“Happy summit day! We were over the Hilary Step and were almost there!”

It took my mind back to reaching the step and all the feelings came flooding back. It was a very tough part of the journey (understatement!). I was pushing myself harder than I ever thought I could go and was starting to wonder if I could make the top or more seriously if I could make it back down.

What continues to amaze me is how incredible it feels to have done it and to be back from the experience alive and well. Everything is different since the top. I have always said that I think I was born on a lucky day because I’m a naturally happy and positive person.. but since Everest there’s a feeling of utter delight that I’m alive and a more heightened sense of appreciation of the wonderful people and things that surround my life.

How do I feel today? I’m smiling, I’m happy. I’m also very distracted from my own thoughts of celebrating because I’m following the Everest expeditions on the mountain this year. So far no one has summited (although, it’s still early) and worryingly one entire team has pulled out and left the mountain. You can read about it here.

The other teams all seem to be resting before their summit pushes which are about to begin and it sounds like May 20th could be the day people are aiming to summit on. The mental game of Everest is so tough. I completely respect and understand the decision made by himalayan experience to leave the mountain and I also respect the decision of those who have stayed. However, I think the weight of knowing such a big team with so much experience has left the mountain will undoubtedly put pressure and concern on those still there.

I’m sending you all good vibes for a safe return. I hope you all have the right knickers on and I’m sure everything will work out!

On top of the world with Stew!

I love this next picture because when I look at it I can remember exactly how I was feeling. I was coming home and for the first time since the top, I knew I was coming home!

On my way back down the mountain..

This is Jangbu, we’ve climbed a few mountains together. I couldn’t have done them or this one without him. The sherpa people are incredible and I’m proud to say Jangbu was my climbing partner and he’s also my friend.

You can see the frost nip on my face in this picture!

Me & Jangbu

Climbing Everest was great ….but what’s really great is finding you’re dream and going for it. Whatever your goal, dream or plan… Definitely go for it!

Obviously I was thrilled and said Yes! … and at the end of January this year I was in LA having an unbelievably amazing time.

I’ve done photo shoots before but nothing on this scale and I can’t say I’ve ever had the following set up -

A trailer to get ready in
A team of three photographers
A video producer
A hair and makeup stylist
Two people doing wardrobe
An art director
and…. A logistics co ordinator

After a little bit of consideration we decided to move the shoot from a studio to the open air! It was done on a hill in Santa Monica, California, over looking the Ocean at Eagle Paragliding School.

The 'wardrobe'!

With Barbara who transformed me...

The shoot took most of the day and included a couple of paragliding flights.

Getting my hair just right...

I always look like this immediately after landing - honestly!

Ground Handling

Trying to smile and look at the camera while ground handling.

Californian blue skies!

An unbelievable amount of work that goes into getting ‘that shot’…

Behind the scenes...

Some of the team

Imagining how the final pictures would come out was impossible! Shiffy Kagan, the wardrobe stylist, had the idea to turn my paraglider into a couture evening gown… I thought it was an original and pretty cool plan!

Not my usual evening outfit!

This was the end result!

The cover of Experience Life's May issue!

It was a fantastic day and I met some lovely people who are all passionate about the work they do.

Andrew Putschoegl was there to make a short behind the scenes video for the Experience Life website, which you can watch here – Behind the scenes with Squash!

You can read the online article here – Squash Falconer – Thrill Seeker

And this is a link to the article in the May Issue

The photographs were taken by Kwaku Alston and are courtesy of Experience Life magazine.

I was treated so well and stayed in a lovely hotel. I do think it’s a shame when you’re in an amazing place all by yourself … I did find something quite funny to do though!

RAB Neo Stretch Jacket

I’ll be honest, it was the colour that I loved first. You see I really do think that whilst function is the most important feature, look and feel come a close second & third. When I’m talking to people about getting into exercise, running for example, I always suggest that they get kit they love. If you like the way something looks, you’ll like the way you feel in it and you’ll want to wear it.

I couldn’t wait to put this jacket on!

The Rab Stretch Neo jacket is made from …..(drumroll)…. a new Polartec fabric called NeoShell – ‘designed to be waterproof and breathable like a hard shell, while maintaining the stretch and comfort of a soft shell’.

It’s like going to the hairdressers and asking for a ‘long-short’ hair cut… surely you can’t have both?!

Well, it does have stretch in it which allows good movement in the jacket. It definitely feels robust compared with lighter fabrics too. A small amount of air can permeate the shell which accelerates breathability but doesn’t compromise it’s waterproof and windproof ability.

It's a brilliant jacket...

As always you can rely on a RAB product to be excellent when it comes to the general design and practical side of the garment.

It’s a good fit, the length is ideal and you can shorten with draw cords if you wish.

The jacket has two really large chest pockets on the front and two on the inside. There’s room for gloves, hats, maps, snacks, tissues, phones, iPods… everything you might want close to hand!

The hood is a good size, you can comfortably fit a hat or helmet underneath and adjust accordingly front and back to get a snug and protected fit. The stiffened peak, cover’s goggles or glasses and is flexible to adjust.

The jacket weighs 480g. Not bad for a waterproof, windproof robust item. You really do feel very protected in it.

I’ve worn it skiing, snow shoeing and hiking (and out in the evenings!). I was surprised that I didn’t miss the underarm vents which a lot of RAB jackets offer, but it seems that the excellent breathability does the trick.

So the RAB Neo Stretch Jacket claims to do it all…

“A high performance mountain jacket. Whether you ski, climb, walk, run or ride the simple, clean design combined with the incredible performance of NeoShell will keep you warm, dry and comfortable whilst offering fantastic freedom of movement.”

… and I’ve got to say I think it does!

This time a year ago I was just arriving at base camp. During the trek in I had been ill in Namche Bazaar, the 48hr bug had left me underweight, tired and feeling quite homesick. I had my last Skype call in Namche Bazaar to a friend and I said, “I don’t think I can do this”… and honestly, at that moment, I didn’t.

I soon pulled myself together though and I can remember so clearly the buzz of excitement as I saw base camp for the first time. I was really happy to get into my base camp tent and ‘make home’.

My home at base camp

Important stuff!

Highly organised and neatly folded clothes...

Home is where your multi-coloured bobble hat is!

While we acclimatised and rested at base camp we spent time getting our kit organised and practising numerous things including the ladder crossing. A task we would have to do many times to get over the crevasses in the Khumbu Ice Fall.

So easy to do just a foot of the ground!

Not quite so easy when below is a deep, dark, black hole!

For our initial acclimatisation we climbed up to Pumori advanced base camp and spent a couple of nights there. It got us up to 5,800m and gave us some spectacular views of Mt Everest.

The summit of Everest is on the left.

It was quite a magical evening, the cloud hung in the valley below us and I remember thinking about the daunting task ahead. I also very clearly remember I was wearing a pair of knickers that were given to me by someone very special – they had reindeers on them!! (For those who don’t already know, check out The Kinckers Philosophy!)

I was looking up at the summit of Mt Everest

It’s not always an easy time to be on the mountain, yes there is the excitement and anticipation of what’s coming next, but there is also the pressure that comes with what’s next- it’s a massive mountain to climb!

There are some really interesting and wonderful expeditions this year, I wish each and every one of you a successful expedition and a safe journey home…

These are four people who are doing some great things!

Kenton Cool who is taking an Olympic Gold Medal to the summit.
Mollie Hughes who is attempting to become the youngest British woman to summit Mt Everest.
Becky Bellworthy who is attempting Everest for the second time and who also is attempting to become the youngest British woman to summit Mt Everest.
Leanna Shuttleworth who is attempting to become the youngest British woman to summit all 7 summits and summit two 8000m peaks in 24hrs!!

Coumayeur Lift

Hotel Pilier d'Angle in Courmayeur

Stunning Ski Slopes

The Guides 'Hut' in the town centre

Forget your purpose built ski resorts, this is a charming established mountain town, nestled away in the region of Aosta Valley in Northern Italy.

Not only did I get to spend the weekend skiing over 43,000 vertical metres but I also had an extra day in Courmayeur and went to ski the legendary Vallee Blanche. Probably the most famous off piste ski run in the world – an 18km journey with 2800m of vertical decent through stunning glaciated alpine scenery. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years and never got round to.

With Marco - our guide from www.courmayeurguide.com

The Vallee Blanche!

We woke up in Italy, took the lift from La Palud to Helbronner, skied over into France and down the Vallee Blanche just in time for a late lunch in Chamonix. A short bus trip back through the tunnel meant we were back in Courmayeur late afternoon! A day I would highly recommend to any skier (and boarder in better conditions!).

The snow wasn’t in great condition but the views and adventure of it all certainly made up for it.

It was amazing skiing down the glacier...

Melt water begins to meander though the ice lower down

What amazed me the most was that the Vallee Blanche reminded of a smaller version of the Khumbu Ice Fall. A huge moving glacier; beautiful but deadly, full of crevasses and precarious great chucks of ice.

I felt like I was at the bottom of a mini Khumbu Ice Fall!

At the bottom of the Vallee they have drilled into the ice and made a really cool (literally) museum all about the history and geology of the Vallee Blanche.

This barman didn't have a lot to say!

Why couldn't we have had a school trip here?!

Looking back up The Vallee Blance

The challenge – to ski or snowboard the combined vertical height of the highest mountains on each continent, with two peaks in Europe thrown in for good measure. (Mont blanc, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Everest, McKinley, Aconcagua , Vinson, Carstensz Pyramid)

The exact total of all the peaks is 43,314m. That is a vertical drop of about 30 miles. It is almost five times higher than the altitude a plane flies at!!

The aim of the challenge – to rise money for the Make A Wish Foundation. The charity makes dreams come true for children with life threatening diseases. www.make-a-wish.org.uk The total raised was almost £20,000!!

The Team!

We were in teams of two or three, we found the ski run with the largest vertical drop (and the fastest chair) and stuck on it all day! I was surprised that I could do the run so many times and not get bored but we all got quite competitive and were very focused on getting it done. It was a great bunch of people who were involved and Graham Bell joined the event too which was brilliant. He’s not a bad skier!

The Ski the World Challenge is run by, Ski Solutions, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary. It was such a fun weekend, I’d recommend it to everyone who can ski or board (you can do it even if you’re a beginner, just make sure you’re in a team with someone who’s fast!). www.skisolutions.com

It was a Zaini hat.

In the months following, particularly when I was in the Alps, I saw a lot more of these bright and colourful beanies.. Then last year at the Ski Show I went to visit the much larger Zaini stand and was really pleased to meet Miranda Harper – the woman behind the beanie!

This is her story…

“Zaini hats, the brand, launched as a result of an impossibility to find a comfy, colourful and stylish enough beanie hat. Scottish ski instructor, Miranda Harper, turned to making her own whilst in the resort of Haute Nendaz, Switzerland in 2010. No beanie was baggy or bright enough for her style, so she made her own to fit her fashion needs on the slopes. The trend was quick to catch on and suddenly everyone wanted one of these hats……

On returning to the UK, and being based in a small village in the highlands of Scotland, the weather permits people to wear beanies all year round and once friends, colleagues and family saw her hats they all wanted one. So she got back to her crochet hook and put together more designs including – Hot pink and Blue, Neon Green and Purple and Neon Orange and Purple. They only use 100% super soft acrylic yarn, which ensures a non-itch, cashmere feel and is durable to outdoor weather.

With the orders coming in think and fast Miranda needed a helping hand – that helping hand came from her grandmother. Crocheting is a skill that takes patience and commitment so to keep her on track with her first few orders Granny came to save the day. Loaded with balls of Neon Orange, Purple, Blue, Yellow and Neon Green yarn they set up a production line and set to making as many hats as they could.

And that’s when Zaini hats was launched. A company dedicated to bringing people new, colourful and unique hats. All designed in Scotland and all handmade with attention to detail in everyway. Since then Zaini has grown to become an established brand which sells and distributes hand made products throughout the world.”

I love stories like this. Miranda through hard work, commitment, passion and determination created her own successful business. She went for it and now look at where she is. I also love that it was her Grandma who taught her to crochet hats in the first place and who was there to help when the orders came flying in.

A Zaini beanie became my hat of choice and now to my delight I am working with Miranda and her hats will be joining me, not only on my future adventures, but also regularly on my head day to day … because they’re really cool and I love wearing them!

www.zaini.com

I love Zaini Beanies!

I love being out on my bike!

When I came back from Everest last year I decided to ride a push bike from Land’s End to John O Groats. I thought, as I was not a cyclist, converting myself into one in three months and then covering over 1000miles in less than 10days was a fairly good challenge. However, I received a mixed reaction to my latest adventure, including totally unimpressed!

This particular feeling was shared by a journalist from Cycling Active. ‘Go away and come back to talk to me when you’re doing something more impressive’… was basically the email response I got to an idea about a story.

I decided not to go away…. and was very happy with this article that was published a couple of weeks ago in Cycling Active.

Cycling Active Article

I cycled the length of the UK last September and loved it. I said I would definitely be doing more …

In June I will be doing the Love Velo Mont Blanc Challenge

Check it out, it’s not to late for anyone to enter.

I can’t wait to be cycling in a region that I love so much. Cycling in the mountains is really spectacular. Maybe I’ll see you there??!

(21-24th June, 176km- over 4000m of vertical climb!!)

On my bike dans le mountains!

mmmmm chesse casadias!

I rarely eat meat and I’m not a big fish eater so that is somewhat limiting in Mexico. I did expand my eating horizons in Cabo though and ate loads of sushi which was delicious.

Cabo San Lucas is apparently one of ‘the places’ to go to in Baja. George Clooney, Julia Roberts and lots of other stars are roomered to have homes here. The marina, full of designer shops and super yachts, certainly makes you feel like you are in a very modern and rich city. I liked it, I liked that it was yet another completely different place with such a different vibe. Being right at the end of the peninsula looking out to the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California was a significant point in our journey too – not yet over – but we had ridden the entire length of the peninsula.

We spent the following day here wondering why people like the place so much?!

Could it be the stunning coastline??

Or maybe the worldclass golf course next to the ocean??

Can't be the sunsets that you can watch through the arch at the most southerly tip of Baja??!

Although I was doing ok without my luggage, I was DELIGHTED that after almost two weeks it was waiting for me at Cabo San Lucas airport and after our day of stand up paddle boarding, golf and sunsets I was finally able to get changed!! So we hit the town and had a very brilliant evening in El Squid. A ridiculous but fun club in the heart of the city.

Paddle boarding (yes, in my jeans, still no luggage!)...

It was a very late night or a very early morning depending on how you look at it. I saw the sunrise and took a dip in the pool, would have been rude not to.

Possibly the most incredible pool I've ever taken a dip in!

The final leg of our Baja journey was back to La Paz to catch the ferry to the mainland. We took a different route back via a small town that boasted a music hall. I wasn’t expecting what happened next. We entered a huge yellow building and were greeted by an eccentric looking musician who showed us around many different rooms full of old instruments, mainly pianos, some of which had belonged to Kings and Queens! Finally we entered a big room; there was the grandest of Grand Pianos in the centre, five metal chairs and sun light pouring in through an open shutter. Nicholas, the musician (the world class famous musician!) sat down and played the most beautiful piano pieces my ears have ever heard. I had just arrived to a small town in the middle of nowhere and was now hearing an impromptu piano concert. I’m really not making this up! The days were all filled with such different and such brilliant experiences.

I was so moved when I listened to Nicholas playing, it was beautiful.

Our final day in Baja was spent back in La Paz, where we were waiting for the evenings ferry back to mainland Mexico. That morning we went snorkelling….

…. with Whale Sharks!

About to be eaten by massive whale sharks!

The sea was quite rough and the water cloudy as a result. I hopped in feeling fairly relaxed and looked down, I wasn’t expecting to see much. To my horror I was about 10 centimetres away from a 15 metre Whale Shark! I knew I was going snorkelling with Whale Sharks and I knew they were big. I just hadn’t expected it to be so BIG or so close! It didn’t eat me, it just ignored me and I calmly swam alongside it feeling very small indeed.

During my time in Mexico, I learnt that there are in fact two times. The actual time and Mexican time. We missed our ferry!

I never realised how comfortable a bike was for taking a nap on...

The next available ferry was an 18 hour crossing with no cabins or any amenities at all as it was only for lorries and trucks. They said we could sneak our bikes on though and we’d have to ‘find’ somewhere to sleep.

Sometimes the best bedrooms aren't the most obvious!

Sometimes when things don’t work out as planned they work out better. As I drifted off to sleep on the outside upper metal deck of the huge cargo ferry, I was looking up at the star lit clear sky wishing I could share Baja California with everybody… and wishing my time there had not finished.

We reached the mainland and rode over a thousand kilometres back to Mexico City. I arrived in one piece, I hadn’t been mugged or murdered and not even seen a hint of violence. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist I’m just saying that there’s a lot more to this beautiful place than you might think….

Very happy Squash!

…..To Be Continued…

The section of the route travelled...

We were up early in San Ignacio and headed to the town square to see a very beautiful mission church, begun by the Jesuits in 1728.

The mission in San Ignacio

From there we headed out for a short time on road, then off road to Laguna San Ignacio.

You know that feeling, like your in the middle of nowhere?

We rode right to the coast until we reached an eco hotel called, Kuyimita. This place was really spectacular. We stayed in small huts on the very edge of the Pacific Ocean. Baja had done it again – we were in the next town, I felt like I had entered another world.

Now, shall I put the bike on the left or the right side of my beach hut that is a few metres from the ocean??

That afternoon we set out in small fishing boats to see the majestic and wondrous huge Grey Whales. It’s hard for me to describe just how amazing this experience was. The whales are so massive! They swim right up to the tiny fishing boats that you are in and gently move around and underneath you. It was just … WOW. They are surprisingly tame and inquisitive. The mother whales, with their babies, came up to the boats to check us out and have a look.

The whale was MASSIVE!

If you get the chance in your life to see whales you must do it, they have an energy that is so wonderful and the experience is magic!

This was a baby, what you can see is just its nose!

In the evening we enjoyed a meal together with Carlos and his family (they run the eco hotel). Carlos is a musician and entertained us with his beautiful voice and guitar. I went to sleep that night listening to the sound of the waves. The music, the day and the setting by the ocean made for something that you might read in a fairy tale book. But it was no fairytale. Just another day in Baja!

Our next destination an old mining town, Santa Rosalia. A most charming if somewhat scruffy town. The French had taken advantage of copper deposits found there in the 1860′s. The French connection explains why the town church is a metal pre fab structure designed by Mr Eiffel himself! The church was originally set up at the Paris world fair and was sent to Baja in pieces about a hundred years ago. Obviously I was expecting the church to look like the Eiffel Tower, I was just a little bit disappointed…

Not quite the Eiffel Tower, but still a lovely church.

I liked the French touch…

We didn’t stay long in Santa Rosalina, there was a lunch date in Conception Bay. We rode to the edge of the East Coast and parked up on the beach. The bay reminded me of New Zealand, perhaps Vancouver too. Clear and calm water engulfed by huge rocks and cliffs. We met some Americans who had returned to holiday in the Bay for the last 25yrs!

Heading out of Conception Bay

Little did I know at the time but the next section of road for the day was a real treat. Great surfaces, rolling hills, lots of twists and turns, back lit by an awesome sunset.

Sunset...

That just got more and more impressive.

I loved this!

We arrived at Loreto in the dark having covered about 350km, in the morning I enjoyed waking up to this view.

I opened my eyes to this

Loreto was the first Spanish settlement in the Californias and was the capital of Spanish Baja until the place was wrecked by a hurricane in 1829 and later flattened by an earthquake in 1877. You wouldn’t think that today, the mission was since rebuilt and the city is clean and full of good hotels.

After a quick visit to another mission off the beaten track we were on the road. 440km to La Paz. I was excited to get to La Paz, not because I had been there before, or because someone had talked to me about the place, but because I have a friend called Paz who I am very fond of.

Up until La Paz, Baja had felt remote, often like you were one of just a few in the whole of the peninsula. La paz was different, it was a large, bustling, bright light, sea side city. There were multiple lanes of traffic and there was an electric energy in the air that made us ride the bikes like hooligans! Well, Andres and I. Paco, as ever, rode calmly and very correctly shaking his head at the races we had off each and every set of red lights.

Breakfast on the roof terrace of the hotel in La Paz was funny. We stuck up a conversation with a really lovely guy called Bruce, who was waiting for his friend Riccardo. Who just happened to be the same Riccardo who was a great friend of Paco’s – so we all had breakfast together. I love it when that happens.

Breakfast with Bruce, Riccardo & co

Terrible view from the roof terrace where we had breakfast!

The aim for the day was to reach the southern tip of Baja, Cabo San Lucas, with a stop at Todas Santos. Todas Santos, does that mean anything to you?? Well, it didn’t to me. Until I got there. Until I stood outside the Hotel California, THE Hotel California!! The Hotel California where The Eagles wrote the song. What a cool place to visit.

THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA!!

I'm told it's good stuff!

We had lunch with the owners and heard the full story. The hotel had become run down and disused until an American couple and a Mexican guy had began a restoration project there almost 15yrs ago. Today it’s a funky, boutique hotel. Lots of interesting guests come from all over the world and in the gift shop…….. they sell sheep?!

The obvious souvenir to buy to buy from The Hotel California!

We rocked up in Cabo San Lucas just in time to ride the bikes up a dirt track to the highest point to see the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Just in time for the sun setting..

Sweet!!