Journeys by hiking, running, cycling and touring
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
There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. Or so goes the proverb. Â But it's a load of sanctimonious bollocks... If there's one piece of so-called outdoor wisdom that really gets on my tits, it's this. Not because I totally disagree with it, but because of the way that people trot it … Continue reading A Far Eastern Odyssey – Part 4: Bad Weather ? Bad Gear ? Bad Decisions ?
Faint strains of cuckoo song broke through the assortment of snoring and farting noises as the new day dawned. A typical hostel night with 6 blokes in an 8 bed room which makes for very poor sleep. And a tactical error timing my check-in meant I was in the top bunk. Hoping that inspiration had … Continue reading A Far Eastern Odyssey – Part 3: Whiffs of Vanilla and Echoes of Thriller
Sunday 1 July Today was a severe test of resolve and several issues were thrown my way. Not all of them were successfully resolved. I woke to the sound of rain pattering on the tent. I'd expected that but not for it to last 4 hours. So the tent was wringing wet by the time … Continue reading A Far Eastern Odyssey – Part 2: A Lost Mojo
Saturday 30 June I alighted from the train at Windermer to be met by the usual mix of Japanese tourists, walkers and locals milling around and getting in each others way. The locals and I made straight for the waiting 599 bus which was about to leave due to the train being late. We took … Continue reading A Far Eastern Odyssey – Part 1: A Failure Avenged
There's now only three sleeps left until I load up my camel, plant my feet firmly on the Silk Road and head to the Far East. Â Well, the "Far East" of the Lake District, that is. Â And I've started gathering some gear... As anyone who read my previous post will have gathered, I've been a … Continue reading A Far Eastern Odyssey – Loading my Camel
I've spent what little spare time I've had in the evenings over the last week staring at the map and my Lake District wallchart, trying to crack the puzzle that is the Far Eastern Fells. Â And I think I might finally be getting somewhere... The octopus-like nature of the FE Fells makes for difficult planning … Continue reading My “Oriental” Plan takes shape
All Change The rain is falling outside, but otherwise all is quiet as I have the house to myself. Soon the family will return from their afternoon out and in a few hours time the long Jubilee weekend will be over, and it will be time to head back to work. And it's likely to … Continue reading A Far Eastern Odyssey
I looked out through the tent doorway and watched the crepuscular reflections of the fell's upper ramparts on the tarn a few feet away. Barely a ripple disturbed the surface and I sat alone enjoying the evening burst of colour in a location where the predominant colours are usually green and grey. The sun sunk … Continue reading More Joy of Tarns