Have you met your perfect alpine partner?
›EXPERT Q & A
This issue’s expert is IFMGA Mountain Guide Steve Long. Passionate about climbing and sharing his knowledge, Steve is Development Offi cer for the
Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) and heavily involved with international training standards.
MOMENT
of stuff on the Frendo as I took on my Duke of Edinburgh expedition and consequently went heavy and slow. Yet, a few years ago, I climbed a snowy Fitzroy, in Patagonia, with less stuff than I’d take for a day’s winter cragging in the Scotland. On the Frendo we took a Trangia stove (lol), couscous, cheap chocolate, Lipton tea bags and sleeping bags more suitable for Glastonbury. Oh, and enough of a rack to aid climb on El Cap. I remember the big sleeping bag and not enjoying the bivvy food too much. Last summer on a blast up the Peuterey Integral, we had a Jetboil, Tetleys, soup, sausage, pasta and Haribos, (yum) no sleeping bags and the rack you’d take for a quick route on Stanage. We were fast and well fuelled. How times change!
The Alps are huge. I’d suggest thinking about what you and your partner really want to do, and what you’re capable of. Choose somewhere that suits you, with lots of options, both modest and challenging. Go with the fl ow, but be ready! I’ve got plenty of routes that I still want to do, and I’m just waiting for the right moment. Good luck fi nding yours.
Words: Tim Neill. IFMGA Mountain Guide Tim Neill presented this year’s BMC Alpine Lectures with Nick Bullock. Tim works part-time at Plas y Brenin, spending the rest of his time cragging or guiding clients. For guiding in Snowdonia, Scottish winter and throughout the Alps
www.timneillguiding.com.
“WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE LIKE THIS, THIS IS YOUR TIME.”
Q. How did you start alpine climbing? A. My fi rst interest was from books like The White Spider, The Hard Years, I Chose to Climb and Alan Blackshaw’s Mountaineering. My fi rst real trip was on the BMC bus (a discounted and discontinued London-to-Chamonix bus service). Q. What was your narrowest escape? A. That trip was a massive learning curve. My fi rst proper route was also the Frendo Spur. It’s arguably the hotspot for British accidents: it’s long, serious and no place for an Alpine novice. I made several errors: picking up a stranger on the campsite as a partner, getting lost on the crevasse approach and falling near the top – resulting in a broken wrist and hanging bivouac. If I could start again, I’d go on a Conville course. Q. What style of alpine climbing does British climbing prepare you for? A. Getting benighted! But us Brits are also pretty good at placing runners and setting up belays with leader-placed gear. We also tend to fi nd the ice routes technically straightforward. Big-wall climbing suits, because there’s still a place for the slow and steady approach. Q. What skills do new alpinists lack? A. Effi cient movement: glacier travel, fast change-overs at belays and route-fi nding. Novices tend to unnecessarily change into rock shoes on relatively easy ground, or in and out of crampons. There is a tendency to carry too much kit, to tackle fairly technical routes at altitude, then fi nd that the routes seem to go on for ever. Alpine routes are much bigger than our routes, so build up experience gradually. Us Brits also bivy too much; if there’s a hut available, use it and travel light. Q. Top tips for the budding alpinist? A. Get a feel by bagging some easy peaks fi rst, ideally with an experienced friend with a good track record. Alternatively, get some tuition from a Guide. Conville Trust courses are a cost- effective way of achieving this, but places are in high demand. Build up gradually, increasing altitude, commitment or technical diffi culty one at a time. That’s why the Frendo Spur is such a bad idea for a novice: it’s got all three on the same route!
›FURTHER INFO
British Mountain Guides
Looking for a British Mountain Guide? Check out the BMG: the national body for IFMGA Mountain Guides.
www.bmg.org.uk
BUY:
BMC Alpine Essentials DVD £14 (members)
Packed with information and advice on all the skills and techniques you need for alpine climbing.
www.bmcshop.co.uk
Conville Alpine Courses
Subsidised alpine training courses for younger climbers.
www.jcmt.org.uk
SUMMIT ONLINE ALPINE SPECIAL #01 | SUMMER 2014 | 37
PHOTO: MGTS.
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