Alps an Peru

I´ve just had a great week in Chamonix visiting Alison Culshaw and climbing with Lena Brune. I managed to get 6 days there and climbed as much as the fickle weather allowed. We got some great climbing and routes done.
Photos and blog entries to follow ...

I then flew to Peru for Adventure Peaks, and I´m here now in Cusco, prepping to do the classic inca trail to Machu Picchu.
Photos and blog entries to follow ...

St Pauls Girls School - Duke Of Edinburgh

Group A (Charlotte, Chloe, Livvy, Nat, Zara) will recognise this rock. It was the position of a difficult decision the group had to make. They had to face the choice of sticking to their plan and taking on a difficult 6km late in the day in poor vis and rain, or taking the easier way out and cutting the 6km ... I left them to make the decision, and inform me of their decision by turning the rock in that direction... It took the group 10mins and a lot of debate to decide to take on the 6km !! Awesome, well done, you're stronger for it.

Group B (Claudia, Coco, Marina, Sophie) arriving at a point where they too had to make a decision - along the ridge for easier navigation, but much poorer weather, or down lower, on the valley, for much more difficult nav, but better weather. Again a 10min debate left them with a good decision.. Well done on good clear team decision making..

Nat prepping the next leg - she knows the camera is on her !

Group A striding off into the thick mist

Chris Bryant running down the ridge

On the last day Group B encountered a forward sheep

Coco testing the tameness of the sheep

Group B stride off, onto one of their last legs

The sheep seems to want to follow !

Charlotte (Greeny), Nat, Livvy, Chloe,

Claudia, Sophie, Zara, Marina, Coco

After they'd been told they'd past their Gold Qualifying Expedition - Congratulations

An Excellent Expedition... Very difficult conditions. All the groups stuck to the challenge and can be fully proud of their achievement. Congratulations.

Longtown - A Day In a Gorge

Pete doing his first jump

Dylan was there too, with his group (he's sent them up the corkscrew). We did our trainee year together ..

Dec helping his kids at a slippery/wet moment

Dec can chill now ! Really ..

Okay, now it got interesting... I'd not seen this before - a huge limestone cave roof with sport climbs inside... Can you see the line of extenders across the roof... Got to come back with a harness ;)

Time to jump in again

Okay - so I got the settings wrong on my camera, but an interesting photo, looks like he's entering a black hole - and his body is extending - honestly he wasn't 8 ft tall !


It was a good day for gorgewalking. Warm sunshine (well kind of), and no rain. The water was warm (well nearly), the jumps were massive (well, no !), and the group never complained of being cold (well ...). A good day...

Kayak Polo

What? Is it cold lol - get the ball !

This was 4 seconds before the photo above!

Even George went in

I ended up leading 3 kayak sessions, so became the master of pool games - with, without paddles, 'Hot Dog', 'Bull Dog', 'Any Dog', 'Evolution', 'Kayak Polo', 'All In !'

Longtown - A Day At the Centre

Andy's helping his children close up - giving encouragement :)

Everybody (nearly everybody) was brave with the abseil - Andy's taking photos

Go on, go on - get it, then you can smile :) - Andy looks on..

Andys' turn to abseil

The climb up the tower (forgotten your name - please leave a comment and remind me !)

I worked here years ago when Bob Burson was the Head of Centre. Back now to freelance, and lots of things are the same... The climb tower is def the same.

Caterham Gold Qualifying D of E Expedition 1st to 5th July

The start of the last training day before the Expedition tomorrow

As a group of 22 we set off up hill

Sugar Loaf in the background

Expedition has started now. Kelsey, always the joker, and wanting to pose for photos...

The ponies on the hill

Always time for a smile in the great weather - but it didn't always go their way, a couple of days later they got nearly lost in the thick cloud and used their nav training to get out of it - well done

Time to chill at camp - with the long daylight hours

Rosie and Kelsey

Jason chilling out

The group is here, and Jason still chilling out :)

Can you see the group on the ridge. Shortly after this, the cloud came down and they had to nav off the ridge

We had a campfire. Jason taking photos for his new business

Caterham had an awful practice Gold expedition, with freezing temperatures and a little frostnip! Now was the qualifying expedition and they had luck with thhe weather :)

There was mainly clear skies, sun and light winds, but with a little rain and low cloud and strong wind at times. Success for everybody on the last day - congratulations to everybody...

I'm on the start of Isis (HVS 5a), at Lewes Castle

The upper section of Isis

Below the Crux of Seth (E1 5c)


Still just below the crux

It started to rain as I was standing outside Kwik Fit waiting for my car, so I thought - no climbing tonight then.. But they took longer and longer on my car, and so I had time to watch the rain stop - climbing was on again :)

I felt well rested after a day off - so here we go - catch some climbs before the rain moves in again. With my car off the ramp, I joined up with Claire Sansom and headed for Lewes Castle on Gower.

We started on Isis (HVS 5a) and moved onto Seth (E1 5c, been wanting to do it for ages). Claire found Seth easier!! I found Isis easier, even though it was a little steeper. All awesome limestone climbing. As Claire seconded Seth, the rain came in, and we walked to the car in torrential rain. But I didn't mind because I haven't seen rain in so long !

Another day off tomorrow - so back to Kwik Fit to finish the work :) (I don't mind if it's raining, and I think it'll rain tomorrow)...

A Weekend At Longtown

This weekend I was working for Longtown OEC. I spent the Saturday with the Yr 9, caving. I pushed them hard, and at the end of the day, they still hadn't broken :) - so they had a good adventurous, challenging time. On the Sunday we did high ropes, climbing tower, and the kayak pool... I took lots of photos as usual, but when giving them to the Longtown computer, my card got formatted and I lost all photos :(

Oh well... Technology eh.. Maybe a day off tomorrow?

Abseiling, Swimming, Ducking, Squeezing - Caving !

This is the abseil rig into the right of the twin avens (entrance H)

Today with Year 9, I set off for Porth Yr Ogof. We started the day with an abseil into entrance H, the right twin aven. After this we set about 'The Letterbox', 'The Corkscrew', 'Deathledge 3', 'White Line', 'Sarah's Passage', 'Washing Machine', 'Main Entrance Swim' etc. I even had time to swim the 'Sump 4', upstream - only had to hold breathe for a second :) (not the group !). A better than average day in the cave...

Today I was working for Glasbury House OEC.

22nd, 23rd, 24th, Paddling !

Monmouth to Redbrook

Not what I expected, when thinking about the possible hazards on the river

Tuesday - Hollybush to Hay,

Wednesday - Monmouth to Redbrook

Thursday - Gilwern with Year 6.

A week on canoeing and kayaking !!

21st June, Longtown

Back to Longtown OEC this week in Herefordshire (working for Northamptonshire). Today we kicked the week off with the high ropes course and the climbing tower. Richard and Haydn, if you're reading this, do you remember working on these elements ! , a few years ago!

19th June, Catrin and Tanya Climb On Gower Again

This is Boiler slab on Gower, near Overton. Can you spot Catrin Sage in a white t-shirt on the cliff, and me in blue belaying just below the top? This cliff is about 30m high

Catrin tackling an overlap in fine style - there is no name for this route, I think Catrin called it Apple Pie (or something about food :) lol )

These are Catrin and Tanyas' chalk bags, Catrins' on the left. I had some raspberries for lunch - awesome :)

This was the first route of the day - 'Classic' - up the corner

From the safe ledge at the top, Catrin looks down to her mum, Tanya, following up

Catrin climbing something harder now, and taking the gear out as well

Catrin on a wall of limestone - searching for the small positive holds

Such a stunning view. Catrin hanging over the edge - fearless :) Terrific - a 30m drop below

Catrin showing off her chalk bag

Catrin eyeing up the next piece of gear and the next move to get there

Catrin tackling another overlap (a small overhang), and taking out a piece of gear

Another overlap - Catrin seems to do well on steep overhanging routes ... Will have to think about the next climbs ...

Confidently moving up

One of the many many abseils

Catrin sorts out her own abseil

This is the classic photo of Boiler slab from below


I met up with the Sage family in Overton, and we headed to Boiler Slab, dog, picnic (including raspberries) and all :). We set up camp at the bottom of the cliff and immediately set about the first climb - Let's go...

And so started a day of 8 climbs, from HD up to VS 4c. This time Tanya had to belay me on the lead, and they both had to take the gear out on the second. Tanya even 'had to' abseil again to get the last bits of gear - awesome. Now Tanya has done 6 abseils in total (I think I've counted right) - and this was her second day of outdoor climbing - her first, a stacked ab, with Kenny in Scotland! Catrin has done about a million abseils, and is as relaxed as if she's walking the dog - Meg. On one abseil Catrin spotted an old in situ nut - and traversed to start a salvage operation, but it proved to be too rusted, so she left it to the sea air for the next 20 years. !

An awesome day. How did Catrin manage not to get tired, even at 6pm she would have done another !