Same as it Ever Was - Well Almost

The Middle

The Start

 A month on Kalymnos - November - has been great, it was hot and busy at the start and has turned cool, shower and pretty much shut down at the end of the month - probably the most unsettled period we have ever known in sixteen year's of visits. It has been the usual sketch of climbing, hiking and enjoying the island vibe. Schengen time is closing fast, so the choices were back to France - our six month Visa still has four months to run - or we can exit the block for a while . So we are headed back to Cyprus for a month - or maybe two.  Every week we are there can be added on after April 1st where it will be very much appreciated - spring in the Alps sounds like a possible plan.

The End

Kalymnos Reigns

Private plane courtesy of Jet2 - much appreciated

We first visited Kalymnos in the autumn of 2008, as was usual back then, we arrived at the start of October and suffered for our art with really crowded crags and unpleasantry hot conditions for much of our trip, climbing beyond about 13:00 was a no no. By the time we were due to leave, at the beginning of November, we knew for sure this was the time to be here, the crags were much quieter and the temperatures were perfect, climbing the sun was a pleasure not a chore. Since then we have visited in November (and March) almost every year since and never regretted a day of it.

Karlomanos (5a) - nice

The journey here from the Ariege was the usual sketch of waiting around, queues, delays, nights in strange beds, plus the the inevitable expenses associated with travelling - was it worth it? Hell yeah! 

So here we are in the November sunshine - Day One - four easy routes in perfect conditions on Sea Breeze, that will do nicely for starters. The place was quite busy but we know from previous experience most of them will be pushing off soon enough - hopefully we are in for the longer run.

Unseaonable?

Sherri in the woods at Orlu

Colin climbing at Genat

After Briançon we move down to Buis les Barronies for a week and from there back to Chez Arran in the Ariege. Colin rolled over from Spain the following day and up to now we have had five days climbing on various cliffs scattered around the area. Two months now since we left the UK and the weather has been almost consistently cool and unsettled - well apart from the first week which was steamy. Of course unsettled French weather isn't like unsettled UK weather so it hasn't really stopped us getting out and about on a regular basis - in fact it has all been rather pleasant.

Three Score and Ten plus Four

A cool blowy day above the Lauteret Pass

 Seventy fourth birthday - I was dreading it a bit but oddly I feel just the same as yesterday!! Five weeks in France now and it has been great - some mixed weather and seventy plus routes

The Maurienne

- I deffo wouldn't have done that back in Sheffield.

Accessible climbing

Eight months on and  recovery continues, but oh so slowly - walking uphill is hard work, though we have made significant progress in that direction. More importantly, I have discovered I can climb - just not very well - it will have to do for the moment. 

So far we have visited the Maurienne, Valloire and the Briançon areas and already pencilled in are Buis, the Ariege and a month or so in Kalymnos, that should see us up to the Christmas period - which hopefully will be back at Chez Arran where we have been for quite a few years now.

And Away......

The Cascade de St Benôit - a short walk from the pad

After ten long weeks in the UK we packed the car and had a steady ride down to Portsmouth through the usual heavy traffic, a super smooth crossing then two shortish days across France and we were back in the Maurienne - a part of the world we really like, high enough to be cool and never too busy. 

Me climbing!

Two weeks in and I can report it was worth the effort, stress and cost of the trip - the weather had been hot but bearable and I have climbed seven days out of nine actually doing thirty five route which would not have happened back in the UK. 

It is 1st September as I am writing this, everywhere has gone very quiet and the forecast is for a cooling trend - pretty much perfect - we have a lot of time to play with and aren't in a rush to be anywhere in particular, Ariege in October and Kalymnos in November are pencilled in for now - let's see what develops.

In the Starting Blocks

Higgar Tor in the sunshine - one of our regular destinations

It was ten weeks ago tomorrow (June 10th) that we landed back in the UK - it has been a bit of a haul but with any luck we should be sailing out of Portsmouth tomorrow evening. We have kept ourselves busy with walking almost every day somewhere local, or out in the Peak. We also had a a couple of short trips away, one to photo (drone) the Roaches area and one to Manchester to apply for our 180 day French visa - which was 'interesting'.

Ecclesall Woods - somewhere new

The first issue was that they had moved the TLS Contact office from Salford to Manchester city centre - we only found out the evening before our appointment.

The second issue was because we had so much time, we were quite late apply for the visas, while we waiting for the Embassy's decision and the return of our passports we booked a crossing. As time rolled by we began to panic as to whether the passports would be back on time - they were - but only just, the Friday morning before we were due to leave on the Monday - way too close for comfort!!

Being Back There

Redmires Reservoirs
- one of our regular haunts

 Five and a half weeks since we escaped from Kalymnos, and time spent in the UK is best described as being 'okay' though it isn't where we would choose to be. We have both had a stinking cold, the first for years - it has hit Sherri particularly badly, two weeks in and she is still suffering.

Summer - what summer?

Mercifully the weather has been largely cool and cloudy, everyone else is complaining about the lack of summer but it suites us just fine.

We have kept active having been for a walk almost every day - it looks like about another four weeks before we can make an escape - just need to sort our French 180 day visa and we will be good to go - but where to?