Archive

April 2014

Tent Envy

Having spent the morning cramming my not-so lightweight camping equipment into my rucksack it seemed that some of my fellow staff members were taunting me when I came in to find this on my desk. Newly arrived from Sweden, the Nordisk Telemark 2 ULW  is the lightest tent we have in the shop, and among the lightest in the world. 880grams, super compact and still able to stand up to a fresh gale, it’s a super tent for summer backpacking, and it is a Two Man! It’s also the tent... Read More

Marathon des Sables 2014

      My journey through the Sahara 1029 started, 904 finished, I came 775th 244 km – 152 miles – 59hrs 16mins                   Arrival in the Sahara. After a very long wait at Errachidia airport and then a bus journey that saw the most amazing sunset we arrived into the ‘bivouac’ in the dark.  After throwing down our bags and grabbing ourselves a sleeping space  in Tent 137 we were fed a bland meal by our hosts and then made our... Read More

Everest News

Friday’s avalanche beneath the Khumbu icefall on Everest took the lives of 16 Sherpa guides who were working on the mountain in preparation for the climbing season. Reports coming out of the region have been brief and less than reliable but it has become clear that the incident has thrown the Sherpa community and the mountaineering industry in Nepal into turmoil. Following the threat of a boycott of the climbing season by the Sherpa guides, the Nepalese government has reached a compromise on a number of the Sherpas’ demands which... Read More

Trekking Poles, what are they good for?

Well the answer seems to be, pretty much everything. The humble walking stick has seen a fair transformation in the last century and whittled wood has been replaced by folding, carbon poles with anti-shock and ergonomic grips. Their purpose remains the same though; to help you walk, whether you need extra stability on tough terrain, to take some strain off your knees in descent, or for extra power getting up the hill. In all honestly, it is surprising that more people don’t use them. Before this weekend I had never... Read More

Alpine Highline

Pierra Menta lies in the Beaufortain Massif range in the French Alps. A popular destination with ski mountaineers and climbers, it has recently been visited by a new sport, Highline. Check out the Walk’In The Sky Crew living up to their name.

Inspecting your Harness

It may not be as sexy as your Camalots but if you’ve neglected your harness recently you should make a date and give it a good going over. As climbers we rely on our harnesses more than any of our other gear, there’s no back up to it, if it fails, our whole system fails. Knowing how to look after our harnesses and knowing the warning signs of damage are essential to our safety. Lifespan The manufacturer of your harness gave it a lifespan from the date it was manufactured. If you don’t... Read More

Basejump Utah

Castleton Tower near Moab would catch the eye of any climber or base-jumper. First climbed in 1962, this lone tower of red sandstone points skyward from desert and is high on the tick lists of many climbers.  Adventurer Claire Marie recently climbed the famous tower with her BASE gear in tow. Check out this video of her project.

How Old Are Your Maps?

You’ve updated your rucksack, replaced those worn out boots and exchanged that plastic cag for a modern, breathable jacket, but how old are your maps? If you’re anything like us you’ll have accumulated them over years and maybe not all first hand. Ordnance Survey make on average 10,000 changes to their mapping a day, including revisions of footpaths, bridleways and access boundaries. If you’ve worn through a few pairs of boots, your likely to have a few out-dated maps on your shelves or ones that are well worn on the... Read More

Skis and Boards need some love too..

With the snow on the hills and mountains beginning to melt. Most snow reports are mentioning soft spring conditions. It wouldn’t be long till the winter season draws to a close. So what do we do with our skis and boards when the season finishes?? Do we just chuck them in their bag put them in the garage or loft and hope they are fine? You have to show your board and skis some love treat them right and they’ll treat you right.              ... Read More