Good ideas, tips and thoughts from professional mountaineers
Not sure which bouldering guide to buy for the Peak District? We get into the nitty gritty to work out which book does what best…
The BMC participation statements is on the wall in the climbing wall, their insurance is advertised in the magazines, they make the occasional comical viral video and they’re even talking about bank holiday congestion on the BBC. For many climbers, hillwalkers and scramblers, it can feel like that’s the extent of their relationship with the […]
The excitement of the festive season has subsided, dry January is starting to wear you down and the days still feel all too short. How oh how do you make your way through the longest month of the year? Plan a rock climbing trip of course! Escape London, escape Manchester, escape your boss or escape […]
A review of the best gear I’ve used in 2019. All the items have been well tested in variety of tough conditions. Mountain Equipment Tupilak 45 I’ve owned a lot of packs over the years and the Mountain Equipment Tupilak is definitely one of my all time favourites. It fits all the criteria that I’ve […]
Preparing for Less Daylight Autumn is a fantastic time to be in the mountains. Colours erupt and flame across the landscape, light softens and shadows lengthen giving contrast and counterpoint to valleys and hollows brimming with mist. The onset of winter makes fleeting, shorter days like this seem all the more precious and an urgency […]
Climbers get all the glory. They stand on the podiums, feature in the climbing films and get the sponsorship deals. But don’t be fooled; the true art worth mastering is not climbing, it’s belaying. You know a good belayer when you climb with one. A good belayer is the kind of person who fills you […]
Pulling on You’ve checked RAD, packed your kit and walked to the crag, finally it’s time to get some real rock climbing done. Hang on, where are all the holds? Which ones do you use? Where are the crash pads and the permadraws? Rock climbing outdoors presents its own challenges and can be hard to […]
The law of the crag You’ve settled on your destination and you’re on the way to the crag. Sorted. But before you rock up and pull on, make sure your crag etiquette and behaviour is up to scratch. Stuff that’s perfectly acceptable at the climbing wall may not be good practice at crag. This is […]
Part 1: Couch to crag Rock Climbing outdoors is incredibly exciting and rewarding, and logistically-speaking there’s a little more to it than climbing at a purpose-built climbing wall. Working out where you’re going and how you’re getting there are good starting points, but there are loads of extra things you can do to ensure a […]
Emergency Shelter review The media loves a headline and “The bivy bag probably saved their lives” was a great one provided by Willie Anderson, leader of Cairngorm MRT, following a successful search for a couple who became benighted in the Cairngorms last year. Many people are however unaware of how to use a bivy bag […]