A great birthday ...

With this gift I am starting to plan my climbing trip to Chamonix for my 65th birthday next year. Just like my first trip 40 years ago, next year I will be looking at the classics. I think the days of dreaming about long, hard, committing, and solo routes will have to wait until the next life. So, I am not looking at the supercouloir, route choice will be more like the Rochefort Ridge which I first did with El Presidente.

Lucy got me a selection of climbing magazines to fuel the fire, and wrote a very thoughtful card about our recent trip to the Sierras. Jon and Amanda gave me a classic book by Doug Scott, I got a pair of running shorts, as well as Patagucci stand-up shorts from our pets. Finally, the surprise of the evening, were two West Wing (I am such a fanatic) photographs inscribed by Martin Sheen ... "What's Next."