As of Christmas I’ll be unemployed. In the summer I handed my notice in at my work at the University, where I’ve been for the last three years - surprisingly. It’s been good, and I’ll try and find a way to sneak back in, if they’ll have me. But I’ve always known that as soon as I had done a respectable stint and saved some dosh I would take off for a year. That’s the plan and now there’s only one week to go. As time goes by I’m going to try and post a few updates and photos to this blog to let you know what I’m up to.
A large part of my motivation for next year is to be able to focus on climbing. I’d like to be able to have the chance to improve, visit some amazing places and to have some fun adventures with some good friends. I haven’t been to many exotic places or very different cultures before and this is something I’d also like to do.
The first stop is South East Asia with Cat for three months, including Borneo, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Then back to the UK/Europe for a few weeks to train furiously so that I might be able to lead some of the easy pitches when I head off to Yosemite with Caff in May. I haven’t got the summer worked out yet, so if you’d like to do something, get in touch. I’ve got ideas to spend some time in Scotland and rock climb around Europe, before heading back to North America in the autumn for more Yosemite action followed by wherever we end up.
Apart from finishing off various bits of work and thinking about next year, I’ve been trying to climb in the Peak whenever possible. Here are a few photos from some of these days out. Thanks to Tom Holloway, Guy Van Greuning, Leigh-Anne Lambert and Mark Rankine for the photos. They include finally doing Unfamiliar after quite a few go’s, falling off and not managing County Ethics in Northumberland, doing Dangerous Crocodile Snogging on an amazing day at Ramshaw and also finally getting up Balance it is.
| 
|
| Balance it is | County Ethics |
| 
|
| Unfamiliar | Dangerous Croc Snogging |
