Gear, Hiking, Mountaineering, Rock climbing

Outdoor Gear Competition Nut

I love entering competitions for rock climbing and hiking gear. I like the possibility, no matter how small, that I might be lucky enough to win shiny new stuff. It allows me to daydream that the latest, most technologically advanced piece of kit that I can’t really justify buying or else couldn’t afford might be mine. Wanting new outdoor gear is like lusting after the latest smart phone or must have gadget. Competitions provide me with a chance to have this gear and I enter as many competitions as I can. Continue reading Outdoor Gear Competition Nut

the Severe climberMarch 17, 2013May 7, 2023Leave a comment

Hiking, Mountaineering

The Beauty of Rime

I love rime. I love how these tails of ice seem to form on rocks, fences, walls, posts and anything bold enough to stand upright on a frozen, windy mountain. I love how rime’s strange, white crystalline structures seem to sprout from the dark surfaces of rocks to either bring them into relief or bury them in ice. It amazes me that rime can form as a razor of ice down one side of a single blade of grass and as an icy lattice inches deep on a wire fence. What I especially love about rime is how it adds a new beauty and character to these small things as well as to a whole mountain landscape. Continue reading The Beauty of Rime

the Severe climberFebruary 3, 2013May 7, 20236 Comments

Gear, Hiking, Mountaineering

Be Seen on the Mountain

I couldn’t see where the cries for help were coming from. The rocky hulk of Tryfan was almost black in the twilight and was shrouded in cloud. I could tell the shouts of help were definitely coming from high on Tryfan’s west face, but they were just disembodied voices in the growing dark. Continue reading Be Seen on the Mountain

the Severe climberJanuary 20, 2013May 7, 2023Leave a comment

Hiking, Mountaineering, Rock climbing

In praise of Builders Bars

It’s hard to write about Builders Bars without sounding like an advert. They may only be protein bars, but they are great protein bars. They are also brilliantly convenient if you want to recover after rock climbing and don’t want the hassle of protein powder drinks. Continue reading In praise of Builders Bars

the Severe climberAugust 27, 2012May 8, 20232 Comments

Hiking, Mountaineering, Rock climbing, Via ferrata

Turning Around the Men in Pyjamas

There are times when there is no doubt that you should tell someone that they’re not properly equipped for a day in the mountains and should turn back. One example of this happened earlier this month when a stag party attempted to climb Snowdon dressed in pyjamas and trainers, in a storm and by the scrambling route of Crib Goch. Unsurprisingly, this stag party got into trouble and had to be talked down by phone by mountain rescue. Continue reading Turning Around the Men in Pyjamas

the Severe climberJuly 8, 2012May 9, 2023Leave a comment

Hiking, Mountaineering, Rock climbing

A definition of rock climbing

I came across the following definitions by accident when I was researching rock climbing in Spain on the website www.andalucia.com. These definitions made me smile and so I thought I should share them. Continue reading A definition of rock climbing

the Severe climberJune 7, 2012May 10, 20233 Comments