Sweatshop takes the Out Perform challenge

Tuesday to Thursday this week found 15 staff from running retailer Sweatshop in the Welsh hills on a leadership and communication training event with me. The weather varied between benign sunny and dry to torrential rain and howling winds. Normal weather for Wales! The teams were put through a series of tests and challenges including a wild camp experience.

The guys did a great job with all the event had to throw at them and so far the feedback has been very pleasing. From the very beginning the two groups (I was supported by two other trainers) really worked hard and put their shoulders into the many and varied tasks they had to complete.

The weather played its usual tricks with 50 mph wind and rain on the summit of Carn Fawr! Thursday turned out dry and the work we did on 'silent communication' went down very well indeed. It is so important to ensure that information is received and understood as well as given!

Mountain Leader qualified!

Last week was spent in the very wet hills and mountains of Snowdonia on a five (5) day assessment for the next level of my Mountain Leadership qualifications. I am delighted to report that I passed and am now, in addition to my Walking Group leader qualification, a fully qualified Mountain leader! 

Plas Y Brenin is the National Mountain centre and they conduct the assessment under pretty rigorous conditions on a gruelling, almost 24 hour, basis. To cap the pressure of being watched and examined all the time we had torrential rain and almost nil visibility on the night navigation exercise! 

With 6 candidates, all of a high standard, split into two teams of 3, it was very unusual for the assessment at Plas Y Brenin, but we all passed! 

I am now looking forward to running an three day OutPerform event for a UK sports retailer next month for 16 of their managers. I only hope the weather improves!

The Mollwyns in Snowdonia

Just back from a weekend in the often ignored, but wonderfully rugged Mollwyns to the E of Snowdon. Parked up the car near the famous Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel (famed as the place Edmond Hilary used as his base for climbing before he tackled Everest). Navigating my way across the bogs and rough ground tothe South I spend a hard day locating small and interesting features across the rolling slopes of Carnedd y Cribau before summiting Moel Merich and a breathtaking view across Snowdonia. Wild camped in a small valley leading from Llyn yr Adar overlooking Llyn Llagi. Day two was a gentle start and a leisurely breakfast with the spectacular valleys below cloaked in early morning mist. Climbed Cnicht (or the rather affectionately referred to Wales Matterhorn due to its sharp peak appearance) and then set off back down to Llyn yr Adar before skirting the ridge above Llyn Coch. The long walk back to the car was via the Ysgafell Wen ridge and the top of Carnedd y Cribau. All in all a fantastic two days of warm, almost perfect visibility and exhilarating walking. I camped alone, walked alone and only met four people over the whole weekend. I guess the hoards on Snowdon were almost oblivious of this wonderland of crags and ridges only a few miles away. Thankfully the vast majority of people never pass this was! May that continue for many years to come which leaves the beauty to the intrepid and adventurous few!

Bad weather in Snowdonia claims another life

Just to show that the mountains in the UK can be very dangerous places for the poorly equipped and ill trained we received bad news this morning of another body being found on Snowdon last night. Following a climbing accident which resulted in a bad injury the montain rescue were scrambled from Snowdonia and in attending the climber (who was air lifted to hospital) the team discovered the body of a climber which seems to have been there for at least a day.

On training in the Mountain centre at Plas Y Brenin I have been out in the thick of the weather for the last three days and although well equipped and with international mountain instructors event we were not venturing on to the high tops!

So many people leave home with the expectation of a great day out which can end in tragedy. The centre at Plas Y Brenin provides fantastic training facilities and great trainers. My refresher courses over this weekend have brought me into close copntact with the winter conditions of Snowdonia and they need to be very much respected!

Plas Y Brenin training

I am currently finalising my kit in preparation for five days of training at the wonderful Plas Y Brenin outdoor centre in Snowdonia. I will be refreshing my skills around rope work as well as general mountain craft and some (hopefully) snow and ice work. The last two days will be spent on a Rescue and Emergency Care first aid course to keep me up to date on developments in outdoor and mountain rescue medical care.

It is essential to keep up your skills both as a leader outdoors and as a regular hill and mountain walker. With the snow as it has been and the recent spate of deaths and injury on the hills and mountains of the UK it is very important to refresh skills regularly. You may (hopefully) never need many of them but if you don't keep up the practice in the meantime you can guarantee that when you come to have to use them for real they can be worryingly rusty!

More Welsh weather

After the wedding the next outdoor activity was in Wales over the last few days.

The Grant Thornton International marketing team asked me to give them a flavour of the Arctic selection event for them to get an idea of what the great outdoors could offer them.

It turned out to be a good deal more than they had expected!Pitch black forests and lashing rain were order of the day (or rather - night!) There was an overnight bivey out in a pretty bad storm and with water leaking into the shelter two members of the team got very wet. 

The decision to abort the long daytime walk was an easy one as the weather got worse and worse. We repaired to the Mount Severn activity centre who were simply brilliant. I was able to take four of the team out for the rest of the day but two (for safety reasons) were left recovering in the centre. The rest of us took a wet and icy route up towards the source of the Severn but, not wanting to have the novice team out in more dark foprest, I decided to bring them back in early. Day 3 was spent in the grounds of the centre with a number of team building exercises. This included getting to grips with our Arctic Geodesic tent (above).

Feedback for this corporate event was good - despite the weather and the dark. 

Anyone wishing to book one of the corporate events please do contact me - but beware - these are not 'fluffy bunny' walking on the hills. The events are designed to test participants determination and resourcefulness and well as their resolve to complete difficult tasks in difficult conditions. The connection to high stress work is direct and  effective but there is an element of 'no pain - no gain' to all activities.

Ice warrior training - early bath!

Unfortunately I have had to leave the training early to solve a problem back at work!

Very disappointed to have to leave course director Howard Jeffs and trainer Emma but needs must. It was good to get three days with the team and I wish them well in completing the course in their preparation for the expedition next year.

I managed to get in a full day on Moel Siabod on Sunday and climbed it twice in the day! First time was the 'tourist' route from Plas y Brenin but then I tool the NE ridge down to the old mine workings before cutting across the back of the corrie and straight up the corrie wall on some very interesting and challenging scree to the top again. A full 7hrs on the hill with 12.5 miles and 1200 m of ascent. A good day!

Worked with the team on rope skills and navigation training for the rest of the weekend.

Now planning a course in December for a business group.....

I really should do more of this!

Speaking engagements

I am free for a limited number of speaking engagements during the year.

Topics include:

'An Arctic Journey' the story of the 2006 Geomagnetic North Pole expedition (with permission from Ice Warrior Expeditions Ltd)

'Managing risk - lessons from the Arctic and the outdoors'

'Leadership and management - lessons from the Arctic and the outdoors'

I am also available for training and guiding in the UK for individuals and small groups. I am a member of the Moutain Leader Training Assoiation (MLTA) and a qualified Walking Group Leader under the British Mountaineering Council and MLTA