Another Year, Another Camera!

I have had my Nikon P7000 most 12 months, a great camera with which I have taken around 8000 photographs. At the end of the Swiss trip I noticed the selection dial was playing up, not allowing me to use the video setting. so it was back to Harrison PhotoVideo. The camera is still in warranty but it is very doubtful whether it will be back in time for the Kalymnos trip. With that being the case I had a look what the market had to offer and came up with something different, a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V. It is a 'bridge camera' midway in side between a compact and a DSLR, and it has some impressive capabilities. Most notable is the lens that runs from a wide 27mm to a super-telephoto of 810mm. I'm not sure how they do it but the results are pretty amazing - see the two photos. High quality video, panorama stich and a few other whistles and bells too - it'll do!

Nose to the Grindstone

Back from La Suisse (a journey as smooth as you could imagine) and we only have 12 days before we head to Kalymnos, so as ever, there is a heap to do.
Peak Limestone is pretty well ready for handing over, so I need get Costa Blanca and Ariege ready to take Greece with me and get them ready for publication some time next year.
Sunday, as ever, was Grit Day, but with heavy showers forecast we all headed to Burbage North. It is quite a while since I have been there, and a pleasant and social time was guarateed, with climbing and ribald leg-pulling in equal measure.
I did 11 route (mis-counted - I thought it was a dozen!) and I even led Tiptoe for the 1st time - since I put it up in 1972, in the intervening 39 years I have only ever soloed it - must be getting soft!

Swish as it Gets

The flight was on time, though the Sunday night Zurich traffic was a bit grim as was the midnight arrival at Meiringen. Monday was damp on and off but it was good to get organised, stocked up and to have a quick walk round the area just as a leg stretcher.
Tuesday was perfection, bright, sunny and cool at 6000' as well as incredibly quiet. We did two routes one of eight pitches and one of four, both on immaculate granite before heading back down the hill - suddenly the hassles were all worthwhile.
On top of that the forecast looks brill and it is pi55ing it down back in the UK!

Six days in and the sun is still shining. Did a 1400' route on the slabs above Raitrichverbodensee yesterday - brilliant. I think Sunday will be a day of rest!

More granite and a smattering of local limestone just to keep in touch, only a couple of day left now - but it has been great.

Some you win.......

The last two Septembers we have had great trips to the superb granite slabs of the Handegg area in Switzerland, and we fancied sneaking in one more. We are due out there on Sunday but in the event the forecast for whole of next week looks atrocious (though we still have the flights) so for the 1st time in 25 years we have cancelled - bugger!
We have looked at the options, but all of the Med is still far too hot, and the high hills far too unsettled - so it looks like we will be stopping at home.
I have been working flat out to get Peak Limestone ready to hand over so at least the pressure is off there. As ever Graham and Dan (the Parkes Twins) have helped get more shots for the book, we have visited some pretty esoteric places in our travels!
Anyway we are heading back to Kalymnos in four weeks so that is something to look forward too.

I had a days driving up at at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire, under the auspices of the AIM 'Skills' programme. The weather was kind and it was an excellent chance to see what the Sti could really do; 300 bhp, four-wheel-drive and fat tyres all add up! The fact that we could raid Colin's garden on the way up and visit my parents for fish 'n' chips on the way back were bonuses.

Update: the forecast for the Alps is much better again - trip back on!

Time Flies

Three weeks back home already, it has been full on with Peak Limestone and it has all gone pretty well. The crags are lovely and dry so I have manage to get a few more of the missing crag shots by visiting the Dales at odd times of the day to catch the best of the light.
As ever 'The Team' have been very helpful with with checking routes over, visiting out of the way places and posing for photos - always turning up with a nice array of coloured T-shirts. See Dan and Graham (The Green Team) in the shot to the left.
The weather has been good though often a bit sweaty, there has been a lot of donkey work putting all the corrections into the master document, a good excuse for staying indoors on the hotter days.
A couple more weeks and it is off again - Switzerland this time. Apparently the Alps have had a crap summer, lets hope they have a decent autumn!

S'limestone & Stanage

August in the UK - that's not something we do very often. The weather has been mixed, and very warm compared to northern Norway, but pleasant enough.
I have pressed on with Peak Limestone, there have been lots of bits and pieces to tidy up and check over, conditions down in the Limestone Dales is great at the moment, and everywhere is remarkably quiet. We have pushed the publication date back by six months, there seemed little point in 'full steam ahead' and bring the book out just as the season ends - a Spring launch makes much more sense.
A Sunday on Stanage with most of the 'usual suspects' was very pleasant with a bunch of old classics ticked off, good routes and good company.
It is six weeks until we head for Kalymnos so we have book a 10 day slider to Handegg for early September just to stay keen. Lets hope the weather is kind.

South by South West

Early evening we sailed out of Svolvaer and along the coast, slipping past Henningsvaer and out into the Westfjord. There were no cabins available this time, and many folks just crashed in the lounge, though we spent time looking for a decent dossing spot and found it at the back of the ship, an alcove that was sheltered from the wind and undercover enough to keep the rain off. We got a few strange looks but who gives a damn, we had two comfy nights there and saved a heap of dough too!
We had four nights at the oddly named Koppang (sounds like a Batman comic annotation) by the banks of Norway's biggest river - the Glømma. The place was all set for salmon and trout fishing, though we found a good sport crag not far to the south, and had an excellent walk up some 3500' foot top just to the west whilst thunderstorms grumbled all around. The strangest thing was the DARK - all a bit spooky after so long with 24 hour daylight.
Then it was on south to Larvik and a much smooth crossing of the Skagerrak than the one going the other way 10 weeks ago to the day. The next morning we had a walk on the glorious beach at Tornby and quick ride across Denmark, to Esbjerg to be upgraded to Commodore Class yet again. The forecast is for a flat calm crossing - brilliant.