New Zealand Adventure

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Getting there and stopping off in Sydney

The flight from the UK, although long, was fairly uneventful, and bizarrely consisted of two nights in close proximity to each other.  No sooner had we had breakfast we were landing in Bangkok in the mid afternoon.  We only spent a little over an hour in the airport and we were back in our seats preparing to eat our evening meal and it was dark already!  Having watched a film I decided, if I was going to have the energy to enjoy our brief two-day stay in Sydney, I needed to get as much rest, if not sleep, as possible.  As dawn approached we began our descent to Sydney, shrouded in low cloud.  We were almost landed when we emerged from the cloud to wet, shiny tarmac – not what I was expecting from an Australian summer.

Helen, my niece, met us at the airport and took us back to her flat in the fashionable Napier Bay area of north Sydney.  Here, we had time to chill out, freshen up and share our space with her rabbit, Raspberry, who had the run of the flat.

Taking the bus into Sydney we walked the narrow streets of The Rocks, an area of boutique shops and smart restaurants, but which once had a terrifying reputation for crimes of violence, theft and Victorian gang culture.  This brought us to Circular Quay, a hub of transport communication and one of my favourite places in Sydney for soaking up the atmosphere and people watching.  It is like an amphitheatre with a backdrop of tower blocks adding to the urban beauty of the place.  Unfortunately the quay was dominated by the presence of a huge cruise ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, filling the view on one side of the quay, completely.  It was lunch time, so we found ourselves in a quayside restaurant enjoying a beer and eating a bowl of piping hot mussels cooked in a tomato sauce.  They were the largest mussels imaginable and tasted just divine.

Following lunch we took the ferry back to Napier Bay, picked up our bags from the flat and Helen took us to our hotel, Glenferrie Lodge in the even more desirable suburb of Kirribilli.  Our journey was beginning to take its toll and a rest was required in our small, but comfortable, room.  If we were going to survive the evening we needed a restful afternoon.

Refreshed, Helen joined us at 7.30pm and we ventured out in the light rain to Ripples, a lively restaurant on the water’s edge, adjacent to the Olympic swimming pool, Luna Park and almost under the mighty Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Another superb meal.

Now the girlie perspective!   Warm &  damp in Sydney  so the recently straightened hair is now its natural frizz.  Oh joy!  That fades into insignificance in the realization that we are on the other side of the world enjoying one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities on earth.  Looking forward to traveling to NZ tomorrow & exchanging more family hugs & kisses.

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Lake District Training Weekend

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Simon Davis and I travelled up to the Lakes early on Friday morning, ahead of the rest of the group, so that we could have a walk in the snow.  Leaving the car at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, we headed up the Langdale Valley, climbing up the steep Rossett Gill in ever deepening snow up to Angle Tarn.  As we came over the lip between Hanging Knots and Rossett Pike the wind hit us hard.  From the tarn, we struggled in 70mph gusts to Langdale Combe.  The snow was soft and the ground underneath also soft and waterlogged.  The streams were running pretty full and twice I took the plunge, the first time doing a face plant in the cool water.  The pint(s) that evening were well deserved.

On Saturday the wind seemed to be blowing even harder as, now twenty of us, walked up Easedale in squally showers.  As we climbed we met people coming down having abandoned their walk in preference for tea and cakes in the relative warmth of Grasmere. As height was gained, so the wind strengthened and we found ourselves preferring to crawl around on the rocks of Sergeant Man.  As we crossed the relatively flat top of High Raise  and Low White Stones, the wind now broadsided us, regularly knocking us off balance before we began our descent down Far Easdale.  By the time we returned to Burtharlyp Howe Youth Hostel our faces glowed from the wind and pinprick needles of rain and snow.  More well earned pints in the evening.

Sunday was a more sedate day with a walk up and around Loughrigg Fell.  The weather, while still windy, was much pleasanter and we found a good sunny spot, out of the wind, for our lunch.  By mid-afternoon it was time to head south and back home, after a thoroughly exhilarating weekend.  K2 should be a breeze after this!

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Bonita Norris Speaks at King’s

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On Wednesday 18th January Bonita Norris, the youngest British female to climb Everest told an audience of young people and mountain enthusiasts about her fantastic achievement.  Having been inspired by Kenton Cool at the RGS, Bonita set her heart on climbing Everest.  She trained hard on the mountains of this country and Europe before encountering her first 8000m peak, Manaslu, which fuelled her determination further.  Within two years of setting her sights on the world’s highest point, she stood on the top. Her story was full of enthusiasm and emotion, giving possibly a clearer picture of what it was really like than many of her male counterparts.

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Morocco 2011 – Good end to stretching trip

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Now on flight home and everything has gone smoothly so far.

marrakech-sunset
It has been an extremely successful trip. The students have been brilliant from both schools. The trek, as in the itinerary, was probably a little bit too ambitious, but the trek taken was perfect. It stretched the group, tested their stamina and resolve. The camel trek, while it was good, and the camp on the beach was superb, did not fulfil expectations. I imagined we would spend more time following the coast and more dunes encountered.

When we bring a similar group to Morocco again I would want a similar trek but the camel trek would have to be in the Sahara.

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Morocco 2011 – Back to Marrakech

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Put a sling on Tom’s arm and gave him a pink pill. I don’t think there is any serious damage, just bruising, and he is susceptible to knocking it. A sling should remind him to take care and act as a warning to others. I don’t think he would relish spending his last morning in a Moroccan hospital. I certainly wouldn’t.

retail-therapy
Most of the group wanted to go shopping, whether they had gone the previous evening or not. This time I did not have any responsibility, other than being there if anybody needed me, so I was able to photograph and buy some CDs which might provide the soundtrack for the film. Returning to the hotel we ventured across the road to the same pizza restaurant for an early lunch, after which the minibuses took us back to Marrakech, a journey of about 2½ hours.

We decided not to run the risk of allowing the students out into the souk and beyond to Jeema El Fna. Too risky with bicycles and motor bikes mixing with pedestrians in the narrow alleyways. It was a shame that we decided not to allow the KSW students to venture out but we did not want to discriminate. However, that did not stop Angela, myself, Caz and Alistair and Tracy going out. The hotel was remarkably close to the square and it was just beginning to liven up for the evening as we sat on a restaurant terrace sipping coke. Later we ate in the hotel – not the best meal but very convenient. I would stay in the hotel again for its location but I would eat out every time.

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