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You're dialed into birtle.com version 4.0 -- a work in progress. All the old birtle.com photos and blog entries are here along with some new stuff. Use your imagination when it comes to graphics and hopefully I'll be improving things soon as work calms down a bit.

If you're in some of these photos, don't forget to log in with the username+password I sent you since dodgy drunken photos have been hidden from the non-elite public eyes...

Enjoy!

 

The system uptime is 10118330 seconds

Don't let anybody tell you Windows servers aren't reliable. The Windows 2008 server I've been using to run my Porte Verte Transport and Porte Verte Properties CRM applications has now been up, without any downtime or need of a reboot, for the last 117 days. I noticed this fact just now while I was logged in reviewing the server logs:

The system uptime is 10118330 seconds

Says the Event Viewer. Nice!

Dirka! Dirka! Warm Up

Mon, 11/02/2009 - 23:35 — bbirtle
Ton Sai Beach

In 2008 my work situation changed for the better and I found myself with the opportunity to take a few months off again and travel. My life in Chamonix since the Big Trip in 2003/2004 had by then become pretty sedantary. I still did tons of road trips around Europe, mostly to climbing spots but fairly often to more touristy spots - a couple weekends in Paris, a few little nips into to the Italian and French Rivera for some sun, a weekend in London, plenty of Swiss ski resorts...

When: 
Sun, 10/05/2008 22:00 - Tue, 11/04/2008 23:00
PA100039b.jpg

Sneaking in a Day Off

Tue, 09/22/2009 - 08:18 — bbirtle
Le Brevent

Good fun sneaking in a Sunday afternoon climbing up at Brevent with Mat. What a nice little crag up there - if nothing else for the view! The approach takes 45 minutes, but 35 of those are in cablecars so you can sit back, relax... and scope out lines for next winter.

When: 
Sat, 09/05/2009 22:00 - Sun, 09/06/2009 22:00
Who: 
mat
IMG_0516.JPG

Another Tick

Mon, 09/14/2009 - 16:27 — bbirtle
Coupeau

Yet another pleasant evening at Coupeau. Nice to catch up with TGR Tom and ticked off the second 6c+ route there.

5c!! 6a!! 6c+! 7a

When: 
Sat, 08/15/2009 22:00 - Sun, 08/16/2009 22:00
Who: 
idris

Coupeau = Done

Mon, 09/14/2009 - 16:22 — bbirtle
Coupeau

Even if leisure time is so limited these days, it's good to have little projects. Last night I finally got around to ticking off "The Coupeau Project".

When: 
Wed, 09/09/2009 22:00 - Thu, 09/10/2009 22:00
Who: 
anneDeGreg

Level Up!

Mon, 09/14/2009 - 16:14 — bbirtle
Coupeau

Schemed and plotted to squeeze in one last climb at Coupeau during the last few last hours of daylight before a two week "climbing break" in the US. Our last climb of the day was to try the 7a+ on the end. And to my surprise, after watching Hugh work out the moves, I sailed up it on the first go - "Flash" - and a new "lifetime best ever" grade level up.

When: 
Sun, 07/26/2009 22:00 - Mon, 07/27/2009 22:00
Who: 
hugethingey

Chamonix Cemented, Glued, Plasticised, Drilled and Fêted

Mon, 08/31/2009 - 21:59 — bbirtle
Renard

Due to being massively overworked, I've had to settle exploring Chamonix valley crags lately. Has anyone else been a bit shocked by the ethics of the "modifications" made at some of the crags?

When: 
Sun, 08/30/2009 22:00 - Mon, 08/31/2009 22:00
Who: 
hugethingey

Falaise du Renard

Fri, 08/28/2009 - 07:19 — bbirtle
Renard

"Renard" came highly recommended by a couple Hard Core acquiantances of mine, so I figured it was time to drive out to Vallorcine and check it out. We got there a bit late in the evening so only had time to do a couple routes, the second of which turned out to be a super long overhanging endurance climb. Getting lowered down, my eyes were filled with hearts - what a perfect place to train for Thailand.

When: 
Wed, 08/26/2009 22:00 - Thu, 08/27/2009 22:00
Who: 
hugethingey

Enjoying Slabbnessity

Tue, 08/25/2009 - 11:43 — bbirtle
Les Gaillands

Quick little evening after work down at Les Gaillonds with TGR Tom. It was fun to catch up and chill at the crag, back at the shady Frendo section where the afternoon heat had already faded away. Found an excellent long slabby route to the top of the crag - quite sustained with at least three slab problems at the grade (6b), a bit necky with 40m of rope on the wall (I ran out the rope to the top and then did two rappels to get back down).
6a!! 6b!!

When: 
Sun, 08/23/2009 22:00 - Mon, 08/24/2009 22:00
Who: 
idris

A Simple FormsAuthentication Alternative

I decided to ditch FormsAuthentication today. We've been having some issues with people being asked to login again, even though they check the "remember me" box. I'd already spent an hour before on this, inserting in the end some hacks to rig the cookie expiration. After another hour today of Googling again, I'd had enough - I ripped out FormsAuthentication within an hour of coding and testing, the replacement with a much simpler model was deployed and working.