December 2020 – Mountain Leader Training QMD day (Lake District)
1 day working on a Mountain Leader Training course for www.grahamuneymountaineering.co.uk. Today, I took the candidates out for a good old QMD! (Quality Mountain Day) in the North Western Fells. We covered plenty of mountain navigation, had lots of discussion on environmental topics and talked about how to be an engaging leader.
November 2020 – Mountain Leader Training (Lake District)
3 days working on a Mountain Leader Training course for www.grahamuneymountaineering.co.uk. Over the 3 days we covered lots of skills including steep ground, leadership, confidence roping, environmental topics, wild camping skills and plenty of navigation!
October 2020 – “Boots & Beer” Walking Weekend (Lake District)
A delightful weekend working on a 2 day walking weekend for www.teamwalking.co.uk based in Boot, Lake District. Two days of walks directly from the village which included mountain summits, stone circles, fine views, ancient woodland, beautiful rivers and great conversation.
September 2020 - Cadair Berwyn (Berwyn Mountains)
A super day in North Wales working for www.mindovermountains.org.uk. We spent a couple of hours taking in the beauty of Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall before heading up the highest point in the range; Cadair Berwyn. We had lots of stops to take it all in including some fine views.
August 2020 – The Fairfield Horseshoe (Lake District)
A scorcher of a day guiding www.largeoutdoors.com client Catherine around the Fairfield Horseshoe. Glorious sunshine, 7 Wainright summits, fine views and great company!
August 2020 – Yorkshire 3 Peaks
13 hours, 16 participants, 3 mountains and 26 miles complete. Great day working in the hills for www.challengecentral.com.
July 2020 – The Great Ridge Mam Tor to Lose Hill (Peak District)
Out in the Peak District working for www.mindovermountains.org.uk. What a great day walking the classic circuit over The Great Ridge. Is was so good to see everyone in our group smiling, talking, connecting and enjoying the outdoors.
July 2020 - 1 day private 1:1 Map Reading course (Lake District)
An enjoyable day in Little Langdale running a 1:1 Map Reading course. We covered all the basic skills required to plan routes on paths, tracks and trails. We also covered navigation strategy, an introduction to contours, countryside access, weather and kit.
March 2020 –– NNAS Silver Navigation course – Yorkshire Dales
An enjoyable weekend working in the Dales for Mark Reid of www.teamwalking.co.uk. This was the NNAS silver course which builds upon the Bronze Award and gives you the skills you need to navigate across open country away from paths and tracks.
February 2020 – A winter day in the Lake District
Up Hartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike and Gray Crag from Hartsop. Lots of soft, deep snow, gusty winds and spindrift made going fairly slow but it was a great winter day in the Lakes.
February 2020 – A super Saturday in the Peak District
In the Peak District today looking after a fantastic group of www.largeoutdoors.co.uk clients. We headed to Little Longstone from YHA Ravenstor and back via the Monsal Trail. A fab day; great to work for these guys and a wonderful Saturday in the hills.
January 2020 – ML Refresher in the Lake District
On the fells above Haweswater yesterday shadowing an ML refresher workshop and night Nav session run by www.grahamuneymountaineering.co.uk. A great day supporting others on their ML journey.
January 2020 – Carrauntoohill; Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Co Kerry.
A great solo winter day in the hills of Ireland. I walked the Coomloughra Horseshoe which included Ireland’s three highest peaks – Caher, Beenkeragh and Carrauntoohill. Fab to get out and practice some winter skills in a new area.
Christmas & New Year 2019/20 – Family Friendly Summits of Lakeland
The Lake District has lots of famous high summits such as Helvellyn, Scafell Pike and The Old Man of Coniston but there are plenty of easier walks in the Lake District too which are suitable for families and children. My children are 6 & 3 and over the Christmas & New Year period we spent a week enjoying 4 short walks together up Latrigg, Raven Crag, Castle Crag and Binsey.
December 2019 – Northern Fells, Lake District
Another super day in the Lakes today. Lots of winter sunshine, great visibility and clear air. My route took me from Mungrisdale over Souther Fell, Sharp Edge, Blencathra, Mungrisdale Common, Bannerdale Crags, Bowscale Fell and then down & up onto Carrock Fell where I hung around for a bit, drank lots of tea, ate cake and waited for the sunset! A superb day out.
December 2019 – A selection of smaller Wainrights in the Far Eastern Fells, Lake District
Heading out from Troutbeck I planned a circuit to visit a few new Wainrights; Sour Howes, Sallows, The Tongue and Wansfell Pike. It was bleak, there were no views, and it was drizzly all day but wow what a day in the hills! It had everything; quiet summits, tricky terrain, plenty of bog & stream crossings. It was remote, wild, rugged and peaceful. Just how a day in the Lakes should be! The joy of hillwalking!
October 2019 – Howgill Fells “2000 footers”
A great day in the Howgill Fells with www.teamwalking.co.uk. This range of hills is fantastic! Mostly untouched, no walls or fences, not many paths and hardly a sole around. Today we visited all nine summits over 2,000ft. 9 hours of mostly up and down, steeply! A tad damp but a brill day with a great group.
October 2019 – Scafell Pike – Lake District
Today was a load of rubbish...literally. Participating in the Real3Peaks Challenge on Scafell Pike. Teams headed up from different locations and did a deep clean of the mountain by picking up as much litter as possible. My group of 7 headed up from Great Langdale and collected around 10kg of litter. Good effort everyone and thanks Kelvyn James from www.mountainservices.co.uk for organising.
October 2019 - “Walk the Talk” event - Leeds
In Leeds today supporting a “Walk the Talk” event arranged by www.challengeCentral.co.uk in partnership with Lloyds Banking Group and Mental Health UK. Over 100 staff from Lloyds Leeds offices took part in a 25km walk around the city Centre. Good effort by everyone.
September 2019 – Yorkshire 3 Peaks
Wet and wild on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks today working for www.teamwalking.co.uk. Had to put me big coat on for this one! 24 clients raising money for a children’s cancer charity. Well done all!
September 2019 – NNAS Bronze Navigation course – Peak District
An enjoyable day in the Peak District teaching navigation for www.PureOutdoor.co.uk. This was the NNAS bronze course which is perfect for beginners who want to learn the basics of map reading and navigation.
September 2019 – Welsh 3 Peaks – Brecon Beacons & Snowdonia
Leading the Welsh 3 Peaks for www.challengecentral.co.uk. We led a large group of 53 clients South to North through Wales climbing Pen y Fan early evening, Cadair Idris in the small hours and Snowdon early the following morning. A really energetic and well prepared group dealt with just about all conditions including a tough walk up the Minnfordd path to Cadair Idris in foggy, windy darkness!
August 2019 – Cadair Idris, Snowdonia
What a great way to spend the early hours of my birthday - out in driving rain, high winds and poor visibility on Cadair Idris with staff from www.challengecentral.co.uk. A 9pm start, 3am finish. Quite a few tools came out of the ‘navigational toolbox’ last night and it was a double waterproofs and headtorch by the knees kind of evening!
July 2019 - Peak District – One day navigation course
A great day in the Peak District today delivering a one day navigation course for www.pureoutdoor.co.uk. This great one day course introduces the fundamental skills of map reading and navigation. 8 great and enthusiastic clients. It was very wet for a while but spirits weren’t dampened and everyone had a great day!
July 2019 – Mallerstang, Upper Eden Valley, Yorkshire Dales
Fantastic walk today, leading for TeamWalking.co.uk. The 23 mile Mallerstang Yomp follows the watershed of the Upper Eden Valley and includes all the fells and mountains that surround it including the mysterious Nine Standards Rigg, High Seat, Gregory Chapel, Swarth Fell and Wild Boar Fell. A fantastic walk with a great group. We completed in 10h 45m.
June 2019 – Lake District
Working in the Lakes with for www.mountain-walks.co.uk walking their 'Derwent Water Challenge' - a complete full circuit of Derwent Water and the surrounding fells. A great day was had by all.
May 2019 - Isle of Arran
A mountain adventure on Arran today walking The Sannox Horseshoe.
A classic route, involving quite a bit of scrambling. It makes a circuit of the mountains surrounding Glen Sannox. An enjoyable scramble to start with up Cioch na h-Oighe (“The Bastion”) before descending to the Saddle. Then a steep climb up to the dramatic peak of Cir Mhor. Then across to the granite tors of Caisteal Abhail before further scrambling led down to the “Witches' Step”, which I bypassed before enjoying a ridge walk down and back to the car. Unfortunately, the weather deteriorated as the day went on but that just meant I had the mountains to myself all day!