SPORTS DEVELOPMENT NEWS
News from the Dark Glen
The Ice Factor (MCofS Regional Centre of Excellence)
By Jamie Bankhead
Instructor
Ice Climbing; funny old carry-on!
I've been working at the Ice Factor for over a year now, so I reckon I've had more opportunity than most to watch ice-climbers in action and talk to them about what they do. So what kind of nutter straps on lethal weapons, and does battle with 50ft of vertical to overhanging ice in a big fridge with no view? In a nutshell: everyone. Of our 55,000 visitors in the first year we have had hardcore activists relieving their frustration after rain stopped play on the Ben, gnarly old mountaineers facing up to the steep stuff for the first time, plastic junkies learning a different game, youth groups, stag weekends, etc, etc. And they all love it.
With a bit of tuition beginners will be amazed at how feasible it is, and even old hands will find that they can improve their technique more easily than when floundering through spindrift forty feet above a wobbly peg. Funny that! So with perfect first-strike neve, guaranteed conditions, a benign environment and tea and cake waiting at the end of your session, why would anyone want to climb anywhere else?
Don't worry, I'm being facetious. We really don't believe we're going to develop a generation of indoor-only ice climbers. Part of the reason for this is that all the staff here are utterly passionate about winter mountaineering. The level of outdoor instruction bears this out.
It does amuse me somewhat to ponder what all the newcomers to winter climbing will make of the real thing. Perfect ice, crisp air and five-minute walk-ins are NOT guaranteed. Sometimes there's not actually any ice at all. I struggle to explain Scottish mixed to the uninitiated; my tale of waiting patiently at the bottom of a corrie for the forecast blizzard to dust my route of choice produces stunned incomprehension. Sometimes you've just got to take what's on offer; and some of us are actually deviant enough to like it this way.
Simon Powell, our Chief Instructor is definitely not in this camp. An ice-climbing aesthete, he learned his trade in the halcyon days before global warming, when Ben Nevis drooled plastic ice from every pore (that's what he tells us anyway). If his crampons touch rock, he will abseil off in disgust and go to the pub. Skilled though Simon is at sniffing out any routes still in condition after a thaw, there are times when jumping on a plane is definitely the best option and we ran courses in Rjukan in Norway throughout January. Fat roadside icefalls, reliably cold conditions, and cheap flights; I can definitely see the appeal. As did Alan, our manager, who headed out for a week's play, muttering something about 'assessing the product'.
Maybe destinations like Rjukan will have more obvious appeal to Ice Factor-schooled climbers than Scottish mixed mountaineering. But is there anything out there that has the history, the beauty and the sheer mystique of Point Five Gully? I believe that there are two types of Scottish climbers; those who have done 'The Point' and those who want to.
We are always cautious when asked how routes in the ice wall compare to outdoor grades. There is no comparison. Regular use of the wall may get people moving confidently on ground comparable to Point Five, but to buy a load of screws and go out and try it as a first route would be insanity. There is a wide spread of skills required to keep oneself safe in the winter environment, and we would hope that the next generation of ice warriors recognise this and will seek to collect experience and not just numbers.
Back in the Ice Wall we really want to keep things fresh and interesting; we hope to make it worth coming out of your way for. We plan to extend the climbing area by lifting the roof off the ice cave, have created a number of challenging zoned routes and Scott Muir has created a dry tooling board hanging in space above the ice! Whatever you might think about this style of climbing, it is unquestionably a good workout. Steep thick ice and the easy angled slope remain. This is all very much a work in progress, so do give us feedback on how we're doing, and what you would like to see. And don't forget the rock walls (particularly the awesome cantilever wall) and the café. Call in if you're passing for a friendly day out.
See www.theicefactor.co.uk
Tel: 01855 831 100
The Scottish Winter Climbing Performance Seminar 2005
Report by George McEwen
This was the fifth such event to be ran at Glenmore Lodge and was attended by over thirty climbers who had a variety of climbing backgrounds and experience, but generally were all extremely active in winter with the average grade being around III/IV.
For a lot of people the very name 'performance' conjures up an image of some muscle bound winter demi-god(ess) powering up some gnarly winter chop route. Although by the end of the weekend that's how the participants saw themselves, in the context of the seminar, 'performance' equates simply to being able to get the best out of your own climbing.
Mixed climbing is an aspect of winter that climber's seem to find the most challenging to get their heads around (what with all the big number grades and the apparent Black Art involved in using your ice tools in imaginative and thought provoking ways) so the seminar focussed on this.
There were five sessions from performance winter climbing to winter belays. All had the main aim of improving personal performance on technical mixed climbs. All were practical in that they involved people out and about on the mixed climbs in the Northern Corries. Running the seminars were Instructors and Guides who, in addition to being the crème de la crème of the instructional world have exceptional winter climbing backgrounds - many involved in significant first ascents in Scotland and abroad.
On Friday evening Owen Samuel presented a superb slide show covering a variety of his recent climbing adventures including a recent ascent of Cerre Torre via The Compressor Route.
One of the key requisites for winter climbing is snow, and there was plenty of it. All the climbs in the Corries were plastered. With so much snow around the approaches into the Corries involved wading, and a lot of gamesmanship as teams vied not to be the first into the Corrie so they had to break trail, but then not to be piped at the post with their intended route. Just to make life more interesting the Saturday weather decided to put on it's full Scottish winter show and turned the climbing experience akin to being in a washing machine. Yet despite, or because of, the conditions a whole heap of routes were climbed such as Bellhaven, Yukon Jack, The Message, Pygmy Ridge, Fingers Ridge, the Seam and Honey Pot to name just a few.
Out and about hanging off a rope and recording all this action over the weekend with his digital camera and video was Ash Bernard. Ash runs a superb website called “Coldclimbs”. You can check out his images of the seminar at the following address www.coldclimbs.co.uk/Glenmore_Seminar.asp
That evening Guy Robertson, one of Scotland's well-known climbing activists presented a talk describing his own progression from a bumbling potential statistic to pioneering and repeating new grade VIII routes. His talk gave a flavor of the variety of climbing to be found in Scotland and was a stunning visual collection of all the best winter days that have ever been over the past ten years - or so it seemed.
Sunday was one of those cracking winter days we all crave for. Despite a few weary - or was that bleary faces? - the Northern Corries were once again the scene of all the action.
So there were a lot of top tips and handy hints picked up over the weekend - from leading strategies to the actual technicality of placing good pro'. In addition, by providing opportunities for people to second hard mixed climbs the weekend helped to break down people's perceived barriers about mixed climbing.
For those of you who like to plan ahead put the dates of the next Scottish Winter Climbing Performance Seminar in your diary – they are the 17th – 19th February 2006. If you cannot wait, then early in the Autumn Glenmore Lodge will also be running the Hooking and Psyching Seminar on the weekend of the 21st – 23rd October 2005. And remember the MCofS sponsor's several places every year – so look out for details in forthcoming issues of Scottish Mountaineer.
Further information:
Check out www.glenmorelodge.org.uk. If you have any comments or suggestions about sessions you would like to see ran at the seminars please feel free to email George McEwan at george.mcewan@glenmorelodge.org.uk.
MCofS REALrock
taster sessions 2005
An Introduction to rock climbing outdoors
For young climbers aged 7 to 17.
For young climbers who have had experience of climbing indoors at climbing walls, either top-roped or leading, and who wish to gain some experience from other adult climbers on outside crags. They are NOT suitable for beginners.
Sessions will be structured to cater for the individuals requirements, either simply to get used to climbing on a top-rope, or as a 'second' on real rock, or to learn how to place protection as a 'lead' climber. Parents are asked to attend the sessions, even if they do not climb and be responsible for the supervision of their child when not climbing.
Venues: Aberdeen / Inverness / Edinburgh / Glasgow / Perth
Dates: - AUGUST 2005:
Evening Sessions: Tues 16th, Weds 17th, Thurs 18th, Tues 23rd, Weds 24th, Thurs 25th.
Week-end Days: Sat 20th, Sun 21st, Sat 27th, Sun 28th.
Cost: First Session £20 (includes MCofS membership if you are not already a member). Each session thereafter £10.
Full details and application forms are on the website or available from the MCofS Office
|
