The MOB

All Blog Posts (138)

The Blind Leading The Blind (A Paragliding Tale)

It’s coming to the end of the season and we’ve been chasing the weather around the country all year. And to be honest, we’re a little tired of trying for those extra k’s to push us up the XC ladder to compete with our flying friends (or fo)!

It’s the September ‘old wives summer’ and we’ve flown every day since Wednesday, ‘milking it’ as the high pressure migrates across our land towards Siberia; knowing that these are our last chances; stealing family time; lying to bosses and… Continue

Added by barney on September 17, 2009 at 20:15 — No Comments

Lagangarbh Hut Meet, Gencoe. June 2009 (See photos )

The forecast wasn’t looking to good, but that didn’t stop us filling the hut. Keith and I arrived at 5.30 on the Friday and decided to take full advantage of the lovely evening. Dumping the Sacks off we plodded up to the Col behind the Lagangarbh hut with a view to flying up the back of the Buachaille Etive Mor and as usual suck it and see. It took us an hour to get up to the col, and we were rewarded with a nice breeze and a perfect launch site, but would it be enough to soar up the south west… Continue

Added by Derek Kenyon on July 31, 2009 at 19:21 — No Comments

Big hopes for Parlic 05.04.09 (Paragliding)

On the Friday I managed to get an hour in at Edenfield after work, conditions where lovely and with few there I was able to do some well needed practice on my thermaling. Mark Wilson was there talking about the coming Sunday how it was set to be one of the best XC days for years, and Parlic was the place to be. By the end of our chat I was well fired up for a well over due crack at a decent XC, which up to now had been mostly extended ridge runs, or XC’s abroad.

Saturday was spent… Continue

Added by Derek Kenyon on July 27, 2009 at 20:21 — 1 Comment

Troy Quarry-July15

Thanks to everyone who made it an enjoyable day especially the guys who led and put up the lines a
nd thanks for the guidance

Added by Brian Knowles on July 16, 2009 at 12:02 — No Comments

Jack Scout Quarry,Silverdale

I have been told that WE ARE having a long weekend at Silverdale next weekend(10/13).Does anyone know this quarry and whether there is any interesting cliimbing there.I can't visit any other quarries locally because we don't have a car
Thanks ,
Brian Knowles

Added by Brian Knowles on July 1, 2009 at 21:12 — 2 Comments

Fastnet Update – 13th & 14th June. “The Condor Ferry is heading straight for us at 38 knots”

And we are like a sitting duck on a 47ft yacht in the English Channel, in the dark and in the fog!

Our race over the weekend of 13th and 14th June was organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). The Race Committee designed a course that would take the competitors East out of the Solent to the Nab Tower lighthouse (see photo) then West around the Isle of Wight. This was followed by heading to Poole No 1 Buoy and to North Head to finish giving us a total distance of 126 nautical… Continue

Added by Sue on June 25, 2009 at 21:25 — No Comments

A true reflection on my birthday weekend

Lets sort out a few facts first. Rick did fall off his bike in a very spectacular style, wish I had seen the incident but was to busy doing what Rick was not riding my bike up the steep ground in a `well gnarly way man`.

I have got to be honest if I said having two ropes of the same colour when climbiing on double ropes is not idea." In on blue! " "Your blue or my blue" "Any blue will do" type of conversations are not easy to understand.

The climbing and the company was good and I… Continue

Added by Mark Davies on April 28, 2009 at 19:48 — No Comments

Eastenders meets Corronation Street in little Chamonix

Jack of all...master of none!

Featuring Rick Riding ( as himself) and Mark Davies (as Jim Mitchell)

Winter had deserted us, but "a penciling in" in my book is a firm commitment, so snow or no snow I wasn't about to let Mark of the hook that easly. A "penciling in" for a trip to the Ben became a couple of days in the lakes and yes I did feel a bit guilty that he might miss his daughters birthday and would be away on his own birthday...but I resolved to make… Continue

Added by Rick Riding on April 18, 2009 at 23:30 — No Comments

Wilton 1 Clean up day

As some of you might already be aware yesterday, Sunday 30th, the BMC (who are now the proud owners of the venerable Wilton 1) organised a clean up day of the quarry. Around 40 volunteers attended and fueled with BMC tea and cakes set about the mamoth task of clearing the most neglected parts of the quarry. On hand with helpfull advice (and also getting stuck in) was Les Ainsworth who many people will know is responsible for a large amount of routes and development at the venue. Being my local… Continue

Added by Will Hardman on March 30, 2009 at 21:32 — No Comments

Colin & Rick on the Ben

Ben Nevis March 21st 2009

Colin and I made the long trek up to the Ben last weekend which actualy ended up being longer than usual due to :

Blindly following the sat nav, which thought it would be funny to take us on a tour of scotlands lesser known hamlets!

Thick fog and suicidal red deer!

We did eventually arrive at the north face car park in the wee ours of the… Continue

Added by Rick Riding on March 25, 2009 at 1:00 — No Comments

What do you fancy doing ? - your choice!

What do you fancy doing ? - your choice!

The few days climbing described here were a bit of a revelation to me. In the past I’ve either been winter climbing or summer rock climbing. The bit in the middle where its too warm for one but too wet and cold for the other has been a bit of a frustration. Not any more “ mountaineering” I’m hooked!

Derek and I had planned to spend… Continue

Added by Rick Riding on February 28, 2009 at 0:30 — 2 Comments

Mission Accomplished

5285 mtrs of very hard work. Job well done by the A Team. Fantastic views (approx 100 miles either direction) especially at sunrise.Gruelling glacier crossing, 'sporty' and exposed scramble in the dark at 4 a.m. Great elation on the top, grim descent, monstrous walk down to car park and bumper to bumper traffic all the way back to Mexico City. Bad sunburn and trashed toes....but what a wonderful mountaineering experience!

Added by Ivor Smith on February 17, 2009 at 3:38 — 1 Comment

Chock Stone Gully with Barney Woodhead 7th Feb 2009

With Rick away skiing I was without a partner, until Barney called me up for an update and said he had a pass out for the Saturday. Going out on a Saturday at least gives you the Sunday to recover. 4am the alarm goes off, it's almost got to the stage where Mrs K and I are like ships passing in the night as she is just going to bed and I’m getting up, but it’s a small price to pay for a good day out. Not having been out with Barney for a while we chatted all the way there missing the South Lakes… Continue

Added by Derek Kenyon on February 15, 2009 at 10:30 — No Comments

Central Gully Idwall Jan 2009 This week Rick and myself had been watching the temperatures rising, would the there be any ice left in Wales or was it back to Scrambling and waiting till Scotland to …

Central Gully Idwall Jan 2009

This week Rick and myself had been watching the temperatures rising, would the there be any ice left in Wales or was it back to Scrambling and waiting till Scotland to get a fix. To maximise our chances it was going to be a 5am start to take advantage of the lower night time temperatures. Rick was punctual as usual all be it a bit bleary eyed, with me waiting on the door step we made a speedy getaway. On the way down the car read 6 degrees it wasn’t… Continue

Added by Derek Kenyon on January 27, 2009 at 19:51 — No Comments

Clogwyn Ddu Pillar Chimney IV

Getting out of a warm bed for theses early starts doesn’t get any easier, though experience tells me its always worth the effort…but that doesn’t help much at 4am!

Stuff down some breakfast and it’s off to meet up with Derek and the lads. Mark and Colin are meeting us at Derek’s and just to wind them up we're sat in the car, engine running looking at our watches as they pull up!

We go through the usual routine. Watching the thermometer in the car as we approach N. Wales, willing… Continue

Added by Rick Riding on January 26, 2009 at 19:00 — 1 Comment

Eel Crag Sunday 18.1.09

Ian brewster and myself.

Blown out for the Cairngorms.....We headed to the lakes.

Left rammy at 7.15 am and with a clear run to Braithwaite we were soon heading up towards Street How and Grisedale Pike, at the summit the wind picked up from next to nothing with a bit of sun to a steady blow and the ice axes came out.

Headed off on a slight Northerly detour to Hopegill head, Ski goggles on, Ian and I decided to try the crampons as the ground became a little more icey, these… Continue

Added by Stuart R on January 18, 2009 at 8:30 — No Comments

Climbing High

MOB International
7-8 Feb 2009.

Location: Amecameca, Estadio de Mexico

Descripion: Hard work; experience of glaciers and high level altitudes desirable

Attempted summit climb Ixtaccihuatl 5285 m (3rd highest peak en Mehico)

All welcome; Ryan Air/ Easyjet?

Added by Ivor Smith on January 17, 2009 at 19:09 — 2 Comments