Plenty of Time to Prepare

Well I do hope you all had a good Xmas and you all had lots of goodies you asked for !

The weather here as been grim,  mainly wet and windy for most of the Xmas period. Winter climbing is just a distant memory. This means trips to the climbing wall, other training and generally trying to maintain some momentum.

This lull is giving me time to sort out and prepare for a lecture I am giving alongside Simon Panton -  my co-editor of the North Wales Winter Climbing guide.  The lecture is on Thursday 17th January at the Liverpool John Moores University Art and Design Academy in Liverpool.  This is part of a series of lectures to promote adventure and is being arranged by the Liverpool John Moores University Outdoor Education department.

LJMU have been running one of the most prestigious outdoor education degree courses in the UK for over 40 years.

The lecture is free , as part of the ethos for the series , with the whole series of lectures being sponsored by Cotswolds, with this particular lecture  being supported by DMM and Mountain Equipment. Limited places are available so to ensure you gain entry then free tickets can be obtained by following this link  http://ljmuoutdooradventure.eventbrite.com/    

Having  recently given lectures for a variety of mountaineering clubs back in December about a trip to Alaska , they reminded me how hard these types of events are. So I look forward to this event for some trepidation. So if you think you can face Simon and I chatter on then come along to support the event. 

 Snow, Ice and Adventure in the Welsh Hills: Tales from the frontline of North Wales Winter Climbing

by Mark 'Baggy' Richards and Simon Panton (authors of the new 2011 North Wales Winter Climbing Guide)

What are the tales behind the extraordinary wave of winter climbing activity and renewed focus on undocumented winter climbing routes in North Wales?

North Wales has some of the best winter climbing in the UK. Recent years have been superb winter conditions in Snowdonia leading to an extraordinary wave of winter climbing activity, triggering an explosion of new routes and a renewed focus on the many undocumented routes climbed since the Welsh Winter Climbs guidebook (1988). The authors of the new guidebook North Wales Winter Climbing Guide, Simon Panton and Mark 'Baggy' Richards (Alumni of LJMU) will tell the story of winter climbing developments in Northern Snowdonia over recent years. This will give insider views on the adventures that underpin this new winter guidebook and they will offer personal tales of previously undocumented routes in the area.

Outdoor Education at LJMU has been inspiring the value and application of outdoor adventure in society for over 40 years

LJMU’s Outdoor Adventure Public Lecture Series hosted by the Centre for Sport, Dance and Outdoor Education aims to provide a forum for sharing stories and journeys of outdoor adventure, whilst instilling the spirit of outdoor adventure within local and wider communities. LJMU has trained thousands of outdoor educators to promote a spirit of adventure and maximise the benefits of being outdoors across a whole range of individuals, groups, and communities. LJMU leads international research into the benefits and practices of outdoor adventure, outdoor education, and outdoor leadership, and is committed to making a difference through outdoor learning practices.

This free lecture series 

embraces and celebrates the spirit of adventure within us all