With the recent high temperatures, we were not sure if this south facing slab would be too hot to climb at. In the end we decided the night before, to get up and go for it to avoid both heat and crowds.  As it turned out, there was no one there and it was almost… Read more

Our well placed summer residence means that there are a few good options for nearby evening cragging after a day spent mostly on the computer.   The nearest crag is up in the woods behind the chalet. It used to be the main route through the higher pass and there are still the remains of the… Read more

Hard to believe that only a week ago we were still on a ferry from Holland to the UK! We’re certainly glad that we have allowed ourselves a few days of alpine relaxation and acclimatization. Getting used to the landscape, weather, temperatures and not being on the move has taken a few days. Yesterday we… Read more

With all the guests finally departed and a good portion of the party stuff packed away or returned to lenders, we spent a final day at the Fort before setting off on ‘Phase 3’ of the summer adventures.  With the bike tour of Holland and Germany completed and the party celebrations all done, all that… Read more

Wow. What a weekend of full-on family fun and celebrations, we’ve been back in the village to mark the 50th Anniversary of my parents wedding back in 1972. It was a huge relief to find the van was still where we’d left it and that it started first time – we were going to make… Read more

Last day of the tour in mainland Europe started off with a savagely steep ramp out of the campsite and up onto the dyke. It doesn’t look much in the photo, but it was a low-gear, standing up off the saddle affair! In a fantastic quirk of luck, the prevailing westerly winds have switched to… Read more