Archive

April 2015

Earthquake Rocks Everest Region of Nepal by Reuben Tabner

Former LD Mountain Centre team member is currently at Everest Base Camp he has shared some thoughts and pictures from the drama of the last few days with us, we are glad to hear Reuben and Katie are alright and our thoughts are with all who have been affected by this disaster. This is a brief update following Saturday’s earthquake to let everyone know that both Katie and myself are safe and well in Pheriche, if a little tired and shaken. The last 48 hours have been non-stop, with very... Read More

50 years old the toughest of our national trails.

    The Pennine way is 50 years old today; the Pennine Way was the brain child of Tom Stephenson  a journalist with the Evening Herald who was inspired by trials in north America such as the Appalachian Trail.  Although Tom first conceived the idea in 1935 it wasn’t till 1965 the first of our national trails was open. The Pennine way starts from Edale in the Peak District heads through the Yorkshire Dales to the then through gods own County Northumberland and finishing in Kirk Yetholm in Border Country.... Read More

A Long Weekend in the Cairngorms

With 4 days off over the Easter break, it seemed like a perfect excuse for a trip up to the beautiful Cairngorm mountain range. We booked into a little B&B in Aviemore (The Vermont Guest House), packed our skis and my awesome  Meindl Bhutan boots (thanks to the LD team!) and headed off, up to the mountains   Skiing at Easter can be a little risky in mainland Europe let alone in Scotland, but we couldn’t resist an opportunity to have a final run of the season before hanging up... Read More

Little Stand Solo Wild Camp.

A great guest blog from friend of the LD  Mark Dak   I can count on one hand how many times I have spent the night under canvass, and I wouldn’t be using all of my fingers! As a kid, I never camped out but we did have a tent, mostly used in the garden on sunny days. I am sure it gave my poor parents a break from looking after us little terrors, but it was never used in anger on a camp site.          ... Read More

Two Hours in a Freezer with a Climber and an Ultra Runner

Have you ever wondered how outdoor kit is tested? Recently I was lucky enough to be invited to witness the testing of some Montane down and synthetic down insulation pieces at Northumbria University.         Montane had arranged for Montane athletes, Andy Kirkpatrick and Marcus Scotney to attend the cold chamber in the sports science department at Northumbria University. First the athletes needed to be wired and probed. Temperature monitors were taped to the outside of the jackets, to the athletes bicep under the jacket and inserted into... Read More

A Photo Blog from Voss Norway

    Jon from our web team recently went to Voss in Norway, for 5 days Split Boarding and Camping, here is a gallery from his trip.               Jon would like to thank, Amplid Snowboards for supplying his split board  ark consults for the loan of a Nordisk Oppland 2 tent and Voss Resort for awesome powder.   http://www.amplid.com/snowboards/ http://www.arkconsultants.co.uk/ http://vossresort.no/en/ any question about kit used on this trip email Jon at jonb@ldmountaincentre.com    

Our Five Favourite Northumberland ‘Very Severes’

 Pinnacle Face VS 5a*** (Crag Lough) A one move wonder with a great feeling of exposure. Put some gear into the lip and pull onto a positive face – just watch out for nesting peregrines and enjoy the views!   Delicatessen VS 4c*** (Simonside) A delicate unprotected start leads to a positive break, or positively broken bones if you come off! A fine crack allows for some fluid and rewarding moves with sufficient gear for peace of mind.   Rothley Crack VS 5a*** (Rothley) Dominating the crag, Rothley Crack lies... Read More