Into the wild

Well, that's us off to the mountains for the next three days. Today's delights were the incredible ice falls at Krokan - it's oh so quiet and the routes are absolutely 'fat' with ice. We managed to have ropes down the five most popular routes there, and I didn't get one glare or elbow in the ribs for hogging the ice. The team really got to grips with the ice today and climbed an impressive number of metres between them.

 Team riggers carry the gear to the top of the crag.

Craig 'pulling the moves' on some very steep ice.

 Craig still managing to cling on!

TGA Head Boy being awarded a Winnie the Pooh plaster for activities that he might like to explain in his own words.

James trying on the look of 'serious'. Onlookers unconvinced.

 Ali about to indulge in a slice of steep ice.

Indulging (probably combined with a smidgen of muscle exhaustion).

 Kerr on the last route of the day.

Pamela has developed the 'pam move' which involves hooking rather than swinging her axes. The sensible are following suit.

Mysterious ice.

 Ice behind the ice falls.

Skiing in a straight line, apparently.

A bridge too far

Ready, steady, slow

Day one in the Norwegian ice box. As airports go, Oslo Airport is an appealing one. However, its relaxing ambience and Scandinavian architecture of lusterious expanses of wood and glass do not warrant an extra six and half hours of lounging. After a longer journey than usual, we finally tucked in to the Rjukan wendy houses.

Climbing at Krokan today was perfect - friendly but freezing temperatures, very 'fat' ice (it grows so quickly!) friendly, rope-sharing climbers, and most surprisingly, blue sky and sunshine that touched down.  Between leaping into deep, deep snow, seal launching and other snow-focused play, we climbed the ice. 

Icing the appetite

An update of Sunday's Winterr Mountaineering course will follow shortly, with words being kindly donated by David, S6. In the meantime, and to whet (or should that be 'ice') the appetite for the Norway expedition which sets sail this saturday, here are a few icey images from the pupils' Ice Factor outing and Miss Goolden's trip last weekend to scout the snow and ice conditions in Rjukan, Norway.

Icing the appetite...proof that training can take place in the most unlikely of settings!

Clemmie getting to grips with it all - axes, crampons, ice, gloves...

Leon taking a well earned rest.

Hannah hanging in there.

Melissa, still able to belay despite the chill.

Pamela, Kerr and Rosie simul climbing inside the big fridge.

    Snowy, snowy, snowy. I'm thinking tunnelling, snow angels, bears (there are none), wolves (none), snow balls...etc.

An easy abseil approach to a multipitch ice route. 

An animated recounting of the route, post climb.

Almost lost in a sea of ice. This is part of the new 'Ice Park', which means that pipes have been put in above the gorge, water is pied up from the river 70 metres below, and is carefully released to create and 'top up' these routes.

                                                    Caged in...or out?

Climbing in the Rjukan Ice Park: 60 metres of incredibly good and unusually featured ice - heaven!

A full view of one of the Ice Park routes (with Rosie Goolden about half way up) and the Vemork Bridge.

Breath of fresh air?

Day one in the Snow Dome: the Northern Coires of the Cairngorms. After a bout of exams there's nothing like a bit of fresh air. 16 pupils headed north for a weekend's winter mountaineering with Rosie Goolden, Mark Davidson, Bill Strachan and the incredible chef team: Mr, Mrs and junior Horgan. The littlest of them has an astounding nose for sniffing out chocolate and snout sifting the trail mix.

It's a bit of a clue when, at 10am, there are distinctly more people heading out of the coire than in. Still, team Glasgow Academy made it into Coire an Sneachda, did a respectable amount of digging, snowball construction and deployment, press ups, headstands (Dino & William!) and other winter essentials.

Team Glasgow

While everyone else basked in the glow of the group shelter's heat, William braved the deep freeze. Although he mentioned jelly babies several times and became very, very still, he seemed pretty content.

Basking.

Clemmie had the snowiest head, and kept her eyeballs firmly tucked under her hat to brave her goggle-deprived ascent.

Well, some people just need to put in a bit more effort!

Not out of focus, just the nature of the day: a Cairngorm classic of intermittent visibility, communication and company. We did see three fluffed up ptarmigan though.

He was asked nicely to give it back, but Horgan Little was not for letting go. Luckily, neither was his dad.