Date: 19-03-24  Time: 03:17 am

Author Topic: Up them mountains!!!  (Read 16501 times)

adeejaysdelight

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #50 on: 27 October 2014, 10:28:47 am »
That sounds like a GREAT job. Its a shame the money is shite  :rolleyes . Risk your life everyday for a take home pay of about £1500 a month. Hmmm...
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Hedgetrimmer

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #51 on: 27 October 2014, 11:45:24 am »
It does sound like a good job for a hill lover. I think the risks would be reduced by the fact that you would become very familiar with this particular hill, and that they are looking for someone with the right experience, after all. So that's me out. I'm not at all experienced in dealing with poor conditions, don't have any experience of using ice axe and crampons, no knowledge of assessing avalanche conditions, and have limited experience with map and compass. All my walks so far have been done in at least reasonable conditions.

But also, I'm always interested in doing new routes and getting different views - think you could get bored with doing the same hill day in, day out.

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #52 on: 27 October 2014, 06:37:48 pm »
That article is a bit of a mess.

This one is a wee bit better - http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/mar/18/lake-district-weatherman-helvellyn

But I'm still not sure what it's all about.  I can't help but think it's the English version of our Avalanche Information Service - http://www.sais.gov.uk/

Basically the Avalanche service dudes climb up to the same locations each day, yup they note the weather, note the behaviour of the snow and crucially dig big holes in the snow and check the snow pack.  And they post their results online. 

You gotta be a hardy bastard to do that.  It'll have to be pretty extreme weather to stop those dudes from going out and doing their checks.  Fantastic service though and we are very lucky to have it.

If I'm going out on the hill in winter the two sites I check are;

http://www.mwis.org.uk/home.asp weather forecast

and The Avalanche site - http://www.sais.gov.uk/

I need good conditions on both or I'm generally not interested. 

You gotta remember too that any slope that holds snow is a potential risk.  People tend to think avalanches are big dramatic things, but the reality is a small amount of snow can slip and bury you.  Or of course you can bounce off stuff as you slide downhill. 

papercutout

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #53 on: 27 October 2014, 07:54:24 pm »
I don't really go 'hiking' or 'mountain climbing' - I climb and boulder as a hobby, but normally that's as close as I get. If the opportunity comes around, I go and see some spectacular things though:





(this is my friend, not me. The previous pic is me though)




adeejaysdelight

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #54 on: 27 October 2014, 11:43:03 pm »
That looks fun. What is the location of the first two?
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papercutout

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #55 on: 31 October 2014, 07:50:54 pm »
The fjords in Norway, the last one is in NZ somewhere at the top of the South Island.

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #56 on: 31 October 2014, 10:17:27 pm »
The fjords in Norway, the last one is in NZ somewhere at the top of the South Island.


MOAR PLZ!  :)

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #57 on: 01 November 2014, 12:12:20 pm »
Yeah nice.

adeejaysdelight

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #58 on: 23 March 2015, 11:33:29 pm »
Today I climbed my first mountain of the year. Well, the first two, actually. Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean were the order of the day. And what a day it was. It was a REALLY hard walk. Up and down, up again, down again. All day. The weather went from raining, to heavy snow, to blazing sunshine, some fog, wind, t-shirt warm and down jacket cold. Typical Scottish weather then.
[/size][/color][/font]
[/color][/size]We stopped for something to eat behind a large crag. My mate said to me "have a look at this", and I stood up to see. Unfortunatly the wind took my bag, which was sitting beside me, and fired it down the mountain. Like a scene from Fawlty Towers, my camera bag came flying out the rucksack. Then the camera came flying out the camera bag. And they all took a tumble about 500 vertical feet down the mountain. We could do nothing but wait to see when, and if, they would stop. They did, after traversing snow, rock, moss and more.[/color][/size][/color][/size]My mate felt guilty as it was him that said - look over here. He insisted on retrieving it. Who am I to say no? I did get a picture of him about 30ft from the camera bag. Its the first image.[/color][/size][/color][/size]On the way back we took right fork instead of the left. Basically because it was heavy snow on the way up and we never even seen the fork. That resulted in a questionable scramble and climb down some serious faces. There was one point we had to jump from moss on to a little pointed rock. It was only 5ft down, but getting it wrong meant a broken bone at best. I was a bit apprehensive, but did it anyway. The thought of climbing back up those faces did not appeal. [/color][/size][/color][/size]It took us about 8 hours and I recon we covered 18-20km at least. [/color][/size][/color][/size]My right knee is gubbed, my legs are tired and I'm just about falling asleep. All in all it was a great day.[/color]
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adeejaysdelight

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #59 on: 23 March 2015, 11:38:06 pm »
A couple more
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adeejaysdelight

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #60 on: 09 May 2015, 02:32:13 am »
I finally got myself up Ben Lui. It's one I have wanted to climb for years. She's a beauty. I also did Beinn a'Chleibh whilst I was there. We had to climb a waterfall at about 1900ft. The waterfall was only about 12ft though. That was another wee achievement.

I have two weeks holiday coming soon, so I hope to drag myself up a few Munro's then too. Fingers crossed the weather will be decent.
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chaz

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #61 on: 09 May 2015, 12:15:03 pm »
No mountains round here but I did climb this chimney, OK there's stairs in it but it's still a hell of a way up and a long way down?

unfazed

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #62 on: 09 May 2015, 12:58:18 pm »
So what do you guys do about getting to the start of your walk? I'm trying to find a place in Cumbria, but won't be able to afford a house slap bang in the Lake District, so hopefully can get on a good bus route in somewhere. I wouldn't mind parking the car somewhere for a day walk, but what when you do longer and camp out overnight? I guess it's probably a bit emptier/safer up in the Highlands for leaving your car?

Pick a place on the opposite side like around Wast Water, like Eskdale, you will have Scafell, Pillar great Gable, Hard Knot and Hard Knot pass on your door step, it also has some of the hardest rock climbing routes in the UK. :D

Only down side is Sellafield is also on your doorstep. :'(

I always believed there is far more natural beauty on the Wast Water side of the lake district. :)

adeejaysdelight

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #63 on: 09 May 2015, 03:09:02 pm »
Chaz, the thing is mate, my legs would be jelly climbing that tower. I suffer from vertigo in certain conditions. Ladders and see through stairs are my worst. Climbing a waterfall at 1900ft elevation, no problem. But a three story scaffolding. No chance. It's weird. I know it. But good on you brother. That takes balls.


By the way, why were you up there?
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unfazed

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Re: Up them mountains!!!
« Reply #64 on: 09 May 2015, 04:30:02 pm »
Best route on Snowdon is without doubt Grib Goch, but not really for the faint hearted.  :)

Wandered up that way one summer many years ago when the kids were 7 and 12, returned a few years later with one of my climbing friends for a winter accent of the same route, what a buzz. :)