Just two weeks ago I was in the Cuillin on Skye with summit temperatures of 16 celcius and dehydration was the biggest problem that we faced. This week was not the same for Alastair and Ali! This week there was more chance of getting washed away in a stream than of dehydration, and the conditions were described as disgusting! Lots of rain, very strong winds and summit temperatures just a couple of degrees above freezing made it very challenging indeed.

Despite this, Alastair and Ali manage to visit all nine Munros on the ridge over three days. This a great achievement given the weather. When the rocks are wet it is so hard to move quickly and efficiently over them. There is lots of grippy gabbro but there is also plenty of polish and lots of basalt which is very slippery in the wet. So, a huge well done to Alastair and thanks to Ali for working around some pretty horrific conditions.

The mountains of the Cuillin are composed of solid rock with very little vegetation cover at all. This means that rain runs off very quickly, streams rise incredibly fast and getting into or out from the coires can be impossible. Very careful thought needs to be put in at the planning stage to make sure that you don't end up facing a serious stream crossing. Even the small streams quickly become impassable with water run-off. 

The autumn is a bit of a lottery of weather - you never really know what you'll get. So, be prepared for everything from warm sunshine to cold, rainy and windy. Fixed plans are not ideal, instead it's best to be open minded and prepared to think outside the box sometimes. We have had some wonderful adventures in the autumn, made even better by the changing colours in the landscape and the lack of midges!

​And we that late autumn means snow and frozen ground - winter is on the way!

Join Protect Our Winters and SEND IT for climate! 

The UK government committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, but even according to their own climate change committee we’re not on track, and this affects everyone.

The next elected UK government must make policy commitments that get us back on track to net zero. Policy commitments start with party manifestos, and you have the power to influence those manifestos!

We need the entire UK outdoor community to send a virtual postcard to stand up for the places we love! POW have taken care of the hard part - POW’s postcard outlines the policy commitments needed to get us back on track to net zero. All you need to do is fill in the blank sections. 

Send a digital postcard and get the UK back on track to net zero.

Want to send a physical card? Pick one up from select Ellis Brigham shops and we’ll send them for you.

Send a postcard and get the UK back on track to net zero 👇

https://protectourwinters.uk/send-it
​

Mountain Guiding and the Climate Emergency

Members of the British Association of Mountain Guides have the privilege of climbing and skiing in mountains all around the world. With the highest worldwide mountaineering qualification, we enable others to get the most out of these beautiful places.

The increasingly obvious effects of climate breakdown are very apparent to us. We see them first hand in the shorter winters with less reliable snow cover for skiing and ice climbing in the UK and in Europe, and in the shrinking glaciers and very hot conditions now found in the Alps in summer.

Mountains are our passion and our workplace, but it can be difficult to know what action to take to help protect them. So the British Association of Mountain Guides is delighted to announce its partnership with Protect Our Winters.

Protect Our Winters helps passionate outdoor people become effective climate advocates to achieve systemic solutions to climate change, protecting our world today and for future generations.

Through Carbon Literacy Training we will gain a better understanding of the climate crisis. Accredited by the UN-recognised Carbon Literacy Project, these courses are tailored to the outdoors community, making them super relevant to us.

We will influence decision makers by supporting Protect Our Winters campaigns. Campaigns focus on renewable energy, electric transportation, green finance, and a managed decline of fossil fuel extraction.

​Protect Our Winters and British Association of Mountain Guides have the passion, information, and resources to make a difference now.