Feeling a definite crispness in the air now, and realising time to close the book on the summer. Its been a good time, learnt a lot, and have some good memories with the kids. I started off down in wales, Jet and his team put on some great stuff for us. They are always smiling and helpful, permanently happy. Then across to the Alps, seeing how our alpine challenge would go. It worked well, all my kids really enjoyed various bits from the horseriding, the trekking, the para gliding and the high point of the week probably the white water rafting. We’ll definitely run that next year, and have a great proposal from a local brit ex pat who can run the packages for us from Chatel. Then as the holidays drew to a close spent time with the kids in Corfu. Lovely place, a different beach everyday – as my youngest said. Was surprised at the high cost of eating out, given that we are all told that greece is on the edge of a precipice, but found some great scruffy tavernas off the beaten track serving delicious squid ! Then went away in late september climbing Via Ferrata in the dolomites around Lake Garda. Would like to put together a Kids and Me holiday with via Ferrata, but this area was less big mountain and more big face with technical difficulty, but overlooking industrial estates. So I dont think it is right for us, but it was challenging and enjoyable in its own right. Here are some pics of our summer, hope you had a good one too !

What a magical place Morrocco is. Just back from a couple of days in the atlas. Ali picked us up in his old white landrover, that has done 530,000kms ! We were off checking out trekking routes around his mountain refuge. He took me to pre historic rock paintings, on the cliffs high above the valley floor, and we walked up canyons to watch soaring pairs of eagles, then after spending a night in his refuge the next day we headed out along a river bed, that serves as the road when the water levels subside, and the landrover was filled with the smell of the bunches of mint Ali had been given by a farmer.

Just back from a week in Lochaber/Glencoe in the Highlands. No midges guaranteed at this time of year, but what a week of weather ! Everything from rain, sleet, gale force winds and blizzards. The avalanche advisory reached grade 4 from N through to E/SEast ! I attach a few pictures taken on the day the sun broke through. I was staying in the Blackwater Hostel in Kinlochleven, a great base and you can walk out the door onto the hills. There are some great high level walks either over onto the back of Glencoe or over the Mamores towards Ben Nevis. There are also a number of lower level routes when the weather is foul ! On a rest day I drove the coast road out to Mallaig from Fort William, which is a nice route through Glenfinnan and with views out to Skye , Rhum and Eigg. In the week I saw a fair bit of wildlife from black grouse, buzzards to red deer. I think what has stayed with me is my impression of the friendliness of the people I met from Callum and Gary at the hostel, Sybil in the Bothan Bar, to the ladies in the church on sunday who asked who I was and what I was up to, and then waved at me in the village later in the week. A great place to get away from it all with older kids, with a real feeling of remoteness – when the weather comes in the mobile links go down!

We are one of the sponsors of The Keswick Mountain festival in May. It is a great festival with speakers from Chris Bonnington to Ray Mears and loads of activities laid on. We are going to be taking over a bunkhouse and camping field, so you can come up and enjoy the fun. We are also organising a family treasure hunt, which reminds me I must go and buy the prizes ! Anyway, we were looking for beautiful pictures of the lakes and came across James Bell, who has taken some wonderful pictures and who has written a lovely blog about taking his 5 year old son up his first Wainwright ! Hope to see you there in May !

Just back from a week of winter mountaineering skills training in Glencoe run by the instructors from Plas Y Brenin. They take over a very comfortable hotel from HF Holidays, the hotel staff are excellent, the food is great and the instructors really go out of their way to make sure you have a great time. Routine is off to the hills at 0815, back for tea and cakes at 5, then an evening lecture til supper, few beers and bed! Covered everything from crampon and ice axe technique to snow and ice belays, avalanche risks and finally winter navigation, ropework and snow shelters. The weather threw everything at us from persistent rain to gale force winds and finally snow blizzard conditions and high winds! Great fun, and a great way to brush up old skills or learn new ones to feel comfortable getting out on the hills in winter.