Gwilym's Adventure Blog

This weekend I have been working for Behind The Scenes doing some film safety work with Countryfile. My main role was looking after the camera and sound guys. Great effort put in by Alfie and his family BBC iPlayer - Countryfile - Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need 2021 (Delayed post due to waiting until the epsiode has been aired.

I have just got back from a great week in The Lake District assessing a Gold DofE Expedition for Bristol Cathedral School .  It was mainly dry at the start but got wetter during the week to end with a very damp days. The pictures are from the first 2 days before the rain set in.

Since Wednesday morning I have been out in the hills running the expedition part of a Mountain Leader Assessment for Roxcool . A lovely route with camps at Angle Tarn and Red Tarn with lots of mountains in between. Bowfell, Esk Pike and Crinkle Crags to name a few 2 days of excellent weather if a little windy followed by wetter weather for our walk out this morning. Good efforts put in by all candidates over the last week.

Today, on the third day of the Mountain Leader Training course we were out looking at managing a group on steep ground including coaching, spotting, confidence roping, belaying and abseiling around Scout Crag. Awesome weather again with just enough of a chill to remind us it was Autumn Working for Roxcool . This is my last day with the training candidates as I am out on the assessment expedition from tomorrow.

What a day in the hills. Cold but clear working on Day 2 of a Mountain Training Mountain Leader Training course for Roxcool in The Lake District Navigation, Environment, Leadership and an evenings session on tying knots ready for tomorrow. Sometimes the weather just delivers!

4 very mixed weather days in The Lake District working with some Gold DofE groups from Bristol Cathedral school. A full traverse from Ravenglass to Coniston with a wild camp out under Scafell pike for my team giving me the challenge of moving a minibus and running around the hills. Now sat in a cafe waiting for the second team to come in so we can get on the road back to Bristol. Going to be a late one methinks.

A great day out in Kirkstone Pass today working for Adventure Expertise conducting competency assessments on some expedition leaders who are off to Iceland this summer. Navigation, steep ground work and a discussion on river crossings were the theme of the day. Listening to their plans for the trip, I am a little disappointed that I won't actually be going there with them

I am in The Lakes and the weather is warm and sunny. Today I started at Patterdale and climbed St Sunday Crag by a very warm and dry Pinnacle Ridge before heading on round and up to a cold and blowy Fairfield and Hart Crag. Then is was a relatively painless descent down Hartsop above How back to the car which got warmer and warmer with every step. Definitely an 8 picture day today. Took loads more though, I get very few personal days in The Lake District so it was nice to be out and about without the pressure of trying to find a DofE group

Today I was running a NNAS Tutors Course in Penrith. 5 candidates and lots of different navigation teaching strategies throughout the day. It was very soggy as the end as we went out to look at how we can use these different techniques in the local area.

After a very busy few days sorting out a lot of admin after my 2 weeks away on the bike, on Sunday I drove up to The Lake District with 2 groups from Bristol Cathedral Choir School for their assessed Gold DofE expedition. They have had a real mix of weather from wet and grim (Picture 1) through to some awesome evenings out wild camping (Picture 2). This is my last planned DofE work this year (though you never know about last minute bookings) and it has been good to see so many students complete their expeditions.

I have just got back from an awesome week in The Lake District working with Bristol Cathedral Choir School students on their Gold DofE expeditions. 3 very dry days and a final wet day was the order of play and with a number of groups out there was a lot of leg work to be done. I had a day on Illgill Head and Whin Rigg, a mini exped over Scafell and Great End with a wild camp at Sprinkling tarn and then back up to Scafell Pike via Round How and Broad Crag the next day before returning to Wasdale. The final day saw me on the side of the Old Man of Coniston and Brown Pike. Well done t all the teams who did very well and all passed with flying colours