6th February, Winter Skills with BBC Radio Cumbria

Today I was with Martin Lewes from BBC Radio Cumbria who was recording an outside broadcast about fun and risks of Winter Walking in the Lakes. The weather was fantastic with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine.

We headed up to Red Screes, at the top of Kirkstone Pass, to get quick and easy access to the snow. Over the course of the morning we covered the basic winter skills walkers require to learn to enable them to move safely in mountains including the use of ice axes and crampons.

It was an interesting day for me as I got to see how Martin worked as a broadcaster and some of the challenges he faces in getting news stories for the radio. It was also challenging trying to demonstrate skills with a microphone in one hand and ice axe in the other.

Martin's recording can be heard on Radio Cumbria on Saturday morning. The following weblink was the report that was on the BBC Radio Cumbria website http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/articles/2009/02/10/mountain_safety_feb09_feature.shtml