On Friday Alec and I headed off to Beinn Dearg for another winter climb. Despite (or maybe because of) weeks of cold weather, the top ice section of Emerald Gully (the best looking and most famous climb) wasn't formed, but we had a great day out on one of the few routes that Alec hadn't done before - Archway. Very atmospheric rock architecture, thin (therefore hard) conditions, and great weather made for a memorable expedition, probably Grade IV on the day.

Here Alec has time to savour the final pitch of the climb. Note the belay anchor, two titanium ice screws in a thick patch of solid ice. This is often the only method of attaching oneself to the mountain when heavy snow and ice accumulations mean that rock outcrops are buried. Unusually for the Keith-Matthewson team we reached the top with plenty of daylight left for a leisurely amble back down to the car at Inverlael. My only worries now were how to placate Lesley, as I had abandoned her for another man on the day of our 10th wedding anniversary!

Whenever we come back to Scotland for a holiday, it's always very hard to fit everything and everyone in, especially as friends are dotted around the UK. What's more, it's even harder finding time to chat with the children around. Beth and I decided to have a few days away and booked in to the Creiff Hydro Hotel, in Perthshire. Ali and I went there in 2003, just before Edie came along, taking advantage of a 'winter special'.

It certainly was special, this time too. We made use of everything offered in the package - swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, gym,buffet breakfast, posh dining room and brasserie. We also had a long walk around the grounds and up a nearby hill. Unfortunately I had to wear flip-flops because I had a painful blister on my little toe. Coming from Yunnan, where most of the rural population wears flip-flops, it didn't seem that odd though my feet were VERY cold.

Beth and I met in Aberdeen in about 1995, when we both being interviewed for part-time lecturing posts at Aberdeen College and both got a job. I taught there for a year before starting my PhD. Beth stayed on and is now working as a lecturer in Angus College in Arbroath, where she is responsible for a great number of courses. Our paths have diverged but we are both firmly rooted in education and it was great to have a chance to share stories.

Beth and her husband, Steve, have three sons and there's never a dull moment. Last summer they treated us to a day out at the Landmark adventure park near Aviemore. This year the treat was getting away, just the two of us, to catch up on the last five years of our lives.

My mini-break in Perthshire began with a visit to some great old friends in Perthh - Laura (above), Rob and their children Emily and Finlay. Laura was studying medicine at Aberdeen University when I was doing my Phd so we've known each other for a few years now though sometimes struggle to find opportunities to meet up. When we came back to Scotland in 2007 they very kindly lent us their van, a Ford Freda coincidentally, with which we travelled round the north of Scotland. Laura and Rob also love the outdoors and take part in a number of sporting events. Rob's currently training for a 70-mile closed road cycle race in May. Good luck Rob!

Imagine how surprised I was to find that Scotland is leading the way in  recognising the consumer needs of amputees. This shoe shop in Perth normally sells single shoes, advantageous for shoppers with one leg, or with a taste for mixing and matching styles. Fortunately there's a special February offer to allow two-legged and more conventional shoppers to pick up a bit of a bargain. Given that my right leg is an inch longer than my left, it might be a good opportunity to make up my own pair of trainers.

Freda: Lucy is me and Edie's pet horse. She is fourteen years old and is very naughty and cheeky. As you can see, her stable is very mucky and needs to get mucked out. It is a very dirty job and it is quite difficult to only get the muck and not the shavings.

Edie: Mucking out Lucy's stable was great fun and we collected two buckets of muck. Dad took it to the muck heap. We sprinkled some sawdust on the floor and then we put the buckets back where they came from.

Freda: This is Edie on Lucy. She is a very good rider and is very good at keeping her back straight. Leading Lucy is a very difficult job because she sometimes gets very impatient and you just can't control her. When she gets bored she tries to eat you alive but usuallly I manage to stop her.

Edie: Riding Lucy was great fun. I am at hole number 8 for the stirrups. Freda is at number 2.

Here we go again. Yet another pre-China sport returned to with the innocent optimism of someone who should really know better. Last Sunday I returned to the forests of Scotland for a spot of Orienteering. When I last donned lycra and floated swiftly and gracefully through the forests of Scotland I scraped into the M35 age class. These days I just make it into the M45s, which somehow seems considerably older. Anyway, nothing was going to stop me entering the hardest course, especially as Alec (my driver for the day) was gently insisting I do so. I checked in, payed my money, then read the notice: "For experts only. This is a very serious physical and technical challenge that should be attempted only by those with proven stamina and fitness." Mmm, this should be fun!

1 hour 55 minutes later I finished and can honestly say that I enjoyed the run. My longest ever time for a Brown course, but under 2 hours, and only one navigational mistake (soon corrected). On reflection, all I have to do next time is have the confidence to make harder (but quicker) route choices, and of course RUN FASTER!

In the old days (only 15 years ago, when I started) you punched a control card with a needle punch and if you were really sophisticated you captured your split times on a stopwatch. What fun we had at the end of the competition, huddled over maps and watches in the carpark comparing routes and times. These days orienteering has gone digital. Electronic chip punching means that everyone's splits are recorded automatically. Go home, log on to your computer, trace your route on the Routegadget map, and run animations comparing yourself with your mates, enemies or the guy who romped home in 71 minutes. Beware though, if your children are watching. I did this and was subjected to hilarity and ridicule: "Dad, you're rubbish! Why are you so SLOW?".

Click on the link below for a good laugh and all the gory details of the animation (needs Java; choose Brown from drop-down menu):
http://www.dearman.org.uk/Moravian/gadget/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=26&kieli

On the first morning at the yard I got up at 6:30, unable to sleep any longer due to the noise outside (barking dogs, shouting vendors, trains), not to mention the sun streaming through the thin curtains. I've got used to the daylight hours of Simao (pretty much a 12/12- hour divide between night and day, all year round) and have forgotten how to sleep when it's still light, like during Scottish summers. I made the most of my time by attempting my first batch of steamed bread -not the perfect round shape of ones on sale in the local shop, but edible and half the price. All drinking water has to be boiled, on a double gas burner that I also use for cooking. To be honest, it terrifies me. There's no 'simmer' function. It's designed for hot frying and I use looooong tapers to light the aggressive flame. It is, however, much easier than having to use solid fuel for the giant woks.

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Due to bad weather and lack of energy Ali and I aborted our mountaineering trip for a fun run up Fyrish, a nearby hill with a folly on top. We began in the wood with light rain and summited in the mist. Not much of a view of the Cromarty Firth today. The ground was wet, icy, snowy and rocky underfoot, making for an exciting descent down the steep East flank. Our run was made more exciting by trying out my 'headcam'. I bought it in the sumer but haven't felt like using it since Edie's bicycle accident. That was the camera's debut trip, which ended in blood and stitches. Fortunately there were no accidents today and we rounded the trip off with a coffee and scone in Tesco.

Lesley is looking ahead and exploring ways to use her China experiences in a meaningful and productive way in the future. This new web site is in it's early days but we hope it will lead to an exciting new era - "life after VSO" - eventually....

If you have time to look, please let us know what you think: www.lesleytidmarsh.weebly.com 

 A week ago I joined the PDSA. When I joined, I got a great membership pack. I got: Two magazines, two badges, three stickers, a membership card and a fridge magnet. The PDSA is a charity that helps sick and injured pets and also it help owners that do not have enough mony to pay really expensive vet fees.

I think donating clothes is a great way to support the PDSA. You can also suport the PDSA by donating old toys and raising money.  

Yesterday we donated three bags and three different items to the PDSA shop in Inverness. I'll get points added to my membership card for everything I donate. I can use these points to buy pens and stickers and things. In the future I plan to donate lots and lots more bags of stuff to the PDSA shops and we have more plastic bags to give to our friends to fill up.