So it’s that time of the year to have a look back at and properly assess how well (or otherwise) I did with my profound and quite ambitious ‘Statement of intent for 2011’!

At the start of the year I boldly lay down a list of adventurous challenges and travel hopes that I intended to tackle throughout the last twelve months of 2011, by putting these ambitions down in print so to speak I was hopeful that I would be beholden to the whole idea.

So how did I do? ………

1. Ski Trip to Europe – as I missed skiing last year I desperately want to get in some sliding this year. Europe beckons with record snow falls so early in the season, an opportunity not to be missed. ACHIEVED – I had a wonderful time skiing in the snowy Italian Alps in February enjoying the slopes and the apres-ski – read more: http://wp.me/pPdIP-vT and http://wp.me/pPdIP-C7

2. On the Edge – a 2 day hike along the gritstone edges of the Peak National Park from north to south with an overnight camp. ACHIEVED – Finally after years of talk I managed to get a train up to Sheffield and then onward to Bamford before setting off on a 2 Day 20+ miler hiking along the Edges of the Peak District – read more: http://wp.me/pPdIP-FR

3. A week of hiking in Cumbria – possibly back to Keswick or maybe back to the western fells for a week of camping and hiking in the beautiful Lake District. Good preparation for number 4. ACHIEVED – A marvellous 11 days were spent in early spring hiking around the Northern and Western Fells bagging my most peaks in any one trip – read more: http://wp.me/pPdIP-H5, http://wp.me/pPdIP-JY, http://wp.me/pPdIP-Ds

4. England’s Highest – a week in the Wasdale valley camping at the foot of England’s highest peaks ascending the surrounding mountains via the more difficult and challenging routes. FAILURE – unfortunately this never actually got off the ground due to time and money constraints, I did however make it back to the Lakes for 3 days in a rainy October and get a couple of small low-level hikes in instead as a substitute – read alternative: http://wp.me/pPdIP-NX

5. Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge – a camping trip to Yorkshire to have a crack at one of the hardest outdoor challenges in the UK. A 12 hour marathon of peak bagging in a harsh landscape against the clock. ACHIEVED – My toughest outdoor challenge to date. We completed this endurance challenge in a very respectable 9 hours and 43 minutes – read more: http://wp.me/pPdIP-Ke

6. Vietnam Trip – I love asia and dearly want to travel to another country somewhere on that wonderful continent, a country preferably that I can travel around before mass tourism takes a hold of it. Vietnam seems to fit that bill almost perfectly. ACHIEVED – I am booked on a flight to Hong Kong on Boxing Day and then an onward flight to Saigon from where I will be catching a sleeper train north to Hue before travelling on to Cambodia and eventually ending up on the island of Phu Quoc in the Gulf of Thailand if all goes to plan!

4 out of 5 statement goals achieved for the year is not a bad return I’m sure you will agree and by stating openly what I was going to attempt I found myself almost duty bound to make it happen. So in reflection I think it is a thoroughly good idea to envisage and then state openly what you want to achieve in life. With this in mind I will be dreaming up another ‘Statement of intent for 2012’ between now and the new year and posting it online as soon as it has taken some form and shape.

I look forward to any comments, criticisms or advice of course when it is posted either constructive or destructive!

James