Our planned return home for some work commitments was slightly accelerated to beat the impending requirements for PCR tests on entry to the UK – nothing like as dramatic as our last two Lockdown escapes from the Continent!

First task on returning was to get a somewhat overdue booster…

… and get back on “jabbing duty”. Coincidentally, my first shift coincided with the Monday after Bozzer’s launch of the “Get Boosted” campaign, and so got a bit manic – but only in a good way! Hundreds of mostly young people queuing around the block for drop-in slots resulted in 2hrs waits and the arrival of the national media…

All very good humoured and I was able to deliver 150 boosters to some very happy and relieved people.

From a “High Pressure” Omicron situation to a spell of high pressure weather across the North West the following day, and a glorious afternoon at Stoney West with James (someone else daft enough to take a chance on finding dry rock!)

It might not quite have the quality or ambiance of some of the venues we’d been enjoying in the south of France over the previous couple of months, but a bluebird day in Blighty snatched from the depths of December has its own very special rewards.

More sunshine the next day prompted a meeting with Jake at Rivelin – a great crag for a spot of Winter Warmth.

Jake’s idea of a “warm up” was The South-West Corner (Original Route) on The Needle,  E2 5c, and underlined my lack of recent grit action!

Auto da Fe, E4 6a, was an even tougher proposition, but no match for Jake’s bouldering prowess, even with a bit of green and dampness.

Fabulous light for a warm-down boulder

No more climbing in the run up to Christmas, but quite a bit more jabbing alternated with the occasional run…

or bike ride…

… making the most of the good days…

… and the not so good ones…

Not forgetting the odd token effort on the wall to try to maintain a bit of fitness:

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and looking forward to more Rock Around The World (or the Doorstep!) in 2022 🙂