Turkish Delights

Stormy skies over Karaöz

Great climbing at Olympos

For somewhere a little different we thought we would invite Colin out to Antalya for a couple of weeks climbing, being quite impressed with the area when visited it briefly 18 months ago. The chance to visit Sherri's mum in Marmaris and call in to Kalymnos once the 'silly season' was done made a decent job of a plan.

Always a kitten or two

Four hours with Jet2 Manchester to Antalya was easy, finding and collecting the hire car less so, a battle through cross-town traffic and we booked into our pad on the outskirts of Konyaalti just after dusk.
We had 10 days climbing at Geyikbayiri - a great spot, though much of the climbing is pretty hard and temperatures of up to 31C didn't help.
Then we move down the coast to the tiny village of Karaöz so we would have access to the climbing at Olympos.
The main crag of interest is the shady gorge of Dershane - quite a popular little spot with a great set of routes on lovely fluted limestone.  Most of the 50+ routes are sub-6b, well bolted and on high quality rock.
I once asked a travelling Yank what the climbing at Antalya was like - "just like Kalymnos" was his reply. I can confirm that apart from being sport routes on limestone, it is nothing like Kalymnos, quite a remote feeling area, friendly locals, and cheap too. Being 'different' isn't a bad thing, variety is the spice of life and this is certainly a very different part of the world, and one I would strongly recommend visiting.

East or West - Which is Best?

Orpierre - busy, busy, busy

Good old Auzat

 After the delights of the granite heaven of Mello  we headed to Orpierre for a few days via a single night in Argentierre-la-Besse and a two crag day just to pass the time on.
Oprierre was generally quiet though the day before we arrived they had 120 students stopping at the campsite we use - thankfully the owner forewarned us.
Then is was a six hour push back to Chez Arran and the Ariege, five and a half months since we checked out. We soon settled into the usual routine of climbing hiking and taking White Cat to the vets! He(she) had a nasty open sore on her head and with his(her) history the vet thought it best to removed it. Four days on she is doing OK.

White Cat in her happy place

I spent a very productive few days finish off a series of crags I have been working on for a while for the Rockfax App - an Ariege update, Santorini (from a few years ago) Mello and all the new routes at Orpierre that aren't in our current guidebook.
And suddenly it is that time again, if all goes well we will be in Manchester this evening to meet Colin and Antalya (Turkey) late tomorrow.

Italian Lakes and Mountains

Our Mobile Home at Arco

High above Lake Garda

 After a great 10 days in the Dolomites we headed south and east with the intention of being in the Ariege in about three weeks time. I was keen on visiting a couple of Italian venues we climbed at many years ago and never manage to get back too - the famous spots of Arco and Mello.

Lake above Mello

Arco was first, we booked a mobile home in the small village of Pietramurata, a few miles north of the buzzing towns of Arco and Riva del Garda - late September but very much holiday season in the main towns. Despite this, the campsite was pretty much deserted - just how we like it.

Superb granite - Mello

After 10 days exploring the Arco cliffs it was on to the fabulous Mello - I visited the valley for a single day 16 years ago and still recalled the great atmosphere - it was time for a rematch.
We stopped in the heart of the valley in a great apartment in San Martino - a super-tranquil spot. The sun only hits the village for four hours a day at this time of year - mid-winter must be a bit grim up here.
The climbing is on superb granite though the best crag - the huge boulder of the Sasso Remenno - is a victim of its own quality and accessibility - it was packed every time we visited, mostly with groups of school kids. We worked around them and got some great climbs done and did some hiking in the deserted mountains.

Dreaming of the Dolomites

High above Canazie

Canazie and Marmolata

The ten days in Austria were great despite a breakdown in the weather towards the end of our stay. In the event our route south via the Timellsjoch Pass was blocked by snow so we had to detour via Innsbruck and the Brenner Pass joining the crowds heading south.
We stopped in Canazie, under the mighty Marmolada - a really fantastic part of the world. It is more of a mountaineering venue though we managed to find enough sport climbing to pass 10 days using the excellent Rockfax guidebook.

Huben, Ötztal, Austria

Although the season is coming to an end everywhere is still pretty busy, especially the passes which are heaving with cyclists, motorbikes, coaches and hoards of people.
At just under 5000' Canazie has been lovely and cool, but now we have to head downhill towards the hot lands - first stop Arco.

On The Road Again

A quiet moment in the park

Climbing at Oberried, Ötztal

Seven weeks in the UK - a bit of a chore but there were lots of things that had to be done, including all the usual dentists, doctors, opticians, and visiting the mummies.
I got out climbing in the Peak on a few occasions, and that is the same as it ever was, a sociable time in a variety of settings from the magnificent Stanage to some less salubrious holes in the ground - all good fun though.
I made a decision to dump my slide collection built up over around 30 years - a rough count came up with around 25,000 images. I put a picture of them ready for the tip on FaceBook and got a torrent of comments suggesting I hang on to them as they were of historical interest. Anyway, I got in touch with the Mountain Heritage Trust in the Lakes and they said they would be happy to hold them in their archive - so we drove up and delivered the lot.
And then it was off again - Sheffield > Hull > Rotterdam > Karlsruhe > Ötztal - back to Austria, initially for 10 days in the Tyrol. It is still busy and warm, but autumn is on the way and soon everywhere will be quietening down.

Home(?) at Last

Stanage Edge

Learning to Fly

After wandering up through France we made it back to Zeebrugge for the ferry and sailed into Hull the following morning to some refreshingly cool drizzle. Of course Blighty it the same as ever, unsettled weather, busy roads and of course the crowds.

Saltburn by the Sea

We have raced through all the usual jobs, doctors, dentists, opticians, garage (managed to buy a new car!), visit the parents and of course get out climbing in the Peak with the 'Usual Suspects'. Visits to Harpur Hill on the hotter days, clipping bolts, and trad climbing Stanage on the breezier days fitted the bill.
I have sold a heap of stuff on EBay and made a move towards shifting the thousands (c25,000) of slides I have amassed over the years - apparently the Mountain Heritage Trust might be interested.
Alan James (Rockfax) gave me a lesson in drone flying, the Mavic has a high quality camera and the drone is a great way of getting tricky crag shots and unique angles on action ones. 
Already we are thinking about the autumn - no plans as yet but we will be heading south before the end of the month - bring it on.

Bootiful Burgundy

Classic climbing at Remigny.

Our path northwards towards the UK passed Colin's as he headed south to Spain so we decided to hook up for a week in Burgundy.
With it being July it was as hot as expected but we managed to climb every day bar one - we had the Sunday that was Bastille Day off just to stay away from busy roads and crowded cliffs.
We called into the area back in December when it cold (-4C) and foggy - this time it was a lot better. Thirty one routes, four new cliffs and everywhere pretty quite.
Tomorrow we head for Zeebrugge and the ferry to Hull whilst Colin is away into the hots lands of northern Spain.

Butterflies in Burgundy

It will be eleven months less one day since we left when we arrive back in Hull. Once home we will allow ourselves a month to get the multitudinous list of jobs out of the way - and then I think we will do it all over again.