I have just linked up with E-Climb and look forward to using the awesome looking products from this innovative company.

E-Climb products are available on-line and are already well recognised in Europe.  Their products however are perfectly suited to the UK and Scottish winter market.  As well as a selection of ice axes and ice screws they also make some great looking, and very Scottish, protection.  The ‘Icepider’ resembles other hammer in hooks we see on many a Scottish mixed rack but is really well thought out with and extended clipping point and retrieval eye that can be ‘stein pulled’ out with the tool.

Another example is the ‘Klauo’ ice screw, a super short screw with an extended anchor point.  The screws all have replaceable tips as well which is a great idea and will be welcome as bottoming out screws is a fairly regular issue on the ice we tend to climb over here…

The re-usable ripper quick draw also looks cool and is one of the many innovative ideas they have included in their product range.

Thanks to E-Climb for the great set of equipment they have sent me through.

As well as screws they have sent me some Cryo M and P axes, great as a working axe and for all aspects of winter climbing and Alpinism, and some Cryo Pro axes, the most technical tool in their range and aimed at high end ice and dry-tooling.  The Cryo Pro will be great for steeper UK mixed climbing and a small hammer can be added to protect the tools for hammering in gear.

My first impressions having had 2 days working with the Cryo M and P axes is of the absolute quality of these axes, the build is perfection!  They felt amazing on both ice and mixed, well weighted and balanced and the finish and look definitely catches the eye, I can honestly say these are the nicest tools of their category I’ve used.

Looking forward now to trying the Cryo Pro’s, I am certain these will be top performers on steeper mixed routes.  Another notable thing about the kit is how easily adjusted everything is, all the parts can be easily replaced or changed for different types of climbing.

E-Climb offer great value for awesome kit, have a look at their site here –   http://www.e-climb.net/es/

Yesterday I was back into Coire an t-Sneachda with Ivan on the 2nd day of his ‘Intro to Winter Climbing’ course.  Having climbed a mixed route on Saturday we were keen to try and include some ice on Sunday.  We headed for the Mirror Direct IV / 4** which was in great condition.  The ice was good and gave us a chance to look at ice technique and protection.  Ivan also explored his technical limit on the steep ice!

We headed up and climbed one of the variation finishes on the buttress at the top of Aladdins Couloir at about III / 4 which gave a great finish and a bit more mixed climbing.  The day was much better than forecast and was actually really nice most of the day though the wind did go wild in the afternoon with fairly full on gusts, one flattening us both on the plateau.  It felt as though it was still freezing at the crag for most of the day however this seems set to change with the incoming weather….  A brief rise in temperatures on Saturday night stripped some of the lower rock but will have helped the pockets of slab that were present consolidate a bit.

Thanks to Ivan for another great course and welcoming the full Scottish experience!

Steve Ashworth made a short video of Wasdale Screes ice climbing yesterday.

Follow the link –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMzQrDI_M24

Lots of good ice forming on Beinn Udlaidh.  Various routes in condition and others coming in.  Few others out today on Quartzvein Scoop and Green Eyes.  There was a reasonable amount of fresh powder blown about and some of the exits on the main crag had a bit of build up and a small cornice, not too much of a problem though.

Today we were looking to climb another ‘Cold Climbs’ route and so headed to Quartzvein Scoop IV / 4***. There was a fair bit of snow covering the ice but underneath there was some good ice, a little hollow in places but all good.  After this we dropped down to the single pitch routes on the lower tier and climbed a short steep route down there which gave a great little pitch and a bit steeper than what we have been on the last few days.

Its always great to climb the classic winter climbs of the UK and ‘Cold Climbs’ gives some great background info and history associated with a selection of routes and in looking to climb many of the listed routes you’ll be taken off the beaten track.

‘Cold Climbs’ –   http://www.bmcshop.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=5427