Dan's blog: Summer of fun

Ski Club Leader Dan Haberhson-Butcher is looking forward to an active weekend at the Cliffhanger outdoor event in Sheffield

The weather is always an unpredictable beast but by in large it’s being pretty good to us so far this year (drought warnings show how little rain there has been) which means there's no excuse not to get out and about.

There's plenty of inspiration at the moment too, whether it's watching Wimbledon on TV (or in person if you’re lucky), the thought of the Olympics a year from now, or, like so many of my friends, the lure of a charity event to do some good, there's every reason to enjoy the great outdoors.

If you read my last blog you'll know that at this time of year my passion for skiing switches to my other love, rock climbing, and I've been having some great time dangling around of late. There are so many activities out there though and it's really just a matter of choosing one.

I'm trying to get back into running and will be popping over to Wales for some mountain biking too as the trails at places like Afan and Cwncarn are just awesome. Even if it rains you can still have fun – a recent trip to the Isle of Skye with my girlfriend Nida saw plenty of rain, but even that coupled with 50mph winds, occasional hail and a thigh-deep river crossing didn't stop us having a 28km wander on the firstday.

If you need a little nudge or want to try something new then get to Sheffield this weekend as the annual Cliffhanger event is on. Around 20,000 people are expected to drop in over the weekend and there is so much to do. You can try your hand at: climbing, scuba diving, mountain biking, mountain boarding, archery, crown green bowling, bushcraft, caving, disc golf, dry stone walling, kite flying, parkour, ropes course, slack lining and even springy stilts called bockers!

Or you can relax and watch it all go past you, with rounds of the IFSC Bouldering World Cup featuring top climbers, a well-stocked beer tent and even a duck race. Whether you're a big kid, or are taking little ones, there's something for all the family. Plus you can stay over at BaseCamp to maximise your weekend and enjoy an evening of BBQs, fires and evening entertainment.

If you need more reasons to go take a look at the full programme at www.cliff-hanger.co.uk. I'll be reporting back from the event for the Ski Club so if you're coming, let me know by posting on the Club’s Facebook pagealong with any tales of your summer exploits – I know that the staff at Ski Club HQ have been pretty active!

Here's to a great weekend!

• www.cliff-hanger.co.uk