Merry Christmas!

Many thanks to the staff, clients and suppliers of VLM for a great 2009, we're already looking forward to a bumper 2010 so enjoy your holidays and we'll see you soon!

UK

Just finished working for Devere / G3 Events. Zip line canopy tours, high ropes courses and climbing walls. Awesome clients, not so awesome weather! Off to Singapore on Sunday for 3 months.

UK

In the UK until the end of November building ropes courses for schools and adventure centres. Great weather so far....

SEA

Currently in South East Asia working for UWCSEA, BPS, TTS, HIS, SAS and possibly ISB. You know who you are!

Chamonix Week 2

Just finished in Chamonix after two weeks of glorious weather. Heading to London and then Singapore tomorrow night.

Chamonix Week 1

Currently in Chamonix with Team "Raclette" enjoying snow, sun and crowds...

Canada

Just back from a month in Canada with Tee. Off to Chamonix for two weeks whilst Tee flies onto Singapore.

Snowdonia In June

Just back from our 16th June in Snowdonia providing bespoke adventure programmes for schools. The month was a great success and we look forward to seeing all the schools again next year and welcoming our new clients booked for 2010. Next stop Canada.

UK

Ropes course maintenance and site specific training with G3 Events near Chester. We were made to feel very welcome and look forward to working with G3 in the future!

UK

Back in the UK for most of April and May with rope access high level cleaning and ropes course upgrades.

Myanmar

Tee and I just back from honeymoon in Myanmar over Easter. Now back into the UK from Singapore for a month of ropes course and rope access work. Chilly!

Chamonix

Just back from Chamonix where the snowfall is noticable on all the main alpine routes, deep powder to walk in through though! Great three days weather!

South East Asia

We're currently working in South East Asia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore before returning to brave the UK winter in late February!

Canada

Tee and I are in Canada for Xmas and fly back (if we're not snowed in) to the UK for the New Year. Best wishes to everyone for the festive season.

UK

Back in the UK until Xmas doing Ropes Course and Climbing Wall training and inspections. It's getting chilly. Fingers crossed!

Thailand

From Japan and back to the UK for a short stint of work for 2 weeks in early November then back out to Singapore and Thailand for climbing wall work. A small climbing wall at a private residence on Sentosa and then climbing wall anchor maintenance in Thailand.

Indonesia

After a week in Thailand visiting 3rd Party providers and international school clients we went to Indonesia to do the same. Thanks to all our clients for fantastic hospitality and to the local providers for their input into the best practice workshops and visits. A week in Singapore now and then a break for Tee and I in Japan.

Singapore & Malaysia

We're currently based in Singapore doing work for several international school clients in South East Asia. The work has taken us to some fantastic places advising educational departments on adventure based learning programmes and providing outdoor first aid courses for their staff. Next week, Thailand.

Chamonix Week 3

Dad and I visited Chamonix together for the first time. Aiguille du Midi and Grand Montets as well as Chambre Neuf and great meals at Le Monchu and La Bergerie. Dad gave us a little health scare with an angina attack on the Montets giving me a busmans holiday and him a ride down to Chamonix in the Alouette 3 from the PGHM. He's fine though - our thoughts go to the climbers who lost their lives on the same day and in the avalanche on Mont Blanc du Tacul on Sunday. MB

Back In UK

Tara and I have been in Canada for a break and now T has flown back to Singapore for the start of term. I've recently been in Kent discussing a ropes course build and skills courses with various clients. Next week, Chamonix. MB

Chamonix Week 2

Team "F" arrived and proceeded to drink Chambre Neuf out of Baileys. In between bouts of Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline they racked up Cosmiques Arete (slight variation to the start ala Team F), Traverse du Midi Plan, Couloir Grisolle and Mont Blanc du Tacul. Bye fur noo...

Chamonix Week 1

Tara, Lori and I climbed together. It was Lori's first visit to Chamonix and the girls managed an impressive list of climbs and shopping routes from Chamonix Sud. Peak Performance, Petite Verte, L'Atelier, Cosmiques Arete, Chambre Neuf and Lachenal to name but a few!

Snowdonia In June

Just back from our 15th June in Snowdonia providing bespoke adventure programmes for schools. The month was a great success and we look forward to seeing all the schools again next year and welcoming our new clients booked for 2009. Next stop Chamonix.

Back In Singapore

Hi all, finally back in Singapore. Firstly, a big thankyou to Tee for keeping everyone posted on the teams progress whilst I was away. Unfortunately my room at the Yak and Yeti Hotel in Kathmandu was broken into and my Olympus 1030SW camera and all the memory cards stolen the night before I left Nepal. This means all 450 pics and videos have gone - so no updates folks. I also lost 6kg over 7 weeks, not as much as some others! I spend a week here in Singapore relaxing and catching up with the Outdoor Ed Dept in UWCSEA then head back to the UK and work in Snowdonia with the VLM gang. I'll post some pics from others soon. Lastly congrats to all this years summiters and thoughts to families of lost climbers during this years Everest season. MB

Lukla and Kathmandu

Mark is now approaching Lukla where he, and a few others from the Adventure Peaks team, will jump onto a small plane that will take them to Kathmandu. From there Mark will fly to Singapore on the 31st and end up in Wales sometime in the second week of June. He has gone full circle! He has tons of stories to entertain the troops as and when he meets up with friends and family. TB

Decisions, Decisions

Having left Camp 4 at around 8 p.m., Mark felt quite good. Due to a combination of circumstances however, he decided to turn back to Camp 4 at the "Balcony", which is an area at around 8,400 metres. At this point, a few of the team members decided that the situation called for a return to Camp 4. Mark was suffering from lack of feeling in his left foot, a condition which had already surfaced when waiting for others when moving from Camp 3 to 4. This was probably an old cold injury from being benighted near the summit of Mont Blanc a few years back when helping out some stranded climbers. Unfortunately people from other teams died the previous night including Uwe Gianni Goltz, a well known mountaineer. The details are not yet known, but this along with very low temperatures and poor weather conditions provided for less than desirable climbing conditions. TB

Camp 4 and Beyond

Mark and the Adventure Peaks team arrived at Camp 4 at around 6 p.m. local (Nepal) time. They've made a group decision to stay there overnight and check out the situation tomorrow. If all is go, they'll leave the evening of the 22nd at around 11 p.m. for the journey to the summit, arriving sometime on Friday morning. The six day weather forecast says generally clear skies until Monday, so the window is wide at this point. There is still a slight chance that the team will decide to go up tonight, but with the traffic the way it was today, and a late arrival at Camp 4 (the South Col), it is unlikely. Mark sounds good however, a bit tired, but good on the whole. TB

Change of Summit Schedule

Seems that the weather has changed in favour of the Adventure Peaks team! They actually set out yesterday (the 18th) for their summit quest. Leaving early in the morning, the team reached Camp 2 at around 3 p.m. Mark reported that he was feeling good after the days climb. They will have a rest day in Camp 2 today (the 19th), and then up they go to Camp 3 on Tuesday. From there, they hope to go for the summit the evening of Wednesday, May 21st, and reach the summit sometime in the morning on May 22nd. Let's hope for continued good weather! Mark has been up to Camp 3 twice, spending a few hours there each time, and then descending to Camp 2 to sleep. He has felt very good both times. In fact, outside of one day with a bad headache, and other with some stomach upset, Mark has felt strong and healthy the entire trip. TB

On to Camp 3

Now that the Chinese have summitted, all previous restrictions (like satellite telephone use, monitored emails...) have been lifted and all climbers thanked for their cooperation with the Nepalese army. The lines (ropes) have now been fixed between Camps 2 and 3 which means that Mark and the rest of the team can climb up as far as Camp 3 (7162 metres or 23,500ft ). They started up from Base Camp on the 9th and arrived at Camp 2 that same day. After a rest day on the 10th, they started for Camp 3 today, the 11th. After a short break at Camp 3 they were planning to return to Camp 2, rest there on the 12th then hopefully spend a night at Camp 3 on the 13th. It seems that this schedule has Mark and the rest of the Adventure Peaks group out of sync with the rest of the teams which will hopefully make for a less busy day between Camp 3 and the summit. TB

Life At Base Camp

"Still snowing but temperatures seem to be increasing during the nights. More action on the now "infamous" terrace (photos from various photographers from different teams and a doctor team from Swiss TV) as my tent was uprooted and a new floor put in. The terrace houses three spaces for sun beds (foam mattresses) on the renovated crazy paved balcony which overlooks the path leading up through base camp. We also overlook the "freezer" where Ganu(Base Camp Cook and Manager) sends Mengele to hack out frozen meat from their "freezer store" with an ice axe and cleaver (no joke). Off to the Ecotent this afternoon where apparently there's a bakery (yum yum as Ganu would say) and then back for more 24. Hi to all the well wishers (too many to list - sorry). We should be heading up this week for some acclimatisation to Camp 3 and Lhotse Face then down for a weeks rest before our summit attempts." MB