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
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
I’ve been involved with LD mountain centre for a number of years now and they’re a great bunch of guys and girls who genuinely know about and use the kit they sell. After returning from an epic (last minute) trip to the Tien Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan with the 40 tribes crew a little over a week ago, we thought you may appreciate some kit info on touring in Central Asia so here goes. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had and involved meeting some great... Read More
We looked at the medium yesterday and you can see the results of the weigh-in here. For Number four in our duffel series we’re going to stuff the Extra Large North Face Base Camp with a load of kit for a trip to the winter climbing in Scotland North Face Base Camp Duffel – Extra Large Dimensions when fully packed (approx) W:48cm D:48 cm L:81 cm Capacity in litres: 155 Ideal for: weekend in the lakes , a trip to the snowdome, school trip, a days paddling,a weekend... Read More
https://www.ldmountaincentre.com/competitions/ We looked at the small yesterday and you can see the results of the weigh-in here. For Number three in our duffel series we’re going to stuff the medium North Face Base Camp with a load of kit for a trip to the snow dome. North Face Base Camp Duffel – Medium Dimensions when fully packed (approx) W:38 cm D:38 cm L:61 cm Capacity in litres: 72 Ideal for: weekend in the lakes , a trip to the snowdome, school trip, a days paddling,a weekend hostelling, a beach... Read More
With increased numbers of skiers and snowboarders heading to the slopes each year, more and more of us are heading off the beaten track and venturing in to the sidecountry, slackcountry or backcountry. As we search for fresh snow, solitude and testing lines the risk of course increases. Without wanting to cause undue panic, the fact remains that 150 plus people are killed in avalanches each year so we really need to think about limiting the risks for ourselves, our group and to others. Like most... Read More
A good friend of Ld Mountain Centre Mark Dunn has kindly wrote us a blog on his mountaineering adventures. Mark is a passionate walker/mountaineer and has illustrated just how spectacular the British outdoors can be. Hope you enjoy… What a fabulous summer it has been, the best in ages. We’ve all enjoyed endless, sunny, warm days ideal for long, memorable walking and hiking expeditions in the hills. Sadly, despite some beautiful autumn weather, it seems that the spells of sunshine and cloud free days are coming to an end. Certainly... Read More
History The original seed of an idea for Rab® was started when Rab Carrington found himself stuck in Buenas Aires en route to Patagonia in 1973. His expedition was postponed by a dock strike in the UK which delayed his equipment. He turned instead to working for a friend Hector Vieytes, sewing sleeping bags for the Argentinian Army. He didn’t realise it then, but he was learning the skills with which he would redefine the future of technical mountain clothing and equipment. Throughout the 1970s, Rab Carrington was a key... Read More
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
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
