WML assessment coming up - Any top tips?

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 JohnnyW 13 Jan 2015
Not sure this is the best category Mods, but I'm sure you'll advise......

So what it says really - I am due to take my assessment next month, and am busily sorting kit, reading up, working through the homepaper, and of course, getting out.

I enjoyed my training, and there are no particular issues I have with the syllabus, but I do recall finding the 'manage yourself', 'look after yourself' challenging on the exped, despite my winter experience. I have formulated some strategies (like having my boots in my bag with me...the b*****s froze last time , but am open to absolutely anything else anyone may have. I want to avoid taking too much kit, but can you ever have too many gloves!?

Cheers
 Lucy Wallace 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Navigation... navigation... navigation..... By all means swot up on the other stuff, but make sure you have clocked in to the white room a few times! 1000m+ on a bearing in a whiteout/gale is pretty par for the course.

I hope the mods don't mind me linking to my own blog but here is and account of my WML assessment. http://wildonarran.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/demons.html
 Lucy Wallace 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Just noticed you work for Steve Fallon! We were on the same assessment. Small world.
 Andy Moles 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Snacks in your pockets. You don't want to get all hangry and distracted in the middle of an evil nav leg.
robjob 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:


Here is a WML: Walk up to snow: Dig Nav Nav Nav Dig Dig Nav Nav Nav DIg Dig Nav Dig Nav.

on a serious side be fit, having it "in the bag" helps you concentrate on the nav when you are going with a full exped bag.

Be absolutely confident on long legs with no points of reference and be ace at timing. You will often do 1km+ length legs.

Find a way to like digging.

here is my blog from last year and some perspective i wrote on it

http://verticalpioneers.com/exams-in-the-snow-scottish-style/

If you are confident and at the right level and fit enough the you will enjoy it which is the biggest sign that you are doing well.

all the best

Rob

OP JohnnyW 13 Jan 2015
In reply to Snoweider:

> Just noticed you work for Steve Fallon! We were on the same assessment. Small world.

Ha, and I was on his SML assessment with him 7yrs ago, hence how we knew each other. As you say, it's a small world.

Oh, don't worry, I know nav is the key. That kind of goes without saying...............
OP JohnnyW 13 Jan 2015
In reply to robjob:

Thanks Rob, had already read yours. I will be fine once we get started. I hate the first few hours, until you get in the 'zone'.
 Climber_Bill 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Extra brownie points if your snow hole looks like this;

http://www.onthesnow.co.uk/news/photo/584282/bar-at-iglu-dorf-gstaad-id9778...
OP JohnnyW 13 Jan 2015
In reply to Snoweider:

Good blog Lucy, thanks. You paint a vivid yet familiar picture. It's going to be fun, isn't it!?
OP JohnnyW 13 Jan 2015
In reply to Richard White:

The last one we dug did, but it took a little too long. The ice sculpture of a swan was deemed as OTT by the instructor, miserable b*****r.
 Climber_Bill 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Huh! You just can't please some people.

My snippet of real advice is to make sure your stove works...

Had been using mine, an MSR Dragonfly, for the previous month without any problems. On the assessment, it wouldn't work, condensation had frozen up all the pipes and valves. It was a very cold hour or so whilst I stripped it down and got it working. The assessor poking his head into the snow hole, looking at me and just shaking his head did not fill me with confidence.

All worked out ok in the end.

Good luck.
 Lucy Wallace 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Yeah type two fun (fun afterwards)! Hope I never experience stormforce winds like that again.

Before my assessment loads of really talented mountain types including a BMG said it was the hardest thing they'd ever done. The BMG apparently had been repeatedly deferred. This information didn't help me prepare so I don't know why I'm lumbering you with it, sorry!

Here's a positive thing- Its a fantastic award and everyone has to work hard to get it. Go for it and prepare loads. If you don't get it first time you are in good company!

 girlymonkey 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

No such thing as too many gloves, although I would suggest mitts more than gloves. Whatever you wear on your hands though, make sure you can tie perfect bowlines with stoppers, put on your crampons, eat you lunch, tie your shoelaces, and anything else you will do, without taking them off. I can do all of the above and more with mitts on, and it was noted and appreciated.
Get on the hill every day if possible in the run up to it. Make sure you are so at home on the hill that you don't have to think about looking after yourself, and can focus on group care and tasks being set.
Practice your snow anchors in as many snow types as possible, so you know how deep/wide etc to dig depending on conditions.
Take 2 torches - changing batteries on night nav legs is no fun! (I didn't take 2, and really wished I had!)
 barbeg 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Hi Mate, Hope you're well.

Advice? Get yer head up out yer map and observe what's around you....even in s***e conditions you can get so much info by doing so.....
Hope it goes well for you...
ANdy
OP JohnnyW 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Good stuff, keep it coming folks.

Stripping my stove....good one.

Yeah, I'm good aNdy.....managed Aladdin's Direct the week before last before the weather went pish
 Rich W Parker 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Thumb the map continually, even when it's not your turn to lead a leg. And group management!!
 Sean Kelly 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:
Remember that you are a Mountain Leader so be aware of the needs of the group, so in Nav check no-one is left behind, or standing in a dangerous area (eg. near a cornice), health issues related to the cold etc. My glasses broke on one assessment day and I couldn't see a thing on my map so be prepared for such mishaps by having a spare, as well as spare compass, map & torch!
Post edited at 20:37
 George Ormerod 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Take a pair of marigolds and wear them over thinnies for digging the snow hole - you'll be hot anyway and whatever gloves you wear will get sopping wet regardless*

(* Copyright my mate Roger)
In reply to JohnnyW: I find having cut down 1:50,000 laminated maps of the main mountain areas makes things so much easier in Winter.

Your master map, probably 1:25,000 can generally stay in the rucsac but on the hill you can use an easy to handle and easy to stow away extract. Full size maps, especially when in map cases are bulky and just another thing that can be a faff.

However, best to use genuine OS maps as unless you have a much better printer than I have, print outs never seem to match the clarity of the real thing.
iamaclimber 13 Jan 2015
In reply to The Ex-Engineer:

Could you comment on the best areas to divide the map into? http://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/t.php?t=606152
OP JohnnyW 13 Jan 2015
In reply to iamaclimber:

I've been following your other thread mate, and I only wish I could pinpoint where we're going to be taken, but it's a guess at the end of the day. I would hate to have my laminated section, and then we go off the end of it! I like to blow the main areas up to 1:25, but keep the scale at 1:50, but it's not practical to try and hedge all my bets on this I reckon.

I am just gonna get up there this weekend and pit myself against a satnav, and see how I get on. It is practice, pure and simple, and we never practice enough, do we, especially if we know the area.
 Rory Shaw 13 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

learn how to 'feel' contours, especially subtle changes in slope aspect and gradient. Always be prepare to answer questions on Avalanche risk at any time. Think about slopes above you not just the one you are on. Take some nice food. Take a bivvy bag. Dont faff but know when it is essential to put on a layer, eat some food etc
Dont get lost
In reply to JohnnyW:
Not that many good reliable snowhole sites around so the odds are you'll be doing your expedition around the Cairngorm plateau (most likely) or slightly further West around Glen Feshie or potentially on Creag Meaghaidh.
Also when it comes to the other days, you'll probably end up in fairly common and accessible loactions. There is not enough time available to head too far off the beaten track and still cover the syllabus. After all, everyone knows that the single most important aspect of the day is getting back in time for tea and cakes
OP JohnnyW 14 Jan 2015
In reply to The Ex-Engineer:

Yeah, I 'spose I could laminate a few wee samples then, couldn't I..............
 Mehmet Karatay 14 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

> Yeah, I 'spose I could laminate a few wee samples then, couldn't I..............

Why laminate at all? I've found laminated maps a big pain once you start folding them. The lamination comes loose and it becomes harder to see the map. Also the folds can start to let water in if not in a mapcase. And you definitely want to fold you maps, even if they're cut small.

I personally think a better solution is to cut up your map following the major valleys/roads in an area where you can. Then just put the cut out in a A5 Ortlieb map case. This can roll up and fit in almost any pocket.

(As for using printouts, I find this okay for some things but the quality of the contours just doesn't compare to professionally printed OS maps. For your winter assessment, I'd personally stick to bought maps.)

Enjoy your assessment it can be a great experience. Just remember "when you're not navving, you're digging" and WML stands for Winter Manual Laberour.

Hope this helps,
Mehmet
OP JohnnyW 14 Jan 2015
In reply to Mehmet Karatay:

What I do is laminate the regular areas I go into, at 1:50 blown up to 1:25, and cut them down to size. I can then have them in my pocket or rucksack lid in a minimalist style. I do the same blow-up and then as you say, put them in my Ortleib. That works well.

What I will probably end up doing is a mix of them all, with full maps as my spares/back-up, so if it all goes awry, I have the real jobby to fall back on.

Going to do a full-on trial run this weekend and see how I get on, with particular emphasis to how I cope with my newish reading glasses and map reading. Don't you just hate getting past 50!?
iamaclimber 15 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

While we're on the topic of cutting up maps, has anyone ever tried cutting up a waterproof map? Does it remain sealed when cut, or are the edges exposed and therefore it's not weatherproof anymore? Just thinking it could be an alternative to lamination etc.
 Forester3 15 Jan 2015
In reply to iamaclimber:

It won't work I'm afraid - a few years ago I noticed that one of my most used ones' started absorbing moisture along some of the creases which, on closer inspection had started to perish. After a few days use in wet weather the map became pretty useless.

Now I tend to use a BMC/Harveys if they are available for the area I'm visiting, if not, I'll revert to an OS laminated - but always carry an OS paper map in A5 ortlieb case as a back-up.
 Kimberley 15 Jan 2015
In reply to iamaclimber:
I always cut the laminated map and tape the edges with duct tape for the area I need.

For your WML preparation is paramount, that includes your gear to, eliminate faffing, ensure
a good amount of food intake and a decent nights sleep!
Post edited at 22:15
 Kimberley 15 Jan 2015
In reply to Forester3:
I agree, by the time the lamination is perished on the corners it's time to buy a a new one !

(thats a 'bought laminated one not a DIY one )
Post edited at 22:19
spindrift 16 Jan 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

1.At the start of each day or night nav, given the weather and previous days wind, shade lightly on your map anticipated areas of avalanche risk. Especially in poor vis or dark, serves as a great reminder.
2. If you use goggles, don't be tempted to break the seal and risk condensation
3. Gloves, gloves, gloves.
4. With a colleague, carry a small snow brush to keep snow off your kit at night
5. Be ready straight away. Your sure to piss off assessor if he/she has to wait straight off the bus for you
6. Don't highlight yourself. Be the quiet one except when it's your go
7. Don't lie in your log book. You WILL be found out
8. Do your assessment as late in the Winter as possible. Better light, weather, happier instructors cos season nearly over (haha),snow holes exist everywhere
9. Nav is king but know your other stuff too. Observe at least one good pro before assessment.
10. Make sure your equipment is in good order, especially the compass .
11. Use an altimeter
12. When navigating near edges in white out, chuck a walking stick ahead of you . Might save your life
Some to be going on with
In reply to JohnnyW:

Would certainly recommend the above advice re a second headtorch. In the snow hole, preparing for the instructor to drag us out for night nav, we began checking and readying kit. To my horror, I found my headtorch wouldn't switch on. Tracing the fault to a broken cable, I then had a panicky thirty minutes cutting down the wiring and patching the break using zinc oxide tape with candle wax dripped over - in the absence of insulating tape! In the end we didn't have to go as we had endured a grand hoolie of a day and the instructor had seen enough.

I used a 55cm Chouinard Zero, a Claymore of an axe, for the steep ground day. A heavier axe with bigger adze makes for quick digging. Don't skimp on the size of the bucket seat! Took a lighter but functional axe on the exped.

Finally, keep very switched on when you are following the nav legs of the other guys. We had the same poor chap turn 180 degrees on two of his legs as he realised he was going in the wrong direction. Unbelievable. Unfortunately he also brought Footfangs on the exped, blew some of his arrests and interestingly moved together with two "clients" on the rope at the same time. Certainly took the pressure off us!

Have fun
OP JohnnyW 16 Feb 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

*Update* - They have moved my bloody dates to March, so I have a few more weekends to worr.....sorry...practice

Did a refresher course at the Lodge this weekend, and it went well enough, except for the fact I am an absolute numpty when it comes to left handed arrests. I suspect a few hours throwing myself down slopes this weekend will be in order.

Apparently my 137 QMDs will be enough for that part of it.........
 Lucy Wallace 16 Feb 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Arg! Bad luck! I understand your agony. I had my assessment cancelled- right at the end of winter so had to go a whole year before getting on to a new one.
OP JohnnyW 16 Feb 2015
In reply to Snoweider:

Now that WOULD be an issue!
 alec roberts 16 Feb 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Hi Johnny

Trust your common sense and judgement - you've done the miles!

Good luck

Alec
OP JohnnyW 16 Feb 2015
In reply to alec roberts:

Appreciate that Alec, I will.

I see you took a chap out I know and have climbed with the other day on Central Trinity. Had a good day apparently, and the weather certainly looked grand!

Cheers
OP JohnnyW 14 Mar 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Just as an update, I passed folks. Very pleased, very relieved.

Thanks for all of your tips.

One I will add for myself whilst it is fresh in my mind is relax. I got far too analytic and worried about minor things that I didn't do as well as I would have liked, and that affected my concentration more than it should have done.

Do what is asked, then move on.
 Welsh Kate 14 Mar 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Many congratulations!
 Mehmet Karatay 14 Mar 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Congratulations on passing. It's nice to know you can just go an enjoy yourself in the hills again for a bit.

Mehmet
OP JohnnyW 16 Mar 2015
In reply to Mehmet Karatay:

> Congratulations on passing. It's nice to know you can just go an enjoy yourself in the hills again for a bit.

> Mehmet

My thoughts exactly!
 Si Withington 18 Mar 2015
In reply to JohnnyW:

Thought I'd fire this link in here, for future reference and hopefully useful info for those who come across this thread in the future when preparing for their turn http://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/t.php?n=611830
OP JohnnyW 19 Mar 2015
In reply to Si Withington:

Thanks Si. So many similarities to my assessment. I think that 'oh sod it, I'm going home' feeling on the evening of Day 2 is very common - I felt it, as did several others, and a few pals. However, once you are into the exped, there's no escape, and it kind of lowers the pressure a tad eh?

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