A Newbie on the HT550

[whitestone]

Here's my account of this year's HT550. http://bobwightman.blogspot.co.uk/2017/ ... l-550.html

I still can't believe I managed it. I genuinely had a great time (nearly) all the way round. I don't think I smile quite as much as Jenny though

[Mariner]

I've no phone signal so no emergency texts.

Without starting a debate on the pro and cons of expecting Mountain Rescue to turn out for you, apparently there is a system in place
where you pre register your mobile phone with Mountain Rescue. Although you may not have a signal for a call for a technical reason
I don't understand a text could get through.
Its detailed on their website together with explanations of why it may work and and the procedure before they will turn out.
I didn't register by the way.
Good write up.
Did you hear Cuckoos calling? Every glen seemed to have Cuckoos or could have been the same one following me just laughing.

[whitestone]

Ah, I didn't mean emergency texts to MRT but to Greg May on how to fix the SPOT.

Cuckoos? Bloody cuckoos everywhere Only just heard one near us this week.

[PJG]

Nice write up Bob !
That was a good read

[Richard G]

Great read. Nice job buddy.

[fatbikephil]

Nice one Bob, brought it all back!

[whitestone]

A posting about the kit I used http://bobwightman.blogspot.co.uk/2017/ ... l-kit.html. Might be useful for someone considering the route.

[AlasdairMc]

I think a 500g battery would have been ideal for me, as it is similar to the weight penalty on a dynamo hub plus a couple of smaller USB battery pack, but doesn't have the risk of not working at all like mine...

You seem to have had more clothes than me, but carried less overall - I chickened out and took a rucksack, but frankly I carried far too much food. I had a spare day's worth left by my last day; I really should have counted on Ullapool's Tesco instead of carrying enough for all, but at least it meant I didn't go hungry ever, and rarely bonked.

[whitestone]

Not sure it is 500g, might be less, but it's fairly substantial. Main risk is it getting wet as it's not weatherproof at all.

Clothes: I really struggle if I get wet/cold so having a spare set is worth it to me. I took quite a lot with me to Tyndrum then chose what I thought would be enough based on the forecast. In the event the bad weather was short-lived so relatively easy to dry out afterwards. I was glad of the spare shorts as the Assos were too warm or too padded for the duration. Spare socks just let you swap out those that get grit embedded in them. Spare gloves mean that the pads are in different places so ease pressure that way.

Tesco isn't the only horse in town I had one bar of flapjack and a few jelly babies left at the end - and that's after the raid on the 24hr garage! I'd eaten well the previous afternoon though.

[AlasdairMc]

I went quite minimal on the clothes front:

Base layer jersey
Wind proof jacket
Waterproof jacket
Bib shorts
Baggies
Two pairs of socks (one for sleeping)
Merino base (for sleeping)
Running shorts (for sleeping)
Knee warmers (not used)
Hat
One pair gloves, and a pair of nitrile gloves as liners - which were used on the last overnight.

I also had a down jacket which was meant to be part of my sleeping system to boost my 8 degree bag, but in the end I didn't need it at all. I was only properly cold once or twice when my rain layers had soaked through

[Mariner]

Biggest problem with socks and one I had not encountered before was bits dry grass stems embedding themselves in the sock round the top of my boots.
I wear a 'mid' style boot and normally stones or grit I can hook out with my figure while the grass stems just disappeared into the fabric of the socks and the cuff round the top of my boots.
More annoying than painful and almost impossible to get out.

[ZeroDarkBivi]

I think a 500g battery would have been ideal for me, as it is similar to the weight penalty on a dynamo hub plus a couple of smaller USB battery pack, but doesn't have the risk of not working at all like mine...

It was interesting to note that Neil B, who used a dynamo on some of his previous races, was back on batteries / power-pack this time. I love the idea of self-sufficient electricity, and have tried both an SP and SON with Klite. However I would never rely on it for off-road riding, not only due to the fact it might not work at all, but even when functioning properly, it never generates enough light for techy descents or single track, and was useless at charging my phone adequately during the day. For anything up to 1 week, the weight penalty of batteries is more than offset by the weight of all the dynamo bits, especially during a northern summer where it is only dark for 4 hours (you have to sleep sometime, and there are good reasons to do it at night).

[whitestone]

There were a couple of reasons I went with a battery:

a) I don't currently have a dynamo built into an MTB wheel
b) quite a lot of ground on the HT550 is relatively slow going so you'd be looking at getting all the recharging done in just a few sections

The battery I took was one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1 it weighs 370g (on my kitchen scales) not 500g. 20,000mAh is a lot of charge, roughly five full recharges of the batteries in the Garmin Oregon for example though I doubt they ever fully discharged. I recharged this battery when stopped at the Oykel Bridge Hotel on the third night. I need to figure out a way of waterproofing it so that I can have it wired up to the Oregon without taking that off the bike.

As you say, there's minimal darkness in Scotland at this time of year, I used the Exposure Joystick for night riding twice: once on the first night for about an hour after Fort Augustus through the trees until we bivvied; and all through the last night so five or six hours in total riding. The remainder of the use was in setting up and taking down bivies and was on the low setting. When I got home the charge indicator was still green which according to the manual means at least 50% charge left. If I'd been out longer I would have recharged it at some point "just in case".

[fatbikephil]

Thats a light bivvy set up - nearly half my tent weight and more than half of my own bivi / tarp set up (rab ascent / dd tarp). I take it the cuban fibre bag / tarp are mucho dosh....

I went with minimal spare kit but stressed in ullapool about Fisherfield in the rain and ended up buying another base layer t from the outdoor shop. I could have used the one in my bag brought for sleeping but didn't want to get it wet. In the event this would have been fine as my last night in the tent was warm.

[whitestone]

Thats a light bivvy set up - nearly half my tent weight and more than half of my own bivi / tarp set up (rab ascent / dd tarp). I take it the cuban fibre bag / tarp are mucho dosh....

I went with minimal spare kit but stressed in ullapool about Fisherfield in the rain and ended up buying another base layer t from the outdoor shop. I could have used the one in my bag brought for sleeping but didn't want to get it wet. In the event this would have been fine as my last night in the tent was warm.

The cuben fibre kit comes out at about £1/gramme Not something for everyday use obviously.

It's a balancing act between taking too much and too little. For the conditions we had this year I think I got it about right but then again after nearly fifty years doing outdoor activities I should be getting it right. The only time I thought that it could get nasty was on the plateau section in Fisherfield when the bad weather came through but an hour either way and I'd have been at lower elevations and it wouldn't have been as bad.

[Richpips]

Good write up Bob.

[AlasdairMc]

I need to figure out a way of waterproofing it so that I can have it wired up to the Oregon without taking that off the bike.

I use a Blackburn top tube bag, which was the only piece of luggage to not get soaked through in the rain (Revelate are useless for this). My battery is taped over the ports which not in use, the battery put in the bag with the ports at the bottom, and the cable exits the bag through as small a gap as I can manage in the zip. This ensures any rain on the cable can't pour into the battery.

[ScotRoutes]

I use a Blackburn top tube bag, which was the only piece of luggage to not get soaked through in the rain (Revelate are useless for this)

You need to try the newer stuff then.

[Javi]

Bravo Bob!

[ZeroDarkBivi]

The battery I took was one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01 ... UTF8&psc=1 it weighs 370g (on my kitchen scales) not 500g. 20,000mAh is a lot of charge, roughly five full recharges of the batteries in the Garmin Oregon for example though I doubt they ever fully discharged. I recharged this battery when stopped at the Oykel Bridge Hotel on the third night. I need to figure out a way of waterproofing it so that I can have it wired up to the Oregon without taking that off the bike.

Like yourself, I am also addicted to pricey UL kit! I have a 13,000mAh Anker; seems reasonably water resistant, does 6 charges of an iPhone 4 and weighs 275g, including the charging cable. And I never even used it! Replaced Etrex batteries (lithium - 30g) once, at Kinlochshit, and only used my Diablo head torch on the last night; should have had it on a higher lumen setting (a bit sketchy on the descents) but was paranoid about preserving battery... Used a tiny 30g petzl for routine bivi light.

[whitestone]

The planes we saw were apparently Yakovlev Yak-52 trainers. Not from WW2 but a 1970s Russian trainer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-52

[ootini]

Great write up! Inspiring stuff. I'm sat in work in Malta now, itching to get my hands on a bike and head out for a day or two!

[benp1]

Enjoyed your write up(s) Bob, thanks for sharing. And good work on an epic ride!

[fatbikephil]

The planes we saw were apparently Yakovlev Yak-52 trainers. Not from WW2 but a 1970s Russian trainer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-52

Which does beg the question - "what the bleedin 'ell were they doing in the Highlands of Scotland" however its not far away from the Moray RAF bases so could be part of an air display and were just out for a razz aboot!

[ZeroDarkBivi]

The planes we saw were apparently Yakovlev Yak-52 trainers. Not from WW2 but a 1970s Russian trainer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-52

Which does beg the question - "what the bleedin 'ell were they doing in the Highlands of Scotland" however its not far away from the Moray RAF bases so could be part of an air display and were just out for a razz aboot!

Didn't see them but would be surprised if they where not RAF Tucanos doing a training sortie in the Tactical Training Area, from one of the Northern airfields. Unusual to see civilian aircraft flying around in formation (even more so several times over a few days) outside of air shows, and, from the phot, they definitely look to be below 500' AGL, which is illegal for non-military registered aircraft...

I think the RAF Tucanos are still painted mostly in black (for visual contrast with cloud), so if they where not, then I am completely wrong!