We arrived in Italy via a shortcut through Austria... ok, so it wasn't a shortcut and we missed the junction and ended up paying €10 to go through a tunnel but anyway...!

We met up with Jim in a car park, 2,000 metres up in the Dolomite National Park where we ended up staying for four nights. Suddenly we had to dig out strange hidden items like socks, hats and jumpers – it was freezing... well, about 18 degrees and drizzling!

Ollie provided endless brilliant meals and Jim copious bottles of wine and beer so a good time was had by all! Every day they went off climbing and I stayed at the Mog to try to get things in order before we arrive in Africa.

I also took the cable car up to the top of the mountain where it was even colder and full of Italians pushing and shoving everyone to get photos of each other with the most amazing backdrop.  And amazing the scenery was with rock columns rising up from farmland – it reminded me of Colorado but in limestone not sandstone!

On the last climbing day, the guys ended up completing a via ferrata rather than climbing as it took rather longer to find the crag they wanted! Still, they walked up to over 3,000 metres.

It was lovely to catch up with Jim whom we last saw in Scotland. He is joining us in Morocco so you will hear more about him and his lovely partner Mary later!