SCOTLAND 2009 ITS GONNA BE A BIG ONE!!!

[conormccarti]

[glow=red,2,300]SCOTLAND!!!!!!!!!!![/glow]...sorry I got carried away

Hey Guys

We will be going to Scotland on Wednesday the14th of January and returning Sunday the 25th of January. This is an annual trip with the OPC and this is an introduction to winter Mountaineering.

Training will be fully provided by professional and fully qualified Mountain Leaders on the basics of winter mountaineering. That will include how to use crampons, ice Axe, snow bollards, bucket belays and also moving together on ropes. Also navigation in winter conditions.

The price will be about 200 euros (€50 deposit to be taken on Wednesday of week 10). That will include transport to Scotland, raining and accommodation . We will supply the crampons and ice Axe and other gear. There will be a further €25 towards boot rental unless you have your own fully rigid boots.

We stay in a nice cosy little hostel in Glencoe which is our base camp. After the two days training, we go out nearly every day on the Scottish hills, taking in ones like Ben Nevis and Stob coire na lochan. If you ask any members of the OPC who went to Scotland before, they will say that its one not to miss as the craic is savage.

The highlight of the trip will be climbing to the summit of Ben Nevis the tallest mountain in the UK and Ireland using the skills we have learned.

The weather conditions in Scotland can be very cold so you must have the appropriate gear like jacket and pants thermals etc.

We will have a meeting on Wednesday wk 9 the 5th of November at 19:30 in P1001 the PESS building. At this meeting we will discuss Scotland in great detail show ye crampons, Ice axe other gear and clothing for Scotland.

This thread is just an Introduction, to create awareness of the Scotland trip in March. This thread will be updated fully on what to expect on the Scotland trip in the coming days or wks. On training and criteria for the Scotland trip.


There will also be advanced training available however there are some criteria for this.
These are:
- You must have completed the Beginner course in Scotland before
- You must be confidently leading HS
- You must be relatively fit.
- If you’re interested in this could you email me ASAP.


Any questions just ask or mail me on [e-mail] or any of the committee members the details on www.ulopc.com.

I can highly recommend this trip for the experience and craic.

Regards

Mac

[Stevo]

This trip is defo worth €200, I was on the trip in 2001 and 2003 (and Snowdon in 2002 who knows maybe even 2009 too) so I know haw good it is both craic wise and for the winter experience gained, there's nothing better than a Scottish winter to test you, I know I live here now!

[willie]

Alrite stevo good to see that you are still knocking about.

For some of ye guys who may be doing TP. go to your course supervisor asap and get time off for this one, cause it going to be nuts. even friendly paul is taking time off work to head to this. Come on the more the merrier. Scotland dvd of two years ago will be shown Kilarney weekend. also a slideshow about the trip will be on wednesday of week9. don't miss it.

hey stevo shor you might as well head up for a weekend. i may be able to sort you out with a pair of crampons

[madmanfitz]

Is the talk for Scotland on this Wednesday 5th November ? If so where and what time ? the bus for the ceile is leaving at 7.30 so it'll have to be before that ??

[conormccarti]

Hey guys the talk is not on this wednesday its thursday. There has been some confusion but it is definately thursday at 7pm in the PESS. it'll be on in P1001. Deposits of €50 will be taken if you want to give it in now.

[conormccarti]

ITINERARY

Day1: Tuesday January 13th
-Hand out Gear
-Travel from Limerick to Belfast
-Sleep on mini bus and Sprinter until Ferry.

Day2: Wednesday January 14th
-Travel from Belfast to Glencoe
-Get settled into bunkhouse and let drivers rest
-Sort food Groups
-Do food shopping in Fort William and sort out boot rental
-Cooking and gowling

Day3: Thursday January 15th
-Mac, Ginge, Aine and Garion start advanced training
- A day of hill walking/Climbing for beginners
-A few of the older guys will go off and do a few routes by themselves
-Dry out all the wet fucking gear.
-Beginners meet the guides and they will tell you what they will do with you for next two days
-Cooking and gowling.

Day4/5: Friday/Saturday January 16th /17th
-Mac, Ginge, Aine and Garion Advanced training day 2+3
-Two days of beginner training
-A few of the older guys will go off and do a few routes by themselves
-Dry out all the wet fucking gear.
-Cooking and gowling.
-Chat about the weather and what to do the next day.

Day 6: Sunday January 18th
-Ben Nevis- Everybody head for Nevis, very early start
-The summit, at 1,344 metres is the highest in the British Isles
-It would be great to keep the group together for the day but not going to stop somebody going and doing a route by themselves.
-Dry out all the wet fucking gear.
-Cooking and gowling and a few wee pints.

Day 7: Monday January 19th
-Get up late enough-a bit of a rest day late
-Head to ice factor, cool climbing wall with a chance to do some indoor ice climbing.
-Food shopping for everybody.
-Cooking and gowling.
-Chat about weather and what to do the next day.

Day 8: Tuesday January 20th
- Stob Coire Nan Lochan, at 3,658 feet, is one of the high peaks of the massif of Bidean nam Bian ("peak of the mountains").
-Main group could do Broad gulley if not avalanche prone which is a really good introduction to winter climbing (Grade 1 gulley)
-There some really nice ridges and gullies around in the area like dorsal arête(grade 2), Boomerang Gulley(Grade3) SC Gully(grade 3). A few of the older guys can try out a few of these.
-Dry out all the wet fucking gear.
-Cooking and gowling
-Chat about the weather and what to do the next day

Days9: Wednesday January 21st
-The Buachaille Etive Mor is a magnificent mountain of four distinct peaks standing at the head of Glen Etive and overlooking the north-west corner of Rannoch Moor.
-Main group will do the normal route up to the Buachaille
-Another place with really nice ridges and gullies such as curved ridge (grade2 offering what is generally considered the best mixed Alpine-type route in the area.), North buttress (grade3-tough) etc.
-Dry out all the wet fucking gear.
-Cooking and gowling
-Chat about the weather and what to do the next day.

Day 10: Thursday January 22nd
-Rest day for those who need a break. People can head into Fort William, go to Ice factor or simply stay in bunkhouse.
-People can go climbing if they’re feeling up for it

Day11: Friday January 23rd
-Head to Glen Nevis and a nice little route up steal falls. Really nice walk.
If anyone is up for ‘ring of steel’ then this is your chance. Only for the really fit!
-Older lads can do a few routes up around the Nevis and Aonach Mor area as it is close.
-Nevis routes: Tower Ridge (Grade3), Ledge route (Grade 2)
-Aonach Mor routes: Right twin (Grade2), Left Twin (Grade3)
-Food shopping for everybody
-Dry out all the wet fucking gear.

Day12: Saturday January 24th
-Extra day to allow for crap weather. If weather has been good then well go climbing again. Can decide over there.
-Regardless of what we do. Barbeque and a massive piss up!!!

Day13: Sunday
-Clean up from the night before. Get sick as is necessary.
-Travel from Glencoe to Limerick


Right just a few things to point out:

-Every single thing on this plan is subject to change due to weather conditions and other plans!!
-Early starts, we leave early every morning for the hills so that we don’t get benighted. It may mean getting up at 6am so that everyone will safely get off the hills- love it or hate it,there is no other way.
-We have to decide night before who climbing with whom and where. NO more than 2 groups to a route. Will make exceptions to short routes where maybe 3 groups can go. Groups are of 2 and 3 people. It is not fair on the drivers driving all over the country for us, so we will try and climb inplaces that are near to one another like nevis and aonach mor aswell as the buachaille and stob coire. Like the beginner training days, we climb in places which are near to that area.
-All ye newbie’s to Scotland, this is your best opportunity to get started into winter climbing. Look a few of the older lads will take ye out on a few really nice routes. But you have to have gone to the climbing wall a couple of times and know how to belay and stuff. We will try and get a few of you up and coming lads out at least once. We will try and do it as evenly and fairly as possible. Look if you feel you ain’t getting an opportunity, go to mac and he will sort something out. This trip after all is about a bit of banter as well as making new mates.
-We're not going to be your mammy over here and tell what you can and can't do but for the sake of everyone's interest clean up messes like cooking as you go along, so we can all live like one big happy family. aggghhhhh
-Rest days; it’s your holiday so you take one if you like. It’s an intensive 12 days of climbing. Try and make the most of it though, is all I would say. On a rest day you can head into fort William, not a whole lot to do but there is some sports shops.
-All the routes up here are only an indication; there is a hell of a lot more routes which I couldn’t think of at the time. Check out Scottish Winter climbs for route description and grading. We have one book of it in the club and it will be passed around the bus.
-There are 18 people going I think. So make four food groups of 4/5 people. Try and pick people who eat the same as you like veggies stick together as well as fussy people.
-There is a drying room on site of the bunk house as well as a furnace in the bunkhouse. Try and get everything dry before the next day in the hills. Kick in the bolox putting your feet into wet boots from the start.
-Everyone is entitled to their opinion and if you don’t like the way we are doing something, speak up or have a word with one of the group leaders.
-Try and help one another out and enjoy a trip of a lifetime

If anybody has any modifications they want to make to this feel free to do so,it is only a guideline for ye anyway

[Oisín]

you dont know roughly when we gettin in on the sunday (late i presume)

its just i have me external examiner for the fyp comin in on the monday....yikes

oh and another thing that could be added to the agenda could be....jump into a frozen lake...although that probably only applies to gahan.

[conormccarti]

ya...we wont be getting back into limerick until like 22.30

Theres going to be some groggy heads in college on monday

SORRY OISÍN

[Keith]

How are ye getting on over there?
The weather as shit as it is here?

Myself and Tara are flying into Edinburgh on Monday afternoon. We'll be up to Fort William in the evening and would appreciate a lift to the bunk house if someone was available

Hope you're getting some good climbing done.

[Paul]

All our climbers in Scotland are safe and well I was speaking to Aine today and she confirmed that they are all safe and well.

Safe journey back to Limerick guys and drink a bottle of Red wine for me.

[frodo]

Cool man, great to hear everyone is safe. Fuck it though terrible for someone elses families.