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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.)
Watching the Cockenzie chimneys come down from 1800 feet above.
Dad's 80th birthday lunch at Craigmillar Park Golf Club - a lovely bunch of "seniors" together with James, Ann, Kim and me.
Kim and I flew our mums to Bute for a pub lunch - the first "proper" mircolight trip for both of them. Mum loved it all. Madeline, er, endured it!!
Wonderful 3 nights' camping at the "cool" Seal Shore campsite - cycled our usual 68 miles route taking in the 3 big climbs - and numerous others (it's Arran!!). Then another long day climbing Goatfell from Sannox via the scrambly Cioch na h-Oighe peak. Finally, we cycled from Lochranza, over the Mull of Kintyre, to the north tip of Gigha and returned the same route in blue skies and warm sunshine.
The EOSM team attend the 2015 East Fortune Air Show with the Red Arrows, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the P&M Quik Lite and assorted others.
A short school holiday Lake District break to camp at Buttermere, climb Hay Stacks and Go Ape at Whinlatter.
A week in northwest Wales visiting various attractions and with a mission to bag Snowdon when the weather allowed and give James his biggest climb to date.
With James and Kim on the Pyg Track route up Snowdon and the Miners Track route down. A little cloud on the summit for our morning arrival, but cleared nicely as we emerged from the cafe and gave us a wonderful warm and sunny descent.
Fun little mini-break with Gordon and Jill to bag a couple of elusive Munros at the top of Glen Lyon, with a night at the trendy Mhor 84 hotel near Balquhidder.
My instructor day off so I became passenger for the day and sat back while Kim flew us to Mull for lunch and Bute for a stroll to the beach in the sun and an afternoon refreshment.
Three days' camping in unseasonably splendid weather to visit Malham Cove - another Harry Potter film location successfully ticked off by James.
Mid-term holiday - skiing in Avoriaz with James - unbroken sunshine from start to finish. So, so lucky!
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