Gruts

Toasting conspicuously absent friends

It's Christmas Eve. That must mean I went up Moel Famau again, right?

Well, yes. But I very nearly didn't make it this year. I made the mistake of going for a practice walk with Irish Mick and his mate Geoff the day before (photos here). It was a great walk, but it reignited an old Achilles' tendon injury which I had been under the mistaken impression was finally healed (no pun intended). As a result, today's ascent wasn't so much a walk as a hobble. In the pouring rain. On my own.

But I had to do it because this year was the big two-oh: twenty consecutive Christmas Eve ascents of Moel Famau.

As I've said before, it's the closest thing I have to regular exercise.