2021 – Close to You…
After the lockdowns and restrictions of 2020, we all hoped for a much brighter 2021. I wonder if we got what we wished for..?
Read More »2021 – Close to You…After the lockdowns and restrictions of 2020, we all hoped for a much brighter 2021. I wonder if we got what we wished for..?
Read More »2021 – Close to You…The COVID-19 lockdown is steadily easing and though times are still difficult, signs of relief are abound.
Read More »Volcanic or Tectonic…I’m not a man to sit about, so during 2016 I travelled to South Africa, Greenland, Iceland, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Greece and Spain. I took part in the ICEMAN Polar Race, walked the Otter Trail, spoke on two cruises and held down a full-time job. Phew..! I’m sure I slept at some point…
Read More »2016 – A Year For Time, Travel and Tingling Fingers…
My first connection with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme was in the early 1990’s, when I was a young engineer at East Midlands Electricity. They were a major sponsor back then and had purchased a number large of box trailers, filled with expedition equipment. I ferried them around schools, helped set up a DofE group at the office and volunteered where I could. Those days seem long gone as corporate takeovers scrapped sponsorship and abandoned the award.Read More »The Duke of Edinburgh Award – Diamonds, Diving and Derbyshire…
20 years ago today, mountaineering lost one of its greats. Alison Hargreaves had summited Mt. Everest unaided and without oxygen, and was hoping to repeat this huge achievement on both K2 and Kanchenjunga. During the evening of 13th August 1995, a violent storm hit the summit of K2, killing Hargreaves and five others. Though never formally identified, she lies there to this day, buried under snow and ice. A few items of equipment were found, but nothing more. It is a tragic story, which has caused controversy to this day. That, however is for someone else to discuss…
After a week of scorching July sunshine, I hoped for something a little cooler to wild camp the Cumbria Way. Working with facial skin grafts in the blazing sun is always a challenge…
It is with great sadness that the recent heat has taken the lives of two soldiers in the Brecon Beacons this past weekend. I walked past many of them as I climbed Pen-y-fan in 30C last Saturday and commented at the time on how hard they were working. If only I knew…