There's a short review of it on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaRNE7Jl9E8 Idiot proof? There's a programmer's quip: programming is a race between programmers writing better and more idiot proof code and the universe producing more and better idiots. So far the universe is winning! :lol:

Dave B's winter passage of the Bealach Dubh remains one of the more horrendous experiences related on these pages, far worse than Steve Bates winter HT attempt! I've never done the climb out the back of Ben Alder cottage, as it's always been horrible weather when I've aimed for it - the descent is ...

Having a van it means *my* NSL figures are 10mph lower than for a car. Does it make a difference? Varies between not really and no! I drive the A65 between Skipton and J36 on the M6 regularly. There are mobile speed cameras on the North Yorkshire parts of this, which amounts to most of it really, so...

There's no official standard for temperature ratings for quilts in the same way that EN13537 does for sleeping bags but it seems like the manufacturers "sort of" follow that standard, probably by equating temp ratings with loft. What doesn't get mentioned that often is that the standard as...

500m of pushing up to the col. (It returns via a HUGE hike-a-bike up to the Bealach Breabag) There's a handful of burn crossings on the descent to the cottage that will need a dismount. Heading south from the cottage will be pretty boggy by now - I've only crossed it with nearly dry feet once, that...

Oh, yeah. The "rickety bridge" in photo 6 is no longer and is (well it was last summer) in a pile on the river bank. Fear not there's a motorway grade replacement. The Wild Trails MTB book has the tour of Ben Alder going anti-clockwise from Culra over Bealach Dubh, at a guess there'd be ab...

We started at the walker's car park by the estate track to Corrour http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=243300&Y=783062&A=Y&Z=120 then up the track to the SW end of Loch Earba then cut east here http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=251985&Y=785809&A=Y&Z=120&ax=250590&ay=786329 Th...

I knocked 2018 on the head about 20 miles in.... Decided surviving was more important that a badge... :shock: Actually by the time you got to Ponterwyd you'd have done the worst of it. Was still very wet on the ground to get to Nant Rhys but not dangerously so, things improved a lot after that.

47 inches...Vs 38 in Seattle. The UK has a bit of a rainfall perception problem, most think it's the wettest place on Earth. It is a wet place, but it's probably because it feels more miserable than it is wet. And the south and east of the UK are surprisingly dry too. London is drier than Istanbul....

1200mm according to a quick Google. That's around 72 wavey willies

I remember North Face tents back in the 1980s, I think the model was the VE24 but can't be certain - it was their equivalent of the Wild Country/Terra Nova SuperNova. The fly was well off the deck and provided about as much coverage as a bride's nightie in a hoolie :lol: Our thoughts (not about the ...

Came across a grasshopper in the garden the other day. Not seen one for a few years - the last one was in the Forest of Dean. I remember finding them regularly when I was a kid.

I picked up a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 on a half price sale at Sigma Sport a while ago. It's an impressively spacious tent for the weight, but the materials do seem gossamer thin. I sometimes wonder if things have just gone too far on the lightweight materials, with 15D and 10D fairly commonpla...

Worth knowing about, ta John.

There's also a railway station about 100m from the ferry terminal

Maybe I should've checked on here prior to leaving. I just assumed the the Komoot version was THE version. I'd be interested in that version for next time. phil - is your loop the same as that on the Cairngorms loop.net? In the route I cycled, an off-road section from Loch Morlich to An Lochan Uain...

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 7:53 pm I want one. But almost certainly will not be available in the UK....

*sigh*

Moonlander or the Beargrease?

I like the look of the Beargrease but if I wanted a backcountry fat bike I'd go for the Moonlander. Maybe not the 6.2 tyres though. Then again the floatation would be something else

Richard G wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 2:07 pm Javi probably deserved one for climbing a tree too. Shame he didn't actually finish as it was a top effort.

I seem to remember that his rear tyre became less than useful and he returned to the start with it stuffed with vegetation and advertising leaflets

2018 were wet. REALLY wet. There was no way you were getting round that one with any part of your clothing not being soaked. Surprisingly about 12hrs in, the weather cleared out. Of course by then it was dark so you needed to keep moving just to stay warm. That was the year of Mr Barter nearly depar...

Nail and head spring to mind Reg :-bd I'd say if you set out on the 300 with the thought you might bail to the 200 that you're already part way to failure. The key to success is not physical fitness but mental strength. Set off with the sole intention of finishing, no back-up plans for short-cuts, ...

What no alpine huts and not using the ski lifts or cable car. Must be a big rucksack to carry all the food and water,😄up to the start of the pitches. The impecunious Brits were notorious for not using huts :lol: We'd use the cable cars to get up the initial slopes. Rucksack was 35L in size and apar...

Maybe consider the Velo Orange Crazy bars - the latest version doesn't have quite the backsweep of the original 45deg, I think they are 30deg maybe a bit less.

Here in the uk you’d have to wilfully avoid resupply to justify carrying multiple days food whereas in the USA you can be days from the nearest •person• so having the capacity is more or less necessary. Last year we went road touring in Ireland (with panniers) and when you had to push the bike they ...

In Deeside, the route now follows Glen Gairn all the way through to Glen Slugain, rather than climbing up and over the Bealach Dearg. That's going *up* Phil's favourite trail! It's quite boggy in the lower section (with a potentially deep river crossing to start just below that fancy shooting lodge...

Just watched it.

Cath noted that it was the itchiest programme we've watched

Just knocked off work for a week so very cheery! Was meant to be doing a Badger Divide variation but the weather looks shocking for Saturday evening and Sunday en-route so after much procrastination, got myself a bike space on a train to Aviemore for tomorrow afternoon. Got a few options but likely...