I rang Nicola from the top of Kirkstone pass, I had an idea in my head, as I had given her a set of Camp Ice Rider crampons and some Camp Alpax ice axes for christmas, that we were still yet to use, that we could have a climb up the bomber neve I had seen on Helvellyn whilst running. It would be perfect for her. I didn't think she would say yes, as we had been packing all weekend and then she had just been to the cinema in Ambleside with her, now, 6 year old Millie for her birthday treat with friends. She suprised me and said yes, she would love to, so I headed back to Windermere to pick her up.

I had some food and posted a blog, whilst Nicola got her kit ready and got dressed for winter. We left at around 20:00 and were at the Glenridding YHA by 20:45. As Nicola got her little Inov-8 Race Pro 12 packed with her Camp Ice Rider crampons and some extra layers, including her Rab Infinity jacket for belaying, I packed my Aarn Natural Exhilaration with Nic's Aku SL Pro LTR's, some extra clothes for myself, my Kahtoola KTS Steels, as I planned on doing it in my Inov-8 Mudclaw 270's - fast and light!! I also put in a very light rack of a 60m 8mm rope, 1 warthog, 1 short ice screw (you never know), several slings, 1 quickdraw, 4 locking krabs, a harness for Nic with a belay plate and a couple of pegs. It still weighed too much, but then we weren't quite running in, even though I was clothed in running tights (primaloft pants in my bag) and a Rab Vapourise Stretch pull-on, a great top for winter use... too hot for any other time for me.

We headed off around 21:15/21:30 and made good time to Red Tarn. At the start slope we got crampons and 1 axe out, Nic put her harness on and we headed up to find the neve snow slope just right of Viking Buttress. The snow slope extended for 2½ rope lengths and I made makeshift belay's using the warthog once and use of rocks on the other occasions. As I topped out of the cornice and belayed Nic up I looked over the lights of Carlisle, Penrith and various other villages across the Eden valley.

Charlie and Nic on top of Helvellyn.

It was a beautiful night under a clear sky, even though we had had a little snow on the way up. The wind chill was pretty severe, so we didn't hang around on the summit long and head down Swirral Edge, stopping as the path flattens for Nicola to change back into her Inov-8 Roclite 400's and put her microspikes on instead of climbing crampons, so we could hightail it back to the van. We go there around 02:15.

I knocked up some quick food, pasta, lentils, curry paste and tomato's. We ate, and then slept.. heavily. But what a great thing to do on a Sunday night. We might have waited had the forecast not suiggested that it was going to thaw this week, which it looks like it has started today.. lets see what the rest of the week holds.

There had been ascents of Gully Number 1, plus the slope we ascended had tracks on it as well.

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On the way back from delivering more stuff to our new house in Water Millock, Ulswater, I stopped at the Glenridding YHA and headed up towards Sticks Pass, turning left and then heading up to Whiteside just above the Raise ski tow. Conditions were cold today,but so nice to be out and on the Lakeland fells again. As I summited Whiteside I found out just how cold it actually was in the wind and my face started to burn and the muscles freeze.

Looking at Catstycam

I had a great run along the ridge and up onto Lower Man and then Helvellyn... usually I would head down Swirral Egde, but this time I thought I would head down Striding Edge for a change, but as I got to the exit/entrance slope I realised there was little chance of me doing it without crampons and an axe. I tentively had a look over, but the thought of slipping and flying down the slope and to who know's where, so I thought again!! So I headed back to Swirral and down to Red Tarn and then the YHA again and my van.

From Whiteside to the bridge at the bottom of Catstycam I cursed the fact I had left my Kahtoola Microspikes in the van, as the snow, neve and the icey snow and water ice ont he path lower down made it that I had to concentrate fully... I also forgot my head torch, but managed to get back before the light fainally went... not bad as I set off at 4:30pm.

The neve at the top of gully 1, the Red Tarn face, Brown Cove and Striding Edge was perfect... The turf was frozen where exposed, but not sure about in the gully's.

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Louis advised we should head to Safiental as it was a beautiful place to climb and although it was quite a long drive it was well worth it.

We went in search of a route called Kathedrale (Wi5), it looked an amazing piece of ice to climb... but unfortunately we had trouble with directions and orientation... better luck next time, but this time we found ourselves at the head of the valley looking into the Gletschfalle area. A long crag of about 150m tall at its highest point and sitting at 2020m altitude, meaning it was going to be cold and harder for our muscles. The crag was about 2k from where we were parked and so the ski's came out and we got set to ski into the crag. The temps in the sun were pretty good, although it was very cold air. On arrival at the crag we checked the windslab at the bottom of the route, which has built up with spindrift from above, but the avalanche category was only 2, so we felt pretty safe. Honza belayed under the bluff of an outcrop, just to increase the safety factor as I dug a pit to double check everything. We felt pretty happy so I set off to cross the windslab, swimming through the snow to the foot of the ice. I lead the first 30/40m (after 20m of snow swimming) to a bolt belay and a snow ledge, very nice... I choose to sit on the ledge.. which was a mistake once Honza joined me and led on, as the down draft from above was colder than -25°C and this meant my knee caps started to freeze, I only noticed when I couldn't feel them anymore. It was quite worrying, so as Honza climbed I changed my stance to sitting in my harness, facing the wall to I didn't get frostbite on them, and thats if I hadn't already.

Sking to the Gletscherfalle

The climbing was pretty easy, as the angle wasn't more than 80° for most of the climbing with short sections of 85/90°, but with he temperature as it was, it meant the ice was super brittle, making it pretty full-on still, as when you place a screw or an axe and it send cracks shooting through the ice and you can hear a waterfall behind it, it makes it pretty scarey in my book. Honza completed the pitch, I followed and when I got to the top, which wasn't too much later I saw Honza was freezing. With windchill now, the temp must have been less than -30°C. We rappelled off great bolted anchors and were at the skis in no time, ready for our short descent, which was brilliant through semi-heavy powder snow, under the light of a rising almost full moon.Safiental looked amazing.

Charlie leading the Gletscherfalle

Honza looking extremely cold!!

Honza leads on....

When we reached the car and tried to start it, we found the temperature had sapped the battery and after several attempts at trying to bump start it between us, we enlisted, luckily, the help of 2 french speaking swiss guy's who were ibn a nearby house, otherwise it might have been a long cold night.

The next day we headed to Bad Ragaz down in the valley just along the road from Chur. Behind this lovely little swiss town, which was situated in a valley surrounded by ice galore, was a gorge called Taminaschult. Tamina being the river, Schult meaning 'gorge'. This was full of line after line, an amazing place. Grade 3 through to 6 and all styles. Collumns, teeth, slabs, walls, serious, easy and it went on. 4km of gorge.. you can imagine. It takes a low freeze to bring it into condition and needs about 1 - 2 weeks to build up the harder routes, the easier route are probably in condition more of the season. We met one of the main activists as we walked out at the end of the day, didn't get his name, but he was one of the 4 people to have climbed a line called High Noon III/5+, which was only first climbed in 2003. It wasn't complete, but it looked fantastic... too much for us right now, but something to comeback fro deffinately. We opted for a line left of number 14 - Rechter Schwattenfall a II/3+. I don't think I could have climbed harder, my calves were on fire and my body was heavy, but it was an enjoyable route with a free shower at the top.

Charlie leading nice ice.

Next day we went for a Skitour with Louis, heading upto Laax in the morning to catch a lift to the to pof the mountain. A lazy way to tour, but with a 2000m ascent, I thought it a wize idea. This was s'posed to be a rest day. We got 3 lifts to the the top cafe, and stopped for a Kafe Schnapps, and as Lousi works on the mountain we got an extra strong one. Great as the final lift had stopped due to wind and cold, so when we headed 2km up the final slope it gave me and Honza good energy.. Louis seemed to be struggling with his hangover from the night before. We got to the col, ready to head onto the ridge we were to tour along, only to find the weather was closing in and the wind had picked up even more. It was not to be, so we headed down a black run over the back and towards a bar stop and woods/forest which we planned to ski through back to Louis' place, as the snowline was all the way down to Ilanz.

Louis and Snoops head off into the tree's

At the rest stop we fueled up, we had a beer, Snoops the dog got some free bratwurst as they closed down the lift and cafe. Next we headed through the woods skirting the mini valley/gully we were in to get some fantastic skiing all the way back to Ilanz through farmland as we descended all the way. A great way to save our planned daytour.

The final day, and Honza and I were knackered.. its hard to stay on top when you've been on the go for day after day and plenty of driving. So we opted to get the van going, clean it out, clean Louis' car and then headed to the slopes for one final day's skiing. An easy finish to a great trip.. tomorrow was a 20+ hour drive back to the UK, so stress on ice was not what we really wanted.

Can't wait to get back to Ilanz for either summer or winter action, all in all it is a great outdoor playground.

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We arrived at Louis' after a long drive again, through freezing temps, like lower than minus-10 and went straight to the Aldi for some beer.. maybe a current theme here, but driving with no window spray is hard work, especially when you're tired from driving and climbing already, so liquid refreshment is allowed.....

Louis then showed us his appartment, nice place. Much bigger than my van, so it would do for a couple of days until the van was fixed. Next we sorted some fod, drank some beer, and decoded the new Swiss climbing guide Honza had bought before we left Kandersteg. Its called Urs Ordermatt - HOT ICE - Eisklettern in der Schweiz - OST (ISBN 978-3-033-02780-0), maybe a slight contradiction in terms, until you open it and then you see how HOT it is!! Ice everywhere and we had come to a good area, with-in less than 1 hours drive we had plenty to go at and some a little closer.

We awoke with Louis at 6am, he was off to work. We had the use of his car, as its the car that is insured in Switzerland, not the person... this was a good thing. So we promptly went back to sleep, to catch up on the last few days... mistake maybe, but it will have helped later in the day. We awoke around 8am, got stuff ready and then headed out. We found ourselves driving up a valley full of ice lines, some done, some not... and some hard lines waiting for some masters to come and have a go. We found our allotted place after a little messing around and got kitted up. Tired as we were, we opted for a grade II/3+ called Namelos (which means no name I guess!!). Really nice route, very pleasant, good cave belay under the icefall above.

Next day we headed back to Valsertal again and tried to get higher up the valley, from Vals, only to find out that we had forgotten out money, which we needed for the bus further up the valley, so we headed back to the same place and went for a route [Hohbrugge Direkt] graded II/3 in the guide, but it was certainly more like a 4/4+ on the top pitch, but we took a different bottom pitch to get to it. Another class route, but each day we climbed, the colder it got. This day it was about -19. 

Next day we took a rest. We woke up, hoping to get out again, but on reflection after we had had breakfast, we decided a walk with loius' dog was more in order, so we headed to Obersaxon after lunch for a stroll through the woods, very beautiful, very relaxing.

Louis, our host, has got into paragliding over the last year and is training for his licence, but in true louis style, he has had minimal training, we like that!! And so is learning to fly better, by flying from LAAX, which is the ski area he is a lifty at, down to Ilanz.. A vertical descent of around 300m. As we arrived back from our dog walk, I could see Louis in the sky.. it was a little windy on the ground, but nothing too much I thought, but then I'm not a paraglider.

As Louis descended, he seemed to keep on getting lift on each turn, but he look under control... as he flew closer I saw the power lines in the field he was wanting to land in and then he flew away, across the river and landed the otherside.

Nice I thought, but apparently not so, the Swiss wouldn't think so after have a crack with Louis once he had joined us on this side of the river after wading though the icey water!! True style ;-)

Next adventure - Safiental... coming soon

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Just backfromn a 2 week trip to Switzerland with Honza. We set off in the van on the 29th of Jan and headed straight for Folkstone and the tunnel. 2 weeks of bliss were in order, or that was the plan anyway, but maybe a little adventurous as neither of us were fit enough for 2 weeks climbing, on ice, when we haven't even swung axes this season.

We reached the train in good time, unusual for me... and we were in France like a flash. So we decided to keep going for a while, and make distance whilst I was still awake. Trying to keep off the 'peage' roads we set a course through rural France, getting as far as Cambrai, only to hear a bang in the engine and the battery light come on... most obvious cause? The fanbelt had snapped. JP's words rang in my mind, as before we had set off, he said 'Good Luck in your Van'... thanks for the jinx Mr Challinor. So the next day was spent farting around in Cambrai trying to communicate in bad french, that the fanbelt had snapped, where could we get one and who could fix it... a run around, but all the french people I spoke to were lovely, extremely helpful, and very tollerant of my improving, but still very bad french.

5pm, van fixed, and on the road again... destination, KANDERSTEG. It took us far too long, maybe a wrong road, or maybe just A-roads, or maybe the snow was slowing us as well. But either way, we didn't reach Kandersteg until 5am... burner on, vodka out, good few shots to ease the head from driving and now it felt like we were on holiday, in Switzerland, surrounded by snow, in the Alps, almost ready to go climbing... ah, but first we needed some sleep.

Bang bang bang.... whoa, whats happening, oh, just a Swiss snow plough driver waking us up, telling us to move and exclaiming in brilliant english, that we were very CRAZY for parking where we had... he wouldn't have thought so if he had driven all night to get there!! It was only 9am.. ouch, still we had climbing to get on with. Move van, get kit sorted, burner going.. slowing us with the heat... bags packed, and off we go, Kandersteg ice here we come. It was overcast, but still beautiful.Loads of snow, too much in fact, very cold and here we go, look at that ice!!

The route that looked the nicest was already occupied, so we went for one called _______ to the right. The grade was 5, a little ambitious I thought, but Honza was leading, so what the hell. It took him a while to complete the first pitch, which always worries me, as he is the better climber... but who know what happens when you're on lead. He belayed on bolts, very handy.. I set off and followed. Cursing his sling around a collumn that had frozen to the ice, in a big way, and when I got to him, I was greated with a cold and very wet Honza... he was not wearing waterproofs and was soaked.. shcool boy error you might say. So we abb'ed off.

Oh, I might like to mention now, we both bought some natty new technical axes before Christmas, they cost a bob or too... A set of Grivel Force Alloy's... under Honza's research.. but what he didn't mention to me, I never asked and the guy's at The Mountain Boot Company didn't question either, was that we needed the ice version of this tool... we had the dry-tooling version... nto any good for water-ice climbing... still at least we had our trust older models with us, so all was not lost, just an expense we could have done without, now we just need the ice picks and we can use then on our next Euro trip.

Next day we headed back to the same area and climbed the spyed route from the day before. A wall and collumn climb called Groll, very nice. And this time we got a little sunshine, even if it was only for the morning.

The next morning we were woken by the same snow plough driver, telling us we couldn't camp in the carpark we had tried to comandere and that we had to move on... fair enough.. but guess what, at minus-10 or below, my lovely deisel van didn't want to start, so what to do? Ask the snow-plough driver for help. 3 of his mates arrived.. a jump start.. still wouldn't go.. they called a garage.. he tried the same, that still didn't work, so I got him to pull us and bump it down a hill. This cost us a 50 CHF note. Still we had the van going, and so what next? If we stopped again, and left the engine to cool over night, then we were buggered again, so move to plan B... ring Louis Henderson, a friend and ex-worker at the Outdoor Warehouse, and now a ski lifty, kayak and rafting guide, cannon expert and general good egg, who is living in Switzerland over in Ilanz... of course he is also a very good friend.. time to call in a favour I think.....

To be continued in Part 2 of Switzerland... climbing in Valsertal.

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Finally I have got out for a run since New Year with Nicola in Aviemore. I have been thawted by one of these ever changing colds that last for weeks... then with a house move on top, its set me back a little, but this evening I have manged to get my sorry ass out of the house and onto the fells... well into the countryside anyway.

A quick round of School Knott, Great Sire and Orrest Head by the late afternoon light, or maybe not so quick. My legs felt heavy, the ground is sodden and Peppa, my little english springer spaniel, thought it a good idea to trip me up as we were running down Hollins Lane, the back road from Ings to Troutbeck. I took a couple of handfulls of tarmac and a knee and a shoulder as well.. it did hurt.. but at least the camera survived, a few scratches, but in one piece.

Windermere from Orrest Head, looking south down the lake.

Trainers used: Inov-8 Bare Grip 200's

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Hot off the press: OMM sleeeping bagsd are back in the range. After a good talk with Andy Williams, the head honcho at OMM, he showed me the old, but very new range of sleeping bags. Great updates, great colours, great fill power and one for the vegans amongst you as well. Oh, and the one for the vegans, is also the lightest!!

I'll fill in more tomorrow, but here are some images to get your juices flowing, or should it be, your heads heavy and ready for a little nap?

3 OMM Sleeping bags

The rest of the range looked great, all colour updates are now available this season (SS2012) and the new Adventure 45 + 10 will be in stock soon.

As I left Lowbrook Farm, the OMM HQ, I stepped out to feel the warm air of today gone and a cold fresh evening on its way. Driving over the bridge in Lancaster, I had this view...

Sunset over Lancaster

More on the OMM range coming tomorrow...

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An amazing weekend, but I didn't have time to get out on the hill. This weekend was full of packing boxes, sorting stuff out and packing up a van... we are moving to Watermillock in Ullswater. It will mean a little more logistically planned travel, but we think it will be worth it for the quality of life we assume we will get out there... time will tell.Isaac firing down the Kendal Dry Slope

Saturday was packing boxes, but Sunday was Kendal Ski Slope, underneath the Castle mound. Isaac and Millie have both been skiing, these are Nicola's kids, but Florence and Hector, my Niece and Nephew, have not, so a plan was made over Christmas, as to teach Hector & Florence to ski. Every other sunday, so a bi-weekly affair. Sunday was cold and crisp and the slope was covered in frost, so no water necassary to oil the slope, as it were. Hector in his Didriksons Boardman Set

Hector and Florence were hilarious, Hector just wanting to be sent in a straight line from half way up the slope.

Florence was more nervous. Millie is getting better, hopefully soon she will be able to control herself. Isaac is no problem, one week and snow and he's almost a professional.

It;s a balll being an adult now, watch in the next generation learning, just as we did, although I think Kendal Ski Slope is a little more comfortable than Aviemore n a bad day, as it was when we learnt. Now all we need is ski's for them all, then when it snow's again on Kirkstone, we can all have a bash on the real thing!! ....

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Yesterday I was out with Honza, we went to a location we have been a couple of times before, but since the move of the shop, I had lost interest, but not now... my saliva is fully flowing again and I can't wait to get back there.

Can't really tell much about it, as we are only in the developing stages, but all will be revealed soon enough, just one more route to sort out, then the lines to be climbed, then I think we will go public.

But here's a few shots from yesterday....

What I can say about the crag, is its dark, dank and 45 degree's overhanging. We are Aid Climbing the lines and placing bolts on lead, this is for eventually dry tooling the routes. Nothing else would be possible here, unless we had a major droute summer. It might rub some people up the wrong way, but then if you never try... We are keeping with a ground up ethic, so no top roping, everything is done on lead... so far....

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Sometimes you just have to get away from it all, and thats what we did for New Year 2012. So much hustle and bustle in 2011 meant a quite and healthy New Year was in order for myself and Nicola, so we headed for the shore's of Loch Morlich for a bit of van life, hope of winter climbing and maybe a little skiing if we were lucky.... of course we had a back-up plan of walking and running if the weather decided not to play ball.

We set off too late on Thursday, 29th December 2011, for the Cairngorms. With a good morning for Friday the 30th forecast, we hoped to get out of bed earliy enough to catch the good weather and freezing levels, before it looked like it was going to crap out and strip what was left of the pre-christmas snow and ice. Unfortunately things don't always go to plan and we only got to Loch Morlich at 03:45am on Friday morning, so when we woke at 9:30am we found ourselves a little tired and although I knew we needed to get out lazy backsides out of bed, it was a little difficult to get fully motivated. Especially when I lit the wood burner, all hopes of getting out in the mountains drained away into a lazy morning. Still, we got to look at the mountains and dream of what we might be doing, had we dragged ourselves out of bed.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Lunchtime and we were up, ready and fighting fit to take the dogs for a walk and check out the climbing possibilities. As we walked out of the carpark towards Coirie an Sneachta we asked returning climbers the conditions. Mixed was in for today, but with tomorrows forecast thaw, they thought it would all be stripped. Even the classic gully's were stripped and would be worse tomorrow. Oh well, you can't have it always, so we had a little dog walk up the coirie, but soon turned around and headed for the comfort of the van as the weather closed in with horizontal sleet and snow.

New Years Eve, and all was WARM! So no climbing, but a walk was in order. We bumped into a friend of a friend in the carpark we were in, Steak and Rachel, two friends of Jon Ritson's (a friend and former employee of the shop, also the owner of Slackgear UK), they were heading off for a walk as well, it seemed the order of the day. Again we headed into Sneacda and found the crags to be absolutely bare, so anythoughts of the re-freeze on New Years day was out, as the turf was soft, and the hoar and ice non existent. We headed up Goat Track and onto the platuea, from here we headed to the summit of Cairngorm, as Nicola had not been here before and then down into Coirie Na Ciste and back to the van.We were blasted by the wind from the top of Cairn Gorm, it certainly blew the cobwebs away. Not a massive walk, but it suited how we felt after the usual Christmas excess, frolics and work.  Back at the van we soon got the burner underway, dinner on and life was good. We had a slight problem that the glow-plugs for heating the diesel for starting the van were on the blink, but a squirt of easy start got us going and after food we headed back to the shores of Loch Morlich and got ready for the quitest New Years Eve since I was 14. We played some chess and at 00:00 2012 we watched fireworks go off around the shores of the Loch.  2012 was now in swing... and it was time for our little heads to hit the pillow... has middle age caught me up??... never.... just maybe got slightly different priorities now.

New Years day, and the sun was shining, it was indeed a bit colder and the wind was biting, but no hope of climbing. A lazy start again, but its the van burner that causes it.. or thats my excuse anyway.Today's mission was a run across the ridge up behind Loch Morlich. We set of in brilliant sunshine and ran through woods at first, then we started to climb. Up onto Craiggormie, then along the ridge line to Meall a Buichaille to finish. It was cold, bitingly cold and what started as brilliant sunshine finished in horizontal snow and semi-blizzard conditions. As we descended back into the valley we new we had had a good outing and caught the best of the day. Next came, van, burner, food and sleep. All good stuff.

Monday morning, and we awoke to a dusting of snow. Sun at first and then the showers of storms started. Heavy snow, bit of sun, heavier snow, less sun.

Now all we had to do was get home!! It was snowing hard, and it was a long drive, but thankfully Glen Garry remained open for the time we were on it and we arrived back in Windermere 8 and a half hours after we set off.

Scotland now looks like it has a fresh covering of snow. Skiing is back in, with soime of the slopes open, some are still closed due to high winds, but check out the latest forecasts with Ski-Scotland, and check out the road conditions on Traffic Scotland. It looks like it will be a few more day's before the climbing comes back into conditions, but its a good start for the New Year. Check out climbing conditions here:

Cairngorm Mountain Guides

West Coast Mountain Guides

Abacus Mountaineering

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I have been going up Kirkstone Pass and Red Scree's for years now. I learnt to ski up there when we had the shop, as its first incarnation, The Fellsman, when we put a rope tow up most Sunday's when there was snow. We used to charge 50p per day for use of the tow, to cover the fuel costs and our chicken and chips in a basket (a real one, not this plastic rubbish you get now-a-days) in the Kirkstone Pass Inn, when we were too cold and wet and neaded some solice. I remember one year we made an igloo on the side of St Ravens Edge.

Now, as I have been back in the Lakes for 10 years, I have been up and down Red Scree's many time. It is such easy access and if the gritter is able to keep the road open, then you up high before you even step out of yor car.

Kirkstone Pass and Red Scree's is used by all. You find sledgers, skiers and boarders, runner, walkers, climbers and a mulirtude of people just wanting a quick drink in the highest pub in England and to enjoy the feel of winter.

Yesterday I had 3 occurances with Red Scree's. After a little too much to drink on Saturday night, after a Christmas drinks party, I awoke to the obligitory dry mouth, badger shit 9or at least iot tastes like it, and slight skullrock (headache to the uninitiated) associated wiht too much alcohol. Still, there is coffee to help ease the pain. I had promised to take Nicola and kids to the Kendal Dry Ski Slope for practice for Isaac and Millie's on coming ski holiday with there Dad. The weather was amazing, with wall to wall blue skies. Why were we heading to a dry ski slope? I have only been on one, maybe once or twice, but Isaac wanted to go, so thats what we did. [a foot note: If we had skis for Isaac and Millie, I would have insisted we headed to Kirkstone, but.... we didn't) We arrived at the slope, got kitted up, I used my telemarks, for a bit of practice... don't have alpine skies anymore really. Isaac just got on with himself and for a kid who has only had onbe week on snow, he was pretty good, able to look after himself and confident enough. He'll be jumping cliffs in no time and ripping up the park as soon as he can. I helped and taught Millie again and I was happy to see she remembered lots from our 3 day's in Scotland earlier in the year. This was number 1, as I looked longingly at the white mountains in the distance from the dry slope, but with the knowledge I would be up there soon, sliding around.

Nic and kids went to thier grandparents for lunch and family time, I got a pass out and headed off to meet JP at Kirkstone for more fun.

Red Scree's looked plastered, but on arriving it seamed to have less snow than when I skied down it 2 winters ago, but there looked enough and other people had already been down the bowl. JP, with snowboard in hand  and me, with my telemarks over my shoulder, headed up the path to make our way into the bowl. Its not a hard walk up and soon we were climbing the exit gully on the leftside of the mountain as you look up at it.

From here we traversed across the slope and walked up out of where we were to ski/board down. As you look at the bowl, you have Raven Crag on the left, a steep gully just to the left of that, then some craglets, then a less defined gully weaving its way through the craglets and rock bands, then scree and the exit gully. We came down the less defined gully. It was steep, narrow at points and as ever, changable snow from top to bottom. JP, a seasoned and very compitent snowboarder, looked comfortable at the thought of heading down, where as I , a compitent telemarker, but not so confident on this ground, was a lot more nervous. I cursed I had not put on my helmet. We met a friend at the top of the gully, Wesley Orvis from Kendal, he had soloed up Kilnshaw Chimney, a great way to the top of the crag and reported it to be a snow slope all the way, the chimney choked with snow. Now was the time for the descent. JP dropped off the side of the slight cornice at the top and I gingerly turned on easier ground to start heading down. Both of us side slipped the next section to where there was a constriction. Alpine turns, step turns and side slipping saw me through the constriction and ready to watch JP make short work of it, which he duely did. Thankfully the angle eases and I was able to drop back into Tele-style turns, which I find ultra commiting and pretty hard on steeper terrain. Here I cursed for the lack of knee pads as rocks rushed past my dropped knee's. A few falls in deeper & heavier snow, and a 'picked line' saw us back at the carpark. The van was waiting with the burner still smoking away, ready to be stoked up. Wesley dropped in for a chat and JP and Nette (his wife) departed.I headed off for Nicola's parents and some cups of tea.That was number 2.

Night arrives, and Nicola and I say our goodnights to kids and Nicola's parents and head back up Kirkstone Pass for a revisit on Kilnshaw Chimney. We geared up in the van, with the warmth of the burner making it hard to get ready quickly, not really wanting to get out into the cold, but then once you're out there it all ok really.

Halfway up, the rope came out for Nicola's confidence and we made 2 pitches to the top, Nicola making a mini third as she headed off above the rope. The top gained and we headed for the descent path and the warmth of the van. The views from the top were beautiful. This was number 3.

So, Red Scree's showed me itself in the morning, capped in sparkling whiteness, welcomed me in the afternoon and let me slide down its belly on beautifully formed snow and then let us enter its guts as we walked up the banked out snow slopes of Kilnshaw Chimney for our finaley of the day. The views all round were fantastic and the lights of all the towns and villages, under dark cloud and the night sky were just perfect. A great day out on one mountain, and so many different things you can do on it. The possibilities are endless... or almost....

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A winter Bob Graham round is a serious undertaking by anyones standards. If you are a purist, as John Brockbank of Windermere has told me, then it should be completed on the 21st of December, the Winter Solstice. I forget now whether Martin Stone of John Brockbank was the first to complete a winter round, but both put out amazing efforts, Martin soloing the whole thing through knee deep snow in places. That must have been a dark and lonely place at times.

On Friday night I got a little taste of what it must be like to have to endure the conditions, terrain and servere cold that comes with a Winter BG.

JP asked me last week was I helping out Mhairi Cameron on her Winter BG attempt? I knew nothing about it. But I had supported Mhairi on 2 subsequent attempts. The first had bailed at Bowfell. The second, which was a sucessful round, although outside of the time limit, I had joined her at Whiteside and ran the final part of the Helvellyn ridge to Clough Head and then we walked the final leg of Blencathra, Great Calva and finally Skiddaw. It was a beautiful morning and I was happy to be walking into Keswick as the sun rose... although not so happy for the lack of sleep and the fact I had to go to run the shop after breakfast. So this was number 3 and I wanted to be part of it. So I texted Mhairi. She put me on leg 1 with JP. So it was set. But then the weather set in for the weekend, heavy winds, lots of snow and a full moon. Great for skiing or possible climbing when it settles down, but not great for a BG attempt.

Mhaihi is a hard woman and was not detered. She was watching the weather carefully and saw a window in the high winds later on Friday and most of Saturday, so it was on. We were to meet at Moot Hall in Keswick at 6:30pm for a 7pm start. Excitment and trepidation ran through my body and I got all my stuff ready on Thursday evening in-between other commitments I already had.

Friday arrived and heavy snow had fallen in the morning and proceeded to, throughout the day (in the mountains that is). JP and I met in Windermere at 5pm, got to Keswick for 6pm and I was early for once.. shock and horror!! Mhairi and John arrived at 6:30pm and we all got ready. 7pm and Moot Hall was touched for the last time until 24hrs or so later... or so we hoped.

As we ran out of Keswick the clouds were clearing showing us Lower Man and a full moon, it was already beautiful and we hadn't left the town. I probably shouldn't have been going, as my body was fulll of pains and sweats, a bug I had picked up on Thursday from my niece and nephew, but its hard to say no to a great event, and this was deffinately one of those. As we headed up Lower Man, my legs were on fire and I couldn't tell if we were moving too fast of whether it was the bug causing me the trouble. Mhairi was pushing hard, a little too hard, but then we had difficult conditions ahead. Or so we imagined anyway, and how right were we!!

As we moved up the path the snow became deeper and drifts were growing. We climbed the style at the path division to head up Skiddaw and the otherside of the fence was full on winter. That was the start of it. The cloud descended slightly and we were following a faint path and on a bearing to the next gate.. which we found well enough, but it was a sign for sure, it was half covered in a snow drift. The summit of Skiddaw wasn't much of a problem, and neither the descent until the leftward turn is made to find the fence to cross. On crossing the fence it all changed. The weather was good, we came out of the cloud, but the ground was 12" deep in snow, some powder, some styrofoam and some or lots was a breakable crust, possibley the worst type you can imagine to run down. We made the bottom of the valley and the crossing through the bog was cold, ice cold.

We found the path to head up Great Calva straight away and Mhairi marched on, super determined to make good time. With my body the way it was, she left me behind and I worried that I wasn't getting food inside her, but there was little I could do. As we made the top, she was off and ahead again, with me panting, sweating and cursing myself for not calling it a day before I had started. I didn't want to let her down, but then it may have been better, as I felt I was slowing her up. The descent from Great Calva was hard, knee high heather and snow... you can imagine. Then the bog again at the bottom and to top it off, a lovely icey foot bath called Glender Amackin was crossed. I don't know about Mhairi or JP, but my feet were absolutley frozen. To the point of hurting. We then slogged it up and across Mungrizedale and onto the back of Blencathra, which again was to hard. Breakable crust, bogs and then a biting North Easterly breeze to top it all off. I finally managed to pull both JP and Mhairi back into range and got Mhairi into a warmer top for the summit. JP was suffering due to not enough layers, but then he doesn't moan, just gets on with it.

Atkinson Pike was made and we headed across the little dip to summit the Devil's Fingers (Blencathra). At the summit we go the invalueble Kahtoola Microspikes out to descend Halls Fell. This would have been lunacy without, but with the spikes on, it was only half lunacy. We trod carefully and soon we were out of the snow and heading down the final path to the waiting support van and John. There we were greeted by Paul Vousden, Helen Jackson and Dan & Dave. They were Mhairi support for the next section over the Helvellyn ridge.

JP and I were wasted. It had taken everything out of me, I had sweated ridiculously for the temperature, but hopefully the bug was being cooked. Mhairi and supporters were leaving to get the next section underway and John was getting the van ready to give us a lift back to Keswick to JP's van.

We had taken 4:20 to do leg one. The next morning I texted Helen to find out how she had done and had she managed to complete the Helvellyn ridge, as Fairfield must have been a mission in that snow. The reply was, she arrived at Dunmail Raise at 5am, so it had taken her 5:30 for Leg 2 and she had set off on Leg 3. At 10:30am I got a text to say it was all over and Mhairi had called it a day somewhere on Leg 3 and was descending into Langdale. An amazing effort.

So Mhairi Cameron, against all odds and lots of disuasion from her friends and supporters gave a Winter Bob Graham attempt her best shot in what can only be called serious ground conditions and to top it off, although the weather had been fine, the wind chill during the night was well below zero. I would hazzard a guess of minus 15 or more when we were on Skiddaw & Blencathra, she had to cope with that all along the Dodd's and the Helvellyn ridge.

Well done Mhairi, what a tough woman you are!! ;-)

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Winter has decided to arrive again, later than predicted by many independant weather forecasters/stations, but its here.. for now.

Nicola and I have been pretty active over the last 2 weeks, getting out as much as possible. We have been using the Kendal Wall new facilities, more routes, different walls, extended main wall and super new bouldering room at the to pof five flights of steps. Its a great place to stay fit and get strong for this winter or next summer.Nicola made her first lead a couple of weeks ago and is now comfortably leading F4/5+. Go Nicola!!

We had no kids last night (Wednesday), so we decided, since it had snowed, that we would get out for a little winter ascent of Red Scree's.It would be Nicola's second time out winter mountaineering and strangely she has a lot of trust in me (her first was Rampsgill Head, last year on Boxing Day). We set off from Windermere a little late, as usual for me. I forget how long it takes to get your winter stuff ready, especially if its all packed away and your not ready. By 9:15pm we were in the Kirkstone Inn carpark, getting our kit on, boots laced and raring to go. We let the dogs have a brief run around and then set off in wet snow across the beck/bog to start the ascent to Kilnshaw Chimney. The moon was high and 2/3rds full and shone brilliant blue/white light on the fells when the clouds were out of the way. And with the clouds moving fast they cast shadows and light across the fells like I have never seen before. I have obviously spent too much time inside.

The ground was difficult, as the snow was wet, the ground underneath was as well and this would have made for ultra slippy conditions if we hadn't been prepared with Kahtolla MicroSpikes attatched to our matching Aku SL PRO Ltr's. Have I now reached the sad position of 'his and hers'? Aargh, the approach of middle aged mediocraty, must fight it... mu...st...fig...ht...i....t....... We made good time up the ever deepening snow, and its a steep old pull upto the chimney. The open chute under the entrance to Kilnshaw Chimney was caked in snow, not just a foot or so, but in places it must have been 3 feet or more deep. I had mused about avalanche risk beofre we set off and this memory came back now, so we moved left onto ground with only 12 inches of snow covering it, where the rocks were still visable. Soon we were at the foot of the chimney pearing inside. Nicola was nervous and I was hell bent. 

I dug a snow testing pit, using my axe to cut the block and then proceeded to pull at the block. I found a loose-ish layer at the top about 3" down from the surface and then the rest seemed to be well bonded. So I made a descision it would be worth a look, but the gully looked full, there was 2 to 3 feet of snow in it at the start. I moved up the left wall, staying well out of the deep snow but when I got to the constriction, with one piece of gear in I dug out another pit in the mouth of the constriction. Standing to the left in relatively safe ground, I again pulled at the block and this time 3 layers appeared and it slid much easier than below. The wind had been coming from the West, so it made sence that windslab was building higher up, as the snow was desposited from the westerly slopes to the east. The snow was also deeper in the gully constriction now, possible 4-5 feet, so I hightailed it back to were I had come from and told the now shivering Nicola we were changing tack and taking a line to the right out of an open gully and weaving a line upto the plateau so we could descend. The snow became firm as we came out of the top of the open gully and we short roped it until we topped out.

All the way up we hardly had any wind, the moon shone brightly above and it was a very beautiful night. When we topped out, the wind showed itself and it battered us until we got a few hundred feet down towards the carpark. We knew it was late, we were both tired, but we were smiling and happy to have stolen a moonlit, first of the winter, mountaineering route up the east facing flank of Red Scree's, even if we didn't get to experience Kilnshaw Chimney on that occasion. Nicola explained on the way down when we could hear each other again, now we were out of the wind, that she had felt dread looking up the chimney and was glad we hadn't done it and that the ascent in itself had been plenty enough for a seocnd winter outing and a first by night.

Back at the van, the dogs went mental and we had a little sit down before driving back to Windermere to get our dinner, that we should have eaten before we set off. We arrived home at 2:20am, ready to cook!!

Needless to say, we were a little tired when the kids arrived back at 7:30am from their Dad's.

Lets hope this warm day and rain hasn't stripped everything and we do get more snow tonight and later in the week.. I guess the moral of the story is, don;t wait, just get out there because you never know how long it will last, or if it will even last at all. But if you make the effort, you can be rewarded with everything, or then again.....

Kit used:

Lowe Alpine Power Strecth Bibs - Invaluble winter attire.

Montane Resolute Smock (worn with a tank summer base-layer) - Perfect temp control, apart from part of the trudge to the foot of the chimney

Aku SL Pro Ltr Gtx boots - Perfect for Lakes and UK Winter Mountainering.

Kahtoola MicroSpikes - Invaluble

Aarn Natural Exhillaration - Best pack ever (apart from the fact it collects snow in the back padding)

OMM Ultra 15 with Summer MSC - great for quick winter forays, fast and light

Camp IceRiders - perfect crampons for alround mountain use.

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Last friday, the 2nd December Kate Tyler tempted me down the Coniston Copper Mines again. This time we were headed for Flemmings Vein. I was late, as usual, and arrived with a skidding halt at the YHA in the copper mines valley underneath Wetherlam. Kate was ready and had a spare SRT kit for me, plus neoprene socks, strong wellies (the best for mine exploration apparently), a caving suit and helmet with a cavers light.I wore my Montane Resolute Smock and Low Alpine Power Stretch Bibs. I sweated hard on the zig zags up to the mine entrance, but figured I would be just right inside the mine.

The first part is to climb into the ground through a tunnel entrance constructed of fence posts, like a tunnel in the Great Escape, and drop into knee deep, then thigh deep water. Your wellies fill, your feet are instantly cold and it feels strange to be getting wet whilst I am dressed. We are out of the flooded passage quickly and emptying our wellie by tipping our legs up and down. Kate say's, 'Welcome to Hell' and we walk on.

Mines are strange places, they give you a sence of fear, doubt, confindness, and confusion even and yet you feel at home and safe, in the arms of your mother. I'm not sure if this is because you are underground, in the depths of Mother Earth. Now don't get me wrong, we weren't very deep as in the Earths sence of deep, but being 250ft under ground at some points, maybe more, feels along way from the surface. Or whether it is just one of those irrational things that seem to happen when you are in dangerous situations, where your mind just switches off the fear receptors and you seem to enter a serene, distant place where there is no fear, no problems and calm prevails. It is a self presavation mode, I have experienced it climbing and running or when ever I have been out of my depth of experience. It feels like a oneness with everything and everyone.And then to top of the rush of feeling and emotion, you start to look around and understand where you are, what you are stood on, what is above you and then what it must have been like to spend your life down here working the mines, blasting the rock to make the Stopes and putting the false floors in.

To give you a mental picture of how the quartz veins were mines, there would be trials mined into the side of a fell, into the mineral rich bands of quartz and rock and if it was good, they would continue to mine in a tunnel, then once the vein was established, they would work upwards following the vein, building false floors in these 'stopes', as they are called, by bridging dressed tree trunks across the stopes and laying rough cut planks on them, then filling above this with all the waste blasted rock. These floors can be many feet thinck, meaning many tons of rock are resting on them. These stopes can go up, or down, depending on where you are in the mine workings, for a couple of hundred feet of more. Alot of these floors have been in for a minimum of 100years, some being older. This mens alot of the timbers are very rotten and the floors are susseptible to collapse. As you make your way through the workings, you at points, have to clip on  'cowstails' to runnning ropes bolted to the side of the tunnels as the floors falls away to one side. Some of the tunnels underneath you are flooded and we looked down into one wiht Kates super powered torch, pearing through the, today, murky blue waters tinted by the copper sulphate they contain. When you realise, i.e the penny drops, as to what you are stood on alot of the time, you then realise and go through the same penny motion, as to what is above your head...... then you look up! Whoops, its pretty full on to say the least as you start to notice just how wet, and rotten the planks and tree trunks are above your head. Noting the splintering in the wood or the collapsed parts in front of you. Russian roulet spins through your mind, but then memories fade to Ben Nevis and Honza's and my adventures there and I understand that maybe its not so so dangerous down here, but there will be a time when the floors fall in more... and that thought keeps rattling around in your brain.

We move through tunnels, come into an open cavern with a massive floor above our heads, its very impressive. Next we move into a tight stope and abseil down into the guts of the workings more. We move through floors that are collapsing, but slowly (the floors, not us!!) and then start making a few traverses on looped rope between floor colapses. We look down a couple of hundred feet into the main shaft and then do the same from lower down back up it. We see the final ray's of winter sun through a tiny gap 100ft or more above us and then we finally move into the hairiest part for me.

Kate tells me we have to go through a little squeeze by dropping through an 'bottomless oil drum that is set into the floor into the next passage. This part has been dug out by mining enthusiast back int he 80's I think. Kate drops in feet first, telling me not to touch the sides, as it moved a few years ago and now the drum is ripped open, but stable apparently. Eek... When I am halfway through the drum I understand what she means, the rubble has move, ripping the drum almost in 2 and you get to look at all the blocks it is still supporting somehow with its rusted fickle steel framework. Once you are horizontal and you are away from the drum, you turn onto your tummy and reverse until you can turn round. This again is like the 'Great Escape'.

Its all starting to seam tame now, as we head down a few more tunnels and we knee deep again in water. I can feel the cold wind of the Coniston Fells pushing its way past me and for the first time since we went underground I notice my hands are cold with the windchill factor. Mother Earth kept us warm in her womb, in the scars caused by our strange want and need for precious metals, electrical conductors and manty other resaons why we fopund it necassary to rape these minerals out of the ground where they must have lay for millions of years.

Then were outside again and unlike last time, which was a few years ago and we entered the mine working from Levers Water, I was already thinking about the next time we will be going underground. I think we are abseiling 300ft plus down the main shaft next time.. some of Kate and her friend Tony's recent exploration...

For a few more pictures follow the links:

Flemmings Vein

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Nicola and I competed in the OMM a couple of weekends ago. We had entered the Medium Score. The weather forecast was for rain all day Saturday and slightly clearing on Sunday. 70-80mph gusts were forecast for Saturday afternoon.

We headed to Scotland to Breadalbane in Perthshire to an old prisoner of war camp for the start of the event. We arrive the Friday night and slept next to Loch Earn, then headed for our start in the morning.

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The weather was foul when we awoke and it progressed to get worse all day, we didn't have any major winds, but it picked up in the afternoon for sure. Saturday was a tough day and we went for greatness, unfortunately we over cooked it and lost points in being 39 mins late over the finish line... real shame.

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Tent in the over night camp was my Terra Laser Ultra 1, the new silver version of the Ultra range. Excellent. It is actually waterproof in the ground sheet, unlike all others I have had. This is a major bonus. Its small, I'll give it that and ultra light weight, I barely noticed in my pack whilst running.

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Check out some video's of the OMM here - OMM 2011

Over the following week I got my head set for planning the GL3D Challenge. Whilst at the Saunders Lakeland MM in the summer, I has had to check Shane Ohly's pack, he had come second in the Klets Class, and whilst doing this I offered to help Shane plan the route around the Lakes, as he is in Cornwall, I live in the Lakes, I thought it could be a good plan.

2 weeks later Shane got in touch and asked if I wanted the job of planing the 2012 re-launch of the GL3D. Of course I accepted, I had really enjoyed planning the Saunders and wanted another go. The GL3D is a different race altogether though. The Saunders and most other MM events opperate with more than one course and are designed for the technical navigation plus pitting yourself against a tough course across mountainous regions whilst carrying all your gear you need for 36 hours on the fells. .

The GL3D however, is more of a fell runners race, being only one course, very low key with maximum of 100 entrants. This is also a 3 day event, unlike all other MM's which are 2 day events. The course is done to suit good running, obviously there are fells/mountains that you can't run up, but it is organised to follow footpaths, valleys and ridgelines, rather than cutting across the fells on open ground, although it does contain some stuff like this. The navigation is not technical, using summits etc as checkpoints. You only need to carry your day gear on the GL3D, your camping gear and food is transported by road.

Since the OMM I have been out and run Day 3 and most of Day 1, I am out this weekend for Day2, the monster day.

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Had a meeting with Shane last Friday (11th Nov) and he seemed happy with the course and the length of each day, just got to get them into Memory Map now to see how much height there is to climb over the 3 days.

Can't tell you more really, it would give the game away, but for any aspiring GL3D-ers, get out and train as much as possible, it will be a long 3 day's and for those already versed in the tradition, when the mighty Joe Falkner hosted the race, it may not be as tough as some you have done, but don't rest on your 'laurels'.....

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Just for your information, whilst talking to Shane, we discussed the severity, length and hieght gain of the GL3D in the past nad Shane told me that he would dread the week before the event, as it nearly broke him several times. This year Shane, with running partner Duncan Archer, won the OMM Elite Class, one of the most prestigious mountain race's in Europe for toughness and navigation.

Talking to a friend, David White, who came 7th in the Montane 100 this year (the UK premiere and toughest Ultra trail race), he told me that the GL3D was one of the toughest events he had taken part in, and that again, several of the courses over the years had nearly broken him too.... You have been warned!!

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The Inov-8 Roclite 312 Gtx is a great shoe for winter training. If, like lots of runners who want lots of cushioning but amazing response, or you are gearing yourself up for the transition phase of moving into running on your forefoot, then the Roclite 312 Gtx offers you great support, but alows you to transition onto your forefoot with ease, and when you find yourself tired, has the cushioning to allow you to heal strike towards the end of your run.

The Inov-8 Roclite 312 Gtx has just won Editors Choice for best responsive trail shoe in this months Running Fitness, a great accolade to aquire.

The Roclite 312 Gtx is a Goretex lined shoe, so will keep your feet dry through the winter months, but allow them to breath still, give great cushioing over longer trail runs and ultra distances that you may be pushing yourself for.

View the Roclite 312 Gtx in our online shop here - Inov-8 Roclite 312 Gtx

At a price of £94.50, these are not a trail shoe to be ignored.

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The last Friday in September I had a free night, which is pretty rare. I felt the need to get a few miles in my legs before the OMM. With the unseasonal warm weather I wanted to get out early and knew the only way that was going to happen was if I actually woke up ontop of a hill and had to run back.

By chance, I found out some friends were heading up to Kirkstone to do a recce for a race so I dashed home from the office and stuffed a few essentials in my much used GoLite VO24 Pack. From Kirkstone we wandered up Stoney Cove Pike in the dark. After waving the others off, I found a sheltered spot behind a wall and got the stove out and setup my minimal camp. After some food and a brew I dozed off looking at the stars (and wishing I knew what some of them were). 

I woke to some gentle rain before 7am, but by the time I'd had some porridge and yet more tea it'd pretty much moved on. By 7.30am I was on my way, and had a cracking run over to High Street, Harter Fell and Kentmere Pike following the ridgeline down to Staveley and straight into Wilf's for a second breakfast.

^ Ant

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We have just added a new range of kids gear to the online website, to keep your little one's warm over the Autumn and Winter months, this in turn keeps you happier, as you have a smiling child who is warm and dry... not a screaming one who is cold and wet.

The gear we thought looks the best, performs the best and comes at the right price is from Didriksons of Sweden and boy do they get cold weather out there, so you know they know what they are doing making childrens warm winter clothing, hats and gloves.

We have opted for ages up to 6-7, after that we have a range of Marmot Childrens outdoor clothing for your little, but slightly older ones!!

We have hats,

Lets hope for a good cold winter, lots of fun, loads of snow and warm houses at the end of the day.

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Out again today in my Inov-8 Bare Grip 200 with JP Challinor for a lunchtime run. Again they performed excellently giving fantastic grip on the limestone paving, hard pack ground and clay/mud we encountered on our round. Unfortunately it was not raining, so we sweated our way round the 5/6 mile circuit with the heavy air stiffling us. Good to get out again, as usual. Bare Grip's rock!!

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We have been offline with our blog since April of this year (2011), but we will now endevour to bring you regular updates and posts, to keep your juices flowing making sure you are as titilated as we are about the outdoors, be it running, walking, climbing or anything else we or you may get upto in the outdoors.

I (Charlie) have just been for a lunchtime run & I swore to myself back in January when we moved from our Windermere Shop to our Kendal Online Office, that I would run up Benson Knott as regularly as I could, I told myself at least 3 times a week... how hard could that have been? Well for one reason or another I failed, misrabley... but its Autumn now and so leaves are falling, so I am turning over (another, as always) new leaf.

And so back to my little run, well I have been up Benson Knott, ran all the way for the first time this year, and it felt great, but.... more to the point, I was wearing my well loved and looked after Inov-8 Baregrip 200's. You can wear these without socks if you like, so this is what I did. To get to the top of Benson Knott from our office, you run through 2 fields, then road for a mile or so, then out onto the open fell, so a mix of grass, tarmac and rough fell. The Bare Grip is great for this type of running, apart from the road you may argue... but.... I will disagree. This is my second pair of Bare Grips, I trashed the first pair whilst planning the  Saunders Mountain Marathon earlier in the year running through too much rough sharp scree. When I trashed the uppers, the studs were hardly worn, and when you look at them you realise they are flat, very aggressive, but flat no the less. And so I thought, why can't you justy run on the road, unlike the Mudclaw 272 or the Mudclaw 333 which have great studs for fell use but if used on the road or hard tracks they wear down very quickly, these little puppies will take the punishment of a harder surface without wearing away so fast. Well thats the idea anyway.

The Bare Grips performed just as well on the road as on the fell. This is my first mixed run in them, but I an betting that the studs will still be in very good condition by the time the uppers have had it, but lets see. I will keep using them for running up and down Benson Knott, and give you regular updates on the state of the sole unit and outsole (comprising of those wonderful flat studs).

P9070219.AVI Watch on Posterous

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