New blog to go with the new website...

I've just launched my new website 'MountainZ' (offering Expedition & Mountain Training and Mountain Safety Consultancy). Alongside this I now have a new blog detailing my adventures and mountain work. Please redirect your browsers to the following link and thanks for following. Blue skies.

www.mountainz.co.uk/blog.html

Happy New Year!

A few photos from a great 2013. Bring on 2014 for amongst others; my 9th consecutive Scottish winter season, working in the mountains with the BBC, a Greenland icecap crossing, the 5 day ITERA Adventure Race and the UTMB in a 3 week period and a full crossing of the Antarctic continent! :)


MountainZ 2013 from Mountain Zac on Vimeo.

Carstensz Pyramid

Carstensz Pyramid

Easy jungle trekking

 Rebuilding a bridge over a Gr VI river

Recent land slide activity and several tons of balance tree trunks

 Challenging scrambling to cross a land slide

 A work of art but still not sure H&S would pass it!

  The more usual two trunk affair!

 The inside of a Dani Tribe hut

 Climbing on to the kaarst plateau

 Weird and wonderful vegetation

 Carstensz Pyramid - the route take the right hand skyline

 Base camp located between the two lakes

 

Glacial approach on a solo ascent of Puncak Jaya

 Puncak Jaya - formerly the 2nd highest peak in Australasia but now the 4th due to glacial retreat

 Carstensz Pyramid after a snow storm

 The huge Freeport Gold mine at the end of the valley

Fixed lines to reach the summit ridge

 Sunrise on summit day

The team on the ridge

Cloud building as we complete the infamous Tyrolean traverse

Team Millet on the summit of Carstensz Pyramid

The highest point in Australasia and my 5th Seven Summit

 The final descent to base camp

 Trekking out through the jungle

Carstensz Pyramid Expedition

I'm away leading an expedition to Carstensz Pyramid in August. This, the most mysterious of the 7 Summits, lies nestled deep in the Indonasian jungle and offers a significant logistical challenge just to reach its base. Summit day gives plenty of easy climbing on sharp limestone and the infamous Tyrolean traverse before the usual afternoon torrential downpour!

 

Everest Time Lapse

Everest -A time lapse short film from Elia Saikaly on Vimeo.

Looking for Aconcagua on the Ben...

 

 The Pony Track on Ben Nevis - Great training for Aconcagua

For the final day of Sebastian's expedition prep course we got the chance to test some his high altitude equipment in anger. He's away to Aconcagua with Adventure Peaks in a few days so we swapped the False Polish Traverse for the Ben's Pony Track and went for a battle with the conditions in a pair of Millet Everest boots. Fair play, if a little foolish, to the two gentlemen who followed us to the summit in their trainers! The wind was gusting 80mph plus across the plateau but we were comfortable without crampons. MacLean's Steep had drifted in with plenty of soft slab which settled with a huge 'whumpf' as we approached. The forecast had predicted -26oC at 900m with windchill so we were glad to pop into the summit shelter for a spot of lunch. We descended via Red Burn which did require crampons before rejoining the Pony Track for the descent to Glen Nevis

 Spot the difference - Descending from Camp 2 on Aconcagua

 Following the cairns across the summit plateau

 Battling against the 80mph winds on the summit

 Enjoying lunch in the Ben Nevis summit shelter - sponsored by Millet!

Stunning conditions on the descent via Red Burn

Following the trail on the Aonach Eagach

 Digging for holds on the Aonach Eagach

Not quite the blue sky day we were hoping for but pretty spectacular none the less. The high cloud gave some great light and shadows as we tackled the classic Aonach Eagach ridge traverse. At least three teams had broken trail yesterday and there were a couple more ahead of us today which made for easy going. This week I'm climbing with Sebastian in preparation for a major climbing project with Adventure Peaks. The ridge gave us a good long day with lots of exposure, mixed ground, plenty of height gain and even a flypast from a Golden Eagle!

 The exposed Pinnacles in the middle of the ridge

 Enjoying the ridge after the last of the difficulties

 End of a classic traverse - now just the long descent to the road

 The Aonach Eagach Ridge

Breaking Trail on Curved Ridge

 Sunshine & snow :)

This week I'm working for Adventure Peaks helping Sebastian prepare for some big climbing plans. After yesterdays success on Ledge Route we upped the challenge slightly with an ascent of Curved Ridge on the Buachaille which gets a grade of III 4 under heavy snow conditions. The sun shone, winds were light and the ridge hadn't been climbed since the last dump of snow giving us a great day out, topping out to a stunning sunset. We descended via Coire Tullich which contained a wee bit of windslab but the worst was easily avoided.
 

Sebastian getting stuck into the crux corner on Curved Ridge

 

Both axes blow - about now!!!

 Guy Buckingham topping out on Agag's Groove (VI 7)

 Stunning views across Rannoch Mor

 The exit slopes to below Crowberry Tower

 Sebastian leading up towards Crowberry Tower

 The final few meters to the summit of the Buachaille

Buachaille sunset...

Powder day on the Ben

 

 Reaching the end of the first 'Zig' on Ledge Route

This week I'm working with Sebastian who is just beginning a two year climbing project with Adventure Peaks. With plenty of soft snow on the ground and light winds we headed up onto the Ben and Ledge Route, arguably the best grade II on the mountain. Despite the snow the approach was painless and we nipped up the lower reaches of No 5 Gully to gain the first 'zig'. There is very little old snow left on the initial ledges but the powder gave enough purchase and the upper reaches of the route were in great condition.

We descended via No 4 Gully which was knee deep in soft snow but everything seemed stable. This afternoons slightly stronger winds were just starting to develop a thin skin of soft slab on the surface.

 

Enjoying snowy conditions high on Ledge Route

Descending in to the powder of No 4 Gully

Coire Na Ciste from the CIC Hut

Aconcagua Training

 Good neve on the slopes of Catsycam

Just another alpine day in the Lake District fells! Today I was working for Activius with Alison who's away to attempt Aconcagua in the new year.Today was all about fine tuning her crampon work and looking at some of the strategies she could use on this very big and very cold mountain. a brisk walk up to Red Tarn was followed by a spot of self arrest on the slopes of Catsycam. We eventually topped out before following the ridge along to Swirral Edge and the summit of Helvellyn. There were some great views across to the Central Fells but while the Keswick and Penrith were basking in the sunshine the Southern Lakes were hidden under a cloud inversion. We descended the same way dropping south in to the snow bowl and to the shores of Red Tarn.

The soggy snow pack from earlier in the week has refrozen giving some great conditions in the easier gullys. There was ice on the paths above 400m but the watercourses were all still running. The mixed routes on Viking Buttress looked very bare to half height but then there was a wee build up of rime, probably not enough to tempt me but plenty of other teams were out and about and most of the routes on the East face were climbed today. A couple of more mature gentleman reported a large cornice overlooking Nethermost Gully although it received a number of ascents yesterday. The ridges were in great condition with perfect neve over all the difficulties. With a thaw and gales forecast to arrive on Friday tomorrow could be the last opportunity to enjoy the current good conditions.

 Ullswater & the Northern Lakes in the sun

 Cloud inversion over the Southern Lakes with Steel Fell & Coniston Old Man breaking through

Plenty of climbing teams topping out on Helvellyn

Some cornicing above the East Face but everything well frozen