Three Months On

Back to the Pyrenees

 It is three months since I last Blogged, which has never happened since my first post back in late 2006. Of course the change is because I use FaceBook as a daily diary now so Blogger has become a little redundant, though it remains a great way of keeping a broad overview of what we have been up to down the years.

Saltburn = Bedlam

So to keep it brief, after Solius it was back to Chez Aran for about five weeks or so - we did a bit of climbing and a lot of photography and droning for the next guidebook that might be out in a year or so. Also there was plenty of pleasant hikes and a good amount of cat action which is always nice

Part way through out stay Sherri's mum (93.9 years) died after quite a long illness. We flew home for a couple of weeks for the funeral and to help Sherri's brother Mike start the sorting of the one bedroom flat that was packed to the gunwales with stuff. We stopped in a nice farmhouse just three miles from Saltburn, the contrast between the peace of the North York Moors and a chaos of the seaside was extreme.

Then back to the Pyrenees - first time into Schengen with the new EES system (no Passport stamping) for a final couple of weeks. Old boy Tiger (cat) was in quite a poor state when we arrive, John and Jacci though he was on his way out - but Sherri hand fed him for a few days and soon he was soon back to his normal sprightly 14 year old self.

Plateau de Beille in mint conditions

And finally back on the road UK-wards with a stop off at Orgon for starters - best not rush the trip, as it is one of our favourite times of the year.

 

Heading for the Blanca for a few late jobs

 

View from the terrace

A month on the Blanca was very pleasant, a few jobs to complete the new guidebook - 570 pages compared to 90 for the first one back in 1990, some lovely accommodation, and reasonable weather, though the incessant wind was a bit of a bugger.

Back to the Ariege - same as it ever was

Then up to the area inland form Gandia for a week - a bit of climbing, a fair bit of walking and lots of free oranges - and still windy.

Next the Ebro for a three days - back to Eucalyptus, right on the tip of the Delta - always a great spot to visit.

Then five days in some fancy golf course pad close to Solius on the Costa Brava - two days climbing on the lovely granite there.

And finally back to Chez Arran to get shots for a rewrite 13 years after the first edition of the Ariege guidebook - one of out favourite areas as it is always so quiet.

Two Weeks in Turkey

 

Amazing tranquillity at Hisarönü Bay

With our Schengen time running out, and with no particular need to be anywhere, we decided to relocate from Kalymnos to Marmaris, Turkey, for a couple of weeks. It nearly went a pear shaped - we decided to break the journey with a couple of nights in Rhodes, but a taxi strike made catching the early morning ferry tricky. Our host kindly offered us a lift, but with a late start, heavy traffic and loads of roadworks, we almost missed the ferry - not the kind of start to the day that we enjoy.

A couple of weeks in the sun, beach walks, eating out and everything being amazingly inexpensive - what's not to like? Onwards to the Ariege via night in Stansted and a €13 flight from Dalaman!

Kalymnos Delivers - As Ever

The amazing view from the masts above Elias

Kaly cruising

Kalymnos was the as good as ever - we had a solid month there, I did 54 routes and there was plenty of cat action added into the mix. It started hot and REALLY busy, and ended up, cool, a little unsettled and really quiet. We spent a couple of weeks in the new Odyssey Climbing House, which was great apart from the grim traffic noise from the main road. Then we had two more weeks at Myrties Boutique Apartments which was great, quiet, comfortable and with several of our favourite cats on call 24/7.

Then is was a bumpy ride on the catamaran to Rhodes - (Sherri was seasick) for a couple of nights in a lovely apartment, then onwards to Marmaris, Turkey, for a couple of weeks. The first few days have been very wet - the forecast is much better!

 

Back to Blighty Briefly

 

Padley Gorge wandering

We only had eight days in the Ariege, and although short, it was very pleasant visit. We apart from me having a bit of an epic on Auzat when I got the rope jammed whilst abseiling a two pitch route - I sorted it eventually but it was a right battle - not what you need at my time of life!

Back to Kalymnos - easy as ever

Then we dumped (parked) the car at Carcassonne Airport (not sure when we will see that again) and flew back to Manchester, where we picked up a hire-car for a couple of weeks. Monday we finally had a fire-door fitted, about three months after ordering it, visited  my mum in North Yorkshire and got out for plenty of rambles in rather pleasant autumnal weather.

And then it was off again, a wet drive back to Manchester, four hours down to Kos, a quick sprint to our AirBnB and in the morning, the ferry to Kalymnos - seventeen years since we first visited - nice to be back. 

Rolling Along

High in the Mello Valley

 We had a very pleasant say in the Otztal - Austria, plenty of rambling and enough climbing to keep me happy, great accommodation and very reasonable weather. Then it was time to head for the Mello Valley in Italy via a corner of Switzerland - for which we didn't need to buy a motorway vignette - so that was a small win. We stopped in Mello for eight days, as once again the day we had slated for travelling was forecast to be grim. We climbed on the gorgeous granite (three days) and did an excellent hike up to the high settlements, plus we befriended a couple of local cats which is always a plus.

L'Ecale (6a) at Sollieres

After Mello we moved to Aussois in the Maurienne for a week, another place we really like, as it is always so quiet. At 4,900' the nights were cold, but the days were generally lovely, again a pleasant mix of climbing and hiking. I'm sure we will be back again next spring.

Then back through the Frejus Tunnel (€60 for a return trip and no queueing this time) and back to the Briançon area for ten days. We are stopping close to the minor crag of Chambon high above the Durance Valley, it looks like another quiet and cool spot.

 

 

Back to Austria

High off the ground at Oberreid

After ten (or eleven) weeks in the UK we were finally good to go. The middle of August is probably a little early to be heading south, everywhere is still pretty busy and hot, plus of course prices are inflated, but needs must!

The journey was pretty unpleasant, as ever, the traffic in Holland and Germany was grim, and a really poor forecast persuaded us to stop another day in Karlsruhe. But of course it was worth it, great to be back in the mountains, a lovely pad and even a bit of climbing was the icing on the cake. Ten days in and we hasettled into the groove, plenty of local rambling, and five days on the rock. The climbing is hard work but after three months off, and being 74¾ that is hardly a surprise.

Great to be back

The big question on our minds at the moment is where to go next. We really need to be home for a week/10 days at the end of October to get the new fire door fitted, so we have about six weeks to fill - which is.a great
prospect.