From the Mountain scene( local rag)

Alpine rescue

we have been on the Alpine rescue for a while and at 5 am on Sunday morning had our first call out

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2608088/Two-survive-icy-night-on-the-Remarkables

http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/queenstown/66007/climbers-plucked-remarkables

two guys got caught out by the dark and spent a very cold night on the cliff..It snowed and was gusty wind. They were very cold and wisely called for help when they realised they were too cold to be able to get out safely on their own. All well now, amazingly.

Aaron was one of the team that flew around in the dark looking for them with night vision, and later went over the cliff with warm drinks and Jackets. I did hauling and rope stuff.

Tony's photos of Equinox

Sally on the top of Crux pitch Equinox. Half on rock half on Ice with a big old burn from the Bridging


Aaron leading the crux pitch. For a rock pitch heaps of ice was coming down off the little ledges and cracks!


A nice couple shot for the family back on the Queens drive!

Mixed climbing:Saturday Morning Special/ Equinox telecom tower, Remarks

Saturday Morning Special was the first climb of the season, 3 friends climbing, One pitch to lead each. A really positive and fun start to the season.
Equinox so named as it was the shortest day! My zone from the week before abandoned me and I just followed the boys on top rope. Quite scary and with changing between using your hands and the ice axe all the time it was a bit of a logistical nightmare..But I learnt alot and will be better organised next time I wear a pack and full rack and tools!

Saturday Morning Special M3 or 4, 170m Tony Burnell, Aaron Ford and Sally Ford 06/09
Gully at left end of Telecom tower( 100m left of MC gully)
Snow gully with Mixed steps. 3 pitches
Easy access and descent to shadow basin chairlift, makes this a great introduction to remarks mixed climbing.

Aaron heading off on Pitch 1


Tony just above the first step pitch 2


Glad to be on top Aaron celebrating as he see's it's the last belay


Our happy team

Equinox M5+, 165m , Tony Burnell, Aaron ford, Sally Ford. 06/09
Goes up the obvious and Awesome rock corner right of the Notch route between T Tower and double cone.

7 Mile race

I went in a race fundaising for the local Bike club. We had a girls team with anna Spanna, gina, Lynette. and I doing a 7.6 km loop I tried really hard to get under 30 mins but only got 30.45...Bother!
It was a really fun day. our team was last or $ th women's which sounds a bit better.
At the finish line you could do a long loop or ride the log but if you fell off the log you had to go back and try again
Lynette, was excellent and determined


lynette and Gina tagging in


lynette and Sara her support team/daughter

Aaron millsy and me Biking at Wynyard, Q town

dielel likes to bike too.
The boys in all their armour loading up the car


Aaron doing a wee jump

Aaron millsy and me Biking at Wynyard, Q town

Sally's Birthday

My main man made sure everyone behaved


Th B day Girl


The disturbing Mr mills


The Farmer came..Nick


lara in the mo's we gave to non dresser uppers

My birthday

Fancy dress bouldering followed by a BBQ at home

Coastal Catlins

Curio bay
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Petrified forest

Yellow eyed penguins

Kelp


Nugget point checking out Sealions and birds


Sunny day at Waipapa point..not

Competitions

On the 7th was the Queenstown boulder comp. I went along half to compete half to socialise. ian and amelie came alomg too and Amalie and I had our photo in the local paper


On the 14th was the Motutapu marathon. I had a really sore hip for a week before but since I had put months into it I decided to try anyway. we ran from motutapu station near glendhu bay out of wanaka over the hills to Arrowtown. It hurt really bad but I made it in less than 5 hours so did OK considering.


we had alot of river crossings in the last 2 km...I don't understand why I don't look in Pain!


Aaron had riden his bike up the river to meet me so I managed to run the last bit with his encouragement

Zoo Visit

We went to the Zoo with Vinnie and family saw hippos, elephants, chickens, tigers, girraffes and lots of cool trees.

Vinnie checking out the tigers

The family


Aunty Sally having a wee carry of her darling near the lions

Family Gathering

John, Steph and vinnie Were over from the UK so I went up to Auckland to see the Family.
It was great to see them all we had a big Family dinner and the 'Kids" went out after.

Richard and john enjoying a little brotherly love after a lot of wine

I got to feed, bath, read to little Vinnie the cutest kid on Earth. It was awesome getting to know him now his personality is coming out.

Dad's boys Vinnie and Jake keeping an eye on the action in the garden

The farm animals Belinda gave him were a big hit. he likes the pig alot

Vinnie could point to all the peple if you say their name...pretty cool!

Judas Goats, Remarkables

Aaron and I went climbing in the Remarkables.
this is a cool route called Judas Goats. There is a really scary traverse pitch but the rest is pretty straight forward.


Me leading
I got a sudden tummy bug past the point of no return and had several hours vomiting up there, but Aaron took care of me and guided me down.

Dry retching

Dunedin and the Davies

I popped over to Dunedin for work and spent time with my old( since birth) friend Susan and her lovely family.


Eric, Megan and Mattie

my native garden

Bidi bidi


Hebe


Corokia


Manuka


Native broom- this is up Wye Creek not my garden, but so cool I put it in anyway. I have 2 seeds, I'm trying to nurture so maybe next year.

Oma's 80th

Aaron's Oma ( grandmother) nilche turned 80 and had a lovely lunch at McHughes of cheltenham to celebrate.
The whole family came.

the birthday girl with aaron's immediate family


Oma and the Tante's( her sister in laws), her 5 kids, their kids, and even 2 great grandchildren (Holly and Patrick)
The baby is actually Aaron's cousin.
Check out holly and my matching outfits! Oops

christmas

Dec 11 Vinnie turned 1 and had a jungle party. Wish we could have been there..He is soooo cute.


Bradley and I did heaps of cooking for christmas gifts and for once it came out good. Chocolate coated meranges, truffles and gingerbread shapes. A little testing was required of course


Stu came and visited us up in Auckland


Also up in Auckland we had a lovely family christmas. Mum made an amazing meal complete with turkey.Wer were spoilt rotten, and it was good

Our spare time

Boldering with the boys.
Rupert has gone now First Patagonia and then Canada for a year


Despite her moving to Wanaka we have been spending a bit of time with Amber.She has been learning to climb and this was her first lead climb!


We have been Riding our bikes still and are getting better
Sally on El dorado drop. 7 Mile queenstown


Aaron at the Hub 7 mile queestown


We have been up South wye climbing more new routes.
There was a bad start to the season with one lad taking a big fall and getting choppered out but luckily nothing was broken and he was up and about and we soon got back on the horse.
Aaron on the first ascent of crack heads(3 pitches).