You could be enjoying this stunning scenery, where we shot our recent TV advert, with two return flights and seven nights at the Hotel Flora in Selva/Val Gardena, including breakfasts and South Tyrol transfers, along with £250 worth of Berghaus gear.

Entering is simple just visit the South Tyrol Facebook page for more details:

https://www.facebook.com/southtyrolUK/app_281146272020869

Col Des Cristaux

I have been wanting to ski this line on the north wall of the Argentiere basin for years now, but finding people to go with who haven’t yet skied it or who have the motivation to climb its big face is hard.  So it was on a beautiful April sunny morning with my partner that we had planned to ski something bigger and steeper on the same wall.  When we arrived at out the base of our intended ascent with blue ice showing it was obvious we were not going to achieve our first objective.  Time for plan B, the Cristaux.  I was secretly hoping that this would happen;).

The boot pack was steady and we found our rhythm pretty quickly reaching the right summit route at the same time as the lead team on the direct route. The angle of the slope is a nice 45 degrees only ramping up to 50 degrees on its top section.  As we changed from crampons to skis the snow was perfect spring conditions and we got down the steepest section quickly.

It was at this point, just before skiing over to the main face that adrenaline surged through my body, giving rise to crippling fear as I heard screams coming from below. A quick check for my own safety I stopped securing myself into a safe spot to check out what was going on below.

A second large team of climbers had decided to ascend the face a good 2 hours after the lead team on the direct route.  As the lead team started to ski down they were knocking large volumes of snow over the late climbers just in front of me.  I turned away not being able to watch as one of the climbers got swept off his feet and hanging onto his axes and his life as his team screamed for the people above to stop skiing.  The climber was lucky, he was strong enough to hold on and we managed to mediate a conversation with those above to allow time for the climbers to get out of the way.

I have always been taught that if there are teams above I must seriously consider the risk of climbing under them.  I have always had the philosophy that if I am not there first, or can’t ascend safely then I don’t get to go.  This team got lucky, but I don’t think they made the right decisions that that day.

I quickly gathered my head together and skied down really quickly after that – I wanted to get out of the area and off the face fast before anything else could happen.  Luckily the ski down was wonderful powder and we were down within 10 minutes.  This is a route I know I will go back for again and again but I will always make sure I am out of bed early to get there first,  and may be a bit a bit more choosy about the days I pick to make sure it is not quite to busy.

Climbing up the main face

The view from below.

The top of the direct route.  Can you spot the skier about to descend?

Nice powder on the descent

Dome De Miage – Skiing the Armancettes Loop

This is not a hard route but it is a bit of a long schlepp (especially at this time of year in Mid may) making this journey a bit of a challenge. I went with a couple of good friends on this two-day tour and in spite of being long and not getting the soft spring snow conditions we were looking for it was great fun.  This area is also so beautiful and holds really exciting potential for ski mountaineering.  I have vowed to go back next year to explore more.

The LONG walk in………..

Early morning start and skin up to the summit ridge of the Dome De Miage……..

The Ski down……..

The LONG walk home…….

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Total ascent 1,300m

Start/finish SH570526

Snowdonia’s headlining peaks are crammed into a small corner of the National Park, along with most of the crowds. In contrast the adjacent Nantlle hills feel like a neglected backwater – in a good way. A grassy stride along elegant curved arêtes, the traverse of the main ridge linking the many summits in the range is a classic Welsh walk, with occasional easy scrambling and spacious seaward views.

For the full description see this UKHillwalking Route Card.

Visit Berghaus Online Store

For outdoor clothing from Berghaus including men’s waterproof jackets, men’s rucksacks and more then please visit our online store.

You can find a wide range of gear for climbing, hill walking, mountain biking and other activities.

Choose from a range of cutting edge waterproof jackets, fleeces, trousers & more from Berghaus.

I have ridden the Dunwich Dynamo for the past two years, and I will be doing it again (this year it’s on Saturday 20^th July). It’s a fantastic ride, and the sight of an endless snake of flashing red lights stretching ahead along the country lanes alone is worth staying up all night.

But even without the hundreds of people, an overnight bike ride is something to experience, wherever you start and wherever you end up. Nowhere on our island is more than 130 miles from the beach. Get a couple of friends and after you finish work one Friday, get on your bikes, and see where the wind takes you.

The Dunwich Dynamo

London Fields, 8pm. Hundreds of cyclists mill about, some in groups, some by themselves, some nonchalantly sipping pints, as if they weren’t about to cycle over 100 miles. Road bikes, mountain bikes, recumbent bikes, a Boris bike. Single speeds, tandems, tourers, some heavily laden, some with no luggage save a camel pak and a towel strapped to the back.

From the edge of the pack, a stream of cyclists emerges, riders gradually starting out on their journey to the coast. East, through Hackney and Clapton, up Lea Bridge Road, drivers honking impatiently as the river of bikes floods towards Essex. The convoy thins out as it reaches Epping Forest, riders choosing their pace for the next 100 or so miles. The sun is starting to set, the moon rising in the twilight sky.

Epping, 9.30pm. Pubs spill out with drunken revellers, some cheering us on, some shouting abuse. We ride on, deeper into the woods, the daylight slowly fading as the roads get quieter and narrower, away from the buzz of the suburbs. The sun sinks over the horizon. Trees enclose the road. Bike lights come on and suddenly the road is alive with hundreds of flashing bulbs. Follow the red lights ahead.

Midnight. The darkness of the sky is absolute. There is a unique kind of beauty in the dead of night, as stars prick the black ceiling, the almost full moon reflecting the sun’s hidden rays, washing the fields with a shaft of ghostly light. It’s the profound peacefulness of a world asleep. Silent except for the whirring of hundreds of bicycle wheels.

3am and the sky is gradually lightening, a pale blue colour poised on the eastern horizon. The world begins to regain its shape, silhouettes of trees appearing out of the fields and shaded grey clouds floating on the horizon. Pedalling onwards and onwards, we chase the dawn. Colours emerge: pale blue, yellow, orange. Details of hedgerows and flowers appear and the dawn soundtrack begins as birds anticipate the pending sunrise. The road is now light, featureless riders once only identifiable by the character of their bike lights becoming faces.

Then suddenly, the sun bursts over the fields, flooding the world with its colour.  We keep riding, onwards, onwards, spurred on by the sun’s rays. The joy is immense. The long road to Dunwich stretches into the distance, then at the crest of a hill, a strip of blue sits on the horizon. Down the final hill, round a corner, and there, on the beach, hundreds upon hundreds of bikes. Riders eating, drinking, sleeping, scattered prone across the pebbles. Shrieks from the sea as a brave few venture into its cold waters.

Everyone seems dazed, whether from sleep deprivation, exhaustion, hunger, or simply the accomplishment of 120 miles under the wheels. Did we really ride all night? The journey becomes a surreal memory as sleep takes over on the shingle beach.

The sun beats down. Another Dun Run done.

Anna Hughes works as a cycle trainer and mechanic in London. In 2011 she cycled the 4000 mile coastline of the UK, and is currently on a sailing adventure also round Britain. She is soon to publish her first book about her bicycle adventure.

www.annacycles.co.uk
@eatsleepcycle

Visit Berghaus Online Store

For outdoor clothing from Berghaus including men’s waterproof jackets, men’s rucksacks and more then please visit our online store.

You can find a wide range of gear for climbing, hill walking, mountain biking and other activities.

Choose from a range of cutting edge waterproof jackets, fleeces, trousers & more from Berghaus.

This is almost the hardest trip I’ve ever done. Harder than riding a bicycle on my own 4000 miles round Britain’s coast. Harder than cycling the 120 miles to Brighton and back in the rain. Harder than climbing the highest road pass in Scotland with 15kg of luggage. It’s a leap of faith to live on a boat for three months with three people you have never met before. But each day I learn a little more about the boat, discover a little more about the ocean, and feel a little less sick.

There have been days that have begun before dawn, the tides and the wind needing us to rise early. We have stood on deck watching the sun rise in the wake of the boat as the wind catches the sails, powering us forward towards the next unknown land. There have been days that have ended in the early hours, where we’ve used the stars and the moon, the beams of lighthouses and the blinking of navigation buoys to guide us safely into the harbour. There have been days where we’ve relaxed on the sunny deck, toes wiggling in the breeze, the sunlight dancing on the waves. There have been days where we’ve huddled shivering under the spray hood, the deep swells of the sea tossing the boat like a twig, mocking this piece of plastic that has dared to brave the waves. We’ve endured gale-force gusts, stinging rain, biting wind and rough seas. We’ve seen guillemots and gannets dart over the waves, and had dolphins swim alongside the boat, playing in the bow waves. I’ve seen puffins and solar halos for the first time in my life. The ocean is an endless adventure.

It has taken a bit of getting used to: sailing is very different to riding a bike. It’s an almost detached way to travel. You don’t get a feel for the landscape, even though we are close enough to the coast to be able to see land most of the time. You don’t get a sense of geography in the same way as you do tracing the coast on land, following each outcrop and headland in and out: on a boat, you sail in a straight line. You don’t get a chance to experience the culture in the way that you do if you’re on the road, passing through towns and settlements, seeing signs and shops: you’re always outside looking in. Apart from a few boats we might pass, you don’t meet people on the way, and you certainly don’t talk to them: if we pass another boat we might wave, but more often than not we look suspiciously at the skipper and think “I wouldn’t set my mainsail like that…”

But then, with sailing, the possibilities are endless. You are not confined by the land mass you are on. Distant horizons needn’t remain a mystery. You can get absolutely anywhere on this planet. Just stepping on board has a sense of adventure, of the unknown. There is freedom. Once the wind is in your sails, there’s no stopping you. Learning to read the waves, manipulate the wind, turn the elements to your advantage, is thrilling. Once you can sail, the world is your oyster.

Anna Hughes works as a cycle trainer and mechanic in London. In 2011 she cycled the 4000 mile coastline of the UK, and is currently on a sailing adventure also round Britain. She is soon to publish her first book about her bicycle adventure.

www.annacycles.co.uk
@eatsleepcycle

Visit Berghaus Online Store

For outdoor clothing from Berghaus including men’s waterproof jackets, men’s rucksacks and more then please visit our online store.

You can find a wide range of gear for climbing, hill walking, mountain biking and other activities.

Choose from a range of cutting edge waterproof jackets, fleeces, trousers & more from Berghaus.

Winner of one Berghaus online voucher worth two hundred pounds sterling (£200) to spend at www.berghaus.com.

-          James Reid

Winners of one Berghaus online voucher each worth one hundred pounds sterling (£100) to spend at www.berghaus.com.

-          James Daly

-          Ben Audsley

-          Amy Beckett

Winner of one Canon Powershot D20 Camera.

-          Michael Butcher

Winners of Olympus Tough TG-620 Camera.

-          David Walker

-          Michael Osborn

Winners of a Taming of the Bear DVD.

-          Adelle Gow

-          David Paterson

-          Christy Beckett

-          DM Ingram

-          Kerry Mackenzie

-          Fiona Mallard

-          Mags Brown

-          Lynsey Buchanan

-          Yeemen Ho

-          Matt Jones

-          Karen Mitchell

-          Fiona Tomlinson

-          Oliver Barr-Skeoch

-          Becky John

-          Andrzej Miksza

-          Danielle Vedmore

-          Kelly Koya

-          Angela Jones

-          Jen Jackson

-          Carol Phillips

-          Fozia Akhtar

-          Caroline Hemple

-          Justin Reid

-          Kerry Cooper

-          Joanna Smith

-          Helen Webster

-          Harriet Jackson

-          Sam Muskus

-          Matthew Berry

-          Kevin Davey

Winners of an Autana DVD.

-          David Webster

-          Melanie Brown

-          Gareth Healey

-          Claire Appleton

-          Joshua Bence

-          Shaun Read

-          Clair Dukes

-          Deborah Bird

-          Hayley Williams

-          Sean Chu

The next winners will each receive the following items:

a.            One Berghaus notepad;

b.            One Berghaus pen;

c.             One Ulvetanna poster signed by Al Lee;

d.            Two Clif energy bars, and

-          Patrick Burr

-          Robyn Logan

-          Sandra Beattie

-          Jo Ogden

-          Kate Daniels

-          Tom Shingler

-          Harry Souch

-          Russell Snowden

-          Michael Donnelly

-          Peter Bonvoisin

The following winners will each receive a women’s knitted beanie.

-          Wendy Tolhurst

-          Helen Anderson

-          Niccola Taylor

-          Stuart Wright

-          Martin White

Thanks for taking part everyone!

Visit Berghaus Online Store

For outdoor clothing from Berghaus including men’s waterproof jackets, men’s rucksacks and more then please visit our online store.

You can find a wide range of gear for climbing, hill walking, mountain biking and other activities.

Choose from a range of cutting edge waterproof jackets, fleeces, trousers & more from Berghaus.

I could easily get a train to Paignton and take a taxi for the remaining five miles, and I could be there in 5 hours. My journey is going to take four days.

Why am I doing this? The forecast for the next couple of days is for snow. I can barely lift the rear wheel of my trusty Ridgeback tourer from the floor, now that everything I need for three months of sailing has been strapped to the back. I could, instead of struggling with my fully-loaded bicycle solidly for several hours a day, be enjoying lazy mornings with cups of tea. But I love riding my bicycle. I love being able to get anywhere I want to just by riding it. I will be living every inch of the journey, reliant only on myself, breathing great lungfuls of country air, getting to know the country that I live in a little bit better.

Day one, and I’m sitting on a bridge on the Thames eating my lunch. The river stretches out towards London ahead of me, Windsor castle sits on the hill to my right, and I’m grinning from ear to ear. I’ve been here a couple of times before, on a train from London, and I love the fact that I just cycled here from my house. The route wound its way through the Hertfordshire countryside, skirting London on the Grand Union Canal, and following an abandoned railway line through Rickmansworth. I’ll soon be riding through Windsor Great Park, past the grandiose Ascot racecourse, and onwards to my aunt’s house in a small Hampshire village. The wind is pushing me along at a fantastic rate and I’m enjoying every minute.

Day two is colder, and further, but I’m still glad to be on my bike, even though by the time I reach my destination my feet are blocks of ice. I pass through Winchester, a charming town with attractive architecture that I’ve never visited before, where two policemen give me directions. “You’re heading for Poole?! And with all that luggage?!” They are impressed that I can haul my load up the steep streets in the town. I cross the top of Southampton Water and meander down through the New Forest. A horse tries to eat my apple. I’m surrounded by scrub and endless woodland. I reach Christchurch and can soon see the vast expanse of the ocean at the end of a lane. I excitedly race towards it, hurtling from the cliff top to sea level, following the wide sweep of Bournemouth Bay towards Poole harbour, my bike allowing me exclusive access to the seafront.

On day three the hills really kick in. It’s an 85 mile ride to Exeter, and my choices are the roaring and exposed A35, where the gusting wind repeatedly knocks me onto the grass verge, or the winding country roads, which are much preferable, but longer and hillier. I cross the Dorset/Devon border, following an endless incline into Axminster, promising myself that I’ll reach the top before the song on my iPod finishes. Three tunes later I am still struggling against the gradient. By the time I reach the town I’m sobbing a little, exhaustion getting the better of me. All I can see ahead of me are more hills. I find the station and take the train for the last ten miles to Exeter, and I don’t regret it in the least.

On day four the sun shines and the flat canal-side cycle path from Exeter to Dawlish is an absolute joy. From there it’s a short 15 miles along the coastal road to Brixham. The views across Torbay are stupendous. I ride down to Brixham Marina and meet the people I will be sailing with for the next three months. “Have you just cycled here?!” they ask. I am smiling widely as I say “Yes.”

When I arrived at my aunt’s house she had asked me “Why do you punish yourself? I would have given you the train fare!” But it wasn’t about that — I simply wanted to ride my bike. It had turned a five-hour journey into a four-day expedition, and an adventure to remember.

Anna Hughes works as a cycle trainer and mechanic in London. In 2011 she cycled the 4000 mile coastline of the UK, and is currently on a sailing adventure also round Britain. She is soon to publish her first book about her bicycle adventure.

www.annacycles.co.uk
@eatsleepcycle

Visit Berghaus Online Store

For outdoor clothing from Berghaus including men’s waterproof jackets, men’s rucksacks and more then please visit our online store.

You can find a wide range of gear for climbing, hill walking, mountain biking and other activities.

Choose from a range of cutting edge waterproof jackets, fleeces, trousers & more from Berghaus.

Total ascent 1,086m

Start/finish NY285061

Langdale’s impressive western skyline is dominated by the charismatic biggie Bowfell, and the well-named Crinkle Crags – which do exactly what they say on the tin. This route traverses the lot, packing plenty of rough, rocky challenge and some unforgettable scenery into its relatively short length. There’s a little light scrambling along the way, but nothing unavoidable. Afterwards, celebrate in one of Langdale’s famous climber’s pubs.

For the full description see this UKHillwalking Route Card.

Visit Berghaus Online Store

For outdoor clothing from Berghaus including men’s waterproof jackets, men’s rucksacks and more then please visit our online store.

You can find a wide range of gear for climbing, hill walking, mountain biking and other activities.

Choose from a range of cutting edge waterproof jackets, fleeces, trousers & more from Berghaus.

Its one of the best places I have climbed at in the UK for sure and has some of the most impressive routes I’ve seen.

Ranging from huge 40m arêtes, to blank corner and sheer faces all perched on top of this hill and with all this amazing weather we’ve been having recently, the cliff was in perfect condition.

So the first route I did was a Nick Dixon testpeice called Une Jeune Fille (E8 6c/F8a). This was a super fingery line protected by a few old pegs, some cams and even an ice screw! All went smoothly and I managed to get the 4th ascent of the route.

Next up was another unusual route called Il y a Stazi (E8 6c/F8a). Another one with dubious gear, hence the grade split depending on how much you trust the in-situ gear! A route consisting of some wild moves in a committing position.

We finished the day off with great E5 6a called Notional Trust, up a big pocketed wall and a lot of pump!

Then on the last day I did an amazing arête climb called Marlene Direct (E7 6c) which involved some interesting moves high up on the crux arête.

So a fantastic few days at such a great crag!

Hope we get some more weather like this over the summer and it should be a good one!

One day I decided to cycle the 26 miles from my home in London to my office in Basildon. It would save me the train fare, it was quite an easy route, and as Mallory said, it was there to be done. I arrived dripping in sweat and completely ravenous, unable to move from my desk for the remainder of the day — that two and a half hour ride had almost been my undoing. My colleagues shot concerned glances in my direction and offered me a lift home. Nevertheless I got back on for the return trip, and persevered over the next few months, eventually getting my journey time down to 1 hour 35 minutes. The benefits were enormous. I was fitter than I had ever been, in the end hardly breaking a sweat. I had saved myself hundreds of pounds in train fares. My commute was no longer a frantic rush to catch the train, sharing a carriage with the elbows and shoulders of my fellow passengers. My carriage was the wide open sky, my track the road stretching out ahead. The time taken was barely more than it had been when I relied on public transport. Even when I felt like I couldn’t be bothered, or it was raining, once I got going I never failed to enjoy it. I was utterly free.

After that I became a bit of a cycle nut. Any journey that looked like I could make it by bike, I would. I cycled seven miles to a friend’s wedding, wearing my dress tucked into my leggings. I refused a lift from a friend when I moved flat, instead shuttling my belongings the three miles to the next neighbourhood by bicycle. I made dinner plans with a friend in Manchester then decided to ride there from Liverpool along the banks of the River Mersey, turning an hour’s train ride into a day’s adventure. I cycled from London to Brighton to meet a friend for tea, and afterwards turned straight around and cycled back again. 120 miles just for a cup of tea! Any distance in London I would cycle, loving the fact that I could ride from east to west in an hour, getting to know my city in a way that you can’t by sitting on a bus. I found all the hidden back roads, the peaceful canals, the grand docks. Everything seems more exciting from the seat of a bike.

These are my everyday adventures — doing what I’d ordinarily do, in a way that is a extraordinary.

In 2011 I did my first long-distance bicycle adventure: I cycled round the coast of the UK. I’d always wanted to do a long-distance bike ride, and not just from Land’s End to John O’ Groats, but something a bit more original. The 4000 mile journey took me 10 weeks — it was long, tough, and demanding, and by far the best thing I have ever done.

From here, I have ideas for grander adventures. I’m currently learning to sail, so I can one day travel around the globe by human power and wind power alone. And on a more simple scale, I teach people to ride bikes — the joy of cycling is too good to keep to myself. I also go to schools and talk about my round-Britain bike ride, hoping to inspire the next generation to have an adventure.

Anna Hughes works as a cycle trainer and mechanic in London. In 2011 she cycled the 4000 mile coastline of the UK, and is currently on a sailing adventure also round Britain. She is soon to publish her first book about her bicycle adventure.

www.annacycles.co.uk
@eatsleepcycle

Visit Berghaus Online Store

For outdoor clothing from Berghaus including men’s waterproof jackets, men’s rucksacks and more then please visit our online store.

You can find a wide range of gear for climbing, hill walking, mountain biking and other activities.

Choose from a range of cutting edge waterproof jackets, fleeces, trousers & more from Berghaus.