Climbing

Rock Climbing (Games Option)

Rock climbing continues to be a popular activity at Glenalmond. It is available on Tuesday afternoons during the Michaelmas term and on both Tuesday and Thursday afternoons during the Trinity term.

Thanks to the activities of local climber Scott Muir, who gave a lecture to the College in December, two new local crags have been developed for ‘sport’ climbing. This involves placing fixed anchor points into the rock and cleaning away any loose rock. The venues we used most throughout the year were Bennybeg and Glen Lednock. These were used in conjunction with the traditional climbing at Dunkeld at both Polney Crag and Cave Crag. On wet weather days we visited ‘Avertical World’, the climbing wall in Dundee .

The driving force behind climbing at the College continues to be Malcolm Hepburne-Scott (see picture). This year has seen his climbing grade improve considerably and he has been very active both during term time and in the holidays. He is now leading F6b+ on bolts and E2 5c on traditional routes. He has also developed a passionate relationship with Northumberland sandstone and Peak District
gritstone.

We have also welcomed several newcomers this year. Johnathan Haylock has been the most successful climber in the IV Form and succeeded in leading F6a on bolts and comfortably seconding up to VS on traditional routes. He is closely followed by Ralph Cox, Bryn Jones, James Crozier and Harry Todhunter. In the III Form Robert Page has been similarly enthusiastic but has had to fit his climbing in around his other passion, sailing, but has still managed to cover an impressive quantity of rock over the term and is developing into a competent all round mountaineer. There has also been a lot of enthusiasm for climbing from the junior entry, with James Cumming and Richard Harwood making the most progress, but also guest appearances from Arden Rees and Mori Thompson.

In the V and VI Forms exams caused some disruption but Chris Hems managed to make most sessions and has now climbed most of the local classics. We were also pleased to welcome Jenny Levack, Kelti Petto, Alastair Pitts, Nick Paterson, Robert Anderson and Charlotte Bullen on the odd afternoon session.

The Snowholing trip - written and first published Trinity 2005

After pestering Mr Jeffers for quite some time about organizing an overnight snow hole expedition I had almost given up hope of ever going on one before I left school. Especially considering the ever more stringent rules and regulations about health and safety that seem to cocoon schools at the moment.

So as the news letter went out at the end of last term about "mountaineering" as a Tuesday afternoon activity with the opportunity to go on an overnight expedition on the 5th and 6th of February I duly signed up. Having cajoled Mr Jeffers to organize and plan a snow hole expedition none of us really knew what to expect. How cold would it be? What about the toilet? What are we going to eat and drink? Where were we going?

In the preceding weeks we were briefed on what was happening and that we were off to the Cairn Gorm Plateau.
We would be self sufficient for twenty-four hours. This may seem fairly simple but take into account the temperature, altitude, weather and isolation factor and it becomes a slightly more daunting task for all those involved, not to mention the staff that had to do this and look after a group of eight teenager's welfare.

Obviously we had a lot of equipment that seemed unnecessary at sunny Coll but could prove disastrous if inadvertently left behind. So on the morning of departure we had about five kit checks as well as packing all-important items such as paraffin cookers and Gore-Tex sleeping bag covers. All in all it was quite a jam packed morning (some would say hectic) but we all departed in the mini bus for Cairn Gorm on time and happy (the latter might be due to the fact we had been given food).

Of course as we left Coll bathed in sunshine the weather soon deteriorated and by the time we reached the much higher-up and therefore colder car park it was snowing fairly hard and visibility was reduced to 100 meters. Thankfully Mr Jeffers had a man in-situ (The long suffering and experienced Mr Patchet) who was up there already recce-ing a suitable location for our snow holes where the snow would be deep enough. So as we stood there in the car park feeling cold and contemplating the relatively long distance to be covered before dark with our massive rucksacks, time was of the essence and we did not spend time hanging around but were soon on our way.

The biggest hazard on the way up seemed to be skiers coming of the mountain who gave us weird looks as we trudged up the mountain with the hours of daylight ticking away. By three o' clock we could see the controversial shape of the "Ptarmigan Centre" and the outline of Mr Patchett who greeted us with the welcome news that there were already some pre-dug snow holes close by (which was just as well as the snow pack was frozen solid and we only had lightweight shovels). This being said it was not going to stop us from expressing our own creative touches to the snow holes, especially as the journey up had given us plenty of time to design our snow holes in our minds and the competition was on to see whose snow hole was going to be the best.

After hostile conditions of horizontal hail and freezing winds that formed an icy layer on anything exposed to them, the shelter of the corrie where the pre-dug snow holes were was welcome. The term pre-dug does not mean that there was a Barrat Homes salesman on hand to give us advice. They were only holes in snow yet to be renovated by us and so in a few minutes we had all built up a sweat. With the prospect of food as soon as the snow holes were dug it did not take long before we were cooking our army issue rations.

Only Malcolm Hepburne-Scott and Robert Page were determined enough to dig out their own snow hole (they were still digging at eight o'clock to give you an idea of how tricky it is). Everyone else was prepared to improve on the facilities that were already there and so most people were settled down for the night by eight o'clock with stomachs full of highly calorific army rations, which were wonderful. My heart went out to the only vegetarian among us who was unable to sample these delicacies (Johnathan Haylock) but whose incredible will power ensured he survived on a healthy diet of pot noodles and cuppa soups. The idea of leaving your sleeping bag for any reason to brave the cold and harsh environment is quite a daunting one especially as it was snowing outside. So for the fortunate the first experience of leaving their warm sleeping bags came with the sound of Mr Jeffers waking everyone up.

It was around this point that I realized what a harsh environment it was up on the Cairn Gorm plateau and the ability of ptarmigan and other wild life to survive in these hostile conditions became more apparent. Hopefully the new Cairn Gorm National Park will help with the preservation of these remarkable creatures' habitats. So along with a wake up call was the first reminder that all waste had to be removed as well.

Hostile terrain

It is incredible how much longer it takes to do simple procedures in the cold especially the process of clothing yourself as for packing, that is another issue completely. Breakfast was another calorific concoction designed to help us face the daunting conditions awaiting us outside the mouth of our snow hole and so two hours later most of us were all set to go and check the holes for litter. Obviously the ordeal of digging your own snow hole had taken its toll and we had to wait an extra twenty minutes for Robert Page and Malcolm Hepburne-Scott to join the living and then we were off.

The plan was to go to the Ptarmigan centre and use the toilets, leave our rucksacks there and then proceed the short distance to the summit of Cairn Gorm. Sadly some of us could not resist the temptation of fast food available and further stocked up for the impending journey.

All warm and happy we set off for the summit at some pace due mainly to the fact that our massive rucksacks were not slowing us down quite so much, having been partially emptied. Before we knew it we were at the summit with very little visibility. So we didn't hang around and were soon headed down a treacherous slope with hidden boulders and rucksacks ready to help you fall over at the first opportunity.

Before long we were almost back at the mini bus and in true Munro club tradition we began begging for fish and chips but the staff all managed to resist our powers of persuasion and we slept soundly on the journey home.

A big thank you to all the staff involved Mr Jeffers, Dr Brooks, Mr Bain, Mr Patchett and Miss Clifford for an experience none of us will ever forget

Robert Anderson.

Climbing - The Inside Story

(I have in no way been bribed, lightbluemailed, coerced or persuaded to write what you are about to read.)

Let me begin at the beginning: while perusing the Tuesday afternoon games options list during a House assembly in the first week back after the Summer holidays, my eyes settled on 'Climbing - MTJ'. Signing up for climbing wasn't a very difficult decision, as I had already tried it in the Trinity term of last year - with moderate success, I might add (although I am not entirely sure if MTJ himself shares this view).

And so, this was how before I knew what was happening, I once again found myself clad in helmet and climbing shoes, keeping a tenuous grip on the rock, pondering my next move as I made my way slowly but surely up 'Kestrel's Crack', with Jamie Faulkner just behind me and Dr. Brooks bringing up the rear.

The following week, we returned to Dunkeld, the home of 'Kestrel's Crack', and also the site of the now infamous 'The Groove', 'Twisted Rib', and 'Holly Tree Groove'. Thankfully, our climbing went unhampered by the poor weather, and when all else failed and the rain was beating down, we still managed to enjoy ourselves 'Tyrolean Traversing' over Shopburn. We even managed to make time to visit the Scottish climber's Holy Grail: 'Alien Rock 1 + 2', in Edinburgh.

Despite the quality of the climbing at these venues, each was visited only once, due to the time constraints of driving to Edinburgh and back. However, I am happy to say that the advantages have far outweighed the disadvantages as far as climbing in the Michaelmas Term is concerned, and I will be looking forwards, with great anticipation, to the Summer Term and more cries from MTJ of "Where are the Patchell's boys? I did say 2:15! There was a notice!"

ANON

This is my fourth year of running rock climbing as a games option at Glenalmond.

It has always been a popular activity and the introduction of the new climbing wall at the school has increased its popularity still further.

Our aim is to climb outdoors whenever possible. Dunkeld is our most frequent destination, but we also make forays to the Hawkcraig sea cliffs at Aberdour and to the outcrop at Bennybeg, just outside Crieff. On wet days we visit the 'Alen Rock' climbing wall in Edinburgh, and the excellent 'bouldering' wall at the Carnegie leisure center in Dunfermline.

It is most encouraging to see so much enthusiasm for climbing amongst the IIIrd Form.

We have a group of very keen climbers and mountaineers among the junior pupils, who will no doubt achieve a great deal during their time at Glenalmond.

MTJ

This can be a confusing subject even for active climbers and mountaineers! The following information is intended for reference purposes and any further questions generated can be answered either by myself or by the following governing bodies:

Mountain Leader Training Board www.mltb.org
The British Mountaineering Council www.thebmc.co.uk
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk

I currently hold the following relevant qualifications. All the schemes follow the same format. This first involves meeting the pre-registration requirements of the award. Once registered there is a training course followed by a 'consolidation period' of usually a year during which further experience must be gained. This is then followed by an assessment course.

Mountain Leader Award (Summer) ML(S)
The ML(S) award qualifies the holder to lead a group of hillwalkers anywhere in the British Isles under Summer conditions. It covers skills such as group management, navigation, security on steep ground, campcraft, access and conservation, weather forecasting, emergency procedures and personal equipment.

Mountain Leader Award (Winter) ML(W)
The ML(W) award qualifies the holder to lead a group of hillwalkers anywhere in the British Isles under Winter conditions. It covers skills such as use of the ice axe and crampons, snowpack evaluation, group management, weather forecasting, emergency techniques, belay construction and the use of the rope to provide security to individuals, navigation and emergency bivouac skills all in the Winter environment.

Mountain Ski Leader Award MSL
This qualifies the holder to lead parties ski mountaineering (and off-piste skiing) in the UK.

Single Pitch Award SPA
he skills needed to supervise groups of novice rock climbers in potentially hazardous environments are different from those skills required to climb safely with friends. The SPA provides training and assessment on how to organise and supervise safe, effective and enjoyable rock climbing sessions for relative novices on single pitch crags both outdoors and in climbing walls.

I am a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI). This is the representative body for professionally qualified Mountain Instructors in the British Isles. AMI is committed to promoting good practice in all mountaineering instruction. AMI members are highly experienced mountaineers who have undergone rigorous training and assessment to qualify under the Mountain Leader Training UK (MLTUK) Mountain Instructor scheme. Further details can be found at www.ami.org.uk.

Mountain Instructor Award (Training) MIA
I completed this course in August 2001. The 9-day course covers the technical aspects of rock climbing and mountaineering for the mountain instructor together with essential training in cliff rescue, as well as sessions on skill acquisition, the mountain environment and strategies for teaching navigation. In order to gain this award candidates then have to return to attend and pass the 5-day assessment course. This must be a minimum of 12 months after the training.

Mountain Instructor Award (Assessment)
I completed the assessment in July 2004.

The College is particularly well situated in order to conduct rock climbing as a games option.
It is offered on Tuesdays during the Michaelmas term and on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the Trinity Term. There are a number of easily accessible roadside crags to chose from, the most popular being Dunkeld and Bennybeg (just outside Crieff). When the weather turns bad the indoor climbing wall in Dundee, Avertical World, offers an excellent wet weather alternative.

Pupils who are bitten by the climbing bug have the opportunity to develop their skills. The next stage of a climber's development usually involves the progression from routes on relatively accessible local cliffs to longer and more serious climbs on high mountain crags. These present many more problems involving navigation, route finding, retreat in the event of bad weather and descent from the top of the climb. For this reason they are potentially much more serious undertakings and require the full range of mountain skills.

The two keenest and most active climbers in the College at the moment are Robert Anderson (captain of climbing) and Malcolm Hepburne-Scott. It was becoming clear to me that having both become devoted 'converts to the cause' they were undoubtedly going to go climbing during the holidays whenever they got the opportunity. The sensible thing to do was to organise a proper introduction to climbing on mountain routes rather than them organising their own 'baptism of fire'. Both had already gained considerable experience and Malcolm had recently established his mountaineering credentials by leading his mother up the 'Cioch Nose', one of Scotland's most famous climbs.

The aim of this trip was to climb as many of Scotland's classic climbs as possible, and for this reason we chose Glen Coe as it contains the greatest concentration of climbs of this type. We chose the campsite at Kinlochleven as our base. Situated behind the brand new 'Ice Factor' indoor climbing centre it would give us a convenient wet weather option.

This climbing wall is unique in Britain since it offers indoor ice climbing on real ice (more of this later). A quick getaway was planned following Commem.

Our first day of climbing was on the Sunday. We headed for the most imposing piece of rock in Glen Coe, Buachille Etive Mor, opting for the classic route up the Rannoch Wall, 'Agag's Groove'. This presents a complicated approach up Curved Ridge, a serious scramble, before the climbing even starts.

The climb itself turned into a bit of a race against the rain we could see approaching across Rannoch Wall. In the interests of speed Robert and Malcolm climbed together for the first two pitches, but Malcolm took over the lead on the third pitch, which was by far the steepest and most intimidating of the three. A short pitch led from here to the top of the wall, reached just as the rain finally hit us. We then descended Curved Ridge on rock which was now wet. The exposure on this side of the mountain is breathtaking; it feels as if the mountainside falls away vertically down to the floor of the glen, two thousand feet below.

Any readers who want to get a feel for the climbing atmosphere on Rannoch Wall can download a 'virtual climb' from www.scotlandonline.com/outdoors, the route described is 'January Jigsaw' running parallel to Agag's Groove. I climbed this route with Goodacre's pupil Graeme Campbell in 1999.

The weather forecast for Monday was less promising and so with curious logic we opted for the longest rock climb on the highest mountain in the country; Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis. This is the longest of the Nevis ridges and finishes right by the summit. The summer route is not too technically demanding, provided that the correct line is followed. Visibility was very poor as we started climbing but occasional breaks in the clouds gave us some idea of just high up we were. Light rain persisted for most of the ascent, this and the altitude caused us to get quite cold when we stopped moving. The crux of the ridge is right at the top. It involves crossing a notch in a knife edged section of the ridge, the notorious Tower Gap. Fortunately the weather was improving as we got here and the gap was dispatched and the summit quickly reached. This was Robert and Malcolm's first time on the summit of 'the Ben', but they were not to be rewarded with a view. The descent was a long one and we got back to the mini bus with sore feet and tired legs.

The weather improved the next day and we decided on an objective that offered more in the way of technical climbing
with less in the way of walking. 'Ardverikie Wall' is often described as Scotland's finest rock climb and with good reason. It offers six long pitches of superb climbing on immaculate granite. The walk in was 'a mere' 1½ hours, short compared to Ben Nevis anyway. Sadly this took it's toll on Robert's feet and the thought of putting on tight fitting rock climbing shoes was simply too much so he offered to take on the role of photographer. I set off with Malcolm, hoping that the rain would hold off long enough to complete the climb. The first pitch is a little scrappy and leads to a stance below the main slab. The second pitch starts with very steep climbing round the corner and finishes with a sparsely protected slab section leading to the second belay ledge. I then handed over the lead to Malcolm. The third pitch probably offers the finest climbing up a steep and well-protected crack system. Malcolm despatched the pitch smoothly and efficiently but rain started to fall as I joined him at the belay. The rain shower that we could see moving down the glen was about to arrive.

We quickly swapped leads as we were keen to climb the crux before the rock got too wet. The moves off the belay ledge were the hardest involving friction climbing on rounded holds. It was only possible to place protection after making the hardest moves and reaching the next crack system. One more pitch of hard climbing followed, this top pitch is often wet anyway through seepage. So long as granite is clean it still offers quite good friction even when wet, it does require quite an effort of will to believe this though. All that remained was a quick scramble to the top and the route was in the bag. We quickly descended and joined up with Robert for the walk out.

On returning to our campsite I was impressed that Malcolm and Robert still had enough energy left to manage a visit to the Ice Factory for some indoor ice climbing. This amazing facility has an enormous refrigerated room. The thick concrete walls are plastered with crushed ice (from the fish packing industry!) which then freezes in place to give superb ice climbing. Until now it was difficult enough to find reliable ice in Scotland even during the depths of winter, let alone in July!

Our 'Classic Rock' campaign continued on the Wednesday with a return to Glen Coe. The combination of 'Long Crack' and 'Archer Ridge' provides a great day out. Malcolm and Robert shared the leads on these routes; between them they cover an awful lot of rock. A relatively early return to the campsite enabled us to make another visit to the ice factor in the evening. Two hours of climbing vertical ice provides quite a workout for the arms and calf muscles.

The final day was judgement day for me. An instructor from the national centre at Glenmore Lodge, Carl Haberl, joined us for the day. He was there to observe me 'in action' in order to re-assess me for the mountain instructor award. I had taken the assessment the previous summer and had passed it all apart from the 'scrambling' day. This is terrain that is in between climbing and walking and requires much more in the way of judgement and quick decision making in order to keep moving efficiently and safely. The plan was to climb up the 'zig-zags' on Aonach Dubh, cross under Stob Coire nan Lochan and then descend 'Dinner Time Buttress'. Typically now we were not actually rock climbing we had the best weather of the week and the sun block made several appearances. Having such an experienced instructor with us was an excellent learning opportunity for all three of us and I am pleased to say that the day went very smoothly.

Carl gave me the good news that I had passed on the way back to the mini bus. This had been a long slog for me since I had been working towards this qualification for the last five years. Thanks must go to Robert and Malcolm who were such good company for the week and very attentive 'guinea pigs' on assessment day.

Further information on the mountain instructor scheme can be found at these web addresses:
www.ami.org.uk
www.mltuk.org