What I learned on my winter climbing course

[pozorvlak]

Last week I went on a two-day Introduction to Winter Climbing course at the National Outdoor Training Centre at Glenmore Lodge, at the foot of the Cairngorms. I'd done a few winter routes before, but I wanted to fill in my knowledge of the basics: I had a few specific questions I wanted answered, but I was mostly worried about the unknown unknowns

Comments

[weaselspoon]

It all looks so.. inviting. I'm a skier and it's been two years since I've been anywhere so white.

I'm not sure if you knew this already, but the blueness of your pictures will probably be the white balance. Either it's set wrong, or it's set on auto and the huge whiteness is throwing it off. Set it to daylight before you climb. Also someone was saying that a thin chippolata-type sausage will make a good touch screen stylus. Don't know how true that is.

[pozorvlak]

*checks camera settings*

You're right - the white balance was on auto. Thanks very much!

[fanf]

Sausages are popular styluses in Korea - http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/south-korean-iphone-users-turn-to-sausages-as-a-cold-weather-me/

I also enjoyed this article though I'm unlikely to go winter climbing :-) The point about figure-of-8 knots was interesting. Do you have an example of how not to do it for comparison?

[pozorvlak]

I was actually talking about figure-of-eight loops, which are commonly used to tie the rope to your harness. Tie a figure-of-eight knot, thread the working end through the strong points on your harness, thread the working end back through the figure-of-eight knot to form a new figure-of-eight knot, interlinked with the first one. I've posted some photos here, but I'm a bit confused - the one that looks less neat is the one tied big-to-little, and the one that looks neater is tied big-to-big. I guess I must have misunderstood something along the way.