Marmot UK athlete and ambassador updates

Ricky and.... 'The Thing in the Forest'

2009-12-01T17:27:00.005Z

Got out yesterday with andy and climbed a new route ground up. The Thing in the Forest E7 6c - was well psyched. I'd tried it before about a year ago and fell near the top. Came very close to the ground. Had a bit more composure this time and kept it together to the top. there's a wee video of me an andy bouldering out the bottom of it there http://www.vimeo.com/7915834

The route then continues up and left. I sent the route info into www.climbing.ie just becasue there's been a bit of a brushing issue at this area that i think would be good if some attention was brought to it.

Katie’s road trip report

2009-11-16T17:00:00.007Z

Me and my friend Rob decided to have a UK trad climbing trip down south. Shockingly I haven't done hardly any trad down in South Wales and Devon/Cornwall.
First stop was Pembroke, I haven't done much/any limestone trad climbing. First route I did was Pleasure Dome (E3 5c), i got stuck for ages at the end of the traverse, it must of been about half an hour I was stood there. Then literally stepped a couple of steps to the right and found some good holds!! Amazing route.
We were on a three star routes mission, so next we abseiled into Huntersman and I did Bloody Sunday (E4 6a). The bottom was scary, really green and slippery and gear was tricky to place. The route felt easier than pleasure dome though!

We were meant to stay in pembroke for about 4 or 5 days but were unlucky with the weather, managed to get one more days climbing in at Mother Carey's Kitchen. I seconded Rock Idol (E1) and onsighted Zeppelin (E3 6a) both amazing routes. Then I onsighted Just Cling On (E5 6a), this route is on space face an slightly overhanging wall. It was more like a 7a+ sport route, big holds on a steep wall with in-situe threads... then it rained...alot.

So we sacked it to Bristol to stay with a friend for the night and got a bit of climbing done in the Avon gorge that afternoon. Next morning we headed to Cornwall where it was raining so much that the water was bubbling out of the drains. Finally the next day it had stopped raining and the sun was shining, we met up with another friend called Rob and headed down to Sharpnose.

We did the most amazing E2 in the morning called Out of the Blue. Then we walked round to the main 'fin' which is awesome, its only about a couple of metres wide in some parts, and starts slightly slabbly and gradually curves so at the top it is slightly overhanging.

I onsighted a couple of routes here before the tide came in, I did Fay (E4 6a) and Pacemaker (E5 6a). Next day we went to Pentire Head which was pretty licheny and damp, we did an E3 called Eroica then went over to Berryhead and did some DWS for a few days which was cool!

A big thanks to Rob Lamey for allow us to use these images of Katy in action.

Come meet Lu and Steve at Kendal Film Festival

2009-11-12T14:09:00.002Z

Marmot is offering the chance for all climbers attending Kendal Mountain Film Festival to come and meet Steve McClure and Lucy Creamer up front and personal.

Get your picture taken with them, pick their brains about route choice or simply just chat with the UK's best male and female climbers.

Lucy and Steve can be found in the 'Planet Fear' retail tent/climbers interview booth on Saturday 21st of November between 11am – 12pm and 3pm - 4pm.

FREE CLIMBING POSTERS signed by Lucy and Steve for everybody who comes to greet them in the retail tent.

Don't Miss Out!

Gritstone Friction at its best!

2009-11-10T18:10:00.003Z

The cold winter conditions seem to have finally kicked which means that the friction on Gritstone can only get better.

Grab the bouldering matt, rub your climbing shoes until they squeak and trust that friction baby!

(Image Credit: Tim Glasby: Climber Lucy Creamer)

Ricky goes to Font

2009-11-09T09:09:00.003Z

And relief…I can climb again.

Basically the mild insanity that was starting to set in is now gone. Three months off climbing altogether since I tweeked my finger. The longest continuous break I've had in what feels like a long time. I know that’s not a very long time in the grand scheme of things, but it felt slightly epic at times. Missed out on climbing some things that I’d been trying but my main fear was that my finger might never ever ever get better. Obviously this was completely irrational.

Went to Font not expecting to climb, but when I got there, I found those little slopes helped my tweeky finger. It was class. I've always had a soft spot for font. It was my first climbing holiday 'sans' folks when I was 16. I've some funny memories of that place. Went back ever year for the next 4 years then sort off forgot about it.

So to go back there after having a wee break was just perfect. Climbed lots of classics and messed about in that social little forest. I love the place. Had a slight epic getting back to the airport which resulted in Craigy leaving a bottle of urine in the hire car.

Been back a few weeks now and been working 9-5 doing access work in the City Centre. My finger feels like it’s getting better now. Just going to be aware of it and start getting back slowly onto my some lines that I’ve been thinking about.

Gritstone Classics with Lucy

2009-10-08T18:08:00.003+01:00

Lucy has been getting some early season Griststone action in this week at Chatsworth Edge in the Peak District.

Lucy can be seen above making light work of Don Whillans classic route 'Sentinal Crack' E3 5c which is a route to very much be respected. Most people who attempt this route normally end up with a distinct lack of flesh left on their hands afterwards. You have been warned!

A big thanks goes out to Tim Glasby for allowing us to use this image only 3 hours after it was taken.

Will Sim: Alps Update

2009-10-08T18:02:00.002+01:00

After bailing from part way up the "Desecures -Robach" on the right hand side of the Jorasses north face due to warm temperatures, Jon and I were doubtful as to what to get on next. The ice on the route was a another freeze-thaw away from becoming useable, but when walking underneath the Croz spur to start the long walk back to chamonix we noticed good looking white stuff snaking up the Slovenian start and in to the top icefield.

Two days later we found ourselves digging out a bivi ledge near the bottom of the north face and at 3.30 the next morning we were busy melting snow and packing up to be over the schrund of the Croz by 5am. 10 hours and 1000 metres of toffee-like ice and interesting mixed climbing later we were on the summit ridge. The hellish descent in to Italy was made extra time consuming due to poor conditions on the glacier which required careful navigation in the dark and some dicy downclimbing.

By midnight we were at the Boccalatte winter hut forcing litres of water in to our dehydrated bodies and enjoying the view over a moonlit northern Italy.
Check out the shots on-

http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions

Cheers,
Will

Neil Mawson: Cry Freedom 8b+

2009-10-05T09:40:00.002+01:00

Cry Freedom was always one of those routes at Malham that I thought I'd never do. The old yorkshire limestone book that I had when 1st started climbing had it as the hardest route in the book! I got on it for the 1st time earlier this year at the start of the summer. I made quick progress and managed to redpoint upto the top boulder problem crux on about my 3rd day, probably hard 8b to here. But then made no more progress over the next few days so decided to leave it as it was getting warm and wait for cooler conditions in the Autumn.

About two months later after spending another couple of days on it refreshing the moves I managed a good link from the half height shake out to the top, pretty much all the hard climbing. Psychologically this was a massive boost to my confidence that I could do it. After two more days falling so close to the top I postponed my trip to Spain for two days to get one more chance. I was lucky and got perfect conditions, clear and cold and did it. By far the hardest route I've done and I'm now looking forward to my 3 month trip to Spain.

Layed back day in the Alps

2009-09-28T18:35:00.003+01:00

With temperatures remaining relatively high the Mont Blanc range is a good month behind where it was this time last year. Goulottes aren't quite consolidated and icefields are still looking very black.

After getting prematurely excited and scratching around on out of condition mixed routes last week i decided to suck it up and head for the Dru.

The "American Direct" is on the left hand side of the west face and was fairly unaffected by the huge rock falls which have taken out the majority of the face over the years. Climbing as a three with spanish friend Oscar Lopez and Mark Stevenson of "Hard Rock" fame made for a very layed back day and we were on the crux diedre just after mid day. The quality of climbing on the route is exceptional with the 45 metre lay back (about E2 free) and the 90 metre diedre (about E4 if freed) particularly standing out.

Some good weather and drop in temps forcasted so lets see what happens....

A big thanks to Oscar Lopez for allowing us to use these images.

Hot Chocolate anybody ???

2009-09-28T18:21:00.004+01:00

Will Sim and Jon Griffith have recently been getting some acclimatization in on Mont Blanc Du Tacul with an ascent of what they hope was the line of ‘Hot Chocolate’.

The line was found to be very mixed with limited ice and hard dry tooling moves required to complete the line.

A big thanks to Jon Griffith for allows us to use these images of Will in action.
Be sure to check out Jon’s great website: http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions for additional photo’s and reports on current Chamonix conditions.

The Walker Spur with Will Sim

2009-09-04T12:39:00.008+01:00

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At long last things are starting to look autumnal in the Alps, the month and a half long dry spell which saw que's on summer classics such as the Freney and Dru has come to an end. I spent most of that month trying to snatch routes in on Scafell and Gogarth between periods of rain!

By the time I arrived back in the valley the top half of the Jorasse was starting to look rather white which made for an interesting ascent of the Walker Spur? Half of the route was climbed in big boots and crampons- which ultimately made for a more interesting ascent.

A brilliant but windy bivi on the top of the face gave me a good opportunity to try out the excellent new Alpinist Bivi Bag and the surprisingly robust Ellsworth jacket. The next day provided a torturously long descent in to Italy, tiptoeing underneath the 40000 ton serac which is predicted to release in the next few days.

It was nice to climb this classic summer route, and i'm now left full of excitement for the next few months, bring on the winter!

A big thank you to OSCAR LOPEZ for allowing Marmot use of these images.

Extreme locations for photgraphic needs.

2009-09-04T12:34:00.003+01:00

Recently we put a call into our very own sponsored photographer Tim Glasby requesting action images of Marmot sleeping bags being used in extreme locations.

Tim did us proud by shooting an excellent image of Lucy Creamer poised on a ledge in North Wales.

Grab yourself a copy of Cotswold’s new winter catalogue to see the final action shot by Tim.

A big thanks to Tim Glasby for all his hard work on this project and another big thanks to Craig Hiller wfor the shot of Tim in action.

Scottish Dry Tooling Climbing Competition 2009

2009-08-19T17:14:00.007+01:00

(Image Courtesy of Tim Glasby)

The Scottish dry tooling series is back for its second year running!

The Scottish dry tooling series is back for its second year running! Last year the competition was a huge success and we promise that this year will be even better.
In addition to the five venues we had last year Inverness Leisure are joining us. The format of each event will be unique to the host venue but scoring will be standardised across the whole series.

Each venue will host a final on the day and at the last event the overall series winners will be announced.

Routes are set to provide a challenge for experienced climbers as well as those looking to try out tooling for the first time.

Booking in advance is recommended as there are a limited number of spaces available at each venue. Some venues will accept booking on the day but you will not be guaranteed a place and will have to pay an extra £5.

For further details check out Glenmore Lodge's webiste:

http://www.glenmorelodge.org.uk/tooling.asp

Marmot athlete Gavin Pike putting mixed climbing skills to excellent use in Chamonix

Steve McClure repeats Hubble 8c+

2009-08-14T10:54:00.003+01:00

Steve McClure has just confirmed with us that he has completed his long time objective to climb The Raven Tor test Piece Hubble which is graded F8c+.

A huge congratulations to Steve for this extremely impressive repeat.

Marmot signs up new UK athlete

2009-08-14T10:52:00.001+01:00

Steve McClure, one of the UK’s highest profile and most influential rock climbers, has become the newest addition to Marmot’s pro climbing and mountaineering team.
Steve reputation has been well earned over the last decade through his constant pushing of standards and ground breaking ascents.

Steve was the first Britain to onsight F8b and then F8b+; climbed the first F9a in England in 2000 (Northern Lights), F9a+ in 2007 (Overshadow) and has been British Indoor Champion four times. Steve has also onsighted more than 100 routes graded F8a or harder within 12 months; climbed over 500 sport routes at F8a and above, established a ground-up F8b+ deep water solo, climbed 8c+ very fast and climbed E11 trad in 2008 (Rhapsody).

Climbers of Steve’s ability are very rare, and we are delighted that he has chosen to work with us. His plans of continued landmark ascents and endorsement of our products will give us exceptional brand exposure. We believe our range of clothing and equipment will play a pivotal role for Steve as he undertakes all his climbing in the future.

About working with Marmot Steve said:

“I'm extremely pleased. I'm lucky to be supported by the best equipment companies in the world (Petzl, Beal and 5.10) and Marmot fits perfectly alongside these. I used Marmot equipment exclusively in Greenland a few years ago where performance was paramount and was impressed. I couldn't think of a better company to forge a relationship with. Within a day of getting some new clothes I was wearing them at a high elevation crag in Wales. A long sweaty walk in, followed by hard climbing in cold windy weather needed high performance stuff. I'm used to typical cotton clothing, but the difference in performance under testing conditions, and thus my overall climbing performance was massive!”

In addition to his role as Marmot’s newest athlete, Steve will also be working closely with us on our new retailer support strategy. He, and our other athletes, will visit our key retail partners to meet shop staff, communicate real world product use, and deliver inspirational presentations.

Katy Whittaker on sights two 7c sport routes in one day

2009-07-08T14:59:00.002+01:00

Katy Whittaker has been on excellent form over the last couple of days and the news just in is that on Tuesday the 7th of July she onsighted two 7c sport routes.

Only a handful of women in the UK have onsighted 7c and Katie’s on sight of two 7c routes in one day certainly mean that she is a force to watch over the next couple of years ahead.

The two 7c routes that Katy climbed were Dominatrix 7C and Biological Need 7C which are both found on Kilnsey Crag in Yorkshire.

In addition to this Katy also repointed a 7c+ last Sunday at Lower Pen Trywn in North Wales.

Keep up the great work Katy!

Awesome Mawson: 3 8b’s in one week

2009-07-08T14:58:00.001+01:00

Neil has been on a serious sport climbing mission recently having recently climbed 3 8b sport routes here I the UK.

The routes include: Melancholy 8b, Full Tilt 8b and Steal the Show 8b.

There is a reason why he is called Awesome Mawson.

A brief view into the life of Marmot athlete Will Sim

2009-06-08T15:26:00.004+01:00

Our UK athletes are always keeping t busy with various projects and expeditions. Every so often it’s nice to sit them down for just five minutes and gain a better understand of whom they are ad what they do.

We recently fired across number of mountain orientated questions to Will Sim our Marmot UK alpine athlete and Chamonix resident.

Here’s what Will had to say for himself:

How did you get into climbing?

I guess from living in the Lake District and seeing mountains all the time I wanted to do something which involved them. For a few years before I knew anyone who climbed I read FRCC guidebooks endlessly and aspired to do every route in them.

Who are your climbing hero’s?

Colin Haley for being so motivated and having the balls to ignore weather forecasts, and Jude Spanken for not knowing the meaning of forearm pump.

What is your favorite UK route?

Probably either Astral Highway on the Ben, or Saxon on Scafell.

What is your favorite Alpine route?

For elegance and position something really easy like the Kuffner would be hard to beat.

Do you ever get scared on lead?

I'm usually always scared on lead...

What routes do you aspire to climb in the future?

I'd like to do some big Alaskan lines which can be done in long pushes. Other than that the Brenva, Freney and Brouillard faces of Mont Blanc really interest me.

You’re stuck in an alpine hut during a storm. What three luxuries would you like to have?

Three sleeping pills.

What advice would you give to climbers coming out to the Alps for the first time?

Climbing in the Alps is so far removed from climbing in the UK. So although it’s much more fun and rewarding to throw yourself in at the deep end you have no base of experience to shape the judgments you make, and in climbing judgment is everything. You can skip years of the learning curve by spending time with an experienced alpinist or even just observing how things are done out here.

When the student is ready, the master will appear.

2009-06-03T16:20:00.003+01:00

We love hearing from Marmot customers who have been out using their clothing and equipment deep in the heart of the UK’s mountain ranges.

Dr Simon Beames from the University of Edinburgh Outdoor Education Section can be seen above teaching students how to create snow bollards on top of the Cairngorm plateau.

Simon has selected a perfect choice of clothing system for the spring conditions which consists of Marmot’s Genesis Jacket, Tour Pro pants and Work Gloves.

For more information about the outdoor education course offered by the University of Edinburgh click on: http://www.education.ed.ac.uk/outdoored/

Lucy Creamer: The first UK woman to climb 8b+

2009-04-22T12:39:00.004+01:00

Lucy Creamer has just become the first UK woman to climb F8b+.

On April 5th Lucy became the first UK woman to climb a route called ‘Kalea Borraka’ based in Spain. The crux of the route is found in the very last couple of moves at the top of the huge 40 meter head wall. This caused havoc for Lucy’s attempts of linking all of moves together due to heavy rain storms soaking the final moves each time it rained.

Frustratingly Lucy had to be patient and wait for the line to dry each time it rained to allow he to then get back on the route and rework the moves. Finally on April 5th Lucy managed to link all the moves together in one go and complete her aim to be the first UK woman to climb 8b+.

Congratulations Lu !!!

The Big Skin E8 6c

2009-04-09T15:09:00.006+01:00

Only two weeks have passed since Ricky climbed his new route Freshly Baked E7 6b and he already climbed yet another new hard line at Fairhead in Ireland.

Ricky’s new route takes a far more direct line through a route he put up last year called ‘A bad skin day’. This new line has been at the foreground of Ricky’s plans for quite a while now but patience has been required until conditions and confidence allowed an ascent of this amazing line.

Here is a small snippet of Ricky’s description of the route:

The wall stays in the shade most of the day and so the holds on the crimpy section felt nice. The crux is getting established above an overlap near the arete about a third of the way up the wall. A really insecure move on two gastons. Bit of a nightmare but was fine on lead. Trippy little headpoint mindset took over. The middle of the wall is much easier but no gear until a massive hollow flake and a bit of sky hook trickery. I used a bungey cord to hold a wee hook down on a good edge above the hollow flake. Then you get to the safety of the gear on A Bad Skin Day and finish up it. Amazing wall. So nice to climb on it.

Called it 'The Big Skin' E8 6c

A Big thanks once again to Craig Hiller for the amazing images of Ricky.

Marmot customers push kit to the max.

2009-04-01T17:26:00.003+01:00

Who ever said winter climbing in Scotland was easy is a liar.

Here we see Marmot’s Genesis Jacket being put though to its paces in a place called Fairy Glen in Scotland.

Ryan and his climbing partner Henning were both trying to get into a remote Scottish Corrie winter climbing but the pair were beaten back by server blizzards.

It’s great to see Marmot enthusiasts using our kit in the environments they are built to be used in. Even ones are harsh as this.

Our hats go off to Ryan and Henning for getting out their in the deep heart of winter and a big thanks to Henning Wackerhage for allowing us the use of these images.

Two new Alpine athletes to talk about!

2009-04-01T17:10:00.016+01:00

Back in September last year we began looking fresh talent that could help us promote Marmot’s alpine clothing and equipment which is growing exceptionally fast in popularity here in the UK.

The hunt was on to find a new UK athlete based in the Alps and who was pushing the boundaries of hard Alpine climbing. A tip off headed up coming from one of UKclimbing’s gear reviewers called Jon Griffith who is based in Chamonix and knew of two up and coming alpine climbers.

After some careful research and some very positive recommendations we finally came across not just one, but two new athletes.

It gives me great pleasure introducing Gavin Pike and Will Sim to the Marmot UK team. You are going to be seeing plenty of images and stories about these guys and what they have been get up to over the year ahead.

Below are a selection of images of both Gavin and Will in action on a number a hard Alpine lines in the Chamonix area.

Gavin Pike in action:

Will Sim in action:

You can also see what else Will has been getting up to on ski's and with his axes on Alpine Exposures website: http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions

A big thanks you goes out to Jon Griffith for allowing us to use his image of Will in action.

Katy Whittaker takes on Thumbelina

2009-04-01T17:02:00.001+01:00

Katy Whittaker has just informed us that she has climbed Thumbelina E7 6c at Inca Rock in Staffordshire.

Information is a bit thin on the ground but Katy reported making a ground up ascent of this high ball problem only last weekend.

I have no doubt we will be hearing more from Katy soon.

Neil Mawson's Gritstone work out

2009-03-26T15:26:00.010Z

Neil Mawson has been keeping himself busy on the Grit this winter.

Tim Glasby has been working very closely with Neil over the last 6 months to help create some beautiful climbing images for a little project in the pipeline.

Either way it seems to be a good excuse for Neil to keep on getting out onto the Gritstone edges and cranking hard.

Not to be Taken Away: Stanage Edge

Cuber Edge: Unknown route

A big thanks to Tim Glasby for allowing us to use these images.

More skiing action from the Alps

2009-03-26T15:23:00.009Z

There are skiers and then there are people who really dedicate themselves to getting out when ever the skiing is good.

Marcus from Marmot’s German office is certainly one of those people who get out when ever the conditions are good and opportunity allows.

The above image shows Marcus cruising his way down a steep couloir line near Innsbruck in Austria.

Telemark Skiing in the Alps

2009-03-26T14:53:00.006Z

Yep that is how much snow there still seems to be out in the Alps Right now.

Marmot’s very own Marcus Ehlig has been out in the Alps once again ripping up the white stuff.

Marcus has been spending a lot of time this winter learning how to Telemark ski and from the images here it looks like he has really nailed the art of freeing the heel.

With ski conditions still excellent in the Alps there seems to be no excuse to not getting another quick ski trip in before summer arrives.

Ricky Bell: Freshly Baked

2009-03-25T08:40:00.011Z

We have some hot news fresh from the oven!

Ricky Bell has just climbed a new hard trad route in Ireland.

Ricky's new route is called 'Freshly Baked' and rates in at E7 6b. The new route required time being spent over the last couple of weeks cleaing the line to ensure the line was clean, dry and ready to climb when conditions were right. This weekend gave excellent conditions and on Saturday Ricky made the first ascent of Freshly Baked at Fairhead in Ireland.

Uncontent with just one days good climbing, bags were packed once more and after an hour’s walk Ricky and co found finally arrived at the East Face of Lower Cove. Ricky had planned to look at a particular line on the crag but the route appeared wet and was not going to allow an ascent. Not put off Ricky then turned his attention to repeating a route his good friend Andy had put up the year before. The route named 'Easy Lover' gave easy climbing to start with but then lend into a very bold run out which only a small cam protected.

Ricky reported the route to an excellent line and confirmed the routes grade to be E7 6c. Good effort Ricky for getting two hard trad routes done in one weekend.

Thanks to Craig Hiller for supplying both images of Ricky on Freshly Baked.

Lucy Creamer ticks impressive list of hard sport routes

2009-03-25T07:55:00.008Z

Lucy has been recently climbing some seriously impressive sport routes over the last couple of months. Lu decided to base herself in Spain just after the Christmas period in order to give himself plenty of time to get strong and find top climbing form.

This commitment has proved very fruitful and Lu has already ticked off an impressive list of hard sport routes including:

2 x 8b’s – Redpoint
1 x 8a+ - Redpoint
4 x 8a’s – Onsight (putting the clips in on 3 of them)
4 x 8a’s – Redpoint
1 x 7c+/8a – Onsight
5 x 7c+’s – Onsight
5 x 7c – Onsight
5 x 7b+ - Onsight

Lucy's partner Tim Glasby reported that Lu seems to be getting stronger and stronger as each day passes and the confidence from climbing Batuka 8b has sparked her passion to keep pushing harder. .

Lucy is still in Spain working a number of other hard lines which we look forward to reporting very soon.

Thanks to Tim Glasby for the recent image of Lu in action which will also be the front cover shot for next months issue of Climb magazine.

Just Hanging Out

2009-03-11T17:18:00.003Z

If you’ve ever wondered what some of our athletes stay in tip top shape whilst still earning a crust then look no further! In Fact look above….

Here we see Ricky Bell just hanging out around his local shopping centre shooting the breeze. On a more serious note Ricky actually makes a living through high rope access work which can include hanging off buildings cleaning windows or carrying out much needed maintenance.

Outside of work Ricky has also recently been working on a new secret project. I can not tell you where the new line is currently but I can confirm it is in Ireland. Wow!

We always get excited seeing Ricky practicing a line because this normally means that it is going to be at least E7 6C.

Top Powder conditions found in Itally

2009-02-26T11:09:00.009Z

Every so often we like to get into the mountains and check on our Pro Athletes to ensure they are staying out of trouble. Marcus Ehlig from Marmot’s German HQ has been doing just this during a recent Telemark festival in Sulden, Itally.

Marcus hookd up with Marmot’s very own Pro Skier ’Marc Künkele’ for some top Telemark tips during the weekends festival.

Marc and Marcus reported superb powder conditions during the whole weekend and many of the off piste lines completley untracked.

New Marmot Athletes for 2009

2009-02-23T22:24:00.008Z

Yes that's right, Marmot has some new Alpine climbers on the team and these guys really know how to push the envelope of hard alpine climbing. Chamonix based locals Will Sim and Gavin Pike are the newest addition to the Marmot UK team for 2009. The guys will be putting some of Marmot's top Alpine clothing and equipment through its paces on the tough alpine faces of the Mont Blanc region and beyond.

Will and Gavin have only been officially been signed up on the team for 23 days now but have already climbed a hard mixed line called 'Non-stop' on Mont Blanc du Tacul. The image above shows Will making a trouser filling, 15 meter run out on super steep thin ice found on the route. The guys had to link a lot of the route using very steep and thin ice smears to enable the route to be completed in one go. An excellent knowledge of how to stay warm was also required due to temperatures dropping as low as -30C during a long and arduous abseil descent off the route.
Stay in touch for further information about what the guys have been getting up to during 2009 here on the Marmot UK blog. In addition to this the guys will also be talking about what clothing and equipment they have been using and how the products have performing on the high alpine faces.

Welcome to the team guys!

Winter climbing action all round

2009-02-17T17:13:00.010Z

Everybody seems to have been getting in some winter climbing action this week. With good snow and ice conditions throughout the UK there was no excuse to stay in bed.

Scotland:

The ever active Phil and Pauline Anderson from Glenmore Lodge have been taking full advantage of the fanatsic winter conditions found in the Scotland. The pair made there way into Glencoe and climbed the mixed line of Scabbard Chimney V,6 on Stob Coire Nan Lochan. Pauline can be seen above entering the steep steep chimney section of the route. We dig chicks with picks!

Lake District:

Marmot’s very own office crew has also been climbing some of the many well formed ice routes currently found in the Lake District. Steph Jones made a very impressive early start on Saturday and climbed a number of excellent grade III and IV ice lines on Scrubby Crag in Patterdale. Martin Panton was less keen for an early start and instead took good advantage of the many roadside ice routes found at the top of the Kirkstone pass.

Martin is seen here climbing the popular short ice route Kirkstone Corner III.

Ireland:

Ricky Bell has also been making good use of the wintery conditions in Ireland of all places. Ricky informs us that he talked into seconding a hard mixed route called Great Corner VIII,8 somewhere in the Mounre Mountains. current information on the ascent is sketchy ricky informs us the ascent included a seriously chilly 3 hour long belay whilst the crux pitch was ascended. Brrrrrrrrrr !!!

Dig for Victory at Glenmore Lodge

2009-02-10T15:18:00.002Z

News Just in…

We have just heard a rumor that Glenmore Lodges very own marketing manager Pauline Anderson (featured here wearing Blue) has single handily cleared snow off the mile long approach road to the Lodge. This brave effort allowed many students attending the lodge’s winter skills courses to reach their end objective after a long drive.

You have to really admire Pauline’s commitment to ensure students arrive safely at Glenmore Lodge during this snowy weather.

Unfortunately Glenmore Lodge instructors have confirmed that Pauline was in fact found building a snow man at the time and requested a tractor be was used to clear the approach road instead.

If building snow men is your thing or alternatively if you want to brush up on your winter skills then Glenmore Lodge is certainly the place to be.

Further details on winter skills courses available through Glenmore Lodge can be found by clicking on: www.glenmorelodge.org.uk

Neil Mawson: Climbing paparazzi mixed in with a pinch of big sloper action.

2009-02-05T14:00:00.000Z

Neil Mawson has been keeping himself out of trouble lately by working closely with Marmot’s chief photographer Tim Glasby. Tim's currently working on a future piece of work for ‘Climber Magazine’ which will feature some of the UK’s best looking rock routes.

Neil is seen here posing on Elder Crack (E2 5b) at Curbar Edge. Elder Crack is going to be one of the featured routes for the magazine which will be featuring Neil. Check out the April issue of Climber Magazine for more details.

In addition to posing for magazine photo shoots, Neil has also been working on ticking some sick hard Peak District bouldering problems. Below is an image of Neil pulling hard on Spring Voyage which weighs in at a teeth grinding Font 7c.

.....Crank it baby!

Katy Whittaker climbs Braille Trail E7 6c

2009-02-03T18:44:00.000Z

Katy Whittaker has been busy over the weekend working out the sequences of Johnny Dawes classic line Braille Trail (E7 6c) at Burbage Edge.

Katy had practiced the line prior to leading the route which included working out what kind of gear would fit the obscure pockets found on the wall. Bizarrely it appears the best gear for the job includes a door handle, a metal rod and a micro cam for good measure.

Neil Mawson Marmot UK Pro Athlete

2009-02-03T17:17:00.001Z

Neil Mawson

Traditional climber and boulderer

Aged 14, Neil was introduced to climbing by his farther. Over the years that followed, he seconded many of Britain’s trad routes up to E4. Mainly with his Dad, Neil travelled all over the country; from the Peak District to Pembroke, Yorkshire to The Lakes.

It was not until University that Neil started to lead routes. Within the year he was on-sighting E5 and whilst Neil says that this was only possible because of his long apprenticeship on second, it was evident that this boy had talent.

In 2003, Neil moved to Sheffield and soon on-sighted E6 on Grit including Linden at Curbar. He also head-pointed Masters Edge E7 6c, Beau Geste E7 6c and Gaia E8 6c.
In 2005, on Limestone this time, Neil on-sighted a few E6's including Caveman at Berry Head and flashed an E7, Death Wish at Blue scar.

Neil has also flashed F8a and red-pointed F8a+ but if you ask him what he thinks is his best achievement to date then it will be when he made a visit to Huntsman’s Leap in Pembroke. It was here that he became only the second climber to repeat both Monks Satanic Verses E8 6c and Chupracabra. Chupracabra was origonally given E9 6c (including some French 8a sport climbing and a potential 60ft fall from the crux) though Neil later down graded the route to E8 6c

Katy Whittaker Marmot UK Pro Athlete

2009-02-03T17:14:00.001Z

Katy Whittaker

Sports and traditional climber

Taken from interview with Katy in The Times Newspaper, Feb 3, 2006

…born in 1991, keen and so talented; we are proud to help support Katy. Katy lives in Sheffield, the perfect base for someone passionate about climbing. She has been climbing since 1997 and is one of the shinning stars of the British Junior climbing Team. Katy has also been invited to join the Senior Difficulty and Bouldering teams.

Ricky Bell Marmot UK Pro Athlete

2009-02-03T17:11:00.000Z

Ricky Bell

Traditional climber/Boulderer
An extremely talented young chap born and bred in Belfast. Full name Richard Andrew Bell, he was born in 1983 or 1984, we can’t quite remember, and started climbing with his folks in the Mourne Mountains when he was about ten.

He considers himself a trad climber first and foremost, mainly because Ireland is pretty limited in the sport climbing department (there are no sport routes).
Doesn’t matter because Ricky tells us the trad lines are awesome. On sight climbing is definitely his favourite pastime, though recently he’s got into head pointing (probably because he is climbing bloody hard routes).

Lucy creamer Marmot's UK Pro Athlete

2009-02-03T17:07:00.001Z

Lucy Creamer

All rounder – Traditional, sport, boulder, ice & competition climber.

Lucy Creamer was born on 19th April 1971 in Taunton but now lives in Sheffield, UK. Climbing has been her passion since 1988 and more recently, her profession. With a CV including trad on sight E7 6c, sport onsight F8a, redpoint F8b, UIAA VIII and new routes worldwide, Lucy is probably the UK’s most accomplished and recogniseable female technical climbers.

Lucy is an active participant in other facets of the climbing community; fulfilling such roles as Assistant Manager to the British Climbing Team, climbing instructor and Kendal Film festival judge. She has also held a management committee role within the BMC and has appeared several times on TV & radio to boot.

Lucy Creamer now has her own website; http://www.lucycreamer.com/