On the road to nowhere… getting back to fitness

I get asked a lot how to get fit or get better at climbing. Most of the time my answer is the same; unless you are prepared to start a specific training plan just do more. In May...

Patagonia Expedition Race 2012 preparation

The 10th edition of the Patagonia Expedition Race gets underway on the 14th of Feb. Having undergone a selection process, of the 20 teams there will be one from the UK and they...

Back to Antarctica

Antarctica season #1 saw Bethan Davies and team head out to James Ross Island back in 2011. In just over a weeks time she’ll be heading back out there with a slightly different...

Arrowhead 135 - run

Arrowhead 135. Northern Minnesota USA. Deep Winter ultra-endurance, bike, ski or run. Paul Errington took it on by bike back in 2010, this year will see Lee Peyton heading out to...

Cogne/Dobbiaco - part 2

...5 days to go, and no M11’s around… So what do we do? Change clothes, get the espresso maker going in the car park and start driving to the Dolomites in search of some hard...

Cogne/Dobbiaco - part 1

This week I was called the “epitome of dedication”. I think they might be right. Kris and I have been training for a specific goal this winter, our first proper M11. I’ve climbed...

Factory Diary Week 1

Exciting news from the AlpFactory; this week we finally, actually, properly start production (albeit tentatively - baby steps)! On Friday we finished the final production sample...

Lip Project

A few days later we were driving again in the dense Welsh rain. Are we going climbing, really? Yes, drytooling will sort you out in the grimmest days. My day started with hardly...

Leeds!

Wow hit in the face by University, international competition seems a doddle in comparison! I have begun a new challenging period; with a base in Leeds climbing has potential to be...

The “Goods” bootcamp

Winter has finally arrived, time to dust off the ice axes. I have to admit I’ve been putting it off as much as I could, the summer has been way too good to let it go that easy....

Getting my kayaking video skills up to scratch

Having a few big adventures planned for 2012 I’ve decided I want to get my video and editing skills up to scratch! With this in mind I thought I’d put my new Go-Pro to the test...

Westway Christmas Party and drytooling extravaganza

Last Friday was the Westway climbing centre’s Christmas bash, featuring an open drytooling comp using Figfours on the Westway’s impressive outdoor lead wall to kick off the...

Training has begun

For a while I’ve fancied the idea at having ago at adventure races, not sure why but they do look like fun, so I’ve signed up for one on the 1st April 2012 - The Haglofs open 5...

8a with no spurs

Hardly a month goes by before hearing that some super-wad has climbed yet another 9a+ route. Young guns nowadays have it quite hard to make a name for themselves, the bar has...

British Universities Kayaking Expedition Venezuela - Full Video

The Expedition went to the amazing South American country, Venezuela.  Based around 3 locations; the steep, boulder rivers in Merida, the 33,000 cumecs Rio Orinoco monster and...

Reflecting on the Big Shakeout

We were well past the point of no return when we decided the Big Shakeout was a mistake. Everything was committed, but we were queueing up in line to bail.

Lemmings are born...

Trying the Kangri

A few days before heading to Scotland for a kayaking trip I borrowed the new Kangri tent from Alpkit. I had been looking for a “proper” tent for a while as up until now i’ve been...

Pick of the Big Shakeout

As the new girl in the Alpkit team I’m quite excited to be writing my first daring deed! Jim has asked us to write about our favourite bit of this weekend’s Big Shakeout...

British Lead Climbing Championships 2011

There is still so much to tell about a complete shake up of my routines having started studying at Leeds University, but here is a quick update on the competition circuit!

I...

Uniyakers Venezuela Sum Up

The Uniyakers are back from their expedition to Venezuela and here they sum up a great trip.

All photos © Rob Moffatt. Thanks Rob

In Venezuela, thousands of unknown rivers...

Climbing in the Ariege

You must excuse my lack of updates, I know you have heard this many times from many people and I don’t deserve any sympathy but I have just been so busy! Hear me out, enjoy and...

Made In Iceland

The Shipwrecked Rambler, Klara Harden embarked on a solo voyage across Iceland and to document the journey. Enjoy the photos. The film will be premiering at our Big Shakeout 15th...

Ultra Tour of the Lake District - The Lakeland 100

Following my previous article, it has been a month of lounging around and not much running, except for an amazing day/night/day/bit-of-a-night out in the Lakes.

The Lakeland 100!...

Giro di Monte Bianco

The Tour of Mont Blanc is an 11 day trek around Mont Blanc. I didn’t have 11 days, I wanted to keep a lunch appointment with a friend in 3 days time, but I did have a bike and...

Work hard, canoe home

Over the years of commuting to and from work in Ilkeston team Alpkit has driven, cycled, bused, walked and run, but there was one mode of transport that we all participate in...

Coasteering with Boulder Adventures

Messing about on rocks near the sea or as they call it now - Coasteering

Every year we try and get the most out of our company, our friends, our family and some dubious hangers...

Team Sky Ropes

A crack team from Alpkit GHQ headed to Thornbridge Outdoors in order to see what they could throw at them.

The Big Shakeout weekend is all set to get the adrenaline pumping for...

Learning on the road

Last month James and Adrian headed off on a 100 day tour of over 20 European countries. Although very familiar with the two wheeled type of transport, when it comes to cycle...

Antarctic Season #2

At the beginning of the year Bethan Davies and crew spent a few months on James Ross Island, Antarctica. Well they are due to head back again in 2012. You can catch the first...

Rain-stop-Sun-stop-Wind-stop

The Shipwrecked Rambler- first telegram from Iceland

Experience the horizontal rain, cross ice-cold rivers and climb up mountains. THIS IS WONDERFUL!

Back in Reykjavik for a...

Detours, illness and the Colorado Trail race

Done! That was amazing. Super hard.

5 days 15hrs and 10th place, I think. Very ill the first few days but got myself sorted and nailed all the hard sections to make up a lot of...

Triple Success

Three weeks at Ceuse and my time here draws to a close, what a trip it has been so far!

The end of last week saw a quick dispatch of Radote Joli Pepere a stunning line starting...

Geo-Caching

A giant game of puzzles, gps and treasure hunting!!

So how easy is it to do and what do you need? Surprisingly little, a smartphone that can go on the net, some sort of gps...

Canoe Safari teaser.

Water…it’s my biggest fear apart from wrists, but that’s another story completely. I can swim and have all my life saving awards, but give me the choice of land or sea and...

Uni Kayakers in Venezuela

After arriving into the boiling heat of Caracas we started a long drive West to a rafting base near Barinas. Here we spent a few days finding our feet paddling the local rafting...

Going Underground

I’d never been caving, never really having the inclination to venture into the belly of the Earth whilst the outer surface gave me ample space to run around waving my arms in a...

Short trip to Slovenia

For my second trip to the alps this summer, I headed to Slovenia for what I guessed would be blue skies, clear emerald green water and good paddling, and it didn’t disappoint....

Walking to work

Today I walked in to work, it took me 2 1/2 hours. I didn’t wake up any earlier and I got into work about 15 mins late. I decided to do it 39mins before I set off so I didn’t need...

Colorado Trail Race

Tomorrow at 06:30 I’m setting off on the Colorado Trail Race.
Basically, I’m trying to ride just short of 500 miles with 65,000” climbing (twice up Everest or the 21 times up...

The long and rocky road to the Lakeland 100… Part 2

Tracey, a supermotivated running friend of mine sent me a Facebook link to the Lakeland 100. It is a 105 mile round of the Lake District, with just short of 21000ft of climbing....

The long and rocky road to the Lakeland 100… Part 1

You will rarely hear a runner say that they are in tiptop form, or running really well, especially on the start line of a race. (That is until the gun goes “bang” and everyone...

Two classics fall to the flash

I am super psyched to have pushed my personal best with two flash ascents of routes graded 8a+. Femme Blanche is a super classic technical climb starting sustained on a slightly...

The Grenzstein Experience Part 3

The start of day 3 was the same deal as day 2 ... 4.30am alarm and away by 5am.

This time we were straight onto the tank plate then off for a short while then back on for what...

Schooled in Ceüse

A couple of weeks ago I booked some flights for a long weekend to Spain in the heat of the moment. I didn’t have a plan, just a vague idea to go and check my friend’s crag to be...

Falling For the Fun of It

Hello again! It has been a while since my last Daring Deed - turns out my new miniature climbing buddy isn’t a great training partner- she would much rather eat the chalk and...

Pushing things Forward

We have picked up the pace in camp Ceuse, the walk in is feeling easier everyday and the classics are falling one by one. We are working a two day on, one day off rotor and I have...

The Grenzstein Experience Part 2

Day 2 was approached more business like… alarm at 4.30am.. we were packed and moving by 5.00am.

The riding in the morning featured a lot of equestrian trail, this means sand.....

Settled in Ceuse

A camp above the white cliffs, mayhem through Paris, a night in the hammock and we are finally settled in with the Rig 7 tarpaulin set up with the snazziest tent pegs on the site....

British Uni’s Kayak Expedition 2011 - Venezuela.

Since the first British University Kayak Expedition to Kyrgyzstan back in 2005 some of the best student kayakers have been chomping at the bit to secure a place on one. Running...

Euro rock trip

My bags are packed to bursting, have I got everything? 2 days have passed since the weight of A levels was lifted mercifully from my shoulders. The euphoria has not yet subsided,...

The Grenzstein Experience Part 1

The Grenzstein Experience
“A Political border does not take into consideration the topography of the land which it crosses, the surface upon which it travels or the need of a...

Simply do fun things

Coming back from Troll Wall was an extremely disappointing event. Over the last few months I’ve gone through a whole host of different stages of motivation and am just now...

Lord of the Loops Midnight Madness

The Dark Peak MTB guide had been on my shelf since last years Big Shakeout and now with the long evenings and a full moon it felt like the perfect opportunity to take on the...

Simply Paddling

I’d heard levels in the alps were at a all time low, and the way people were talking you would think there wasn’t a drop to be found anywhere, So we set off for our 2 weeks in the...

Grenzsteintrophy Monday Update

Sunday..
So far.. 195km on the first day, 230km yesterday but 1100m peak today so 125km ish. Need to average 140km a day from here to make the flight. Tough going from here, only...

Grenzsteintrophy

Bike packed.. bag packed… feeling pretty stressed. The event starts today.. 800 miles to ride… got a schedule to ride too .. lets hope the legs and the mind decide to play ball...

The Competition Season Kicks Off

Since being out in Austria my training has taken a turn towards peak performance. The trip marked the start of a short macro cycle in the run up to the first European Youth Cup...

Welsh Ride Thing

Multi day mountain bike events usually involve marked race course and tents or even better hotels

The Welsh Ride Thing contained neither ... the event is best described by...

Half term with Gourdon

I was introduced to Gourdon the week before Easter, Kenny left him at the climbing centre for me and the staff looked after him in his plastic bag. I instantly knew we would get...

Climate Change Consortium of Wales

Bethan Davies attends a climate change conference in Aberystwyth

C3W Conference 27th-28th April 2011, Aberystwyth

Last week, in between the two long weekends, I attended and...

Ski-Karting in Sweden

In January, when England was thawing out and after I’d been snowed into my uni room for a good week or two in the midst of November and December’s arctic weather, I was making...

Paragliding over Keswick

Feeling exhausted after a week of sailing I thought it would be a good idea to spend a week learning to paraglide. This was also something completely new to me and I had no idea...

Sailing on Bassenthwaite…

My 2010 was a year of re-establishment and discovery. After finally escaping institution and moving home in August I was ready for some excitement in my new reality. This began...

Greenland - a dirtbag expedition

“we just want to go and climb big and make a statement for the everyday dirtbag climber”
Fed up with reading the same old stories of the proclaimed ‘rock stars’ doing this and...

Team Antarctica - The Return

The team (Jonathan Carrivick, Neil Glasser, Bethan Davies, and Alan Hill) were deployed into the field early on 21st January by the RRS Ernest Shackleton after a decidedly rough...

Nottingham Boulder League Final

I always look forward to the Nottingham Climbing Centre’s annual Bouldering league. With even more to look forward to this year being the first series in their brand new, bigger...

FontaineFun

Home again, every time I go somewhere amazing it seems like no time has passed and I’m back to school. Fontainebleau is one of those places where my time there seems to go far...

Troll Wall - A (very) short story

My hope by finally writing this up is there is a little catharsis for me once it’s finished. Never have I been more disappointed in my life than by the situations I had to face in...

Care Project Performance

Poi-Sons did a very enjoyable voluntary performance on Friday for the Southwell Care Project. This is a local organisation that provide support for Adults with Learning...

Yukon Arctic Ultra- Race report

The Breakingstrain, Lee and Garry, completed their first Yukon Arctic , here they run down how it went.

Race Day – Sunday 6th February – Whitehorse River Start line

Forced to Rethink

It’s strange how things turn out sometimes isn’t it?

Since our last post for Alpkit we’ve cycled down through Spain, crossed via ferry from Malaga to Melilla and cycled south...

Fontainebleau Coaching Week

So the annual trip to the bouldering Mecca Font has happened once again, on February 19th 12 young climbers and 8 Jurassics (older than young) hit the road in a van (boulder mat...

Tomahawk M10+

You’ve gotta love climbing. And you gotta love Switzerland. Climbing takes you to stunning places that otherwise you wouldn’t know or even bother. Some local climbers find tucked...

No Fondue!

After the initial flip upside down he kept falling.

W.t.f.?  Am I actually holding the ropes?  I remember trying to take in slack to stop his headfirst fall - unsuccessfully.

1st Outdoor Leisure Show

Well, we’ve finally packed away the last of the stand, scrubbed the last bit of paint from our hair and had a chance to catch our breath to look back at the Outdoor Leisure Show...

M12

Virtually no low level snow has made a couple of trips up to the Breitwangflu easier than normal partly because no skis are needed and partly because it is possible to drive up...

Head in Gear

It feels that finally I’ve got my head in gear to do stuff, despite not at the level I expected due to many factors. Still, I’m having loads of fun despite the hard work and...

Searching for ice on the Ben

So on Thursday evening me and the Captain (Alex Dalton) set off to beautiful rainy and warm Scotland for a smudging of ice climbing. Problem is that most of the snow is gone and...

Back in the Saddle

Kandersteg is one of those clean cut Swiss Alpine villages, sheltered in a valley between steep mountains, large wooden chalets and a handful of expensive looking hotels spread...

New trad route in Oeschinensee, Kandersteg

On Monday we went up to have another look at the unclimbed line we spotted after our retreat from “Buch Dich”. The good thing about the line is that it looked that it would go all...

Welsh Ride Thing Part 3

For me the Welsh Ride Thing exceeded my expectations, for a lightweight office working southerner used to his home comforts this really was an adventure, the planning the...

Welsh Ride Thing Part 2

I had covered far fewer miles than I had hoped on the 1st day and when I rose from my warm slumber into the cold damp morning I felt an overwhelming urge to pack up and go home. I...

Welsh Ride Thing Part 1

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I always fancied the idea of ‘adventuring’, out in an apparent wilderness, overnight, protecting yourself from the elements, and fuelling...

Looking up and Mixing it up.

It took a while to recover from the 3 pitch lead “Rise and Shine”, and not being able to finish the route left a sour after-taste. Trying to find what to do next, that’s good, in...

Yukon Arctic Ultra

The Yukon Ultra is taking place from the 6th to the 19th of Feb, for Mountain bikers, XC-skiers and Runnners. The Breakingstrain will be taking our Hunka XL bivvy bag as they run...

Kelsey Kerridge Reunited

We were a pretty close bunch of climbers and we liked to get our climbing fix on a regular basis. The Kelsey Kerridge wall in Cambridge was our home when we were not at either...

First Impression in Kandersteg

It’s proving a slow start with the climbing here at Kandersteg. To start with the conditions are not brilliant, but there’s stuff about to do. When we got here we were feeling a...

Alpkit team at the Ice Climbing World Cup

Ice climbing competitions are a funny thing, a whole lot of people get together to test against each other, but they all do it for different reasons. What caught my attention last...

2011 - The Beggining

After a heavy dose of Christmas cheer and man flu January loomed ahead of me with the promise of shody weather, A level physics and University applications. Fortunately a meeting...

Antarctica bound

Bethan Davies is en-route to James Ross Island, Antarctica. We managed to pick up some faint signals as she disappeared further South…

17 Jan 2011.

Please find enclosed a brief...

British bouldering championships 2011

So it was an early start, I left Nottingham at 5.30am to go pick up Kenny, our aim was to get to London to watch the Nottingham Junior team in the British bouldering championships...

Cairngorm Lonelies

Before xmas I walked in to Corie an t’Sneachda to try and rope solo a route. It was raining and whiteout then and by the time I got to the base of The Message my head was...

Himalayan Peak UK Challenge 2010

For the final part of our trip around Nepal we headed to the Himalayan White Water Challenge 2010, held on the Trisuli river, this is conveniently placed half way between Pokara...

Winter Wonderland: The Rob and Ramon Show

Winter has arrived early in Britain this year, and with a vengeance. A lot of people have been able to get out and climb early season routes, but for us southerners stuck at work,...

A good 2010 season

After good results at the Europeans I unfortunatly slipped off at the second clip in the Open Youth competition in Ratho which forfeited my place in the World Championships. This...

NECCL RD 6 - First top 3

Paul E has been keeping himself busy this Autumn and Winter competing in the NECCL. Here he hits the top three.

NECCL RD 6 - First top 3

Its been 2 weeks since my last race… I...

Fun in Pokara

After returning to Kathmandu we soon wanted to leave again and headed to Pokara to base ourselves there for 10 days or so, so we booked a 7 hour bus ride and off we went. Pokara...

Scottish Tooling Series Round 5 - The Final Showdown.

The final round of the Scottish Tooling Series arrived at the grand arena of Ratho. Here Pete gives his run down of final proceedings.

Ratho was the perfect setting for the final...

Nicky in Nepal

We arrived in Kathmandu and after spending a couple of days getting used to the pace of life here, and seeing the most amazing Devali celebrations, we headed of to the Karnali...

Scottish Tooling Series Round 4 - Ice Factor

Pete was back in action again at the Ice Factor, this leaves him with just the final at Ratho to come! Get up there on the 27th!

The tooling series is becoming a very enjoyable...