Exped prep update

Kyrgyz visas have been stamped on our passports, we are waiting out on our Kaz transit visas, ITMC has all our details and are now preparing our permits for travel in the Borkoldoi region. Expedition Foods has provided us with a fab menu and are freighting the dehydrated foodstuffs to Bishkek for us. The ropes have arrived from Sam at Wykeham Adventure, 4 x Beal Cobra II 8.7mm 60m Golden Dry, and 2 x Booster III 9.7mm 60m Golden Dry . Very nice. And all of the above have been paid for, phew.

Everyone has the right kind of insurance and their flights; we have 4 x 15 kilo sports bags booked to supplement our weight allowance. I spent the evening figuring out all the weights of our equipment (did you know that the average thermal base layer weighs 320g? fascinating stuff) and putting the info in a table so that Mike can allocate who carries what this week. Eddy has been set the fun challenge of finding reasonable yet easy-on-the-pocket accommodation, and ITMC have been warned off to collect our freight and the customs and excise figured out (not cheap!). Vanessa is gathering all the components of our med kit to bring across from Oz, and luckily can write her own letters of permission for the drugs etc (since she is one!).

So it is all still ticking over, vaccinations and diamox need to be sorted out, the group kit distributed and our new ropes gently used a little before departure (kid gloves - no falls please) to get the kinks out and see how they run. The Booster III are meant to be surprisingly slick despite the relatively high diameter and require skilled handling.
Happy days, even if it is lashing down outside.

S'all sport

Portland, Spain and Devon, all very good for climbing. Mixing good Friends and relatives for company.

In Weymouth my grandparents put me up for a few days and despite changeable weather I had a very enjoyable time. when the weather was bad I sat and played games, pick up sticks is a strong choice, and if it was good we went out to Portland and clambered around.

Spain provided much more consistent weather which meant much more climbing, it also meant swimming, siestas and barbeque's. All this in the name of training, I feel dedicated. The whole region of Costa Blanca is amazing for climbing and I feel I have only scratched the surface. A return trip in the winter is high on my list of priorities.

Right now I'm sitting in Devon, Bideford, planning, plotting and most importantly climbing. I have now been offered a place on the Alpine Apprenticeship course thanks to the Benjamin Brabner Memorial Fund in July. If you want to read more go here.

What everyone is up to...

Mike is back from Norway (and coinicidentally, living 5 minutes walk from Sally's house on Ullswater!); Sally is back in the Lakes concentrating on her dissertation (the development of a climbing guide book to Morocco); Ed is off swanning, sorry, training hard, in the Costa Blanca; Sari is on a climbing road trip through Europe and is now in the Dolomites after 10 days in the Verdon Gorge... and Vanessa is enjoying the onset of winter in Victoria, Oz.

We're a busy bunch. :)

Snow on the Cumbrian fells in June....

Well, before the rain started on Friday we (Sally and a mate called Brains (yeah, I know...)) had an perfect week of climbing goodness. I played in North Wales with friends at the weekend on Llechog and Cromlech, followed by an unparalleled 4 days of stunning weather in the Lakes.

We bagged excellent routes on Black Crag, Gimmer, Dow and Shepherd's. Eliminate A, Murray's Direct and Fisher's folly to name only a few. And oh how gorgeous is North West Arete on Gimmer!

This was all interspersed with great coffee, awesome breakfasts and a little gear shopping.

happy sigh.

oh and to top it off, at the very end of the week after highs of 26 degrees centigrade plus, we had snow on the fell tops, an arctic low and very heavy rain. I love the variety of British weather!