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Great New Year's Day walk to bag a couple of Mamores that had eluded me - Stob Ban and Mullach Nan Coirean - Munros 189 and 190 now done.
Lovely wee winter romp around the Drummocher Munros with Douglas and Kim. Two new ticks (187 and 188) and one repeat of nearly a quarter of a century ago.
A tandeming holiday to properly visit some of the sights we flew over on our microlight trip back in August. With a little Paris mini-adventure thrown in too, since we happened to be passing. I just must mention the Nexus mobile phone - it has an AMAZING phone camera, particularly in low light and even its digital zoom (used cautiously) can give nice results. All of these photos were taken with the phone - it's not practical to carry a proper camera on the bike but no need to anyway, thanks to the Nexus.
Our third attempt in the last year to fly to the Loire and do a Chateaux Tour by microlight - something I've wanted to do for a long time. Following the weather, as we always do, we were then taken east to Epernay, the Champagne region and an entirely unplanned and moving overfly of my great uncle's Great War grave in northern France. It was hot, turbulent, bumpy flying all the way but we loved every minute and really didn't want it to end.
Fun week exploring caves, trees, wee hills and big landslips in the ridiculously named Peak District.
James was selected as Consort to the Gala Queen for this year's Aberlady Gala. A little bit nerve-wracking but he did brilliantly with his speech and the family are all very, very proud of him.
Little jolly with James, and with Kim flying in formation, over the city and the airport to see the new bridge from above.
The perfect camp on a very warm spring evening under the monument at Glenfinnan and then a round of the Glenfinnan Munros horseshoe under cloud that dispersed as we descended the second Munro.
Camped at the Inn at Wasdale Head to position ourselves for a scenic high level circuit of the Mosedale Horseshoe.
Old Madeline and young James conquer the Old Man of Coniston.
Three fabulous and unexpected days' skiing in Saint Gervais. Huge thanks to Gordon and Jill for inviting me to join them, microlighter Gordon Craig for the use of his apartment and Easyjet for the cheap flights!
Climbing through the inversion into the snow and hot sunshine of Beinn Bhuidhe.
Half term skiing again with James in Chatel - Portes Du Soleil.
Forecast was for "difficult walking conditions with sudden ferocious gusts" but we weren't going to let that stop us when we'd arranged the day off work so Douglas picked a good hill, promising a rare new tick for me, which would keep us low out of the wind for as long as possible on the long cycle in followed by a rapid ascent and descent of Carn a'Chlamain. Pretty nasty wind higher up, as predicted, but always makes for an exciting day.
Down to Glentress to Go Ape on a sunny Autumn atfernoon with James and his pal Jack.
A dramatic "follow the weather" microlight tour visiting friends and family in Gatwick, Norfolk and the Lake District, taking in France and Wales for good measure. A bit of a photographic challenge to produce anything worthwhile through the near permanent haze layer below us, but I've tried. (Oh - a serious little footnote for any of my students reading this: despite appearances and my captions, we were at all times in sight of the surface.)
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