Happy Easter. This might be a time of the year that you celebrate, or a weekend the same as any other. For me there is little difference, in fact a period to avoid being away with the crowds. But I notice it by the amount of chocolate eggs that seem to come my way, not that I’m complaining! This year was a very happy Easter for many as the sun shone. Just a few years ago it was snowing at Easter! The sun is great, but not for hard climbing.

Mile End Boot Demo was busy. Every year it is. But this year there was a bit of a stir around the 5.10 stand as the new range of shoes stepped out with their stand out colours. They were flying off the counter. These new tweaked Anasazi lasts have a down-turned toe but a host of other features, and everyone was impressed.

Or so it seemed, why else would the thermometer say 25 degrees! But it was still only February 8th. A dream for most, blazing sunshine, five days in a row without a cloud or a breath of wind. But you can’t please everyone, and I couldn’t help but let out a little whinge as I slipped off the last moves of Blomu, a 35m 8c+ at Santa Linya. The route bakes in the sun from the moment it rises to the moment it sets, and I was not keen enough to be at the crag and warmed up before...

When its bad its bad But when its good its really good. Sheffield weather! Cold, snowy, damp, humid, foggy or just torrential rain is pretty common around this time. But it can be awesome, maybe the variation is worth having, just to appreciate how good it is when it is good.

December in Britain can be dreary! With flights at a mere £100 and a forecast of a sunny 20 degrees Gran Canaria looked appealing. A family holiday with a beach priority but enough rock to keep insanity at bay. However, we were met by some of the worst weather on Gran Canaria in years, torrential rain and gale force winds. Schools were closed and buildings were blown down. In true British style I opted to climb on this day!

The Petzl Rock trip this year was to Mexico. They just keep getting better and better! This was a big trip with some serious crankers and some of my best buddies, Joe Kinder, Dave Graham and Said Belhaj.