Congratulations from everyone at HSX to Bear Grylls on his appointment as Chief Scout! Peter Duncan will be a hard act to follow, but we’re sure Bear will do a great job. And hopefully he’ll give us a few tips for the Atacama Challenge…
BBC 1, 7.30pm, Monday 25th May 2009 for 5 weeks
See our very own Sky High team on the BBC. The program follows the Everest medical team over the 2007 climbing season. The shows closely follows our team in their summit attempt and the highs and lows of the team.
Thursday 9th
The first bus, driven by Russ (and later Alan) was scheduled to leave ferny-crofts at about 0900hrs. Also on-board where Besty, Rich, Becky, Ruth, Andrew and Ollie, a new recruit from South-sea (NOT Portsmouth!). We arrived at great tower at about 1530, and after dumping our bags in our rooms, we put the tents up for the Malawi team (who where scheduled to arrive later). We also helped to move the boxes of group kit from the van into the bunk house. Dinner was at about 1900hrs, and we went to bed at about half nine, making sure we got plenty of sleep, as clocks changed to HSX time at mid-night.
FRIDAY 10th
Breakfast on Friday was at 0800hrs(HSX), bacon butties where consumed, and bags where packed for our day of climbing at Farlton Crag. Unfortunately when we arrived at the village just below the crag, and parked the Torneo, Ollie decided that he didn’t feel too good, and the proceeded to vomit on the verge. The walk up to the Crag was fairly rough on the last section, with us climbing around trees and roots, and trying to avoid falling on scree slopes. When we arrived at the crag we had to wait for the climbs to be set up. The group of “randoms” (Becky, Ruth, Ollie and myself) where paired with Rich Brimelow and Chris Slater, and decided to first attempt “Pudding Flake” a V-Diff climb to the right of our chosen lunch area, while the Malawi team took climbs to the left. Ollie Robinson and Phill Nutbeam chose to take the chance to practice their lead Climbing skills, and so where climbing all over the crag. Before we climbed we went up to the top of the crag, and Rich showed us how to set up a top-rope climb, including how to position the protection. Ollie didn’t feel up to climbing, and so sat in the lunch area, waiting to go home. It became standard procedure that if we where getting anything from our bags, we would repeat exactly the same phrase “You all right Ollie?”, he was probably sick of the question by the end of the day.
After lunch it was decided that we would set up the next climb ourselves, with rich simply checking that everything was safe before we began climbing. The climb we decided on was “Pudding Club” a Severe just along from our first climb. Despite it’s higher difficulty rating, most of us found this climb easier than the first. We finished at about 1500hrs but we had to wait for the Malawi groups to finish up before we could go back to the camp site. We arrived back at about 1600hrs, to the welcoming sight of hot cross buns and tea. We then spent the next few hours doing our own thing, before dinner at 1900hrs. The meal consisted of Cumberland sausage (apparently we had about a mile of the stuff in total) mashed potatoes and beans, with crumble for pudding.
After dinner we all took part in our first de-briefing, where we all outlined what we had done to the rest of the group, and discussed anything that had come up during the day, and what was planned for the next day. It was at this briefing that the four of us gained the team name of “You four”, henceforth written U4. After the de-brief, we had a chance to plan our walk for the next day, and socialise before hitting the sack.
SATUDAY 11th
Saturday started at 0700hrs, with breakfast. We set out at about 0830hrs, and set off on our walk at 0930hrs, from Seathwaite. For today U4, including ollie, who while not in perfect health, was feeling somewhat better than the day before, were teamed up with Doctor John and PK, while Chris Slater and Ollie Robinson travelled with us planning to go up Scafell Pike. Our first target was Great Gable, a fairly rocky mountain a few miles from Scafell Pike. We then planed to continue down to Green Gable, a lower peak below Great Gable, and then back to the Torneo to meet up with Chris and Ollie. When we started walking the sun was shining, but it was still fairly cool out, and there where clouds around many of the peaks. We reached the summit of Great Gable at about 1100hrs, and decided to eat our lunch early, as from what we could see of green gable, it may have been a bit tricky to find comfortable spot. The summit of the mountain was still wreathed in clouds, and the views over the other peaks, and the valley below, would be revealed in gaps, making the sight even more impressive. We set off down Great Gable, encountering some parts of the “path” where we where scrambling more than walking. We then forged on to Green Gable, and back down to the car-park just in time to meet up with Chris and Ollie as they returned from their hike up Scar fell pike. As it was only 1500hrs, we decided to go into Keswick for some shopping time, before returning to base at 1730hrs. Dinner was “piri-piri chicken” although several people expressed the opinion that it was more like flavoured rubber. Once we had finished the de-brief, we were tasked with washing up all the cutlery and cooking equipment, which was a big job.
SUNDAY 12th
For Becky, Ruth and Myself, Friday started early. The previous night we had decided that we would go for a run in the morning, before breakfast, and so to allow us plenty of time to do this, we woke up at 0530hrs. Breakfast was at the normal time, and we then went out to our final walk of the trip. Our first target was Stickle Tarn, which was accessed by a path running up alongside the river which ran from the tarn. The views where pretty good just by the tarn, although spoiled a bit as we where having to wave away swarms of midges. We then planned to scramble up Jakes Rake, a sort of ridge running up a more or less sheer cliff. The scramble was a little disconcerting, as unlike with climbing there was no safety rope, and so you couldn’t shake the feeling that if you fell, it wasn’t going to end well. However everyone made it up without any serious drama, and the views while going up were awe inspiring. We ate lunch in a sort of hollow just above the scramble, and then began to hike across the moor at the top of the scramble. Our destination was a waterfall, which had an abseil set up, allowing us to abseil down literally inside the waterfall, which was an amazing experience, despite the water being very cold. Once we had all descended the waterfall, we returned to the car park we started from, sitting in the pub garden with Ian and Allan, as we had to wait for a while to sort out transport arrangements.
On the way back to the camp we decided to visit Kendal for a short visit, and then continued back for dinner (a very nice stew with dumplings).
MONDAY 13th
Tuesday started earlier than normal, as we where keen to get out early to try and avoid the worst of the traffic. We made good time getting home, with Russ’s Torneo arriving at 1200hrs (BST) instead of the projected time of 1400hrs. Which was nice.
Report by: Andrew wride
Well I guess the beginning is a good place to start. The first wave of us left on the Friday morning from Russ’s house at 5am! And reached Aviemore where we base ourselves 9 hours later. We dropped the kit off then went into town for food shopping as surprisingly Brakes Brothers don’t deliver in the snow. Lucky for us though we had Russ and Jeremy’s home cooking all week. We then went to bed to which the second wave of hard corer’s arrived at 3am on Sat.
The first day came and everyone arose in their different states of sleep to the most snow covered Scotland Russ had ever seen! We were up at 7 for breakfast and left at 8 for the hill. At the Cairngorm National Park there are two car parks, one being closer to the mountains than the other. We got caught out by the mass of skiers that got up early too and had to park in the lower car park. We set off on a normal days walking (without crampons or ice axes) and did some “soft snow skills” and a recon on what the area was like this year. We quickly realised it was going to be hard work walking in as the snow was so deep. We walked up a small ridge call Creagan Dubh. Half way up the ridge we came across a heard of reindeer so we stop for a bit of a play in the snow before carrying on up to top of the ski runs where there is a restaurant called the Ptarmigan. We stopped for a bit of packed lunch then carried on up to the summit of Cairngorm at 1244m. We then descended more or less the same route but most of us were sliding down.
The second day being Sun we got up 7am (but HSX time) so was actually 6am. We were some of the first few on the road this time and managed to get a place in the top car park. We walked out to the furthest Coire (bowl) called Lochen and this time we had to use crampons and ice axes to climb the side of the ridge, And walked round the top of the bowl at 1,215M. As we got to the top we saw some snow holes across the valley at Coire Domhain so we decide to have lunch in them as most of us hadn’t been in one before. After lunch we set off again towards the top of Coire Sneachda and across to 1141 spot height which is most famous upon HSX’s Scotlandiers. We walked down the middle of a bowl called Coire Cas when two skiers flu past us and down.
On Monday we walked into Sneahda and learnt different types of belays such as a “Stomper belay”, Ice axe belays and using a “Dead man”. We dug bucket seats into the side of the slope as we belayed each other up. We then got up to 1141 again and decided to go down Coire Cas but this time we did it on our fronts using our ice axe to slow down then take it out and go really fast. We then walked back along the ski runs to the car park and out. After the day we went into Aviemore to find some ski hire and went to mambos for a legendary hot choc.
On Tuesday its our rest day and a few of us decided to go skiing, others went dry tooling so there’s not much to tell of today. Being my first ever go on skis we started at the top of the slope! I soon learnt from the crashes that turning was essential and by the end of the day I was able to snow plough, Parallel turn and stop most of the time. But it was one of the best days as I learnt a whole new world and found new skills.
Wednesday and Thursday; well where do I start? This was one of the most epic days we had. The crazy group of us 11 decided to go snow holing so we took an easy walk up over 1141 and into Coire Domhain for 10.00am. We spent the rest of our day building and expanding the holes. It was some interesting times as Harold was building a bar and table for us and made a pee hole for all of us to use.
Friday I went out with Harold so I wanted to climb as much as I could, we walked into Sneachda and climbed up Jacobs’s ladder then descended Aladin’s Colouir. Then we climbed up Aladin’s mirror and stopped for lunch. We walked across to the Goat track and down when someone from another group fell off and slid down past us hitting into rocks and bouncing over his bag. We decided that we would only do one more climb so we did Central gully then across the top to 1141 and back down to finish the day.
All in all I think that Scotland is one of the best HSX trips of the year if you’re looking for fun, adrenalin and to learn something new. If you think you’re hard enough to survive the weather.
Sunday 1st March was the date for the 5-a-Side comp at Eastleigh’s Flemming Park sports centre and HSX were fielding two of the seven teams in the event.
Originally we were only having one team, but due to an overwhelming support and subs crew turning up, we were able to field two teams and thus HSX A & HSX B were born.
HSX A consisted of Towny Tommy P, Patch, Burketto, Bram the Machine, Chuckles & Besty and HSX B consisted of Mr HSX (Craig), PK, Jamie, Alan & Emily “HSX WAG” Weller.
After seven games of eight minutes each, everyone was knackered and the round robin games were done. The top four teams then went through to the finals. Unfortunately though neither of our teams were in the top four. HSX B after only scoring one goal (against and assisted by HSX A) and conceding approximately 30+ goals came in seventh place and HSX A after some brilliant games and some fancy footwork came fifth……
Several injuries were sustained. three grazed knees and a dislocated thumb.. Hope it gets better soon PK.
The winners at the end of the very close tournament were Itchen Networks… Well done guys.
Next years we’re hoping to have two teams again or even possibly three. Oh, thanks go to Mrs HSX for the oranges for in between the games, thanks to the organisers and thanks to Scouting because at the end of the day there are no losers or winners, Scouting is the winner…
What a great weekend…
Firstly we had a good number of people there… Russ, Tom, Lawso, Smudge, Footlong, Everest Dave, Brimelow, Ollie R, Chris S, Nutmeg, Tom R, Besty, Steve & myself.. Also we test stayed in a new place… Coetmor Mill, which everyone agreed was a better place even though it was cold and didn’t have mattresses or comfy chairs!!
Anyway, Saturday we went into three groups.. one group headed over the Carnedd range, one group headed over Tyrfan to the Glyders and Group Russ went shopping… It was a great morning that soon turned into 100mph gusts and torrential rain.. Luckily the Carnedd group were down before the rain started, leaving Group Glyder to get soaked…. Nice..
Saturday night was interesting.. No TV…. We had to survive with just our own conversation, a roast pork dinner and an hour long reason on why the iPhone is the best thing out there…
Sunday, after packing and cleaning the building, we were in two group… Group one did some ML training and Group two visited a tea shop and Group three (Footlong) went for a run…. Also, whilst on the ML training session, we had the great idea to come up with some ML training videos…. Watch this space for more info…
Great weekend as always.. Thanks to Everest Dave for being Event Director… Thanks to the drivers and thanks to Russ for cooking….
Check out the picture page for more pictures….
Alan