Lake District Winter Climbing Conditions

The first snow has fallen on the Lake District hills over the last few days. Up in the Cairngorms some of the mixed routes such as Stirling Bomber and Hoarmaster have been climbed already.

Last week at the BMC Lake District area meeting a debate was held on winter ethics in the Lake District. It was well attended and encouraged some lively discussion. This event was filmed and I will post a link to this once it becomes available.

The current Lake District Winter Climbs guidebook published jointly by the Fell & Rock Climbing Club (FRCC) and Cicerone has a very good section in the front on conditions which is well worth a read before planning your day out in the hills.

Everyone at the meeting was in agreement with the statement in the guidebook that “climbing (should only take place) when routes are fully frozen and in true winter condition” i.e. easier to climb using ice axes and crampons than without. It was suggested that even after walking all the way in, if you find your chosen climb not in suitable condition then you should walk away and leave it for another day to prevent damage to rare plants that may lie underneath the snow.

It is very easy now to find out what has been happening on the hill before you head out. The Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) produces a very comprehensive forecast every day and throughout winter the Lake District National Park Fell Top Assessors make their way to the top of Helvellyn to record the weather conditions at the summit which are then published on the weatherline website.

I will post up to date reports of what I find as I’m out and about in the fells over the coming months. In the mean time here are a few pictures from last season to inspire you!

Down vs. Synthetic

When I first got into this outdoor stuff I quickly realized that a down jacket was a must-have piece of gear. That and some very chilly early starts in Scotland. I quickly came to own a down jacket but soon realized whilst great for standing around in it was not so good on the hill in our soggy climate. When I moved to the Lake District I soon acquired a synthetic filled jacket which is still going strong today having been to nearly 6000m in Ecuador, got soaked in Scotland and scraped up a couple of gritstone chimneys. Anyway, a few jackets down the line and I’m pretty happy with my current system of a hooded synthetic (primaloft) jacket which is awesome for Scottish winter belays and a down gillet which in the last couple of weeks I have been layering over the top to add extra insulation. Complementing this I also regularly use a synthetic gillet throughout the rest of the year to add core warmth when needed. The synthetic pieces have replaced bulky 200 weight fleeces (much lighter and more compressible when carried in a sack)and the down is still there for posing.

lightweight hoodies

A key piece in my layering system this year has been the lightweight hoody. The main features of this are a hood obviously and thumb loops. Taking the hood on and off and pulling the sleeves down over your wrists allows for really effective control of your comfort levels whilst on the move.

I have been using the Berghaus Smoulder hoody as it seemed really good value and the fit was good on me. Unfortunately with these things I don’t think it’s been continued. I have also had a Wild Things power-stretch hoody for a while which is a warmer layer but has the bonus feature of horizontally cut thumb loops which are really comfy to use. Most tops feature ‘vertical’ loops that can cut into your hand.

Best purchase of the summer has been a Rab Boreas pull on which I have used on its own and in combination with the other tops. It’s super breathable and dries quickly. The hood will fit over a helmet at a stretch. It’s a must have piece!

So there we have it, the lightweight hoody or a couple in different fabrics has become an essential part of my clothing system out on the hill. Get yours now!

lightweight hoody in action!

What to wear for winter mountaineering – update

With this week’s weather forecast looking distinctly wintry with snow showers forecast over the fells here in the Lake District I have been wearing warmer layers of clothing more often than not. After many years of searching for the perfect shell jacket I have begun to realise that perhaps what you wear underneath is more important in keeping you comfortable than the outer layers. With that in mind over the next few posts I will be reprising what I wear for winter mountaineering.

Starting with;

Base Layers

The first piece of clothing that goes on in the morning is a comfortable wicking base layer. My favourite two materials for this layer are Patagonia Capilene 2 and merino wool. I generally choose the capilene in warmer weather or for faster paced activities such as fell running or cycling as the material’s ability to wick away moisture is important. The merino goes on when the temperature drops or when I am looking for all day comfort. Another bonus of the merino is it doesn’t smell! I wore one of my favourite tops for seven days straight on a trip last year to the Bugaboos in Canada and no one in the hut complained!!

When choosing a base layer look for a long sleeved top with a zip neck that is easy to vent. Lighter colours will reflect the sun and help keep you cool in hotter climates.

Top tip

When winter climbing I often walk in wearing a capilene t-shirt and then change into a merino base layer at the start of the route once the t-shirt is saturated. The clean dry top helps keep me much warmer and comfortable on long, chilly belays.

climbers in their base layers on the approach to a climb!

shiny new gear for winter mountaineering and alpine climbing

I know it’s still August but we’ve already had a couple of enquiries about winter mountaineering courses in Scotland next year! Over the pond the Outdoor Retailers Summer Market has just finished and from the reports coming out there will be much shiny new gear to look forward to.

Cold Thistle has already posted a couple of blogs about the show and Rafal Andronowski has a few more pictures on his blog from the show.

It might be a little while before we see this new equipment over here but certainly the new advances in boot technology are something to get excited about!

new belaying and abseil guidelines

The British Mountaineering Council has recently updated its guidelines for belaying and abesiling. You can view the leaflet as a pdf by clicking here.

who ya gonna call?

The online magazine ‘Grough’ has reported that the Ramblers Association are campaigning for ambulance control centres to train their staff to take grid references from walkers in need of assistance.

If you require emergency assistance on the hills you should phone 999, ask for the police and then tell them you require mountain rescue. Requesting an ambulance will result in a longer delay as a vehicle will be sent to the road head before establishing if further help is necessary. Sometimes it may be possible for an air ambulance to be dispatched.

To take a grid reference, first look at the top left hand corner of your map to find two letters such as NY. Then follow the numbers along the bottom of the map and then the numbers up the side to find the box you are in. This ‘four-figure’ grid reference will put you in a box that is 1 kilometre square. Using a romer, it is then possible to work out a ‘six figure’ grid reference which will put you in a 100m square box. GPS devices will display a ‘ten figure’ grid reference which can offer the greatest accuracy. The Ordnance Survey has produced a helpful leaflet called map reading made easy which explains grid references in more detail.