There was never any doubt 2014 was going to be a good one. The run up to the start of it was a jammed packed grit season which was the best and most enjoyable I have experienced. The weather wasn’t even that great, it never really got cold but the psyche was incredibly high and I spent every free moment driving around the Peak in search of anything that was dry. The icing on the cake was achieving a life long goal of mine by climbing the beautiful gritstone line, Gaia at Black Rocks. So I went into 2014 very psyched and it didn’t disappoint, here are my best bits (mainly in photos) …

Oliana, Spain

In February I headed out to Oliana in Spain with another goal in my mind, to climb 8b+. I wasn’t really sure if this was going to happen but I thought it would be fun to try anyway. Much to my surprise I managed to climb ‘China Crisis’, a beautiful grey streak up a 35m limestone wall. I was out with a great group of people who made the experience all the more rewarding and fun.

Always happy to be pulling on pockets!! Photo: Nathan Lee

Looking down at the little village of Perles

Whistler, Canada

I work for Arc’teryx on the European marketing team and I am lucky enough to attend two sales meetings a year in Canada. This year was extra special as it was Arc’teryx’s 25^th birthday (as it was mine!) so they held the sales meeting in Whistler! As if it couldn’t get any better, the ski season was extended by a week and so we booked our flights either side of the weekends and squeezed in 3 or 4 days on the slopes. This was topped off by the fact that the hotel made me gluten free pancakes for breakfast and they had a hot tub!!!

Sean at the top of Blackcomb

Trying to get to grips with skis

The delights of staying at the Four Seasons Hotel!

Psyched Tim!

Pabbay, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

This was one of my favourite trips. The trad climbing is insanely good, perfect 100m gneiss sea cliffs with bomber gear, in totally wild positions. What made it one of the best though, were the people I shared this experience with. Some I knew well and some I didn’t. There were 18 of us on a remote island for a week, it could have gone either way really! Luckily though it was hilarious, even the miserable, misty rainy days were made sunny by the games and banter of everyone people squished into a 10 man stronghold tent, which gradually turned into a smelly compost heap from so many people cooking in it.

The wonderfully social stronghold tent

Frisbee on Mingulay beach. Photo: Nathan Lee

Climbing on Pabbay with The Great Arch in the background

Mr Puffin

Tired looking team selfie on Mingulay

Chamonix, France

Another part of my job is to help organise the Arc’teryx Alpine Acadmey in Chamonix, so I headed out to France a day after arriving back from Pabbay. I have never been before and driving into the valley and looking up at the mountains totally blew my mind. Most of my week was spent working with little sleep and long days down on the valley floor, but luckily Jo was heading out for a week of climbing after I had finished work.

Basically neither of us knew what we were doing on snow! It was a week full of mishaps, confusion and hilarity but we figured it out together, which made it a very special and memorable trip.

Beautiful view from Chamonix valley floor

Sussing out the snow ridge from the top of the midi

Jo and I watching the sunset/mainly laughing under the midi. Photo: Stefan Heiligensetzer

Psyched to top out Voie Rebuffat. Photo: Stefan Heiligensetzer

Descending the Cosmiques Ridge. Photo: Stefan Heiligensetzer

So happy. Photo: Stefan Heiligensetzer

The Diamond, North Wales

I try to visit the Diamond every year, as I think it is one of the best climbing areas we have; it is also a bit more adventurous due to the tides and Via ferrata approach.

Ryan and I headed down for 5 days. On day 1 we found a gluten free fish and chip shop in Llandudno and that was it for the next 4 days. I ticked nothing on a diet of deep fried potato’s but Ryan was back to his Lancashire roots with a chippy tea diet and managed to smash in Diamond Dogs (8c+), which was awesome to watch. So, what better way to celebrate than with another round of fish and chips!

The beautiful wall of The Diamond

This was actually a chip butty ‘pudding’ after already eating a chippy tea!

Sunset over LPT

Mecca – The Mid Life Crisis, Raven Tor

Oh Mecca! What a fight it was, I spent alot of time down the Tor battling away with Mina, as she was trying the extension. You can read about our Raven Tor woes here. I am not sure this was my favourite couple of months but I am proud I managed to push through the ups and downs and get it done.