The Magnificent Seven

 Thomski 2024

Arrive Sutton Thursday 18 January after a typically tedious drive at about 4pm.  Evening out at the Ginger Italian.  CJ joins in from London stop over for business.

Friday out for a walk and lunch with RL.

Depart Sutton Saturday 07.15, Tunnel 0840, called 09.10 for 09.48 shuttle.

Overnight arrangements as per last year, arrive Best Western Quetigny 17.50, dry drive.

Girls returning to hotel after top meal at Le Tire Bouchon.

Sunday, depart 09.10 collect NB at Chambery 12.35 arrive CGB at 13.55.

Down to la Cage Au Sports to hire gear.

From CGB balcony

Monday all out, scene of morning involuntary off piste excursion (AJ) .  Ski Patrol called but rescue effected by efforts of team.  Lunch Borseliers, flat light so called it a draw.

Tuesday AT NB CJ.

Inaugural meeting of Blackwell Ski Club with PW

New lunch venue at Plagne Bellecote, very nice there.

Team regroup at CGB for two course supper RL special.

Wednesday 6 at Pralognan 

AT MT CJ NB RL AJ

Obligatory picture up at Les Glieres ski patrol post.

RL rocks the new red gear.

Lunch at Fontainettes

Thursday 6 out la Plagne

The Clitheroe Flyer is 

OK TO GO!!

Coffee at Monica's Plagne Soleil.

Got there.

Eventually.

Emerging from the sanctuary of a sneaky snifter late in the day

Friday, AT NB out with PW, routes below 

Verdons to Plagne Centre, via adrets to Fornelet, back to Bellecote via Bergerie, down to the Bijolin above les Coches, Lunch at Crozats, up Inversins down Sources up Blanchet down Geisha, up Borseliers Rossa down via Roc Blanchet (aperro) to Telecabine

Big day out for Thomski travelling far and fairly wide

Note unusual warp drive moment

Click on map for detail

Friday Nite is Pizza Nite

One of two, enough for a spot of YMCA 

Saturday

7 out

Magnificent 

Best day of the week

Glorious weather

Quiet pistes

Great Lunch at Le Roc Blanchet

All requirements met!  Left on a high!

More photos here

Return Sunday

Depart 06.45

Chambery drop off NB 08.05

Channel Tunnel 17.35

Shuttle 18.18 

UK 18.00

Sutton 19.20

Star Takeaway!

WHAT A WEEK!

 

Christmas 2023

 Dec 21st - Jan 1st

Featuring a second year in a row visit by V & P, driving all the way up with a car full of goodies to create a proper family Christmas experience.   

Train arrives at Darlington Station, AT heading south for the routine Newark pick up.  Gales disrupted the trip, but managed to rearrange meet at Retford with not much loss of time.

Friday V & M to Headlam for pamperage, then a meal out at the Spotted Dog.

Saturday M & V to town for a bit of shoppery.  AT collects at the steps

Pizza for supper, two made.

YMCA all set!

Sunday stroll in South Park before the weather went to pants

V rustles up a chillistastic bean thing.

P gets a dreaded double red line.....  oh dear!

Monday

Happy Birthday Vikki!

Bucks fizz and scrambled egg on the way

Followed by coffee and wild unwrappping

Christmas Day kitchen team in full readiness for a bit of turkey carving action

SERVICE!!!!

Just a few pieces of white meat if you don't mind

Don't want any of that Paxo muck.

Festive

A Beauty

All the way from Brooker Bakery

Tuesday

Enough left over for the inevitable gourmet bubble and squeak breakfast.

Followed by a walk out around Richmond,

Swale in full flow

Wednesday

Shame we missed the Geordies on Wednesday owing to 4 Briar designated plague central

Good session on this weeks go to game.

POPMASTER with Ken Bruce

(board game version)

Vikki sweeps the board

Thursday

Car all loaded and ready for the off!

BYEEEE!!!

Thanks for all the fun!

Scot Crags All Stars

 Sunday 15th October

Third day of glorious starlight nights and blue sky days in a row, simply had to some sort of outside excursion.  A quick confab and set up a visit to sun soaked walls and corners of;

Scot Crags, Scugdale

BP midway up Romulus after CB's opening lead.

Group under supervision next door

BP watches the birdie on the delightful Woodpecker Wall.

Two more stars ticked off.  

CB follows making use of some techniques from the toolbox.

Plenty more where they came from.

Whilst we are in the neighbourhood there are more stars to collect on adjacent routes.

AT on Wolf Wall - a long reach comes in handy and the red BD cam pops in just right

L - Woodpecker Wall

R - Romulus

CB Defying Gravity.

Further up it was quite dusty and friction rather hard to find

BP at the same spot from the other side

From here a handrail leads right to a reachy skittery finish

OK to second but a very precarious lead.

CB seconds BP's lead on Drunken Buttress

Hangover at VS4c is all about getting out of bed and off the ground.

AT nails the opening moves on the next lead.

The red friend takes care of the finish up the jamming crack.

Memo from CB 

The wire in the break by the knee needs to be a 6 or 7 for best results

BP romps out 

An archetypal Autumn day on the moors

CB on Pet's Corner Arete

AT comes up third 

Something seems amusing.

Couldn't have been AT's Paper Bag Kid joke then.

Another classic added to the afternoon's best of Scot Crags

BP clips the bomber friend in the top break.

It's that Red BD again!

Video below best watched in full screen, BP makes it all look so simple.

AT bringing CB up route number nine - Pups Climb

A stupendous star studded afternoon session in the very best  Autumn conditions.