WInter Lectures and Blo-Kart/X-Sail Training
On Thursday evening I was working with Davy Virdee delivering lectures on Scottish Winter and Avalanche Awareness and Avoidance. It was a good excuse to relive a few winter adventures and to get your mind back in to a more wintery mode. Thanks to everyone who attended, Davy for organising it and Alan for all his help on the evening.
Yesterday I was up at St Andrews with the Falkirk Community Trust Team doing some staff training on Blo-Karts and X-Sails with Tom from X-sail. These things aren’t my normal medium, but it was a fun and informative day.
Dartmoor
Jen & I were down in Devon for the last couple of days catching up with Chris, Jane, Jen and Patrick. On Saturday we went for a gentle wander around Dartmoor, which took in Hound Tor and Haytor.
This allowed a little big boot bouldering on the delightful rough granite. The rock was a little damp in places, but there were plenty of climbers out enjoying a better than forecast day.
Today we walked around the Otterton area taking in some of the coast and of course the compulsory cream tea.
Traverse of The Cobbler
Yesterday, I was out on The Cobbler in the Arrochar Alps with the Falkirk High Tops Team. We completed the traverse of the South Peak and the Centre Peak which gives some nice moderate rock climbing and one abseil.
The abseil tat at the top of the South Peak had vanished so I replaced it. Hopefully it will remain where it is!
Glenmore Lodge Mountain Training Scotland Seminar
Yesterday I was up at Glenmore Lodge, the National Outdoor Training Centre, for a Mountain Training Scotland (MTS) Provider, Course Director and Staff Seminar. This event provides an opportunity for those providing and working on Mountain Training Awards in Scotland to share thoughts and experiences and give feedback to MTS.
The main areas of focus for the day were an MTS Update; presentations and discussions on some of the newer awards/courses and pathways for supporting newcomers to delivering/providing Mountain Training Awards.
The newer awards/courses such as Lowland Leader Award and Hill and Mountain Skills were discussed in some detail and there was some good input and feedback from those who’d delivered these courses and assessments.
A surprisingly lively day with plenty of discussion and energy.
Arbroath Sea Cliffs Abseil
I was up near Red Head on the Arbroath Sea Cliffs today running and abseil for Ian, Coleen, Stuart and Lewis. The abseil was a big one; 40m of vertical/overhanging terrain followed by another 40 or 50m of steep ground.
The team all got on excellently, particularly as some of them hadn’t abseiled before and this was something of a baptism of fire. The rock was dry despite the recent weather and there was a strong South-Westerly wind.