Snowdon weekend

With the Peru reunion being held in North Wales it was time for everyone
to blow the cobwebs off those trekking boots and head for Snowdon.

Everyone arrived in Rhyd Du on friday night after a long drive, a few Cusquena were dunk along side a little bit of wine!!!! while we all sat around the fire ate a BBQ enjoyed the stars and talked a load of rubbish. Perfecto

Saturday morning we woke to blue skies and perfect conditions, After a good breakfast we set off for Snowdon Summit following the Rhydd Du path for a short while then upto Bwlch Cwm LLan and stuuning views into cwm llan and Lliwedd. We then followed the ridge all the way to the Summit of Snowdon and were rewarded with fantastic views over Snowdonia.
After leaving the summit the weather closed in and we headed back down to Rhyd Du in time to chill out before dinner followed by another evening under the stars and a few cusquena's and a little more wine!!! mention no names.
Sunday morning and more blue skies so an easy day called for, a short walk around Llyn-y-Gader and Beddgelert Forest and back for lunch.

Everyone then headed home and the next reunion planned for Scotland.
It was great to catch up with everyone fingers crossed more of the team can make it to Scotalnd.

I would also like to thanks dave's sponser CUSQUENA.

Land's end to John o' Groats

With everyone arriving at Lands end feeling a little nervous but enjoying the sunshine and hoping it lasted all the way to John o' Groats.

The first few days through Cornwall and Devon was tough with a head wind and crossing over Dartmoor some big hill climbs.

From Devon we headed towards the welsh borders and some fantastic riding everyone was pretty settled in and enjoying the country side and still the the sun was shining.

From the welsh borders we shot through the north west and into the lakes and a warm welcome with Shap hill.

Before everyone knew it we were in bonny Scotland and everyone was looking forward to this section of the challenge.

Our route took us up the west coast first then finally crossing over to the east coast and onto John o' Groats

After 12 days riding everyone was feeling a little sore and very happy to reach John o' Goats a huge amount of money was raised for charity and a huge amount of beers was drunk in Inverness.

kilimanjaro Training Weekend

Everyone arrived in Snowdonia Friday night and Saturday morning and meeting each other for the first time, all having the same mission to climb Kilimanjaro in September.

We based ourselves in Plas Curig which is at the foot of Moel Siabod.

Our first days walk was up Moel Siabod which starts off with a beautiful walk along the Afon Llugwy before a steady climb to the south side of Moel Siabod up past the old Slate Mine to Llyn y Foel then nice steady scramble up the ridge to the summit and into the cloud.

The Scramble up the ridge was a great little warm up in preparation for the Barranco Wall.

Once on the Summit we all headed back down the Northern side of the mountain and finally out of the cloud where we all enjoyed the stunning views back down the valley.

The evening was then followed up by a few beers and lots of talk about Kilimanjaro.

Sunday morning was just a nice little stretch out for a few hours with a bit of hands on scramble before heading to the pub for Sunday lunch and planning the next training weekend.

Welsh Winter wounderland

Finally some decent snow in Snowdonia.

It was play time while most people were at work in the every day grind.

We out headed for the the Carneddau some of the most bleak mountains in Snowdonia.

With ice axes in hand our plan of attack was the Llafar Ridge a great ridge Scramble in the summer so in winter conditions we were in for a ball.

The weather was pretty good to start off good vis for about 100mts at times, but as you would expect the weather closed in and the wind got up.

The hail was like being sand blasted in face while looking down into an abyss below which just disappeared into the mist.

This was a good welsh winter in April !

Half way up the ridge we had a change of plan and decided to head up a gully which was hilarious as we were then nearly waist deep in snow

(I was anyway).

Finally we reached the summit of Carnedd Dafydd in a white out, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, with a bit of navigation and we were back in the land of living at home with the kettle on.

God I Love Wales

Peru Lares

Having done the Inca Trail 7 times the Lares Trail had a lot to live up to........

So we set off from heathrow. Well we tried! Our flight was cancelled thanks to terminal 5. So everyone went for a beer and a few hours later finally, we were on our way - via the whole of the America's .........

After what felt like a life time sitting in airports we were finally on foot and hoof, with our trusty horse's as support, and heading for Machu Picchu.

Right from the start the the trail was just breath taking...........

Starting off at 3700mts in the sacred valley climbing to 4200mts passing through a narrow gorge with Pre Inca mummies and finishing off in a hot springs at 3200mts was not a bad start to the trail.

Up at 4.45am and then a steady climb from camp up through an amazing glacial valley going through some very welcoming Andean villages and up to our 2nd pass of 4200mts and that was before lunch. We camped that night at 3750mts where half the group decided to play football and woop the locals 5-4!

Up bright and early 4.45am and off again after another huge breakfast.
Today our climb was up to 4500mts and fingers crossed views of the Urabamba mountain range then decending down to 3800mts into camp where the group nearly drank the village out of beer and sang badly!

For me one of the many highlights of the Lares Trail is passing through the villages. It was great to have such an insight into life in the Andes.

Not forgetting the grand finale Machu Picchu which always leaves me speachless and a little breathless.

It was a great trip with a great bunch of people.

Perfecto.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the perfect place for adventure. It has some of the best rivers, wettest rain forest, a stunning coast line and some of the most laid back people in the world.

Our mission was to trek from the Pacific coast to the Caribbean coast in 8 days in some of the most remote parts of Costa Rica with only horses as our support vehicles.....

The treking was pretty tough at times with non stop rain which turned the route into a huge mud bath. Nothing stays dry in Costa Rica!

Passing through the coffee plantations, huge oak trees and rain forests with howler monkeys and sopping wet half the time, made what was a pretty tough 8 days seem magical even if most of it felt like it was up hill.

Our last section of the trip was to raft the Pecuare river - one of the top 5 rivers in the world. A class 3/4 river passing through stunning gorges and thick jungle. What a river it was. Truely stunning plus a few heart stopping rapids to keep you on your toes. A few swimmers along the way but no flips.

Then it was James Bond style through the inland water ways to the Caribbean Coast.

What a trip...

PURA VIDA

Kilimanjaro

Another successful Kili Ascent all the group made it to Stella point which was just amazing, We left base camp at 12.00am and reached Stella point at 06.30am, With everyone happy to see the sunrise and slowly warm up. One of the team had to go down from there which was really hard, everyone else pushed onto Uhuru Peak (The Roof Of Africa), we made it to the summit by 07.30am.
After 15Min's on the summit it was time to descend everyone was feeling pretty cold at-15c, plus the lack of oxygen it's tough going.
With everyone back in base camp 4600Mt's by 10.45am and dead on there feet after what feels like the longest night ever, A quick 2hrs rest then time to push onto our next camp at 3700Mt's and a beer then bed asap.
For all the group to make it to Stella point 14 in total at the same time was incredible.

This was my third time on the summit and it's still as hard as ever between 03.00am & 05.00am is the hardest it's so cold and your just wanting the sun to come up. You just go head headdown one foot in front of other and put your mind elsewhere.
Then as the sun comes up what you see before your eye's is just breath taking and worth all the hard work.

Kilimajaro is one of the hardest challenges you will ever take on but boy is it worth it.

IF YOU CAN'T CLIMB IT DRINK IT !!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s2OEPBGPo4