The Stuff of 177 Miles

I know there have been many posts about challenge kit, and several probably for this year.  I may not be adding anything new, anything interesting, but I wanted to illustrate here how my kit choice has changed since my first post about my kit here.  I haven't put weights in because I am bored with weights and measures.  This is the stuff I have decided I will need.


This is Kitlist v2.0

So a list it is - I'll go roughly left to right as though following text in a book:


One pair of trekmates liner gloves (silk) 
One pair of karrimor outer gloves (synthetic)
One midgie headnet
Two standard buffs
Drybag with loo kit
Bag of tablets (various)
First Aid Kit
Spoon (long handled)
Stove/Pot combined
2 x 100g gas canisters
Brew kit
Silicon collapsible cup
Waterproof Overtrousers
Down Jacket
Little stow-away sil-nylon bag
Maps (all of them - the whole way across)
Contact lens kit (including mirror)
Tub of smash
Bag of muesli
Small folding knife
Small headtorch
Small tentpeg (should be in the tent bag)
Compass & spare (not in case it breaks, in case I lose it!)
Simple GPS Unit
Hygiene kit
 - Small bar of soap
 - Tea Tree Oil
 - Small anti-perspirant (I know everyone will smell at the end, but I will smell slightly different)
 - Midge repellent
 - Sunscreen
 - Toothpaste & toothbrush
Gadget charger
Nokia mobile (with a seemingly endless battery life)
1 x Nokia battery (lord knows why, the original will never run out)
Food (4 days worth)
Bubblewrap toner bags (one for a meal cosy, the other for my kindle)
Tiny backup stove - for woodburning
Tent
Sit-mat
Toilet trowel
Wiping sponge (condensation control and spillages)
Stuff sacks (for segregating kit - like you need to have that explained)
Notepad & pen
Sleeping quilt
Sleeping pad
Water bottles
Whisky bottle
One Balaclava
Two pairs pants
Two pairs of thin day socks
One pair warm night socks
Pair of windproof bottoms - lightweight
e-Reader
Two baselayer-tees
One windproof jacket - lightweight
Trekking poles
Not in the photo
Waterproof jacket (old XCR one)
TGO Fleece (hasn't arrived yet)
Camera (I was using it)
Smartphone (it was charging - like they all probably are, most of the time)
Smartphone batteries (x3)
Rucksack - 44l
Chest pack - 4l




So that's it.  Everything I need - apart from what I will be wearing which will be a pair of trousers, underpants, socks, tee-shirt - and probably all the warm and wet weather gear from the above!


Go on, slate me for taking too much, and leaving stuff out - whatever, but most of all....


....PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME CHANGE MY MIND!!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to change your plans Pt.2...

So where did we leave it last time?  Oh yes, I was awash with whisky and spaghetti bolognaise by Ladybower...


So we were both awake before dawn, but the first hints of light were beginning to materialise to the northeast.   The pocket rocket was fired up and a brew on the go within a few minutes.  Breakfast was one of those flapjacks that you will have seen on an earlier blog.  Not great, but the chocolate chips helped.  Black coffee always helps to kickstart me in the morning, in more ways than one, so a trip to the wilderness toilet was had.  The turf was replaced and a huge rock placed over it to ensure it didn't escape.  I resisted taking a photo - some things are best left unrecorded.


Today we had decided to walk the shore and join the road at the Ashopton Viaduct which would take us around to the westernmost point of Ladybower.  After the shoreline section, the road was not pleasant, although the A57 was thankfully very quiet with it being early on a Sunday.  


I think my wife must have been praying, because the teawagon on the A57 was there, open and a steaming cup of tea was ready for us to purchase.  A smashing chap runs that wagon - and I urge you to stop by if you are driving through.  Some nice fellas were in front of us, be-gaitered and ready to go off hiking.  One of these men appeared addled, and was clearly confused that he had lost something, but was making no sense when I questioned him.  He was ushered away by his 'pal' who I asked what he had lost - he too said he didn't know.  We came to the conclusion that he had some form of dementia.  That thought stayed with me and troubled me for a while after we left the lay-by.


After being caught short again, I had to catch up with Den who had walked on slowly ahead.  Every time I looked up - he looked back over his shoulder, and started running off.  This he did about a dozen times, until I finally caught up with him.  How we laughed.

Looking back down the Woodlands Valley over to Ladybower

The road section, despite seeming endless, was not and we crossed the bridge in the Woodlands Valley, just to the north of Hope Cross on the OS map.  There was a slight uncertainty as to which was our path onto Win Hill - our main target for the day.  A short walk ahead confirmed there were no other paths to take and that, coupled with the fact that Len's Path was clearly signed as a route onto the Roman Road, removed any doubt that this steep and dirty trail was the one we should take.

Len's Path, that's Den by the way, not Len

Occasionally we saw dirt-bikers, all of whom Den asserted were off-duty superbikers having a day of fun.  In fact I think we saw all of the following according to Den:


- British Superbike
- World Superbike Champion
- MOTO GP Champion
- TT Champion
- Eddie Kidd
- Evil Knieval


Each of these were on their DT50's with muddied out number plates.  I resisted the urge to stop them for their autographs.  Didn't want to bother them on their days off.


The initial distasteful appearance of Len's Path (now known to me as Den's Path) gave way to a really lovely route which became so at what appeared to be a small settlement at around SK164867.  For some reason I failed to take a photograph here, but I couldn't quite work out what these places were other than long deserted homes.  I wondered if the owners might have been cleared as in the Highlands.  
From these mysterious steadings the path leads through dense conifer plantation (which may or may not confirm my clearance wondering).  Despite my having a real dislike for dense conifer plantation, the path was a joy to walk, being sheltered from the wind and full of atmosphere.  Punctuated with lush and verdant grassy clearings to the southwestern side, this latter section of ascent eased off in steepness as we gained the ridge.  

The coniferous tube of Den's Path

The ridge took us by surprise for it was substantially broader than we expected.  The Roman Road section was largely easy walking and this was borne out by the myriad Sunday walkers in trainers and bomber jackets that materialised shortly after we popped out above the conifer line.


The views over to Kinder were fine at first, but Mother Nature seemed to have her felt pens out and quickly coloured everything to the west in grey.  She spared us for some time along this never-ending, long tongue of a hill.  It was a lovely place to be and I felt like I could have walked along it for hours.   I'd say from the point where we joined it, to the summit rocks, was around 2.5 miles of loveliness.  
There was a varied, sandy terrain of neatly grazed grass, interspersed with tussocks of tougher grasses, and heather in places.  There were several pits which dotted the top of the spur-like plateau and we wondered what they might be.  Evidence of open-cast mining - but of what?  Sink holes?  We remain clueless. 
The highest point is marked by Hope Cross which seems to have had its top stone removed and all that remains is the upright and a metal spike where the top stone once rested.  At least that is what I can glean from a quick Google search. I might have been looking at the wrong marker post I suppose(?).  Anyone got any better info?

Den on the Roman Road - summit bound

Some you Win.  Lose Hill from Win Hill

Grass, Heather, Sand, Erosion, Mist, and Den

After a brief spell of more closed in mist, the air cleared and the winds got up to full strength for the first time so far, the air being compressed on the prominent summit rocks of Win Hill itself.  We'd looked across to this pointy top some ten years earlier and vowed to 'do' it one day.  We never expected it to take us 10 years.  I suppose the Munros and Wainwrights got in the way.


The summit moment was poignant, but brief due to the gale-force battering we were getting so we set off downwards for a steep and very careful descent to Yorkshire Bridge. 

Den in his lovely new Spyder jacket.  The armed guards weren't far away
on account of its ludicrous value.   

Me at the Trig - you'll not believe the number of times that Garmin knocked me on the head.
Note to self - reposition next walk.  It didn't even get switched on!

Although a fabulous setting, the conditions underfoot were less than fabulous - ankle deep mire most of the way.  And folk were coming uphill in shiny white trainers!  I should add that a good many of them were not smiling.  
My trusty Fizan poles had had a good outing and continued to prove themselves by making this descent far less troublesome with them in hand.

We regained our knees for a spell at Yorkshire Bridge and I phoned home with a quick progress report whilst Den caught his breath with a much needed roll-up.  Nuthatches were shouting in the trees above us and as if to tease us, remained disguised by their silhouettes or hidden by the boughs.  A little way up the lane all manner of small songbirds erupted from the trees by the road and my eyes scanned for the cause.  In that moment the culprit, a male sparrowhawk, burst empty-handed from a bramble and flew off along the line of trees.  Doubtless cussing the wasted energy.  There's usually a moment like this on our walks, a real treat.

The next couple of miles along the peakland lanes were a bit of a slog, but I enjoyed getting into the rhythm with my poles.  I paused often to suck up the views down over Bamford, I remember thinking that it was a shame it would soon be over. 

Shortly before we reached the parking spot at Dennis Knoll - a honeypot for Stanage climbers - Den noticed the car, stile a mile or so away.  It was a welcome sight, and given that I couldn't see any bricks supporting the axles, I was all the more pleased.

We slumped into the car, checked the map for a while, scouting a pitch for the night, and headed down into Hathersage to fill the tanks and resupply.  After driving about looking for suitable spots to camp close to the road, we decided that we'd head for the North Lees campsite and pitch there.  It was a little soggy, the facilities were clean and serviceable - although the lights in the loos seemed to be switched off overnight and only came on after dawn - go and figure that one out.  Oh, and there was no cold water either.  Bear this in mind if you are thinking of staying.

Therein lies the tale of my first bit of backpacking in what seemed like an age.  How quickly one can get back into the groove.  Quite apart from the fact that our initial route plan was dumped on day one, we had a great walk, a good wild camp, and a memorable weekend outside.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much a I did recording it.

Finishing where we started, beneath Stanage Edge.

2011 - The Year of No Wild Camps

I aim to keep this brief - from a backpacking point of view 2011 was indeed the year of no wild camps.  Not one!

I got out into the hills a bit, and went for a few local walks but wild camps were a-none. Some of the walks have been posted on this blog and you may have already read them.  My youngest son Ashley was born in January, when my eldest daughter Hope was just 20 months old.  To leave my wife with these little ones, and to leave them too, has been difficult and would have been more selfish than my conscience would allow.  Not to mention the fact that the funds required for a weekend of free-of-charge walking are increasing with every percentage point the chancellor slapped on a couple of pints of diesel.

I managed to get a myself involved in a charity walk around the Yorkshire Three Peaks which was a challenge for sure, but not so much so as it might have been a decade ago.  The event itself repulsed me but I had a view to get my two good pals - soon to be first-time parents - into the hills a couple of times before the wee one was to arrive.  It worked, and I hope that it won't be too long before they are all back on the trail, big-wheeled buggy in tow.  No wilderness night under silnylon here.

And I got up to Cumbria to help Den finish off his Wainwright round in September too.  That was a couple of brief dashes on a very wet weekend which although satisfying, and salubrious, and a tad drunken, didn't involve any camping in the hills.

Many a local (for local, read East Anglian) walk was enjoyed, long mornings in the field margins, bridleways and studlands.  Many a prime stealthy overnight spot was surveyed.  None were used.  I arrived home after each, refreshed and wonderfully tired, as every walk I take leaves me, but my still became low, and today I think I reached the valley bottom.  

The period of Christmas soaked through me and dripped out the other side, most of it I enjoyed and the rest I endured.  The lack of outdoors time had me selfishly grumpy.  Itchy.  Tetchy.  Unpalatable.

My wife came to the rescue today.  She gave me the most fantastic gift that the whole of the festive season failed to provide.  4 passes for overnighters leading up to TGO Challenge 2012.

About 18 months ago I began reading about TGO Challenge, and after a time, the gravitational pull of the associated blogosphere and mostly the compulsion created by Bob Cartwright, Andy Howell and Shirley Worral on their podcasts had me posting my application the moment it landed on my doorstep.  I got number 17 on the standby list, and in a week or so I will find out if that number has reduced.

I am assured that this number will reduce sufficiently so as to ensure a place on the Challenge and I am planning as if it were so, as you will have seen if you follow my post both here, on Twitter and occasionally on the Challenge message board.

In her gift, my wife has provided the liberation of days and nights outdoors.  One in Jan, One in Feb, One in March and One in April.  Each will involve at least a single night in the cocoon of my Tarptent and grant me the tiny fix of the wilds that I have discovered I need to remain buoyant in spirit.  Doug Scott could not have put it more eloquently when he was asked why he climbed 'because I get grumpy when I don't'.  What a lucky boy I am!

So, out with the old.  2011 - The Year of No Wild Camps.  And in with the New.  2012 - The Year of the Challenge.  

I'll leave you with a couple of photos which bring back fond memories of 2011 as it seems is customary among similar pages.  I hope you like them, and I look forward to seeing you on the hills this year, and maybe on the Challenge too.  

The Langdale Pikes from Blea Tarn

Enroute to Buttermere - Rannerdale Knotts in the middle-distance

And one of my favourites from 2010 as well - I couldn't resist.  Happy New Year!!!

2010 - My pal Den climbing up Allt Clach nan Taillear in July!!

KITLIST V1.1

TGO Challenge Kit List laid out - awaiting judgement.

Following a few comments on my previous post, here is my kitlist for your scrutinous pleasure.  This is for day one with 6 days of grub in it.  In fairness I probably wont need to carry it all on day one, but that's where you lot come in.


Be kind, be humourous, and if you can be helpful at the same time, so much the better!

Category	Item	Weight (g)
Baselayer	Technicals L/S Baselayer	210
Baselayer	Baggie	15
Communication	Nokia 1616 Mobile	75
Cooking	Trangia 1l Kettle	175
Cooking	Lifeventure Titanium Mug	60
Cooking	Long Handled Spoon	15
Cooking	MSR Pocket Rocket	75
Cooking	Matches & Lighter	20
Cooking	Gas Cart	500
Cooking	Sea to Summit Baggie	25
First Aid	First Aid Kit	90
First Aid	Painkillers and Anti Diarrhoea	80
Food	Be-well Exped Main Meal	180
Food	Be-well Exped Main Meal	180
Food	Be-well Exped Main Meal	180
Food	Be-well Exped Main Meal	180
Food	Be-well Exped Main Meal	180
Food	Be-well Exped Main Meal	180
Food	Be-well Exped Dessert	130
Food	Be-well Exped Dessert	130
Food	Wayfayrer Dessert	200
Food	Wayfayrer Dessert	200
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Be-Well ChocChip Flapjack	115
Food	Smash Packet	175
Food	Smash in Clip Top Container	175
Food	Beef Jerky	100
Gloves	Karrimor Gloves	50
Gloves	Trekmates Silk Liner Gloves	25
Headgear	Lowe Alpine Mountain Cap GTX	75
Headgear	2 x BUFF	75
Hydration	2ltr pop bottle	50
Hydration	2ltr platy	30
Hydration	2l water	2000
Hygiene	MSR Pack Towel	30
Hygiene	Nivea 4 Men Cool Kick 35ml Antiperspirant	35
Hygiene	Small Bottle of Lifeventure All Purpose Soap	35
Hygiene	Sunscreen 30SPF	25
Hygiene	Smidge 75ml	85
Hygiene	Loo roll	30
Hygiene	Wet Wipes	45
Hygiene	Kitchen Roll (10 Sheets)	15
Hygiene	Sea to Summit Baggie	20
Insulation	PHD Yukon Jacket	550
Insulation	Montane Chuckchi Microfleece	230
Navigation	Silva Expedition 4 Compass	45
Navigation	Garmin Geko 201 (inc case)	110
Navigation	Printed OS sheets in plastic case	320
Navigation	Moleskine Notepad (Navigation Notes)	40
Odds & Sods	Length of Dyneema	25
Odds & Sods	Alpkit Carabiner (for the dyneema)	15
Odds & Sods	Baladeo 22g Pocket Knife	22
Odds & Sods	Spare Lighter	15
Odds & Sods	Front Door Key	25
Odds & Sods	Wallet & Cash	100
Outer Shell	Mountain Hardwear Paclite Trousers	300
Outer Shell	Mountain Equipment Changabang XCR	625
Power & Light	6xAAA Lithium Batteries & 3 x CR2032	65
Power & Light	Petzl eLite	25
Power & Light	DSL Mini Alu Light	10
Power & Light	Spare Mobile Battery	20
Reading	Kindle (inc protective case)	340
Rucksack	MACPAC Pursuit Classic (Size 3)	1900
Shelter	Tarptent Moment (including 4xAlpkit Spike Pegs)	1040
Sleeping	Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo 6	575
Sleeping	Golite Ultralite 3-season Quilt	700
Trekking	Fizan Compact Ultralight Poles	335
Trousers	Pair of Running Leggings	225
Trousers	Pair of Running Leggings	225
Trousers	Baggie	15
Underwear	Tilley Underpants	45
Underwear	Bridgedale Hiker Socks	110
Underwear	bridgedale Hiker Socks	110
Underwear	Helly Hansen Baselayer	130
Underwear	Baggie	15
Writing	Moleskine Notepad (journal)	40
Writing	Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.1	15
Writing	Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.1	15
Writing	Baggie	10
Total		15692
Food	6-days	3340
Water	Max Carried	2000
F & W Total		5340
Base Weight		10352

Now awaiting critique..............

17!

That's my position on the standby list.  John Manning just wrote to me, he was glad I had been in touch.


Judging by general Challenger opinion (Thanks Dave, Alan etc...), I stand a very, very good chance of moving onto the participant list.


The delightful and fabulous Mrs M has given me the nod and I am going to continue planning, and hopefully, by 2012 I will know for sure.  This is one occasion where I am actually hoping not to be able to knock off three-score Wainwrights! 


The shoes are back on tomorrow for another walk in the East Anglian countryside, this time with my good pal Den.

1 in 420+

That's what I was.  

I found my fate today by both letter and a leak on the challenge forum.  Ok so not exactly a leak as it was a post from John Manning himself.  

I was one of the 420+ people to find out that I am on the standby list.

I had prepared myself for disappointment, expecting not to get on but I have to say I was strangely close to tears.  It was odd, I guess despite openly and outwardly readying myself for the possibility of a 'No' I already had book my place.  In truth, I fully EXPECTED to get on and not getting on was a complete surprise.  

I have lit the tinder of a few new friendships which I hoped to fuel in the coming months, which I can and will still do.  BUT I WANTED TO GET A 'YES'.

I had promised my wife, who really wasn't cherishing 2 weeks without me (although I would have thought she would have had the opposite reaction), that I would withdraw from the standby list.  But I just couldn't resist asking John 'Outdoors' Manning where I stand on that list, so that is what I have just done.  

I don't know what I will do with the number, I suppose it depends what number it turns out to be.

I do have a plan to finish off my round of Wainwrights - I should be able to do 62 in a year if I make a few concerted forays so that is what I plan to do with 2012.

But what if I am number 1, 2, 3......10, 11, 12 on the list?

204...

...days to go until TGO 2012.

The suspense is becoming difficult to bear.  It's great to read some of the accounts of 2011 which are popping up on Twitter and throughout the blogosphere, and if you haven't checked out http://www.doodlecat.com/ then I suggest you do right away.  What a smashing little TGOC portal it is.  It is currently serving as a great way to fill the time spent waiting for the nod from Mr J Manning at Challenge HQ.

I was trying to get a message to Mick/Gayle of Gayleybird Lejog & K2CW fame as it seems as though they walked almost exactly the same route as I have worked out for TGOC next year and I wondered about some of the do's and don'ts on the way.  If anyone can get a message to them, I would love for one of them to get in touch so I could pick their brains a wee bit.  Perhaps they have a twitter name or something?

Alan Sloman has been helpful on the first night's intended camp for me, citing Meallan Bhuidhe as a spot with good views, and a lot of deer!  He also suggested that the area near Pait Lodge might be a good and common spot to pitch, with the usual courtesy to be afforded to the occupants.

It's stuff like that that I obsess about when planning these sorts of trips.  Yet when I listen to, or read the things that the likes of Chris Townsend write / say about long journeys on foot, and the very flexible plans they make, letting the walk make the decisions etc, I am very envious.  I guess that I should obsess less about the detail, and just make sure that I cover a minimum distance each day to ensure that I don't take too long getting to the East coast.  I've got to get into that really long distance vibe.

I still can't stop thinking about it - it's a big thing for me, the longest walk - although probably not the most demanding - that I will have attempted by a factor of 2, and I am anxious and excited in equal measure.

When do we find out if we are in again???

Be great to hear if any of you have any anxieties about the challenge, its planning, anticipation etc.

Bye for now.

2012 - The Countdown Begins

Well it really has been a long while since my last post.  I've been up and over the Yorkshire Three Peaks, round the back o' Pillar and Scoat Fell etc in the Western Fells and made a few significant decisions concerning my future (more on that to follow). 

So here it is, I am now officially an applicant for TGO Challenge 2012 and my hours/days/weeks spent in front of the OS sheets are now being put down in ink for the first formal draft.  I'm doing it for real this time!  I just hope and pray that I am one of those first timers that gets on the challenge.

Great to see Bob and Rose's videos on Youtube - they are always really detailed and helpful.  Great for ideas for kit to take and kit to leave out.

I have to say though, that I threw in the towel with the Golite Jam - it was just too floppy and I couldn't be bothered with packing it so carefully.  I put it on eBay so someone else could take the time to get the most out of it.  I've apologised to the MACPAC now, and I think I am forgiven.  I'll never desert it again.

So now it is time to wait.  A wait in anticipation of the response from the TGO team with a confirmation that I am in.  And then I suppose I should get my skates on, get rid of the spare tyre(s) that have formed, and reduce my resting pulse rate a tad.

I'm off up to Lakeland in a few weeks to help a mate of mine finish of his last two Wainwright's - Rosthwaite Fell and Hard Knott.  We'll probably do a bit of a wildcamp so I can test my gear again and I suspect we'll stay at Fisher Ground on at least one night for a bit of campfire cooking.

I've pre-ordered my mate a copy of The UK County Tops (new release by Cicerone) so he isn't short of a list of things to tick off as he'll have finished the WWs.  I'm fearing he might not thank me for that, and if he doesn't, I'll ask for it back!

Oh, and after this trip, I've a week near Mosser in a wee cottage so I'll get out and about a bit that week with the family I should think - carrying the bairns up and down hills ought to help the pins get back into tip-top (ahem!) mountain shape again.

I'll do another post if anything interesting occurs between now and then.

Much love to my handful of followers - look forward to hearing about your plans for the outdoors.

Lowland leg crunches, Lakeland windblasts & more gear...

It's been a while since my last post (I wonder how many blogs begin with just those words?).  Anyway I have been out stretching my legs in the wilds of Suffolk with a day walk from Bury St Edmunds to Clare, and on to my hometown - Haverhill.  In all I'd guess its 26 or 27 miles (plus a bit for diversions - I took a couple of wrong turns).

This was largely a bit of preparation for The Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge later in June as a means to getting my head on really. 

The stretch from Bury to Clare (around 18 miles) felt pretty good but it all got measurably harder from Clare to Haverhill - the last 8 or so miles.  Having said this, the Inov8s performed really well (I threw away some memory foam inserts I was trying as they kept creeping around  my shoes) and my feet felt tired but ok by the end of the day.  The road walking had given them a battering but this was to be expected, and I don't expect that any of my days will even approach 27 miles on TGOC.

I've also been up into Lakeland (the scenic region, not the kitchenware shop!) again getting a bit more hillwalking under my belt.  A friday afternoon jaunt from Castlerigg to High Rigg of around 4 miles to get the juices flowing, followed by the three Dodds and Clough Head to the north of the Helvellyn ridge.  To say that the wind was strong was understatement of the century - I won't estimate the windspeed but thank Montane for their windproof gear - the Featherlight jacket and trousers nailed the windchill.  Just my hands suffered at one point when I picked up my poles (which I actually used to great effect this time) and jogged over to catch up with my brother in law who had gone off ahead.  I swear frostbite was moments away - brrr!

I took the opportunity to test out walking in running pants (I'd recently bought a couple of pairs for £16 from Aldi) and have to say they performed brilliantly, keeping off all but the keenest wind and when combined with the Montane Featherlight Pants made for an excellent alternative to regular mountain pants.  One slight downside is the lack of pockets.  Just a single money pocket at the back, but this really is a pedantic complaint and they are a definite contender to be in my pack for TGOC.  I'll just have to get over the psychological issues of walking in tights!

Helly Hansen's baselayer Tee is a new garment for me and I hardly noticed I was wearing it which has to be a good thing.  Two for £32 in Blacks Keswick was reasonable I thought.

I can't remember if I mentioned that I have sold a ton of kit on eBay but that's exactly what I have been doing.  Here's what I sold:

- Mtn Eqpt AR Ultralite 1 Tent
- Trangia 27 UL Cookset
- Primus Stove
- Thermarest Prolite 4 Reg
- Rab Summit Extreme Jacket
- Some climbing crabs and quickdraws
- My MLT confidence rope (spare)
- A few other sundries

and here's what I've bought with the money:

- Tarptent Moment (so excited about that)
- Montane AntiFreeze jacket
- Golite Jam
- Montane Featherlight Pants
- Vargo Triad Titanium Meths Stove
- Lifeventure Titanium Mug
- Helly Hansen base layer Tees x 2
- Fizan Compact Lite poles (pair)

I have had to put very little towards the new kit so my mantra of "BUY CHEAP BUY TWICE" has truly paid off here.  I look after my gear so its all in good nick.  If I had bought cheap gear it'd probably have packed up by now so I would be replacing it anyway, but by buying top gun gear, and looking after it I have been able to 'recycle' it into new gear for little if any extra outlay. 

The resale value of top gun kit on eBay is excellent.  Folk realise that well looked after kit on eBay can save them money and can be resold meaning that kit can be kept up to date without shelling out for more and more gear whilst the old stuff festers in the loft space.

That'll do for now, I'm at work and due back from lunch in five minutes.  I'd be interested to hear from anyone who reads the blog about connected issues so feel free to comment. 

Might try an audioblog next time.

Bye for now.

Carl.

Consumed with envy...

...because I decided to apply for TGO Challenge after the expiry date for 2011 applications.

You see right about now I am reading tweets about folk who are making their final preparations for their crossing of Scotland, and it's making me ever so slightly green-tinged.

On the 13th of May 300 like-minded folk will be setting off from the western coast of the Highlands on a footpath which will not finish until they reach the waters of the North Sea.

They will have probably spent most of the year sorting gear, selling the old and testing the new with a view to making their challenge that tiny bit more comfortable. They will have deliberated about their route, re-planned sections in case of foul weather and listened closely to news of bridges and path obstructions with the potential to scupper carefully meticulated routes.

They will have learned of new eating, camping, supply-getting, and socialising venues on their routes and will doubtless have considered how to carry which foodstuffs and how much of them they'll need.

They will have learned of bereavements in the TGO community, new arrivals, challengers who have had to drop out and those who have gained a place as a result of their disappointment.

I have been through all of this and I am not even applying for TGOC 2012 until the form comes out in TGO Magazine's October issue - out September.

I have my route largely planned with a couple of foul weather alternatives to get pinned down.

I have revised my base kit from somewhere around
10kg to more or less 5kg including my pack.

I have got out into the wild outdoors much more to strengthen my legs and tone up.

I have reduced my bodily pack weight (aka Belly) from a gross bodyweight of 15st 8lb to 14st 4lb.

I have moved from mountain boots to trail running boots (a liberation).

I have shifted from heavy waterproofs to water-resistant wind-proofs.

I have over a year to go!

So all you challengers, please do me this one favour; please keep blogging, tweeting, podcasting (that one is best left to Bob Cartwright and his clan) , and posting on forums. It is keeping me inspired and making me rethink my approach to long-distance walking daily.

Bye for now, I'm just off to pack for a midweek break in Basecamp Billy (aka the caravan). Off to the Broads with my family for a bit more outdoors-ing!



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