The Secret Diary of a Hard Working Paramo outfit.

It's six in the morning and we've just left Langdale. It's quite cool but we're hoping it's a bit colder further north, the first winter climb of the season is beckoning, Woody is collected from Ambleside and the trip north becomes an early morning blur. 10 o'clock and we step out of the car into winter; this is what all the training has been for.

For the first route of the season quite a hard line has been chosen, Steve seems quite distant on the walk in, concentrating on the climb ahead. The first few moves are shared with an established classic that Steve and Woody have done before. We find this quite hard not a good start. Breaking across onto the harder climbing Steve starts to concentrate a bit more and soon we are on the belay. Woody joins us shortly and we head back to the car with thoughts of tomorrows route. Another classic hard route is climbed before we head back to the Lakes. The winter season has started.

Spells of winter climbing seem few and far between in the run up to Christmas and I end up going to work with Steve, the autumn is wet which keeps me busy. Occasionally we go and climb the odd rock route in the rain to keep us in tune for the winter.

Christmas brings a bit of snow to the Lakes and we get out for a few routes, we're in a bit of a car crash on Christmas day and the fire brigade have to rescue me from the written off car. I'm tested for any damage with an ascent of Bowfell buttress on Boxing Day all seems fine.

I think I've proved myself and I am hoping Steve will take me to the Alps on a trip he has planned. Unfortunately this falls through, things are not looking good.

Finally Scotland looks like it's coming into condition and we are back in action. A weekend of soloing on the Ben seems to get Steve fired up again, the forecast looks good.

Three weeks of climbing are on the cards, Scotland is in good condition and we go there instead of the Alps. 5 routes are done on the first day in Glen Coe. In the evening Woody arrives. With the team back in place we head up to the Ben the next day to do a classic hard route, it is a brilliant climb with a fantastic main pitch well worth waiting for, Steve has wanted to do it for a while. A shorter day in a white out follows on Aonach Mor. The following day when Woody heads home we go back to the Ben and solo a couple of big classics.

For a change of scene the next day we climb in the Northern Corries in appalling weather conditions, Steve's Dad and Sister come along.

Glen Moore lodge is full of climbers from all around the world, its' the BMC international meet and we're there to show them what Scotland is all about. The Shelter Stone seems like a good introduction to Scotland in winter so we head there and do a rare repeat of a hard classic. We now have a new Slovenian friend and he is keen to head to the Ben the following day.

After an early start blue sky welcomes us at the CIC hut. We climb one of the longest classics in Scotland and although it's a bit thin, its in perfect condition. Finishing early we head off and solo another hard classic ice line. We get back to the East in time for Tea, unfortunately not everyone else does and the next two days are spent looking for lost climbers on the Cairngorm Plateau. They turn up safe and well after spending 2 nights out. 2 days have been lost and our new friend has to return to Slovenia. Back on the Ben the next day we take two Israelis, who had not seen snow before the start of the week up a route that many climbers dream of doing in a lifetime, they have a great day.

In the back of Steves' mind is a niggling thought that the Lakes might be in condition and the prospect of some new routes drags us home. On home turf we climb a new route that is harder than anything we have ever done, the line is quite intimidating, the climbing is both steep and technical we take one fall before finally pulling out over the top, our new route is one of the hardest in the country. After a rest day we're back out on the hill this time it's a new route on Scafell. 10 pitches of hard new climbing later and another project is ticked off the list. Work and warmer weather are looming ever closer and after a day soloing some Lakes classics a thaw sets in, this looks like the end for another year.

Occasionally we work together, only when its raining and the other week Steve took us Sea Kayaking up in Scotland but I think he's got secret plans for us next year and doesn't want to wear us out too much during the summer.

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