Focus Mountaineering

A murky day in Stob Coire nan Lochan yesterday. For my final day with Simon and Martin, I coached the guys in the difficult skill of moving together safely over mountaineering terrain.  After having a good look at the snow … Continue reading →

I climbed Left Twin on the East Face of Aonach Mor with Simon and Martin today in stunning conditions. There has recently been a high avalanche risk in Lochaber and although things seem to be calming down we played it … Continue reading →

I’ll be back in Scotland this winter running a full range of winter courses. I will be based just outside Fort William on the West Coast but with my intimate knowledge of the the highlands I will continue to be … Continue reading →

Charlie and I made the drive over to Ben Nevis yesterday and climbed Orion Face Direct. The freezing level was above the summit for most of the day making the climbing conditions pretty bold and slow going towards the top. There … Continue reading →

I’ve just got back from an excellent day on Ben Nevis where I climbed Hadrian’s Wall Direct (V,5) with James. The Ben was busy today with lots of  traffic on Tower Ridge, Point 5 and queues for Orion Direct among others.

This week I’ve been working for Talisman Mountaineering providing a challenging winter mountaineering week to a group from the Royal Navy. As well as covering the necessary core skills to operate safely in the winter hills, the group had a … Continue reading →

Graham and Alex joined me to climb Broken Gully in Coire an t’Sneachda today. It was a return to proper wintry conditions with low cloud and a rise in temperatures resulting in damp snow and damp climbers!

I’ve spent the last 3 days on a snow holing trip in the Lairig Ghru and a journey on the Cairngorm plateau. We are experiencing yet another period of stable high pressure which has brought little wind, blue skies, bright sunshine … Continue reading →

Nice day out with Laura in the Northern Corries today. We climbed Fiacaill Couloir which was in excellent condition. The chockstone is completely buried at the top and there is not much gear between belays – as expected really. Quite a few … Continue reading →

The North West has been the place to be this week with much better snow conditions than anywhere else. On Thursday I visited Beinn Alligin and climbed a new turfy, mixed route (Christening IV,4) on the buttress to the right … Continue reading →