Back to Trad

When you grow up in the British climbing world you hear a lot about the traditional climbing. The desire to go out and climb great clean lines is breathed into us at the wall,...

Devon Delights

A week with the family in Devon to see our old neighbours was a beautiful trip, amazing food, amazing old friends, amazing family time and a small but amazing taste of some rock...

Builders and birthdays in Baku.

The perfect campsite. You might think that would be found high in the Himalayas, or beachside overlooking a picture perfect ocean. But as Mummy always says, beauty is in the eye...

US adventures part 1

Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Creeking, Freestyling, Squirt Boating and more..

So it is finally time to stop kayaking for just a few hours to send an update on my US adventures so...

The Nuts and Bolts

The sport has kicked off surprisingly well, still running on arms of capacity. No training; just been climbing recently and had some pretty good days considering, probably to...

With Love From Madagascar

Last year we supported The Shipwrecked Rambler, Klara Harden on a solo trip through Iceland from which she produced the film Made in Iceland. This year she has another film in...

Antarctic Diaries 2012 - Part 5

Monday 5th March
Terrapin Hill
We awoke this morning to a howling gale and the sound of snow being hurled against the tent. So we turned over and went back to sleep. By 8.30,...

Antarctic Diaries 2012 - Part 4

Friday 2nd March
Terrapin Hill
This morning, excited to be finally ashore, we rose early and got the water boiling for our porridge. We had some jerry cans of ship’s water,...

Cold Summits- Denali Exped 2012

So what happens when climbers with varying skills and ages get together on Denali for 4 weeks? Team work and support will undoubtedly come to the fore, so we’re looking forward to...

Good from the Bad

24 Hours of Exposure 2012. April 7 Newcastleton. Scott Swalling

The rain pelted the canvass and wind crashed into the tent as finally I drifted off, thinking that the course will...

Antarctic Diaries 2012 - Part 3

Wednesday 29th February
On board the ship
It is 1300 and we are about the leave the natural harbour of Deception Island. We have sat here for two days but high winds prevented...

Antarctic Diaries 2012 - Part 2

Saturday 25th February
On board the ship.
Last night the ship again ran into a wall of ice in Antarctic Sound and had to turn back north again. The most recently acquired...

Antarctic Diaries 2012 - Part 1

Friday 17th February 2012
On board the Ship
This morning the team set sail en route to Antarctica. This is the first season south for the new ice breaker to Antarctic waters...

MIC training at the Brenin

It has been a pretty unsuccessful winter for many, but lucky for me mine has been very productive! I managed to get my Winter Mountain Leader finished off (7 years after doing my...

CWIF 2012

The Climbing Works International Festival, CWIF has a big reputation for a UK competition, world class route setters at one of the biggest bouldering walls in the UK attracts...

Vin Cox - Hungry Bike Ride

We caught up with Vin before he heads off on his new venture The Hungry Bike Ride, to find out more about it. You can always keep up to date from Vin’s Facebook page

The idea...

Patagonia Expedition Race 2012 - Summary

‘So, what races have you done before?’
‘Errrm, None…’

This was quite a common conversation for us in the days prior to the race, it usually ended with shocked and concerned...

Kungsleden Gear prep

So I’ll be doing the Kungsleden Ski Tour and once on the trail I’m planning on taking the following route, if i get a clear run with the weather I might go to the Kaitumjaure hut...

Kungsleden Ski Tour

The Kungsleden is a 450km trail system in the very North of Sweden. I guess in a way it’s a little like the pennine way just a little longer and in parts quite remote. In winter...

En route to Antarctica.

Beth Davies and team are on their way to Antarctica.
The team have arrived in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. I feel like I’ve been travelling for weeks! Aberystwyth –...

Arrowhead 135 - the 2nd 24(+) hours

27 hours 39 mins: It was snowing when I left the checkpoint. This irrationally annoyed me because the flakes kept hitting my eye lashes and ensured that I walked the next few...

Arrowhead 135 - the 1st 24 hours

A couple of weeks have passed since the Arrowhead 135 ultra race in Minnesota ended. Enough time for me to grab some sleep and wear out the excuse that my feet were sore so...

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...

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...