mountaineering

Learning to walk on a bearing across featureless ground

Learning to walk on a bearing across featureless ground

During September I am running an Advanced Navigation Course. This deals with steep complex mountainous ground contour interpretation. We look at using natural features to find out through this type of ground where a compass and timings are less useful and efficient. This also leads to good route finding using the gullies and ridges to navigate for you. Contact me for more details Joe at Mountaineering Joe.

Planning the next leg so important to get your strategy right

Planning the next leg so important to get your strategy right

Looking across to the Carneddau range with Pen Yr Ole Wen I the foreground

Looking across to the Carneddau range with Pen Yr Ole Wen I the foreground

A great way to experience the heart of Snowdonia. You cover all the main 3000ft peaks in Snowdonia seeing some of the best panoramic views on the way through the heart of Snowdonia. Walking the Welsh 3000s over 2 days and staying in mountains huts which really adds to the whole experience. We climb Snowdon and the Glyders the first day and then the Carneddau the second day. A Great walking experience with Mountaineering Joe

Looking across Snowdonia towards the Snowdon ridge

Looking across Snowdonia towards the Snowdon ridge

The first pitch of the ordinary route

The first pitch of the ordinary route

Learn to lead Rock Climbing on Idwal Slabs. Tom and George wanted extend their rock climbing experience and Learn how to lead outdoors. So we did a great route on Idwal slabs where Tom managed to lead the route which was pretty good going as it so a wet day! Learn to lead rock climb with a day out with Mountaineering Joe

On the final rock climbing pitches

On the final rock climbing pitches

Planning the next navigation leg of navigation

Planning the next navigation leg of navigation


Mountain skills course in Snowdonia. This weekend I ran a Mountain skills course for Clair and Andrew. We discussed developing plans for mountain walks including escape routes and timings. We practiced navigating on steep ground, and spent time on understanding the weather in the mountains and how this differs to normal weather forecasts. Also how to deal with mountain emergencies, route finding and learning about the mountain environment. A great weekend for developing walking independence in the mountains.
Yes we found it in bad visability

Yes we found it in bad visability

Rock scrambling in Snowdonia with Mountaineering Joe

Rock scrambling in Snowdonia with Mountaineering Joe


Rock scrambling courses offers an opportunity for the experienced hill walker with a head for heights, to scramble along rocky summits, ridges and gullies. Snowdonia provides some excellent scrambling that varies in difficulty from technical walks with some short sections of difficulty, to routes that require basic rock climbing skills and rope protection. By developing your rope work skills this will allows you to move more efficiently over steep ground, and confidently gain access to those more exciting and adventurous areas of Snowdonia , Lakes or Scotland .
Grade 2 rock scrambling in Idwal valley

Grade 2 rock scrambling in Idwal valley

Sarah on the upper pitches on the rock scramble North West face

Sarah on the upper pitches on the rock scramble North West face


Rock scrambling rope techniques over the weekend in Snowdonia with Rob and Sarah We had 2 days practicing various rock scrambling rope techniques enable fast movement over steep committing scrambling ground. We started on the North west face scrambling route, followed up with continuation wall and ended up on Cneifion Arête for some great days out. The second day was on the east face of Tryfan where Rob lead Bastow Buttress Variant and Sarah took us down Nor Nor gully into Nor Nor Groove with a few abseiling descents. A great rock scrambling weekend!
Rob negotiating the rock pinnacles on Cneifion Arête

Rob negotiating the rock pinnacles on Cneifion Arête

Welsh 3000s The summit of Y garn. Relaxing on the summit

Welsh 3000s The summit of Y garn. Relaxing on the summit


The Welsh 3000s with Lindsey and Dylan on the Glyders, and with only a few more summits to go of the Welsh 3000s. Lindsey has managed easily the long hard walk up Elidir Fawr from Nant Peris. It’s the longest and hardest continuous uphill section of the Welsh 3000s. We were all glad we reached the summit eventually. Then we continued around the valley pass Foel Goch to Y Garn. An excellent day on the Glyders.
Welsh 3000s with views across the Carneddau

Welsh 3000s with views across the Carneddau

Lindsey rock climbing in Snowdonia. She was very relaxed on the lower off

Lindsey rock climbing in Snowdonia. She was very relaxed on the lower off


Learning to rock climb in Snowdonia is a great experience . Lindsey and Dylan spend the day at Tryfan Bach in the Snowdonia park learning how to climb outdoors on real rock. We started the with a few single pitch climbs in the morning, then learn how to abseil, followed by Dylan doing his first multi pitch climb on Tryfan Bach. Dylan came down the route with a 200ft abseil. Dylan is a total natural on the rock. A great day. Learn how to rock climb with Mountaineering Joe.
Dylan rock  climbing on his first multi pitch climb...a natural

Dylan rock climbing on his first multi pitch climb…a natural

Cneifon Arête is serious on a windy day

Cneifon Arête is serious on a windy day


Rock scrambling on Cneifon Arête and learning the rope work skills required for fast scrambling is a good skills set to have. We spend the day moving fast with an Alpine style approach to rock scrambling. The first pitch of Cneifon Arête is steep rocking climbing followed by an hard to start chimney then the ground eases with delightful but very exposed rock scrambling with spikes leading on to the main ridge.
Rock scrambling on Cneifon Arête  Climbing Cneifon Arête's steep chimney pitch

Rock scrambling on Cneifon Arête Climbing Cneifon Arête’s steep chimney pitch

Idwal Slabs is a great place to start

Idwal Slabs is a great place to start


Learning to Rock Climb outdoors in Snowdonia on Idwal Slabs. Learning to climb outdoors is always a big step but Snowdonia is one of the best places to do this. We start with the basics, simple rope work and build up to managing belay stances on multi pitch routes. Learning how to rock climb outdoors with Mountaineering Joe
Rock climbing in Snowdonia relaxing on a belay ledge

Rock climbing in Snowdonia relaxing on a belay ledge