It was inevitable but I’ve hit another bump in the road in this #40by40 quest to climb 40 volcanoes by the age of 40, and failing to climb Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Taranaki during my recent trip to New Zealand has really been playing on my mind. In my last blog on extreme planning and … Continue reading Is that the impending sense of failure?
#40by40
Planning isn’t everything
Yip, I admit it, I’m a control freak. I love planning and I love making to-do lists. And the recent month-long trip to New Zealand was no exception – I had a detailed calendar of our movements, a spreadsheet, and an A4-page to-do list to make sure all logistics and bookings were sorted. It worked … Continue reading Planning isn’t everything
Volcano number 7: The successful New Zealand volcano
Finally, a day of sunshine! I almost couldn’t believe it – I had to pinch myself to make sure – but there it was, crisp blue sky and a white-gold orb coating my immediate world in warm rays of sunshine. No rain to be seen; not even a cloud. It was rejoice-worthy. The majestic-ness of … Continue reading Volcano number 7: The successful New Zealand volcano
Another epic weather fail
The rain on the tent sounded like an army chucking thousands of buckets of water over it. It had sounded like that all night; a constant drumming as the torrential rain pelted the tree above us, which jettisoned the water directly onto our tent. To say it was wet was an understatement. We’d completed the … Continue reading Another epic weather fail
When the weather scuppers your volcano-climbing plans
“Are there any questions? Does anyone have other plans for tomorrow?” the hut warden Sally asked the motley group of trampers as we huddled in the Mangatepopo hut on the skirts of the Tongariro National Park in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island. Outside the wind was buffeting against the hut’s wooden walls, whipping … Continue reading When the weather scuppers your volcano-climbing plans
Here’s the plan for the trip to New Zealand
So, the next lot of volcanoes in my #40by40 quest have now been lined up as I head off back home to New Zealand for a month in a little over two weeks’ time. Woohoo can’t wait! The original plan had been to fit in five volcanoes but trying to also fit in a friend’s … Continue reading Here’s the plan for the trip to New Zealand
Why having patience when achieving your goals is important
Last week I blogged about my goals for 2017 – 15 things I essentially needed to do (or not do, in the case of watching TV) this year to upskill, up my personal development and help progress my #40by40 quest. There were a couple of things I didn’t include on the list, such as investigate … Continue reading Why having patience when achieving your goals is important
These were my highlights from 2016
In my last blog, I listed all the mishaps, lows and hilarious misadventures I had experienced in 2016. Now I turn to the highlights and good times. At this time of year, with a spangly new year full of promise on the horizon, it’s good to remember the positives and to be grateful for the … Continue reading These were my highlights from 2016
Volcano number 6: The first high altitude volcano
From a distance, Mt Etna – Europe’s highest and most active volcano – seemed mysterious. She sat surprisingly quietly in the background as people wandered the streets of Sicily’s port city Catania, just the occasional wisps of steam floated above her. Up closer, her smoking was more pronounced and the landscape changed from lush greenery … Continue reading Volcano number 6: The first high altitude volcano
Volcano number 4 and 5: The opposite volcanoes
It was only about 11:30am and it was stinking hot. The yellow sun pierced through the clear blue sky and scorched both me and the earth as beads of sweat started to gather on my brow. For what looked like a relatively easy 390m high volcano to climb, Gran Cratere on the Aeolian Island Vulcano … Continue reading Volcano number 4 and 5: The opposite volcanoes