I’m lying
awake, listening to the rain banging a random tune on the copper roof next door.
The broken down pipe doesn’t do anything to soften the din but just adds more accompaniment
& more frustration as it’s 4am in the morning & I’m still
awake! Or was it the after meal coffee over at Bruce’s this evening which is
still buzzing around my head, I knew I should have said no! Coffee is definitely
a weakness! Bruce spent yesterday wading through 30cms of fresh snow up on the
Cosmiques Arete although had the maturity & experience to stop & sort
the ropes while a keen Aspirant guide ploughed through & made life a little
more pleasant! Still raining. I get back on the computer & run over this
evening’s meeting again, a Conference Skype call between the Training Committee
of the BMG – 7 new applications to get on the BMG scheme, all many pages of
experience long in all aspects of climbing & skiing so you can guess it
wasn’t a short call and one which was still floating around in my sub-conscience.
Skype call – ‘fancy a chat?’ Dean over in OZ is up & about & saw that I
was on-line which is a rarely at this time of day unless I’m plodding up a
frozen glacier somewhere.
How’s it going Ade as Dean reclines in the office
chair with the sun beaming in through the window to one side. We chew the fat
for an hour - the new Lakes winter guide coming out & our new routes,
discussions about Birkett’s new route up on East Buttress & Brian’s stance
on it, what climbing we’d both been up to, Woody not working the Epi Centre anymore
& their loss, outdoor shops in general & Leo saying that the Berghaus
Extrem range only making up for 3% of the overall sales, what it all means, ice
tools & rock shoes, future trips & talking through dates, Norway, Slovenija.... families…………….I
need to get some sleep, see you in July & we signed off. I shut the lid of
the laptop & rolled over & fell asleep.
Marko Prezelj inspiring me with some of his Norway Photo's - fantastic shots
Still raining, still
accompanied by the broken down pipe & now hovering next door, aarrggghh…..I
shower & head down for a tea, breakfast finished 2 hours ago, so I raid the
kitchen for a couple of yoghurts & a banana. It’s a great spot Chalet
Whymper, super close & walking distance from Chamonix centre, cheap……My
text goes off & it’s Leo back from Corsica ‘you around for climbing today,
it’s sunny!’ – great I thought looking out the window. The text pings again, it’s
Woody ‘round 2 with the Phoenix yesterday & I nailed it’ – good on ya mate,
great effort, sorry Leo hanging out in Chamonix at the moment, catch up when I get
back. Ping, you around for a brew today or bike ride? No Nigel catch up
when I get back. It’s stopped raining so
I check the weather – more to come & tomorrow as well, getting better Thursday
& Friday. Paul over on Saturday, hope the weather chirps up & snow
settles down. The mobile pings again I’m downstairs where are you? I pick up my
rock shoes & harness & head down the indoor wall.
Safe climbing
Ade
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