First things first, how you vote, is entirely your decision, and I encourage you to read the documents attached on each item at the top of the voting card. If you disagree with me on how to vote, then that's fine! However, if, like me, you...
The week in Chamonix began by getting caught in a storm, and ended the same way. The first one expected, the second one less so, but sandwiched in the middle was a couple of peaks that will make the week a memorable one.
Some obscure routes and some classics: El Niño, Madame Rêve, Digital Crack and République Bananière.
Back in March, just before the AGM I wrote about the motion of no confidence raised against the British Mountaineering Council (BMC). Of course, the motion was defeated, but the BMC was, and is, under a period of potential reform.
A six part yoga for climbers video series in partnership with Epic TV, Prana and the Depot Climbing Centre Manchester.
Each episode is 10 minutes, so you can do the standalone sessions as a great pre-climb warm up, or post climb cool down, mix and match sessions to create a climber specific workout, or complete the full series as an hour long challenging yoga session specifically tailored to climber's needs. Enjoy!
In the last year the BMC has faced a torrid time; the Climb Britain u-turn, and now a potential 40% Sport England funding cut, a proposed Alpine Club Special General Meeting and a guerilla 'vote of no confidence'. Is this a storm in a teacup, is the board "betraying" the members, or are these all just red herrings?
There was a list of four routes on Heather's fridge (the fridge list). Three weren't in condition after the recent storms in Chamonix, so that left one: Etat du Choc on the Petit Clocher du Portalet. My french brain didn't seem to be on form after a long week of work and I'd forgotten that this route translates as State of Shock, and not some sweeter alternative. That said the line, after a good few hours of upward fighting up a 9 pitch off-width was definitely worthy of being on the fridge list, and the north face of the Portalet is quite possibly the best face of granite in region.
There's not much left to say about the quality of climbing at Fairhead festival that hasn't already been said. Perfect weather, perfect rock and perfect company from 500 friends from across the climbing community who came together for a weekend on one of the best crags in the world. After crushing most of the crag, including a flash of The Dark Side (E8 6c), Alex Honnold delivered a sold-out lecture in a cow-shed on the Saturday night.
I'd recommended the line of The Dark Side to Jordan Buys the previous day, and eager to take up the recommendation Jordan threw a rope down the huge 55m pitch as I climbed Jolly Roger on the perpendicular wall. As I was topping out, having plugged my entire rack into the route, I could see my belayer 55m below, slightly distracted by Alex Honnold who was heckling the amount of gear I'd placed and clearly engaging my belayer more than my bumbling about on an E3!
Just over 12 months ago I was doing a route toward the end of an endurance training session at the climbing wall when I popped out for a hold with my left hand. My forearms were already very fatigued and as I caught the hold and pulled through into a deep lock I felt a bursting strain at the elbow end of my forearm and in my wrist.
I'm lucky to climb with some of the best climbing photographers in the UK (if not the world) who take some incredible shots of the climbing and skiing that we get up to together. Here's a selection of some of my favourite photo memories of the last 10 years of climbing in the UK, Alps, Africa, Iran and the Karakoram. Thanks to Alex Messenger, Scott Mackenzie, Lukasz Warczecha and Henry Iddon for many of these photos.