Welsh Wales

South from White Sands Bay - Pembroke

 In the end we had nearly three weeks in Wales, nice and quiet before the school holidays kicked in, and most of the time it was the coolest place south of Scotland - Sheffield was baking with 30C+ temps over a prolonged period so it was good to be out of that.

We had a week in North Wales first just south of Caernarfon, it was windy a lot of the time but we did some great coastal walks, visited some of the old climbing venues and enjoyed the peace and quiet of our rather nice Airbnb - where I banged my head a lot :-(

Then we moved to Pembroke for 12 days - stopping between Fishguard and Haverfordwest - not an area we know very well at all. More sunny weather and great coastal walks, which turned out to be very up and down. The narrow roads with high hedges made driving a bit of a pain - in the end we mostly stuck with main roads to cut down the stress.

Then homeward via night in Shrewsbury and the M6 toll -  quiet and expensive!!

The Rivals seen from across the bay

 

UK Bimbling

Above Reeth - amongst the debris from lead mining

We had only been back in the UK a few days when we decided a trip away would be a nice idea so we booked a mobile home above Reeth in Swaledale for week. We had a few reservations about the area, up amongst the old lead mines, and the accommodation, but in the event it was great up there, cool and so quiet. Then it was back to Sheffield and the second heat wave of the year with temperatures up to 35C which is pretty outrageous for the UK. On the way back, we called in at a garage near Barnoldswick and bought a new car, the XV has been okay but we fancied a bit more space and they had a rather smart, one year old Forester Touring - Sherri did some top class negotiating.

Then away again, to Wales, as it was forecast to me markedly cooler over there, another very smart and quiet pad near the Nantle Valley.

Alpacas - we got a bit lost on a walk!

A smart new Forester 2025

There and Back Again

The Gorgeous Maurienne

 From Argentiere we headed over and through the mountains (Frejus Tunnel = €56) as the Galibier Pass was still closed with snow, to Aussois for a couple of weeks, stopping in a pad we have used a couple of times before. While most of Europe - and the UK - suffered an early heatwave, it was spot on up at 4,900' - pleasantly warm days and lovely cold nights. I climbed nine days out of twelve and tallied up 80 routes for the month May - not something that happens very often these days. All in all, a great choice of a venue to spend our last couple of weeks in France.

Tippler Buttress the scene of epics long ago

And then it was onwards - via a couple of nights near Dijon, three longish drives, a very bumpy ferry crossing and the loop was closed - nine and a half months gone just like that.

 On day one back home we had a ride out to Stanage - visiting old haunts, with vague memories of great days on the Grit - it all seem so long ago now - I guess that's because it is!

 

Waiting for the Summer

Orgon - Bank Holiday

 We left Chez Arran and headed for Orgon, as it is only about three hours away and it is a while since we have been there. We checked out the crags on the first day and were surprised how quiet everywhere was - the campsite lady, where we went to check the guidebook told us that the bedlam started 'tomorrow' - the first of four Bank Holidays in France in May. 

The pad was right in the middle of Orgon, though it was pretty peaceful, it had brilliant aircon and a very friendly cat - so that was all good. It was pretty hot so we mostly climbed in the shade - dead easy stuff but nice for all that.

Up amongst it all - Ailefroide

Then up to Argentiere-la-Besse for a couple of weeks. Another very nice pad, owned by a lady climber, and again with a (rather shy) cat - it doesn't take a lot to make us happy. There weather was rather unsettled, cool and windy, with some rain and very chilly nights, but again we got out climbing occasionally and had a couple of great walks up in the mountains at Ailefroide.

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 our 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 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. 

North by North East

Rosedale railway

With the jobs all lined up and a bit of a waiting game in play we decided to head off for a week or so, before the schools kick out and everywhere gets crazy busy. After a bit of mulling we decided to head to the tiny ex-mining village of Skinningrove - we had only been there once years ago, it isn't too far from home and we suspected, correctly, that it would be quiet. The week there was very pleasant, we went walking every day, along beaches, across clifftops and up on the moors. We stopped in a recently refurbed building - there were twelve apartments and despite it being the first week of the school holiday, we were the only people there.

The cliffs north of Skinningrove

Our touristing day was a visit to Staithes - pleasant enough, but way too busy for our liking plus the place was really smelly (and noisy) with all the gulls. We gave the honeypots of Whitby and Redcar a miss. 

We visited Sherri's brother Mike on the way home in Stokesley - he retires next week and joins the leisured classes - welcome aboard.

 

 

Heading North of the Humber

Sherri and a friendly Tern

Sherri heading of to Lindisfarne

 Two weeks back home and we felt the need for a break so we booked a week in Northumberland, an area we used to climb in a lot 'back then' and even wrote a guidebook to, but really don't know very well. The week extended to eleven days, the weather was mixed but we had a great time exploring somewhere new. It also gave me the chance to lay a sixty year old ghost to rest - way back in 1965 I was booked on a school trip to the Farne Islands, as a keen birder (a founder member of the Young Ornithologist Club) I was beyond excited. The day before the trip I knackered my ankle buggering about on a building site near home by running into boulders hidden in the grass - I was devastated!

The visit to the Farnes and to Lindisfarne we both great but we also incredibly busy, and expensive too - the wide open beaches and wild moors we visited were much more to our liking - we may have to return.

 

Summer's a Coming

Culles-les-Roches - urgh

After a couple of very pleasant weeks in Argentiere we popped over (through?) the mountains via the Frejus Tunnel (£44 one way!!) back to the Maurienne, one of our favourite spots as it is always so quiet and there is plenty of easy climbing to go at. We had 10 days there, and for much of the time I think we were the only residents at Plein Soleil. 

The Canal du Centre - lovely walking

Then we headed up country for the final ten days, stopping at Essertenne, about 50 miles south of Dijon. The AirBnB was another cracker, quiet, comfortable and with just enough cat action to see us through. The climbing was less successful, in particular on the two visits to Culles-des-Roches the place was packed with kids marauding around - we got some climbing done but it was far from ideal. We also did a few lovely walks by the canal/lakes - flat and deserted.

And that was that - a two day haul to Rotterdam, and overnight crossing to Hull, breakfast at Morrisons, then nine and.half months later, back home.

Up into the Mountians

A cool 6C on the Lauteret

 

Posh top floor pad

 

We had a very pleasant couple of weeks in Buis le Baronnies, though the weather wasn't the best - we climbed four days and did quite a bit of hiking too. Then we packed Colin of northwards with a box of pasta (and a lot of rank meat he had brought from Spain) and we headed to Argentiere le Bessèe, bizarrely we ended up on the same blocked road that caught us out back in September coming the other way and had to do an hour's detour over a very wiggly pass - slow learners!

Our new pad was an extensive top floor apartment that sleeps eleven, as we were just two we got it for way less than half price. The weather at Argentiere was much pleasanter, almost a bit warm at times - though we coped, the usual mix of climbing, hiking and chilling - lovely stuff.

The pad has no cats, but four dogs, three rabbits, two goats and a load of chickens (free eggs) - so pretty poor substituents for puddy action, but they will have to do - and by the way, the goats stink!

 

Cruising up the Coast

Some easy climbing close to the house

 

We bailed from the Ariege and drove north and east, with a windy stop at Saint Victoire to a very nice pad on the outskirts of Toulon. The eight days there were very pleasant, with climbing and hiking, plus some book work - pretty much our standard life style these days. Then it was on to Saint Rafael, when we first retired, we spent a couple of winters around here, escaping the UK and working on the Cote d'Azur guidebook. I was surprised how little I could remember about area, turns out it was nearly 18 years ago! The pad is very smart and there is a newish guidebook out, hopefully that will keep us busy for a couple of weeks.

 Edit - it turned out access to the Dramont was closed, the local crags were busy, the traffic was horrendous and the background throb of the city kept us awake at night. After a week we binned it and headed to Buis les Barronais, to meet Colin and soak in some peace and quiet...........and rest.

On the Road Again

Climbing at Auzat - always a pleasure

After two months in Cyprus we nipped back to Kalymnos for a couple of weeks. It is always good to be there though the weather didn't really play ball, we had a spell of nine days when the north wind roared and daytime temperature sometimes only reached 7C which was a bit of a shock.

Then it was back to Chez Arran via a night in Stansted for a week's cat sitting while Jon and Jacci were in the UK. Spring has come slowly to the Ariege though the longer days and a bit of gentle climbing have been a delight. I'm pleased to report that the car started first press of the button and Andorra still does cheap booze and petrol.

In a couple of days we are heading to the Gard - an area we have never visited - interestingly I can't remember the last time we went somewhere completely new - it may have been years ago!

 

Cyprus - Just About Done Again

Middle of winter - but not too shoddy

 Seven weeks on Cyprus and just one more to go. As ever it has been easy living considering we are here in the depths of the northern winter - the weather has generally been superb though there has been the odd damp spell, but it always pleasantly warm and we have managed to get out for a walk/climb every single day.
Accommodation s high quality and remarkably cheap - a two bedroom apartment with big terrace, bath and fast Wi-Fi for the cost of camping in the UK - why wouldn't you spend a bit of time here! 

Of course the real reason we go to Cyprus is because it isn't in Schengen so any time spent there doesn't count towards our pitiful 90 in 180 day limit in the rest of the Schengen zone - Spain, France, Germany, Norway, Iceland, Italy etc.

Back to Cyprus

Winter sunset from our pad in Chloraka

 Despite having a six month French Visa which runs up to next April we still short of Schengen time because of spending weeks climbing in France back in August and September. The simplest solution is to get out of the zone for a month or two - spending the depths of winter in Cyprus is a pretty easy option as the place is quite civilised and has decent winter weather. Having said that, this winter has been one of the wetter ones and the kitchen in pad we are stopping in floods every time there is heavy rains, so not quite perfect, though way better than being back in the UK.

Prom walks are our main activity

A bit of climbing and lots of prom and mountain walks fill the time nicely and daytime temperatures of 16-20C are pretty pleasant. In a month or so we will back to Kalymnos for a while, then onwards to the Ariege to collect the car - but that is way in the future at the moment.

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