The Team

Our team is made up from two friends who first met in an Alps trip back in 2010. Bradley Morrell is in the outdoor profession trying to make a living working in the outdoors as an instructor, while Alek Zholobenko is a mad English-Russian who works as a scientist halfway between the two in the Czech Republic. Since meeting we have had many climbing adventures, and climbed many differing routes together.

Our strengths and weaknesses?

Well, Alek is an all round climber who (when fed) will keep on going indefinitely. He has a particular liking to long walks both into climbs and also separate from climbing. Utilising his Russian heritage he is the ‘mule’ as he is happy carrying heavy loads over long distances where other people would would stop to contemplate how their life ended up in this position. His climbing style is very methodical, however this leads to him being slower leading on technical terrain, and he seems to shy away from rock where he can.
Bradley on the other hand is again a strong all round climber who has been lucky enough to spend a couple of seasons in the Alps. Technically better than Alek, he often is found on the sharp end leading the big runnouts and the sketchier sections of the climbs (because it’s quicker). He came into mountaineering through walking from a young age and is happy walking over long distances, however doesn’t have the same ability love of endlessly lugging heavy loads.

Our climbing experience?

Both of us went on an expedition in 2012 to Kyrgyzstan (QUBMC 2012). On this expedition we put up a new route on the North Face of Night Butterfly, as well as varied other routes in the glacial basin. That expedition itself set us up to be more confident with knowing how light we can go on future expeditions. We have also climbed in the Alps, where we made an ascent of Swiss Route on Les Courtes in less than favourable conditions (both weather and snow). The other memorable route was a traverse of the Zinalrothorn going up the Rothorngrat and down the North Ridge, carrying all our camping gear and food for a few days. We have climbed up in the Lakes in Winter, spending 3 days camping up on the hills and climbing on consecutive days.

Bradley Morrell

Mountain Experience - 1 Mountaineering expedition with new routes in Tian Shan. 4 seasons in the Alps and 1 in the Dolomites. A few winter seasons in Scotland. Several years rock climbing.

Climbing happily up to Grade V in Winter and about E1 on rock. Has climbed up to TD in the Alps and greater ranges.

Notable Ascents - Frendo Spur, Kuffner Arete, Swiss Route, Zinalrothorn Traverse, 2012 route.

Hardest Route - 2012 Route (due to conditions on final steep pitch)

Also has his ML and SPA and is working towards his MIA and higher mountaineering quals.
Had his fair share of bad weather/conditions curtailing further plans of harder routes.

Alek Zholobenko

Mountain Experience - 1 Expedition to Tian Shan. 1 Hiking/Mountaineering trip to the Andees. 5 seasons in the Alps. A few seasons in Scotland. Several years rock climbing. Has climbed up to TD in the Alps and greater ranges, up to E1  or F6b on rock.

Notable ascents - Zinalrothorn Travers, 2012 Route, Swiss Route,

Hardest Route - Swiss Route.