We all have our rucksack-packing habits, and our go-to kit that is familiar and reliable. Not having to make any decisions when you’re getting ready to head out into the mountains saves time and effort. But it’s good from time to time to try out new things, especially if someone recommends a bit of kit that they really like. Here are seven things that I always take with me in my rucksack, and why I like them.
Read MoreI have never got on very well with climbing helmets, so this is a review from someone who would really rather not wear one. My first helmet was a Joe Brown fiberglass bowl, which was really strong and would probably still pass all the safety tests today. However, it was heavy and not very comfortable. I had a few other helmets over the years, but didn’t like any of them very much.
Read MoreAccording to Merriam-Webster, risk is “the possibility of loss or injury, or someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard.” As a society we are becoming increasingly risk-adverse, but any mountain adventure involves risk to some degree. It can be argued that taking risks can add to the enjoyment and sense of achievement. So how do we decide what is acceptable risk-taking? These ten principles have been adapted from the Authorised Professional Practice of the College of Policing.
Read MoreSome years ago, I was sea-cliff climbing at Gogarth in north Wales. My second was on a tricky overhanging pitch, and he was really struggling. We couldn’t communicate because of the background noise from the sea, and I couldn’t lower him back down as the tide was coming in. My only option was to escape the system using a prusik loop, climb down the rope using a prusik loop, build another belay and haul my second up to it using – you’ve guessed it – a prusik loop.
Read MoreA glacier is a constantly moving river of ice, with crevasses - gaps and cracks - that are always changing. Glaciers are formed where the accumulation of snow in the winter exceeds the rate of melting in the spring. They can be either dry, where the bare ice is visible, and so the crevasses are easy to see, or wet, where the ice is covered by snow and crevasses are hidden. Snow bridges form over the crevasses in the winter, and these begin to thin out when the warmer spring weather comes. Dry glaciers are much more straightforward to travel across because the hazards are obvious and easy to see, whereas wet glaciers are more problematic. In the high Alps you’ll often have to travel over glaciated terrain as part of your mountaineering day, and it is essential that you are well-prepared for it.
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