If the idea of getting paid to climb Helvellyn appeals to you then be prepared to feel very, very jealous. BMC member Graham Uney has clinched the coveted Lake District fell top assessor role – and he can’t wait to get started tomorrow.
When Weatherline began advertising in October for a Lake District fell top assessor, the role was hailed in the mountain media as a dream job. What hill walker wouldn’t give their eye teeth to spend winter bimbling up and down Helvellyn in support of a good cause?
Okay, so there was some serious stuff like taking weather readings, maintaining footpaths and helping other walkers to be done in between admiring the snowy views, but it was still a cracking opportunity.
The post received 100 applications, but it was Wainwright bagger, qualified Winter Mountain Leader and BMC member Graham Uney who pipped all the other hopefuls to the post.
He joins long-standing Lakes’ fell top assessor, Ambleside-based Jon Bennett, to brave driving rain, snow drifts and sub-zero temperatures on a potentially daily basis. The assessors start work tomorrow.
We swallowed our envy and caught up with Graham to find out how he managed to see off the competition - and why his new role is so important.
What motivated you to apply for the fell top assessor role?
I've worked in all the mountain areas of the UK in the past, but it's been a while since I spent any time in the Lakes. It's always good to go back to an area you love and see it with fresh eyes. Also, it's nice to think that my efforts on the hill each day will go a long way to helping others make informed decisions about their route choices – and if that helps to keep other walkers and climbers safe, I think it's a really worthwhile way for me to spend my winter.
You had some pretty stiff competition. What gave you the edge over the other 100 candidates?
I believe that there was indeed some stiff competition, but honestly I can't say why the interviewers chose me over anyone else. I guess my mix of qualifications, skills and experience came across well during the interview and assessment, and I was the lucky one on the day. I know the Lakes well, have a lot of hill days behind me, and have also spent a lot of time in the UK mountains in winter – I'm a qualified Winter Mountain Leader - and I suppose this was the ideal combination they were looking for.
Tell us a bit more about your hill walking background…
I started hill walking when I was about 8 or 9. We used to holiday at a farm at Halton Gill in the Yorkshire Dales, and had Horse Head Moor behind the house and Penyghent, Plover Hill and Fountain's Fell just across the dale. I recall climbing these with my two older brothers, Richard and Dave.
At about the same time I climbed Ingleborough on a scout camping trip and became hooked. In the mid-90s I was invited to take part in a Mountain Leader training course at Glenmore Lodge, which was sponsored by Gore-Tex. I passed the assessment in 1996 and have been climbing hills professionally ever since.
We hear that you’ve completed a few major hill walking challenges in your time as well?
Back in the '90s I used to do a lot of challenges in the hills. I finished my first round of the Wainwrights just before my 18th birthday, have climbed about 250 Munros (most of them in winter), made two complete traverses of the Black Cuillin on Skye, and completed the Hewitts in England and Wales. In my teens I walked a double-crossing of the Lyke Wake Walk in just under 30 hours.
In 1998 I set off to backpack over all the Welsh Hewitts (2,000ft peaks) in one continuous expedition. Soon after starting I found out that if I finished the challenge I would become the first person ever to climb them all in one continuous attempt. That spurred me on, and two wet months later, and with about 650 miles behind me, I finished the expedition on Tal y Fan at the northern end of the Carneddau. More recently I've backpacked over the 4000ft peaks of Scotland in one expedition, joining up the Cairngorms and the Nevis range via the Ben Alder Forest and the Grey Corries.
Now though, I just love being in the hills, and it doesn't actually matter to me what I'm doing there. I don't see myself as a Wainwright-bagger any more – I've done that and got it out of my system. Yes, I still love climbing them, but I don't count them any more!
Why did you join the BMC, and how long have you been a member?
I first joined the BMC in the 1990s, partly as this enabled me to register to start training as a Mountain Leader, but also to support the good work they do in negotiating access to crags around England and Wales. Once I'd joined I became even more aware of all the great benefits you get as a BMC member: insurance, reciprocal rights in club huts, access to information on gear and standards, and lots more. When I moved to Scotland I'm afraid I switched my allegiance to the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, but as soon as I moved back south I rejoined the BMC.
Some might find the fell top assessor role a tad repetitive. Could you ever get bored of climbing Helvellyn?
Not at all. I run a mountain skills business in Snowdonia – Wild Walks Wales – and regularly climb the same mountains day after day. Helvellyn is such a good one, with loads of great routes and combinations, that I'll never tire of it.
Getting technical now, what will you actually be doing when you’re on Helvellyn – do you have to lug any special equipment up with you?
The main technical equipment for this job is general winter hill kit. I'll also have specialist equipment for taking weather and wind speed readings on the summit, which is the main focus of the job, and if the winter's a good one, I'll probably throw in a snow shovel and avalanche probe too for testing the snow for unstable layers using hand-dug walking rutschblock tests. Let's hope it is a good one!
Other than assessing the weather conditions, what other duties does your role involve?
Another important job I'll be doing on Helvellyn is helping to maintain the footpaths that lead to the summit. That may mean simply reporting broken stiles and gates, or digging out drainage channels that cross the path where they've become silted up. I'll also be chatting to other hill walkers and climbers – this role is very much about being the public face of the National Park Authority on the mountain, and I do love meeting others who enjoy being in the upland environment.
Why is your role so important when it comes to putting together Weatherline reports?
Having a daily weather report from the summit of one of the highest mountains in the Lake District gives a true impression of what the weather really is like up there. No valley-based forecasting service can do that. People have come to rely on the service – not just hill walkers, but other visitors who come to enjoy other outdoor activities. The service is also used by many people who live and work in the Lake District. Farmers, foresters and lots of others know that the weather conditions reported from Helvellyn are accurate simply because someone has gone to all the trouble of climbing up there each day to see what's going on.
What’s your favourite winter day out in the Lakes?
Far too many to really pick one. The classic round of Striding and Swirral Edges on Helvellyn really does take some beating, but I think the best day I have ever had in the Lakes in winter was on Blencathra. A friend and I started out doing a short ice climb on Foule Crags, just to the right of Sharp Edge. We polished the climb off quickly and descended Halls Fell Ridge, getting to the bottom at about 11am. The day was so good that we decided to nip back up and do Sharp Edge itself. That done, we descended Doddick Fell Ridge, then with two hours of daylight to spare we front-pointed up an unnamed ribbon of ice directly above Scales Tarn. Our final descent, in the dark, of Gategill Fell Ridge was ‘interesting', but the whole day remains in my memory as one of truly alpine character.
Any advice to hill walkers heading to the Lakes this winter?
Take winter kit and know how to use it correctly. Learn how to navigate, in all weathers. Understand how the weather and wind direction can affect the mountains in winter, and know what to do to stay safe. Making good route choices based on the weather is crucial to safe enjoyment of the winter hills. All of these things are best learned on a skills course, rather than from a book or on the internet. Know where to get a good, reliable weather forecast for the mountains, whether that be Weatherline for the Lake District, or any of the other services that cover the rest of mountainous UK. Have fun. Have experiences. And if you see me on Helvellyn, say 'hi!'.
READ MORE: Essential winter know-how
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Essential winter know-how: Heading for the hills this winter? Whether you're a seasoned winter warrior or just taking your first icy steps, we've got a mountain of essential skills and equipment advice for you right here on the BMC website.
GO ON A COURSE: Learn from professionals
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BMC Active Outdoors: Want to learn all the skills you need to be a confident hill walker in winter at a bargain price? The BMC's Active Outdoor courses include Winter Skills courses, affordable weekends for winter beginners at the famous Plas y Brenin mountain centre in Snowdonia. Check them out here.
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Hill and Mountain Skills: Looking for something more basic? The BMC's partner organisation Mountain Training has just launched its new Hill and Mountain Skills Courses. They aim to equip you with the fundamental knowledge and safety skills required to participate in hill and mountain walking in your own time and are run by providers all over the UK. More info here.
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