We usually try to get to the UK in October or November to see family before Christmas crazyness kicks in. Driving away from Chamonix in the mist and drizzle didn't actually feel that hard. The Alps are a beautiful place but in the inbetween Autumn and Winter they get a bit manky. Embarking on, what turned out to be a very long journey, we managed to see an awful lot of friends and family which was awesome.
Unfortunately I didn't really have the cause to get the camera out, the weather was not great but never horrid, just not very good for photography. However, we did get to go climbing, running and looking at tanks!
We spent a morning in Wales, driving away from the sunshine and into the wet and mist and wind seemed a bit silly but there was a family goal which was to walk up Pen y Fan, which we did. Its actually really nice to be out it horrid weather from time to time.
I forget sometimes that UK trad climbing is really hard. Also, I have become and bolt clipper living in France so hauling up a waist full of jingling metal was a shock. Climbing in the Peak District on the Gritstone felt pretty alien after climbing mostly Granite and Limestone but we gave it a go. Hard but well protected E1 cracks were pumpy, easier VS run out slabs felt committing and scary, especially being blustered about by a cold northerly wind! We had a go at both and got spat out of the harder ones! We did stumble across the glorious Heaven Crack, an awesome VDiff, which, it turns out, everyone has done and loves!
3* E1 climbing at Millstone Edge.
Heaven crack, the best Vdiff at Stanage, and trying to climb roof cracks, Jeepers Creepers a 2* E1 that kept throwing me out, roof cracks with numb hands are hard!
Georgie with numb hands on a hard and pretty fisty 3* HVS warm up to Gritstone at Stanage.
Georgie on her 'favourite' style of climbing at Millstone Edge.
Jogging over the moors is a big contrast from jogging in the alps, its fast, the ups are not so steep and do not last long and the flats keep going, oh and its boggy and slippy and wet, awesome! Hitting the top of the edges and blasting along the tops trying to keep up with Georgie had my lungs burning, well i guess that was my mistake and thats what happens when you run with an ultra marathon runner! She was always keeping and eye and kept in ear shot so she knew i was still alive!
