Challenge Stu

At the end of March, there were still a few things on my "to do this season" list, so in the last few weeks of the season I've been busy ticking most of them off. We're now back in the UK, so it will soon be time to start a new list for the summer season. I'm really excited about the summer - we're going to be working for Alpine Quests, helping to run three chalets in Chatel, in the Portes du Soleil area. The area is probably the most famous mountain biking region in the Alps so I'm planning to do plenty of riding as well as running. We should have plenty of time off so I can hopefully get really fit and also do some racing. Team Accelerate-Scott are continuing to support me which is fantastic, I aim to pay back their generosity with some good results and publicity over the summer season! So, for now, here are a few photos of the last few "ticks"... 10th April: "Do a race" I ran the Defi la Olympe race, from Brides les Bains t

When we arrived in La Combe I was quickly inspired by the mountains around us and made lots of little plans in my head - I wanted to run up all the peaks around us, and then what about a "La Combe Skyline", or a long one up the valley from Moutiers, and lots more plans... The season started and the early lack of snow meant I did manage to get up quite a few of the nearby summits, but there were two that always evaded me, and after a few weeks, when snow did eventually arrive, they were unfortunately too dangerous to try. Since January I have been unable to look at these two mountains, Creve Tete and Pointe de Diallant, without wondering whether I would be able to get up them before we leave La Combe. I should point out that in summer neither is particularly challenging, yes they both involve about 1500m of ascent each and the summit ridges are a slightly precipitous, but we're not talking mountaineering and I'm sure they are regularly climbed in summer! In winter they