The Team United

Alex flew in from Canada on Wednesday morning and it's great to see him again. We last saw each other in the summer of 2007, so we're doing a lot of catching up. X-Alps duties started immediately for Alex, with an evening at the PWC Annecy where Ulric Jessop presented the Bafta-nominated film of his 2007 campaign on a big screen next to Lake Annecy.

We've still got loads of preparation to do, everything from working out routines and tactics to buying minor bits of gear for the support vehicle. In all cases Alex has hundreds of good ideas, backed up by an incredible understanding of mountain gear. He'll be a great supporter and I'm very lucky to have him on my team.