Fame in the Dorset Evening Echo

The Dorset Evening Echo has gone to press with an article about our trip...check it out here:
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/3991434.Dorset_women_aim_to_conquer_Alaskan_peaks/

Holiday skiing

Emily and I decided to hit the slopes on a lovely sunny day, carrying massive rucksacks in the name of training, whew! It was clearly the busiest week in Chamonix so we spent a lot of time queuing but the runs were good and it was lovely to soak up the sun on the pistes. Even though we doubt that we will use skis in Alaska (as we will be carrying heavy loads in addition to pulling sledges) skiing with a heavy rucksack feels a good way to kick start our training.

Happy Christmas from Chamonix!

After a hectic couple of weeks of getting to Chamonix, finding a place to live and getting work sorted out, it's been great to get to work on learning to ski properly. There has been a fair amount of snow and we've had some amazing days skiing at Grand Montets, Le Tour, Courmayeur, Brevent, Flegere and Les Houches. I've also had my first couple of touring experiences...last week Gary and I headed to Les Houches to work out how skins work, neither or us had done it before and it was quite amusing: I'd got my hair stuck in the glue before I'd put them on and we found out that skins don't quite work when you try to head straight up 45 degree slopes...in fact you slide backwards at quite an alarming rate and can't quite stop!!

It's Cham time!

After a lovely week off work catching up with friends, grit climbing in the sun and being inspired by Catherine Destivelle at Kendal Film Festival, I've found myself on the south coast packing my climbing and skiing gear into bags (along with a few apres ski boogying essentials!!) ready for a move out to Chamonix for the winter. Em is currently in Thailand diving, climbing and detoxing and in a couple of weeks we'll both be in Chamonix for the rest of the winter. Can't wait to see her...and after watching the Chamonix webcams, I can't wait to get climbing and skiing!