I have probably lived more than half my life and I felt that my time was running out, but… When I look back at the last 50 years I think its fair to say that I did not achieve much in the first 20 years of my life. Yes - I did snog a few … Continue reading Life begins at 50
Ultra endurance events are typically dominated by men with women making up only 10% to 20% of the field at best. The Costa Rica Coastal Challenge is a 6 day multi-stage running race covering 230km and 10,000m of vertical through the breathtaking jungles, mountains, rivers and beaches of Cost Rica. Unlike other events, the field … Continue reading Chasing strong women in Costa Rica (the Coastal Challenge Race Report)
I had met Richard on a mountaineering course in Chamonix and had said, “we should climb some mountains together”. One says these things, but they seldom happen, so I was delighted to be driving to Saas-Fe to climb the Nadelhorn with Richard and without a guide. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Nearly all my climbing has been … Continue reading Nadelhorn Summit Report, 4,327m, PD II
Climning the Breithorn with my 9 year old daughter
The Weisshorn is the second hardest of all the Swiss 4,000m peaks and only the Lenzspitze “normal route” is harder. Of course, there are lots of harder routes on other mountains – but just getting to the top of the Weisshorn, via the easiest possible route, is a serious endeavour. The grade is AD+ but … Continue reading Summit Report – Weisshorn, 4,506m via the North-North-West Ridge, AD+
I had unfinished business with the Obergabelhorn after high winds and a pressing flight to South Africa frustrated my first attempt to climb the mountain from the Rothorn hut. Foolishly, I had suggested to Bertrand (my guide) that I would like to start attempting more difficult routes as the “normal” routes I now find less … Continue reading Summit Report – Obergabelhorn, 4,063m via the South East ridge AD+
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and it might have been more sensible to attempt a less ambitious mountain than the Dom des Mischabel as my first, un-guided, “grown-up” 4,000m peak. The “Dom” is the third highest mountain in the Alps, the second highest in Switzerland and apparently the highest mountain entirely in Switzerland. It is … Continue reading Summit Report – The Dom des Mischabel (fail)
A siren started wailing as the sun was setting at the end of stage four and we saw other competitors walking towards the finishing line. We had no idea what was going on but as everyone else was heading in that direction our tent thought we should follow suit. When we joined the crowd we … Continue reading Marathon Des Sables 2018 Race Report
This Sunday witnessed a mass, chaotic and dangerous retreat from Dent Blanche as the weather made summitting the mountain too challenging for many. Dent Blanche is a proper mountain. When you tell people that you are targeting Dent Blanche, those with some knowledge of mountaineering nod knowingly in recognition that this is a serious endeavour. … Continue reading Dent Blanche (4,357m) Summit Report
Tristan, aged 10, had decided he wanted to climb a 4,000m peak but as I have largely done all the “easy” ones it was decided that we would attempt the Allalinhorn by the East Ridge which is a mixture of glacier, snowy ridges and rock climbing. To prepare, TT had been walking to school for … Continue reading Allalinhorn East Ridge (4,027m) Summit and Parenting Report
Expeditions 