Uncertainty

It's amazing how quickly things can change! Since I last wrote a blog post I have travelled to Japan for the test event for the Olympic Games - an event which was very successful, as well as very useful for me to learn a bit more about how my job as a route setter will integrate into the Olympic machine. After 8 days in an unusually quiet Tokyo, I have returned home to more chaos as the UK struggles to come to terms with the consequences of the Coronavirus.

We managed to host the CWIF (Climbing Works International Festival) although the competition was held behind closed doors without spectators this year. It was still a great competition, but the lack of live crowd made it quite different to the usual riot...

And now, only four days later, I have had to make the decision with my business partners to close our climbing wall for the foreseeable future. The ramifications of this are very significant, particularly for the 25 part-time staff who will loose their jobs. I am absolutely gutted that we have been forced to close, but it was the responsible decision to make. This doesn't make it any easier though. I hope our government can help the country through this crisis swiftly and with the minimum of long term impact, but I fear that greed and incompetence are this governments strong suits, and there is little room for care, compassion and kindness. I hope to be proved wrong.

My children have the usual colds, coughs and snotty noses so my whole family are currently enjoying the joys of a period of self isolation. It makes me appreciate how wonderful they all are, and how lucky I am. This is one of the few things I have no uncertainty about.