Cold - Inside a Climbers Head

"What am I doing here? We have to get down" Climber Cory Richards films himself and 2 colleagues attempting to bag a first winter ascent of the 8000m+ Gasherbrum II. Cold is a representation of what goes on in a climber's head - thoughts about their family, their life and their doubts and fears.

Simone Moro stepped to the top of Pakistan's 26,360-foot Gasherbrum II, held his hands aloft, then finally collapsed, placing the point of his ice ax into the summit and resting his forehead on the adze. He shook there, sobbing like he'd just won Wimbledon, with the whole of the Karakoram Range sweeping around him in a swirl of incoming clouds. It was 11:38 A.M. on February 2 — the dead of winter.

Over the years, 16 teams had attempted winter ascents of Pakistan's 8,000-meter mountains K2, Broad Peak, and Nanga Parbat. All of them resulted in failure. No team had ever attempted Gasherbrum II in winter.

Pen-Y-Fan - Full Winter Conditions

The freezing temperatures since the fall of snow on Sunday night had preserved and maintained the winter whiteout across the Beacons and Heads of the Valley region.

With clear blue skies it was certainly the right time to test the winter conditions with a trek to the top of Pen-Y-Fan. However, the temperature was minus 2 degrees at the start!



Conditions underfoot changed as you gained height - with packed ice on the first third of the climb, soft snow on the second third and then deeper fresh layers of snow on the final third.



The climb probably took twice as long in the circumstances compared to any normal weather conditions.

It was tricky underfoot and as you neared the saddle at Bwlch Duwynt the head wind was probably 50 mph.



The rock face at Corn Du was covered in snow and a real winter scramble.



Surprisingly conditions were much calmer on the top of both Corn Du and Pen-Y-Fan, with the snow covered Cribyn and Fan-Y-Big resplendent in the morning sunshine.





There were only a handful of fellow walkers at the summit although an increasing number were passed on the descent.

Weatherman Walking - Laugharne

This is a 4.5 mile circular historic walk around the town, following in the footsteps of its most famous resident, Dylan Thomas.

Laugharne is a small town situated on the estuary of the River Taf, Carmarthenshire, and was made famous by the poet and playwright, Dylan Thomas who lived there from 1949-1953. The town is thought to have been the inspiration for the fictional town of Llareggub in his play, Under Milk Wood.

You can see the full programme including a 5.5 mile circular walk around the Hafod Estate in the Ystwyth Valley (near Devils Bridge) passing through woodland, gorges and waterfalls.here.

Big Welsh Walking Challenge App

Ramblers Cymru, are headling into the white heat of 21stCentury technology with the launch of a new mobile phone app designed 'to help people to stick to those New Year’s Resolutions and walk their way to health'

Set to be launched today, the free Big Welsh Walking Challenge app can be 'downloaded directly to your mobile phone' and will, it says 'take people from first steps to more heart-raising routes'.

The idea is that every day, the app sets the user a new challenge, and builds up gradually as it progresses. So early in it might challenge you to 'walk briskly for 30 mins', while by the end of the 12-week period, it could throw out something like 'solo an 8,000 metre peak in winter conditions without oxygen'. Or maybe not.

The app is sponsored by Sport Wales and can help people to build up their fitness in preparation for the BIG Welsh Coastal Walk Challenge, which will mark the opening of the Wales Coast Path on 5 May. At that point, Wales will become the first country to have a complete coastal path.

Angela Charlton, Director of Ramblers Cymru, said: "This new mobile phone app is a great way for people to stick to those New Year’s Resolutions and get that little bit healthier. Wales is a great country for walking and we hope that this new app will help even more people to discover why walking is such a good tonic for mind, body and soul."

You can register your interest for the BIG Welsh Coastal walk challenge at www.ramblers.org.uk/wales.

Weatherman Walking - Barry Docks to Rhoose Point

This is an eight mile linear walk along the coast to Porthkerry Country Park and the most southerly point in mainland Wales - Rhoose Point (Trwyn y Rhws in Welsh).

You can see the full programme including a challenging 6 mile linear walk starting from Penmaenmawr on the North Wales coast taking the Huw Tom Trail through the foothills of Snowdonia's Carneddau mountains, including the stunning Sychnant Pass and Conwy Valley to the picturesque village of Rowen above the Conway valley.here.

Weatherman Walking - Pwll Deri

An epic coastal trek starting at the picturesque coastal village of Trefin, passing through Abercastle, finishing up at the hostel in Pwll Deri. A 10.5 mile linear walk along a quieter section of the Pembrokeshire coastal path.

Time the walk right and you can catch the Strumble Shuttle bus service back to the start. The shuttle bus runs from Fishguard to St David's, 7 days a week during the summer and the nearest bus stop to Pwll Deri is at Trefasser Cross, (around 1km away).



You can see the full programme including a 7.5 mile linear walk along the spine of Offa's Dyke to the historic market town of Montgomery and its 13th century castle here.

Philippe Gatta

Last year, Frenchman Philippe Gatta, 8586m Kangchenjunga - not bad for a runner - he raced across the Sahara, climbed hard rock in the Calanques and the Dolomites, visited Lapland, Nice and the Mercantour and even found time to be filmed for the Berghaus TV advert - he's the fella running along the narrow mountain ridge, the footage is in the following video.