M - In Which Josh Tries to Follow the Instructions

M - Climbing in the Ghost

The Ghost Valley is in the Front Ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Sort of Halfway between Cochrane and Banff, only it would be a tricky walk so no-one thinks of it quite like that. We have been there a few times now, for rock climbing while it was still possible, and more recently for ice climbing.

We have joined forces with the Calgary Mountain Club who claim that they "don't stand on ceremony for anyone" a kind of anti-alpine club with no official trips, just bunches of people who go out climbing. The Alpine Club here is tangled in a web of liability waivers and insurance premiums. CMC meetings are held at the pub, and the trips might as well be! Last weekend was our first outing with these enthusiastic folk.

Access into the Ghost is strictly 4WD beyond a point known as The Big Hill for obvous reasons. We figured we would take our car that far though, and we did get it there and back again eventually! My down jacket is now filthy from digging snow out from under the car. We were put to shame however, one CMC member rode out on his bicycle, carrying full ice climbing gear, about 100kms the last quarter of which is on an icy, snowy gravel road. Leaving after work on Friday evening he pulled into camp just before 1am.

On the Saturday we climbed a route called "This House of Sky" which is a bit like reverse canyoning. You start at the bottom and climb up the variously sized frozen waterfalls. I felt a bit like I was intruding on the privacy of the stream, caught in a vulnerable moment. This place would be near to inacessable in the summer (from the bottom anyway.)

Sunday morning, Grant and Lachlan who we had been climbing with the previous weekend arrived, and the four of us went into the Valley of the Birds area. The CMC crew took their hangovers back to Calgary.
















Renting gear has it's drawbacks - Josh lashes his crampons on (again)





















Lachlan rossing the Ghost River - we will do ANYTHING to keep our boots dry in -15c





















Merewyn on "This House of Sky"
























Lachlan leading "Yellow Bird" (WI4)

M - Southwestern Adventure

Over Xmas and New Years we had an adventure in the Southwestern USA. My brother Richard his wife Christine and their kids Liam and Madeline are living in Sante Fe at the moment. We went down to visit them and to see other family Ruth, Pierre and their two boys Charles and Christopher, who were over from NZ.

Flying there and back turned out to be a total nightmare which I don't really want to relive by explaining it all here. Never ever use US Airways!

Sorry no pictures of the babies... I'll see if I can find some more. travelling in the car with madeline meant that I had a lot of quality time with her "No Way!" and about my only regret of the trip is that I didn't have much time with the bigger boys. I did spend a litle time with Liam in the Grand Canyon, but about the only time I had with Charles was a discussion about Cayotes when we camped in Arizona, our last night. It was a full moon and they were making quite a racket calling to each other. After we had discussed putting all the food away over night and how they would keep away from us because they were more scared of us than we were of them, Charles turns and calls out to Liam - "I don't think we'll have any trouble Liam!"





















Liam and Charles roast Marshmallows on Christmas Eve in Sante Fe.




















Christmas lunch. Richard who we met in Alaska was passing through at the right time so we were very glad he was able to join us.















Becoming junior rangers at Mesa Verde National Park. Liam had been here before and was able to show off his knowledge during the Ranger Led Walk we went on into the Spruce Tree House Pueblo.





















Fun in the freezing cold at Arches National Park.
















Josh looking over the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers in Canyonlands National Park.













"Sledding" on an old mirror Richard found in the campground at Monument Valley. (We just stopped here for lunch)
















Cedar Ridge in the Grand Canyon. Quite a walk for a boy who didn't eat much of his lunch! Liam did really well on the way back up, holding Aunty Mere's hand the whole way, looking forward to those lollies we had left in the car.

















Amber joined us for New Years in Williams and our visit to the Grand Canyon. So great to see her again... I'm hopeful she might move back to NZ!