Chat about backpacking, trekking and hiking
In Ian Shiel’s Woods
Glen Gour again
You shall not cross …
More cloud and rain
Descending to Ben Alder
Ben Alder in amazing sunshine, and seen through a splatter of rain …
That rainbow ends at Dalwhinnie! There’s certainly no pot of gold there!
Fallen Tree in Feshie
Winds create havoc in forest ….
Cartwight struggles to capture rainbow
Things calm down — wonderful bluebells this year
A walk through the Fetteresso Forest with that cunning old fox Humphrey Weightman was one of the (few) highlights of this year’s Challenge. It was a highlight mainly because the rain kept away and it was one of the few times we walked in company, with Bob and Rose Cartwright as well as Humph.
Strolling on
I’ve always thought of the forest of more of an obstacle than as something to be enjoyed in its own right and despite having to change our approach route the walk itself was superb.
As I’ve mentioned already humph navigated us through the whole thing without once looking at the map. I think I have now re-created the route on my computer mapping systems but I’m still not quite sure.
The Fetteresso is a mass of tracks which seem to arrive from nowhere and go on to the end of the world. But the forest itself is not often too dense to not be interesting. We had a lunch break at a lovely stream as the track emerged from the forest and we also found a pretty decent camp spot for the evening. Our camping destination was pretty good even though it appeared on the map as dense woodland.
There’s grassy clearings and water in these woods
The forest is the kind of place that would give Shirley/Peewiglet ghostly goose bumps.
We pitched in very high winds and spent most of the late afternoon and evening in our tents. The ground was very tussocky and despite the Neoair I found myself having a bad night’s sleep while everyone else seemed to sleep soundly.
We were in the depth of the forest. But at nightfall I could hear a dog wailing away, it’s cried being echoed all around the hills. By daybreak the dog was at it again, but it was only me that heard it. A careful study of the map shows that there were houses within a reasonable distance but once you’re in the forest it seems is if you are miles from civilisation.
The tracks are not without hazards. Walk along them and you’ll be surprised by huge trucks and trailers the size of which seems to be completely out of scale with the forest. Weirdly, some of the trucks seemed to arrive in the forest full and leave empty! We speculated that these were the ‘ghost trucks of the Fetteresso’, you know they may trundle by but nobody ever sees the face of the driver …
Fetteresso Ghost Truck
I guess there are many ghostly stories about the place and I’ll have to wait for Shirl to discover them. But the Fetteresso will be on my route next time. I’ll be switching on my recorder during the evening!
The other great piece of kit that is now showing signs of ageing is my ULA Conduit (or CDT as it is now known) pack. Severe wear and tear means there is now a gapping hole in the left hand pocket and the big front pocket is also showing signs of tears especially at the place where the webbing connects to the main strap. While I’ll get a few more trips out of this during the coming year it will have to be replaced soon. So what options am I thinking of?
Fabric
The ULA pack is made of Dyneema which is pretty bomb proof. I have considered cuben fibre in the past but I think I’ll probably sticking with the Dyneema.
ULA
The simple option would be to buy another ULA CDT pack. This pack seems to have the right features and the right size for a TGO crossing or less. I can just about cram in five or six days of food and a two person tent! The design has moved on a lot since I bought mine. The roll top closure has gone to be replaced with a drawcord which I reckon is probably better. And the new packs have three-way stretch webbing which would presumably be more durable.
ULA was started by Brian Frankle and he never offered anything less than superb products and services. Brian has now sold the company and while I’ve no reason to believe that the new company is not every bit as good I’ve started to look at other options.
Mountain Laurel Designs
MLD also produce their packs in Dyneema for durability. I’ve not used one of their packs before but have always been knocked out by the rest of their gear. Two packs come into consideration.
The Exodus is about the same weight as the ULA CDT and has a slightly lower capacity, although people tell me that MLD rate their capacity conservatively. The smaller Prophet might just be a little too small for the UK in winter but might be worth consideration for a solo gear combination, which is considerably lighter and smaller in volume that the two person set-up that I carry on the Challenge. Maybe I should consider both packs for different uses?
Anyhow, any recommendations would be welcome. Benjamin Moryson from Germany has already recommended European company Laufbursche which are certainly worth looking at.
Finally, and before anyone mentions it, yes I know Golite packs are also made in Dyneema and area readily available here. But why are they almost twice as heavy as the equivalents from ULA and MLD?
For the last six or seven years we have been using a Terra Nova Super Solar 2.2 tent as our two person shelter. there has been much to commend in this set up. The tent is pretty stable in very high winds and the dual vestibule system has been very convenient to use. But over the last year signs of wear have become prominent and I felt the tent fell short during the bad weather on this year’s Challenge.
Two main problems presented this time around. Firstly, this was the first time that we had used this tent for a long period in over a year. I realised that I have got used to the extra size — and extra height — of the MLD Duomid. I missed the space in the bad weather this year when I spent more time than I cared for lying inside the tent.
A worse problem was the effect of driving wind and rain. On the worst nights water seemed to be blowing through the fabric of the outer tent/fly. It my not have been quite like this. Talking to Gayle in Braemar she felt that over time the Terra Nova tents that she ad Mick had been using had stretched, leaving gaps around the stitching. This was certainly the case with our inner tent. Also, the fabric on the inner tent is beginning to fail. There is a kind coating on the inner which is now beginning to flake off.
So, it is probably time to think about replacing the tent after all it has had a fair amount of use over the years Terra Nova have now replaced the Solar 2.2. with something that is even heavier so we won’t be going there. I’m interested in ideas. So far I have thought about two choices.
Henry Shires Tarptent Scarp 2
There quite a number of Henry Shires tents on this year’s Challenge, probably as a result of Henry being on the event himself last year. Funnily enough it wasn’t the Moment that was most prominent this year (as Henry had used himself) but the Scarp tent. Nigel and Lynne from the USA were using the Scarp 2 and it did loo quite impressive. The Scarp 2 seemed to cope with the high winds well and it is a roomy tent, with two entrances and two vestibules. At 1.7 kg this is not the lightest shelter but it is almost half a kilogram lighter than the Super Solar 2.2.
Does anyone have any feedback of using the Scarp 2. Nigel/Lynne?
Mountain Laurel Supermid plus Supermid inner
I almost bought this combination before the challenge. The Supermid is a larger version of the Duomid although is only available in sinylon material and not in cuben. The Supermid certainly has a lot of space in it and the inner choice is very roomy — the smaller Duo inner has just about the same amount of space as the Solar 2.2 inner and I am looking for something roomier.
This combination comes out at about 1.3 kilograms.
Thoughts/ideas team?
I am a great fan of PHD down clothing; they produce really top-notch products.
I bought this combination last autumn in preparation for a winter trip to the Cairngorms which had to be cancelled. I had been inspired by Colin Ibbotson’s ‘Sleep System’. I reckoned this combination would allow me to use my usual base kit but provide some extra backup when then weather turned colder. The Challenge was the first time I had used both pieces of kit. I am knocked-out at how good and effective they both were.
Minimus Trousers
These weight 230 grams and are rated down to -5. They are not cheap at £150 but they are worth every penny!
These are not so much trousers for walking in but for wearing about camp. I quickly came to realise what these were all about and settled into a regular patter of use.
After making camp and settling down into the tent I removed my walking trousers and put on the Minimus trousers. The comfort effect was immediate. The amount of down here has been judged for camp conditions. The trousers are not hot but just lovely. Down is a naturally breathable fabric and this added breathability also made a big contribution to comfort.
The trousers are generously cut both around the waist and the ankles; there is no problem pulling these on over the top of other clothing if necessary. The waist band is pretty high which helps ensure that cold cannot creep into the system. A simple but effective drawcord on the waist ensures a good fit
The nights were not cold enough to have worn these trousers in my sleeping bag but I have no doubt that if I had have done I could have coped with quite low temperatures.
I can honestly say that I have never worn anything as comfortable in my tent! There is no way I will be leaving these behind in the cooler months. Even when you don’t need the warmth the comfort of down is a revelation! At £150 these feel a bargain!
Minimus Down Socks
90 grams for £66.
These accompany the trousers and oh are they so good …
Each evening I put these socks on at the same time as the trousers. After a hard day of walking in Terrocs (often with wet feet) these felt a real luxury. Most evenings I continued to wear them in the sleeping bag and that breathability again meant that they were not too warm, just toasty and lovely. There was also one unexpected bonus.
While walking through days of bog I developed a blister on my right heel. The Compeed plaster kept getting tied up with my X Socks and so I moved to Teko socks and for a few days did not want to take them off to make sure that the plater stayed in place. On one evening the socks were wet. Now I know the old trick of taking your wet socks into the sleeping bag to dry them out. What would happen if I wore the down socks over the top of them?
It felt strange at first although when I took off one of the socks my feet immediately felt cold. During the night my feet were warm and in the morning everything was dry! Everyone knows that down is useless when it gets waterlogged. But down is a great and natural wicking material — so long as it is not wetted-out it can deal with moisture very effectively.
When it is cold I often wear woollen socks in my sleeping bag but the down socks are far more comfortable and far more effective. I reckon those of you who find sweaty feet leaves you with a damp bag will have no such problem with these.
So, in conclusion this is a wonderful combination. These pieces of down clothing may not be cheap but they are about as good as it can get. I now really do see the point of a down sleeping system. Combined with a down jacket these garments give you more comfort than you could ever imagine.
Well done PHD. Amazing stuff;.
Much of the gear that I used on this year’s Challenge has been tried and tested over more than a couple of events. In general it all worked very well and I do think that — for me at least — the gear works very well in Scottish conditions. The weather on this year’s vent was dreadful with lots of driving wind and rain and ground that was absolutely saturated. While exposure to high winds was a constant feature out of the wind the temperatures were not too low and on some evenings things felt a little humid. On the west coast the midges were out and biting! I’ll pick out some things for special comment, but here is a general overview.
Paramo Waterproofs
The jacket was the now, sadly, deleted Third Element. The trousers were the lightweight Velez trousers.
This year’s Challenge really put waterproofs through their paces. many people using conventional Goretex or eVent waterproofs complained of regular wet outs and water leakage. I had no such problems with the Paramo kit which kept me nice and dry at all times.
I’m not sure what I am going to do when my Third Element wears out but I reckon I can squeeze another couple of years out of it. This jacket has removable hood and arms which allows it to convert to a gilet. There is absolutely no need fora mid layer when carrying this jacket.
This is the second year that I have worn Velez trousers. There is no way I would walk in Cascadas as they are too heavy but the Velez are effective and cool enough to wear even in sunny weather and like last year I walked in them every day. There seem to have been some quality control issues with early batches but Paramo now seem to have got over these problems. However, try and buy these from a store rather than online. I reckon these are best when they are a size larger than your usual size.
Inov-8 Terrocs
As brilliant as ever. Wonderful when paired with Trek Light X Socks or lightweight Smartwool or Teko socks.
Pacer Poles
My Pacers are now more than a little battered and worn. The lower sections have been bent so many times that they now do not collapse into each other and have to be dismantled for transportation. But I still think that these poles work more efficiently and intuitively than standard poles. On a gruelling event like the Challenge I prefer to rely on aluminium poles rather than carbon ones.
Thermorest Neoair
Almost perfect. Nothing copes with uneven or tussocky ground than a Neoair. I was a late convert but now consider myself to be an evangelist for this mat!
Caldera Cone
This alcohol system is so simple yet amazingly effective and efficient. This year was the first time I had used the cone with a big, two person, pot — the MSR 1.5.titan. I was a little concerned as to how well it would work but the system was just as effective as it is with my one person MLD pot.
The cones measuring cup allows you to be very precise with your measurement of fuel. Two of us used just over one 500 mil bottle of fuel over the two week. We had a hot drink each morning and then heated more eater for porridge. In the evening we had a hot drink and a meal. We also used the stove during the day for a hot drink whenever we could.
Comparing this Caldera to other lightweight alcohol stoves used on the Challenge it would appear that our system was significantly more fuel efficient.
ULA Conduit Pack
This is a simple yet wonderfully designed pack that has now seen six years of hard and consistent use. The pockets are superb and easily accessible. Although frameless the pack is exceptionally comfortable with reasonable loads, mainly due to the superb shoulder straps. This year the Conduit was carrying a 2 kilogram tent and food for up to five days at times. While this was probably pushing the load to the limit at no time did the pack feel out of its own comfort zone. However, the pack is now showing signs of wear and teat and will probably need replacing late this year. I’ll write separately and my thoughts for replacement.
PHD Minimus Sleeping Bag
Still wonderful after all these years!
PHD Drishell Down Jacket
I would live in this 24 hours a day if I could get away with it!
Smartwool 150 Microlight Baselayer
Lovely. A lightweight than the usual 20o used by both Icebreaker and Smartwool. I reckon this is a better weight for trekking and works perfectly with paramo base layers.
iphone4 and Routebuddy Atlas
I have the full 1:50 map of the UK loaded on my iphone. The quality of the maps on the ‘retina’ screen are wonderful and a testament to Routebuddy’s use of Vector graphics rather than the bitmaps used by competitors.
For most of the time I kept the iphone switched off and only switched it on when using the GPS. The batteries are strong enough to allow this to be used for five or six days at a time. The GPS on the iphone is very accurate.
I usually carry a small Garmin Gekko with me but this year didn’t use it once the combination of iphone and Routebuddy was so effective.
Suunto Core
A very expensive watch and a crap one at that. My watch misted up so badly that it was completely unusable. Cotswold have now sent it back for repair or replacement and I will dal with this again if I have to. Older readers will remember that I have had this problem with previous models and I’d hoped Suunto had got over their production problems. Talking to staff at the store it would appear not!
It was good to meet Jon again on this year’s Challenge. Jon takes a lightweight approach to the event and even traverses scotland in a Golite tarp. Jon’s approach to lightweight kit is a lot more cost effective than that of many of us. Jon doesn’t like spending a great deal on his gear although this year he had splashed out on an interesting pack.
Jon’s thoughts on his kit and experience are laid out in some detail on his blog Whartson Hall. Well worth a read.
While on the Challenge a number of people told me they were looking forward to looking at my photos and reading my trip report and I know that there are those of you who were not on the event who are also interested.
So, this is how I am going to approach it all.
Firstly, there will be a Challenge journal in the usual way although this often takes me the best part of a month to write and lay out. I know some people like to blog as they go along; I like to sit and think about things for a while and to digest it all thoroughly.
Gear
Much of my TGO gear kit was pretty established nevertheless I will post a general round-up as well as some specific reviews on new pieces of kit that I think warrant a mention. Also, some of my kit is coming to the end of its life and I’ll share with you thoughts about replacements and — who knows — you may be able to help me consider my options!
Photos
There are some more photos to go up and these will appear as and when I get around to processing them. But a word of warning. Don’t expect lots of nice, sunny, skies!
The Start. Phyllis and Lou at Queen Street Station — no collection would be complete without the annual photo of these two!
Breakfast with Dennis Pidgeon: ” ..it’s dangerous for me to get to Braemar this early!”
Humphrey Weightman on Stonehaven Beach after two days navigating us through the Fetteresso Forest without once consulting a map! Respect!
Tony Bowe and Lee Wells in the bar of the Park Hotel; it’s why they came!
Sierra and Steph Manning
This year the combination of bad weather and very long days — I found myself a day behind schedule — meant that I only took about half of the number of photos that I usually do. Of those that I took a fair number were given aded atmosphere by rain splatters on the lens! Anyhow, the first processing of photos is always one of my first steps on ending a hike, so here isa first offering!
Rainbow over Feughside
From Beinn Resipol
Glen Gour
Lower Glen Feshie
Towards the Bealach Dubh from Loch Ossian
The evening train passes through Corrour
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