Johnny decided to force himself up a green slimy slab where Chris followed and got beached like a whale. I just managed to get caked in green stuff.

Rushy still needed needed to be reminded to place gear occasionally, but still raced up a very large number of climbs.

I was then convinced that leading was good idea and I started up ‘Squeezy Bill’. The start was more an exercise in placing gear, and the second there was no need to place any at all. I was not going to get out of the crack/chimney in a hurry…

Johnny and Chris then started on some immense route…

Spurred on by the others I then tried to tackle ‘Raven’s Nest’…not such a success. I did however get to the top in a fashion and belayed Johnny up, where he gently coaxed the nut that Andy and Rushy had left earlier. Altogether a great day.

Photos: Lindsey, Rushy

At last, kayaking again. Water was a distinct possibility, and there we were, driving off up to Scotland.

And true to form, there was the right amount of water, rivers were running, but I was ill I did however have a great time running the Orchy with LUCC before illness hit.

Then on a course - BCU Student Safety Course. It was an excellent course, but swimming in the snow is something I don’t want to repeat in the near future. I learnt a few things, and also decided that there weren’t as many holes in my knowledge as I thought, which is always nice.

Then it was Andy R’s 21st…..

Lessons Learnt: Don’t headbutt your hand with your helmet if you decide to drive a convertible mini off a 6.5m waterfall. (You break it…)

It was then onto join Warwick…

Due to the broken hand, I was forced to use hand paddles the day after the waterfall incident, but the sun was out, and Hayden, being as ass, decided not to wear much on the river.

P.s. Proof that you can use kayaks as a building material….

(…It had a roof and everything!)

Saturday morning it was still dark when four of us limped out of the hostel and started the long walk in to the Corrie. Slowly as the sunlight started filtering through the clouds, the clouds thinned leaving us with stunning views of the North Face.

After picking out our planned gully (we now know this was Gully No 5) we started heading up onto the bottom of the snow-slopes. By this time, the first fingers of sunlight were beginning to streak over the col through the valley above us. Trudging up the scree we at last got to the snow and we could play with crampons.

We soon headed up over snow which had fallen in a past avalanche, but has re-frozen up onto hard frozen neve in the gulley itself. It was perfect weather and conditions. The gentle breezes floating down from the sun-lined cornice far above were pleasently cool. Soon we had all settled into the gentle plod of crampon stamping and swinging axes (Not that axe swinging was needed..it was just a fun novelty to some of us…).

There was also no need to head sideways up the gully just to get vertical…

Another 30 mins on a perfectly angled and clean slope, where the first axe-marks were from us, the cornice presented itself.

The climb was spectacular, but nothing matched the view from the summit. Snow blended seamlessly with the cotton-wool texture of the clouds below us. We could have been anywhere in the world with mountains…

Lunch was then consumed, and Linds kept herself amused.

Photos: Jos Style, Andy Bottrill, Lindsey Kennedy

Last week, Thursday 13th Dec, I was taken to see Rodrigo y Gabriela. Wow are they amazing.

A funky mix of Rock, Latin and audience participation definatly made an evening of standing with a sling worth it. The mix of rhythm and solo-ing genius made it a lively and varied evening.

If you get the chance, go and see them.

“The Jews were a proud people but always had trouble with unsympathetic genitals.”

“Vacuums are nothing. We only mention them to let them know we know they are there… “