To all quite simply THANK YOU - namaste

So it’s just over 3 days until lift off.... The past year has flown by quicker than Jenson Button over that finish line in Australia yesterday!! It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride and there’s been some of the best times I’ve had. I’ve met loads of great people (some I’ve not met yet!!), been to loads of new places (with more still to visit) and taken part in loads of great activities: fundraising, swinging from the trees at Go Ape!, blogging, Friday lunching, climbing the hills of Scotland (plenty more still to do – but remember ‘I don’t have a tick list’!).... just lots of fun times...

With all of that in mind, I think it’s now time for some more thank yous to everyone who has made the last year possible and the future so very very bright! Here goes:

Mum, Dad, Karen (sister) and Ryan (the bestest nephew in the whole wide world!) – you’s are my everything Love you guy’s lots; my brilliant family too many to mention but you all know who you are; Linda for being always there and for listening to my talking about all manner of things, for your fantastic fundraising efforts, Christmas card making and cake baking and a true friend; Brigitte for your endless support, encouragement and a good friend; Donna a dear friend what more can I say, I’m just sorry we missed out on all those years but we’re making up for it now; Bernie for being a good friend and a long distance pen pal; Susan thanks for everything you are a great friend, a brill mummy and an inspiration; Andrew thanks for the very cool quiz night posters and for sharing your fantastic pictures on Flickr – they really are amazing (check his pics out here, taken with an old fashioned Holga camera); Olly M quite simply thank you, for your wise words, encouragement, fabulous films, great pictures and I’m glad I can now call you a friend; Kev, Chris, Ian H, Sharon, Ian Mc, Douglas, Louise, Vikki, Billie, Tara, Suzanne, Dorothy a great bunch of fantastic friends and workmates; to everyone at work in DASS that has sponsored me, bought my cakes, came to the quiz night, encouraged me, helped me and hopefully read my blog! – thank you all; Jackie O and the fabulous members of the Ochils Mountaineering Club thanks for taking me under your wings and up the mountains, yes ‘tis true people I am now officially a member of the OMC (I have a card and everything!!); Martin McGarvey a pal, a great source of information and still a huge inspiration – Good Luck in 2010 I know you will do it!; Michael for your wise words and your offer to take me up the hills – I’m holding you to that when I get back; PTC is that really your name! Keep writing that marvellous blog, your stories, foties and kit advice are great!; all the inspirational speakers I’ve heard over the past few months Simon Yates, Kenton Cool, Ian Parnell, Es Tressider, Kev Shields, Olly Metherell and Niall McNair - the simple words and fabulous panoramas you offer really do provide lots of inspiration to lots of people - keep it up!; Dave and Claire MacLeod I’m an avid reader of your blog and congratulations on the ever-continuing success of Echo Wall - a great film that even us non-climbers got hooked on within the first few minutes – inspiring!; Alison Culshaw, Claire Maxted and Tom Bailey thanks for taking me up a munro in the Cairngorms and giving some great memories and photos of the day (see Trail magazine Oct o8 edition); Jackie Johnson from Marie Curie Cancer Care, thanks for your help and encouragement; to all the lovely 4th year students who will graduate in June including Karen A, Andrew H, Frazer, David C, Nina, Matthew, Gwyneth, Gareth S, David P, Gemma, Alex S, Lyndsay H and everyone else so sorry I won’t be there when you guys hand in your dissertations but GOOD LUCK and you’re in safe hands at the office with Linda!; Paul Roberts at Terrevista Trails - thanks so much for the sleeping bag liner much appreciated; to Mark Beaumont the first person to really inspire me way back in early 2008 with his solo round the world cycle, it gave me a fire in my belly and compelled me to step outside my comfort zone, take on a new challenge and live life to the fullest that I can – Thank you, truly.

And finally to new friends Kate F, Ruth R, Andy W, Emma C and the other members of team Charity Challenge EBC 2009, can’t wait to meet you all!!

To all I simply say thank you... for everything.

Ange xxxxx

Pictures done on Wordle.net

More pictures and larger sizes here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ange77h/sets/72157616028845491/

Climbers/Mountaineers - are the brave... or just a bit mad!?!

Hey

Ok you may be wondering at the title of this blog. I'll explain...

Went along to my third mountaineering/climbing talk last Thursday. This one was again at the Ochils Mountaineering Club. It was by Kev Shields. In case you don't know who he is, he is a guy who climbs with most of his left hand missing, see these websites for details: http://current.com/items/88898530/kev_shields_the_one_handed_climber.htm and http://www.mountain-equipment.co.uk/about_us/pro_partners/kev_shields/

Anyway when he started the talk i was thinking 'man he's a brave guy! if a little nervous' and as he went on and the talk progressed to the end he got into the flow of it and I realised he's also a bit mad!! - no offence Kev. It was a fantastic talk and his life seemed liked one disapointment after another until he discovered a real passion, i mean a real actual passion and enthusiasm for all things relating to climbing. His enthusiasm was infectious. He had funny little tales of girls dumping him as he spent most of his time stuck to the side of a rock instead of wining and dining them on Valentines Day - a very funny story! He has a prosthetic hand attachment made by the University of Strathclyde Prosthetics Dept which has an ice axe built into it. He said it's a bit limiting in some ways but in others it's as useful as a real hand he said, pretty amazing really.

Now i'm still picking up the climbing lingo but i am assured by a trusted source that him wanting to climb a route called The Hurting in the Cairngorms at an XI/11 is totally mental!!!! But this guy is different (and i'm sure there are some others like him) but this is like Spiderman, James Bond and [insert another superhero name here]. So I ask this question... Mountaineers/Climbers, are they brave or just a bit mad?! I mean you'd have to be wouldn't you?

A few questions were asked at the end of the talk - is his mum still talking to his dad after he built him a climbing wall in the garage? and how would he prepare for The Hurting? He said that he'll have to get into the mindset that the worst could actually happen on this route. Can you imagine that? I couldn't do it but i wish him all the luck in the world in his efforts. He never said when it would actually happen but he will be doing it with Dave MacLeod - i think! Here's an interview of Kev by Dave Macleod. http://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2007/09/kevin-shields-interview.html

So yeah if you get the chance to see his talk go along, it was fab.

Next stop Pitlochry on Saturday for a talk called Vertigo by Kenton Cool and Ian Parnell. Looking forward to this one!

Oh yeah nearly forgot. Climbed my 4th munro last Saturday - Ben Vorlich up by Lochearnhead. Did it in good time despite the rotten weather, all in all a good day that was finished by a cup of tea and cream cake in a Callander coffee shop - yum!

catch you later

Ange xx

PS on a totally different note completely, it isn't just me who loves the song from the Barclaycard waterslide advert?? Do you know it? if not here you go ...... http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1968194/barclaycard_waterslide_ad_extended_90secs_advert/ enjoy! :-)