Nearly overslept having been up most of the night with Max. Sprinted through breakfast prep and got everything sorted in time. Tidied rooms whilst breakfast was on and then met my client for climbing.
He'd e mailed saying that he wanted to get out of the rut of always doing V Diffs. So we had a quick chat and he seemed totally up for an adventure. So...
Started with Troutdale Pinnacle a magnificent 7 pitch route graded Severe. We were back down at the bottom by 11.45 which is pretty impressive really. He was so obviously a very competent second and comfortably followed every pitch without hesitation.
Down to Shepherd's cafe for lunch and then headed up Little Chamonix - a great 3 pitch V Diff which, whilst is still arguably in the V Diff rut, is just such a great route that it's difficult to walk past it without doing it if there isn't a queue.
Over to Ardus - another cracking good route. 3 contrasting pitches at Hard Severe. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Next we cranked it up a tad and did CDM - a very short but reasonably sustained VS. And then we were on Fisher's Folly - a fantastic 2 pitch VS which we just finished as the rain came in. All in all a great day and hopefully a suitably inspiring experience.
Now I just have to empty the dishwasher, process an internet booking for the B&B, arrange an instructor for the weekend when the B&B clients are up for a bit of climbing, catch up with the family, lay the tables, maybe get in a bit of en suite cleaning action, update the website ......
Monday, 28 June 2010
Friday, 25 June 2010
A bit of a blur
Well the season is well under way and it's that time of year when one day virtually merges in to another and it all gets a bit blurred at the edges.
Apart from the usual parental duties of entertaining the kids / taking to and collecting from school / feeding / bathing / reading etc etc this is being delicately juggled together with the B&B / work / getting supplies / climbing courses / e mails / Ama Dablam enquiries / a bit of running and last but not least life in general.
It's been a hectic few weeks with various days out on the hill with walking groups / climbing clients and a navigation course. Also presented a slide show down at The Moot Hall on Sunday straight after breakfast for a group who are off to Everest Base Camp in 2012. The house has been busy busy and most days we are invariably hoovering late afternoon or emptying the dishwashers and laying tables in the evening having been too busy to get them done throughout the day.
I now have 24 people on my Ama Dablam mailing list for 2010 (and over 30 already enquiring about 2011). It's been an incredibly busy year for enquiries and bookings and this is now taking a major chunk of my time. I won't be taking 24 on the hill - but there are at least 4 sub groups with 5 or 6 different itineraries developing. I can see why the big companies don't entertain individuals who want to do their own thing and develop their own agendas. But I guess that's where I am offering something different which is perhaps why this year is proving to be so successful.
Have now got a definite 4 for Everest Spring 2011 and have just gone live with the new website. I've decided to place a small discreet advert just to try and make sure I get a couple more otherwise the trip is in jeopardy if someone cancels. But intrinsically it looks like it's a definite goer. Watch this space.
Have managed to get on to the front page of The Keswick Reminder for the Action for Market Towns Award. Hurrah!
Out on Saturday night to support John Boyle on leg 5 of the BGR.
Apart from the usual parental duties of entertaining the kids / taking to and collecting from school / feeding / bathing / reading etc etc this is being delicately juggled together with the B&B / work / getting supplies / climbing courses / e mails / Ama Dablam enquiries / a bit of running and last but not least life in general.
It's been a hectic few weeks with various days out on the hill with walking groups / climbing clients and a navigation course. Also presented a slide show down at The Moot Hall on Sunday straight after breakfast for a group who are off to Everest Base Camp in 2012. The house has been busy busy and most days we are invariably hoovering late afternoon or emptying the dishwashers and laying tables in the evening having been too busy to get them done throughout the day.
I now have 24 people on my Ama Dablam mailing list for 2010 (and over 30 already enquiring about 2011). It's been an incredibly busy year for enquiries and bookings and this is now taking a major chunk of my time. I won't be taking 24 on the hill - but there are at least 4 sub groups with 5 or 6 different itineraries developing. I can see why the big companies don't entertain individuals who want to do their own thing and develop their own agendas. But I guess that's where I am offering something different which is perhaps why this year is proving to be so successful.
Have now got a definite 4 for Everest Spring 2011 and have just gone live with the new website. I've decided to place a small discreet advert just to try and make sure I get a couple more otherwise the trip is in jeopardy if someone cancels. But intrinsically it looks like it's a definite goer. Watch this space.
Have managed to get on to the front page of The Keswick Reminder for the Action for Market Towns Award. Hurrah!
Out on Saturday night to support John Boyle on leg 5 of the BGR.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
A cracking good fortnight
Busy busy busy. A 42.5km / 14 peaks / 8hr 30 mins run the weekend before last (leg 2 of The BGR and then back over the tops to Keswick). Another run this weekend back from Lorton (30km / 9 peaks / 5hr 30mins).
A plethora of bookings coming in for the B&B. Yet another 2 people booked for Ama Dablam this November and a few more enquiries for the expedition (have had to start limiting availability now) but alas a missed opportunity to climb yesterday due to the pants weather (if only I'd been out today).
But then if I'd been out today I wouldn't have been able to attend the Action for Market Towns awards where we received best in the NW for the Fitz Park Play Area.
Saw Jimmy Carr 2 weeks ago and Derren Brown last week at The Sands Centre. Both brilliant acts in their own special and very different ways.
Have had a really busy fortnight in the B&B but have managed to juggle it all together along with the shifts, work, expedition enquiries and kiddie care (along with the usual shopping / getting resupplies / answering e mails / doing laundry / ironing etc). Just about managing to tread water and juggle balls at the same time - although there have been a few en suites being cleaned, or beds made, or tables being laid late in the evenings and early in the mornings just to make sure that it is all kept on top of.
A plethora of bookings coming in for the B&B. Yet another 2 people booked for Ama Dablam this November and a few more enquiries for the expedition (have had to start limiting availability now) but alas a missed opportunity to climb yesterday due to the pants weather (if only I'd been out today).
But then if I'd been out today I wouldn't have been able to attend the Action for Market Towns awards where we received best in the NW for the Fitz Park Play Area.
Saw Jimmy Carr 2 weeks ago and Derren Brown last week at The Sands Centre. Both brilliant acts in their own special and very different ways.
Have had a really busy fortnight in the B&B but have managed to juggle it all together along with the shifts, work, expedition enquiries and kiddie care (along with the usual shopping / getting resupplies / answering e mails / doing laundry / ironing etc). Just about managing to tread water and juggle balls at the same time - although there have been a few en suites being cleaned, or beds made, or tables being laid late in the evenings and early in the mornings just to make sure that it is all kept on top of.
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