"I don't really have any projects". Upsetting answer to give to your enthusiastic sponsor ... even tougher to live with as athlete & mountain guide. 

So I got silent. I tried to withdraw from the usual chit chat - "fom" taking a new meaning as frustration of missing out - , avoided drinks with friends & clients altogether - ordering syrup instead of beer or wine being a fairly straight give-away!  
Why such taboo? It never made much sense to me, but I felt the pressure anyway. Let's see :
"That's private" ... what about pics of newborns? injuries? they don't shock anyone, do they?
"Pregnant women don't have to take it easy" That made a title in the Washington post (!!!), so what I am even talking about? 
"If you feel that way, maybe you should'nt have a baby" - or maybe I'm just being honest?

Or simply, "she should'nt tell anyone so early".  In case things go wrong, of course. Well I thought I would experiment and see if that made sense for me. Hope for doctors's empathy to replace the understanding you'd get from your friends? Good luck with that. Know what to expect? Hardly any chance. Get back to normal as if it didn't happen? I wished. I really do .... Bottom line, when it hurt most is when I most felt the need to talk. 

So I'm back. Sadly, back to the starting gate and not any stronger for it. But more importantly, I'm back talking, chatting, sharing and when or if I'm pregnant again, I won't shut myself off - not just because I'm expected too.

#untold #accesstheinaccessible #mountainhardwear

If you have tried and enjoyed rock climbing, you might be up for the next adventure : climbing on waterfall ice! With ropes set up by your mountain guide to keep you safe, you will be able to experiment freely with your new tools : crampons and ice axes.
Now is the time to learn a new meaning to "swing" (no dancing here), to "ice" (this one will look quite different from the cubes in your favourite drink!), and to "winter" (forget about sunbathing on a restaurant's front : this is the real thing!)
The ice climbing season is on until end Feb / early March, contact me soon to have a go at it... you might get as hooked as your ice axe!

Snow, sunshine, rain, windgusts ... we've had it all in these past two weeks! Making the most of these difficult weather and snow conditions, we ended up having a great time with a full range of activities : from multi-pitch rock climbing to progressing through mixed alpine terrain, from learning to fall while climbing and properly belay another climber's fall to getting comfortable descending a steep snow couloir. The Pontese hut in the Grand Paradis area was a highlight, with its heart-warming atmosphere, hut keepers and great food. And the key to a great mountaineering camp : enthousiastic and fun clients - thanks Sabine, Virginie, Anna, Dominique, Jean-Luc, Marc, Gaetan!