Mackrel Fishing and Anglesey Exploring

I'm just back from taking a group of ten international students on a weekend camping trip to Anglesey. Great fun, but exhausting! The team was made up of students from Nigeria, Germany, Oman, France, Qatar, Switzerland, Russia, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For many, it was their first time camping and only their fourth week in Wales, so it made for an entertaining mix! After a hilarious time pitching the big 5 man tents, in the dark in a windy field, we eventually got to bed on Friday night. Saturday dawned clear but cold, so we took a walk from camp to warm up before breakfast. Some, who were used to temperatures in the high 40s, looked a bit shocked as it was only 5 degrees when we got up!

In the afternoon, we took a fishing boat from Beaumaris, through the Puffin Sound. 

It was choppy ride out, but lovely heading back in the calm evening light. 

I didn't catch a single fish, but luckily the lads did, as we were due to be eating fish for dinner on our arrival back to land. The captain showed us how to gut them and the lads got stuck into the gory work, throwing the guts overboard.

The mountains in the distance looked great in the evening light as we sped home.

Chased by seagulls eager for some free food!

Back on land, we got the BBQs lit straight away and all got to try some hot mackerel.

As well as a burger (which I'd got as a back up in case we didn't catch anything!).

We were due to surf on Sunday, but the sea was flat calm. We opted for a coastal walk instead which was a good way to see the views, while chatting about all the amazing places the guys were from.

We finished our route at Cable Bay, then nipped onto Holy Island.

We stopped off at South Stack and a few other 'landmarks' along the way. If you look closely there was a couple climbing on Red Wall...

I arrived back home in an explosion of wet tents, surf kit, camp kit, hiking kit and a whole lot more - it looked (and at times felt) like I'd been away for a month!

A happy finish to the day was opening the new book that I've made, which had arrived while I was away. It's a collection of photos that I took over the last year - over 200, to document a year in my life. It really has been a heck of a year, with pics from all over the world!

Open Boating

I've spent the last two days back in Open Canoes on Llyn Padarn near Llanberis. It was a bit too wild for photos yesterday, but today my students and I were in for a treat. The lagoons where we put on were mirror calm.

After a very brief introduction, we rafted the canoes together in pairs and set off across the lake on a mini-journey. We stopped for lunch on the far side by the old slate railway, which was an idyllic place for a picnic. We had planned other activities, but the students were far more interested in exploring the coastline, skimming stones and splashing about, so we let them enjoy some exploratory 'play' time. 

Once they started getting too cold, we packed up the rafts and headed back across the lake with great views of the Pass of Llanberis and Snowdon. Before we left, I warmed up the pupil's toes, by pouring the warm water from the Kelly Kettle into their wellies!

Slate Gym

While it was a perfectly good day to be in the mountains, I've been going solo at The Cottage shifting some big lumps of slate around - the last of the slate shed demolition project. Building a drystone wall was actually rather fun and a better work out than most gyms.

I was keen to get the slate work finished, so pressed on until dark both days. The driveway wall is now finished and I also made a little patio area for tea drinking in the evening sun to use up some of the rock - how did it all come from such a little outhouse!. All in all a rather productive use of a day.

And what better way to stretch out some aching back muscles today (Wednesday), than my first day back in a boat for a while, Canoeing around the lake with some students!

Mountains by Moonlight

The skies gradually cleared during the day, but plans for going climbing got put back and back until eventually, I'd run out of daylight.

About an hour after sunset, the moon began to rise. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and there was not a breath of wind. By the time I'd finished what I was working on it was a bit late to be calling friends, but I really fancied going out into the moonlight. Feeling tired, I checked the forecast, thinking that perhaps I could go out tomorrow, but it was looking like tonight was the night. I grabbed my jacket and van keys...

To save time, I decided to go up our closest peak, Moel y Ci, and after a mere four minutes drive, I was setting out into the night. I didn't need my torch as the moonlight was bright enough to see by and cast my shadow on the wall as I walked to keep me company. It didn't take long to reach the summit, from where I could see the mountain silhouettes to the south and the bright lights of Bangor and Anglesey to the north. 

I lay down on the rocks to catch my breath and look for shooting stars. I didn't see any shooters, but did watch a satellite pass quietly overhead. Without the wind, it was silent on the summit. It was also very cold for September as the temperature had dropped from 19 this afternoon to just a paltry 4 degrees this evening, so I didn't stay there too long.

It was good to nip out. I was only gone from The Cottage just over half an hour, but returned refreshed, energized and alive.

A bit of Bronze D of E...

Ah, it's that time of year again. Time for a bit of Duke of Edinburgh's Award assessing. This time I was working with my friend Emma and we had a great weekend shadowing a few teams as they made their way through the mountains of Snowdonia, having started from the calm water of Llyn Gerionydd.

There was a 100 mile endurance race going on this weekend and at the campsite in Ogwen, we watched as a line of head torches crossed the Carneddau. It was quite a spectacle. (You can just see one in the photo - it was much more impressive in real life!).

Sunday saw the teams journeying through the Ogwen Valley. I manned a few checkpoints, but was mostly involved with other laptop based work while Emma did most of the assessing (thanks Em!).

After a wet start, things did start to brighten up, but the temperatures made it feel like late autumn. I hope this isn't the start of an early winter - my friends in Scotland said there is snow on Ben Nevis!

Once the teams had finished (all passed), we packed away the tents and sorted the camp kit. Before the light completely faded though, I raced over to Anglesey to join Clare, who had been catching up with some friends of ours who we had stayed with during our travels in Australia. They were staying somewhere with a wood-fired hot tub, so we had a good natter among the bubbles. A great place to swap stories on a cool evening!

Then when I finally arrived back at The Cottage, we got to try a glass of some wine that I had been given for my birthday.

The Boardroom Climbing Wall

I had hoped to be rock climbing outdoors today, but the weather had other ideas. I'd not been to the Boardroom Climbing Wall since they'd made the upstairs bouldering section, so was keen to check it out. The place is amazing. As an instructor, it's one of the best laid out facilities that I've been to. Loads of variety, loads to climb and lots of areas to teach. In a way, I was kind of glad that the weather was wet and windy!

Especially as my group were also mad keen to climb. In the end, I had to drag them away. We actually ended up leaving in a bit of a rush so not to be late back! (but not before a quick session on the slackline outside). 

Seeking Shelter in the Secret(ish) Bothy

Sub-optimal conditions in the mountains of Snowdonia today. 'Heavy and persistent' was the forecast for today's rainfall - a description that was pretty much spot on. The first drops started falling as soon as my group and I climbed out of the minibus and I think it's only just stopped now.

This was one of the better views of the day, before the mists really rolled in! My plan for the day was a bit of a gamble as rather than stay in the sheltered valleys I had decided that we should go high, but aim for the lunchtime shelter of the secret bothy. I was pretty sure my team would be ok, as I would have been rubbish to have not have made it and had to endure a soggy lunch out in the open.

As it turned out, the team did brilliantly. It was the kind of day where getting a soaking was inevitable, so we set out after a classroom briefing about embracing the hardship and deciding to enjoy ourselves regardless.

We were all delighted to see the bothy come into sight and draw closer as we scrabled through the tussocky long grass. During the summer a work party of volunteers had spent a month putting in new floors and a sleeping platform and generally smartening the place up. We were carrying fire wood so quickly set about getting the place (and us) warmed up.

We also had some sausage rolls to heat up on the stove, so that we could end not only the warmth from the fire, but also a hot lunch too!

Eventually, we had to put our soggy waterproofs back on and make our way back home. The path was so wet that everyone soon had soaking wet feet as well. Even my expensive waterproofs eventually breached just before we got back to the bus, leaving me wet through on my shoulders and chest. To be fair though, they had held out amazingly well - there’s only so much rain a jacket can take! What pleased me most was that even though we felt like we’d fallen in the river and we were tired from ‘the march’ back out, everyone was smiling and having fun despite the soaking. Sometimes you’ve just got to get out there and get on with it!

A Weather Window

Local knowledge, a detailed weather forecast and a bit of luck mean that we can really make the most of living in North Wales. Heavy rain and low clouds greeted us when we woke and were forecast to remain for the entire day. However, there did seem to be a two-hour weather window, around midday, where there might be a respite. Clare was confident that the strong winds would soon blow dry the rock in the slate quarry and we could go for a quick climb. I was less optimistic as we ate breakfast as rain was lashing down outside. However, by eleven there was a glimmer of hope, so we quickly grabbed our packs and went for it. The slates were literally drying before our eyes as we walked in along the track.

We had guessed correctly. With a bit of local knowledge, we found a route that was completely dry (next to one that was soaking wet!). 

We climbed it as quickly as we could. The wind was gusting violently as I neared the top of the first climb, I looked down to see my rucsack blowing away!

With a climb successfully ascended, we moved up a level to the 'Serengeti' to make a fast ascent of 'Seamstress'. As I reached the top, I felt the drops of rain that indicated that the weather window was about to close. Clare was soon with me and by the time we were back at the bags it was raining properly and further climbing was out of the question.

We walked out in the increasing wind and drizzle, buzzing that we'd managed to climb two great routes on such a day.

Llanberis Slate:

- Fresh Air, 6a***

- Seamstress, VS (4c)***

Out and About in North Wales

Things have continued to be busy over the last few days. I've had an interesting time and varied time, with some good days out with students around the north coast of Wales. On Friday the weather forced my rock climbing group and I inside, where we had a great session in the Beacon Climbing Wall. My arms were sore for surfing!

Saturday had me on a local exploration, with some new students, where I discovered a new woodland...

And a sea monster at the Llandudno Arts Festival!

Sunday was excellent fun and mostly spent scrambling up and through a very wet gorge with some 6th form students above the Conwy Valley. On the way back, we watched a couple of pro surfers at a Surf Competition as we drove past Surf Snowdonia.

Monday evening was spent up at Castle Inn Quarry, with the British Mountaineering Council and the Countryside Warden to discuss how rock climbing groups can operate with a minimal impact on the wildlife and nearby residents. I've been climbing there personally and with groups for years, but still learned plenty of new useful stuff, including a new car park and approach path!

It was another fine, but long day with a late finish! 

The amazing double life of....

Woke from a deep deep sleep to let room service bring in a nice little selection of goodies. 

We'd decided that leisurely breakfasting in our room would be the most relaxing start to what was going to be a busy day ahead. And it was!

At 8:00am, we checked out and returned to the van, then carried on about our days as if this were totally normal for us! What a hoot!