Early December is not exactly high season for the multi-pitch climbing instructor, but when the students are as psyched as they were this morning, I could hardly say no. Arriving in the Ogwen valley, this morning, it was nippy, but at least dry. Clouds were covering the top of Tryfan and a brisk wind was Read more

Mega rainfall in the mountains should have had me out whitewater kayaking today, but unfortunately, I was just a bit too busy to sneak it in. I probably could have done at the cost of putting a few jobs on hold, but uncharacteristically, common sense prevailed! Just before dusk, once I’d got the bulk of Read more

I’ve been busy working at the Cottage Studio for the last few days, but managed to squeeze in a late night, eight hour round trip to Manchester to see one of my favorite bands – Reef. I called in first for a catch up with Pete, in Stockport, on the way before racing over to the Read more

The sound of torrential rain hammering on the skylights woke me up this morning. Not a great when you’ve a day of open canoeing ahead. However, by the time my group and I had arrived at the lake, the storm had passed and all was still and calm. The clouds even cleared from the mountain Read more

With only a scattering of farms, chapels, and a pub, the Duddon Valley has to be one of the best places in the UK to go star gazing. After dinner last night, we looked outside and clearly saw the milky way overhead. There was talk of going for a night climb on the nearby crag, but instead, Read more

I’ve been up in the English Lake District since Thursday, assisting and assessing a team of BTEC students who have had to plan and complete a multi-day expedition. It’s fair to say that the weather didn’t show the area in its best light, but the level of general, harmless banter and good camaraderie easily made up Read more