Uteveggen... first outdoor climb in 2009.

First day out at Sotra climbing in 2009... and it was bloody cold! Way to go though, I led 2 routes then bottled one half way up but I can attribute most of the blame to numb fingers from the cold and it is definitely first on my list to get when I get back out again...

Although I'm only leading easy routes I have definitely seen some improvement to my nerve and strength. Rule for 2009 - stop top roping and lose some kilos!

Threadless Shirts

My first threadless t-shirt just arrived in the post and I'm unbelievably ecstatically happy with it... colour, fit and design are all superb and beyond expectations. Big thanks to Leppard for introducing me to the site.

http://www.threadless.com/

Lucky for me the thin envelope slide past customs unnoticed and there was no tax to pay either. Yipee! Result all round.

Ambition Killed the Cat by Neil Gregory... the first of many.

Back in the saddle for 2009.

Made my first journey to work today on my bike in 2009... woohoo! - and it was fanstastic to be back in the saddle after 6 months of rain, long working days and overtime pizza. The days have become noticeably longer and the temperature is firmly over freezing so it was definitely time for my road bike to come out of hibernation. I'm participating in the Bergen - Voss bike race at the beginning of June so I need some time to train. 180km suddenly seems a VERY LONG WAY!

I was kindly dropped half way on my first morning for a gentle break in, the full 18 km cycle to work is enough to have me snoozing against the PC without a proper build up. I did however do the full journey back except for the final 1km over the Sotra Bridge and that was because it was dusk and I had no lights. It felt good!

I bought myself my Orbea Onix second hand last year from Spider Bikes in Moab, Utah whilst on a field trip with work. Made in Spain it has a carbon fiber molded frame with Campagnolo components... and it is red :-) It is my first road bike so I don't have much to compare it with apart from my trusty Dutch back peddle bike and it sure rides a dream compared to that!

The first Munro of 2009

My first Munro of 2009 is Carn a' Mhaim in the Cairngorm Mountains which I climbed on the 7th March 2009 with Jill. This now takes me to 108 Munroes out of 284.

Carn a' Mhaim lies to the south of Ben Macdui and makes a natural loop including Derry Cairngorm, both of which I climbed in 2003 with Jill. Neither Jill nor I know how we missed Carn a' Mhaim the first time round, maybe it was something to do with shying away from a 30 km to bag all 3.

For those who don't know what a Munro is, it is a mountain in Scotland over 3000ft (914m) of which there are 284. The mountains are named after Sir Hugh Munro of Lindertis who first compiled the list in 1891. Since then there have been a number of adaptations to the list as methods for measuring the heights of mountains have become more sophisticated and also due to an ongoing debate as to what exactly determines a top. The last change took place in 1997 when 8 tops were added to the list and 1 removed.

For me, my challenge is to stand at the top of at least 10 Munroes every year. The rules are strict, if I fail to reach my target then I must make them up the following year and if I get more than my target of 10 then they cannot be carried over. If I succeed in my challenge then I should get my 285 peaks bagged by the year 2026 - taking me to a grand old age of 52! In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy exploring all corners of Scotland, having quality time in the wilderness, spending time w good friends and keeping in shape.

Thanks for my Uncle Jack for introducing them to me in 1997.