We had an amazing weekend of surfing. I obviously had to exit the vessel and swim ashore a few times but generally I had a blast and learnt a few new tricks to boot
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
A weekend of note
The Martlet Kayak Club has been a corner stone of my sporting activities for 2 decades and I love to go out in my Kayak. One of my many pleasures while at home is to join members of the club for a summer evening paddle, followed by a beer in the pub or to join them on one of the many trips that they run throughout the year. This one was a weekend for me not to miss. A weekend of surf Kayaking in North Devon and the chance to get some top tips and coaching from some of Britain’s hottest talents in this arena.
We had an amazing weekend of surfing. I obviously had to exit the vessel and swim ashore a few times but generally I had a blast and learnt a few new tricks to boot
We had an amazing weekend of surfing. I obviously had to exit the vessel and swim ashore a few times but generally I had a blast and learnt a few new tricks to boot
My current status in the Sussex Men’s Fitness League
For those who are not aware of what this is. It is a fictional league of real people, peers and friends that live locally to me. The ranking of which is usually decided upon by me, relating directly to how fit I feel and what crazy event of human endurance that they are managing at the time.
I recently managed to out-run a girl guide with a runny nose while the upper levels of the group, ‘premier league’ as I will call them, are increasing in strength and endurance, which honestly is not quite human. You will not catch me making football references often but consider me in the Championship league. If I manage to get promoted by some fluke of a good year into the Premiership. I just don’t have the legs to stay there for long and so I get relegated back almost immediately.
UTMB
There is an event called the North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc www.ultratrailmb.com This is a 100 mile race in the French Alps. A year or so ago I was in France to support a group of super human friends that were involved in something at the same time that made this event look like a fun run. However. I stood at the finish line watching the competitors finish the gruelling race and was somehow very inspired. Foolishly, and out loud I said that I would do it one day. This lead to me signing up to an 80 km run in France the following spring which I completed and even enjoyed. Currently though my status since this hiatus of fitness has come tumbling back to normal levels of human endurance.
I recently managed to out-run a girl guide with a runny nose while the upper levels of the group, ‘premier league’ as I will call them, are increasing in strength and endurance, which honestly is not quite human. You will not catch me making football references often but consider me in the Championship league. If I manage to get promoted by some fluke of a good year into the Premiership. I just don’t have the legs to stay there for long and so I get relegated back almost immediately.
UTMB
There is an event called the North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc www.ultratrailmb.com This is a 100 mile race in the French Alps. A year or so ago I was in France to support a group of super human friends that were involved in something at the same time that made this event look like a fun run. However. I stood at the finish line watching the competitors finish the gruelling race and was somehow very inspired. Foolishly, and out loud I said that I would do it one day. This lead to me signing up to an 80 km run in France the following spring which I completed and even enjoyed. Currently though my status since this hiatus of fitness has come tumbling back to normal levels of human endurance.
A whole summer at home
What a wonderful privilege! It is difficult to write about it all as there is so much. The family have been busy, outings, camping, walks, swimming, kayaking, running, friends and just staying home. It has been brilliant. I will endeavour to write about some highlights.
An Idea for a ‘Boy Adventure’ is hatched
‘Boy Adventure’ coined by my wife, is a period of a few days, up to a week, while I am home from work. It is a time to let off steam with one or more of my friends. These nearly always involve a ridiculous exertion of energy.
Like all such journeys they start with a small idea. This idea becomes shared and either embraced or dropped. This one was expected to be dropped but was instead, fully embraced by my friend David. Hooray for him because this was to be a grand adventure..
The location of the trip was decided upon easily. Chamonix, France, and in particular the Tour Du Mont Blanc in the Alps. A 108 mile circuit around the perimeter valleys of the Mont Blanc Massif, climbing and descending several mountain passes adding up to a staggering 11000 meters of ascent!
Like all such journeys they start with a small idea. This idea becomes shared and either embraced or dropped. This one was expected to be dropped but was instead, fully embraced by my friend David. Hooray for him because this was to be a grand adventure..
The location of the trip was decided upon easily. Chamonix, France, and in particular the Tour Du Mont Blanc in the Alps. A 108 mile circuit around the perimeter valleys of the Mont Blanc Massif, climbing and descending several mountain passes adding up to a staggering 11000 meters of ascent!
To Brittany
After the Alps we engaged the help of Tom Tom to help us find our way all the way to a small campsite in Brittany. Begrudgingly I will admit that on this occasion he did a good job but I am watching him because I still don’t trust him..Once in Brittany we found good friends and again very reminiscent to family holidays when I was young and wonderful to come here with my family.. We loved it. We stayed in a static caravan, enjoyed walking to the beach, drinking cheap French wine, eating and relaxing in the evenings with friends. Some combinations are hard to beat. It is also handy to have a professional photographer on hand as well. Photo credits to Melissa Love.
Should you really trust a Tom Tom?
Leaving the south of France we drove up to the Alps using some questionable advice from a sat nav device. Tom Tom sent us to our destination via Italy and the Mont Blanc tunnel to St Gervais. This to me seemed like a very long way around. I remain annoyingly untrusting of the Sat Nav while my good wife is however, fully trusting of it. Our small child is undecided on his viewpoint but I think he sides with his dad on this one!
We rented a small apartment and spent a week, relaxing, enjoying the cool fresh mountain air.
Ever since my parents brought us here on a family holiday the mountains of the French Alps have drawn me back to them often. It was brilliant to be in the Alps with my small and although there were times that I looked longingly up to the high mountains and despite the rain, we enjoyed it. As usual in the Alps I was inspired to return again.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Summer starts with classic Alfresco
At the beginning of the summer I thought that I might write every week which has clearly not been possible. Today I am making an effort to catch up with events so far because there is an imminent 'boy adventure' This needs to be documented properly but there is no way it can just jump in without a mention of the brilliant events of the summer so far.
Work ended for this rotation during mid July and the hectic pace of work was replaced with family life. This was the first time that I had left work by car and I was looking forward to it, as the small Packham family left Marseille early on the 14th July, to start our meander home through France. Our first stop was with friends in Fayance, in the mountains just north of the coast at Nice. This allowed some wonderful alfresco eating and some drinking of wine cooled by the trickling town fountain.
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Daren starts again. July 2011
As you may or may not be aware, the internet police don't like me talking about work and so I have been good and not talked about anything! Lifes grand adventure has however been at a full gallop.
At work I have once again crossed the atlantic. This was my 6th Atlantic crossing and the 2nd as captain. Since I last wrote here the adventure has been a grand one. There has been a few noteable incidents enough to raise the heart rate and for me to lose yet more hair or turn what I have more gray. As always the rough comes with the smooth and some wonderful and beutiful moments have been fully enjoyed, seen, experienced and cherished.
The big Wilbury news is the growing up of our beautiful boy child who will soon be 8 months old! This is indeed an adventure. Work has bought the ship to a firm stop in a shipyard in the south of France this summer, so the boy child has brought his lovely mother with him to the sunny French coast and they are here with me. This is brilliant!
Something new for me is to get up early and leave my family in the morning while I go off to work. This is difficult! How does everyone do that? As of next week our family adventure begins in full force. I get to leave work and spend three whole months with them starting with a two week meander through France.
When I set out to write my blog, my plan was to be anacdotal and to tell small stories about things that make me laugh or things that amaze me. I don't want to write about feelings or bore you with endless pictures of my beautiful family. I am setting out again to write once a week and I will try to make it as entertaining as possible.
At work I have once again crossed the atlantic. This was my 6th Atlantic crossing and the 2nd as captain. Since I last wrote here the adventure has been a grand one. There has been a few noteable incidents enough to raise the heart rate and for me to lose yet more hair or turn what I have more gray. As always the rough comes with the smooth and some wonderful and beutiful moments have been fully enjoyed, seen, experienced and cherished.
The big Wilbury news is the growing up of our beautiful boy child who will soon be 8 months old! This is indeed an adventure. Work has bought the ship to a firm stop in a shipyard in the south of France this summer, so the boy child has brought his lovely mother with him to the sunny French coast and they are here with me. This is brilliant!
Something new for me is to get up early and leave my family in the morning while I go off to work. This is difficult! How does everyone do that? As of next week our family adventure begins in full force. I get to leave work and spend three whole months with them starting with a two week meander through France.
When I set out to write my blog, my plan was to be anacdotal and to tell small stories about things that make me laugh or things that amaze me. I don't want to write about feelings or bore you with endless pictures of my beautiful family. I am setting out again to write once a week and I will try to make it as entertaining as possible.
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