I have been lucky enough to have escaped the worst of the recent storms by taking up residence for a couple of weeks down in El Chorro to finish off the last of the topos and field work ready for the publication of the new guidebook before Christmas. Every day was perfect for climbing and not for the first time did the idea of spending longer periods away over the winters again occupy my thoughts. My stay at Finca Los Llanos was once again both relaxing and entertaining, not least because of the number of good eating and drinking places in Alora just down the road. Access to a number of crags in and around the Gorge has now eased and crags such as Poza de la Mona at Desplomilandia are now climbed on throughout the year without problems. My climbing was restricted to route checking and looking back on the ‘tick list’ I seemed to have climbed an unusually high number of 6c+’s, a grade I would normally shy away from as from experience they often prove to be either desperate, troublesome or painful (this is possibly why I have had so many to check!) I also could do with some help proofing the Valle de Abdalajis section from anyone who has climbed there in recent times. So with snow forecast for Easter it looks like it might be back to the wall once more! But then again the Met office has been known to get it wrong once or twice in the past!!