Gosforth Weekend

This weekend was our trip up to Sheila's mums, as we do every 2/3 weeks. It was also the inaugural trip for the new car.
After the highlights of a shopping trip to Whitehaven we went for a coffee to St Bees. We watched one chap, with fully laden rucksack, saying his farewells to what i presume were his parents as he sets off on his Coast to Coast adventure.
It brought back memories of the trip we did.

He did the usual wetting of the boots in the sea, and then with hugs all round he was off up the track to St Bees head. Hope it goes well for him.

The day was beautiful, with very clear visibility. I must say i have never seen the Isle of Man or the hills of Dumfries quite so sharp.

We decided to have a drive up to Wasdale head and take some photographs.

This is the new motor with Wast water and Great Gable behind.

Sheila and Mum at Wasdale Head Hotel.

Some more pics can be viewed HERE if any one is interested.

More phone issues.

Below is a message i received from View Ranger digital mapping for mobiles support. As a number of people could be considering this option after the positive review in Feb TGO magazine i thought i would share the content. If you are not a techie like me, it might be helpful. (Thanks to View Ranger help guys)

You WILL need some sort of GPS (internal or external Bluetooth) for the phone to work with ViewRanger.
Phones with internal GPS (like the Nokia 5800) work perfectly fine.  It could be argued as a Bluetooth GPS costs more (on top of the cost of the phone) it will be more accurate, and battery life on the phone would also last longer (as it is not powering the GPS).  But you can buy a phone with internal GPS and still use a Bluetooth external GPS anyway.
Please see our documentation on Bluetooth GPS if you are considering buying one as there are things to watch out for.
http://shop.viewranger.com/article.php?category_id=120&article_id=60

Here is our compatible phone list;
http://www.viewranger.com/phonesupport.php

The Phone.

Well after many weeks of deliberation the phone i chose was the Samsung Omnia HD. So i went into town to purchase the said item and guess what. NOBODY sold it! Absolutely none of the big providers contract it or sell it.
I will have to choose another. I'm sick as a parrot.

Stoves test.

This post is round 2 of the which stove/which fuel saga that i started in an earlier post.
The stoves i have used for my tests are made by me except for 1 which is a Hi Gear meths burner.
Let me first say that i have carried out these tests solely for my own benefit and not for any commercial use.
None of the tests were carried out under lab type conditions or serious scrutiny. I didn't record water or ambient temperatures, but just for the record the tests were carried out in the evenings and the temperature was probably just above freezing. (feb 2010)


Basically, if the kit works and it boils 0.5L of cold water straight from the tap, in a reasonable time and i can get my kit weight down then that's what i want to know. I'm not too concerned if one was 5 seconds faster than the other. etc etc

The stoves shown above are, from left to right :-
A unpressurised coke can. A unpressurised aluminium wine bottle,  A pressurised Aluminium wine bottle and pan stand combined, The Hi Gear burner and the Esbit burner and pan stand. 

The weights of the stoves are again left to right:-  8gr, 30gr, 40gr, 57gr, 10gr.


I also made 2 windshields. A Cone type and a plain round type.

   The cone weight which also includes 2 tent pegs for pan support is 47gr.   The round wind shield is 27 gr.


Fuel costs. 0.5L of Methylated spirit cost me £1.00.
1 box of Genuine Esbit tablets. 20 tabs x 4gr. each cost me £2.80.




In all the meths burners, i filled them with 50ML of fuel and tested each one in turn, boiling the 0.5L of cold water with the cone shield and then the round shield.
The pressurised burners needed about 5ml of extra fuel to pre warm the burner to get the jets working properly.
What surprised me was just how similar the burn times were for the home made burners. 
Give or take 10/15  seconds each boiled the water in 6 minutes. Each burner then quickly ran out of fuel.
The Hi Gear burner boiled the water in 5.75 minutes and there was still fuel left which burned for another minute.


The round shield, using the same fuel load, just failed to boil the water prior to the fuel running out.  Except for the Hi Gear burner which boiled in 6.75 minutes. So i am adding on another 5ML of fuel for the round wind shield. 


With the Esbit tablets i upturned the meths burners and lit 2.0 tablets, then 3.0 tablets but the Esbits didn't boil the water until i put 4 tablets on and even then it was touch and go. It took just over 8 minutes to boil.
4.5 tabs is what i would use in the field.
The same results occurred for the burner and pot stand.


One thing that was very noticeable with the Esbit set up was the smell given off. With or without a windshield the smell was awful.  I'm not sure i could stand this.
Also i tried Esbit copies and these proved quite difficult to light. The Esbits lit very easily in comparison.


So, 
Meths burners.
0.5L meths weighs 455gr. (which includes the bottle).
With the cone shield i used 50ml, weight 45gr cost £0.10p
With the round shield i used 55ml, weight 50gr, cost £0.11p
From 0.5L bottle at best i can boil 10 lots of water.


Esbits,
1 box of Genuine Esbit tablets containing 20 x 4gr tablets weighs 80gr. The box is negligible.
The best i can achieved is 4.5 tablets per boil. weight 18gr, cost £0.63p
So to boil 10 lots of water with Esbits would weigh 180 gr and cost £6.30p


(If you took the equivalent weight in Esbits as Meths then you would be able to boil 25 lots of water for Esbits against 10 for meths. 


Therefore, the weight is considerably less using Esbits rather than Methylated spirit on a like for like basis, but the cost is significantly more. And then there is the awful smell.
If i had to cook in the tent porch then Esbits would not be considered. 
If i was able to cook away from the tent then Esbits are the way to go if the cost isn't too prohibitive.
But Esbits take around 30% longer to boil water than Methylated spirit.
Choices/Choices.


My Choice.
I am going to take the Cone windshield. Weight  47gr.
I am going to take the unpressurised coke can burner. Weight  8gr. (no warming up fuel needed)
I am going to use a combination of fuels i will take 0.5L Methylated spirit. and 2 box's of Esbits. Weight 160 gr.
In total thats enough fuel for 19 lots of water.  ( If you take 7 minutes as an average boil time then 7mins  X 19 =133 mins of cooking in total.


How long will that last? 
Well that depends on too many variables to put in this post. Anybody interested can work that out themselves.


Total kit weight.  670 gr. divided between 2 of us is 335gr. each and the weight will reduce after every meal/brew etc.

Good Weekend

Back now from our survival birthday weekend.
After a very bleak start driving over Corney fell in a complete blizzard the weekend weather decided not to follow the dire forecast predicted. Saturday was supposed to be poor visibility, it was as bright as a button with fabulous views.
Anybody who ventured up onto the tops on saturday would have had a great time.
We decided to stay low level due to the hangovers and then go for a late lunch. We picked a walk along the river in Eskdale and then up to Stanley Force waterfall.
We tried to get over the stepping stones on the way back to the bar at Boot house, but i am afraid we were just too wobbly.
Thankfully i managed to hold the camera steady for a few scenic photo's during the weekend.

Stoves epic.

Following on from October 19th post. I cannot believe it was so far back.
I have been making some new burners and testing out how they work. I have completely discounted using a gas burner this year as the lightest set up is around the 200 gram mark and it would mean i needed a new pot to store it in. I am not going to buy new gear so thats out.
I am now down to the Esbits and Meths. I am putting my findings together and will post my thoughts early next week.
This weekend i am on a double birthday bash and an anniversary bash so thats the weekend gone again.
Fortunately its up in the Lakes but i doubt that much walking will be taking place, except to the Loo of course.
Never know, might meet Mr Sloman in one of the hostelries?  A bearded bloke with a belly carrying a settee, shouldn't be hard to spot.

Niche market

I went into Manchester yesterday to check out phones and to buy a pair of Goretex or similar socks for Sheila.
Just on the socks front i asked in the following stores, Blacks, Ellis Brigham, TNF, Millets, Nevis sport, Sweat shop, Up and running, Evans cycles, Nomad and the Cotswold shop. None of them sold waterproof socks apart from the not waterproof Seal Skinz.

Talking to a very interested chap in Cotswold, he wanted to know why i wanted Goretex socks. So after explaining that we only hike wearing shoes, ie Inov8 etc with a thin sock and a slightly thicker sock on top then depending on the weather a waterproof sock he was impressed, i think, that this way was in his opinion, "different".
We went through the pro's and con's of boots and eventually he said to me. Well, you are a Niche walker and we don't cater for niche markets. Sorry.

So all you guys who walk in shoes, please take a bow because your different.

And i will search the web for a pair, or if anybody knows where i can get a pair of size 5-6 that would be great. TIA.

Phone Joy!

This made me laugh so thought i would share it.

I"VE BEEN ON HOLD FOR 45 MINUTES!!!!!

Ogden circular walk

Saturday we headed off to Ogden near Newhay. We planned to do a circular walk from the small car park adjacent to Ogden reservoir at Grid ref SD 952 122. It was a nice day, not much sun though. We set off east following the track on the south side of the reservoirs and then took a right at Cold Greave and headed for the pub on the Ripponden road at Grid ref SD 977 119.

We closed our eyes as we passed the pub just in case we may have been tempted to go in. We turned left and headed up the road to the footpath to Readycon dean reservoir.

We followed this track east passing the reservoir which was still frozen. The wind was bitting.
 Just as we rounded the end of the reservoir we noticed a large flock of noisy geese overhead going north.

At the point where the path meets the Huddersfield road we took a left and in a few minutes joined up with the Pennine way at Grid ref SE 002 122.

The track up to White Hill 466m, Grid ref SD 990 131, was a real quagmire in places, typical of the Pennine way. The views from here were good in all directions.

We could now see the mast at Windy hill which was our stopping place for lunch. Grid Ref SD 980 143.

The amount of rubbish people had dumped here was a real disappointment. There were TV's, tyres, furniture, general household rubbish. Obviously our recycling policy doesn't agree with everybody. Such a mess.

We didn't stop here for lunch but carried on a little further until we found some shelter from the wind.
From here we set off down Tunshill "green" lane and turned off at Grid ref SD 951 132 to Ogden reservoir and back to the car.

We  had a really good walk, not too far, only around 8.5/9 miles but my back was feeling ok and that was the main thing.

Valentines day

Well Valentines day is here again so i've done the right thing and been out and bought Sheila a new bag and a belt.

The hoover is working fine now!

Which Blogging phone?

I need the help of you guys who have mobile blogged for ages and are familiar with the good and bad points of the latest gizmo's.
We are due a phone upgrade in April and as we don't currently blog on the go, we thought we would give it a go this time.

We have quite a bit of Apple tech so the iphone is our 1st thought. However, we believe it's not the best to take on treks as you cannot switch batteries and the GPS is not that great either.

We were thinking that one piece of kit could do everything ie,  phone, camera, blog and GPS but we are sceptical that this is the right way to proceed. Jack of all trades but master of none.

Any help and advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Bleng Forest Limp.

After a painful drive up to Gosforth Cumbria on thursday night, it was nice that the weather forecasters had got it wrong with their prediction for Friday. It was a lovely day with sharp views through the Wasdale Valley to Great Gable. There seemed to be still snow hanging about at around the 800m mark.
I unfortunately was still in a bad way and was struggling to get about.
So bad that we never even went out Friday night for a gargleblaster or 2.

I slept on the floor and on saturday morning i woke with a little less pain and a bit more movement in the back and left leg. I was determined we should try and get out after lunch for a bit of a stroll.

Sheila just wanted us to have a drive round to Wastwater and take a few pictures as she didn't think i was up to walking any distance. I on the other hand wanted to see if a walk would loosen me up. Kill or cure so to speak.
We drove to the car park in Blengdale and set our sights on reaching the top of the track as it exits to open country on the east side. The views are usually good from there.

I limped my way up the track and found that the cure was winning. Well i was feeling no worse put it like that.

It's a great walk through the forest and a really good way of entering the Lake Districts higher fells. (but don't tell anybody) From here you are away from the tourist spots and there are numerous mountains within easy reach, like Seatallon, Haycock, Red Pike, Scoat Fell and further on the Pillar range and you probably won't meet a soul.

The river Bleng opposite.

Photo's to  the right and below, coming out of  Bleng forest on the eastern edge, views of Seatallon (R) of Sheila's head and Haycock behind (L).

Not much snow about now as the temperatures during the day had reach the dizzy heights of 8 degrees! Shorts weather!

As we made our way back to the car the late sun was pouring through the trees and made the forest look quite eerie. We saw only one deer and a  couple of people all afternoon.
I made it back to the car feeling far better than i did when i set off and looking forward to a couple of pain killing beers later in the Gosforth Hall Inn.

About an hour after we got back, incredibly, from being in wonderful sunshine, the mist came down and visibility closed in to about 100 yards.
It stayed this way for the rest of saturday and until we left for home today.

What a PAIN

How unlucky can i be. Went into the garden to bring in some logs, slipped on the snow and ice and slipped a disc in my back. After a couple of days lying down doing nothing i can now get up and write this. It's still very painful but hopefully if i keep taking the tablets, as the saying goes, i will be able to manage a short walk on saturday. Great!

Just heard that 2 guys from Yorkshire have fell on Great Gable, one dead and one seriously injured. I feel for the families.

So Sad

So sad, yesterday i drove up to Seathwaite in the Duddon valley for the funeral of a local legend which took place at Seathwaite church. It was very moving. But my thoughts on this event are private and not for printing here.
What i want to say though is, how magnificent the mountains looked on my way there. As you approach J36 on the M6 the mountains were so clear and looked so near. The white tops set against a cold crystal clear blue sky was just a joy.

When you drive through Lowick and look right, the magnificent view of the Coniston fells comes into view. Its always a good panorama but today was just so clear every feature of the mountain and the ridge was just jaw dropping. I had to stop and have a few minutes starring across. The Langdales were also clear and looked to have so much more snow on them than the Coniston fells. The snow on Coniston was thin and this was what made all the features stand out. In contrast the Langdales just looked like a christmas cake.

Pushing on i came down the long descent to Grizebeck and  the view across the Duddon estuary to Black Combe and White Combe was equally beautiful.
Driving up the Duddon Valley to me is always a pleasure and it feels just like i am getting closer to home. I have never lived in the Duddon but it is one of my favourite places in the world. I have been going there for 30 years and have many friends there. I just love the people and the way of life. Its my escape.

As you approach the village of Seathwaite the fells beyond jumped out at me. Grey Frier and the ridge across to Brim Fell, Dow Crag and down to White Pike just stunning today. The sun shone strongly and although it had that soft covering of snow on the ground it was a splendid day. The church was bathed in  the warm rays of a full sun.

It could have been easy to forget the real reason why i was there today. I was there to say goodbye to an old friend and to show support to the family who are great friends of ours.
It was a lovely day and he won't be forgotten.
RIP. TH. 1924 -2010

Lightweight Stoves?

I was sorting out the loft and came across some old copies of TGO mag. Flicking through June 1981 i saw this add for LIGHTWEIGHT EQUIPMENT, how times have changed. LOL

CLOUDVEIL KOVEN JACKET

I recently bought this new jacket, because it looked a quality product and it fitted well. I needed a lighter weight jacket for 3 season use as my dependable Paramo adventure is a little too heavy and bulky to be a permanent fixture in all seasons.
Cloudveil are somewhat unknown in the UK although they have been going from around the late 90's. They are an American company based in the well named place, Jackson Hole. They design and manufacture Hiking, Skiing, Climbing, Fishing gear as well as other outdoor activity gear.




The Koven Jacket i bought is a medium size and it weighs in at 460gr. and it folds away small.

The main features are:-
Drop down storm sealing hood (not wired)
Hidden storm sealing collar cinch
Bonded draft flap with lined chin guard
Adjustable storm sealing hem
Laminated cuff tabs
Dual slider pit zips
Chest pocket & oversized hand warmer pockets
Internal stretch mesh pockets
Fully seam sealed
Bonded and sewn YKK® water-resistant zippers.


The material (copied from the website), Cloudburst™ Stretch is a high denier, high-tech fabric offering extreme breathability and maximum comfort. Exceptionally high resistance to water pressure means protection against even the heaviest precipitation conditions. Two-way mechanical stretch enhances freedom of movement and maintains a soft and supple feel. Features a 100 wash super durable DWR. 100% nylon, 20,000 mmH2O /20,000 g/m2/24 hour, 45 x 45 denier, 115 g/m2.


I gave it a testing yesterday and it proved itself to be a capable weather proofer.  For my body frame, the fit is as good as i require with slightly long sleeves which i like. When its raining i would rather pull the sleeves down over my hands and secure the tabs than wear gloves.

The hood closures work very well but it took me a few tries before i mastered the closure properly. You have to zip the jacket up 3/4's the way, pull the hood over your head, then find the hood draw cords which are located in the fleece collar. Pull both cords down and they lock the hood at the desired tension. Then fully zip up the jacket. 
When i wore the hood without a cap the hood didn't move when the head turned but when a cap/hat is worn the hood turns with the head. 
Although the test day was not very windy the hood kept out the elements. I did find having a cap on compensated for not having a wired hood. 
The hood edges have been reinforced by having more material, this does give the edge some support.

There are good pit zips and they are two way operating. I found them very useful on hill climbs. I kept them open for most of the  day and they didn't let water in. The other good point about the sleeves is that when you reach up as in the photo the jacket body remains in situ, it doesn't rise up.


The hand warmer pockets are a good size but the chest pocket i think, is a little on the small size. You cannot get an os map in it thats for sure, and like loads of similar jackets the actual pocket gets covered by your rucksack strap anyway. WHY DO DESIGNERS KEEP DOING THIS. DO THEY NOT HIKE?
On the inside there is a small mesh pocket for your phone or GPS.


I kept my waterproofs on all day. That's the jacket and a pair of Rab event overtrousers. When i removed them at the car, i had no sign of any water ingress. There was obviously some dampness caused through exertion but not wetness. So far so good. I now just need to assess the jacket in a prolonged downpour to be sure, but the initial signs are that it's a good buy. 


The only cons i can think off at this time is that it doesn't drop down at the tail to cover your rear end although it isn't a short jacket in any case.

Walking on snow and ice

Has anybody tried these snow and ice grips over this cold spell. They look intersting and at £15 a pair from Ellis Brigham they must be worth considering, not just for hiking but for more serious stuff like getting to the pub and back. They are very quick and easy to fit over both shoes or boots. They are from a company called Yaktrax.

BG

Hi BG.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, hope you find a few things of interest and would welcome any comments.

The Weekend in Gosforth Cumbria

Friday night and Saturday morning it hammered it down. I lay in bed listening to the rain bashing the windows and the wind howling. By the time we had got up the rain had eased a little but it was still blowy and quite nippy.
The tops were nowhere to be seen again as they were shrouded in low cloud.
We had a drive into Whitehaven and it was very quiet. Its usually a bustling little place but not today. We drove on to St Bees and a brew in Hartley's tea shop. The sea was enormous, the waves huge and the walkway was getting a good drenching. People were running along trying to dodge the spray over the top while others were taking photographs. We watched from the warmth of the cafe. We are not daft.

Sunday, still low cloud but a much calmer day. Quite warm. We decided to go for a walk/stroll through Bleng forest and back which was really good. It made a change to be out walking. There was still some ice about but the majority had thawed.
There was plenty of people about taking dogs for a walk etc and the odd hiker. Good for him. I don't mean "odd" strange i mean "odd" just the one or two.
It was a shame that we had to drive back today as walking the lower fells would have been a delight with the weather being reasonable, but thats life and there will be other times.

We had some new waterproofs to test out this weekend but we didn't get a proper chance. It will have to wait till next time.

As we sped home we were disappointed that Winter hill and Rivington Pike were bathed in sunshine and clear blue sky's having spent the weekend seeing nothing but mist. Typical, we should have stayed at home!

Cumbria Weekend

We have driven up to the Lakes today. The weather is lousy. Low cloud and its raining believe it or not. Well there's a surprise. We went to the Greyhound at Grizebeck for lunch and to our horror it was shut. It doesn't open until 6.00pm!!! Great.

We got to Gosforth and the weather was a little better. Just drizzle but still low cloud. Temperature a sweltering 7 degrees. Shorts and tee shirt weather.

Going to the Gosforth Hall for a beer tonight. We might as well get wet inside as well as out. Cheers.

Instep Crampons

As we all know the weather has been somewhat restrictive so i put the old brainbox to work on a solution to the ice dancing that we in particular have been doing.
Crampons are easy enough to come by but they are not what you want when out for a walk on the moors or similar terrains.
They are far too big, clumsy and can be quite expensive.
What i needed was a small pair of spikes that would fit in the instep of my boot and aid walking without sliding. I also wanted something light and would easily fit into a daypack.
So the task was to design and make a pair, that wouldn't cost the earth, could be made in a day and use bog standard DIY store materials. The only thing is a garage or workshop is required and obviously some decent tools.
Tools:-
On the tools front i used a hacksaw, flat file, small round file, 1.5mm drill bit, a 6mm drill bit, a power drill,a vice, a blowlamp, pliers and a hammer. I also already had a aerosol of silver car wheel spray so i used that as well.
Sizes:-
The material used is 55mm x 3mm thick plate purchased from a local store.
The length was cut to 130mm which includes the spike length, but this was to suit my boots, other boots would be different.
The spike length is 20mm.
The strapping retainers are just std washers made from aluminium.

The retaining straps are standard pieces and can be purchased from outdoor shops or DIY stores.
I am pleased the way they turned out and initial trials have proved they are effective.
They weight 340gr the pair including the straps. They are going to be made a little lighter as i am going to drill some more holes to the flat body of the crampon.

You just watch, it will thaw now and i probably will have to wait a while to test them in anger.

Anyway here are some photographs of the end result.

New Shoes!

Sheila has been out and bought a new pair of walking shoes. She picked Inov-8 roclite 282 '09s. We thought that seeing it's a decent day with plenty of snow on the ground that we could give them a bit of a testing. I also wanted to see how the Golite fly trails coped as well.
Neither shoe has a waterproof membrane, which is the way we prefer it. We walked through deep drifted snow and compacted snow and both shoes performed well. Surprisingly they didn't get too wet and when we took them off they didn't need excessive drying out.

Neither shoe had a problem with grip on the snow although on sheet ice they didn't grip too well as you would expect.

Trip retraced

The day before yesterday we decided to retrace our walk of the 2nd Jan. That day we could hardly see anything, so with the day dawning cold and clear the photo's will be of a better quality. The views were spectacular and we were surprised just how few people we saw. (More pics in gallery)

A bad day? No!

We are snowed in today. All public transport terminated. Sheila was told to get off the bus as it was going no further. That was at 6.15am . She had to walk back home. Looks like we will have to go for a walk. Yes!

Memoirs of a Serial Hiller

Memoirs of a serial Hiller is the title of a book written by a good friend of mine who's name is Alan Butterworth. I spent all my working life in the general company of Alan and he is the complete raconteur and wit. Without the pranks, sarcasm, poems, plays etc my working days would have been very ordinary. We have many hiking tales, far too many to recount here and now. But maybe i will at some time in the future.

His book, as can be read in the article on the photograph attached, is about his hiking adventures of a witty nature and is a must read if you are an outdoor enthusiast. My claim to fame in all this is that i made the front cover of the book.
( Photo far left). This photograph, although the quality here is poor due to it being scanned from a newspaper, is myself on top of a mountain in Iceland at midnight. We were there this night to watch the sun disappear below the horizon and then moments later reappear, dawning a new day. A fantastic event which i will never forget.

My thanks go to Alan for putting me up front in the book and for all the memories i have of hikes we have completed. May there be more to come.
The book, now in its 2nd edition can be purchased at  www.amazon.co.uk.

Winter in the Pennine foothills

We woke today with it snowing heavily and due to the recent number of late nights we decided to go for a walk in the Pennine foothills between Oldham and Rochdale. The lanes up onto the moorlands were very icy underfoot and with the new snow on top led to some spectacular ice dancing.
The snow was good fun and at times we couldn't see much in front of us. As we got higher the conditions deteriorated as the mist came in and we could hardly tell the land from the sky. It doesn't make for good photography but i have put a folder in the picture gallery if you fancy being bored for 5 minutes.
We headed up to Tandle hill as the views from the top are usually stunning with panoramas across to Jodrell bank telescope, Holme Moss, Winter hill, Oldham, Rochdale and Manchester.
Today though this was hidden from view as the snow storm was obliterating everything.
From the top of Tandle Hill we headed off towards the Rochdale canal at Boarshaw which was basically our path back home.
It has been a fantastic day of good snow and reasonable temperatures. It was great to be out in the snow again and look forward to the next trip.

Air tight seal bags.

These Pour and Store bags are brilliant and most of all cheap. A box of 8 bags cost me £1.08p from Tesco. I have used them for a couple of years now and depending on what you put in them you can reuse them time and time again.
I put personal items in them for example my wallet, phone,GPS etc and they keep everything dry and they are strong enough to withstand rough treatment.
I also use them to put dehydrated food in and also my porridge.
They are not effected by boiling water or freezing conditions as this is what they are made for originally in the home. The good thing as well is that they are light at 10gr.

A Manchester Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks to all who have been on the blog and sent emails etc.
Sheila and I usually go away for Christmas either to Scotland or to the Lake District. This year we didn't book either. As it turned out it was a good idea. The driving conditions in Scotland would have resulted in the trip being cancelled and us losing our deposits.
We decided to have Christmas on our own this year. The first time ever. It was decided that we would have a busman's holiday and be tourists in our own town. We checked into the Midland Hotel in Manchester. We have stayed in many of Manchester's hotels but we have agreed that this hotel has come top of the list so far.
The rooms, staff, food and the bar were excellent. What more did we want.
Well that was the good part. Manchester city centre was something else. We had booked 3 nights in the hotel and was looking forward to the towns Christmas festivities. Christmas eve, Manchester was dead. No pubs open, well not that we could find. Christmas day the odd pub was open from 12 o'clock until 3.00pm. We expected the pubs on Christmas day to close early so we were not too disappointed that the city was again dead. It seemed surreal walking around with nobody in sight and all the streets empty of cars. There was fog in the city and it reminded us of the old streets of london scenes from the victorian times.
We had booked our Christmas Lunch in Chinatown and it was a very enjoyable banquet. We were a bit shocked at how few people were booked in for the meal. When considering that thousands of apartment have been built in Manchester, where was everybody?
Boxing day, we were all set up in the Old Monkey on Portland street for a few beers. There was a good crowd in and we didn't even mind it having a few city supporters in. The game had just finished with the blues winning but enough said about that. The atmosphere was very good when we were told that the pub was shutting at 8.00pm. The pub went silent for a second and then "what" was heard from all around. In total disbelief we had just 15 minutes to get another pint, drink it and leave. There were people coming in, one's and two's and big groups and being told it was shut. Turning out a full pub has got to be madness.
Having left the pub we wandered round trying to find another watering hole which we did, Wetherspoons was open, just off Albert Square, until 9.00pm !!!! wow. After 2 pints here we ended up going back to the Midland Hotel bar. Nothing wrong with that but we like the pub atmosphere.
We later found out that there was some refreshment palaces open in the Gay Village. By then we were a bit worse for wear anyway so it didn't matter.
All in all we had a very stress free break and would do it again, but we were disappointed with Manchester's lack of festive spirit. Cheers to everyone at the Midland.

This weekend trip

With a poor weather forecast predicted we decided to do a quick dash up to Cumbria and stay over at Sheila's mums. We drove up 1st thing Friday morning and it was very cold as we set off. The car said -4 degrees. On the way over we decided to go up Whitfell as its only a quick bimble. The views were fantastic although not as much snow as we thought there would be.
When we picked Dorothy up we decided to go to Wastwater and take some photo's. (Some pics in the gallery) It was a beautiful clear day but very cold and windy and you needed to be well wrapped up. We had a bit of a stroll as it was too nice to miss but the thought of a nice malt scotch and a pot of coffee was called for. We got back to the car and headed off for the Screes pub at Nether Wasdale. Pity i had to drive but i would make up for it later in the Gosforth Hall hotel.
One of the reasons we went was to try out the Golite Fly trail shoes. They surprised me how good they were, even on frozen ground . I thought i would slide everywhere but they were quite stable. Another good buy.
Driving back today, we decided to go over Birker fell and get some photo's of the Scafell range. When we got up there the cloud base was too low and we couldn't see any of it. More's the pity.
We then headed over to Seathwaite, Duddon valley to deliver christmas presents. From here we headed home just as the weather was turning stormy.

Thermos Flask Ultimate

My Thermos flask which i use on day walks has started to leak. It was only a cheap thing so i didn't expect it to last as long as it did. About 8yrs.
We decided that we should replace both mine and Sheila's with something a bit more decent. After a search on the web i came across this flask. It's a Thermos Ultimate. 0.5L capacity and the weight is 0.29kg if you remove the rubber strips. The good thing about this flask is that it keeps drinks hot for 24 hours. Lots of other flasks only manage 8hrs.
Not many places had this flask on offer but i found it at Asda on line for £20.
Having received it i was pleased at just what a quality piece of kit it is. It's double skinned and insulated. The stopper has no buttons or flip up pourers which are basically leak spots anyway. It just has the 2 side grooves so when you unscrew it you can pour out the contents without removing the stopper completely. The cup/lid is not too big but i think its just an ideal size.
The flask is guaranteed for 10 years and the bumf says it is dent proof. Well we will see about that in the future. All in All we are pleased with our purchase.

Petzl E+Lite

I was reading the January edition of TGO magazine and was very surprised to see the reviews of head lighting did not include the Petzl E+Lite. For some reason better known to Chris he has omitted what i consider to be one of my best pieces of functional lightweight backpacking gear. Maybe he reviewed it in 2007 i don't know or maybe because its not brand new. However it should be compared because its so good.
The E+Lite is so small and light but perfectly formed. It weighs in at 28gr and has 45 hour battery life. It is waterproof down to 1m. It packs away in its own case, nice and tidy and you can keep spare batteries here as well.
It costs £21 generally, but you can get it cheaper if you search the web.
For me this head torch is one that all backpackers should have and we never leave home without it.

Golite fell shoes

Just been into TK Max and they are selling Golite Fell shoe/ running shoe (Trail Fly model) for the bargain price of £21.50. Hurry up and grab an early christmas present for yourself. They had all sizes and lots of them and in a number of colours.

The Vaude Odyssee Winter

This is our backpacking tent of the last couple of years. We like it very much. It's an ideal tent for 2 persons as long as you are not too tall. 5ft 10 max i would say. We looked at other manufacturers and other designs and decided in the end that this suited us best. The main criteria was 1st the weight, 2nd the materials and running very closely was the cost.
The stated weight was 1.8kg and this is acceptable for sharing by 2. I have made some modifications to the guy lines and cleats and we don't use the bag provided. I changed 4 pegs for lighter ones, although the pegs provided are very good. Now it weighs in at 1.6kg. Fly: 40D Polyamid Ripstop 240T bothside siliconised 3000mm
Inner: 30D Polyester Ripstop 285T
Floor: 40D Polyamid Ripstop 240T PU laminated 10000mm. Great groundsheet.
Poles: Al 7001 T6; Featherlite 8.8mm.
Putting the tent up in adverse weather is very easy and one person can do it while the other is making a brew. There are 2 main poles and one small cross pole to keep the porch supported.

The tent stands up well in high winds and ours has not leaked from either the flysheet or ground sheet at any time. The worst weather we camped out in was Feb 2008 in Langdale. The forecast from MWIS was for atrocious weather so we decided it was ideal to see what it could do. The wind howled and the rain was stair rods for most of the weekend. Langdale flooded as usual but we were prepared for this happening and pitched on slightly higher ground. The forecast said gusts of up to 70 miles per hour and i guess it wasn't too far from reality. We had to put some rocks on the pegs to stop them flying out but the tent was fine. After a few beers in the Old DG we didn't hear the wind or rain anyway.

The saturday night temperature dropped down quite fast and i guess it was just above freezing. Quite a bit of condensation was on the inner tent and i reduced this by leaving the top of the doorway open slightly just underneath the peak of the porch. We don't use a groundsheet footprint as we believe that this is defeating the object of being lightweight. If you want an extra groundsheet then just buy a stronger tent.

We paid £225 for it from ultralight outdoor gear but i have seen it this year for sale at £170. Bargain. We certainly won't be changing it any time soon.
Q. Would we consider a tarp.
A. Nope.

Brantwood

This weekend my mum and brother travelled up to Cumbria for a couple of days. We were staying with Sheila's mum so it was good to have us all together for a change.
Mum and Les were both walking pretty badly so we decided to go to Brantwood on the eastern bank of Coniston water. This is the former home of John Ruskin. I've had it on my mind to visit this house for quite a few years but because we are usually out walking i hadn't had the chance to go there. Brant is the Norse term for Steep, hence steep wood.
Ruskin bought the house in 1871 and lived there until he died in 1900.

We had a good drive there. Going over Birker fell and then up Kiln bank into Broughton Mills. Over Broughton Moor to Torver and then into Coniston. We never met one single car all the way. How unusual was that. Coniston village was like a ghost town.

Brantwood was very quiet. Mainly staff cars in the car park. We had the house to ourselves. Its a fabulous house, especially the views from the dining room and the turret bedroom. Views across to the Old Man of Coniston and north to Wetherlam and Swirl How. There was a covering of snow on the tops and the mountains stood out well against the clear blue sky.

The furniture was a big favourite with our crew, especially in the study and dining room. However i am not sure if this is original or not. After Ruskins death the house was left to the Severn family. They went against Ruskins will and sold off most of the fine art work and then later auctioned off the remainder of the contents.

What a brain and social conscience Ruskin had. Its a pity our politicians don't take a lead from his book.
He instigated so much its amazing just how he managed to find the time to do everything. It puts modern man to shame.

We couldn't take any photo's inside the house so have a look at the Brantwood website for more info.

Walna Scar road.

I had these 2 photographs sent to me showing the devastation that the recent floods in Cumbria have caused to the bottom section of the Walna Scar road. The pictures were taken by Alwyn Batton from the Newfied Inn.
The pictures are taken on the Duddon Valley side of the Walna.
Incredible pictures Alwyn.

Tasmania - Walking/Backpacking.

Its not everybody's cup of tea to travel 24 hours on a plane to Tasmania but if it doesn't bother you the trip is well worth it. Tasmania is fantastic walking and backpacking country. In a lot of respects it reminded me of Scotland very much. You can have all 4 seasons in one day. And don't think that it's hot like Australia because it isn't. Some days if the wind is blowing up from the south the temperature can plummet. We had 30 degrees down to -6 while we were there.
There are many, way marked trails to be found and quite honestly it is best to stick to these if you are on a walking holiday.
If you are there for a lengthy period of time and want to stray away from recognised tracks then be aware that the going is very tough. Much tougher than Scotland due to the dense vegetation and boggy land. Let somebody know where you are heading for and get local knowledge of what's ahead.

We mainly stuck to 2 trails. One was the Cradle Valley/mountain trail and the other was the coastal Fracinet trail. Both very different but equally beautiful in there own right. We only did day walks but the urge to come back and do some backpacking was very strong as the scenery is stunning.

Anybody interested in having a go at Tazzy should read a couple of books 1. A man and a Mountain by Margaret Giordano and 2. The East Coasters by Lois Nyman. These are not walking guides, which you can pick up in any walking shop. These are historical books relating to the terrain, the people and how it all came about. Well worth reading.

Also do please note that in some of the national parks permits are required to enter.

St Bees to Fleswick Bay

A few weeks ago Sheila and I walked some of the Coast to Coast route. After we had been going about a hour we came across Fleswick Bay. It looked really nice and we said at the time we would come back and spend a bit more time here.
This weekend we decided due to the lousy weather forecast to do just that. On Thursday night we drove up to West Cumbria, to Sheila's mums. It hammered it down most of the way and there was a lot of flooding. We picked up Dorothy and went for a couple of beers in Gosforth Hall.
Friday morning we drove to St Bees in wonderful sunshine. So different to yesterday, and we set of walking along the Coast to Coast path.
It was so bright, that from the viewpoint on St Bees Head we could see Isle of Man 30 miles to the west with the twin Peaks of Snaefell and North Barrule clear, the Scottish coastline and hills behind was also visible. Getting down to the bay from the path was a bit precarious as the sandstone bed was very slippery. But it was worth the effort.
We explored the cliffs and rock pools. The sandstone weathering was fantastic especially where the water had come down the cliff faces from the land above and worn the ground rocks into what looked like red icing. (See pics in gallery.)
The remains of a large engine, a gearbox, a transfer case and some winding gear can be seen in the surf. These are possibly the remains of the fishing boat Coeur de Lion, (Lion Heart) which foundered in 1993.
The light was just fantastic as the clouds were lit by a watery sun and the surf caught the rays as well. Its difficult to explain the beauty of Freswick bay but have a look at the photo's and you will get my drift. Its a great place to spend an hour or two and we never saw a soul.

The Travel Tap

Just want to share this brilliant bit of kit i purchased from Bob and Rose at backpackinglight, its called the Travel Tap and its made by Aquagear. Cost £35. Its a water bottle come water filter. We used it on our St Bees to Penrith trip and found it to be well worth the money.
At first sight i though it was a bit expensive. I now know that it's worth every penny. On our walk we were chased off by some horses from our wild camp site. When we were at a safe distance away from them we set up camp again. The only problem was that we were away from a stream. The land was very boggy with many pools so i decided that this was as good a time as any to try out the water filter. Well we are still here and we had no ill affects what so ever. It will be coming with us on all future trips.

Walna Scar shepherds meet

This weekend saw Sheila and I off to Cumbria to enjoy the Walna Scar shepherds meet. This years show was at Broughton Mills. Saturday dawned very wet but farmers are not put off by the weather and the show goes on. We stayed with friends in Seathwaite, Duddon valley, so we didn't have far to drive. On arrival at the field we found it was very muddy as you can imagine and it was chucking it down. Stair rods even. It was good to see some old friends and discuss sheep and the weather. In the hospitality tent, was free tea and coffee and some homemade cake and biscuits. Very nice.

Alan and Tina Linnit had arranged some photographs from previous years which was very interesting.

At lunch time the landlord from the Blacksmiths arms put on a Tattie pot, as they say in this part of the world, followed by sticky toffee pud and it was simply the best. I had a good pint of Dent Aviator and Sheila had a Coffee and Brandy to keep out the cold, honest. More sheep showing, more rain, hound trailing and more photographs in the afternoon then it was back to Seathwaite for a homemade Chilli and rice supper. Thanks Tina.

After supper we got a lift back to the Blacksmiths for the evening session. We sat in the singing room and listened to the Shepherds singing solo traditional Lakeland songs, hunting songs, comedy songs etc etc it was a pleasure to be there and we enjoyed the atmosphere greatly. We would both like to thank the shows organisers, also Tina and Alan Linnit, the farmers and The landlord and Landlady of the Blacksmiths Arms for a fantastic day.

St Bees to Penrith

I am writing this post from my comfy leather chair now that we are back home. I don't have the capability to write and send as i walk. My phone is for emergency use only.

As Sheila had a week off work we decided to walk some of Wainwright's coast to coast. I myself had done this some time back but this was Sheila's first assault.

Fortunately Sheila's mum lives near St Bees so having somewhere to leave the car was a bonus.

We set off on a beautiful Saturday morning and dipped our feet in the sea. There were quite a few other walkers setting off and we criss crossed each others paths continuously.

One of the things i am not going to do on this post is bore everyone with the route. This has been written about in books and blogs to infinitum. What i want to do is mention what we found that probably hasn't been written about very often or maybe not at all.

Walking round St Bees head is delightful and although you walk around 5 miles before going east, it is still worth it. Fleshwick bay is worth a longer look and we will go back and explore it when we have a bit more time to spare.

When we got to Sandwith at 12 o'clock we expected to find the pub open for some lunch. Please note that the Lowther Arms has gone and the Dog and Partridge has shut as well. So no lunch here.

After you cross the B5345 you drop down to the railway and go under a bridge. This path which runs south of Stanley pond and up to the disused railway line is a complete mess. When we crossed it we had to wade in the bog for about 200 yds. This is one area that needs some footpath replacement work on it. Also if the weather has closed in this can be an area where you can take the wrong path, so care and attention is required here.

Once under the disused railway bridge the path is easy up to the main A595 road.

When we got into Moor Row we were pleased to see the Pop in cafe. The lady running it is quite a character and its run from her home and garden. She said that when all the shops in the village closed she opened it up in the main for Coast to Coast walkers. Thank you, it was just what was required.

The next hurdle was Dent. A piddling little hill that took an age to get up. We were certainly tired when we got to the top.

Once through the lovely Nanycatch valley we looked for somewhere to camp. We wanted to walk south of Grike tomorrow and then pick up the track down to Ennerdale water via Red Beck rather than go into Ennerdale bridge.

We found a nice spot just North of the Kinniside stone circle and just prior to the cattle grid on the road going down to Ennerdale Bridge. We started making tea when all of a sudden we were inundated by horses which had been let out from the nearby horse riding stables. They were into everything. Our rucksacks, food, tent etc. It was very scary and we were lucky to get out of there without any damage to the tent. We headed off very quickly across Blackley moss until we came to the path leading into forestry. We stopped here and finished eating our meal which had been kept warm in the pot cozy's. We got the tent up and luckily the horses stayed back towards the road.

Next morning we set off through the forestry on good paths. We noticed as we walked that there were no decent places to put the tent up. So it was a good job we pitched prior to entering the forestry. When the path emerges from the trees it heads for a wall which on the other side leads to Red Beck.

With hindsight i would not decide to come this way again. There may be a path marked on the map following Red Beck but it is non existent on the ground. The way down to the lake shore is very steep and slippery. It had 2 metre high ferns growing more or less the whole way down. Most unpleasant and not recommended as a route for walking with a pack.

The route from here up to Black Sail Hostel was great. We took the path on the south side of the river rather than the suggested north path. The reason for this was that the views are much better.

Black sail Hostel is a fine place to have lunch. You can make yourself a brew here and have a piece of home made cake if you are there early enough. The warden asks you to leave some money in the honesty box for the privilege of using the facilities. BUT! Please note, there are no toilet facilities for those not staying the night.

From the hostel we headed up Loft back and across to Honistor Pass and then down to the campsite at Rosthwaite. The views from the path between the top of Loft Beck and Drum House are spectacular.

The campsite at Rosthwaite is adequate with some nice pitches and at £6 per person and £0.50p for a shower is fair enough. The facilities could do with some updating, especially the showers. Although that said they were hot and lasted long enough and i am not complaining.

The next morning we went via Stonethwaite up to Greenup edge and then down Far Easdale into Grasmere. A fantastic walk although Lining Crag is a bit of a shock to the system and good map reading is required at the top of the crag until the path drops away down to far Easdale Gill if the weather is poor.

On the way down into Grasmere i noticed my right foot was giving me some jip. This was unusual as i had not had problems before. It got so bad that once in Grasmere we went into Cotswold Outdoors and got the problem resolved.

Cutting a long story short, after a great deal of time and patience, it was found that my boots were slightly narrow for my foot and a size to long. I must say that the 2 guys in the store gave me the best customer service i have ever had in any outdoor shop anywhere in the world. So many thanks to them you were fantastic.

I purchased some new lightweight boots and they sent my old ones home FOC.

There are no campsites in Grasmere unfortunately but there are 2 hostels many hotels and B&B's. The hostels would probably allow pitching a tent if required. We opted for the luxury choice and booked into a hotel for a bath and some TLC to my foot.

We had a wonderful breakfast in the hotel and set off refreshed to go to Side Farm campsite in Patterdale. The walk up the track to Grisdale tarn is fairly easy and then its a stroll down into Patterdale if you are not doing the striding edge route..

Booking into Side Farm Campsite , i thought i recognised the lady we were paying the fee to. It turned out that i had walked with her a number of years ago when we walked a route from Seathwaite in Borrowdale to Seathwaite in the Duddon valley. A cracking walk over Esk pike, Bowfell, Crinkles, Swirl How, Brim fell, Dow Crag and down the Walna Scar track to the Newfield Inn.

We were disapointed with the pitches on the campsite as the grass on any flat ground had worn away and where there was grass the land sloped away quite steeply. The facilites were very good though. We went for a few beers in the White Lion and very nice it was too. We had eaten our dehydrated food so we were not hungry but the food served in the pub looked fantastic. We didn't give in to temptation.

We checked out our next move as we had to end up in Penrith the next day to get the bus back to Workington. There didn't seem to be any places to camp between Bampton and Penrith so we decided to get the bus from Patterdale to Penrith. This was a bit disappointing because i know what a lovely walk it is past Angle Tarn and down Haweswater. But i had no idea if there was any transport from Bampton. I must address this issue for a future walk.

All in all we had a fantastic walk, breathtaking scenery, truly amazing weather and met some very nice people.