Trail Run | Hathersage 10 Mile Loop

After months of shopping for the right pair of Trail Running Shoes I finally got a bargain in a pair of Merrell All Out Crush. These, along with the new Vango Swift 10L Hydration Pack meant it was time to get out especially as we have plans to run up to the Mer de Glace while we are in Chamonix, as well as the Yorkshire Three Peaks later in the year.

Besides this, I had an urge for some sort of physically draining day out and have done since the New Year, and BG was yet to try out the route/navigation setting on his Suunto Ambit3 Peak I got him for Christmas. We found this route on Suunto's Movescount website which was rich in trail running routes all over the Peak District.

Planning the Tour du Mont Blanc

The Tour du Mont Blanc Route

For those of you that have seen the endless posts on Instagram or read about last year's trip to the Alps on here you'll know how much Chamonix and the Mont Blanc Massif stole my heart. Shortly after we got home the UTMB started popping up in my Instagram feeds on accounts I had recently started following. As the pictures came in thick and fast of stunning scenes, vast Alpine valleys and enormous mountains I decided I wanted in on the action.

Birthday Wild Camping

Sunrise over Coniston Water 

2016 is drawing to a close and unlike last year I am really enjoying December and the build up to Christmas and, part of the build up includes a birthday for me. Birthday parties have never really interested me, mainly due to the fact that when I was a child everything was booked up months in advance due to Christmas parties, and as this year has just been full of epic, happy outdoor adventures what better than to revisit the Lake District where 2016 began.

Amphitheatre Buttress

Wild camping the night before the climb

Back in March I went to Burbage Edge in the Peak District for my first outdoor climbing experience. 

It went well.

Three months later in June I found myself at the base of my first 330m climb. This was my third day out climbing.

The night before we wild camped by the Ffynnon Llugwy Resevoir under a tarpaulin. Yes, a tarpaulin, to save weight when climbing the next day. Speaking of weight, when we set off the next morning carrying all the weight in yet another backpack that felt bigger than I did, I spent most of the walk to the climb wondering how on earth I was going to climb with so much weight attached to me. It was strenuous enough lugging it over the Carnedd Llewellyn rage and down to the base of the climb never mind attempting to climb 330m metres of rock with it attached to me.

Wild Camping Virginity

Waking up surrounded by mountains in the Lake District

As it is now the final day in October there is a lot to catch up on from the 2016 so I thought I'd best start at the very beginning, all the way back in January.

January seems like a very very long time ago. Not just because it is, not just because of how much I've done and achieved since then, but because of how I felt back then. I was fresh off the back of Christmas. I didn't want last Christmas, the thought of it looming just stressed me out. I didn't want to see anybody, I just wanted to stay in some sort of cocoon. The usual winter 'sads' seemed to be highlighted by the fresh clouds of insecurity which had started in November and I was about to start with some really attractive anxiety in February. So yes, January is a very long time ago.