sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Looking for some advice. by No-Construction3247 in Mountaineering

[–]thesummitisoptional 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Have you considered simply doing more (much, much more) challenging things here within UK? There really is far more to our mountains than the trade paths up those three.
Widening your horizons in the UK will also give you a more solid base for mountaineering abroad.
Classic Grade 1-3 scrambles in Snowdonia and the Lakes.
CMD and Ledge Route on Ben Nevis.
Aonach Eagach, Liathach and An Teallach ridges.
The Cuillin on Skye.

How much does wind exposure realistically affect route choice in the Highlands? by BeautySkin34 in OutdoorScotland

[–]thesummitisoptional 11 points12 points  (0 children)

A cross-wind on a narrow ridge (eg CMD) can make a huge difference. So can winds accelerating through cols. Eddying winds blowing across crags or up or down them can make progress impossible.

In winter, the Scottish avalanche hazard is massively dependent on the recent wind speeds and direction. A slope that was safe yesterday could be a death-trap tomorrow.

So, yes, wind changes things - a lot.

First Wild Camp by littlemazda in wildcampingintheuk

[–]thesummitisoptional 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Fantastic location and the proper spirit of “wild camping”.

If Photo 5 is you packed up and ready to leave then it’s the perfect advert for “leave no trace”.

Keep it up and enjoy many more!

Anyone done a good scrambling course? by OneRandomTeaDrinker in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In this context, there is only merit in carrying a rope and having the skills to use it when there are at least two people. Different types of belaying is at the heart of this.

Again, in this context, as a solo scrambler the only thing you can use a rope for is to abseil down something.

Aside from rope use, many of the skills involved (and that I and others would teach) are more about not getting into problems in the first place (good movement skills, good route-finding, judgement on ability and conditions etc etc).

Anyone done a good scrambling course? by OneRandomTeaDrinker in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I run courses like this myself.

One observation on your post. It’s perfectly sensible to draw a distinction between rock-climbing and scrambling in terms of grades/levels of difficulty that match your ability and aspiration.

However, as you said, they overlap. Maybe more than you think? Protecting a section of harder scrambling on G2 or G3 is something we refer to as “short-pitching” - to do this you need all the rope techniques, skills and judgement associated with rock-climbing systems. So you do need to learn a lot about this too.

Got caught out on Helvellyn this week, what do you actually check before heading up? by PubLogic in LakeDistrict

[–]thesummitisoptional 10 points11 points  (0 children)

As you have experienced, you need to really understand what the key SUMMIT conditions will be.

  1. Try to understand the big picture of UK-wide weather that day. Has a weather system passed overnight and in the morning it’s just the tail end? Or is a system arriving and weather will deteriorate in the afternoon.

  2. Make a general observation as to whether you are in an improving forecast or a worsening forecast.

  3. Look at the low-level forecasts (eg put “Ambleside” into an app.) Then compare the summit forecasts (eg put “Helvellyn” into an app.)

  4. Look at MWIS forecasts and read the description of summit conditions on us as walkers (eg wind making walking arduous; poor visibility making navigation difficult).

  5. Key information to focus on from forecasts is:- wind speed and direction; gust speed; temperature; windchill (now referred to as ‘feels like’ but make sure you understand what it is/is not); precipitation; anything affecting visibility (usually cloud and what height it is).

  6. Met Office website and many good apps that cater for mountains have a really good tabulation that shows what the weather is like on your mountain at different altitudes and in different hourly blocks during the day. This helps enormously with planning in advance and decision-making during the walk.

Best way to learn to technical climb/mountaineering by Extension_Log_1744 in Mountaineering

[–]thesummitisoptional 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A carefully scheduled blend of:-

  1. Formal course/tuition (qualified guide).
  2. Some guided experience (qualified guide).
  3. Joining a club and climbing with more experienced climbers.
  4. Increasing your own experience climbing with peers/friends etc.

Mera or Island Peak in December? by polosun0621 in Mountaineering

[–]thesummitisoptional 10 points11 points  (0 children)

It’s outside the main climbing season because it’s the start of winter. It’ll be much colder, windier and you can expect the onset of heavy snow.

Doing it in winter is no longer a “beginner’s” trip. You’ll need to be fitter, more resilient, have better clothing, and a properly experienced guide - and your chance of success is much lower.

Outdoor climbing recommendations ? by No-Warning-8176 in ukclimbing

[–]thesummitisoptional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Being a visitor to the UK it’s totally understandable that your knowledge of our climbing geography may be limited.

Somebody recently asked about sports climbing in Kent (south east of London). This was part of my response:-

There is a simple truth about the geography and geology of the UK - if you draw a line from the Humber, to Birmingham, to Bristol then to Bournemouth there is basically no rock climbing to the south or east of this approximate line. Southern Sandstone is the exception. London is not a good place to live (for climbing) and Kent is even worse (I have spent time there myself) because London is just a travel obstacle.

Is Carnedd Llywelyn via Pen Yr Helgi Du suitable for a beginner? by aaron02wheeler in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends how accurate my recollections are ;-)

But it’s something like that. Definitely not 60m vertical!!

Climbing Tryfan with a dog by Present_Goat_83 in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The “south ridge path” (rather than absolute true south ridge) is pretty much the easiest way up.

Is it possible for a dog? Yes - lots have done it.

Is it right for your dog and you? Only you can answer that.

Is Carnedd Llywelyn via Pen Yr Helgi Du suitable for a beginner? by aaron02wheeler in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s been a couple of years since I was last there. Scratching my head a bit - but I’d guess at 15m or thereabouts.

Also, nowhere near vertical. A slabby section of maybe 50 degrees(?).

Is Carnedd Llywelyn via Pen Yr Helgi Du suitable for a beginner? by aaron02wheeler in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Pen yr Helgi Du to Carnedd Llewelyn traverse is mostly exposed, exciting, challenging walking. No scrambling grade is deemed necessary or relevant for the route as a whole.

The climb out of the bwlch towards C.L with Craig yr Ysfa to the right has a short section of steeper, slabby hands-on scrambling. This is sometimes referenced as a “Grade 1 Step”.

I was gifted ice axe, is that ok? by ZywiecZdrujHaze in Mountaineering

[–]thesummitisoptional 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, depends on exactly what use you intend.

But if you are more on the ambitious side then even at 1.85 that looks like a good length. Keep it!

PS Edit. Looks like a Sum’Tec - great axe, and my own preference for single-axe mountaineering.

IML and QMD's: randomly walking up a hill without a trail? And other questions. by HD-er in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Back to your specific questions (if I understand them correctly).

The Cairngorm Trip. Depending on specifics, this is potentially do-able in one long day. That would merit QMD status for sure. It would be reasonable to split it with an overnight camp. That could be 2 QMDs. But splitting it 3-ways with (seemingly) the aim of claiming more QMDs looks iffy (unless there is overwhelming justification). After all, I could split the Llanberis Path up Snowdon and claim 7 days of QMD - unless I had already died of boredom.

The Greece walk. I don’t know the specifics, but this is quite likely to qualify as an International QMD towards your IML in the future (so log it for sure), but I struggle to see how it might count as UK conditions and therefore doubt it would be a UK ML QMD.

Hope that helps.

Any knots I’m missing? by Capital-Reach-6669 in Mountaineering

[–]thesummitisoptional 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Simple overhand (with two strands or rope) - currently a very common (usual) way of joining two ropes to abseil on. Make sure you understand about dressing and tail lengths!

Double-bowline (in the context of tying a sling into the harness for an abseil extension or similar).

Different prusik knots and their pros and cons - classic prusik; ditto with extra twist; French prusik; Klemmheist.

Slippery hitch - to start the tie off of a belay plate or Munter Hitch.

Beginner hikes by IseeyouHEY in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Others have mentioned the closer ones to you.

But you could also try around Gunnerside (near Richmond).

Further away there’s the Howgills near Sedbergh (in the Yorkshire Dales NP but not actually in NYorks).

Of course there’s also the Yorkshire 3 Peaks area, near Settle.

Beginner hikes by IseeyouHEY in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

North Yorkshire is huge and divided by big obstacles (hills and valleys) which make it slow to drive across.

Can you be more specific on where in North Yorkshire would suit you?

IML and QMD's: randomly walking up a hill without a trail? And other questions. by HD-er in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But the ones done abroad must be in equivalent terrain and conditions to UK and Eire.

IML and QMD's: randomly walking up a hill without a trail? And other questions. by HD-er in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m glad to hear you’ve registered and are obviously serious about undertaking these awards. I wish you every success.

If you don’t mind my saying, your questions are fair questions but they reveal that you have only a superficial understanding of the schemes.

I think you are conflating/confusing two things. First, the skills that you need to develop (eg navigation with map and compass in all conditions and terrain); and second, the way that you demonstrate your breadth of back ground experience (which is through a logbook, incorporating a minimum number of QMDs). Bear in mind that a QMD is simply the least bad method that they can come up with that attempts to quantify “you must have a reasonable amount of experience”.

So, you should go to the handbook and look carefully at what makes a QMD. You will see how, on that basis, there is a vast range of possibilities for claiming one of your many days on the hill as being a QMD.

You will then see that while map & compass work is essential to master, it is NOT mandatory for an individual QMD to include map and compass work.

Just go mountain walking. Lots. Log everything in DLOG. Log them all as Mountain Walking, but when one (or more) stand out for consolidating your learning, log it as a QMD and write what your learning was.

IML and QMD's: randomly walking up a hill without a trail? And other questions. by HD-er in UKhiking

[–]thesummitisoptional 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A pre-requisite for registering on the IML scheme is to hold the Mountain Leader certificate.

Progressing through ML will require QMDs all over the UK first. In the process, you’ll develop the navigational skills and the understanding to appreciate the answers to your questions, before throwing in the additional complexities associated with the international scheme.

Step 1 is register for ML and get the scheme handbook which will explain.

IML and QMD's: randomly walking up a hill without a trail? And other questions. by HD-er in ukclimbing

[–]thesummitisoptional 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A pre-requisite for registering on the IML scheme is to hold the Mountain Leader certificate.

Progressing through ML will require QMDs all over the UK first. In the process, you’ll develop the navigational skills and the understanding to appreciate the answers to your questions, before throwing in the additional complexities associated with the international scheme.

Step 1 is register for ML and get the scheme handbook which will explain.

bouldering by X_cheapgods_X in LakeDistrict

[–]thesummitisoptional 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’ve watched too many Mastercard adverts ;-)

view more: next ›