Autumn

Possibly my favourite time of the year- simply love the colours and the sunsets which you simply don't get in any other season.

I've been making good use of my new phone to capture some of these stunning moments- i have no idea how to edit these images or perhaps make the most out of the tools on the camera, but the raw pictures seem to do a small amount of justice to what are some of the most glorious vistas i've ever seen- and all in the UK. Fantastic.

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Thank you to everyone who came to see my recent talks at the ski show and the PPP forum- it's very odd because Everest almost feels like a dream that never actually happened, until i begin talking about it again and i am thrown right back onto its slopes and often when i'm going through my slides a memory hits me like a bold of lightening- i am so very lucky to be able to re-live such a once in a life time experience on a regular basis.

It was lovely to catch up with some old faces at the show and meet some new ones- come down next year and get in on the fun! www.metrosnow.co.uk

Lots of school talks coming up- starting with one in Rickmansworth tomorrow as part of the VocaLink Everest schools tour. Can't wait!

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So it was my birthday last week and so i am now at the grand old age of 23. I feel like there is so much left to do in such a short space of time!! I can't believe i was 20 when the dream of Everest took over- it seems like yesterday. Thanks for the lovely flowers from Vocalink, a constant support from start to finish- i really can't thank them enough for everything they have done for me- thanks guys.

Now to see what 2011 brings- fingers crossed for an exciting and tough year!

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Lots coming up as we move into winter now- i will be spending this weekend down in Dartmoor for training with my expedition team. We're leaving in February and it's training for the South Pole- i can't say anymore than that. The weekend will be spent tyre hauling, running and generally beasting ourselves and of course bonding in the pub in the evenings. Oh- and did i mention that everyone there is from a military background except me?!

Then its off to the Kendal Mountain Festival the weekend after with Rhys Jones- we're going to stay up a few extra days in the Lakes for some climbing and bouldering- weather permitting! www.mountainfest.co.uk for anyone who wants more info- its the 18th- 21st November and is the biggest annual festival of film and speakers in the UK- not to be missed!

i'll be sure to get lots of photos of both weekends.

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Training has been going well and my climbing has improved loads since taking bouldering a bit more seriously- however i've since got an injury on my right elbow which i'l be getting acupuncture for on Thursday (thanks sean). There are loads of new routes at Craggy Island in Guildford- there's not a better time to start climbing now the days are so short- check out www.craggy-island.com and book onto a beginners course

I am now climbing 6a+ fairly consistently at craggy (grading is considered pretty stiff!) and top roping over hanging 5's, so getting there- slowly! Consistent 6b by New Year and i'll be happy.

Would love to get out on some real rock and climb though- people in Chamonix i hope you realise how lucky you are!

Running has also been shaken up a bit- on saturday i went with my trusted running partner, my auntie Belinda, down to swinley forest where we did hill sprints for the first time- the result? Fantastic! it was actually really nice to sprint in short bursts- i love a good sprint at the end of a run but you are always aware of keeping a strong pace until the end- with hill sprints you can go gun blazing thighs pumping for 15-20 seconds then jog back down the hill to recover. I loved it and so hill sprints will definitely become a (dare i say it) regular feature on my training schedule- and there are plenty of bigger hills in the forest to keep us on our toes.

So, whilst running for me is more than just excercise, i've been a devotee now for 6 years and as much as i love my long runs, i'm not sure how good they are in comparison to interval and sprint sessions. My knees are beginning to suffer a bit- it's going to be hard but i am determined to cut the long runs down and take on a faster pace- watch this space!


until next time...

Bonita