December has been a bizarre mix of me buzzing around between training courses, equipment checking and general admin, while Clare has been Cottage bound having been stuck down (literally bed bound), by Cryptosporidium (not recommended at all!). While Clare has been either sleeping or attempting to stay hydrated (food has been off the menu recently), I’ve been getting kit ready for our rapidly approaching departure date. Including a dazzling new climbing rope, from Tendon Ropes, who sponsor the Association of Mountaineering Instructors. Might need some new sunglasses to go with it!

I’ve made some fleeting appearances at a few local Christmas parties, but in general all work and social plans have had to be scrapped for Clare. I was due to meet some for the family for a few days at Fort Martin for our traditional pre-Christmas, Christmas dinner, but in the end only made it over in time for dinner and a toast to Dad, before turning the van around and heading straight back to Wales! Still, well worth the eight hour round trip to have dinner with these wild ones…

Today was my first day at home with no appointments for what seems like forever and the big progress with Clare is that she managed to walk to the edge of The Cottage grounds to see the view point for the first time in two weeks!

A bit more rest, a bit more packing and planning and hopefully we’ll be back on track for the festive travels!….