It’s usually true that greater rock climbing experience results in increased rock climbing competence. However, I worry that there are a small minority of climbers for whom greater rock climbing experience leads to increased risk-taking and occasional bad practice. What this demonstrates to me is a need to keep an open, questioning mind about my own climbing practice. Continue reading The danger of experience
If you have never done a via ferrata before, then there are some things you need to know and consider to have fun and stay safe. Continue reading Via Ferrata Virgins – getting started at via ferrata
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
These are my top ten tips for how to have a safe and fun time on a via ferrata. Continue reading Tips for via ferrata
Clear communication between climbers is a vital part of climbing safely. When two climbers are far apart, out of sight of each other or the wind is strong, then shouting is the usual way to communicate climbing commands and it usually works. However, for those occasions when it doesn’t, I would recommend having walkie-talkies to hand. Continue reading There’s no need to shout: using walkie-talkies when rock climbing
To make it easier to find the best information on via ferrata on the internet, I have started a useful links page. This includes the most useful sites for planning a trip and the most authoritative sites for safety and technical information. This page is a resource that I would like to build and so will be adding to it. Continue reading Via ferrata – useful links
Rock climbing guide books are an invaluable resource and are essential to ensure that you don’t end up climbing the wrong route or no route at all (both of which can be scary and/or dangerous). Unfortunately, the features of the routes that guide books describe do sometimes change. The route descriptions in the books also need to be quite brief and this lack of detail can sometimes lead to you being surprised by some aspect of a route. For these reasons, I am starting a regular series of posts on “what they don’t tell you in the guide book.” Continue reading What they don’t tell you in the guidebook – Craig yr Aderyn
the Severe climber 