Tom's Channel Swim Party

I travelled up to the Lakes to celebrate Thomas's Channel Swim attempt at the Langdale Chase. Fun had by all with many like minded peo-le. I realise that I need to update my blog. Adam

Dallam Summer School

Just a quick post to say that Photos from the Summer School will be linked to here soon. I just need a bit of time to put them on so come back later.
Thanks, Adam

All of the Whinlatter trails

Team training continued with a visit to Whinlatter to complete all the trails. Fab weather again and a a minor incident of replacing my broken hanger.

Team Training in the Lakes

Another training session staying awake for 36 hours with 24 hours of activity.

Julia, JC, Dave, Kev and myself racked up at Langdale Campsite on Friday evening and headed out into the hills at 23:20.

More to come soon.... just check out the view at 0430 on top of High Raise. Absolutely Beautiful.

Success on Mt Blanc

A weeks holiday with friends to squeeze in Mt Blanc. Summiting on 2nd July 2009 06:20. Summit day there were fantastic conditions making for some fantastic views. Day before was quite an adventure being in the centre of a lightening clound with our heads buzzing inside our helmets and being struck by flashes. The evening activity for us above our camp at the Gouter hut was rescuing a strucken solo french man crawling in the snow who had been struck and had fallen putting his crampon through his leg. We got him back to the hut where he was stitched up and later helicoptered off.

3k track run

Ran my 5th fastest 3k on a windy track in 10m 24s. Not the best of times but 13s quicker that 2 weeks ago. Slowly getting quicker again as my ankle recovers

World Challenge Potential Leader Weekend

4 days in Buxton with 8 other Potential Leaders for Expeditions with World Challenge. A fantastic little set up including presentations and an Expedition in the Peak District for 2 nights. We were blessed with fantastic warm sunny, midgy weather. I would recommend looking into this course if you are at all interested with leading expeditions abroard.

Adam with Baby Daniel

This is my cousins new baby boy who was 3 weeks old when I went along to see him. Here he is with me and with his first bit of climbing gear.

Work at Ormside Mill

A weekend of work at Ormside Mill which included problem solving and team building and a climbing session at the Hoff and a Gorge Walk up Hell Ghyll. Fantastic weekend with some guys from the Watford which was a coincidence.

Work for CTTE

Problem Solving work for Closer to the Edge

Uni House Mate meet up

Had a quick get together with some old friends for a drink in London. I shared a house with these guys, my best friends from Uni. Nick, Kate, Chris and Me.

MRI Scan on ankle

Today was the scan on my ankle to find out if there is any lasting damage from going over on my ankle at the Helly Hansen event 7 weeks ago. Fingers crossed i can get it fixed to a good level so it doesn't happen again and i can get back to racing without worrying about it.

2nd Day Riding with Julia in the Peak

We had a lazy start to yet another hot day to go out on another 6.5 hour ride in the peak, this time up and alongside the reseviors continuing north on the bridal ways to complete a hairpin route over the moor. Fantastic day.

Mountain Biking round the Peak

Julia took me and Al for a long ride round Dark Peak starting in Sheffield linking all the classic trails for an awesome day out in clear blue skys. 6.5 hours with 2000m Ascent.

Dow Crags Climb

A days climbing with Campbell at Dow Crags in the Lake District. We climbed Murray's Route and Murray's Direct. Also Abraham's Route. There was patchy sun and the crag was a little damp but a good day had by all.

Walk up and around High Street

This was a pleasent circular walk over High Street with Thomas, Andrew and the dog knobby. We ended the day with a bite to eat at Thomas's.

Mountain Bike with Jake

A long days riding with Jake in the Peak starting from Hope we rode a loop through Edale with a quick stop for a cake and a repair to Jakes bike in Hope. The weather was fab and a great day for a ride.

The day was finished off with a climb on Blizzard Ridge on Rivelin Rocks near to Sheffield

Instructing at Blackwell Adventure

Spent the weekend Instructing at Blackwell Adventure near Bromsgrove. A number of onsite activities involving high ropes.

Team Training in Borrowdale

Today saw us as a Team take on some training for the up coming events. The weather held apart from the wind to give some fantastic contitions to practice our kayaking skills. We hired the boats for 3 hours and went round the lake with a stop on St Herbert's Island. We also practiced our dibbing technique to not waste time during competition. After the Kayaking I went through some rope work with the team. Abseiling, belaying and tying in. Caz went off for a run with Janet up Scarfell Pike in preparation for the 3 peaks Yacht race next month.

Open 5+ Adventure Race in the Lakes

This event saw 10 members of Team Accelerate up in the Lakes for the first in a series of events. The Open 5+ is a 5 hour race involving Mountain Biking and Running with a timed out section down a Gill. The weather was overcast and mild with some rain. There was a mass start over at Whinlatter taking in some of the best single track in the Lakes. I was pairing up with Kev for this one as we were looking to do well in the series which will see an Open 12 and an Open 24 to come. We got off to a fast start on the bikes in a head to head battle at the front. We arrived at the first transition onto foot in 4th Place. We then headed out into the hills to gather as many checkpoints as we could in the time. These inclused one on an island 100m out into Derwent water, one on top of a 9ft wall and another down an 80m mine. My legs were quite pooped during the run and I struggled with an upset stomach after the swim in the cold water which saw me loose some of its contents. Back on the Bikes again it was a loop round drewent water and back into Keswick to finish. My legs were like jelly and it was hard work driving the bikes to the finish. We finished 5th Male Pair in the end, with me kicking myself knowing that i can go faster and felt I held us back. Its not a bad possition to be in with our stronger endurance events to come in the 12 and 24.
Congratulations to Julia and Dave who won the Mixed pairs and piped us to the post with their score. Also to Caz and George who finished in 3rd.

Preparing my van for its sale

Today me and Dad prepared my Adambulance to sell on Ebay. It has come to the time where I cant afford to keep two vehicles. It looks absolutely fantastic and it will be a shame to see it go after it was my home up in the Lake District for 1 year and 2 weeks. Thanks to dad for all his help.

Click here to see it on ebay

Check out more photos on my website adamsadventures.co.uk

Climbing at the Roaches

Having freelanced for 'Closer to the edge' the day before, myself, Tom and Greg went climbing over at the Roaches in the Peak. Starting of in the mist which soon cleared to blue skys. Achieved the difficult challenge of thrutching through the tight squeeze of 'Sifta's Quid' HS.

Helly Hansen X Adventure Race

28th-29th March saw Team Accelerate put 3 teams into this spectacular 2 day event in the Lake District. Comprising of 9 events on the Saturday from Archery to Canoeing and a big multi disaplin race on the Sunday. All three teams performed well and really enjoyed the event. Overall we achieved a 3rd place securing £500 prize money. My team finished in 6th after our hopes were dashed while in 4th I went over on my ankle during the fell race on Saturday.

Kendal Climbing Wall

Having arrived back in the Lakes to a lovely evening I caught up with Luc for a climb at Kendal Climbing wall.

Buchaille Etive Mor & bye bye Scotland (52 Munros)

Stob Dearg 1022m
along the ridge taking in the two tops to
Stob na Broige 956m ** Munro number 75 (52nd this Winter) **
after retraced steps and dropped down into Lairig Gartain.
Fantastic day with a high cloud base. Before heading into the mountains I hunted down the two hidden bothies within Glencoe and after went for an explore and came accross this wire pulley bridge.

Glencoe Ski munros

Today the weather was aweful! very strong winds again from the south with rain on the lower slopes and sleety hail higher up. The temperature had risen and I had left it late to take on these conditions and head up in the hills. From the ski carpark I headed up under the lifts to Meall a Bhuiridh, 1108m, almost walking into someone coming down as i could not see in the direction i was going for the conditions. I continued round the horseshoe to Creise, 1100m, battling against the full force of the wind in poor visability. Not even my jacket hood could damped the force at which the hail was hitting me which really hurt :( I managed a qhick photo in the wet and headed back to the car.

Very windy day on Mamores

Scotlands Mini Matterhorn
Binnein Beag 943m
windy video

windy video 2

The 4 Eastern Mamore Munros from Kinlochleven. This was a very windy day with winds in the region of 70mph. At times i had to time lulls in the wind to pass some sections without being blown off my feet. It was a long horseshoe and completes all my Mamore peaks. Didn't see anyone all day which is no surprise really.
Lots of fresh snow all bashed up in the wind and not bonding. Its like polystirene balls. The snow up tops will need a bit of time to consolidate.


Kinlochleven- Sgurr Eilde Mor 1010m, Binnein Beag 943m, Binnein Mor 1130m, Na Gruagaichean 1055m, back to car and pub

Perfect day for walk in the Skye

Sgurr Alasdair



Panoramic of the ridge in fantastic conditions

Absiel on route

Cloud had come in by the time i reached the In Pin


This morning awoke in my bivi next to my car at Glen Brittle carpark on the Isle of Skye to find the cloud had come in so i had a delayed start while i faffed around and waited to see any signs of clearing. After a couple of hours the cloud lifted and i was off up the ridge for some fantastic views and to tick off 2 new Munros at the start i had not done before. As you can see the cloud held for some time until i made it to the Inaccessible Pinnacle, a rock climb that i was defeated by on my last visit due to wet conditions and high winds. By the time i reached it to have another go the light was going and the rock extremely wet. As I was alone and no one knew where i was i chose that it was not wise to continue up past my half way marker again so down climbed and retreated back to my car.

Beautiful day over Scotland

Stayed an extra night at the lodge after MIC guinea pigging as there was a wiskey tasting session in the evening. The weather today was absolutely fantastic so took the day to chill, visit the beach on the Loch, and in the afternoon head over to the Isle of Skye to make use of this weather by tackling the ridge on Saturday.

MIC guinea pig day 2

Today was another awesome day in the corries. Alex and myself were guinea pigs on Carl's assessment who oversaw us complete a multipitch ice climbing route. After completeing the route we looked at lowering on steep slopes using bucket seats and bollards. We also looked at the use of a 'dead man' to protect ourselves.
I am pleased to say that Carl passed his MIC assessment which had him looking after us over the last 2 days.

MIC Guinea pig day 1

Ascending the route

Topping out on a route
Being taken on a climbing day as a guinea pig for an MIC (Ice climbing award) assessment. This was a great opportunity to ask plenty of questions and improve my skills to look after myself on routes in the future. It was a fantastic day with clear blue sky and sticky snow.

Perfect Climbing day

'The Vent' my first route of the day, the chock stone was only semi covered in ice. Near the top of Y Gully right hand route The 3 routes i did in the morning Climbing up the couloir An awesome photo of a 360 panoramic of cthe Cairngorm Plateau after ascending 'The Vent'

6 Routes in the Northern Corries, Cairngorms Fantastic day in the Cairngorms, Bivied out in the top carpark of ski center after car was starting to frost over on a clear night. It was going to be perfect weather in the morning. Walked into Corrie Lochain Started up 'The Vent' grade II, solo down the Couloir grade I up Y gully right branch, grade II, solo (with helmetcam) down couloir and accross vent to redo with helmetcam but was stacked up with climbers So, back up the Couloir Drop into Coire an T-Sneachda Up central gully, Grade I, solo Drop back in at eastern most point Up Aladdin's Couloir, Grade I, solo down Aladdin's Couloir, up Aladdin's Mirror, Grade I solo - not in condition, corner is on the rocks. Back to car