In reply to G4AZS:
“Deploying the famous Norwegian Blue paraffin budgie, presumably :o)”
Hi hi, that’s a great idea…!
However (boringly) most talk appears to be about a Black and Orange colour scheme… This avoids using any of the colours from the existing services.
Also, black is apparently the best colour for air to air collision avoidance (the majority of RAF Training aircraft are now painted black) and Orange is the colour favoured for “Search and Rescue”.
In reply to G8ADD:
This is an “emergency” process for Winter Mountain Leader work. In essence if you get the rope out as an ML then something has gone a bit wrong as it shouldn’t be needed. Of course if it goes wrong, then it will invariably be in awful weather, so I was glad (in some very strange way!) that the weather was so bad on my “security on steep ground” assessment day.
So, you only have with you your ice axe, a sling and a single locking karabiner, plus a rope - usually 30m of 9mm.
The expectation is you will use one of a few belay methods.
Buried axe, with bucket seat, waist belay.
If you have enough snow depth you can use a stomper belay.
Snow bollard with a munter hitch (for maybe more consolidated snow) - direct belay.
Or preferably find a good rock anchor and use the sling and krab, again with a munter hitch - direct belay.
Even a direct rock belay with just the rope running around a spike (as long is it is not going to cut it)
There are other things you could do, but the above will get you through most things with that limited gear set.
Gerald
MW6AQU/P
Well off topic (but hopefully a bit interesting!)
If only I learned a bit more about radio than hill craft I might be a better Amateur operator!
Yes, but it is also a good finishing belay for a winter climb, Gerald - hence my mention of a deadman, perhaps not likely to be carried by walkers although some of us did in the 70’s and 80’s when I was most active in winter climbing. I was just intrigued by the use of the waist belay as a sudden pull from the lower man losing his footing would seem to be likely to roll the rope down the waist leading to loss of control, which would not happen with a shoulder belay. As you say, OT, though useful information for those prepared to tackle the higher summits in winter!
If only I learned a bit more about radio than hill craft I might be a better >Amateur operator!
Just like becoming a mountain leader didn’t happen overnight and required study and effort and practice, the same applies to radio. Start at the beginning, read, study, experiment and learn. You can read all about how to belay but till you try it you don’t really know what is happening. Similarly with radio, you need to try and apply what you’ve read.
In reply to G8ADD:
This one probably shows it a bit better.
Taken on my Winter ML training a year before assessment. This picture shows John Armstrong demonstrating exactly how do do it right. However the backup buried axe belay (or snow bollard) behind him is not shown. This is a critical piece of the system and must not be omitted when used for real.
As you can see by being sat in a bucket seat it means the angles stop any “roll down” of the rope from around the waist. Also the live rope goes off between your legs. This does mean it can dig into the top of your leg when fully loaded. In practice though my experience is this isn’t too much of a problem.
Here’s another shot with the system loaded and showing the buried axe belay.
I was very lucky to have the benefit of excellent training from Glenmore Lodge, with John Armstrong MIC and Phil Sanderson MIC. Phil went on later that year to summit Everest with his wife Pauline - the first UK husband and wife couple to do so.
I got my training at the Glencoe Winter Climbing School under Hamish McInnes in 1974, the tutor of our group died in a freak rockfall during the filming of “The Eiger Sanction”! Techniques do move on, although I don’t think I was taught anything that has since proved dangerous!
Sorry to spoil the fun… it was a grey paraffin budgie… Royal
Navy from HMS Gannet at Prestwick.
Ruddy matelots get in everywhere!
Chopper must have been nearby unless the budgies were on the Ben. RAF Lossiemouth (the home of the yellow 'uns) is 10 to 20 minutes flying away so the Brylcreem Boys are the usual responders. Couldn’t have been my neighbour being partisan could it (First Lieutenant RN who works at RAF Kinloss scrambling rescue helicopters - holds a Foundation Licence, will need to speak firmly to him!)?
Barry GM4TOE
PS Grey and Red - not at all attractive on a helicopter IMHO
In reply to GM4TOE:
Hi hi! I don’t know what the Gannet lot are doing at the moment. The next evening they were down at Llanddulas on the N Wales coast picking up crew of a beached bulk carrier. They lifted about 5 then their winch broke. So they brought in a replacement from RAF Boulmer! I have no idea why Valley didn’t come out as they are 20 mins flying time. Possibly no serviceable aircraft? Sadly with these increasingly elderly Seakings that does seem to happen occasionally.
In reply to MW6AQU:
A productive trip with five summits activated and on four I had sufficient contacts to score points.
Also four summit to summit chaser entries.
All done on 2m FM, but I did try 2m SSB on a couple of occasions, but with no response.
A few things of note.
Firstly, helping Brian MM1HMV to get his thousandth chaser point through contacts on four out of the five summits. Some tenacious work needed particularly on GM/CS-082 (Meall nam Maigheach) for us to finally get the contact properly established, with particular help from Jack GM4COX for encouraging us to keep trying while I tried to get the beam spot on.
Picture of Sue holding up the beam mast (I only used it for the one contact so no point in pegging it out).
Secondly, managing two summit to summit contacts on the same day with Robin GM7PKT/P. Both of us moved summits during the day and still managed to sync up without any specific scheduling.
Finally the pleasure of completing only the second activation of GM/CS-076 (Meall nan Subh).
Summit picture
Big thanks to my XYL Sue for helping with antennas and generally putting up with the summit waits while I was operating.
Shame you had pants WX for your visit. It was lovely till you came! Actually it had been snowing and dreiky for a few days.
Meall nam Maigheach CS-082 is really in the middle of nowhere for 2m activation so I’m glad you qualified it. It’s a trivial wee yomp from the car park at the cairn and there’s only one bit that’s a bit yeuchy and is soon crossed. The views though, are really good but I guess you didn’t see much at all. Apart from list ticking, the only reason to go up it is for the views of the big boys all around. I did it on a lovely warm day with a gentle breeze but with no shelter it must be “fun” in the wind and dreik.
Meall nan subh GM/CS-076 suffers again from positional difficulties. By the time you driven all the way down Glen Lyon or Glen Lochay, driven up what’s left of the water board road and found there’s nowhere to park, driven down then walked up, you may as well have done Beinn Heasgarnich or some other Munro or such rather than faff about with Meall nan subh for 4 points. Unless, you’ve done all the Munros and want to bag Corbetts etc. Still qualifying on 2m again is not too easy, you’re quite well screened.
summit to summit contacts on the same day with Robin GM7PKT/P
Some of the requirements for a truly succesful activation, S2S with Robin, QSO with Ken GM0AXY&Christine GM4YMM, QSO with Rich N4EX.
with particular help from Jack GM4COX
No half measures or giving up with Jack. You’ll know to bring extra batteries if you get in a QSO with him next time!
Hopefully we can have an S2S next time your up here, or even meet up. But next time you come up here, leave your grotty WX at the border!
In reply to MM0FMF:
Ah Ken and Christine! Yes indeed we did QSO on GM/CS-076 (Meall nan Subh) and GM/WS-169 (Beinn Bhreac-liath).
On GM/CS-076 (Meall nan Subh) we asked an estate worker what the road was like up from Glen Lochay and he confirmed that the monster potholes are passable with care. We asked permission and then drove right to the top, somewhere about NN 4504 3881. We found a space for probably four or five cars to reverse off the road onto a good hard standing. This road is now shown in “yellow” on the latest Landranger maps, so I assume it has now been adopted by the council? After the activation we drove down the north side and on down Glen Lyon. This side is much less steep and has fewer potholes. We then turned up the Lawers Dam road to park at the high point and climb (well amble up) Meall nam Maigheach CS-082. Both walks were under an hour each (even allowing for my dreadful head cold).
I’ll certainly try to leave the wx behind next time!!!
I’ve already worked out that (a bit like some Munros) there are a fair few “lumps” to climb when doing Corbetts. I’m just a beginner on that list though, only a little over 30 done so far.
