When the weather is this good and it’s almost mid-summer, it’s amazing what you can pack into a day! Got back to The Cottage quite late last night and early next morning, I was dealing with this!…. As part of my outdoor qualifications, I have to undergo a two-day First Aid course every three years,… Read more

Gold DofE on the Isle of Man – a bit of rhyming nonsense… Gold DofE? Sounds good to me,  A week away, just wandering free. Lake District? Nah, a better plan, is, Take the ferry to Isle of Man. With all we need upon our back,  All neatly packed in a rucksack. We’ll hike a… Read more

Waking up to blue skies on a quiet cliff top gave a refreshing start to a day.    I sorted out kit back down at Calf Sound, then checked a few beaches in the hopes of a swim/wash. Didn’t get in, in the end, but did find the boys as they marched triumphantly, yet wearily… Read more

A very bright dawn woke me at 5:47, but by the time I surfaced from the tent, a cold sea mist had rolled in! You can just spot my yellow tent in this picture.   I spent a lovely morning down at the southern most tip of the Island, watch seals on the Calf of… Read more

Morning mists soon cleared to give a nice day on the west coastal path of the Isle of Man. To be honest, it was a pretty chilled day for me, dropping in on various check points and checking that the team were surviving!   At a tiny, beautiful and secluded beach near Fleshwick, I couldn’t… Read more

One of the nice things about being part of the climbing community and the ‘Outdoor Education’ world is that I’ve always had like minded friends in cool places. From Kenya to New Zealand, my friends and I have dispersed around the globe to settle in exciting locations.  Needless to say, having found myself on the… Read more