Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
Its been a very strange Christmas & New Year this time round. We close the Centre for planned maintenance projects for three weeks in December and then have all the family up for Christmas. Most of us went to midnight service at St Mary's, Wigton before enjoying a thoroughly pleasant Christmas Day. Martin & I got out for a shorrt run on Boxing Day (see below) before it all went pear shaped with an outbreak of winter vomitting that affected 10/13 of us. So Kay & I spent the time between Christmas & New Year comatose on the settee!

New Year came around and the Centre was busy with all three buildings occupied, the same groups have been coming since our first year so it has become like meeting old friends as we spent time with each group on New Year's eve. I was out with one of the groups on Causey Pike on New Year's Day (technically this was work but it didn't feel at all like it - a real perk of the job!). Then the lurgy struck again & we've been full of cold since which has really delayed all my good intentions around training and exercise for 2011.

2010 Highlights

- Following our instincts & staying at Blaithwaite, the best decision of our lives

- A huge amount of caving in the first three quarters of the year, with a week in a very snowy Peak District a real highlight

- A busy and vibrant Centre throughout the whole year: Church Weekends; Mid-Week school groups & summer camps / holidays - all good!!
- Summer hols in Italy & N.W. Scotland to celebrate 30 years married to Kay

- The last couple of months of training leading to completion of the Old Crown Round, with Martin, as a fell run on my birthday

- The birth of a second grandchild, little Evie. What a blessing!

All in all much to be thankful for.

Boxing Day

Binsey - fell run

With Martin; Cool and blustery with the onset of a thaw. Patchy snow on summit

Usual route of about 4 miles & 1,000 feet of ascent but new best time for me of 37 minutes. Think Martin probably dragged me along at a quicker pace!

Fading Light - Martin on Binsey Summit

New Years Day

Causey Pike

With: Steve & Sarah Windass; John-P & Colin

Weather: cold but clear & dry, patchy snow

Previously reported route: Stair; Stoneycroft Gill; Scar Craggs; Causey Pike; Rowling End

Approx. 5 miles & 1,900 feet of ascent

Bumped into Andrew Hoe (training hard!) on the way up. Waiting for pictures which I will post on arrival.

Hopefully this week I'll be back up & running and into the full swing of things.