Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Following 2010's hibernation and meditation, we're coming back into action in 2011 with renewed vigour, unquestionably bigger and better rested than ever before.  In the meantime, we wish all of our friends and colleagues a fulfilling festive period.

(OK, Davy, you can relax the abs now - we got the shot)

The men who learn endurance, are they who call the whole world, brother.
Charles Dickens

TrailBadger Annual Conference, 9 December

A successful and enjoyable evening with 15 friends, fire, meat, music and banter in the snow-covered winter wonderland that was TrailBadger HQ.

Three items on this year's agenda:

• Man of the Year award - won for an unprecented second year on the trot by Hugh for outstanding endeavour, but he was ready this time and didn't quite yield the entertainment of 2009
• Riding a bike up the ladder that nearly resulted in Sparky's death at last year's conference, over the TrailBadger igloo, and down the snow ramp - following Rick's rather laissez-faire attempt, this was manfully achieved by Davy, albeit he landed square on his nose on the other side
• Any other business - four additional items were presented under AOB:
• rhino-charging the igloo from all sides whilst Aran tried to patch up the holes from the inside;
• a long debate on the obvious short-comings of civilian pilots;
• attempting to fix an unexplained subsidence in the TrailBadger HQ perimeter wall; and
• lamenting the state of Jack's wife's new car.

The TrailBadger igloo, poised and ready to receive its challengers,
prior to its untimely demise