This week I’ve been organising and running a student climbing competition at a climbing wall in Llandudno. I didn’t have to set any of the routes this year, so it was great fun just having to check them all out before everyone arrived!

This was followed by a rock skills day outdoors at Castle Inn Quarry, above Colwyn Bay. There were some beautiful feathers of frost on the car in the morning and I thought I might have to head back into the climbing wall…

It was certainly cold on the fingers to begin with, but I’d planned well and with the crag being sheltered from the wind and in direct sunlight, we kept just about warm enough.

Always nicer to be outside – a bonus for February!

The warmth of the day peaked at 3pm and we returned to base for hot chocolates and a little bit of indoor theory to finish off.

It was a pleasing day out, and made all the better by a glorious sunset.

This morning, I checked out some of the Snowdrops around The Cottage. A bumper year!