Since their relocation to Gooswell Farm, the Keswick Climbing Wall have been working hard to get the centre up and running, and developing a programme of events and competitions to draw people into the centre. As part of this, they have introduced a series of dry-tooling competitions.

With all this snow and ice around in the Lake District this winter, you may be forgiven for wondering why you would want to spend time indoors on a climbing wall with your ice axes. However, like any indoor climbing (in my opinion!) if you're wanting to improve your technique outdoors, then time spent 'in the gym' indoors, can be well spent.

It looks really mad, but whether you're wanting to improve your technique and strength on steep ice, or hard mixed routes, or simply try it out as a new facet of climbing, then it's definitely worth giving it a go. Debbie at the centre says it's open for anyone, so even if you've not tried it before, just turn up and thwack those logs!

Well the winter continues to be kind to us, members have been out individually all over the Lakes and some have made regular forays into the Scottish Highlands, notably Phil and Sue who disappeared for about a week and knocked off a number of outstanding ice routes, well done them.

Jan 29th to 31st. Newtonmore, Cairngorms meet.

Our annual Cairngorm weekend was dogged by a poor forecast for much of the week leading up to the trip, with heavy snow forecast in strong Northerly winds. True to form this arrived on the Friday, blowing out John's day working in Aberdeen and making it impossible to get up to Elgin and Inverness for his afternoon appointments.

Meanwhile, over in Aviemore, Dan Bulman, Pete Sowerby and Martin Smith made it up by lunchtime and spent the afternoon, in a fine ‘ Sneachda, enjoying a quick solo of Aladdin's Couloir, and bumped into Tim (The Terminator) Millen who had just popped up to solo Red Gully, The Runnel and Aladdins Mirror Direct, his first Scottish grade IV! And so, the theme was set for the weekend.

The Big Freeze became the Big Thaw by the time this meet arrived. Any thoughts of ice climbing were shelved as the streams flowed freely through the valleys. What little ice remained in the gullies although looking pretty, was pretty awful to climb on. Snow conditions weren't much better...heavy wet snow making progress slow when breaking trail.

With hindsight, perhaps a run up Latrigg would have sufficed but committed to a look up Deepdale, we decided to enjoy it anyway.

The sensible ones, probably knowing better how to enjoy a good walk, set off up Hartsop above How, heading for Hart Crag. The team comprised Jackie, Dorinne, Lynne, Jane, Dennis and a welcome new member, Pete from Stocksfield. The reckless other lot got going at a good pace up the path to Link Cove, by-passing the routes on Greenhow End which were in poor shape. Latching on to another team's tracks ahead gave some relief from the problems of going, sometimes thigh deep in soft snow.

Do you really want to hear this? No-one else has said what they have been up to for the record but Brown Cove Crag, Raven Crag Gully, Grey Mares Tail, Aire Force, some climbs near Tebay (Brian and Tony Stoddart) are just a few of the routes that have been enthused about since Christmas.

By a lucky chance, Phil and I had booked for Scotland just when some of the amazing lower routes were "in". Inspired by Tony Morley and Steve's experience of Eas Anie, near Tyndrum, we spent a night at the Wigwams and rose very early to be first on 3 beautiful  pitches of good solid ice. We knew from meeting delayed climbers from the previous day that internet info had increased the popularity of a lovely climb, accessible without a huge walk up to it. We captured the Corbet above, Ben Chuirn for good measure and met folk on the way down who had only managed pitch one because of the queues and envied our early start in the dark.