Peak Mountaineering: Introductory Climbing Course – A Review

Introduction

As mentioned in my previous post I wanted to look at participating in an introductory climbing course. The reason is to improve my basic rope skills and climbing skills to help aid in my mountaineering course next February and, going forward, hopefully in the Alps. I chose Peak Mountaineering due to online reviews.

Well I've gone and done it now....... Again!

I have signed up for another mountaineering trip, this time with Moran Mountaineering, in Scotland. The company was started up and is run by Martin Moran, mountain guide and Author. I read Martin's biography, Higher Ground, last year, which was very inspiring. His journey to becoming a mountain guide, highlighted in his biography, is very interesting with quite surprising origins. I can highly recommend reading Martin's biography with signed copies available from Martin himself on his website (www.moran-mountain.co.uk). You can also purchase his books; The 4000 Peaks of the Alps and The Munros in Winter.

Training will be beginning in vain now. Long walks with a weighted pack (off out early tomorrow morning), High Intensity Interval Training, weight training and trail runs to make sure I am fit enough for February 2017. I was not as fit as I would have liked when I went to Wales in February this year. I am fitter now than I was then, but want to turn up the wick and make sure I can enjoy myself and learn a great deal.

I will write a review after the trip. I have just had a break from the blog for a few months to concentrate on other things. But hopefully I can use writing on here to provide some motivation, along with having paid my deposit already.

www.moran-mountain.co.uk

Welsh Winter Mountaineering: A few photographs

Well I've gone and done it now.......

I've finally made the jump and paid out for a Welsh Winter Mountaineering course with Plas Y Brenin. I know that a course in Scotland would have a higher guarantee of snow, but I also want to book a scrambling course in Wales with Plas Y Brenin later in the year.

 

The information for the course can be found here:

 

http://pyb.co.uk/courses-detail.php?coursecode=WWM04&irisref=247

 

I'm looking forward to the course more than Christmas. I'm off to do the course the first week in February 2016 and will feedback my experiences on here. I've gone for the full bag of mashings; the course, accommodation and insurance. The pricing is on the site, and I think it is very reasonable when taking into account five nights stay and all the meals. But like most things, proof of the pudding is in the eating.

 

One positive already is communication. I asked a question via email and the response took a couple of days, but was very good and exactly what I needed.

 

If you have experienced a Plas Y Brenin course please feel free to pass on your comments below.