the birm*

The birds were singing/the way people do things in different cultures.

So I went to a wedding yesterday. The thing is, it was a French wedding. “what’s your point”? I hear you ask…

French weddings are kinda weird, as the official ceremony happens at the town/city hall in front of the mayor (or another official) and two or so witnesses. The Church ceremony (what we be used to in other countries) has nothing official about it (apart from, or course, being married by one of God’s ambassadors and having the thing witnessed by friends and family!).

Anyhoo, it was cool (despite the oven-temperature heat) to see two good friends “tie the knot” (despite it being all a bit formal for my liking). After the 4:30pm Church ceremony (which followed the town hall ceremony), there was a wee snack, followed by the reception, which got underway about 7:30pm.

Evidently (I wasn’t aware of this, but others told me it was normal) a lot more happens at receptions in this country: many people get up and share, there are items, videos, photos, poems and even games that the whole official party plays.

There was, of course, the cutting of the cake and some dancing, which I didn’t take part in, as I was giving a hand with the washing up (dancing is not really my thing, so it worked well!). We were out of there (just after the newly-weds) at about 3:30am, meaning that by the time we got back to camp, it was starting to get twilight and the birds were singing (I never knew they got up that early!)…

An ode to a mate/a man who has come alive.

Is it legal? I mean, he’s far from dead; in fact he’s in the best shape I’ve ever known him!

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that. The world needs people who have come alive”.

I can’t remember who wrote this (I think it was in Wild at Heart, but I’m not sure). I love that quote. I was thinking of it when I read the news recently that Jas English had won the Newcastle 8 hour WWS race.

While this is not really surprising, as he’s a machine and has been getting better and fitter ever since I’ve known him and had the chance to ride with him, it remains an amazing feat. Why? Because in a national race 2 months ago, while chasing down the leader, he came off and broke his back (4 vertebrae).

Jas was training to do the world endurance championships (they’re in Canada in July) and it seriously put a question mark over it. But he walked again and later started riding (on the road mainly). Next thing I hear he’s back racing and winning quite a tough race (8 hrs is not 24 hrs, but it’s still an amazing feat, even for someone in great shape!).

I find it really cool that Jas is so good at riding bikes and that he’s so passionate about it. Whenever you go riding with him it’s fun (and super-tough!) and you always have a good time. why? Because he loves it and it rubs off on whoever rides with him. Riding bikes is what makes him come alive and in return it makes others around him come alive (unless he’s beating them in a race!).

So Jas, keep it up. It’s really encouraging and enjoyable to watch (or read about) you doing so well. I look fwd to keep following your life mate!

Add a person, double the time…

At 8:15am RC, Thomas and I grabbed the gear, packed the car and drove the 40 mins to the “paravalanche” (a tunnel that prevents rock and snow avalanches from taking the road out). We climbed up onto it using the steel ladder and started the day’s climbing at about 9:15. The book stated “quality 5+/6a max climbing on superb rock. 9 pitches, 5 hours, 5 rappels of 45m.”

Getting to the anchors at the top of pitch 2, there was not much of a ledge, so I belayed RC up and then I lead up the 3^rd while Thomas waited at the bottom. From then on there ledges were fine and it was smooth sailing on sumptuous rock.

Pitch 4 was interesting and VERY run out, with an unprotected 10m diagonal traverse on an arête (slab one side, vertical drop on the other).

After 5 pitches we decided to finish with the 6^th, as we’d been in the sun (south facing cliff) for 5 hours and had to be at a birthday party at 6:30.

The last pitch we did was excellent (as were the others), the view amazing and the rock superb!

After 3 rappels (the last one 65m) we were on the ground, in the shade, with shoes off (s-weet!), 8 hours after we had started!

A great day was had by all, regardless of a bit of sunburn and RC’s blistered heel (now the size of a golf ball!). we made the party [fashionably] an hour late…

Dutch blitz in the mountains…

Candide and I headed down to her parents’ place down south (on the sea!!) over the week-end (we caught the train down on Friday night and back on Sunday arvo). Edwige (Canddide’s sister) was also there with her boyfriend, which was great (I hadn’t seen her for a while). We had a great time there with them and Candide’s parents (lovely folk!) chatting, eating and playing Dutch Blitz. I even managed to squeeze in a wee swim in the Mediterranean, which was freezing but sweet as!

Back to camp Sunday night for our… Mountain Camp. We headed into the mountains, with uncertain weather, towards the “refuge de la Muzelle”, which we got to after a quick car shuffle and a few hours uphill hike. B-E-A-Utiful!. And as words can only describe so much, you can check out the photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/campdescimes/CampMontagne2008

The refuge was closed but there was a room (very fancy with gas cooker, sink, toilet and shower!) left open for “emergencies”! so the 7 of us had a great time hiking, eating (bread, butter, cheese, meat and soup), playing cards and sleeping (very tight and noisy due to 7 people being in one room at once…I found that toilet paper in the ears worked really well!).

The views were breathtaking, the hill/mountains very steep (and breath-taking!) and the waters of the lakes freezing (the one in front of the refuge had icebergs in it and it iced over at night. I had a dip in it but wasn’t able to stay under for longer than it takes to say “smokes!!!”)…and breath-taking.

Twentysomethings

Tomorrow will be ten years since I went from the “teen” category to the “twentysomething” one. Now I guess I start the next one. Is there a name for it or is it just…“old”?

Birthdays are a funny thing. You don’t feel any older (than yesterday), you don’t look any older (than yesterday), but somehow you sigh and say “not another year!” (I think the talking to oneself  gets more prominent with age)…