Le woof...

The refuge with Pointe Percee in background
Ages since I put paw to paper but must tell you about my foreign travels. Si and Lizzie took me to France last month and I went up Alps and hung out in cafes and met frog dogs! It was AMAZING and I want to go again (you're not the only one Gyp!) because there's so much space to run around out there and the weather and the people are so ace...

We drove down to the Alps in my mate Billy's van – Billy was as excited as me to be going to France and he talked about nothing but road cycling the whole way down there. This made me uneasy as I never get to go on the road cycling trips – only with the mountain bikes. Anyway, I needn't have worried 'cos although my hoomans went out loads on their bikes, Si and Lizzie took me for loads of walks and runs in the wild woods all around where we stayed. The first week we were at Ali and Al's place near La Clusaz where Si used to run ski touring courses. I got halfway up a massive mountain called Pointe Percee – me and Lizzie stayed at the ace refuge where they served food and drink while Si and Billy climbed to the summit as it was too rocky for my paws.

It was very sad afterwards though because when we got back we found that my friend Phil the ginger cat had been savaged by a really nasty dog and had died. We were a quiet and morose bunch that evening and Al and Ali were very upset but they played with me and I cheered them up a bit...

I went for another trip up a mountain to watch Si fly his paraglider – I heard one of his friends has a harness and takes his collie with him but I want to keep my paws firmly on the ground! Me and Lizzie had a great walk before we drove back down with Billy to the landing field just outside La Clusaz to pick Si up.

In our second week we stayed in a place called Bourg d'Oisans at a brilliant apartment on a farm owned by an ace lady that Si knew called Mel. I was allowed the run of the apartment and could go where I wanted as Mel said I was excellently behaved and that Si had trained me well. I like Mel a lot but she's got a lot of boisterous dogs and I'm not so sure about them – I'm a bit of a solitary fellow who prefers human company.

Si and Billy did quite a bit of climbing on the trip so Lizzie and me had some massive walks and often met them in some amazing scenery when they'd finished. They disappeared for a couple of days and I was worried about Si but he turned up eventually and said they'd been climbing on a massive rock wall called the Aiguille Dibona.

Lizzie, Gyp, Billy, Rich, Adele, Penny and Si
Our good mates Rich and Adele turned up to stay for the second week. Adele is my third favourite person in the world but they had Penny Pooch with them and she is a cantankerous old lady who scares me. She preferred to lodge in their van rather than our plush apartment so luckily I didn't see much of her!

Rich, Billy and Si kept going out and racing each other on the bikes up what they called cols which sometimes meant when they got back they were too tired to play out. Luckily the girls were more sensible and looked after me and Penny really well in the evenings. To be fair, Si always made up for it by taking me a long run in the morning in the woods where we had to be careful as there was lots of wild boar hunting going on. A few times we had men with rifles materialising out of bushes and their hunting dogs were fierce looking and definitely not to be messed with!

The weather was fantastic but not crazy hot like it had been in England a few weeks earlier. One of the highlights of my week was swimming in Lake Annecy and diving off the bank into the crystal clear blue water. Si loves swimming too but slapped his bald head diving in from a big height – I laughed a lot!

Think we're going again next year with the gang if all goes well – can't wait!!!



Lizzie, Billy, Ali, Gyp and Al planning a climb

Gyp's new french friend

Just outside the farm

The Aiguille Dibona from the refuge

Abseiling back down the Dibona


Diving into Lake Annecy

Gyp and Lizzie at Lake Annecy

At the Col de la Colombiere

The apartment at Al and Ali's near La Clusaz

Descending the Col de Sarrone

Breakfast in Bourg d'Oisans

At the cafe

On a ride over three cols

Up above the Col de la Colombiere

Si taking off – Gyp was watching!

Getting ready to descend after climbing on the Dibona

Fixing a damaged wheel in Briancon


Extreme dog walking on Snowdon...

Gyp in front of Snowdon
Gyp the mountain dog
I'm a luckier dog than most (Si says...) as I get a lot of time outdoors lashing around on the local hills. In fact, the first time I met Si he took me out on the mountain above the farm In the Lake District where I lived with Derek and his family and my dad, Laddie. I should have seen then how it was going to be...

Anyway, I've bagged (a word Mountainfeet customers use a lot) a fair few hill and mountain summits now and ragged around behind Si's mountain bike all over North Wales too. But the recent snow was challenging as it's been so deep and I'm only a little 'un by collie standards so when Si said he was taking me up Snowdon again I was worried...

Mick and Kath
Mick and Kath – bed, but no breakfast!
Lizzie was full of a cold so she told me and Si to go have fun but be safe in the mountains given the winter conditions. Si said he would go stay with my Uncle Mick and Aunt Kath at their farmhouse in Wales for the night and then go up Snowdon in the morning. Think Si only goes down for the night so he and Uncle Mick can drink beer and eat kebabs but as long as he's happy then I am too.

The snowdrifts between Llandegla and Corwen were MASSIVE! Mick and Kath's lane had only just been ploughed – they'd been snowed in for four days and our van only just made it up to the house.

Mick said he'd make breakfast for Si before setting off but at half seven the next morning there was only the sound of snoring coming from Mick's room so we set off. Si wanted to get to Pen y Pass early to get a parking space but by the time we got there at 8.15 there were only a couple of spaces left. Si then told me he was going to get a parking ticket but was away for a quarter of an hour and when he got back he smelled of bacon! I quickly forgave him though as he put the red 'harness of adventure' on me – then I knew it was going to be a top day...

The car park at Pen y Pass
Let's get going!
Si seemed to be carrying a heck of a lot of kit but then he does own an outdoor shop and he also told me he was training for his summer trips so he'd chucked in a rope and climbing hardware to weigh him down a bit. I hoped that some of the excess weight was extra food for me and in a pioneering collie mood we set off onto the wintry looking lower slopes. Within minutes Si was putting spikey things on his feet (Kahtoola Microspikes) although I was scornful because my claws are far better at gripping things – or so I thought...

He let me roam ahead while the terrain was safe and I had a brilliant time shoving my snout into knee deep snow and running like the lunatic I am until a seagull started swooping down to launch attacks on me before gliding off down to the lake below. I was shocked at this – the seagull was nearly as big as I am and all Si did was watch and laugh his head off!

Looking down to Llyn Llydaw
Looking down to Llyn Llydaw
After three quarters of an hour's trogging, Si stopped and drew out a long daggery thing that he called an axe. I was puzzled. Derek at the farm had an axe but he used it for cutting wood. Where were the trees here in this white, barren landscape? Si explained that slipping on this next section was risky without the axe and it could be used to slow down a slide. To me it didn't look steep or dangerous but Si said when the snow pack was hard because of wind and sun, even a fairly gentle slope could cause injuries. He called me to heel and I followed in his tracks up the next steeper section which he called the zig zags. Being a rebel I decided to zag zig instead and he threatened me with the ultimate indignity – a lead...

We walked past several people who were slithering around and struggling 'cos they didn't have claws or spikey things and then a big chunk of ice came whistling down past my ears. It appeared to have been disturbed by a bunch of lads larking around higher up. Si's quite nervous of things dropping from people above as he's been avalanched twice and fallen over 500 feet as a result of one of them so he told the guys in no uncertain terms that he wasn't amused! They were very apologetic and when we got to them they gave me a stroke and admired my harness.

New friends on the summit of Snowdon!
My new friends on the summit!
Ten minutes more of traversing some steepish ground and passing more struggling and poorly prepared people, we reached the junction of the main path from Llanberis and I recognised where I was as this was the third time I've climbed Snowdon. The wind was strong as we strode the last quarter mile to the summit past amazing ice features and fantastic views.

At the top I charged up to the iced up summit cairn. There was a nice young couple at the top enjoying their achievement and Si took my photo with them as I braced myself against the fierce wind that threatened to dislodge me from the cairn. They kindly offered to take a picture of Si and me and I hope they see my blog and the photos we all took.

Si and Gyp Collie on the summit of Snowdon
Si and me on the summit
Now it was time for a bit of shelter to get some of the scram that Si was undoubtedly carrying. We headed to the summit building which was enveloped in snow and rime ice forming incredible patterns in the subzero temperatures. Round the back it was calm and we huddled up in Si's spare duvet to scoff Kath's picnic and my rock hard biscuits. Si poured much needed water for me from his bulging rucsac – normally I just neck the stuff from streams but everything now was frozen including Si's hands! Two lads were hunkered down behind the building too and asked Si about climbing in France and Switzerland, telling him they were training for the Matterhorn. A huge raven was playing in the turbulence – tumbling and falling and just levelling out before plunging into the rocky ground.

Rime ice formed on the summit building
Rime ice formed on the summit building
Si told me he planned to go down a more challenging route than the one we'd come up and that I'd have to be good and listen to his commands. We kitted up again and set off steeply down the far side of where we'd come up. After a little while we turned sharp left and the footprints in the snow became sparse and the slope steepened seriously. Si clipped a special leash to my harness and told me to follow him as he very carefully started downwards. Even I could see that a fall here would be serious and my paws began to sweat a little! Si had kept his mini spikes on from the way up but after watching a guy with big spikes on his feet pass us he decided to change into his. Once they were on we put a burst of speed on and it was obvious the Grivel Air Tech crampons gripped better than the Kahtoola Microspikes that had been sufficient for the more trafficked path on the other side.

Again we got behind some people – a family whose teenage kids were nervously and tentatively crossing a slope with care but without crampons or axe. The father seemed to be oblivious of their problems but luckily they turned off before the terrain got serious again on the climb up Lliwedd.

Descending off Lliwedd
Descending off Lliwedd
Now even my claws wouldn't touch areas of the rock hard crusted snow that Si said was almost like something called neve. He pulled me much closer on the webbing strap and I felt safe from falling and in good hands. Lizzie had told him to look after me and he was taking her seriously for a change!

On the left of the ridge only three or four feet away was an enormous almost sheer drop down to a lake. I strayed a bit close to peer down and immediately felt the harness tighten as Si whipped me back from the edge with a stern look. I decided to go exactly where he told me from now on as the glimpse I'd had of the cliff was pretty scary. Si spent some time walking and talking to three nice local folk who were kitted out in similar fashion to him – a man and two ladies. They took photos of me and Si and he told them about my blog which I hope they find their way to. The five of us met a guy coming the other way who was carrying an enormous camera but very little else. He asked us what the terrain was like that we'd just come up and we told him it required extreme care in the current weather. To be honest, we were amazed he'd got as far as he had and wished him well for his journey back down whilst secretly fearing for his safety.

Sadly, just after reaching one of the two summits of the Lliwedd ridgeline, we looked across to the Glyders where an RAF helicopter was dealing with the aftermath of a fatal accident. I suddenly appreciated despite the fun we were having in this winter wonderland, there was a fine line that could easily be crossed into danger. I also realised that since we left the easy paths at the base of Snowdon, we hadn't seen any other dogs!

The Lliwedd ridgeline
The Lliwedd ridgeline
Now we were picking our way trickily down on boiler plate ice crust which sometimes would bear our weight and sometimes not. Occasionally, traces of the slate and scree which litter the slope in summer could be seen but the snow pack was still deep even though it was nearly April. One last long slope opened up before us on the way down to Llyn Llydaw and we tacked backwards and forwards to descend it before Si let me off my safety leash and I went bombing towards the icy water.

Now the way back was clear and easy. Si stowed his daggery thing and took off the spikes before setting off down the track with me at a trot. Within half and hour we were back at the van, getting warm and scoffing the rest of Kath's vast picnic. Tired but satisfied after a great day, we turned our back for the time being on Snowdon and headed back to Mick and Kath's via Capel Curig where Si visited the Ellis Brigham shop at Capel Curig where he used to live. The staff there probably wondered why he walked around looking at the walls, doors and ceiling instead of the exciting mountaineering offerings on the rails but it was because Si was trying to work out where his bedroom was before they converted the house into a shop!

Ellis Brigham's shop in Capel Curig
The house where Si used to live...
I slept all the way back to Corwen but livened up when the cats started baiting me. We had a brew with Uncle Mick and Aunt Kath and headed back to see how Lizzie was getting on without us after an absolutely top day in the hills...

(To view full size versions of the photos just click on them. If they over flow the window and you want to open them in a separate page hold the control button when you click).


More flipping bother!

I didn't get it at all... One minute my two feets are telling me how great it is to have me in their life and then POW, I'm kidnapped by a mad Scotsman and driven post haste to a place called Doncaster where there's not a hill or sheep in sight! What the heck was going on???

Happy with his pig
Things started to make a load of sense when I recalled Si and Liz talking about, "when we go on holiday, how will Gyp know we're coming back for him?" You see, they don't think I speak much more than "sit and stay" in human but they'd be right surprised if they knew the truth... And if they sussed out that I sit up at night writing blogs on Si's computer they'd be truly gobsmacked!!!

Anyway, the mad Scotsman was Lizzie's dad Ray and he's a very nice guy. Problem is, he doesn't sound like Si and has a crazy accent I couldn't understand when he took me for the first walk in a local park. I guess he was telling me to stay or go down when I headed towards a road after being spooked by two rough town dogs but I didn't cotton to that and kept running. Straight into a car coming down the road as it turned out...

BANG!!! I felt an enormous impact and went rolling over and over. Then when I got up, everything was blurred and I felt pain in my legs so in a panic I put my head down and bolted...

The Gyp care manual
I ran and ran until the pain took over and when I took stock, there was no one around and I had no idea where I was. In desperation I crawled over to a scruffy but sheltered collection of dustbins and started to survey the damage to my legs. It wasn't a pretty sight and I huddled up miserably in a ball and started to literally lick my wounds...

Meanwhile, the area I was in started to get busier. I was in a supermarket car park and it had just opened. I watched with glazed and scared eyes while people walked past, most not noticing me but the occasional person making eye contact and then quickly looking away. I felt utterly abandoned and alone – an empty and despondent feeling I wouldn't want any fellow animal to experience.

And then suddenly, a kind voice, a gentle touch and someone was by my side talking softly and calming me down. This amazing lady stayed with me after calling for help and then after some time had passed, a man with an English voice who couldn't have been Ray came onto the scene to see what more could be done. Seems like the assistance the caring lady had summoned wasn't forthcoming and this fantastic man took control quickly to get me to help as I was now shivering uncontrollably and probably in shock. I was very gently picked up and put into the familiar environment of a car which sped me to more familiar territory – a vets!

Meanwhile, Si was touching down at a French airport in what he calls a 'holiday mood'. Ha! I was soon going to alter that...

When Si switched his mobile thingy on in the arrivals hall, it rang immediately. Si tells me all he heard was, "we have your dog, he's been run over..."

Not happy about the bucket...
Apparently there followed half an hour of panic fuelled by the uncertainty of whether I was going to survive or not. Si said he went hairless which confused me 'cos he's as bald as a bandicoot! Anyway, the good people at the emergency vets checked me nose to tail and concluded that apart from a damaged leg, the rest of me seemed good to go.

The upshot was, Ray still didn't know where I was and was having the most awful time flying around looking for me, not knowing if I was dead or alive. Luckily, Si rang him straight from the airport and reassured him that I'd been found and was in safe hands. A few hours later when it was confirmed my leg WASN'T broken, the collective two feets started relaxing and Si and Lizzie started getting on with their holiday knowing I was comfortable and secure.

As for me, I was immediately incarcerated back at Ray and Lizzie's mother Christine's house – no way they were taking any more chances with me! To be fair, I'd had enough of the outside world around Doncaster for a while so I accepted the enforced rest and waited for Si to return. The grandfolk looked after me really well and I put on a kilo in weight which is no bad thing they said.

Me and Larry having a moment
When Si and Liz got back I went berserk and jumped all over them to make sure the buggers weren't going to leave me again! They drove me back to the small Marsden farmhouse with the titchy field that I love and on the way in to the village I saw the sheep and the hills which Si said I'd soon be running in again...

Si has been in touch with Christine and Richard who were so kind to me when I needed a friend to update and to thank them. They'll always be friends and there's definitely a lick headed their way when I see them again.

Ray and Christine (yes there are two in this story) are worried they'll never be able to look after me again but Si says that as long as Ray learns English and we pass on some whistle commands, I can go back there again. They'll also get a second amended copy of the Gyp Haynes Manual (see picture) with special care instructions. Don't think I've got the best impression of Doncaster so I'm looking forward to seeing a better side next time!

A variety of coloured dressings, pills and ointments were applied by the excellent Steve and Rene at Ashfield Vets in Meltham – hehe, it's my second home and Emily always gives me a biscuit! Now, the bandages are off but I can't go full throttle for a couple of weeks yet despite things healing well. Si's just told me I'm heading down to the vets tonight to have the itchy stitches out – that's cool because my girlfriend Meg Collie works there as meeter and greeter...
Back on the hill again!

Back at work now and doing short runs on the hills again but a bit out of sorts with folk. If you come to see me you'll have to forgive the growling and barking while I suss you out. And if you start talking at me with that mad Scottish accent I'll bite you on the bum!
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