What have we been up to
Looking ahead to 2024
Daniel Bottomley
Happy New Year to you all!
The winter started with us being completely snowed in. Luckily, Father Christmas still made it to the village.
Work continued in December with a trip north of the border on the West Coast of Scotland working with the RAF Mountaineering Association. We had a long day on Ben Nevis working on some winter skills including crampons and ice axes, navigation, and avalanche avoidance.
Between Christmas and New Year in the grim of weather, we managed an ascent with Owen up Pinnacle Ridge on St Sundays Crag. It was an enjoyable day out developing Owen's mountaineering skills. We looked at the variety of ways to keep yourself and your partner safe, from traditional mountaineering techniques to using all the fancy shiny modern kit we carry nowadays.
January arrived and with it came my first trip of the year. Skiing with the Royal Marines Charity for a week in Chamonix. Three impressive days of fresh powder, where I tried some off-piste. All was going well until we headed through the trees where my skills or lack of skills became known. There were no injuries, no trees hit, and tons of fun.
Plus, I surprised myself by taking to the river a few times during the week. Spurred on by Joe, we managed 3 dips over the week. Sitting in the Glacial Meltwater fighting the instinct to run out was highly rewarding, as was the hot shower afterwards.
These trips are put on by the Royal Marines Charity for veterans like me to keep us in the 'fold' and regular contact with other veterans as a way of sharing stories and helping with our mental health.
So, a great start to 2024 so far!!
You can view my availability for this year on the poster provided. Summit for Success offers days out for improving skills such as navigation, rock climbing, mountaineering, and winter skills. If you are unsure about what you need or would like, then get in touch to discuss. Let my experience guide your day.
