Hello & Welcome

Hi to you all,

My name is Christopher Hughes. I am 29 years old. I'm soon to be 30; married, live with my wonderful wife Adele and Son Tom in Lancashire. I work full time shifts, and as such; like to make the most of my time off.

That time is ideally spent in the Lake District; essentially my second home!

I first started hill walking & scrambling when I was just 14 years old. I was introduced to a 'climbing club'. Headed by an accredited Mountain Leader called Billy - I was instantly hooked. Our playground was Snowdonia. Early walks included the Nantlle Ridge, Moel Siabod, Carneddau, & the Devils Kitchen. I loved it and knew it was something which would stay with me forever.

One day, they sprung a 'tester' on us. We were heading off to Scotland to climb the Five Sisters of Kintail. The club needed to know us 'newbies' were up for what was to come. We arrived at Cwm Idwal and were presented with a sheer face of black, wet rock. 'Chasm Face' was to be our nemesis that day. I'd never used a rope at this point - a relationship which very quickly blossomed. Billy was the lead climber. I tentatively inched up the greasy face, metre after metre. The ground fell quickly away and whisps of cloud blew angrily across the Cwm. Soon, we arrived at my first 'crux'. The metre long "Cat Walk" was a terrifying prospect (for me). Shuffle across a metre wide ledge, perched on the face of Glyder Fach. This led to the Chasm.

This was a chimney climb into the cliff face itself. If you were claustrophobic, you had no chance. A five metre shuffle on your back and then transition to vertical revealed a shaft of fading light. The last climb up inside the mountain required a technique called bridging. This involved maintaining pressure on your knees and back simultaneously - if done correctly, you didn't fall back down. Progress was measured in centimetres. The light was fading fast and water dripped from the tiny opening above. I slowly made my way up the 'chimney' towards fresh air. When I finally reached the top, I could not summon the strength to pull myself out. I was unflatteringly dragged out by the harness of my rucksack.

We were greeted by snow, illuminated by starlight in the now clear night sky. I was hooked.

Many climbs followed in those early days. Trial and error. Crib Goch served as an early reminder that I was not invincible.

I have never written a blog before. I have no formal training in written English so you must forgive grammatical  errors. I have amassed many photo albums on my PC which detail all of our climbs so far; however I wish to make these available to those that share the same passion for the Great Outdoors as me.

Why have I chosen the Lake District on which to concentrate ?

Well I cant exactly put my finger on it.

As soon as I turn off the M6 onto the A591 into Windermere, it's like a breath of fresh air. The stresses of my daily life fade away and the distant and ever growing fells fill my mind. I love the Lake District. I will move there one day. I feel at home. Nothing can beat the feeling of walking into a real Lake District Pub after a hard walk, warming up by a log fire and enjoying a pint of real ale.

I hope you enjoy my blog. Please visit frequently. I aim to publish each walk and also some old ones. If this inspires you to take to the hills I have achieved my aim.

See you out there !

Chris

chrish_1982@yahoo.com

Twitter: Chris_H_1982