Twenty-five and still alive

Twenty five is by no means old, and I'd like to think not even at my prime. However, this is an age that has made me think about the last five years; what have I achieved? Where am I heading? What do I hope to accomplish in the next five years? This all sounds very much like a boring new years' resolution blog, but I hope it's much more than that. I hope it's the start of my next phase of adventure, a time when I have come to truly realise that if you want to achieve great things, there is only one person you have to turn to in order to get the ball rolling - yourself.

Don't get me wrong, the last five years have been awesome. I have been with Millie for nearly the same amount of time - which has been incredible - and I'm now employed doing something I have done as a hobby for the last ten years. So I couldn't be a pilot due to colourblindness, but in 2010 when I returned from my 8-month trip, I came to the point where I had to decide what I wanted to do. Video Production seemed like the logical thing to get into given my background with filming skateboarding for the last six years, and the dream of 'starting a video production company was born.

I don't think back then I had any idea about some of the things I would have to do in order to eventually be filming for a living. It was certainly a lot more hard work than simply buying a decent camera... and luck was definitely a big part of it too, but here I am, and I am very thankful for that.

Where is this all going?

Basically, for the last five years, I've done a lot of great things, but I don't think I've done enough of the one thing that gets harder and harder to achieve as you move on through life (unless you take the right steps to make it happen) - adventure.

I've kept up my passion of reading mountaineering books and fantasising about the great routes to the point where sometimes it feels like I have climbed them myself and over the last few months I've had a real hunger to go and do something similar to what I've always been reading about - train for an expedition or climb, go out and do it and come back with a story to tell.

Some of the things I read are and always will be out of my reach, such as the North Face of The Eiger; ridiculously dangerous and exposed. There are some routes however that seem much more achievable through a respectable amount of hard work and dedication.

In order to kick-start this dream, I will further build my climbing skills throughout this summer - in fact, I am going to North Wales again in a couple of weeks - and develop my snow and ice skills come winter, and then my first big adventure will be to try and summit the highest peak in the Alps - Mont Blanc.

This is a peak that is very accessible to a reasonably fit individual, and through a guided accent is a very good way to learn more about high altitude mountaineering and dealing with real snow and ice based situations - not to mention the incredible view from the top.

On our 'family holiday' in Switzerland last month, we ventured out to Chamonix and took the mountain lift up to the Aiguille Du Midi - a peak that neighbours Mont Blanc. This was a good chance to see the route close up and experience the high altitude environment. It was really quite amazing and I can't wait to be on the other side of the viewing platform ice-axe in hand.

My next post will most likely be after Wales, where we will attempt Tryfan once again and a first for me - Crib Goch and possibly the Snowdon Horseshoe.

Fittingly, I'll close this post with a photograph Millie and I in front of Mont Blanc itself, as I lose all dignity in the favour of the practicality that comes with a selfie-stick.