Easy, Peasy, Greekaneezy

Steve Warwick's 'taxi-service' whisked us to the airport then for the third year in a row Thomas Cook did us proud, the flight was on time, the journey was smooth, bags off sharpish and we made the 2:00 ferry with 15 minutes to spare. We rolled into Mryties mid afternoon only a little ragged at the edges.
The theory that Kalymnos is a bit of a trek doesn't really add up as the journey at the far and is so easy - if you connect with the ferries.
It was warm mind at 26C, but we are in no rush, it will cool down and we are here for the long haul!
Day 1 we popped out late in the day and I did 5 easier routes on Summertime. I had done them all before but what the Hell, it was way better than being on Stanage today!

Sixty!

Friday - birthday boy! Where did sixty years go - I sometimes wonder if i made a mistake with the tally somewhere along the way. Evening saw quite a gathering in the boozer which was nice. The nine bottles of malt were welcome, though I am not sure what that says about me.
Saturday myself and Colin had an autumnal walk up Padley Gorge, to the Burbage Valley, over Higgar Tor and back through the quarries. There were quite a few climbers out despite the cool weather, we relived a few glory-days in passing. I test drove my new Nikon P7000 - 1st impressions were very positive.
Anyway no time to retire yet, the French guide is a gnat's away from being finished, and Wednesday we head for a few months on Kalymnos.

Autumn's on the Way

Since we got back from Switzerland it has been pretty unsettled, par for the course I guess. It has given me the chance to get stuck into the last big push for the French guidebook.
Out of the blue Mike Owen - who I last climbed with 21 years ago - got in touch. He has lived down on the Cote d'Azur for some years and offered to help with the guide. His input has been superb - detailing many of the hard routes down there. With less than a month till we print his timing was spot on.
I popped out to Stoney on Sunday to get some cragshots. It was the weekend of the UKC/BMC Stoney Reunion, and I couldn't get parked on the 1st run! Sounds like it was a great 'do' with over a hundred folks climbing, dossing and reliving the glory days. Nice to see the crag busy again.

Suisse Plaisir

That was that then - ten days, 20 routes - a mixture of granite and limestone, stunning scenery, quiet crags, great rock, very acceptable weather, lovely camp-site - couldn't really be better! There was some great leading by Colin and we were looked after royally by Sherri.
Even the journey home was a delight, good old EasyJet - on time into Manchester. Then there was the trip back the 30 or so miles to Sheffield - traffic jams, road works, potholes - welcome home. At least it wasn't raining - that is forecast for tomorrow!

Photo left: a happy man - honest.