In the Middle - Climbing in Ireland

By Paul Swail

In the Middle: Climbing in Ireland: Scaling cliffs and crags in Ireland.

This short video is a compilation of footage shot over the last few years. It showcases many first ascents and repeats of the hardest routes in the Mournes and Fair Head. I climbed Intro the Dread E7, 6b at Buzzards Roost!

In The Middle from Tops Off 4POWER on Vimeo.

Filmed by Craig Hiller and Ricky Bell, with additional footage shot by Andy Marshall, Magdalena Ziarnik and Daniel Barrious-O’Neill. Edited by Ricky Bell.

If you liked this you can find more of their work at Tops Off 4 Power.

Bouldering Mats

  • Made In Britain

Merlot
Waffa
Small bouldering pad for sit starts and up-close impacts, 80 x 50 x 6cm
£49.99

  • Made In Britain

Merlot
Phud
Taco bouldering mat for your local circuit, 100 x 100 x 8cm
£149.99

  • Made In Britain

Sun
Origin
Large taco bouldering pad for frequent boulderers, 134 x 100 x 11cm
£199.99

  • Made In Britain

Ocean
+ 3 MORE
Mujo
Hinge style pad ideal for frequent boulderers, 100 x 132 x 11cm
£289.99

  • Made In Britain

Blue Lagoon
Chalk Bag
Cordura® chalk bag with waist strap for sport, trad or bouldering
£27.99
1 x 30 g puck
ProBalm Puck
A 100% natural balm for repairing tired and damaged skin
£9.99
products/probalm-fodder.jpg
ProBalm Fodder
Moisturising skin creme to keep active skin hydrated
£9.99

Your next reads

7 Top Tips for Winter Climbing

Winter climbing can be a strange beast: hugely rewarding but equally hard work at the same time. Getting your systems right is the answer to moving...
January 27, 2021

Where to Climb in the Peak District

Whether you're inching your way up a featureless gritstone arête, jamming your way up a perfect crack line, or crimping your way up a limestone qua...
January 28, 2021

Cuillin Ridge Traverse: Ten Top Tips

The Cuillin Ridge Traverse on the Isle of Skye is one of the most sought after mountaineering challenges in Britain. With twelve kilometres of scra...
June 11, 2019

Ama Dablam | An Alpkit Long Read

Deciding to climb a peak in the Himalayas for the first time wasn’t quite a 2020 New Year’s resolution, but it was about as close as I normally com...
January 13, 2022
Waiting to climb in Yosemite

Waiting to climb in Yosemite

The weather is pretty tasty in Yosemite National Park right now, there is no way I am going to start complaining about clear blue skies and tempera...
September 10, 2008
FontaineFun

FontaineFun

Home again, every time I go somewhere amazing it seems like no time has passed and I’m back to school. Fontainebleau is one of those places where m...
March 17, 2011

Warming up for ROCfest

There is just over a week to go before Rock Over Climbing in Manchester put on their annual ROCfest bouldering event. I have not been before, but I...
January 23, 2013

Happy days climbing in the Dolomites

I’d always wanted to try Via Ferrata as a form of protected technical scrambling on a grand scale, and the Dolomites is the homeland of this activi...
October 09, 2015

Himalayan Adventures: Part 3

“Now we need to climb without backpacks!” I said, looking up. My feet were teetering by the tips of my crampons. The ice was bulletproof- alpinists...
December 19, 2018
Fitness Test at South Cerney

Fitness Test at South Cerney

Time to test the fitness – my first Olympic Distance race of the season (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run) was the South Cerney Classic organised by...
June 29, 2008
British Lead Climbing Championships 2011

British Lead Climbing Championships 2011

There is still so much to tell about a complete shake up of my routines having started studying at Leeds University, but here is a quick update on ...
October 20, 2011

Paul and Alison take on the Dam Wall

I am one of them team working here in Alpkit's UK factory making bike luggage, bouldering pads, duffles and more. I put my passion for the outdoors...
September 08, 2015

Climbing in Santa Luzia Walls

Thanks to our wonderful friends and Alpkiteers, Daniela and Paulo, who sent us this story of climbing in Santa Luzia Walls. It was the year.well, I...
November 24, 2022

Electric Blue

At the end of a summer centered around competing in the European Youth Cups I had one weekend booked since January that I was really looking forwar...
September 24, 2012

Gaining the margins

I can say with confidence that some winter climbs, the ones I went in deep, have fundamentally changed me as person. So recently, whilst climbing i...
November 20, 2014

Gipsy Anniversary

If you have to choose between climbing and writing, even if you like to share newly opened routes with the world. you always go climbing! .and so o...
July 12, 2018

Cogne Ice Climbing

This week I was called the “epitome of dedication”. I think they might be right. Kris and I have been training for a specific goal this winter, our...
January 23, 2012
Head in Gear

Head in Gear

It feels that finally I’ve got my head in gear to do stuff, despite not at the level I expected due to many factors. Still, I’m having loads of fun...
February 17, 2011
Cairngorm Lonelies

Cairngorm Lonelies

Before xmas I walked in to Corie an t’Sneachda to try and rope solo a route. It was raining and whiteout then and by the time I got to the base of ...
January 14, 2011

The Shining Mountain by Peter Boardman

What you are about to read is an exclusive extract from the book 'The Shining Mountain' by Peter Boardman. To see more books we love and books that...
February 09, 2021

Sheffield Schools Boulder

The Sheffield Schools bouldering competition is a fun, inclusive competition, offering the chance for a large number of school children to experien...
May 04, 2022
An inch but a Mile

An inch but a Mile

The European youth cups press on, two more rounds down and I am now ranked 4th. The 3rd and 4th European Cups have been a close affair but not clos...
July 26, 2012
Alpkit and the FigFour hit TAB

Alpkit and the FigFour hit TAB

Kenny and Pete have been away sunning themselves in L’Argentière la Bessée in the Pays des Ecrins region of France for this years Tout A Blocs boul...
August 04, 2009
On the road to nowhere... getting back to fitness

On the road to nowhere... getting back to fitness

I get asked a lot how to get fit or get better at climbing. Most of the time my answer is the same; unless you are prepared to start a specific tra...
February 06, 2012
Magic Woods Road trip

Magic Woods Road trip

Last month I went to Magic Woods with James Garden and Neil Amos. This bouldering mecca is located in Switzerland, close to Chur. Being amidst the ...
August 30, 2012

Mountaineering in Bolivia

The first time I set eyes on the snowy spine of the Andes was on a flight to Chile way back in 2003 and have wanted climb in them ever since. Fast-...
March 11, 2019
Summer in February!?

Summer in February!?

Blue skies and sunshine; it seemed too perfect. The first time out for ages and we were off to Beeston. Upon late arrival we quickly mounted the co...
March 05, 2008
In the Middle - Climbing in Ireland

In the Middle - Climbing in Ireland

This short video is a compilation of footage shot over the last few years. It showcases many first ascents and repeats of the hardest routes in the...
February 28, 2013
First Impression in Kandersteg

First Impression in Kandersteg

It’s proving a slow start with the climbing here at Kandersteg. To start with the conditions are not brilliant, but there’s stuff about to do. When...
January 28, 2011
The Red

The Red

Tones of red, yellow and green, glowing through the misty air of Kentucky, The Red is pretty. Red River Gorge only came into my radar in 2008 when ...
October 22, 2012
Climbing in Val di Mello - Italy

Climbing in Val di Mello - Italy

So the Monday after the BBC’s we were all packed up and off on the 21-hour journey to the well dreamt of Val di Mello. My Dad and Karl drove throug...
September 09, 2008
A short tale of adventures in Wales

A short tale of adventures in Wales

Easter break means one thing for climbers that pretend to be students, not overdue dissertation work not revision for fast approaching exams and de...
July 13, 2012

Red Bull Drytooling Event at the White Cliffs

This month, the Red Bull White Cliffs event took place on the Isle of Wight. It involved scaling 90metre highoverhanging chalk cliffs using axes an...
October 22, 2015

Rope Soloing The Old Man of Stoer

My favourite thing about climbing has always been the friendships, bonds and memories that form through extraordinary shared experiences. Climbing ...
October 12, 2023
Fontainebleau Dispatch

Fontainebleau Dispatch

We arrived at the gîte at three in the morning. The door was unlocked but Ken thought it best that we spent at least one night dirtbag style. Drivi...
February 28, 2010

Black Friday

I wake up to my alarm. It’s 4pm on Thursday afternoon and I’m in the middle of a string of nightshifts. I quite literally roll out of bed, put some...
December 06, 2017
The Perfect Combination

The Perfect Combination

The British weather has been typically grim recently; this is beautifully demonstrated by the heavy shower outside my window right now. However...
May 29, 2008
Training for the World Cup

Training for the World Cup

I’ve been out in the Alps now for 5 weeks and the time is flying past so quickly. We are currently at Bremgarten near Zurich getting some training ...
July 21, 2008

Erb's Palsy Group Go Climbing

Last year, we supported Erb’s Palsy Group’s (EPG) climbing and caving experience day for children with Erb’s Palsy by giving them funding for instr...
September 17, 2018
Scottish Indoor Dry Tooling Competition

Scottish Indoor Dry Tooling Competition

Saturday 9th saw the opening round of the 2010 Scottish Tooling Series get underway and we were lucky enough to get Pete Rhodes kindly donning a Al...
October 12, 2010

The Mountain Path by Paul Pritchard

You're reading an extract from 'The Mountain Path' by Paul Pritchard. Available to pre-order here. "Eggshell ice. That’s what climbers call the br...
September 20, 2021

Salbit Westgrat - Alpine Training at its Best

Salbischjen, a very pointy 2900m granite mountain situated near Andermatt in the Swiss Alps. I’m not sure when I first heard about the climbing th...
October 19, 2018
Leading Ladder Final 2012

Leading Ladder Final 2012

The leading ladder final, held in Redding yesterday had a small but strong turn out of team Crush members. Flo and Billy were both in category C un...
April 15, 2012

Return to Paradise Post Injury

This is a Daring Deed written by Alpkiteers Daniela Teixeira and Paulo Roxo. Whatever hits us hard in life, it always takes longer to solve than wh...
October 05, 2022

Uskedalen icefall climbing calling

Most people don’t know that I’m a secret Scandinavian*. I’ve never been particularly inspired by the arid scrub of hot countries, drawn instead to ...
October 26, 2016
BMC Coaching Day

BMC Coaching Day

I was lucky enough to have my name put forward for the BMC National Academy training days. I went to the first training day at The Edge at Sheffiel...
October 20, 2011

Steel Koan M13+

The big adventure in our trip didn't materialise. Helmcken Falls was as black as the devil's soul, and no ice to be climbed or challenge to scare o...
February 27, 2015
Alpine Adventure

Alpine Adventure

The adventure in the Alps with Alpkit was an amazing experience. I got the chance to try many new things in a relatively small period of time. Thus...
February 05, 2009

Jollies in the Dollies

The plan was simple, get the ice climbing mileage in time for smashing out the late season Ben Nevis ice routes. We couldn’t decide on where to go,...
February 24, 2017
Euro rock trip

Euro rock trip

My bags are packed to bursting, have I got everything? 2 days have passed since the weight of A levels was lifted mercifully from my shoulders. The...
June 29, 2011

The 'Unrepeatable' | Ice Climbing in the Serra da Estrela

Story written by our Alpkiteers Daniela Teixeira and Paulo Roxo Unlike last year, this year we do have winter in Serra da Estrela. The East Face of...
January 26, 2021

Ghosts

With time, with all the climbs, the walks, we end up merging with the mountain itself, we became part of the various granite walls that rise before...
September 20, 2021

Getting back into the swing of things

I have found, as I am sure that many do, that a new phase in life can leave one a little unsure of how things will pan out. Having had complication...
February 28, 2013
Team on crushing form

Team on crushing form

It’s been a busy two weekends for Team Crush, with two boulder comps and the British team trials. It began with the Alpkit bouldering league, Round...
December 15, 2011

Monday is Climbing Day

Monday is my one definite day a week to climb. Sure, I sometimes may be able to get a sneaky bit of extra baby sitting in one evening or even bring...
August 16, 2013

Against The Ebbing Tide

As climbers dwelling on British sea cliffs, we are all well acquainted with the ebbs and flows of the tides. The comings and going of bodies of wat...
August 21, 2018

Senja Frozen Wonderland

I went to Senja by accident really, but being far from on top form, the idea of going somewhere new and adventurous sounded just right. After a bit...
March 04, 2019
ICE Fest - 2009 Ice cliimbing festival

ICE Fest - 2009 Ice cliimbing festival

This trip was a true team bonding experience, while also giving my Supersofts a chance to come out of retirement for another shot at the big league...
January 16, 2009

Summer of Trad Climbing

Ramon, long-standing Alpkiteer and friend of Alpkit, got in touch to tell us about his summer of trad climbing, looking back on our revisiting of t...
November 04, 2022

What Motivates Me To Climb | Part 1

Introducing one of our Alpkiteers, Kumbi Kariwo. She doesn't climb to be the best. She climbs to be her best. Here's how her journey started, what ...
January 04, 2023
The big soaking

The big soaking

Returning home last Sunday, I was determined to go back to Antsey's Cove really soon. Feeling that I'm going well, I knew if Cider Soak was going t...
May 08, 2013
Searching for ice on the Ben

Searching for ice on the Ben

So on Thursday evening me and the Captain (Alex Dalton) set off to beautiful rainy and warm Scotland for a smudging of ice climbing. Problem i...
February 09, 2011
Back to Trad

Back to Trad

When you grow up in the British climbing world you hear a lot about the traditional climbing. The desire to go out and climb great clean lines is b...
May 22, 2012
La Fiaccolata

La Fiaccolata

T’was the last Sunday before Christmas. The moon was full and inviting, some nocturnal activity was on the cards and there I was ready to get after...
December 24, 2007
Stanage in Spring

Stanage in Spring

And then. we went in the car to stanage i knew what i was to do and then we walked up to the crag with the smell of sheep in our noses ...
May 18, 2005
The training starts here

The training starts here

It was something like 18 years ago when I was first drawn into the giddy world of climbing. Early trips to the Peak District with Andy Simpson and ...
June 03, 2009

The Tarn Gorge - Ardeche Adventures

The Tarn gorge The lesser known sister of the Ardeche and rising from the same mountains, the Tarn cuts a 500m deep gorge into the limestone of sou...
June 16, 2015

The Red Gold

Red River Gorge is know for its richness in oil, single pumps dotted around sucking out the black gold. But there's other gold to be found in this ...
April 27, 2017
Climbing at Antseys Cove

Climbing at Antseys Cove

A week with the family in Devon to see our old neighbours was a beautiful trip, amazing food, amazing old friends, amazing family time and a small ...
May 11, 2012

Seven Climbs - Finding the Finest Climb on Each Continent by Charles Sherwood

This is an extract from the book 'Seven Climbs - Finding the Finest Climb on Each Continent' by Charles Sherwood. Available on Vertebrate Publishin...
July 14, 2020
Greenland - a dirtbag expedition

Greenland - a dirtbag expedition

“we just want to go and climb big and make a statement for the everyday dirtbag climber” Fed up with reading the same old stories of the procl...
April 14, 2011
Wakhan Dream

Wakhan Dream

Alan Halewood - freelance Mountaineering Instructor (MIC) won a PipeDream 800 sleeping bag in our Sweet Dreams competition last year. His dream was...
October 04, 2010

Craic and Cracks: part two

There are so many things to love about Canada. It is a progressive, forward-thinking country both socially and politically, it has true wilderness ...
June 12, 2017

Sport to Drytool

I have just returned from my latest adventure: three weeks enjoying island life on Malta, whilst doing a placement in the Accident and Emergency de...
November 06, 2015

Structured chaos - The unusual life of a climber by Victor Saunders

What you are about to read is an exclusive extract from the book 'Structured Chaos' by Victor Saunders. To see more books we love and books that ca...
February 02, 2021

The Rise of Erin

The poem When Erin First Rose is a beautiful homage to Ireland by the famed poet William Drennan. In Drennan's words, Ireland is the Emerald of Eur...
July 28, 2017

My Piano

This last couple of weekends Nesscliffe, the secluded Shropshire sandstone crag, has seen a whirlwind of action by Britain’s best trad climbers. Ja...
October 17, 2017
No Fondue!

No Fondue!

After the initial flip upside down he kept falling. W.t.f.? Am I actually holding the ropes? I remember trying to take in slack to stop his headfir...
March 03, 2011

Tea and tooling

Saturday morning 7 AM. The world was silent, the nation slept soundly in their warm beds, all that is apart from a small group of climbers awaking ...
November 13, 2014
Alps 4000ers - weeks 1 and 2

Alps 4000ers - weeks 1 and 2

Introducing Anna Wells. We love the Alps and for Anna Wells it will be true Alpine Dreamin' at its best as she heads out this summer on a quest t...
June 17, 2013
Social Ice Climbing

Social Ice Climbing

When I casually mentioned to friends and family that Alpkit were taking me to the Ice Festival in January and that it would involve a bivvy at arou...
January 19, 2009
A summer in the Alps

A summer in the Alps

This was started with the Tout a Bloc climbing fest, a fest that was amazing not just for the competitor but for the spectator as well, with so man...
August 26, 2008

Easter Down Under

The view as I walk up flat rock is different to any I have seen before, an unbroken expanse of flat wasteland all the way to the horizon, broken on...
August 30, 2017

Ant and The Whale

Dom Bush has been making films for us over the last 4 or more years and what links many of these films is that they are not showy, if anything verg...
November 17, 2018
Back to MelloBlocco

Back to MelloBlocco

We arrived Friday afternoon and hiked over to the car hire booth. I hadn’t even had the chance to stutter a word of Italian before our Panda was up...
May 13, 2009

Euro Training Camp

I've never spent a single Christmas in the UK, it's always a good chance to either get some winter sun in Spain or some early ice or skiing in the ...
January 09, 2015

Himalayan Adventures: Shan-Ri - Part 1

Himalayas 2018 In the last 10 years our Himalayan adventures have been based on mountains off the beaten path, normally virgin peaks or unexplored ...
December 06, 2018

Bouldering in Brione

One of the most peaceful and beautiful places I have ever visited. Ticino, a region of Switzerland, is an area of outstanding natural beauty with b...
May 30, 2019

Hard graft & blunt picks

Up until now, Scottish winter climbing has always been an spectator sport for me. Something you watch in social media from the comfort of your home...
March 01, 2016

Competition season (so far!!)

This year, the Scottish tooling series was scaled up to a national level with five events spanning the country between the beacon climbing centre i...
January 12, 2015
Driving to the Mountains

Driving to the Mountains

Moggy at the cattery, CHECK. Fridge defrosted, CHECK. Passport in top pocket, CHECK. Car full of ‘essential’ gear, CHECK. August is holiday time fo...
August 05, 2008
Tomahawk M10+

Tomahawk M10+

You’ve gotta love climbing. And you gotta love Switzerland. Climbing takes you to stunning places that otherwise you wouldn’t know or even bother. ...
March 03, 2011

First trip to Albarracin

I was pleasantly surprised on my first trip to Albarracin. We were there for a total of 10 days. In those 10 days, only one day provided us with a ...
January 28, 2015

The Climb

As I pulled onto my first rock climb in three months, I felt a surge of energy and happiness as my body rediscovered the joy and simplicity of movi...
October 08, 2020
Looking up and Mixing it up

Looking up and Mixing it up

It took a while to recover from the 3 pitch lead “Rise and Shine”, and not being able to finish the route left a sour after-taste. Trying to find w...
February 01, 2011
Cold Summits- Denali Exped 2012

Cold Summits- Denali Exped 2012

So what happens when climbers with varying skills and ages get together on Denali for 4 weeks? Team work and support will undoubtedly come to the f...
April 16, 2012
Climbers Against Cancer at MelloBlocco

Climbers Against Cancer at MelloBlocco

MelloBlocco is Europe's biggest, bestest, friendliest and most essentialist bouldering festival and it has already started! Kenny is heading back...
April 26, 2013

WCS 2015

We were delighted to support the Women's Climbing Symposium back in October 2015. The aims of the symposium are to connect, inspire and develop wom...
February 03, 2016

Sheffield Schools' Bouldering 2017

Friday 31st March was the day for our annual Sheffield Schools' Bouldering Competition at The Mini Works in Sheffield, organised by Links School Sp...
April 06, 2017

Climbing With The Pivot Academy

Climbing can be a great escape. Heading down to the local wall with a group of friends, followed by a swift pint at the pub is a regular occurance ...
June 08, 2018

Endeavour for Empowerment

Have you ever arrived at the foot of a route, looked up at the rock face above you and - gulping back fear - doubted that you’d ever make it to the...
August 09, 2017

Developing through climbing

Getting through school and developing the skills needed to succeed and develop life skills can be hard enough as it is, but with special needs it c...
July 12, 2019
Travelling Monks - Kalymnos

Travelling Monks - Kalymnos

This must be paradise. We had even travelled through purgatory with a cramped flight next to the toilet queue and a cold night on the beach chairs ...
November 10, 2005
A Monks Life

A Monks Life

To support our small article on the British Youth Climbing Team we invited Alan and Beth Monks to tell us what life in the team is like for a fathe...
November 28, 2005
Competition climbing in the UK

Competition climbing in the UK

With Beth placing highly in international competition we take a peek behind the scenes of the British Junior Climbing Team to see what’s going down...
August 01, 2005
Mello Blocco Air and Energy

Mello Blocco Air and Energy

Hmm, my first impressions on seeing the valley. Well, since I had never been to a large mountain range before, the excitement of seeing such an ove...
May 30, 2006
Beth in Beijing

Beth in Beijing

If you hear a group of climbers discussing Great Wall, you assume they will be talking about that classic rock climb on Cloggy scene of many an epi...
September 08, 2005
Winter Wonderland: The Rob and Ramon Show

Winter Wonderland: The Rob and Ramon Show

Winter has arrived early in Britain this year, and with a vengeance. A lot of people have been able to get out and climb early season routes, but f...
January 06, 2011
The Alpkit Bouldering League 07/08

The Alpkit Bouldering League 07/08

Well the Alpkit Bouldering League has come to an end for another year and we’ve been more than happy to give some support again. Thanks to Derek an...
February 12, 2008

BMC Youth Squad and National Schools Climbing Comp

Alpkit Foundation support ensured young GB climbers could fulfull their dreams of performing on the worls stage. - Zoe Spriggins, BMC Competitions ...
October 11, 2019
Fingers against Pessimism

Fingers against Pessimism

Last sunday was a fingers up against pessimism day. I was desperate to go climbing this weekend. The weather report on Friday made Saturday look li...
October 08, 2008
Travelling Monks - Arco

Travelling Monks - Arco

The rock climbing in Arco is similar in that you can; boulder, attempt short sport routes of every angle and style, “Trad” climb on long routes or ...
August 20, 2005

Majorca DWS trip

Well with summer coming to an end and not getting much sun it was a time for a trip away, the plan was a deep water soloing trip to Majorca for 7 d...
October 07, 2009
ICE 2010 - Testing Times

ICE 2010 - Testing Times

Less than a month to go till I will be lining up with 135 miles of the bitterly cold Arrowhead Trail ahead of me, i have spent hour after hour traw...
January 14, 2010
37 degrees and 53 problems

37 degrees and 53 problems

“53 problems?! You have got to be kidding me! I don’t usually move at 37 degrees let alone climb!” So, there we were in sunny Ailfroide for Tout a ...
August 01, 2007
Albarracin bouldering and ash clouds

Albarracin bouldering and ash clouds

Albarracin is situated in Spain between Valencia and Zaragoza and offers an excellent bouldering venue. Grades are definitely holiday grades so a g...
May 14, 2010
Alpine Dreaming in Imst with the British Team

Alpine Dreaming in Imst with the British Team

Why didn’t I hold it? I felt my fingers over the top hold, then the sensation of air rushing past at speed, as I spun downwards. This put me in...
June 23, 2005
El Chorro

El Chorro

If you have never been or never even heard of El Chorro then this is definitely a venue worth checking out! It’s set in the south of Spain around 7...
April 29, 2009
Ice ice baby

Ice ice baby

Well the annual Ice fest was on in L’Argentière la Bessée in the Ecrin. After last year’s antics I was keen to attempt to get down a ski slope main...
March 22, 2008
Alps Massif Ice climbing trip

Alps Massif Ice climbing trip

Well this was to be one of the most action packed weekend I’ve had without falling off or injuring myself. Despite having a 20 hour drive at the st...
February 06, 2009
Fontainebleau Coaching Week

Fontainebleau Coaching Week

So the annual trip to the bouldering Mecca Font has happened once again, on February 19th 12 young climbers and 8 Jurassics (older than young) hit ...
March 07, 2011
Bouldering Team Crush at Font

Bouldering Team Crush at Font

Becki Hall, Hannah Beresford, Gracie Martin, Luke Tilley, Edd Mowbray, Billy Rydal and Tom Bonnert were part of the team that accompanied me on my ...
March 01, 2010
Alpkit team at the Ice Climbing World Cup

Alpkit team at the Ice Climbing World Cup

Ice climbing competitions are a funny thing, a whole lot of people get together to test against each other, but they all do it for different reason...
January 27, 2011
Ignoring the bank holiday forecast

Ignoring the bank holiday forecast

If the forecast was to be believed we would have been better staying at home doing DIY, however it had been a busy week and we just needed some out...
May 07, 2008
Where to climb in Kalymnos - a climbers paradise

Where to climb in Kalymnos - a climbers paradise

I took advantage of a week off school by jetting off to sunny and extremely hot (around 30 degrees feels extremely hot when you live in England) Ka...
June 24, 2008
Youth Climbing Series 2012

Youth Climbing Series 2012

It’s another year, and another series of the Youth Climbing Series, more commonly known as the BRYCS. It’s an awesome competition that gets the up ...
March 06, 2012

8a with no spurs

Hardly a month goes by before hearing that some super-wad has climbed yet another 9a+ route. Young guns nowadays have it quite hard to make a name ...
November 08, 2011
The "Goods" bootcamp

The "Goods" bootcamp

Winter has finally arrived, time to dust off the ice axes. I have to admit I’ve been putting it off as much as I could, the summer has been way too...
December 29, 2011
Ice 2010 in Pictures

Ice 2010 in Pictures

We travelled out to the ICE climbing festival in France with mountain biker Paul Errington so that he could train for the Arrowhead mountain b...
January 21, 2010

Lip Project

A few days later we were driving again in the dense Welsh rain. Are we going climbing, really? Yes, drytooling will sort you out in the grimmest da...
January 05, 2012
Factory Diary Week 1

Factory Diary Week 1

Exciting news from the AlpFactory; this week we finally, actually, properly start production (albeit tentatively - baby steps)! On Friday we finish...
January 18, 2012
New trad route in Oeschinensee, Kandersteg

New trad route in Oeschinensee, Kandersteg

On Monday we went up to have another look at the unclimbed line we spotted after our retreat from “Buch Dich”. The good thing about the line is tha...
February 08, 2011
Troll Wall - A (very) short story

Troll Wall - A (very) short story

My hope by finally writing this up is there is a little catharsis for me once it’s finished. Never have I been more disappointed in my life than b...
March 17, 2011
Training with Shauna Coxsey and James Garden

Training with Shauna Coxsey and James Garden

In the last two weeks we have been honoured to have been coached by two inspiringly strong people: James Garden and Shauna Coxsey. I unfortunately ...
May 16, 2012
Sport climbing in Ceuse

Sport climbing in Ceuse

A camp above the white cliffs, mayhem through Paris, a night in the hammock and we are finally settled in with the Rig 7 tarpaulin set up with the ...
July 08, 2011
Team Sky Ropes

Team Sky Ropes

A crack team from Alpkit GHQ headed to Thornbridge Outdoors in order to see what they could throw at them. The Big Shakeout weekend is all set to ...
August 30, 2011

Push the Button

Two weeks playing on rock, warmed by the Spanish sunshine, was the reset button I needed to start getting motivated again for the rock season. In t...
March 11, 2014
BRYCS round 3

BRYCS round 3

A few months ago, the parent representative for the British climbing team, John Ellison, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was a shock to all ...
April 30, 2012
Classic week on the Ben

Classic week on the Ben

I am just parked up in the Lidl car park in Fort William in the camper having just cooked up a nice wee chilli and even had a shower! I have a bit ...
February 19, 2013

Deep s*** soloing and a windy whip

The last month or so has been a bit sensitive in our house. We mused at the beginning of the year that we were all going to get really strong or re...
December 11, 2012
Fairhead and more

Fairhead and more

Well, where do I start! It has been a busy month. It started with Mountaineering Ireland’s Fair Head Climbing meet. I started organising this 3 yea...
July 05, 2012

Altai Expedition

"Do you want to come climbing in Russia? There's this range called the Altai, it's near the border in the South somewhere. I think it’s a bit like ...
January 08, 2013
MIC training at the Brenin

MIC training at the Brenin

It has been a pretty unsuccessful winter for many, but lucky for me mine has been very productive! I managed to get my Winter Mountain Leader finis...
March 20, 2012

Three 8's

My plan is to climb all three in one year. Back in April I spent two weeks in Kalymnos knowing this would be a good time to kick start the challeng...
June 07, 2013

0Hiro vs Scottish Winter

After more than his fair share of faffing with his sandwiches, jackets, gloves and ice axes, the fourth member of our party, the driver, finally ca...
February 25, 2015
CWIF 2012

CWIF 2012

The Climbing Works International Festival, CWIF has a big reputation for a UK competition, world class route setters at one of the biggest boulderi...
March 19, 2012

Italy- Dolomites

Back in September Dan and I headed to the Dolomites. The plan was to do some alpine classic rock, enjoy the mountains, look for new lines, maybe ...
November 06, 2013

Wirksworth Winter Bouldering Aggregate

The winter bouldering season is drawing to a close and one hopes that all those hard earned points were worth it. If not for the scraps between poi...
February 27, 2014
Juniors at Font

Juniors at Font

A couple of weeks ago a few members of the junior climbing team made it out to Font. The team experienced sun, snow, rain and sub zero temperatures...
March 03, 2010

First time to Hueco limbing in the US

The climbing in Hueco seemed to suite me quite well and the endless dry weather out there means you can formulate a plan of what you want to do in ...
March 03, 2014

Wake up, Rack up, Man up

As if I needed reminding, that's what I read on Justin's van, written on the plywood panel, whilst sipping my cup of tea. Wake up. Rack up. Man up....
July 01, 2014
Bouldering in the Tropics

Bouldering in the Tropics

The idea of bouldering on sun kissed beaches surrounded by a tropical paradise might be every climbers dream but give me a grit crag any day. My fi...
November 13, 2012
Kelsey Kerridge Reunited

Kelsey Kerridge Reunited

We were a pretty close bunch of climbers and we liked to get our climbing fix on a regular basis. The Kelsey Kerridge wall in Cambridge was our hom...
January 30, 2011
Leeds!

Leeds!

Wow hit in the face by University, international competition seems a doddle in comparison! I have begun a new challenging period; with a base in Le...
January 03, 2012

A Tangent Tale from Tested Tips in October

It is Grit stone and board sessions that are leaving me bruised at the moment, it is the tips that are taking the biggest battering. After a fun we...
December 24, 2012

Competition Time!

For me, the beginning of a new academic year always feels like an extra January 1st, halfway through the year, where I can make a whole new set of ...
October 20, 2014
The Nuts and Bolts

The Nuts and Bolts

The sport has kicked off surprisingly well, still running on arms of capacity. No training; just been climbing recently and had some pretty good da...
April 30, 2012

Ice World Cup

Indoor dry tooling is really quite a strange sport when you think about it! Any time I've attempted to explain it to a friend, I have stumbled over...
February 13, 2014

A Peruvian Adventure

'Hi Alpkit, My self and two of my friends have just returned from a successful trip from Peru where we managed to summit the mountain of Alpamayo. ...
July 27, 2017

Ice climbing, head spanners, chamois and Cogne

Ice Fest 2019 Every year a friend of mine, Dave Pegler, organises Ice Fest - a non-guided trip that includes accommodation, excellent food, wine an...
February 25, 2019

Bouldering at Fairhead

When it comes to climbing over in Northern Ireland, chances are you'll have Fairhead on your 'wish list'. At 5km in length and over 100m of vertica...
February 19, 2019

Sensory Overload

Travelling the UK for about six weeks sampling the wide range of trad climbing and enjoying it all from the comfort of a van. Only a days drive fro...
June 17, 2015

The Ascent of Nanda Devi

Posted for Vertebrate Publishing - to mark the re-release of H.W. Tilman titles H. W. ‘Bill’ Tilman was one of the greatest adventurers of his time...
December 07, 2016

Driving and bouldering

A hell of a lot of driving and climbing. Up to Rieff on the North West Coast of Scotland, then back to near Fort William and a second ascent of a D...
May 21, 2014

Eden

A little over three years ago I finished a film (or a trilogy of short films) about climbing in the Lake District. Although not my first climbing f...
September 29, 2015

Exams are over

Finishing my final exams for medicine last month was a fantastic moment for me, marking the end of a challenging summer and the re-awakening of a s...
October 21, 2015

Muzkol: Tajikistan 2015 Expedition

Muzkol 2015 Expedition – Tajikistan In 1940, a Soviet military officer visited the Muzkol range’s AkBaikal valley, gazed up at the five peaks of th...
October 12, 2015

So summer, so good

So I went over and led the thing, no big fuss. I moved efficiently despite being a tad nervous. I took my time, no need to rush, I savoured the gor...
August 20, 2014

Five thousand metres of vertical joy

At some point during each of my trips to the alps I have always found myself drawn to the Saastal valley. In contrast to the hussel and bussel of C...
August 22, 2018
M12 Mixed climbing

M12 Mixed climbing

Virtually no low level snow has made a couple of trips up to the Breitwangflu easier than normal partly because no skis are needed and partly becau...
February 17, 2011

Scottish Winter and a bit of tooling!

I thought it was time I wrote something about the climbing I have done outside, because so far I have only spoken about competitions! The past coup...
February 16, 2015

Photo perfect

Sometimes it's okay to feel not okay, I think. Photos are an easy way to make life look always perfect. Since beginning this adventure I have had s...
August 17, 2018

Slate, sunburn and snacks

There’s a lot of pressure sometimes to do epic stuff every time you get a few days off work, but you don’t have to fly or cycle or run across the w...
July 26, 2018

Serra da Estrela - Our Backyard

Star Mountain “Serra da Estrela”literally translatesto “Star Mountain”, and is the highest mountain of continental Portugal. This beautifulgranite ...
February 27, 2019

White Goods 2013

As hundreds of outdoor folk flooded to Kendal for this years film festival an especially picky bunch of climbers opted for the alternative attracti...
November 18, 2013

Scratch & Win

The parting line in my last blog was that my elbow injury seemed to be on the mend. Well, since then I acquired another elbow injury on the other a...
January 29, 2019

Visions of Climbing

Back at the Big Shakeout 2018 Scavenger had their pedal powered sewing machine, The BiSewcle’, rigged up and passing volunteers all added their eff...
December 19, 2019

A bloody long way North

A bloody long way North Driving from the South of Norway to the North of Norway is like driving from the south of Norway to Italy, it’s a bloody lo...
August 05, 2019

Third Time Lucky: Soloing the Aiguille de Moine

Soloing Aiguille de Moine Earlier this year I decided to solo a peak called “Aiguille de Moine” which sits at 3412m within the Mont Blanc Massif.It...
December 18, 2018

Ridges through the Sky

There is something truly magical about being up high in the mountains, following the line joining the highest points with the ground dropping away ...
March 02, 2018

Five Ben Nevis Ridges in a Day

Ben Nevis is well known as the highest point in the UK and is highly revered among climbers due to the limitless potential of winter and summer obj...
June 13, 2019

Cragweek

It's the question that all of us dread: 'so have you been getting out much?' In fact, not all climbers dread this question, just the ones who feel ...
July 13, 2017

Taking on the Three Peaks Challenge

3064m and 37km with over 10 hours sitting on a bus and a great big dose of sleep deprivation, it really is a big day out!
July 13, 2022

5 days, 5 climbs by Daniela and Paulo Teixeira

In this Covid-no expedition year, we were eager to have some days not thinking about anything else than. to climb. It is restriction time here in P...
November 20, 2020

Winter climbs

If you believe that the most ephemeral things are precious, then winter snow in Serra da Estrela is one of the most valuable things on the planet! ...
December 14, 2020

Himalayan Adventures: Shan-Ri - Part 2

If you've not read part 1 yet, catch up here. Base camp at 4400m Two days resting at base camp (4400m) and: “Here we go!” Since we left a big pa...
December 13, 2018

Winter 8000 - Climbing the world’s highest mountains in the coldest season by Bernadette McDonald

Read an exclusive extract from the book 'Winter 8000, Climbing the world's highest mountains in the coldest season' by Bernadette McDonald.
August 06, 2020

10 Things To Replace A Chamonix Climbing Season: Anna Wells In Lockdown

Like so many other people around the world, the Covid-19 outbreak has had a huge impact on our lives. After a brilliant winter season in Chamonix, ...
April 09, 2020

Winter ridge climbing in Glenshiel

As I eagerly assembled my kit the night before our adventure, I realised that I was packing very similar things to a day of "fast and light alpinis...
January 18, 2021

The First Ascent without Supplementary Oxygen

What you are about to read is an exclusive extract from the book "Kangchenjunga" by Doug Scott, which can be purchased here from the Vertebrate Pub...
May 24, 2021

Winter climbing in Portugal - Part 1

250m of ice climbing in Portugal. “Wait a minute! Did I read Portugal?!” It’s March, I’m sitting here still hopeful winter will return. Hope is nor...
May 18, 2021

Everest the Cruel Way - Joe Tasker

What you are about to read is an exclusive extract from the book 'Everest the Cruel Way' by Victor Saunders. To see more books we love and books th...
March 09, 2021

Eagle Crag Rescue

With our celebration of Mountain Rescue Teams we highlight some of the recent incidents our local-to-store MR teams have attended recently, to get ...
May 21, 2021

Chasing Ice

Ramon's an Alpkiteer and old friend of Alpkit. He took the campervan on a trip this Christmas, and told us all about his trip. Christmas is a time ...
February 03, 2023

Scrambling to a New Summit

Alpkiteer and co-founder of Every Body Outdoors, Steph, recently summited Tryfan - her first scramble. Here's her story. Tryfan was not a challenge...
November 07, 2022

The Grit List - An ode to friction

The changing of the season has me rubbing my hands together in anticipation for the return of perfect gritstone conditions (it’s not just to keep m...
October 22, 2024

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

=