Feels like I've had a bit of a rock and roll lifestyle for the past few days, drinking to all hours every night, jumping on and off planes and meeting some very very attractive foreign ladies! Quite a contrast from last weekend when I spent 3 straight days at the Dark Lane climbing wall!

Stuff really started happeing thursday afternoon, got myself down to Margaret Loma's to do my much needed CRB and have some tea before Martin picked me up and we headed to Lathom. Arrived and met Chris and started packing stuff into numerous veichles, then down to Tawd to unload the stuff only to find somebody had pitched up in the middle of Chris's 'Danger Zone'. Dumped stuff closer to the training field then headed back to the masonic. Hitched a lift back to Tarleton with Ken getting home about 9.30pm and dropping into Yeti which was finishing up. Got in after that for a Portuguese shower and change of clothes before Jenny arrived around 10.30 then grabbed Bob and set off into Preston.

Met David and Katie in Revolution as well as several mates from High School I've not seen for a while. Phil an Lewis arrived shortly after us, drinking and dancing ensued. Me an Lewis then moved on to Yates to meet Liz an Laura and co, and take advantage of the cheaper drinks - £1 a pint! Eventually got evicted when the place shut and went to Loft, now I've not been to loft before but I don't think i'll be going back... £5 to get into a room the size of somebody's loft!!! Think it was about 4am when we got out, after numerous texts throughout the evening between me an Phil counting down the hours to Germany. Grabbed some garlic bread from a kebab house with everybody and then back in the car with Jenny and off home.

Up only a few hours later to frantically pack fro Germany. Stu an Bob arrived and we set off down to Ormskirk. Met the rest of the crew there and in the minibus to Manchester. Checked in fine, minor issue at security with my knee brace and into the terminal to start the weekend with a hearty meal in 'Giraffe' and a few beers. Then downstairs to drink some more at the bar with the purpose of getting free hats... The plane we had was only small being predominantly a business flight as Düsseldorf is in Germany's most industrialized state. So you can image how we fitted in perfectly! More free drinks on the plane courtesy of Lufthansa.

We landed and were greeted by one of our coasts then onto the 'party' bus for the drive to Erkrath and our accommodation in quite a posh boarding school. We found some crates of Becks in the entrance and gathered around them when one of the German organizer's arrived to highlight the European stereotype of the British that we do drink an awful lot... We got given our teams (I must stress this is a sporting weekend - we didn't just get pissed!) and back on the party bus to go bowling. After driving around the leafy suburbs of Erkrath we arrived at the place and started bowling which was good fun, there is also the small fact there was a free bar.

Back to the school to consume huge quantities of Beck's and mix with the foreigners. Many an hour later I headed upstairs, last to bed with Ricko. On the way we found Phil in a room with 5 of the younger girls... entered and talked for a while until we decided to remove Philip much to his disgust. Got abuse for half an hour or so from him while going to sleep claiming we'd ruined his chance for a foreign five-some!!!

Woke not feeling too bad, just extremely tired due to the lack of sleep on the previous too nights. Had breakfast and then off to go swimming at the local pool. Did countless races against the other teams in the pool, with me and Waldamar (who Lewis referred to as Voldemort) having to do double laps due to our team being a few people town... absolutely exhausted. Got some relaxation at the end jumping off the rather tall diving board and playing polo. Back to the school for lunch, with more Becks.

Off to Düsseldorf for afternoon to peruse some very expensive shops, on allegedally the most expensive street in Germany. More bouncers on the doors there then there is in Manchester on a Saturday night! Many many posh cars as well, went to look at a Bentley with Phil an Lewis and then crossed a road only to nearly get mowed down by a Ferrari! Soon learnt the lesson that Germany is like the US, no J-walking. Got some Jagermeister from one of the shops and then back to re-group via some of the local beer tents that lined the streets. They employ a very very clever idea whereas the price of a beer includes the glass so you can just walk off with it, or with 3.

That evening we were doing water-skiing which I've never done before... and not behind a boat ever, on a crazy ski-lift-esque maching that towed you in circular pattern round the lake at great speed. I still maintain that machine was the devil. Took me a few a go's to get the hang of it but when I did it was superb, defentely something to do again.

After this it was onto the evening's BBQ, good food and even better watched Pam get extremely drunk. Likened the level of respect I had for her to the level of beer in my bottle - constantly falling, and then to be ultimately discarded. Back to the school to consume much Jagermeister, the best part of two bottle methinks! Talked with everybody, occasionally making very poor attempts at German. Played spin the bottle with the foreigners, sang some more, tried to deal with a pissed Maria and failed, sang more and then eventually at a god-forsaken hour collapsed on the coach in our room. Top night. Absolutely fantastic.

Woken by Ricko, had breakfast and then packed stuff to get back on the Party Bus. Slept all of the way as by this point I really think I was suffering from exhaustion, and was probably also still drunk from a few hours earlier. When we arrived I thought they'd driven us to an abandoned industrial estate to be shot or similar but we went inside one of the derelict looking warehouse to find a pretty cool sports centre! Our final competition was beach volleyball and football. Our team nailed the football and won one out of 2 of our volleyball matches.

Lunch was at another venue, I think maybe their town hall with a very German buffet. The team's results were announced, we (Orange) came 3rd which is a downturn from last years 1st but we maintained we were defentely the most stylish! Said goodbyes after this and got back on the party bus and to the airport, every thing after this is quite blurred as I was falling asleep whenever I sat down!

Lots of photos all over facebook of the weekend, I'll put some of mine onto my gallery when I get the chance.

So again, a weekend with no mountaineering much like Connected but in this case possibly better than a lot of weekends in the mountains I've had. Made lots of new friends that I think I'll be keeping in touch with, and had a great time with others I've know for a very long time. Pretty dam good.