Fitness is wasted on the young, by Stevie Haston.

I was looking at some potential routes today, and felt sad.When I scout for routes I mostly feel happy but to see routes of such magnificence and know you wont be able to do them felt tragic. Getting old aint easy, roll on Altzheimers so I can forget about a former life as a minor rock star.

 Pleasant 6a, the kind of route we should all be doing with our zimmer frames clipped to our harnesses.

 The long walk down, probably only 50 meters vertical, but hard after the dive, and probably should have sun bathed for an hour to lessen chances of decompression sickness.

Pointing out a 7a that starts to high and should start where I am, complete route would be magic!

Alex forgot her Grigri, they probably don't work underwater.

 Dolphin, or what? Anybody got an idea?

 Nice, oh very nice indeed!

 Diving, walking, climbing, ah sunbathing too.

you must always look for Neptune, or other gods, they are always looking at you, or inventing things like bad shoulders, to piss you off.

To become old gracefully is a bit too hard, as my friends used to say! Some of them died painfully young! Have some of you been turned into rock faces? At the moment I am waiting for two books. One about Gogarth! One by Mick Fowler! I will keep you posted, both promise to be good. I will not keep you posted about ageing as I think I'll just bypass it.  

The DJ saved my life, by Stevie still living Haston.

There are Gurus, dragons may be dead, but there are gurus. Gurus come in all shapes,  and forms not necessarily from the Indian subcontinent. This week one of the Gurus of Ice climbing left this circle to climb perfect hanging frozen stuff in a another universe. Jeff Lowe is gone, but he will stay with us. 

 I used to think that when I climbed thin ice I was climbing on Mother of Pearl, and could see rain bows. Its a long time from ice climbing madness for me but I still see the pearlish rainbows sometimes when I close my eyes. Jeff and his talented family kept me at ice with their new inventions, like their ice screws, I thank you all.

 Squinting in the sun where ice lasts a very short time, how do you see the Gurus of almost a different planet? How do you recognise people who can see more than you?

My little Guru! I have had many gurus, George the Greek taught me some Yoga when I was young, tough kids in my neighbourhood  (the hood is not just an american thing just as gurus arn't Indian), poets, climbers, freedivers, steep snowboarders. I salute you all. I salute you Jeff.

Gurus can be big or small. "Live long and prosper" isnt what I would now say if I was Spock, rather "Live well and spend your time doing marvellous things, bring back the dragons,  instead of the DJs".

Happy climbs, starry skies, warm water, by Stevie Haston.

Dear all, I have a very bad shoulder which means I don't write so much on this blog! You might note that tapping a key isn't necessarily made impossible by a bad shoulder-correct. "Things" as a philosopher baggage handler once said "dont just get carried over by themselves Guv." Yes my shoulder is a bit of a downer, so is lack of equipment, anyway some new routes have been done-good ones.

 The Mountain Calls. A poster in the Space Grivel in Courmayer, a place of profound sanctity. Visit if you get the chance as you will see much to do with mountains and equipment, its a place of worship as much as a museum.

 Fins or flippers, you say tomato I say red thing. 
The lack of a functioning shoulder does not stop me from climbing, it causes pain and annoyance. It is amazing what you can do with out something if you want! I refuse to stop doing things. Seriously though, when fit and young why did I do so little?

 A happy look!

Swimming is difficult, diving is difficult, climbing is difficult-all three together in one day is difficult three times over-but its fun. Without fun you might as well put me into a blender!

 I need money, not baby bats.

 Young Tim, smiling when not talking politics a member of our third party in Malta the party Democratica. My new Scarpa slippers are very comfy BTW.

 Young Alex with Simon.  Alex is a professional singer with a voice like an angel, Simon is my old mate who has two left feet.

A fossil sharks tooth to replace one of my own which dropped out, now I only need to look for a shoulder!
I recently saw that K2 was skied down, I thought this was a good effort. I remember saying to a group of so called experts in the UK once that this would be done and they said "never"! If you asked me which of the two things which was most likely to be done "a free solo of free rider" or a ski decent of K2, I would have scoffed at Free rider-even I am wrong. Climbing is great, it is indeed Big. To climb on the teeth of Mega sharks and the wings of joy is where its at, but a quick run down K2 or a lap on Free rider would be sweet.