Win a Mountain Guide for a day

Win a day on the hills with your own Mountain Guide.

Your chance to win a days outdoor activity in Snowdonia with your very own mountain guide.

The day Saturday April 17th 2010

This is your chance to win a day in Snowdonia with a fully certified mountain quide. The activities will be tailored to your ability and experience. They could include rock climbing, mountain scrambling or less energetic alternatives like low level navigation. The choice will be yours. The day will start with meeting up at the Rohan Conwy Shop.

Your mountain guides on the day will be Stuart.

Stuart Stanley (37) is a full member of the AMI, qualifying as MIC in 1997 He is a keen Winter and Summer climber and has made many trips to various countries in pursuit of adventure on both rock and ice! Stuart has worked at various local education establishments throughout Wales encouraging both young and old to enjoy the great outdoors. Much of Stuarts winter instructional experience is derived from several seasons working in the Scottish Highlands for various national and private organisations.

Read about his winter climbing exploits wearing the Rohan Pinnacle range.

The draw for the prize will be made on April 9th, and the lucky winner will be notified on the same day. Please ensure you have April 17th free before you enter.

Win your own Mountain Guide for a day

Terms and Conditions

All entries must be received by midnight 08.04.2010. The winner will be selected on 09.04.2010 and  contacted on 09.04.2010. The winners name will be published on Rohantime.com. Only one entry per household. Applicants must be over 18 years of age. The prize is not transferable and must be taken on 17.04.2010. No cash alternative is to be offered. The prize draw is not open to employees of Rohan and associated partner organisations. Incomplete forms will not be entered. Entry to the prize draw is free.

TGO Pinnacle Review

Its always good to read what others are saying about Rohan Clothing. Check out
the review of the Rohan Pinnacle Jacket in the January edition of  TGO – The Great Outdoors

Rohan Pinnacle in Action

The Rohan Pinnacle Jacket first winter season 2009/2010
We thought it would be a great idea to capture some of the images of the Rohan Pinnacle Jacket  in action during this season. This collection is from Stuart Stanley. Thank you Stuart and Lee. They are both fully qualified MIC s (Mountain Intructor Certificate)

See the collection and full descriptions on Rohantime Flickr We are keen to build a photo gallery archive of the Rohan Pinnacle in action on Rohantime Flickr. If you have some images please share them with us.

Rohan Cloudbase Jacket

In early December I consulted your ever helpful staff in our Rohan shop here in Ambleside. What I wanted was a light wind and waterproof jacket to take on my travels in the Middle East. I was strongly recommended to buy your Cloudbase Jacket as very suitable and was delighted to find that, as it was in your Sale period , I was offered a good discount.

I was in Amman, Jordan when the overdue Winter Rains arrived with a vengeance accompanied by persistent and torrential thunder storms. As Amman is on several hills, the water was running down the streets 2 inches deep and I had to be able to return up hill to my hotel; the long flights of steps like negotiating waterfalls. When I arrived my Rohan trousers were soaked up to the knee ( but soon dried with judicious use of my hotel hair dryer ). However – the jacket shed the water and was none the worse after being shaken. But my fleece jacket underneath was absolutely bone dry – not a spot of water. My travelling companions were amazed !! I have often, on my travels, recommended your products for high tech fabrics and did so again. Well done !  – Regards – Leslie Johnson

Rohan Pinnacle Jacket

“I have owned this jacket approximately one month. I am a ‘critical’ user of outdoor gear however, I was drawn to this jacket because of the durability of the material and the simplicity of the front zip. I have worn this jacket with a harness a lot and one thing that struck me is that the Pinnacle doesn’t ‘rise up’ out of the harness, a common problem with many Mountaineering jackets. The cut of the jacket has no limits and swinging axes presents few problems. When I have been caught in heavy snow squalls the hood has fitted fantastically over the helmet and when fully zipped offers a great place to hide. The two high pockets are easily accessible which is where I tend to keep prussik loops and the like. Whilst climbing Flanders just the other day, I noticed that my icepick had started to work loose. I found I could easily enter the sleeve pocket to access my allen key and managed to tighten the pick whilst ‘bridged out’ mid pitch! Whilst thrutching up icy chimneys and tricky frozen rock walls, the jacket has performed admirably and has displayed no signs of wear or tear! Well done Rohan”

Works well together

All Layered Up…..

No doubt matching your clothes to the weather for maximum comfort and protection makes a lot of sense. In the recent weeks of plunging temperatures, snow swept motorways and lengthening icicles, I have found I am wearing my winter walking kit all day, including my boots.

The three layer clothing system which underpins modern outdoor clothing is a fantastic way of dressing. Layering clothing to produce maximum thermal efficiency is a well established and efficient way of ensuring you get maximum protection from your clothing, but it hasn’t made the leap to high street clothing. That was obvious the other day when I was out and about on the streets of Birmingham. I witnessed many incidents of people hopelessly dressed for the conditions that they had to deal with. Guys in suits and not much else and ladies well… we can do better girls.

My preferred layer system is a light weight, but good looking base layer. There have been times in over heated offices that I have had to expose the base layer. So my tip is make it nice. Recently, I have used the Rohan Core T, a good looking T shirt that acts as a wicking and thermal layer. Next, Microgrid Stowaway Top, great warmth to weight ratio and again looks good. Finally on top, my trusty Cityscape and Inner Flame Jacket. Rohan Bags and occasionally Merino Leggings complete the ensemble.

I guess there are many successful layer combinations, if you are using Rohan Clothing all day during the big freeze please share your preferred layer system.

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Rohan Strata and Nightfall

Pinnacle Range on test in Asia – Nepal & India, 2009  Alan Ward
Earlier this year I led the inaugural Rohan Trek in Iceland during August. Whilst there, I was able to test a set of the Pinnacle waterproofs on a couple of very stormy days. My initial impressions were very favourable with the jacket and bibs providing a good comfortable fit with excellent fabric breathability.
For my November trip to Nepal, I was also asked to test two other items from the Pinnacle Range: the Strata Jacket and a Nightfall Jacket.
I arrived in Nepal during early November and met up with a couple of friends ready for a two week trek into the Upper Langtang Valley before returning to the sacred Gosainkund Lakes and descending through Helambu into Kathmandu. Having been fortunate enough to visit Nepal on numerous previous occasions, our proposed route was new to me and promised a whole new experience of Himalayan trekking. The sacred lakes of Gosainkund were of high interest for me as I’d waited many years to visit this spectacular area.
As a part-time, but freelance Expedition Leader, most of my trips are on a professional basis with an average group size of 10 – 15 participants. Last year’s trip was to the Kingdom of Mustang in western Nepal and this fascinating trip was with The Mountain Company.  This year’s trip however was a private trek for three friends and a local company, Nepal Sanctuary Treks provided excellent support services for our small group. I’d worked with our excellent guide, Mangal, in Mustang last year and he was supported by three porters: Prem, Raj and Dorje. Anyone wishing to trek in Nepal on an independent basis with friends would do well to contact Tulsi at Nepal Sanctuary Treks. For details of costs or other information.
After an 8 hour 4WD journey to the roadhead at Syabru Besi (1,420m) for access to Langtang, the weather was good and I was wondering if my Pinnacle Range garments would actually be needed, much less to be tested over two weeks in the mountains.

Day 1 of our trek from Syabru Besi   saw us crossing the first of many suspension bridges before a gruelling climb of 800 metres to the village of Khangjung where there are several lodges and a small gompa. After a break we continued climbing for another hour before reaching a spur with views southwards to Syabru. The trail then contoured northwards towards Lantang and we stopped for lunch in an isolated lodge before Sherpagaon. Our Tibetan Bread took some time to cook and by the time we set off again it was raining heavily. Donning my Pinnacle Jacket and Bibs I really was impressed that I didn’t get too warm so full marks for fabric breathability. Having lingered too long for freshly cooked Tibetan Bread at lunch it was time to continue northwards. We didn’t arrive at the small settlement known as Lama Hotel until well after dark where we eventually found space in one of the lodges, which were all crowded.
Having hired our support crew as independent trekkers, our daily costs for full board and overnight accommodation were about $20 each, making our trek quite an affordable one.
Day 4 saw us in Kyangjin (3,900m) in Upper Langtang, to explore the surrounding area and have an exploratory walk up to the foot of the spectacular Kymoshung Icefall to the north. I’d briefed my two friends about high altitude mountain travel so they were aware of the needs for taking the advice seriously. Back in the UK, one of the first aid courses I run is High Altitude Medical Problems which is a one day course held in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Details of these courses can be seen on my website but the course will run for a minimum of four participants.
Up at 4,000m, there was a real need to get the Pinnacle Range into use. For daytime use I liked the Strata Jacket, almost windproof which kept the piercing wind at bay with ease. Back in Kyangjin to explore the settlement, the Nightfall Jacket really came into its own and it did keep me warm throughout the rest of the day and in our lodge that evening.  No doubt anyone buying from the Pinnacle Range will make their own judgements but as a professional International Mountain Leader the items I was testing certainly exceeded expectations and I’d recommend them for mountain travel throughout the world.

Day 7 saw us leaving Sing Gompa (3,250m) behind for a tough day’s climbing up to the small settlement at Gosainkund (4,381m), next to the sacred lakes. The trek out of the Langtang Valley had been easy enough but gaining the ridge at Sing Gompa had taken a relentless two days of climbing with an overnight stop at Syabru (2,200m). From Sing Gompa, the route climbed gently up through pine forests to a couple of lodges at Chalangpati (3,670m) where we drank black tea and ate biscuits.  The climb continued up to Laurabinayak (3,925m) where again we rested as our porters needed lunch. The views from here were stunning with fine weather allowing views westwards of the Annapurna Range and northwards into Tibet. Our map advised “steep path” for the next section but it wasn’t too bad and we were soon up at the small chorten at the pass which led into Gosainkund and our lodge which was very basic!
It was extremely cold at 4,381m so it was straight into my pack for my Nightfall jacket before exploring the area around the lakes, a site of important value to pilgrims travelling up through India. There wasn’t much heating in the lodge so the Nightfall Jacket kept me warm and snug whilst we ate dinner then played Uno with our crew.
Day 8 began cold and clear and after breakfast we climbed up to the Laurabinayak Pass (4,610m) above the upper lakes. The path was snow covered and the going was slow but we reached the pass after an hour or so for the most amazing views of the trip to date. Prayer flags adorned the cairns at the pass and to the east, ridges rose above the lower cloud in the valleys which made them look like islands in a sea of clouds.
Later in the day we passed the site of the 1992 Thai Airbus crash which killed 99 passengers and 14 crew. Contributing factors to this accident were a flap fault which, although corrected, required that the initial approach be discontinued and radio communication difficulties between the TG311 crew and the air traffic controllers that stemmed from language difficulties and ineffective discussion of apparent unresolved problems. I found the walk that day somewhat spooky as 59 days after the Thai crash, I was flying in to Kathmandu when the PIA aircraft ahead of us crashed killing all 155 passengers and 12 crew because the aircraft was below its approved descent path. Since then flight safety standards have improved in Nepal thankfully.
Day 10 was our last day on trek with a long descent from our overnight lodge at Kutumsang  (2,500m) down to the road head at Chanauti on the Melanchi Khola river where we hoped to catch a 1400hrs bus back in to Kathmandu. The descent was extremely interesting, through terraced farmland where watermills were active producing flour for the winter months. We passed through small settlements where only children played as their parents were working the nearby fields. Reaching Chanauti (950m), we had plenty of time to relax with a coke as we waited for the bus. The bus arrived and we were soon occupying the rear seats on the very crowded bus.
Our bus journey back in to Kathmandu followed the river downstream before turning westwards and climbing towards high ground. This was where it really started to get scary with frequent tight, hairpin bends with drops into the adjacent valleys of several hundreds of metres and not a crash barrier in sight. From time to time, passengers would scream as they thought the bus was going over the edge but it was only a deep pothole on the un-surfaced dirt track. My friends were often alarmed for similar reasons but, whilst I put on a brave face, it was the scariest journey I’d been on that I can remember for a long time.
We had a couple of days in Kathmandu to catch up on cold beers and showers before two of us flew down to Delhi for a mini triangle tour to Agra and Jaipur which Cox and Kings had arranged for us. Some long drives were worth the effort as the Taj Mahal looked magnificent as did the Amber Palace in Jaipur.
The Pinnacle Range will continue to be tested in 2010 in Nepal during January and other equally exciting destinations, which will be featured in Rohantime – watch this space!
Images of this trip can also be seen on www.bigfootservices.co.uk
For any further details of this trip, contact Alan at info@bigfootservices.co.uk
Alan Ward
British Association of International Mountain Leaders

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Mens Rohan Kosi Jacket

Men’s Rohan Kosi Jacket

I have never paid more than £60 for a fleece before and was a little skeptical that a fleece costing over £80 could justify the amount of money I was being asked to pay.

I was an early adopter of windproof fleece in all its guises as my wardrobe can testify. To date, I have yet to find one that does what it says on the label. I have struggled with sweaty, frozen and down right uncomfortable garments.

I was attracted to the Rohan Kosi Jacket because of the clever solution of just putting a soft windproof lining where it is needed and still allowing a degree of breathability in the rest of the garment. A simple and effective solution.
This works particularly well when carrying a rucksack. The jacket is very soft and lacks the stiff  board like feel of most windproof fleeces that use a sandwiched membrane and is reasonably quick drying.

I am on a New Year trip to Austria, so I will be testing my Kosi in earnest.

Pete D

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Rohan Cityscape & i

Cityscape and I have been constant companions for nearly a year now. We have travelled a lot together during the year. All of it on buses, trains and ferries. Nothing exotic, all business. I now feel qualified to pass comment on the Rohan Cityscape with Inner Flame Jacket.

We have been through the British spring, summer and are now in the British winter season together. The underlying weather through most of the seasons has been rain.  All types of rain, soft rain and the stuff that soaks you to the skin – no that didn’t happen. The Barricade™ fabric is faultless. The soft-touch inner is just that, easy and super comfortable to wear.

Above all over this period I have fallen in love with the Inner Flame Jacket. This is an ultra lightweight 100% polyester filled lining that detaches from the outer jacket with ease. I can now do it in the dark. It is a jacket in its own right. I think I wear the Flame Jacket on its own as much as I wear the outer. It has a minimalist appeal that I like a lot.

Once during the summer months I left the Inner Flame Jacket behind. Not an easy decision, but it was summer after all. I found myself on the night ferry and the inner flame makes a great cover up, curled up in the corner of the seat. I missed it and now its always with me whatever the season.

The combined weight is 650 grams for the outer and 320 grams for the inner. My first impression was the jacket was a little heavy, experience has taught me that it is, in fact, a great combination. That’s all I take. It’s my only waterproof and my only warm wear. There have been many a long evening and nights on the bus and train when I have just worn the inner flame jacket over my T shirt. Because it is so light and delivers a high degree of warm it is very easy to wear. One observation a pocket on the outside of the Inner Flame would be great.

The jacket packs down very small. In fact, I notice that the pack size stated on the website is 1800 ml for the outer and 1500 ml for the inner. From experience, I have achieved a lot less. I was worried about the stiffened peak on the hood of the Cityscape as I pushed it into my very small travel bag. It was unfounded.

The Rohan Cityscape is a winner especially when you need to look smart. All of my travel is dictated by business, so I have to look the part. I tip out of bus and train stations and walk into business meetings without looking for that place to turn into the city person. The black jacket over dark trousers (my choice is carbon Bags) with a black T shirt just works.

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Rohan Barricade

The common problem with conventional waterproof, breathable fabrics is that they are inert. They don’t adapt to the changing weather outside and the changing micro-climate inside.

The amount of vapour they expel and the amount of water they repel is largely set in stone. This is true of even the most expensive and over-hyped fabrics.

Barricade™ is different. It is dynamic and responds to your body temperature and the humidity of the surrounding environment.

The steamier things get inside, the more vapour escapes. Keeping you comfortable in a much wider range of conditions.

It also exceeds the normal waterproof standards by a multiple of at least ten.

Its breathability and ability to respond actively makes it the hardest working waterproof fabric out there.

Barricade™ is used on all Rohan Waterproof jackets and trousers.

Maximum protection, minimum fuss.

Check out the Rohan Waterproofs in Barricade™

Customer question answered by Tim Jasper Design Director

Rohan Hilltop Jacket including your comments

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