The Year's End

Easy As Pie

Bye-bye Myrties - for now

Radisson Blue - Stansted Airport

 We flew out of the tiny Kalymnos Airport to Athens, had 1hr 20 mins to get our connection - Ryanair to Stansted. 30 minutes after landing I was in the bath - it doesn't get any easier that!
The hotel is a bit up-market for use but Sherri has some great deals from various websites and we usually get a room with a full English breakfast for about a 50% discount at around £70. The fact that you can walk to the hotel in five minutes, so no need for transfers or taxi rides makes it a no-brainer.
The novelty of (fast) internet in bed, being able to drink the tap-water and a soak in a bath are great, as is a full pint of cold larger from the bar.
Tomorrow it is back the peace and quiet of the French Pyrenees, time to get stuck into the Lofoten Rock book which is due out some time around Easter. We will need to meet up with Thorbjørn somewhere to work on the book - we have pencilled in a visit to Gran Canaria in January - that'll be nice.

Peace Descends

High above the Vathi Valley

Another perfect sunset

Almost six weeks on Kalymnos, the place has gone wonderfully quiet, there are few stragglers left, but it has become quite unusual to share a cliff with another team which is how we like it.
We have visited most of the new cliffs that have been developed over the past couple of years, Arginonta Valley, Black Buddha and Milianos Cave have all been exceptional - always nice to find new routes to go at and new crags to visit.
We have eaten out on the terrace every evening since we arrived and only had to have breakfast in doors on two occasions because of damp mornings. The forecast is showing storms followed by a strong cold (4C!!!) northerly - but we really can't complain!

Into the Aegean Groove

Bumpy today in the Taxi-Boat

 Just over three weeks now on Kalymnos, 50+ routes climbed and lots of old mates bumped into. Of course they have all gone home now, the place has quietened down to just how we like it. Quite why folks choose to visit when it is hot and busy escapes me - it must be that they like sweating and crowds!
In the three + weeks I have had a frozen shoulder, a gout attack in my elbow and a short but rather unpleasant cold - not what we expect over here!

Bruno ensuring Sherri gets no work done

Despite that the climbing has been a pleasure as ever and we have visited some of the newer crags that have been developed. Arginonta Valleyhas been especially good, a short approach, shade all day and really good set of routes - hats off to Claude Idoux - as ever. I watched him start the development of the crag last winter and the scale of the job isn't to be underestimated.
We have a few other new venues to check out too, so it shouldn't be to difficult fill the next five weeks - what a pleasant prospect.

A Week and a World Away

Babis Bar sunsets take some beating

An easy journey via a night in the Stansted Radisson and we were back on Kalymnos in double-quick time.
Unfortunate Babis Bar was full so we were allocated a small, hot, dark 'cubicle' in the cellar - suffice to say we didn't sleep too well.
Next day we were upstairs back in the 'proper' world of blue skies and shimmering seas. Six routes just to 'get going' was a proper welcome.
The place is busy but we knew that would be the case with the last two weeks in October being the peak of the Peak Season.
it is interesting that even with all the new routes/crags that have become available the place is still packed.

Big fella bobbing in the briney

It will only be a week before the hoards start leaving and then we can get out to play.
I heard today that my Cot d'Azure guidebook has just about sold out so we are looking at a rapid turnaround to get a new volume out before the seasons starts next spring.
Interestingly it has sold quite well averaging over two books a day, every day for six years - and all that from a book that nearly didn't make it to publicationn

Off We Go Again

The first sign of winter

Lovely conditions on Auzat

Two and a half weeks at Chez Arran have passed as quickly as ever. I didn't get quite as much climbing done as I hoped as Graham brought and ugly bug out from the UK with him, I caught it after four days and Sherri picked it up a couple of days later. One week on and we are on the road to recovery - but it hasn't been nice!
When we travel we make a point of trying to avoid picking up bugs with regular use of a nasal spray and antibacterial soap but there is only so much you can do if they are delivered to your home!
Anyway - it is the usual last few days of sorting, packing, stashing stuff in the barns and feeding the cats to a standstill. We are headed to the Radisson at Stansted tomorrow, the hotel is a bit flash for us but it is walk-able from the terminal, has a bath (wow) and includes a full-English in the price.
Then it is onwards to Athens - for the princely sum of £20 each - and with a bit of luck and a following wind, to Kos in time for the 18:00 ferry to Kalymnos.
It sounds like the season is still in full swing down there, not sure how hot or busy it is going to be but we fancy getting there before things cool down this year so we can do a bit of swimming and snorkelling - and of course some climbing.
As ever there appear to be quite a few new crags to go at - which is just great - a couple of months down there should do us just fine.

66 and 100 Not Out

Orpiérre - cruising classics on deserted cliffs

From the Maurienne Valley (we will be returning there sooner rather than later) we headed back to Orpierre, we spent a couple of weeks there last autumn, and the place was so busy as to to be really unpleasant. We arrive on a Saturday - my 66th birthday - everywhere was shut so I had a lovely sandwhich for my evening meal.
This time round the whole area was much more how we like it - we were virtually the only people on the campsite and the cliffs were so much quieter that the climbing was a really pleasure.
I noticed towards the end of the week that I had done 100 routes since we left the UK on the 1st of the month - that isn't something that happens very often.
Then it was the long drive back the Ariège - Chez Arran was busy as everyone was getting ready to go off on trips away. We noticed that White Cat had a large swelling on her neck that was obviously causing her a lot of discomfort, so 08:30 Monday morning we were back at the vets almost a year since were there to get her ears sorted.

White Cat after 'Operation Abscess'

The vet was very matter-of-fact and when we picked WC up at 4:00 the change in her demeanour was great to see - all three of us slept much better that night.
Graham and Helen Parkes have arrived for a quick weeks climbing and relaxation - the weather has started a bit mixed but the forecast is great - my plan is to use his superior climbing ability to get dragged up as many routes that I haven't done before as possible - all systems are GO!