Winter started early with the cold already encroaching by early May - that been said it doesn’t seem much colder when I write this in late July. Winter can be a time of reflection and looking back on the last 12 months I find they were certainly very interesting if not necessarily always for the best reasons. A time of changes for myself perhaps? - or just small blips in ongoing continuity. That I’m not sure of but interest is something that adds or makes life what it is. With a mixture of excitement and trepidation I’m planning to head back for another short stint up on the Tibetan Plateau in China - once again out in that vastness I have so much enjoyed in the past. Last years trip seemed like I was just dipping my feet once again in the rivers of adventure after those years of enforced lassitude and the plans for this year were initially much more ambitious. Unable to find any partner for the mountaineering sections of the trip it looks once again it will be more of a reconnaissance mission then anything else although as usual I hope maybe to climb off the bike on occasion and trek up hill on foot. My main hesitancy there has been glacier travel and crevasse risks with solo travel but maybe if I keep ambitions down to slightly lower peaks I can avoid much of this.

Despite the early winter its been dry and a dearth of snow locally but fortunately have still got out fairly regularly with friends having a good time the only real handicap has been the short daylight hours. Knowing I’ll be going flat out as usual in China for several weeks also means local trips are more just “training” then missions themselves which makes them paradoxically, rather easier both mentally and physically.

Going out with friends always fun times , with Jake above in the Raglan ranges and Carl below on Iron Hill.

An interesting year and some interesting metrological and celestial phenomena - above Tom under an ice halo which is a rainbow formed from ice crystals and white in hue and below we were treated in Motueka where I live to the Aurora Australis due to powerful sun storms and for several night hours the sky turned into a magnificent heavenly spectacle.

That eerie sound as Carl skips a stone on an icy mountain lake

Anticipation and trepidation