Posts by System
I both agree and disagree with Michael's answer. If you can train your weaker hand to be as good as your stronger hand then good on you but this isn't always possible. My left is much weaker than...
Sport climbing means both indoor and outdoor climbing. Why? Sport climbing originally developed out of Trad climbing where climbers wanted to climb really hard routes without the nasty business of...
Smoke from a burning fire is essentially the stuff from the fire that hasn't burnt well and gases formed by the reaction of whatever is burnt with whatever is in the air. In a forest fire this is g...
As others pointed out, as a rule yes. Here are a few cases where lead belay is actually easier: on a well-drilled route with crux (like a roof) close to the bottom and bolt above but within easy...
Recently, I started backpacking again after a 20 year break. I still had my old equipment in the storage room. I tested my Coleman Apex unleaded gas stove and it worked fine. Then the first trip ou...
I try to always check all the zippers on my pack before putting it on and then turn around and scan the area before walking off.
A very important point here is rappelling/abseiling is the most dangerous part of a climb. You're very exposed, typically relying on your rope alone and whatever you're anchored to and nothing else...
Libby peters Rock Climbing: Essential Skills & Techniques is the main resource for UK mountain leader qualifications. Covers all the essential skills for rock climbing. This is very much from t...
Being metal carabiners are ductile and deform under load. When the biner is under load and gate closed, the gate of the biner is captured in the nose, and forms a closed loop. When the gate is ope...
Backpacking != baking. You can do it, but you have to lug around a lot of stuff to do it. Perhaps, you can take advantage of what is already around you? By this I mean build your oven, and tak...
You'll have several considerations to think about. Altitude affects water's boiling point Temperature affects fuel efficiency Wind affects the stove's efficiency You'll need to make simultaneou...
I was recently at a music festival in a field here in the UK. It was a nice hot day and I was staring up into the lovely blue sky. I noticed there were high numbers of seagulls circling above, seem...
Key thing is to get the shoes clean and dry. Wash the shoes at the hottest possible temperature and let them dry thoroughly. (Use a hair dryer on cool/warm setting carefully if needed). Use an anti...
a little related to this question: How many "Munro" revisions has there been? Leads me to wonder do mountains change height? or is this because the equipment is more precise these days? I unders...
I would take one of the flexible bottles like the platypus brand and make sure to fill it only about 70%. You can not beat the physics: Water expands if you freeze it. If you have a flexible bottle...
I want to practice my self arrest technique. So I need to find a snowy slope to slide down and practice digging my ice axe in, turning, etc. What kind of slope should I be looking for? What kind ...
Combining alcohol and wood burning in one stove is not easy, as both media ask for completely different designs to burn efficiently. Consider to carry one cookset for alcohol (burner, pot stand an...
There are some really light weight Easton poles, check http://www.trekking-lite-store.com/Zelte/Zelt-Zubehoer/Easton-Front-Pole::133.html around 50grs (this is really light!). There is also a stu...
I'm reading up on winter technique. The book im reading states: Most (slab) avalanches happen on slopes between 30 and 45 degrees I think I've seen this before but ; how do I recognise (easil...
I've seen a few of these comparisons around but I've always struggled to make sense of them. At the moment I do quite a lot of Alpine style routes (lowish grade (HS), long multi pitch routes, typ...
Is it a viable practice to not wear a shirt, as long as you smear your body with sunscreen, if you plan to go hiking for hours (assuming reapplication)? Or is it advised to wear a shirt at all time...
I had always assumed that after you adapted to the thin air, the risk to your body was how thick your blood got with the production of extra red blood cells to compensate for the lack of oxy...
I was recently reading a article: Scottish Winter: Ten Must-do Routes at II and III. When it occurred to me that I had no idea how winter grades work? I understand British trad grades, etc. But w...
Everyone who climbs suffers from this to some degree, so you need to accept that doing this will make you scared. What didn't work for me I've had very similar issues to the one's your describe ...
As a disclaimer I'm 6'3" so this isn't from experience! As a tall climber you're correct, I have a lot of advantages. Reach can be very advantageous, especially on bouldering. In my experience th...
