Emergency Shelter review The media loves a headline and âThe bivy bag probably saved their livesâ was a great one provided by Willie Anderson, leader of Cairngorm MRT, following a successful search for a couple who became benighted in the Cairngorms last year. Many people are however unaware of how to use a bivy bag…
So much depends on getting the basics right and in this context the basics are what you wear next to your skin ie your expedition base layers. On an expedition the same couple of tops will be on for pretty much every day so they need to work. I have been using Patagonia tops as…
Rule number 0.5 in mountaineering is look cool and the reflective piping and orange stripes of the Scarpa Ribelle Mountain Tech OD certainly draw attention to themselves. Whilst the only time I have looked cool was stuck in a blizzard in Alaska, wearing these boots is about as close as I will get to cool…
Scrambling In Snowdonia Cicerone have just released an updated version of their classic guidebook Scrambles in Snowdonia. Being honest, it was desperately needed as guidebooks have moved on and The Gary Smith North Wales Scrambles was far superior to the old version. Both ourselves and our clients have been enjoying the amazing scrambles in these…
Blue Ice Warthog is made by a Chamonix valley based company producing niche climbing, mountaineering and skiing products specifically for instructors, Guides and Alpinists. I used the Blue Ice Warthog 40L for two months of Scottish winter while working for Jagged Globe and Iâm using it now as my everyday work and crag sack. It fits…
I’m instructing winter mountaineering in Scotland at the moment and I’ve been getting out into the snowy mountains on most days throughout January and February. Those long walk-ins have given me plenty of time to think about what I’m wearing and what I’m carrying. Here are my musings. Boots Possibly your most important items…
For decades the Silva Type 4 compass has been the choice of Instructors, Guides, mountain leaders, serious walkers and navigators. However now Silva have redesigned the Type 4Â and renamed it the Expedition. The base plate of the Expedition is the same size and has a magnifier, grippy silicon feet, the usual 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 romer…
Choosing your clothing and equipment for Kilimanjaro is relatively easy compared to some mountains. However to make your ascent of Kilimanjaro as comfortable and enjoyable as possible some consideration does need to be given to your choice of clothing and equipment. The advantage of packing and choosing equipment for a Kilimanjaro trek is that you can, within reason,…
Choosing equipment and clothing for an Everest Base Camp trek isn’t particularly easy. You will be in the mountains for a least two weeks and the temperature can vary widely. It can be swelteringly hot, it might snow and rain is likely. You will be limited by weight and you won’t be able to wash any…
Scarpa R Evo Review November 17 update – the new model in fetching blue and grey rather than funky orange – is just as good judging by the last month in some pretty cold and wet conditions. The older ones didn’t make it back from Nepal, but they didn’t owe me anything… A very comfortable…