wimpyalpinism   welcome to the world of cowardly mountain activities …

I need more comments! Please look at my recent pages, hover over stu’s blog and look at my different pages if your not sure!

Okay we had had enough of the cold so we went ski-ing on the sunny side of the valley 🙂 -5deg C.  True to our Yorkshire roots we used the jet boil stove to make some nice tasty soup outside the car!

No expense spared ski-ing trip

Yumm .... Ainsley Harriet Shropshire Pea! (the thing in Stu's mouth is a spork)

View from the lift across to La Meije - a nice day

Well we put the miles in from Zeebrugge and arrived a day early with the drive getting more exciting as we came closer to Gites la Breche (-16 and the odd snow flurry!).  Today we visited La Grave and climbed a route called La Nuit sera Fraiche – really nice route but … it was still somewhere between -10 and -16 all day.  Rather chilly.  MUST wear more clothes tomorrow :). The guidebook says a nice 3+ but today it seemed rather tough (or may be that was me!).  to say we only did one route we are all feeling rather tired this evening.  Best bit was the MEGA bumslide down!

Rachel with sharp pointy things

Mmmm ... seems harder than it should!

Topping out

Stu styling with a pair of Nomics (mine!)

Okay – I may be getting rather the wrong side of my teenage years but as is correctly said … as men get older they don’t get rid of their toys they only get more EXPENSIVE. How true! I currently have acquired quite a few, new toys (I would argue that they are not expensive – certainly not relative to Italy’s monetary deficit.  It’s GREAT!! French icefalls loom next weekend and I am like a kid in  sweet shop – YAY!!  I have added a new page to WIMPYALPINISM so that Stu can give a ore objective view of life than my usual rantings and ravings.  I hope that you all follow it and … hey … a great way of keeping in touch!

Today was rather cold but me, Simon and Jake (not to forget Rose {2-ish years old} of course) ventured out onto the grit – Curbar.  Nice afternoon but a a bit too chilly. At Rose’s suggestion (honest) we went to the Barley Mow in Bonsall just to avoid overstressing ourselves!!