Thorpe Cloud winter solstice #microadventure

Thorpe Cloud winter solstice #microadventure

Alistair Humphreys first gave me the idea of a winter solstice #microadventure (check out his Lap of the M25). The idea is simple: grab a sleeping bag, bivvy bag and a mate, and sleep out on a local hill on 21 December.

The winter solstice holds no real significance to me, other than being the shortest day of the year with the longest night. It’s also an excuse for a bit of manly fun before Christmas.

The forecast seemed to suggest that the solstice itself would be rather wet, so we delayed to 22nd and headed to the nearest prominent hill we could think of – Thorpe Cloud, just outside Ashbourne in West Derbyshire.

Mark, my friend from church, came with me, and had suggested Thorpe Cloud. I’d wanted to do a winter solstice #microadventure for a few years, so with a willing partner, the game was on!

The logistics were simple: sleeping bag, thermarest, bivvy bag, stove, a few layers and a rucksack to carry it all.

We set off from Derby just after 8:00pm, and were soon parking up – maximum 25 minutes after leaving town.

We took in the traverse of Thorpe Cloud itself (a mere 285m or so), the limestone slopes of which were very muddy and greasy, and then found the bivvy spot soon after.

It was a lovely, cold, clear night and ice crystals were soon forming on all exposed surfaces. Sadly it clouded over before dawn, with the front of Storm Barbara coming in, so we missed out on a dawn photo shoot.

This #microadventure was no different to any of my other trips, prompting plenty of thoughts.

Fresh memories

I was vividly reminded of my last Christmas outing in 2009, when I slogged up Great Gable (899m) on Christmas Eve in deep powder with my brother. We were greeted by amazing views and I remember just standing in silent wonder.

It made me appreciate the time I had taken to document and write down my experiences in words and pictures. Until a few days ago, I had not looked over this blog for years.

I was struck by the importance of making and recording good memories to enjoy adventures and the company I have been in for many years to come.

Real company

It was a pleasure to spend a few hours with a friend, enjoying the landscape, fresh air and experience itself.

Too often when we are closeted in the office, car or indoors we miss the opportunity to be real with each other and talk.

It was refreshing to strip away the comforts of modern living for a little while, make fire and experience the elements as they really are.

Field notes

I’ve purposely not pinpointed our bivvy site to reduce impact on the environment. Please be aware that as a wild camper, you have no legal rights in England and Wales. Check out this UK Hillwalking article for further advice.

I used the following kit (excluding discontinued items):

• Rab Andes 800 – 4 season down sleeping bag. Warm, packable and not too heavy
• Therm-a-Rest ProLite – go-to, do-it-all insulated mattress
• Rab Storm bivi bag – a simple, robust bivvy bag that can get you started. Look out for seconds on UKClimbing.com
• MSR EGK-EX stove – sounds like a jet engine, but is an extremely reliable multifuel stove. Not the lightest with fuel bottle and pan added in
• Black Diamond Icon headtorch – solid mountaineering headtorch. Winter glove friendly and has a button lock
• Scarpa SL boots – classic leather 4 season boot which has gone through many iterations. Crampon compatible. A bit heavy, but a workhorse
• Montane Flux Jacket – solid but lightweight synthetic insulation, with lots of pockets and a good hood
• Rab Baseline Jacket – a decent alternative to the classic Patagonia R1 hoodie

Scotland Winter Mountaineering & Skills Courses

It’s been a while since I last posted – I have spent the last two months in North Africa investigating a potential move of home and family.

However, I am proud to announce that I am now part of a mountaineering company, The Mountain People, and will be helping out on two courses in February 2013.

If you are looking for either a beginner’s Scotland winter skills course or a more advanced winter mountaineering course, then you might consider what we have to offer.

Whilst there are many courses and outfits that offer variations on the skills and mountaineering theme, we invite you to into a tight-knit community of like-minded people – friends and families – who are passionate about the outdoors. Our courses are not just about what you do in a week, but the shared journey with others, which forms and shapes us.

Have a read through the brochures and see if you agree:

Scotland Introduction to Winter Skills page

Click to download brochure

 

Scotland Winter Mountaineering page

Click to download brochure

Exploring the Ardèche

Looking across the old course of the Ardèche river at Pont d'Arc

Unfortunately there was no sport climbing for me last weekend, but I did get out for a little outing with the family. We drove into the Ardèche gorge itself and took a quick look at Dent la Rez, which was helpful for getting my bearings and better orientated with the area.

In the gorge

The obvious destination was the town of Vallon Pont d’Arc and the nearby Pont d’Arc itself, a magnificent natural rock arch, which was created when the Ardèche river eroded and finally broke through the neck of the meander.

The natural rock arch of Pont d'Arc

Standing at river level, the eye is continually drawn skyward by the cliff faces of limestone. As I did so, it was hard not to wonder where the rock climbing routes were. In fact, the whole area is full of outcrops, gorge walls and clean, blanched limestone – a veritable climber’s paradise.

Pick your line and climb...