Onwards ...

Have eventually managed to get the Everest 2011 summit day photos optimized and uploaded. Took longer to do that than to go on the entire expedition.

Having a quieter year at the B&B this season (hardly surprising given the weather we are having)... but Ama Dablam has gone bonkers. Had 16 to look after in one form or another on Ama and 4 for Island Peak and have just taken on another small independent group of 6. So I now have 10 different itineraries to put in place for the various Ama clients and 2 itineraries for Island Peak folk. It's going to be a very busy season with a certain amount of cranial scratching to get my head around it all. But I will.

Just been perusing the interweb comparing dates that other teams may be on Ama (I always do this so I can anticipate if there are going to be any bottle necks or busy days with other groups being around) and unbelievably 2 companies are advertising that they have held their price yet again (some sort of credit crunch buster) - but what they have failed to mention is that whilst the price is the same the inclusions have been reduced!!!! So same price but less service.

Anyway - had a very good meeting today with the marketing manager of a well known UK brand and there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon for TheBigE2012 'Project X.' Watch this space.

In the meantime enjoy the photos from Everest 2011.

Western Cwm pictures

Just managed to get round to uploading some more pictures for your pleasure and entertainment. These are in and around The Western Cwm.

Other than that it's been a pretty busy week. Out Tues and Weds with a lad who's only been climbing a short while. We managed to rattle off Little Chamonix (VDiff), 2 routes on Brown Slabs (around MS), CDM (VS) and Fisher's Folly (VS) and then the following day Troutdale Pinnacle Direct (VS), Brown Crag Wall (MVS), Brown Slabs Crack (VS) and Creeping Jesus (HVS). All in all a fine effort.

Got a couple of runs in this week and a daddy day as well (aaah). Also a few more Ama Dablam enquiries so that's starting to get pretty full now.

The B&B is now chocker for the next few weeks and I have a couple of meetings lined up with folk for Everest so pretty excited about that. Also putting the finishing touches to my winter lecture dates - I'll let you know as soon as anything is in the diary.

Pictures

Have managed to get round to adding some more photos from the recent Everest expedition. Hope that you enjoy them.

Another 2 bookings taken for Ama Dablam! It's going to be another busy year as there are some people trekking in before us to meet at Base Camp when we arrive and get straight on to the hill. Then there is the main group that I'll be looking after for the full duration - and some more folk arriving right at the end as the main group are vacating the hill.

Then there are the folk doing Island Peak as well. It's getting complicated.

Off for a run shortly over Blencathra. Been a pissy day but it's nice now so looking forward to that.