Well 2012 has certainly been a year to
remember. I reached the summit of Mount Everest, raised over £70,000 for
two great charities and married the girl of my dreams….. Can’t be bad.
The last month climbing was put on the
back burner due to the preparations for the wedding. Both mine and
Natalie's spare time was taken up prepping for this magical day.
Natalie and I got married on the 21st
December, 2012, at Pendennis Castle, Cornwall. Surrounded by close family and friends,
we exchanged vows and committed to each to the very end. This was by far the most amazing day of my life to date and I struggle to imagine what might come close in the
future. My bride was 20 mins late, did I worry….. ? No. Her dad is always late
and it was to be expected!!! Pendennis Castle was the perfect place to tie the knot, set
on a headland on the Cornish coast, the rain stayed away and we even managed to get down to the
beach for pictures before dawn.
Guests were seated in the barracks at
4.45 for a 5 o clock wedding breakfast and on que the heavens opened, 20mph winds and
a monsoon storm hit the coastline and I'm not exaggerating when I say the rain
was coming in sideways.
Line caught sea bass caught on the
morning of the wedding and all locally sourced produce made up an amazing feast, fish
being the perfect change from Christmas dinner!!!! We liaised with a wine
specialist in Truro to choose a wine that would complement our dish and this worked a
treat, resulting in a fine dining experience.
The speeches were great, started with
kind words and a toast from Paul, the bride’s father. It was then an honour to have
my dad say a few words. I was then heckled every second word during my speech and then
my best man, my brother, absolutely smashed it. I have never laughed
so hard in all my life.
An intimate dance with my wife to
Luther Vandross, 'So Amazing' and then it was time to party and that dance floor was on
fire.
This was the best day of my life and I
will cherish every second of it for the rest of my life. I will post some of the
professional pictures and the video in due course.
A mini moon in St Ives was the perfect
retreat after the wedding. We stayed in the most amazing boutique apartment, woke
up on Sunday morning to flipper and his friends doing acrobatics 150m off
shore. The most amazing experience. Also we went horse riding through the Cornish
countryside and ate like royalty. The perfect closure to our magical wedding celebrations.
So, how do you move on into 2013? That
is the question.
I have been approached to do some
pretty cool stuff next year in the mountains, all relying on sponsorship and hard work. I will
reveal more as the plans come together. I do really fancy heading
back up the Khumbu Valley in May to visit another 8000m peak. I miss
this region, the people and this unique and magical place.
Off the mountains I quite fancy getting
my parachute licence and joining my brother in the round the Isle of
White yacht race. Exciting times ahead.
I am really looking forward to 2013,
pushing the limits and exploring new places.
I would like to take this opportunity
to thank everyone that has made 2012 the best year of my life and a special thank you
to my wife, family and friends for their support and belief in me. I could not of done
it without you.
Happy New Year!
