The Pyrenees - dangling off some rope with some over achievers

You'll find Ruth Jenkins and Rob Wilson at the right hand end of the bell curve of adventure sports and professions.  That's the end that is avoided by insurance brokers and underwriters. 

Ruth is quiet and unassuming and stands a little over 5 feet tall.  You would not guess to look at her or talking to her what she does for a profession nor the records she has set.

Ruth was the first woman in Great Britain (and among the first 4 in Europe) to successfully lead climb a grade 8b (grade 31 in NZ climbing terms) in mid 2000's.  She used to co-manage the British climbing team and currently works as a stunt woman whose credits include the movie Inception and Game of Thrones among many other movie and TV stunts involving climbing and high building work. 

The overhanging slope and heights she climbs would give most people vertigo just walking underneath them.

Rob's current roster has him spending two weeks on and six weeks off as one of the leaders of the rope access team that inspects and maintains the oil rigs in the North Sea.  He dangles out of helicopters on ropes half way down oil rigs and manages some of the teams, training and safety planning for a living.  In his down time from the rigs, he works at the property or consults on designs for climbing gear to the Welsh climbing equipment manufacturer DMM (one of the few companies who still manufacture all of their equipment rather than outsourcing it). 

Together they live in a 400 year old house in Loubierres at the base of the Pyrenees in France - doorstep to some of the best climbing and outdoors in the world.  They share the looking after and raising of Ruth and Martin's boys between them and Martin who lives nearby (when he is not being a Doctor on one of the Arctic expeditions). 

Ruth apologises for not being able to pick me up from the train station - it's Wednesday and she is guiding a tour party over the Pyrenees from France into Spain.  It is a 2-3 day hike through the mountains that traces the same paths that the shepherds used to smuggle people from France into Spain during the second world war to escape the gestapo. 

Welcome to a typical week at Ruth and Rob's place.
They run a Gite (a French B&B) in their large home - which is separated into two adjoining quarters in a serene and picturesque town.  It's not the Gite I'm staying at.  I'm here to work and, hopefully, in return, learn some climbing from two of the best. 

In NZ, Carolann and I have had HelpX (www.helpx.net) and Wwoofers (http://wwoof.net) help us at the farm off and on over the last 15 years. It can be a great arrangement - a bit like a box of chocolates (you're never quite sure what you are going to get!). It feels a little unusual being on the worker side of the arrangement - but after 9 weeks of travel and 10 countries, I'm ready for some physical work and to put down some shallow roots (i.e. stay in the same place for >2 weeks).  Ruth and Rob are welcoming and it's great to get my hand into some DIY and home maintenance again.  A400 year old barn conversion needs a bit of maintaining!

In return I have already been out climbing twice - and loving it.
Ruth's parents (John and Pam) are over from Wales - so it's a full house with great company and great conversation.  It's easy to see where Ruth get's her energy and love of the outdoors from.

Rob and Ruth in a rare time when they are both standing still!