Richard Cole

Category: Mountaineering

  • Coniston Scramble: A Weekend of Sun, Rock, and Good Company

    The weekend had been circled in the diary for weeks—a much-anticipated trip to Coniston to reconnect with friends and meet new ones. We were eager to get our hands on rock, scramble in the fells, and enjoy the last of the summer sun in one of the Lake District’s most iconic areas, and definitely one…

  • Retracing Footsteps: A Weekend Scramble on Tryfan’s North Ridge

    My first encounter with Tryfan’s North Ridge dates back to the early ’90s when I tackled it with my father. That memory, like so many of our other adventures, stays with me to this day. Whether it was camping in February near Cnicht in my original Terra Nova Voyager (back when they were called Wild…

  • A Day of Discovery: Navigating the Outdoor Expo Adventure

    Standing at the entrance of the outdoor expo, I felt the air buzz with anticipation. As the doors opened, marking a ribbon-cutting moment, we ventured inside. Our first stop? The wild camping exhibits, featuring a captivating nature tunnel. Then time for a quick lap of the exhibit before setting down to listen to some of…

  • Exploring the FRCC -One of the UK’s Oldest Mountaineering Clubs”

    A Journey to Skye and Beyond I recently had the chance to meet some of the members of the FRCC (Fell & Rock Climbing Club) while on a trip to Skye. I was on my way to Loch Coir a Ghrunnda, preparing for rough weather conditions and strong winds. To my surprise, I encountered another…

  • Isle of Skye Cuillin Ridge Sheffield Mountaineering Meet-up

    Before the trip. At the end of the lockdowns like a number of people I was looking to get back outside, spend time doing my hobbies and meet new people. So I joined the Sheffield Mountaineering Meetup group to get out on some local days out scrambling. Which in turn led to some trips to…

  • What do I use as my bivvy set up

    Bivvying is one of my favorite ways to connect with nature. Unlike tents, bivvys provide a simple sleeping place where you can lie down and watch the stars while feeling the rain and wind on your face. Of course, when the rain becomes too much, you can always pull the fabric over to protect yourself.…

  • Arthur Ransome theme summer break in Torver near Coniston Water

    Definitely feeling Arthur Ransome, Swallows and Amazons theme to the summer with lovely trip to Torver near Coniston Water for a summer break. Wanted to write a few words and pictures about some of our favourite things to do in this area. Brantwood House, Garden and Estate Brentwood offers a fascinating insight into the world of…

  • Top Tips For A Family Trip To Fontainebleau

    I wrote the following guest post for: https://www.chrisensoll.com/chris-ensolls-blog Over the years I have had many a good trip to the boulders of the Fontainebleau Forest which is around 50km south of Paris. Over recent years I have been over to climb there with my children and have found it is a great place for all…

  • Journey into mountaineering with the discovery of scrambling

    On Scottish Easter trips to the Hebridean Islands a seed started to grow that grew into more Father / Son trips to wild places. One of the most memorable was our scramble and bivi trips up Bryant’s Gully. Bryant’s Gully is the longest scrambling route in Snowdonia with over five hundred metres of scrambling ascent…

  • Easter Hebridean Island School Trips

    The bags were loaded into the school minibus and it was time to head off on the long drive to the Isle of Jura in Scotland. This was to be my first of many Easter school trips to the west coast of Scotland; along with the beginning of my love for the Scottish Highlands and…