Courses & Info

Contour Interpretation

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I run a lot of navigation classes and workshops – and it is always one of the most popular refresher days I offer – it’s a skill that needs to be practiced and can’t be learnt from books. Perhaps the element I see people struggle with the most is being able to translate what they […]

Gear reviews

Water on the go….

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Water seems to be one of the things that people most under estimate when they plan a day out. Even a small amount of dehydration can affect your ability – yet frequently I find I’ve clients who bring too little – presumably to save weight , we all like to save carrying weight if we […]

Courses & Info

Tourniquets – Updated thinking

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For as long as I’ve been involved with first aid the subject of tourniquet use has been contentious – done right, with the appropriate training, they can be definitively life saving. Done badly and you just made a bad situation so so much worse. But then the world changed – we now live in a […]

Courses & Info

Reading the smallprint

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Insurance – it can be a nightmare to choose. This post isn’t intended to be advice – it’s just my opinion based on 30 years of climbing, working and playing in the mountains. And there’s a simple reason it’s not advice – you need to understand what you need. But, let’s see if I can […]

Courses & Info

Safeguarding & outdoor leaders

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Safeguarding – its a big word for a big subject, a word some people reading this might find a bit concerning. So I’m going to try and simplify it a little and try and answer some of those concerns – because, as we’ll see, an understanding of safeguarding is vital to the work we do. […]

Mountain Meanderings

Decision Making

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Any mountaineer knows that making emotional decisions can be fatal. Any human being knows that some decisions can only be made with the heart.   Currently there is a planning application submitted to the Lake District National Park Authority to build an ‘Activity Hub’ at Thirlmere. If you’re not sure where that is –  find […]

Mountain Meanderings

The Real 3 Peaks Challenge

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Back in 2013 just as I was starting to work as a Mountain Leader I was contacted by a good friend of mine (the irrepressible Rich Pyne of Rich Mountain Experiences) who’d had a shocking day collecting rubbish on Ben Nevis – an experience that rang true with the state I was increasingly finding the […]

Days Out

Across the Aonach Eagach

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Quite possibly the most famous ridge walk / scramble on the UK mainland, who could say no to a day out doing that then… If you’re heading for the AE on your own or in a small group it’s worth giving some thought to the logistics – its a long, one way walk – so […]