Mike Lates

Email User

Mountain Guide running Skye Guides.
Author of the SMC climber's guidebook Skye, The Cuillin (2011).
Owner of Skye Basecamp Climbers' Hostel in Broadford.

Researching and writing the guidebook gave a privileged insight to the best mountains in the UK. The pioneers were hard as nails and very, very good climbers. They're routes are the definition of sporting climbing. It has also brought me into new routing which adds such a superb dimension.

I've been contracted to UKC to provide winter conditions on Skye for the past few years. Along with the guidebook and blogs the myth about the island being a poor bet in winter has been dispelled: Many top Scottish climbers have put it very high on their lists any time there's any sign of the white stuff.

I've run Skye Guides for too many years now, specialising in Ridge Traverses. I'm a rock climber first and foremost and enjoy teaching a lot of climbing around the wonderful Skye sea-cliffs as well as the Cuillin crags when conditions are good. Winter is my play time, the changing effects of snow & ice on such familiar terrain never ceases to amaze me. Discovering mixed rather than waiting for ice to form means I can winter climb in the Cuillin whenever it snows. Fat ice in 2013 and 2015 seasons was a real bonus though.

Increasingly I stay away from the fleshpots; crowds of gortex really aren't my idea of a good climbing space. Luckily the Cuillin are so extensive it never seems busy apart from the May bank holiday week.

My introduction to the Cuillin was a baptism of fire (and whisky!) with Gordon Stainforth when he was writing his book up here. His influence on my outlook on climbing is something of which I am increasingly aware. I'm just as passionate but nowhere near as articulate. I hope that some of the lessons learnt from Gordon show in an occasional pic or two.

Location
Isle of Skye

Recent Postings

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List all my recent posts.

Latest Blog posts
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• Hot in Summer, Coolin Winter. An Alpine Traverse of the Cuillin Ridge 3&4... 06-Mar-21
• Guiding may be possible later this summer. 29-May-20
• Christmas Comes but Once a Year 15-Feb-20
• Christmas Comes but Once a Year 15-Feb-20
• Skye Winter Festival 2020 28-Oct-19
• Skye Winter Festival 2020 28-Oct-19
• Winter Traverse conditions back again! 23 January 2019 24-Jan-19
• Winter Traverse conditions back again! 23 January 2019 24-Jan-19
• Skye Winter Festival 2019 19-Nov-18
• Skye Winter Festival 2019 19-Nov-18

Personal Webpage
http://www.skyebasecamp.co.uk/

Articles by Mike Lates

• JOBS: Skye Guides seeking WMCI, MCI, or BMG for 2023 Aug/2022
• JOBS: Skye Guides is looking for WMCI, MCI or BMG scheme keen to work Skye Cuillin Aug/2021
• JOBS: Skye Base Camp- Trades required-immediate Apr/2016
• SMC Skye Guidebook Photo Winners plus VIDEO Jun/2009

Logbooks Volunteer
Moderator for 2 crags, checking missing climbs added to the logbooks: Sgurr a' Bhasteir, Coire Scamadal

About My Photography
In addition to trying to take the odd quality shot I use my ukc gallery to show useful or pics of intererst, usually regarding routes in the Cuillin. These tie in with various posts reporting on conditions; I'm increasingly trying to cross-reference these so both pictures and reports make more sense and are of more use. Panasonic DMC TZ25 is a fantastic improvement for a small camera user.

Photo Gallery

Click to view Mike Lates's gallery. (396 photos)
Chosen as the Featured Gallery on 22-Jul-10.
Click to search for photos of climbers called Mike Lates.

Click to list photo comments written by me. (301 comments)
I've voted for 139 photos, average vote 4.2.
(53% superb - 24% good - 15% average - 6% poor - 0% rubbish)

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