January and February 2013

The fingery lower section of Chouchou Place, 7c. Photo by Julien/Voyages a la verticale.

It's Thursday again (the only day I get to lie in whilst Elaine takes Scamp for a walk). It's also the day that Not-so-fatman and Robin get together and have the difficult task of going out climbing on the fabulous Cote d'Azur crags. I know, it's a tough life! However, unfortunately it's been raining for a couple of days now and today is shaping up the same way. Time for me to catch up, as it's been a while since my last blog.

Mike, Elaine, Scamp, Marie-Jo, Gerard and Marc at Chouchou Place (photo by Julien/Voyages a la verticale)

Elaine and Scamp at Greolieres in January

Chouchou Place, 7c (photo by Julien/Voyages a la verticale)

Since the new year, the weather has been very unsettled. Typically the pattern has been for an unsettled week with periods of heavy rain followed by a week or two of good weather, during which it has been possible to climb on the dry crags (ie. mostly those without tufas). Then the rain has returned again. It's been pretty frustrating for all the keen climbers down here. Most of us have been ticking over, occasionally snatching some good routes and keeping fit at Art'Bloc and Val de Grimpe.

Elaine and Scamp on the way to Chouchou Place in February

Robin warming up on a 6c at Chouchou Place in the February sun

The whole place to ourselves. How cool is that?

Elaine still looking good in SOS pants at Isola

Elaine and I have even been skiing and making the most of the brilliant conditions. We've had a couple of great days at Isola 2000 (where there was almost 3m of snow) and a couple of superb days at Valberg last weekend. Yours truly had a nasty wipe out at Isola, cutting my head (5 stitches needed) and covering the piste with lots of the red stuff. The irony was that the day before I had a helmet in my hand at Decathlon but decided not to buy it. Guess what was the next thing we bought?

I'm made up that I've remembered how to upload photos! And I'm psyched for some bouldering this afternoon with Marie-Jo, Julien and Robin whilst the rest of you folks are keeping the world turning! See ya!