Elemental Mountaineering

Elemental Mountaineering Elemental Mountaineering offers training instruction and coaching in all aspects of Rock Climbing, multipitch climbing and scrambling.

Guiding in the Cuillin Range, winter climbing and mountaineering. I have been walking, climbing and scrambling in the British mountains for over 20 years. I currently hold the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructors and Winter Mountain Leader qualifications and am finishing off Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor. I offer tailer made courses to develop your skills in all aspects of mount

aineering in the UK mountains and in rock climbing (both sport and with leader placed protection). I also offer guiding in the mountains and crags of the Peak District, North Wales, Lake District and Scotland.

Over the last couple of days the Cuillin Ridge has been busy, with many teams making the most of the sunshine and attemp...
28/05/2026

Over the last couple of days the Cuillin Ridge has been busy, with many teams making the most of the sunshine and attempting the traverse.

Ossian, Cam, and I headed up into the heat and glorious blue skies alongside many others. Having seen the forecast, we’d stashed around 9 litres of water along the ridge the previous day and set off well before dawn to make the most of the cooler morning air.

By the time we reached An Dorus at around 1:30pm the heat was intense, so we stopped there for over two hours to eat, rest properly, and rehydrate before continuing on towards Bealach Glac Mhor once the day had begun to cool.

Sometimes good progress in the mountains comes less from constantly moving, and more from knowing when to slow down.

We all love those perfect blue sky mountain days — but are they actually the easiest conditions for a Cuillin traverse?

A few things worth thinking about on hot, cloudless days in the Cuillin:

• There’s very little reliable water available along the ridge itself apart from around An Dorus and Bealach Glac Mhor. Stashing water beforehand can make a huge difference.

• If you’re relying on the water sources at An Dorus or Bealach Glac Mhor, it’s worth knowing where they are in advance rather than searching while already dehydrated.

• Large sections of the scrambling and climbing are exposed to direct sun for much of the day, with very little shade. Even in the heat I’ll often wear a lightweight long-sleeved top to protect my arms and neck.

• Sweat, movement, and constant exposure quickly reduce the effectiveness of suncream. Reapplying regularly really matters.

• Heat quietly drains energy, concentration, and decision-making. Taking proper breaks can make a significant difference to how people move and think later in the day.

• If caching water or supplies beforehand, remember to remove everything afterwards.

Thankfully the three of us completed the traverse successfully and made it back to the Sligachan for around 3pm today.

Great to see so many teams out enjoying the ridge in such beautiful conditions.

Stay safe out there.

Association of Mountaineering Instructors
Elite Guides

Day off with the family cragging in Kingussie. Association of Mountaineering Instructors
23/05/2026

Day off with the family cragging in Kingussie.

Association of Mountaineering Instructors

Yesterday Stefan and I braved the fog and mizzle to climb Tower Ridge. Working on behalf of Rock N Ridge. Conditions wer...
21/05/2026

Yesterday Stefan and I braved the fog and mizzle to climb Tower Ridge. Working on behalf of Rock N Ridge.
Conditions were pretty slippy on the rock and there are 2 unavoidable snow patches as you climb the Great Tower. They are pretty crested but at least yesterday were soft so an axe in hand as a minimum is pretty essential.
The Tower Gap itself is snow free but the exit slopes are steep and icy necessitating crampons and an axe.

Association of Mountaineering Instructors

Half a traverse. With Fridays weather being what it was and expecting snow later on Saturday traverse plans were abandon...
17/05/2026

Half a traverse.
With Fridays weather being what it was and expecting snow later on Saturday traverse plans were abandoned and we plumped for a ‘half’ traverse yesterday. They guys had already done the Pin to Sgurr A’ Mhadaidh so we took a cheeky little travelled scramble in Coir A’Mhadaidh to land us between Madaidh’s 4th and 3rd tops to begin our traverse from there.
We didn’t see a soul until we reached An Casteil and beyond.
Beautiful day to be in the best mountains in Britain. Great company to share it with as well.

Association of Mountaineering Instructors

Fankles and dances on stances…We’ve all been there. Ropes in a spaghetti tangle, trying to climb awkwardly around the be...
15/05/2026

Fankles and dances on stances…

We’ve all been there. Ropes in a spaghetti tangle, trying to climb awkwardly around the belayer just to get established on the next pitch.

A lot of that can often be avoided by thinking about two simple things while setting up the belay:

• Where does the route go next?
• And who’s climbing next?

If I’m block leading, I’ll usually build the stance with my back to the route. That way, when the second arrives, they naturally attach facing the direction of travel and can move away more cleanly when we set off again.

If we’re swapping leads, I’ll generally do the opposite — facing the route and bringing the second up between me and the direction of travel, so they’re already organised to lead away.

Small things, but good stance organisation makes multipitch climbing feel calmer, smoother, and far less chaotic.

A tidy stance is often a fast stance.

These are exactly the kinds of systems and habits I spend a lot of time working on during trad coaching and self rescue days in the Lakes and North Wales — helping people move more efficiently and confidently in mountain terrain.

Greadhaid and Madaidh often get left for the poor weather days. I think that’s actually a shame considering they both of...
15/05/2026

Greadhaid and Madaidh often get left for the poor weather days. I think that’s actually a shame considering they both offer some excellent scrambling terrain and super views.
Sgurr Thulim ridge of Sgurr A’Mhadaidh was ‘just technical enough’ for today’s forecast. Followed by the North Ridge down to An Dorus and up onto Greadaidh. Temperatures were just a bit too cold for us to commit to the superb ridge between Greadaidh and Sgurr Thormaid so we descended from the summit of Greadaidh feeling satisfied with a grand day in the hills.

Been reflecting today on what I tend to teach first when introducing people to building belays.More often than not, I co...
14/05/2026

Been reflecting today on what I tend to teach first when introducing people to building belays.
More often than not, I come back to simple belays built with the rope and gear alone.
There’s an elegance and versatility to them that I really value in mountain terrain. They’re adaptable, relatively easy to understand, and don’t rely on overly complex equalisation strategies or clever “tricks and hacks.”
Those things absolutely have their place in the right context — but I think the fundamentals have to come first.
Strong anchors.
Clear direction of load.
Simple systems.
And the position and stability of the belayer themselves.
Good belays often feel calm, efficient, and uncomplicated.
Curious what other people tend to prioritise first when considering belay construction outdoors.

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Whether it’s summer or winter, scrambling or alpinism, single pitch or multipitch, every piece of gear we place is usual...
12/05/2026

Whether it’s summer or winter, scrambling or alpinism, single pitch or multipitch, every piece of gear we place is usually serving several purposes at once.
Protecting the leader, guiding the rope, and — something sometimes overlooked — protecting the second too.
In trad climbing, placing protection becomes part of the craft itself.
Good gear rarely comes from simply placing protection quickly. It comes from understanding the rock, the terrain, and how the system will behave once we move above it.
Here are a few things I’m usually considering when assessing gear.

I’ve been running a few trad multipitch, self rescue and learn to lead courses this spring and have more planned for the summer. Happy to chat if you’ve got questions about this kind of thing.

Warm blue skies drew us upwards and along the Aonach Egeach yesterday. I had the pleasure of guiding returning clients C...
10/05/2026

Warm blue skies drew us upwards and along the Aonach Egeach yesterday. I had the pleasure of guiding returning clients Colin and Fiona who wanted to traverse the mainland’s longest ridge.
The warm sun staved off the chill from the wind and made the ridge a pleasure and afforded us glorious views of Schiehallion in the East, the Ben to the North, the whole splendour that is Glencoe.
Thanks to Colin and Fiona for being great clients and Maggie for the photos. Not to mention it was great to see fellow Association of Mountaineering Instructors Will and James along the ridge.

I’m often asked about footwear on the ridge, so I thought I’d share a few gentle thoughts and things I’ve come to apprec...
02/05/2026

I’m often asked about footwear on the ridge, so I thought I’d share a few gentle thoughts and things I’ve come to appreciate over time guiding here.
Fit & comfort
Above all, whatever you choose needs to feel right on your feet. A good fit helps prevent blisters, and enough support in the footbed makes a big difference over long days on rock. Something like the Tx2, for example, is lovely and grippy—but the minimal support can become quite noticeable after hours of movement.
Grip
It’s less about the tread and more about the rubber itself. Softer rubber tends to feel beautifully secure on the Cuillin gabbro, giving you that extra confidence on the rock.
Weight
Lighter footwear can really help with efficiency and flow—but not at the expense of support. There’s a balance to find here. Too heavy, and movement can feel laboured; too light, and you may lose that all-important stability underfoot.
Flex vs rigidity
This is a subtle one. Too stiff, and it’s harder to smear confidently on the rock. Too soft, and you might find yourself rolling off smaller edges. I’ve found shoes like the Tx4 or Mescalito strike a really nice balance for these ridges.
Shoes vs boots
Boots can offer a bit more protection around the ankle and keep out the inevitable small stones. And there are always stones… I’ve lost count of how many I’ve emptied out of my Tx4s at the bottom of An Stac screes!

My fave shoes and boots
Tx4 mid high shoe or Tx4 boot.
In the wet I prefer Tx5 boot or shoe.
Other options you might prefer are the Boulder X or Mescalito.

But I’m sure there are more!

It’s always a bit personal, of course—what feels right for one person may not for another—but hopefully this gives you a helpful starting point if you’re thinking about what to wear on the ridge

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