Alleviating Depression through Climbing I’m feeling the need to get out on rock. There is an Interesting article here from the American magazine Climbing talking about how rock climbing can be used to focus the mind and help with mental health and alleviate depression https://www.climbing.com/news/can-climbing-be-used-to-treat-depression/ I don’t know about true depression, but I do know that […]
Blue Ice Warthog is made by a Chamonix valley based company producing niche climbing, mountaineering and skiing products specifically for instructors, Guides and Alpinists. I used the Blue Ice Warthog 40L for two months of Scottish winter while working for Jagged Globe and I’m using it now as my everyday work and crag sack. It fits […]
In November 2016 Pete Whittaker became the first person to solo, all free, Freerider on El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley in less than 24 hours. The route is 3000 feet high, has 37 pitches and an overall grade of 5.13a. He climbed the route in 20 hours and six minutes. Pete free climbed each pitch, […]
For the last two months I’ve been working in Scotland instructing Scottish winter mountaineering for Jagged Globe. Here is a gallery of some of the photographs I’ve taken while out in the hills and mountains. [supsystic-gallery id=’1′] Alex
I’m instructing winter mountaineering in Scotland at the moment and I’ve been getting out into the snowy mountains on most days throughout January and February. Those long walk-ins have given me plenty of time to think about what I’m wearing and what I’m carrying. Here are my musings. Boots Possibly your most important items […]
For decades the Silva Type 4 compass has been the choice of Instructors, Guides, mountain leaders, serious walkers and navigators. However now Silva have redesigned the Type 4 and renamed it the Expedition. The base plate of the Expedition is the same size and has a magnifier, grippy silicon feet, the usual 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 romer […]
Some photographs from a short ice climbing trip to Cogne and Chamonix.
Choosing your clothing and equipment for Kilimanjaro is relatively easy compared to some mountains. However to make your ascent of Kilimanjaro as comfortable and enjoyable as possible some consideration does need to be given to your choice of clothing and equipment. The advantage of packing and choosing equipment for a Kilimanjaro trek is that you can, within reason, […]
Choosing equipment and clothing for an Everest Base Camp trek isn’t particularly easy. You will be in the mountains for a least two weeks and the temperature can vary widely. It can be swelteringly hot, it might snow and rain is likely. You will be limited by weight and you won’t be able to wash any […]