OutDoor 2011 Pictures

Thought I'd sneak off the ME stand for five minutes and post a few pictures of what been going on for the ME Team at OutDoor.

ME's Thomas Strobl and Richard Talbot (centre) collecting a Gold OI award for the Titan 450/Down Codex

Dave MacLeod Hoy Q and A Session on the ME Stand

Dave with Claude the editor of Vertical Magazine

Girls DAV Expedition team visited the stand to checkout the latest AW11/SS12 Range

 Dave being interviewed for on 4 Season's TV

 ME Pro partners Dave and Sylvain have a catch up

 Dave at the GORE-TEX Experience tour press conference

Dave with his fellow GORE TEX Athlete team members

Long Hope Poster

Coming Soon!!!!

Keep up to date with all the latest at www.hotaches.com 

Mucklehouse Wall E5 6a, Orkney - Video

Heres a short 2 minute clip of ME Pro partners Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner on the classic 4 pitch E5 Mucklehouse Wall, Orkney.

You can keep up to date with all the latest of what Dave and Andy have been up to at their blogs here

http://andyturnerclimbing.blogspot.com/
http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/

Long Hope Route 1970

I was having a bit of a rummage through the Mountain Equipment archive today and to my surprise came across these photos of Ed Drummond and Oliver Hill on the Long Hope Route back in July 1970, the very route that ME pro partners Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner completed a few weeks back.

 Ed Drummond after the last bivouac on day 9 

Ed Drummond leading on day 5 

Oliver Hill on pitch 16 (The Crux) end of day 8 

Ed Drummond leading pitch 16 (The Crux) day 8

 Ed Drummond on pitch 16 (The Crux) day 8

Lukasz sung by the office on Monday on his way back from Hoy to give us a quick glimpse of some of the amazing shots he took of Dave and Andy on the Long Hope Route (a few of which are below).  There will be articles and more pictures to come in the climbing press shortly and were also super excited about seeing the footage that Diff and the guys at Hotaches got in the bag... keep your eyes peeled for more info soon!

Ed Drummond back at St Johns Head last week   

All photo: Lukasz Warzecha

Time for a catch up

Its been a hectic few weeks for the team as ever at ME towers, so I thought I'd fill you all in with some highlights of what me and the rest of the team have been up too - Contrary to popular belief and posts we don't spend all the time outdoors, though we try! 


Back in June the international Mountain Equipment sales team descended on Central Manchester for our Summer 2012 sales meeting. Germany, Japan, Norway, USA, France, Benelux, South America to name a few were all in attendance to check out whats coming for Summer 2012. I'd love to be able to show you some of the awesome gear the design team have been working on but then I'd have to kill you... as its all top secret at the minute!

  Richard T and Sam take the team through the Summer 2012 range

After 3 days of presentations, meetings and planning the team were all psyched and raring to go back to their territories to start the sell in process to their retail customers. 


We were then joined by ME pro partner Dave MacLeod who came down to Manchester for 2 days for a catch up with the team, set a few new Bouldering problems down at the Manchester Climbing Centre and then a lecture down at The Mountain Equipment Store - Deansgate, as part of our on going free lecture series (keep up to date with future dates here). As with previous Andy Turner lecture it was a sell out and yet another great evening. Thanks to Dave, Peter and the guys at the Store, ME's Andy Green and to all you guys that came along.

    

Dave taking everyone through his plans for the Long Hope Route

The following day we were then joined by two Japanese Magazines and a South Korean shopping channel film crew, who had all traveled across to the UK to shoot/write features about the ME brand and also interview members of the team as well as a few famous faces. 

      

Doug Scott takes the guys through some of the highlights of his mountaineering career at the BMC head offices 

Brian Hall talks the guys through his work

I then managed to get away from the office.... so while Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner were pushing the limits of climbing on the Long Hope Route I headed to one of the wettest, muddy'est and for 1 day hottest places on earth.... Glastonbury Music festival....

Need I say more...... 

Thankfully I was a little more selective about where I pitched my tent

GORE-TEX Pro shell and Ray bans - the choice of any professional festival goer! 

Next stop Friedrichshaften, Germany for the OutDoor 2011 Tradeshow 

to be continued......... 

Hoy - Update 1

The guys have been sending the first reports/pictures out from Hoy. Heres a few pictures from yesterday.... 

you can read all the latest reports over at the guy's blogs -

Lukasz Warzecha's blog: http://blog.lwimages.co.uk/
Dave MacLeod's blog: http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/
Andy Turner's blog: http://andyturnerclimbing.blogspot.com/
Paul Diffley blog: http://www.hotaches.com

All photos Lukasz Warzecha

Ben in training

We've just had this photo in from a secret source (Alastair) of Ben, clearly in training for his next expedition....

Ben along with fellow explorers Alastair Humphreys and Martin Hartley set out this October on the Scott 2012 expedition....



This year is the centenary of Captain Scott's last expedition. The objective he died trying to achieve, a return journey to the South Pole on foot, remains unfinished. Accomplished Polar Explorer Ben Saunders is leading a three-man team that sets out in October (from Scott's hut at the coast of Antarctica) to complete this four-month/1,800-mile trek. If all goes well, it will be the longest unsupported polar journey in history.


you can keep up with all the latest at


Ben's site - www.bensaunders.com
Martin's site - http://www.martinhartley.com/ 
Alastair's site - http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/

Hoy - The Beginning

Tomorrow sees Mountain Equipment Pro partners Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner set out on their next exciting challenge. 

   St Johns Head

Dave and Andy aim to climb The Long Hope Route on St John's Head, Hoy in a single day, freeing the final pitch up the headwall which Dave considers will come in around a hefty F8b+. Quite a challenge after 850 feet of sandy sea cliff and several pitches of E5 and above. This will certainly make it among the biggest undertakings in British climbing.

The Long Hope Route Topo

The Long Hope Route was first climbed in 1970 by Ed Drummond and Oliver Hill. They spent 7 days on the wall, sleeping on ledges and in hammocks, and several of the 23 pitches involved some aiding. A first free ascent was made by John Arran and Dave Turnbull in 1997, but this avoided the final pitch up the steep headwall, taking instead a slightly less direct line. Both ascents were landmark achievements for their time, both being onsight and showing real audacity in an unusually inhospitable environment. St John's Head is a 1000 feet of sandstone, making it the highest vertical sea cliff in the British Isles.


Alongside Dave and Andy will be friends of the brand - film maker Paul Diffley of Hotaches productions and photographer Lukasz Warzecha, so there should be footage and photos a plenty over the coming weeks.


The guys will be sending regular updates from the ME cottage and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest. You can also checkout updates and some pre trip thoughts over at their social media sites here 


Facebook
Hot Aches: https://www.facebook.com/hotaches
Lukasz Warzecha: https://www.facebook.com/LWimages
Dave MacLeod: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=761184046

Twitter
Hot Aches: http://twitter.com/#!/HotAches
Dave MacLeod: http://twitter.com/#!/davemacleod09
Lukasz Warzecha: http://twitter.com/#!/LukaszWarzecha

Blogs
Lukasz Warzecha's blog: http://blog.lwimages.co.uk/
Dave MacLeod's blog: http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/
Andy Turner's blog: http://andyturnerclimbing.blogspot.com/

Photos: Dave MacLeod Collection
  

Dave MacLeod Lecture - SOLD OUT

Going...... Going..... gone

Cheers to the 70 of you that have registered to come to the Free Dave MacLeod lecture at the ME store, Manchester next Thursday night, its going to be a cracker! 

If you missed out this time then don't worry as we have more exciting lectures coming to the store soon.

You can keep up to date with all the latest at our facebook pages

Mountain Equipment Facebook

Mountain Equipment Store 

Es Tresidder wins the Isle of Jura Fell race

Congratulations to ME Pro partner Es Tresidder on winning the Isle of Jura fell race in a time of 3:21.

Es putting our New and soon to be launched Gore Active Shell Firelite Jacket

to the test last month - Sharp Edge, Blencathra, The Lakes photo: Steve Gordon

You can read Es's full report at his blog here and check out the full results list at the Jura race page here  

Free Dave MacLeod Lecture, ME Store - Manchester

After the success of the Andy Turner lecture last month were proud to announce that Mountain Equipment pro partner Dave MacLeod will be lecturing at the Mountain Equipment Store, Deansgate, Manchester on Thursday 9th June at 7pm. 

There are only 60 tickets available for this free event so you will need to be quick. All you need to do to secure yours is head over to the ME Store Facebook page here and sign up or alternatively you can call the store on 0161 839 8468 to reserve your place. There will also be other members of the ME team at the event so make sure you come along and say hello. 

Dave will also be setting some new problems down at the Manchester Climbing Centre, so keep your eyes peeled if your down at the wall on Thursday afternoon.   

Welcome to the team: Nick Bullock

Nick Bullock should need little in the way of introduction. One of Britain's finest alpinists and rock climbers, known for bold and audacious ascents, a writer and occasional poet.

Nick Bullock. From the Great Escape blog. © Ray Wood

A man who had already opted for one of lifes tougher careers as a PT instructor for HM Prison Service only to give it all up, along with the regular salary and house to live in a van and pursue his passion for climbing.

Nick Bullock with ME's Richard Talbot

And so when Nick approached us, interested in joining our Pro Partner team, there was little to think about. His appetite for climbing is as ferocious as ever, he's a genuine personality, that rare breed of person who understands and revels in the intricacies and emotions of climbing and mountaineering. This year he already has trips to the Lofoten Islands and the Himalaya under his belt and has plans for further trips to the Greater Ranges later this year. If that wasnt enough he is also working on his first book.

Nick Bullock in the Lofoten Islands © Lukasz Warzecha



Nick Bullock in the Lofoten Islands © Lukasz Warzecha

If an introduction is needed here is a flavour of our newest Pro Partner. Since 2004, Nick Bullock has chose to live something close to a nomadic existence, when not on climbing trips, often to be found frequenting the Climbers Club hut in his adopted home of Llanberis.

Nick on Kyashar - his most recent Himalayan trip © Andy Houseman



Nick on Kyashar - his most recent Himalayan trip © Andy Houseman

A string of bold ascents in the Greater Ranges including the first ascent of the North face of Chang Himal (ED) - nominated for the Piolet D'or award, the first ascent of fear and loathing (ED3)on Jirishanca in the Huayhuash region of the Peruvian Andes, a long tick-list of rock climbs upto E7/8, many of which have been on-sight and numerous ascents in the European Alps including a solo ascent of the Shroud (TD), Beyond Good & Evil (ED3) and the first free ascent of Omega (ED3) on the Petites Jorasses.

 You can learn more about Nick as well as follow all of his exploits on his blog, Great Escape.

Kyashar 2011 Expedition - Andy's thoughts

ME Pro partner Andy Houseman has just posted "Snow, snow and more snow in the Hinku" with more amazing pictures and his thoughts on the Kyashar expedition, you can check that out at his blog here

Andy leaving the belay for the final pitch

If you haven't already checked it out you can see fellow ME pro partner Nick Bullocks Kyashar post here

Nick approaching the bivi boulder after 18 hours on the go