Another Ten!

Friday June 5th

The wonderful weather over the last few weeks disappeared and Friday was, as forecast, a meteorological melange.  So the sequence of family and friends drop in sessions was put off for another time if not another place.  And Amsterdam will still be above water in the coming months so we will get that trip back in the calendar.

Meanwhile we stayed in and had some fun!  P&P dropped by for socially distanced coffee and cake and chat in the garden room, festooned with flowers and plants arriving from all points north and south!

Festive!

Bunting

Looking good!












Bedecked

Cards

Bunting

Flowers

Plants

Gifts!



And CAKE!!!

Cake been got at.....

Bloomin marvellous!

Getting ready for the family ZOOM session





H and H not joined yet

Lasagne supper with foot scald incident

60's and seventies YouTube session followed by Sir Tom J

Saturday date night food from the Bay Horse

Sunday family ZOOM quiz.

ALL GO!

2020 vision

May 28th

After 10 weeks of mostly perfect climbing weather, finally felt able to get out onto the rock.  Given the prevailing constraints, CB's suggestion of a top roping session at a stake festooned venue only 40 minutes drive away sounded sensible in a social distancing kind of way.  So it was out in separate cars over the other side to;

Windmore End

CB took charge of setting up the TR anchors, sticking to the far RH wall right of the stone wall at the arrival at the RH end.  Three separate rigs used, 8 climbs in total (CB added two or three more) ranging from VD to 4c-5b.  A good 2 hours or so including some fingery technical routes, quite pleased to get up most of them without resting on the rope.  The new Jamming hands saw some action in the leaning crack of Sue (VS 4c) which was always a bit of a jibber on lead back in the day.

Glad we didn't start out here!

No problems keeping a goodly distance.


CB about to try the route right of Sue










A fantastic setting, and very user friendly

Classic CB




Spirits lifted.

Easy riders

14 May


Early days in the lockdown loosening


A simple spin to keep us on the move

Out towards Croft via Cleasby






Jolby Manor

Route 66

Take us to the bridge!

Ride Ration

24 April

Nearing the end of week five

Out for a ride for our daily exercise allowance

Village Green at Aldborough St John

River Tees from Bridge Road










Buster catches the rays

Lockdown Days

April 15th

Now over three weeks into official lockdown / social distancing policy.  Fortunately the weather has been dry and mostly sunny with a cool easterly breeze.  Today the wind has dropped so it has felt properly warm.  Added a new route for our "permitted"(?) daily outside exercise.  Via Blackwell Grange to South Park and back.

Blackwell Grange Hotel
Closed for now

South Park
Been 30 plus years since last visited

This used to be the pitch and put course.





Plenty of room for social distancing

No bands playing these days.


Anywhere.

Features a pleasant pond







Trees out in glorious colours

Time to LIGHT THAT CANDLE!

The Future is Furry

19th March 2020

RSPCA Rescue Centre in Great Ayton

Collected "Boris" now Buster, after proving our bona fides with the RSPCA team (video of our house, phone call to vets, neighbourhood check on streetview).

Been with is over a week now, he seems to be happy with his new staff, except they won't let him out yet!

He's a star!

Day 1

Day 9

Figuring out how to operate the tap

Take Five

8th - 15th March 2020

Thomski 2020 

Bozel Year 11
Thomski's 29th trip. Blimey where did all the time go?

Events this year all conspire to reduce our numbers to the smallest ever traveling gang and on mountain team.  MT,AT,CJ,SL and RL. Hot Dog also testing out the performance envelope of his recently installed knee replacement.  Team equipped with antiseptic gels, keeping social distance from the locals where possible!

 2020 Domaine de Thomski

Monday - Champagny, giant clouds and brief eclairissons,
great under ski.
Tuesday - trip out to PL but no mountain action, snowy day.
Wednesday - La Plagne, sunny spells
Thursday - Pralognan, sunny until late pm
Friday - La Plagne - cloud in valley but bright and clear on slopes
Saturday - Pralognan - sunny after light clouds

Out 5 days of 6
Good weather 4 of 6
Warming up especially Thursday and Friday.  Plenty of snow cover, no patches anywhere on piste.  Some great skiing to be had, La Plagne busy, Pralognan very peaceful.

Monday - dramatic atmosphere


The last run back to the Gondola

Fortunately the terrain is familiar, even though it is invisible.

Wednesday turned out GLORIOUS !

Back up to La Plagne - full system today


Note various new and recycled gear......


 


Beers at Borseliers
Earned !

Thursday

Back up in the family and pensioner friendly area at Pralognan la Vanoise

Fontainettes Lunch Stop
Fabulous Tarte Beaufortain

Coming down from the Ancolie Lift

Turn and Turn Again

Going Well

Friday 13th

Fogged out in the Valley

But once we were up where the air is rarified


STUPENDOUS

Inversens coffee stop




What a sky!


Destination Tunnel










Later on the atmospherics got going again

Fortunately the sun was out at the Roc de Blanchet Hostelrie

Last day out
Back to Pralognan

Great venue for a steady day


On the Genepi lift

Looking back down

AT ready to wind down the windows

Bozel Base





Cheers!

It turned out that today Saturday 14th March would be the last skiing day of the season 

Phew, just made it.  Plenty of gel left for the trip home.

 Monday 16th - Hove with Vikki, before the Social Distancing kicked in

Some actuals
Depart Sutton 0500
Arrive Tunnel 0620

Depart Calais 0935
Arrive Bozel 19.50

Depart Bozel 0700
Arrive Tunnel 1705

Fuel Cost
£244 at 34.7mpg
Toll £156 total both ways

Tunnel
£177 return per car


La Plagne lift pass (senior) with insurance EU 47 per day
Pralognan EU 28 per day with insurance