrambling on the North Ridge. The weather was great and we got some excellent photos. After summiting on Tryfan we decided to descend Tryfan via North and Little gullies (Grade 2) back down to Heather Terrace. Little Gully is an excellent Grade 2 scramble. So we ended up with 2 good scrambles up Tryfan and a good scramble back down. For more information on what scrambling you can do, click on http://mountaineeringjoe.co.uk/rock-scrambling-courses/
Alan had to take a bearing in bad visibility and walk on it with no helping features!
Alan enjoyed his 2 days of Navigation / map reading instruction on the south side of Snowdon. He often walks in the mountain with friends but wanted to be able to navigate safely on his own. During his 2 day, 1 to 1 course he was pushed to his limits having to navigate in some low visibility conditions at times during the day. He built up a good process to consistently hit his destinations. including pacing, timings, taking and walking on bearings, attack points, tick off features, hand railing and using a strategy where he built processes to be followed for each leg, reducing the likelyhood of error and catching it early where it occurs. Click here for more information http://mountaineeringjoe.co.uk/mountaineering/navigation-courses-snowdonia/
Placing gear whilst leading
When learning to lead on trad climbs, there is a lot to think about above actually climbing. Route finding, placing gear at the right time, getting into balance to place gear, keeping your ropes tidy, protecting your second, setting up belays and the rest. Then you have to climb the route! Learning to do this correctly first time and in a safe environment. Here is Jim successfully leading his first route leading entirely on his own in 2 days of teaching showing a lot of confidence. Have a look at http://mountaineeringjoe.co.uk/rock-climbing-courses-snowdonia/ and get it right first time!