Ian Barton

I have always been interested in mountaineering ever since my parents took me on holiday to Snowdonia. In the 1970′s and 80′s I was a very active climber and was fortunate to live in the Peak District with climbs on my doorstep. A move back to Cheshire and the arrival of three children have meant that I have been much less active in recent years. However, the children are growing up and have started to take an interest in mountaineering and we have done some good routes together.

There are links to articles about our recent climbs and also some older writings from the 1980′s. Please note that I tend to write about climbs where things go wrong, we don’t always have epics!

• Aran Fawddwy - a circular walk (June 2010).
• A Traverse of the Glyders - from Capel Curig to Nant Peris (June 2010).
• A Night on Moel Siabod - camping on the summit (April 2010).
• Mynydd Mawr - a walk up this great Snowdonia viewpoint (February 2010).
• A Walk in the Berwyns Just to show I don't always get lost (March 2009).
• First Pinaccle Rib Tryfan How not to go climbing with young children (July 2007).
• Route Major. We get lost on the famous route on Mont Blanc's southern side.
• Benighted on the Ben A Winter ascent of Glover's Chimney almost leads to bed & breakfast on the summit of Ben Nevis.
• Castell Helen Gogarth Classic cliff with a cafe at the top!
• Crowberry Gully, Left Fork Buchaille Etive Mor. Much more fun than the ordinary straightforward route.
• Devils Kitchen Cwm Idwal.
• Memorable Cafes and Pubs Places to go when it's too wet, or you are too lazy to climb.
• Snell's Field Chamonix Wild camping in Chamonix. Tents arrested by the gendarmerie.
• Western Gully Black Ladders A classic Welsh Grade IV, which turns out be much harder than most Scottish V's.
• Zero and Point Five Ben Nevis Bumbling up the iconic gullies on Ben Nevis.