Half Year Update

The end of June seems to have come around with shocking speed!

So sitting here tonight at the end of a long day with a school occupying the Centre (will post separately on this) it seems like a good time to have a quick look back over the year to date.

Its a bit of a cliche but Centre life has been both rewarding & challenging. The Centre is doing well but we haven't been immune from recession and it seems we have had to work much harder to keep things moving along. Still the schools, youth & church ministry is alive, well & growing.

Kay is doing very well the treatment is working but has its consequences for her. Overall she has had a very good 6 months for which we are massively grateful especially considering where things were at last Christmas.

I am delighted to have completed everything I had planned to do this year opposite NGB awards, completing Mountain Leader (summer) - see previous post & adding Level 2 (vertical) mine exploration routes to my "list" The extra time spent in the fells, which are effectively our back garden, has been a real highlight of the year to date.

Fleetwith Pike

Progress on the running front has been slow, mileages are well down on what I'd hoped for. This is partially due to injury (just coming to the end of an eight week lay off) but the time working on the above NGB's has also been a factor - there is only so much time available!. Anyway I'm planning to run again later this week, which could be decisive & am still desperately keen to take part in the OMM this October..............................................................................................

Great Result

This week I completed my Mountain Leader (Summer) Award - great result!!

Thanks to John Mason & Glyn Mitchell who assessed me (& Kay for putting up with all the recent practise)

Although entirely of my own making its been a long journey through: training, consolidation & finally assessment. For several years I meandered through the scheme only putting together a concerted plan of action from the beginning of this year, however, I have worked hard at it since January & its paid off very well.

I've always loved the mountain environment & in many ways I think it maybe should have been the first NGB award I undertook, however, I'm absolutely delighted to have completed it now!

Better Than Forecast

Sour Milk Gill

The weather this week has been better than forecast and the schools have been able to enjoy the benefit.

One of the schools, from Sheffield, visits us every other year & we had an excellent days' climbing at Headend on Tuesday, it was warm & sunny with spectacular views into the North Lakes and across the Solway. There was quite a long change over between the two afternoon groups which left me on my own up there for three quarters of an hour, I fell asleep in the sun, burnt my face & woke myself up snoring!

Easedale Tarn, Blea Rigg & Silver How

On my own

Weather: cool, dry & sunny, light winds

About 7 miles

I broadly followed one of Andrew Leaney's routes starting & finishing in Grassmere.I probably walked a bit further as I extended the section between Blea Rigg & Silver How by navigating between a selection of the many small tarns & numerous contour features that characterise the area. Once again it was good to just keep that little bit off the beaten track- I could on occasion see the masses but to all intents & purposes I was able to walk in solitude for the bulk of the day (not that I am anti-social!)

Taken from www.leaney.org

Silver How & Windermere