hike | camp | paint
After I had to abort my Far Eastern fells trip back in July, a second attempt was always going to be on the cards. This time, though, the weather was, for the most part, more favourable. Here's the story. Planning Day 1: Tuesday 18 September After a train to Penrith and bus to Pooley Bridge, … Continue reading Far Eastern Odyssey – The Redemption
Considering that the first attempt at this trip went tits up due to the weather taking umbrage at my presence in the Lakes, this second attempt went really well. This is a short post on why. How good was the planning ? This was a strange trip in that I deliberately tried not to plan … Continue reading Far Eastern Odyssey – The Debrief
I woke to sunlight infiltrating the tent, which made a nice change from gloom and rain. Above my head a 3 inch long jet black slug was slowly making its way along the outer seam of my tent's inner and I lay there for a few minutes fascinated by it, but at the same time … Continue reading Mission Complete
Last night certainly put the wild into wild camping. 7 hours of constant heavy rain and strong winds battered the tent, and with each climactic gust I watched for signs that my shelter wasn't going to hold. But it did hold, I survived it and the weather abated just before 1am, allowing me to get … Continue reading Positive Mental Attitude
Thursday was always predicted to be the worst day in terms of weather but even so the forecast I picked up on Wednesday morning seemed better than before I left home. How wrong I was. The gentle patter of rain on the tent woke me after a night when I'd actually got a decent amount … Continue reading The wind and my 11 inch sausage
I woke with a start as sunlight streamed into the tent. This was surprising enough given the miserable day 2 morning conditions of the previous attempt at this trip. But more surprising still was that I ever got to sleep at all. Cold in my -5°C rated bag, I'd tossed and turned all night as … Continue reading Deer, bruises and a perfect pitch
I ambled along Fenchurch Street, by now used to the looks of mild disdain that the sight of a guy dressed for the outdoors and carrying a rucksack evokes in city folk. I left them to hurry on to their early heart attacks while I headed for nature's playground, deriving extra satisfaction from the fact … Continue reading The Odyssey resumes