Seeing a live climbing competition had been on my wish list for a little while so when I realised that one of the competitions that makes up the climbing world cup was in Chamonix a summer holiday was planned around it. I was not disappointed! British climbing is exploding with competition climbers competing on the…
My first Via Ferrata; Curalla, Passy, Nr Chamonix, France
‘I’m perfectly safe, I wont die, but what would happen if I slipped?’ not the most helpful thought when crossing a Himylayan style wire bridge above a 100m drop. Via Ferrata involves wire features linked with a continuous cable that you attach to with a specially designed dual karabiner device that means you are always…
Mountain of the month July 2019: Going alpine in Chamonix, Petit Flambeau 3440m, France
Over the past 5 or so years of being involved on the peripheries of the outdoor community the whispers of ‘alpine routes’ have got louder and louder. The place most often associated with them has almost always been Chamonix. Famous (in my head) for steep skiing and Mont Blanc, Chamonix hadn’t really been on my…
The Cotswold Way: Part 3, June 2019
The Cotswold Way lends itself nicely to weekend jaunts if you are based in the South West. It has become something of an annual tradition for my mum, sister and I. We’ve done it in a slightly odd order. Starting with the middle section from Cam to Cheltenham (using the train to access either end),…
Mountain of the month June 2019: Ben Starav, Highlands, Scotland, UK
After the success of our weekend in Arran we couldn’t believe it when yet another promising weather forecast preceded a planned weekend up in Scotland. After flying from Bristol to Glasgow we picked up a car and headed north. With less than 72 hours available we were keen to make the most of the good…
zo outdoors 