Humphrey Weightman - designer par excellence - guided me to the Fords of Avon on my recent trip to the Cairngorms. It was my first time there. Humphrey once told me that is is ‘inextricably drawn to the Fords of Avon’. Having been there now, I can see the attraction.

I’m not sure I’ve done this walk justice, but here are some pics … (roll on next year).

Bynack More

On to the Fords

That’s it. I really am off now!

I’m not off to the Pyrenees until Thursday evening but - as ever - there’s so much to do that I doubt I’m going to get a chance to produce any posts to the blog before I go. As usual there’s work to finish off before I go, there’s last minute kit to buy and then some last minute dilemmas. Is there any point of dehydrating some food before I go?

I’ve got a kind of route planned but the weather has not been good in June and there may well be quite a lot of snow sitting on some of the high passes. There might have to be some route improvisation but I find that this actually adds to the interest of the trip. For many Pyreenistes the long distance footpaths of the Pyrenees, the GR10, GR11 and the HRP represent the great challenge. At some point I’ love to find the 8 weeks or so to tackle the HRP but for a couple of weeks I thin the best walking is a route that takes in a bit of these paths and then meanders around them.

I’ll be carrying a recording machine with me and so hopefully there will be some podcast material that comes out of it. The idea is to produce something that is not only interesting but is of practical use to anyone looking to plan a trip to the Pyrenees for the first time. I hope I’m going to be able to meet a few people along the way who’ll be happy to talk to me, otherwise it might get a bit monotonous.

I’ll still be looking at the blog before I go. If you are one of these people thinking about the Pyrenees for the first time, and you have something you’d like me to cover, let me know through a comment to this post and I’ll see what I can do.

Otherwise I guess I’ll announce my return in the now traditional way, but posting a few photographs to the blog.

See you when I get back. I’ll leave you with some photos of the High Pyrenees.

Camping Ground at Wallon

Early morning, Pic du Midi

Fitting in the tent!

High Spanish Tarn

Killer Sheep

Barrage des Oulettes

I’ve developed a tradition over recent years, when travelling back from Scotland by train. At Glasgow I now pop into Borders in Buchanan Street and look for a book that I can read on the way back to Birmingham. The book has to be one that’s connected with Scotland - it keeps the feel of the break going that little bit longer. The book has to be short enough to read during the three hour or so journey to Birmingham and has o be something that I would not normally buy.

A couple of weeks ago, on my return from my trip to the Cairngorms, I picked up a real cracker.

Calum’s Road is a simply wonderful book, detailing the life and work of crofter Calum Mcleod who lived on the Herbridean island of Rossay. Calum was one of those men of the Highlands who can turn their hand to almost anything. During his life he developed the first electric light system in the north of the island - using a wind turbine, looked after the lighthouse, worked as a crofter and a fisherman and even found time to do things like grow tobacco plants in his green house. Calum’s philosophy was to be as self sufficient as possible. He didn’t smoke himself but realised that some of the older fellows were having trouble with their supply, so he grew his own. It was - they said - the lightest, finest, tobacco they had smoked.

But Calum’s greatest achievement was his road. For much of his life Calum campaigned for the building of a small road that would connect the south of the island with his small settlement in the north. Every campaign fell of deaf ears and so - at the age when most people are looking to retire - Calum decided to build his own road. The road (which was, of course, completed) has become quite famous and the achievement is worth celebrating in a book.

But there is much more to Roger Hutchinson’s book than the building of the road. We hear about the history of the island and the suffering of the community as one absentee landowner after another cleared the land to support sheep farming. We relive a number of commissions that came to the islands to explore the true life of crofting. This was a hard life, not just because of the climate and the land. One landowner actually built a kind of Berlin-wall across the island to keep the natives to the North and away from the land now dominated by the sheep.

I haven’t really got time to say more about this book, but if traditional life of the Hebrides interests you then rush out and buy it. This is a fascinating story about a fascinating place and an amazing man called Calum.

Great reading.

Calum’s Road, (Birlinn Ltd). Paperback. £7.99

I guess there are not going to be many posts here before I leave for the Pyrenees on Thursday. As usual there are too many things to be done and written before I can get away with clear conscience. But the week just one was another week of train travel with lots of chances to pick up magazines again.

Trail has its second issue in a row that pronounces on its cover a lightweight feature on the inside. In this issue Trail are considering lightweight, solo, tents. Two months focussing on lightweight hiking. Is this a change of direction for Trail who have been - up to now - a bit sniffy about it all.

I remember writing a post six months or so ago about Lightweight becoming mainstream as more and more outdoor producers move to produce lighter packs and to highlight this in their promotional material. It would be nice to think that Trail was having to respond to the increased popularity of TGO but I imagine that Trail’s move to the lighter side of life is more a reflection of what major manufacturers and its advertisers are doing.

TGO need to be regularly praised for opening up this new dimension to hiking and trekking. A few months ago I felt that their lightweight coverage was getting a little formulaic but Cameron and his team have moved one quite effectively, I think, by using Eddie Meecham to tackle the more extreme side of things. This allows Chris Townsend and Judy Armstrong to pitch lighter gear well in the mainstream. This is how it should be as there really is no reason to carry huge weights any more. Lightweight gear is easier to come across than at any time before and, of course, it is often very competitively priced. Edie’s stuff is always fascinating even if it sometimes seems a bit barmy. But someone that committed to exploring the extremes (in a UK context) is worth his weight in gold.

The difference between TGO and Trail is a clear philosophy, with its staff clearly interested in exploring all of the aspects of this ‘new’ movement. I doubt whether we’ll see Trail testing - say - the latest, tiny, meths stoves or focusing on tarps as often as TGO does. Trail’s coverage seems to follow where manufactures or distributors are going.TGO should remain the true home of lightweight enthusiasts for some time to come. The magazine is becoming central to an international community of lightweight hikers and this seems to have all kinds of interesting spin offs with Chris Townsend becoming the Gear Editor of backpackinglight.com - a welcome move as I’m sure Chris will help improve their gear coverage significantly.

I guess Trail are showing that the outdoor market is now really waking up to the world of lighter gear. Trail and TGO should never really be compared that closely, after all they are focussed on quite different markets. We need both of them.

But Cameron, Chris, Emily, Judy and Eddie should take a bow. I wonder where they are going next?

These all now seem to be working OK, including the links to Colin’s spreadsheets. My provider’s server has been a little slow in responding recently and although I’d thought I’d replaced the files on the server with corrected ones, it has taken a while for these actions to be processed. Apologies. For links see the side column on the right.

Those of you who have read my trip report from the Cairngorms will have seen that I’m not sure that I’ve got my mid layers right. I thought I’d outline things here in the hope that I can get some free advice!

I’m thinking of gear for a Scottish trip in Spring or Autumn. May and June are generally reckoned to be good months on Scotland but the weather can be changeable. In May this year many of the TGO Challenger had a rain free crossing. In June I had rain, stinging hail and nights around freezing. On the day I crossed the Lairig Ghru I simply wasn’t warm enough. I was using a merino base layer over a Paramo Mountain Vent all underneath an eVent jacket. Quite frankly I was surprised by this and it got me thinking.

On the 2008 Challenge I relied on a Montane Kinetic micro fleece which worked well but which might be a little warm at times. In 2007 I used a Paramo system - just a base layer and a Velez smock and in the main this worked as effectively - although I could have done with a little more heat on the coldest day.

For next year’s Challenge (if I get on) I might well go back to Paramo especially if the forecast is not good. But if the forecast is better I wonder.

I’m wondering whether there’s a gap in my gear cupboard for one of these light, synthetic filled jackets. Most manufacturers now have these, including Rab, Montane and Berghaus. I’m taken by the PHD Sigma Pullover which weighs in at about 340 grams or 360 if using PHD’s water resistant Drishell fabric. I wonder if this would give me a little more versitility?

Anyhow, my immediate concerns are my kit collection for the Pyrenees which is considerably warmer than Scotland, although I’ve known evenings nearly at freezing in the summer (not often thankfully). I’ve still to decide on the final it choice and I’ll post details here when I’ve done that.

I realise that I’ve been using this pack as my main pack for 18 months now but have not yet reviewed it, although I’ve had a number of requests write one. So, here we go.

ULA are a small, specialist, pack manufacturer from Utah in the USA. ULA is Brian Frankle, a keen backpacker and trekker himself who makes these packs, with a tiny staff, in a small premises he calls his ‘garage’. Although his operation may be small his packs are awesome. There’s no doubt that these are backpacks designed by someone who is a dedicated hiker and trekker.

The Conduit is my third pack from ULA. I also have a Catalyst load carrier and a Relay day-pack come ultralight overnighter/. The Conduit sits in the middle of the range.

I’ve now photos of the Conduit (at the moment) but here are plenty here on the ULA site.

Pockets

In many ways the Conduit is a cut down Catalyst and that is no bad thing at all. The pack has a roll top and an assortment of superb pockets, something that become a ULA trademark. There is a large front pocket made of webbing, two webbing pockets on the side of the pack and two small pockets on the hipbelt.

The Conduit pockets are superb. The main front pocket I use for waterproofs, first kits and so on. If I’m using a tarp then the tarp can easily sit in this pocket. The side pockets are designed to be easily accessible while you are walking. Typically, mine carry a map in one side and a water bottle in the other and in the winter they’ll likely be the home for a wind cap.

I first came across this system on the Catalyst and I don’t think I could do without them now. To be able to use the pockets as you walk is almost perfect. The two hip belt pockets are also very useful and each has a fair capacity. Mine will typically carry a Swiss Army knife, sometimes a small GPS, power bars or equivalents, blister plasters and so on.

If you’ve already bought another ULA pack, most likely the Catalyst then you’ll know exactly how the pockets work. One of the nice things for me is that when moving from one pack to the other I can transfer the contents of pockets to the corresponding home on the new pack.

Roll Top Lid

This is also similar to the system used on the Catalyst. For some not having a top lid is a bit odd, but I now much prefer this system. It is far too easy to stuff lots of unwanted things in a lid pocket and I find this often over-balances the pack. The roll top works very effectively with the two straps holding it in place effectively acting as compression straps when needed. The roll top is also a bit of an extension collar which is useful when carrying larger loads (see below).

Pack Shape

The Conduit also shares the general shape profile of the Catalyst, that is to say that it is not long and narrow but shorter and wider on the back. I find this is far more practical when backpacking. The pack is easier to fill while still remaining comfortable.

Back System

The Catalyst has a proper back system that can be bent around the contour of your back. The Conduit does not have any back system at all or any padding. The main material of the pack simply wraps around the back.

If you’ve not used his kind of system before you may find it strange. But in reality it works just as effectively as a very complicated (and therefore heavy) system. The pack can usually be ‘arched’ to provide air space to the back. I find that my back is now clammier, or wetter, than when using any other pack.

Because there is no back system the strength to the back of the pack comes from a sleeping pad that is inserted into a special sleeve in the back of the pack. This system also works well. I’ve used my pack with a Thermorest 3/4 mat and a Torso Lite mat and both work very well. Recently I’ve also used a Gossamer Gear Nightlight Torso Pad and that also work well, although it is more bulky and amakes the packs a
little more difficult to pack

Vital Statistics

This is where we can see that the Conduit is a light hiker’s pack.

My Conduit (size M/L) weighs 620 grams and has a capacity of 50 litres. That capacity mind you is quoted for all of the storage space in the pack and includes the pocket space. The main compartment of the pack is probably somewhere around 30 litres but, as I said above, the shape and profile of the pack seems to make it easier to load than many 50 litre packs that are clearly ‘larger’.

The pack is made out of Dyneema fabric which is about the toughest, lightweight pack material that you will find. There are lighter packs using less durable materials. For many occasions these are fine but Dyneema is probably the lightest material I would happily let airport baggage controllers play with. Dyneema does wear and you can occasionally get a small hole in it. But the white thread you see in Dyneema is the tough stuff, used to make bullet-proof vests. You may get a hole but the material won’t ‘run’ and things stay intact. Don’t get the wrong idea, Dyneema is very hard wearing - I’ve only had this issue with packs that have been used a hell of a lot.

Capacity and Load Bearing

So, how does this pack measure up in use? Well, the Conduit can carry a fair weight thanks to a light but effectively padded hip belt.

Brian reckons that the Conduit can carry loads of between 9 and 13.5 kilograms (10 to 30 pounds) and I reckon that’s about right.

My Conduit has been very comfortable with a tarp system but has been equally conformable carrying a two person SuperSolar 2.2. which weighs about 2.3 kilos.

Recently, I completed a trip to the Scottish Highlands using the Conduit to carry a Hilleberg Akto tent and four days of food. All of this slipped into the Conduit well with the Akto utilising the extra extension space of the roll top. Even when at its heaviest the pack was pretty comfortable, probably as much as it would have been using a Catalyst. I guess my total load - with food - was never higher than 10 kilograms.

For this trip the main compartment was used for sleeping bag, down jacket, food, cooker, pot and tent. The main front pocket was used for waterproofs, etc.

Shoulder Pads

For me the best feature of the pack is its shoulder pads. These are non adjustable but they are well padded and very, very comfortable. It is very easy - when walking - to adjust the pack to shift the load from shoulders to hips, which aids comfort on long walks.

Versatility

The pack is light enough to use as a day pack, for example, after setting up a base camp. Indeed, a stripped down Conduit is lighter than many normal day packs.

Limits of Use

As I said earlier this is now my trekking pack of choice. There are some limitations though. This summer I will be back in the Pyrenees. I will take the Catalyst for a number of practical reasons. Firstly, I have to be able to get poles and everything else inside of the pack in order for it to be loaded into the hold of a plane. Secondly, I sometimes carry quite a lot of water here depending on the route and the Catalyst will give me extra margins for this and for food. But I’ve no doubt that the Conduit could cope. If I was solo hiking out here I would carry less and would be happy with the Conduit.

There are lighter packs. When using an ultra-light load (with a light tarp) a pack from Mountain Laurel or others would be effective. But the Conduit copes with higher loads and so is more versatile.

So, there you go. I heartily recommend this pack. I bought mine when the exchange rate was in the UK’s favour but even so the pack is not expensive for something that is so well designed and well made - no dodgy stitching here.

You have to choose your time to order a ULA pack as Brian goes hiking every autumn and closes down for a couple of months. This may seem frustrating but it is the hiking that makes the packs so good!

Today the pack costs $125 which is £62 (plus about another £15 for postage and taxes). I think that this represents superb value for money for such a well made, well-designed, specialist pack. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Likes

Carries a good, medium weight load
Very tough
Superb pockets
Wide profile means easy packing
Wonderful shoulder straps

Dislikes

A bit heavy

ULA-Equipment

Colin has updated his gear list master files for both the TGO Challenge this year (2008) and last year (2007). Both of these are Excel spreadsheet files (.xls) format.

Colin Ibbotson’s Pages

Note. There should not be any problems accessing these pages are the URLs are now all correct. If you are still having problems it maybe that your browser is simply loading up an old page from the cache - flushing your browser’s cache should ease the problem.

The final instalment of Colin’s gear reviews is now online.

Apologies to those who were still having problems with the links; there was a / missing in the address - I guess Safari is clever enough to work that out as it was fine for me!

Colin Ibbotson - Gear Review Section 3

This is the section where Colin reviews the Paramo 3rd Element. He tells me he’s never had as much interest in a piece of kit before!

Seem to be working fine now!

Colin Ibbotson - Super Lightweight Hiker