The long haul...

As always, being the paranoid traveller that I am, I got to the airport in LOADS of time for my flight. But all good! Both legs were very full - I don't think there were any spare seats on the first leg, and I'm not sure I saw any on the second either.

I had about 7 hours in Singapore between flights, and I was going to do a 2 hour bus trip around the island, but I couldn't get on the one I thought was more interesting, and then it occurred to me that sitting down for another 2 hours just before my second flight wasn't such an appealing idea so I flagged it. I did a lot of exploring of Singapore's fab airport and then found these reclining loungers by one of the departure gates so had a wee snooze there for 45 mins or so. Very civilised!

My brother and I managed to have a wee mix up over my arrival time so I had another 1.5 hours of hanging around at Auckland aiport when I arrived just to add to my overall total of time spent in airports - around 10 hours I think...

Correction!!

Eryn's time was in fact 1:54.39. Sorry bro!! I added on a minute - and I know that makes a difference when you are a runner!

Belated congrats to my almost 40 year old brother!

Eryn did his half marathon a couple of weeks ago and did 1:55:36 which is pretty damn good! If I've read the results right he came 113 out of 270. Not bad for someone who is less than two weeks shy of 40...!!

Goodnight Kiwi

This is just fantastic! NZ friend at work sent it to the Kiwi contingent and I just thought it was fab. I used to love this and I've told Kevin about it so many times - now I can show it to him! Hopefully this link will work!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H2BOGGUbm4

Raconteurs

I went to see The Raconteurs at Brixton Academy with Mhairi, and met Cobie (work mate) and her flatmate there as well. They were supported by a band called BigBang - who I've just realised have an entry on Wikipedia - check it out here. I also saw them described as the Norwegian Pink Floyd and they were just dire. And in a reference for family readers - the drummer looked like how I remember Kerry Bingham looking - long blonde hair and a blonde beard as well. Dreadful!

Fortunately The Raconteurs were superb so they made up for it :-).

Interesting article on the language debate currently ranging in Dingle - or should that be An Daingean?? Check it out here.

Dingle is where we went walking in Ireland earlier this year...

Sam at 17

Sam at 17
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.

Fantastic self-portrait by Sam with his new digi camera - love it!!

Still more to see!

I've just added Craig's photos from Flickr so check them out - different ones from mine!

Meet & Greet at Rodin

EY is sponsoring a Rodin exhibition this year, and tonight was the Government Services reception (my new team at work) so I went along to be a 'Meeter & Greeter'. Essentially that meant I met people at the entrance, took their names, got their name badges and then escorted them up to their host partners in the reception.

It was all going swimmingly until I got the man (who turned out be a Sir as it turned out) who didn't have a name badge prepared. Less than impressed at our organisational skills and it sort of went downhill from there... But we did manage to work out who he had been invited by and I got him to the right place eventually.

So my first encounter with a 'Sir' could have gone a bit better! But I did get to have a short guided tour of the exhibition which looks fab, so I can't wait to go back and use the free ticket I've got to really take a better look. Right now I'm sat at home nursing my sore feet!

The Kiss sand sculpture

The Kiss sand sculpture
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.

The sand sculpture of The Kiss that is in the foyer of my building - superbly taken by Mhairi on her phone!

Funny night out with Sean Hughes

We went to see Sean Hughes last night - tickets that Kevin sorted out last night and he was really funny. This is a good article about why he is returning to stand up and it was a great wee theatre. Quite small and very intimate - so we made sure that we weren't sat anywhere near the front!! And as the show carried on we were very pleased - he had the bonus of three Irish girls in the front row and they came in for some ribbing! Very entertaining!!

A Voyage Round My Father and Embrace

Kevin and I went to see this play before I went up to Wales as SAP sponsors the theatre company putting the play on. It is by John Mortimer (author of Rumpole of the Bailey) and it tells the story of his relationship with his father. Derek Jacobi plays his father and he was just brilliant. One review described it as the Derek Jacobi show and it was a bit like that, but it was quite incredible to watch him. He aged through the play (not through make up or special effects, just through the quality of his acting) and the scene when he dies was incredibly moving. It was also rather cool as John Mortimer was in the audience as well!

And on Friday just been we went to see Embrace at the Hammersmith Apollo - about the zillionth time we've seen them, but as always they were fab. The lead singer Danny just loves to perform and it is brilliant to see him having such a good time - you just can't help not having a brilliant time as well! But then again I am a diehard fan...

My joy has been shortlived...

Still having internet problems here at home so I haven't been able to update my blog with my amazing walking in Wales stories and photos! But I'll bring my work PC home this weekend regardless so by Sunday at the latest I'll have something updated here!

I love my boots!!

I thought of that heading for my intro blog about my weekend walking in Wales as I was negotiating the descent of Snowdon, picking my way down a steep slope over slippery scree and loose slate (in between avoiding the odd rock fall set off by a climber somewhere above us as well). My boots got me safely across Crib Goch, over the Traverse, round the Pinnacles, down Snowdon, back up two more peaks and finally back down to the car park. I love my boots! But read on – in date order so start further down…

And although I've included some photos in these entries there are lots more on Flikr - nicely sorted into sets! So do check them out as well!!

Lledr Valley

Woke up on Sunday to thunderstorms in the early morning and lots of rain. But by the time we’d had brekkie and did a bit more shopping in the outdoor shops it had stopped raining.

So we went off for an easier 8 mile walk (as opposed to a 7 mile climb!) which was just lovely. Missed one turning so we ended up doing a slightly shorter walk, but it was great. Wonderful views over towards Snowdon and then finishing through the most amazing forest. It was really damp (Wales being known for its wet weather...) and everything was covered with this incredible green moss. And again we were by ourselves and it was just beautiful. A fab walk to finish the weekend on.

Lledr Valley - Snowdon view and walkers

Lledr Valley - Snowdon view and walkers
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.

Craig and Julia in the distance, with the Snowdon Horseshoe visible even further in the distance!

Safe & Sound with beer

SH-Safe & Sound with beer 2
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.

Here we are back in the hotel with our pints of beer. Very tired but happy to be de-briefing!

The Snowdon Horseshoe

Where to start with this one? Even now I can’t quite believe that we did this – I think my mind has blocked it out somewhat! The guidebook described it thus – “A difficult but rewarding walk involving some scrambling. A head for heights is absolutely essential, particularly on the ascent of Crib Goch and the traverse of the Pinnacles. A slip on these sections could be fatal”. Another description from the internet says "The Snowdon Horseshoe is one of, if not the best ridge walk in Wales. Although there is not so much height gain as in some of the routes described, the terrain is highly interesting. The route should not be attempted by anyone with a fear of heights, since includes the knife-edge of Crib Goch, and for the same reason it should be avoided in high winds, and also in winter unless you are properly equipped and experienced. There is also a walk down a steep scree slope on the South East side of Snowdon." (From this site).

Although I had read that before we left, I didn’t really research the route much, and if I had there is no way I would have got up there. And while it was amazing, and we are all thrilled we did it, it was definitely a once-er. Never again!!

The track started off at Pen-y-Pass and pretty much leapt straight into going uphill. It was pretty busy as we were on the Pig Track, which is one of the other (easier and safer!) routes up Snowdon. Eventually after much huffing and puffing we got to the part where the track split and we had to make a decision. I looked up at Crib Goch and made it very clear to Julia and Craig that I wasn’t happy about it – it looked too much for me. However we made the decision to keep going until we got closer so we could make a more informed decision. Quite why it didn’t really occur to me that we might not be able to come back down again is one of life’s mysteries…

And then it was pretty much full on climbing. I can only direct you to look at the photos – it is so hard to describe. It was a tough climb up to Crib Goch – but there were kids doing it, people with dogs… but at that point I still wasn’t too unhappy. I stupidly thought when we got to the top of Crib Goch that that was the worst of it over. Oh no! There was still the Traverse to the Pinnacles to come. And that was what I really hated.

while we were crossing the Traverse I remember at one point asking Craig how long this section was and he said about 20-30 minutes, then asked me if I was ok. VERY TERSELY I replied that I was ok, but that I wasn’t enjoying it. Guidebook: “Ahead the ridge is knife-edged, and best negotiated on its left side away from the near-vertical drop into Cwm Uchaf’. I didn’t look up or down, but concentrated solely on where my next hand and foot was going – occasionally a very unpleasant thought would cross my mind about falling but I would immediately banish it and carry on. I was walking like a crab – bent frontwards over the ridge. Then that bit was over, and I thought that was the worst of it – but no! Then we had to get round (some went over but not us) the Pinnacles – even worse than the Traverse I thought – it seemed more difficult and I had dared to hope it was over… The climbing around the Pinnacles was even trickier than the Traverse, and it seemed a lot scarier - the drops were more 'straight down' than the Traverse had been. But even so there were mountain goat people who went over the top of them...

Having got past those bits we stopped for lunch on the summit of Crib-y-ddisgl and while we were there we saw a rescue helicopter flying around the Traverse. We decided it must be on a training exercise but found out when we got back to London that a guy had fallen about 500-600 feet from the Traverse (where we had just been) but had survived. Admittedly with critical injuries but he was ok. You cannot believe how relieved I was I didn’t know that at the time. As at 25th September he was stable.

Then it was on up to the summit of Snowdon which was a bit of a let down to be honest. It was so busy it was like being on Oxford Street so we didn’t linger long. Then it was down the other side (amidst much cursing from me, as yet again I had thought the worst was over, but no this was really difficult as well due to the loose scree) and on with the walk. We headed down over Bwlch y Saethau, the Pass of Arrows where legend has it King Arthur fought his final battle.

About this time I looked ahead and saw the two peaks in the distance and realized that my climbing was not yet done. My language was less than polite at this point! My legs were soooo tired and the thought of having to do more climbing was just soul destroying. But the thought was worse than the reality and getting up the twin peaks of Y Lliwedd wasn’t too difficult. Tiring, but not anything like Crib Goch. And on the highest peak we sat down for a while which was just fantastic and made the whole walk worthwhile. We were the only ones up there and we had the most amazing view around the horseshoe we had just walked, looking over to Crib Goch. Just brilliant.

Then it was just a painful descent down (legs were aching and sore by then) to get back to the car park, back to the hotel for a well earnt pint of beer and a bath!!

7 miles in 7 hours – it was a hell of a day!!

(As well as my photos on Flickr check out these ones as well - they are pretty amazing and bring it back to me a lot more!)

Crib Goch - the traverse to the Pinnacles

SH-Crib Goch - traverse
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.

Once we reached the summit of Crib Goch this was the next hurdle... This was the bit I did like a crab - the drop on the right was sheer (you can see it in some other photos) so we crabbed along the left hand side of the ridge. Snowdon's summit is in the background.

Craig & Julia climbing up to Crib Goch

SH-C&J - ascending
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.

And no, this isn't taken at an odd angle - this really was the type of climbing we were doing. I had to take a photo to prove it, as no words can really describe it!