APRIL WITH THE FAMILY

Jumps park in Avoriaz

There's something very comforting about sharing one's passions with members of the family. At the end of March/ start of April I took my 11 year old son James downhill skiing in Morzine - in fact we spent most of our time in Avoriaz as the snow was a bit thin lower down. We skied with some of the others staying in our hotel and James earned the nickname 'the Demon Skier' while I basked in the limelight as the demon's dad!


Of course James developed his own passion, which revolved around the excellent jumps parks  - but hey that gave me a chance to rest between runs! Good bonding and some great sunshine meant a great week was had.

Alasdair on NE ridge of Robinson

On our return to the UK I made another trip to meet my eldest son Alasdair who is now established in the world of work and has developed as a keen climber, runner and skier. We had decided on a more serious form of bonding - we were training for the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District! 

Glass Clogs VS - Black Crag - Pike o'Blisco

An April weekend saw two long hill sessions on leg 5 of the round, completed in very good time and a recce of Mickledore and the infamous bad step on Broad Stand. After that the excellent weekend weather allowed us a final day cragging on Black Crag above Wrynose in warm spring sunshine and gentle winds.


Alasdair is now a friend and companion as well as a son, and these days spent enjoying the satisfaction of swift movement in the mountains and shared routes on rock are increasingly precious interludes in busy lives.