Advice

Developing new routes is a highly rewarding and often time consuming activity. Motivations for doing it range from from the personal challenge of opening big lines on unclimbed walls to developing your local crag. Personally I have usually decided to open a new route when I am looking for my own challenge rather than the desire to establish routes for others to climb. I really enjoy the excitement of running it out above my gear on unclimbed terrain, not knowing what's coming next. For me this is the most challenging form of climbing where you can put your skills to the test.

Nutrition on a mountaineering expedition can make or break the trip. Without the correct type of fuel, you cannot perform your best. In the context of mountaineering, there are 5 main constraints to be consider: weight, convenience, nutrition, shelf-life and taste.

This is a technique that when used right will speed up many alpine and multi pitch ascents.  Why speed up your ascent? Personally I think speed is a key factor to moving safely in the mountains.  If you climb slowly you are more likely to have unplanned bivvies, get stuck in storms or get caught out by rock fall or serac fall. Moving quickly over technical terrain is also good fun!

Starting with the basics: "simul climbing" is when two climbers move at the same time with a rope between them, placing and removing protection as they go.

During a recent trip to the Dolomites in Italy I found myself in a rescue situation with an injured climbing partner. We were climbing as a team of three, and one of the seconders pulled off a large block which fell down onto the third member of our team. I thought sharing a few tips on how to manage the situation and how to haul an injured climber could be useful for someone else who might find themselves in a similar situation.