OK, so the weather in Britain has been variable to say the least. 38 degrees Celsius recorded one day and two days later torrential rain.
However there has been a lot happening at AFS Mountaineering.
In May, the big epic was the Great Wilderness. The Fisherfields in the north west Highlands of Scotland. We had rain, rain and more rain resulting in a hasty retreat! But a good social time none the less with Jo, Martin, Tim and Holly the dog
We then went on to the mighty An Teallach and the Torridon Giants - Liathach and Beinn Alligin. Classic and ancient Torridonian sandstone mountains which seem to rise vertically and impenetrably from the land around.
I also did some freelance work doing the Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge for Carnegie Great Outdoors, and Scafell Pike for Large Outdoors. Some big days for folks on charity events and also just for personal pleasure.
Climbing, as ever played a big part in the life-cycle of AFS Mountaineering!
(Photos with me in credit: Paul Poole Mountaineering, Jamie Eden and Henry Brown)
Returning with Tim, Martin and Holly the dog, we went to the Cairngorms for a massive day covering Cairngorm, Ben MacDui and Beinn Mheidhoin and across to Loch Mullardoch. The Mullardoch hills are made considerably easier by getting the boat across to the start of the walk rather than trudge along the side of the loch. These four Munros are challenging at the best of times but on the last one closest to the cars we had a celebration as Martin completed his round of Munros (all 282 mountains in Scotland over 3,000ft). Well done Martin!
(Photos with me in credit Tim Parker)
And then it was some private work with Alex around the Lakes looking at navigation in poor weather and different strategies. Navigation of course played a big part of the summer with some great National Navigation Award Scheme courses on the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales too. And given the variable nature of the summer it was well worth knowing how to navigate properly!
And last but not least, after the rain cleared in the Lakes I headed up to Glencoe in the Highlands and had the pleasure of guiding Laura and Jo around some of the most iconic mountains in the whole of Britain. And the weather cleared giving us some sweltering days but still some early mist enough to help Laura gain some navigation tips and tricks.
So what next?
Well I still have some accredited navigation courses running and I'll be doing some freelance work again over autumn. But don't forget that I am always happy to come out private guiding. Autumn can be magical with cloud and temperature inversions. A wilderness adventure waking up in a tent above the clouds can be magical.
So get in touch!
I'll be starting some learn to climb courses indoors and putting together a new schedule of events for 2020. But I'll start the new year off with a new year's day social up Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales - and then we're into winter skills season :-D