Round Up: highlights of 2025
2025 has once again been a year of successes, challenges and variety.
The winter started exceptionally well in January; we had a good dump in Snowdonia leading to a ski day which was potentially my best ever in Wales shared with Nella and Becky. The next day we headed for a great week of Norwegian Ice with Tom before heading to Scotland. Great to get personal days in before guiding starts.
Welsh skiing at it’s best
Lillehammer ice climbing
February was a month of contrast; some wintry days but sadly also a lot of thaw. Managed a great week with the RAF mountain rescue team from RAF Valley many of whom I've subsequently spent a lot of time with on rescues this year. Training rescue teams was a big part of our work this year; we helped out 5 different teams with winter trainings.
A lean Hayfork gully on An Teallach with old pal Rory
Adam, the RAF Valley team leader and I had a great day on the ice at Creag Meagaidh
March transitioned really quickly to spring. It meant rock climbing happened all the sooner than usual!
Hebrides MRT training at Aonach Mor
Very Gniess Wall, a mega single pitch on the road to the Small Isles
In early April, we headed to Austria to go ski mountaineering. Shared with friend Rich and Becky this was a planned trip from 2020. Great to summit Austrias highest peak, the Grossglockner. The rest of the month was spent enjoying time at home.
High point of Austria
Afterwork climbing in Llanberis Pass
May was partly spent at home and partly on Skye. The weather for our two weeks up there was perfect allowing a brilliant two day traverse with John and a one day traverse with Jim. Sublime.
Vulcan Wall on Skye. Excellent rock climbing
Heading towards An Stac and the Inpinn, Cuillin Ridge
June is a great month to be in Snowdonia. Lots of rock climbing, outdoor education courses and some Mountain Leader training and assessing. We raised (!) a litter of kittens discovered in the garden from our stray cat Cysgod!
Teaching on a Mountain Leader training course
3 of the 5 kittens we discovered in our cellar
I managed a bit of time rock climbing in the Lake District in July working again for the RAF Mountain Rescue service. It was great to climb and teach in a less familiar area. I really should spend more time there! I also had a weeks work on Barra in the Outer Hebrides.
Shepherds Crag in Borrowdale
Regulars Sam and Dave having a nice day out on Tryfan
August was a time of change. Earlier in the summer we'd accepted job offers to work as Field Guides for British Antarctic Survey. Lots of training ensured for the vagaries of the role. We did run a few mountaineering courses though which was brilliant.
Slab Princess, a quality route recently discovered on the Lleyn
The classic scramble, Notch Arete
September was here, there and everywhere! Various courses for BAS in Cambridge, Norwich, Kendal and Dartmoor plus some trips for work to Scotland and Pembrokeshire.
Goofy shot at pre deployment training
Sandstone in North Pembrokeshire
October was mainly dominated by preparations for the forthcoming tour in Antarctica. We had a two week climb/dive/snorkel trip to Croatia which was a great tonic before going away.
Nella above an inversion on Elidir Fawr
Immaculate limestone
Early November found us flying to South America for a two week voyage on the Sir David Attenborough enroute to Rothera, the main British base in Antarctica.
Last rescue of the season for me. Volunteering for Llanberis MRT is like having a second fulltime job. The team was called out 358 times in 2025. Another record breaking year
Sailing down to the Antarctic was a bit of a once in a life time opportunity
Once we arrived we had several weeks of field training particularly looking at camping and travelling on planes and skidoos. Then it was into December and onto the work which has been a brilliant if relentless round of looking after scientists, managing logistics and training staff.
The first of many trips up onto Stork ridge. A science project which required 750kg of equipment all carried by hand up to site
Day trip to service a weather instrument site