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Aye, was still a brilliant weekend. Came off the summit in a whiteout and I'll admit to coming off just the wrong side of the ridge. Ended up down in a gully a good few hundred from where we should've been, which added a good hour onto the descent, once on the actual ridge path it was cracking.
Greasy weasel is a good description of the way we went, lots of use of the arse crampons!
Halls Fell ridge is a great way up Blencathra
It is. Also used in descent on the Bob Graham at ridiculous speed!
Looks awesome Greg.....gutted that I couldn't make it. I'll definitely have that Exos off you mate, drop me a message with how much you want for it 👍
while the masses were queueing on snowdon, took my boy up cnicht for his first mountain last sunday. saw a handful of people all day.
that's a great proper first mountain for a kid although the numerous false summits are a pain. How many times did he say.. "are we there yet Dad?"
Fantastic Jam-bo 👍🏻
Pen Y Fan Horseshoe last week with camp up near top, his first mountain.
Bit misty then...
Is that an old GoLite?
It's a lanshan copy of a GoLite, has an inner too but we didn't take it.
that’s a great proper first mountain for a kid although the numerous false summits are a pain. How many times did he say.. “are we there yet Dad?”
climb wasn’t too bad but I think he lost the will a bit on the long slog back to croeser from the slate mines.
It's character building 🤔
I used to bring sugared almonds for my nephews, instant sugar hit plus almond goodness to follow
Mega pics guys!
I'm off to check out that tent a_a.....could do with something cheap for a VERY occasional trip with girlfriend plus dog in tow.
I’m off to check out that tent a_a…..could do with something cheap for a VERY occasional trip with girlfriend plus dog in tow.
I got it off eBay for about £100 and then got a carbon pole made to go with it. It's designed to use a walking pole with an extender that comes with it but the extender doesn't fit in my walking poles.
Doesn't seem to be on eBay at moment.
The only problem I've had is that the plastic sleeve which the pole sits in at the top was sown in but that sowing not sealed, some seam sealer has sorted it.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32909077223.html
These are basically a rip off of Hubba Hubba, my mate got sent one to review for his youtube channel, its 500g heavier, but pretty good tbh, he was pretty impressed with it and he's a mega tent geek.
^ How do people get on with those with inner of 210cm?
I have laid out in one of the walking pole Lanshan tents that too was 210cm, and at 180cm/6' tall, my feet and nose were on the inner tent. The Hubba rip-off though has steeper sidewalls.
Current Delta is 220cm and I get away with it.
I don't know about the 3ful version, but in the HubbaHubba, I have acres of space at either end, as you say due to the near vertical ends. I'm 6'1" btw.
Tremendous wee last minute solo day on Arran on wednesday, weather looked great, messaged in for a holiday and popped onto an early ferry. 11 miles, 6000' of ascent and a nice wee flat 8 miles on the bike each way too, grand.
Glen Sannox Horseshoe
👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent. Arran is brilliant.
It's fantastic Matt, agreed. Nice and compact, no big traverses between mountains, ridges forever. And 20 mins drive form the ferry. 🙂
Looks awesome!!!
We're heading to Borrowdale this weekend, no real plans to do anything as we're still slowly getting over Covid. Might hire a canoe at some point and maybe try and do an easy hill too.
Mrs_oab and eldest_oab today, while I get to Teams Meet and push pixels around....
Mrs_oab on foot.
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Arran also has one of the best hill name translations - Cioch na h-Oighe - "The maidens nipple"
The one on the left. Just turn your head sideways....
I descended Goatfell with a heavy hangover via the nipple years ago and thought it was a bit sketchy.
I went back the next day to scramble up it - it was good fun but quite tame really. Lesson learned, go easy on the Ardbeg
We did a lovely walk on the Carmarthen Fans yesterday. Pretty quiet up there too
I forgot a couple of ours....
Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui - I have been driving past for 12 years and kept saying 'must go do..', so we did. Did the reverse to most folk to avoid a line of others ascending at the same time.
Cameron McNeish suggests that Ben Lui is quite 'alpine' in feel - and he is right. See last image, it is a properly straight back down to river ridge.
Not pictured: the nice swim at the end.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51350555041_0b31e548c9_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51350555041_0b31e548c9_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/matt_outandabout/4Z9a5s ]Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51351572380_47596849ec_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51351572380_47596849ec_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/matt_outandabout/05Juw5 ]Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51351573180_ddae87fd9b_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51351573180_ddae87fd9b_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/matt_outandabout/467SgY ]Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51351292714_cf9d59e4fb_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51351292714_cf9d59e4fb_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/matt_outandabout/sy03m7 ]Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
Tis a boggy bugger down by the burn!.
Only heard about this recently, the survivor still works in our place, horrible.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12620999.survivor-tells-how-friends-fell-to-death/
Did anyone get out on the hills over the weekend?
I went up to the black mountains, started in talgarth, headed up to waun fach then along to a Forrest above the reservoir to test out the new tarp. Tarp was good fun and different, however maybe I should have taken more than the summer sleeping bag! It was on the chilly side!
First time in that area and lots to explore both on foot and on the bike in the future
That sounds great.
We rode Abergavenny - Llanthony - Gospel pass - Craswall - Skirrid Inn - back to Aber recently. It was a great day out with a nice bridleway section to avoid the drop to Hay
Well after getting rained off on last years trip to Scotland we were more successful this time and so on Ash's 44th birthday we took on Beinn Alligin, did it clockwise but I think next time I would gone for anti clockwise. Then a few days later we saw another opportunity and walked up the mighty and astonishing Suilven!!
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I'm now considering starting to chip away at the Wainwrights considering we now live in Cumbria.
Stunning.
I was hoping to get mrs_oab back up there for a few days in October, but not sure it's going to happen now...
Me too Matt, but the short days are rolling in fast.
Was supposed to be going to Torridon this weekend for a compleation, but completely forgot it's a training weekend, so that's that gubbed.
I was one of the idiots attempting to hike in the lakes this week. Looking for advice on gaitors as feet got very wet. I was wearing waterproof keen boots and waterproof over trousers so I’m guessing the water wicked down my socks. Do gators work, do you wear them over the waterproof trousers, any recommendations to length, or even brand and type. Also, the rain covers on all our different brand ruck sacks were useless, I’m going back to liners. Finally, I’ve always been a bit underwhelmed with my paramo Quito which I’ve had for years but it performed faultless - completely dry after 6 hours in heavy rain and the venting zips worked well
A gator yesterday:
🙃
Aaaaand...
Gaiters under ovies. Even with overtrousers and a top end hardshell jacket, you'll get wet eventually.
Rain gets in through the facehole and wicks down your front and up your sleeves from the hand holes. It then wicks down the front of your troos and often joins in with condensation to wet your legs - even with the most expensive fabrics. On a biblical day, you'll still get wet feet from rain wicking down troos/socks and the Gore-Tex boot liner eventually letting water in.
There's always holes somewhere that aren't sealed plus condensation even when you spend the most money possible. When it's really bad for long enough, you'll be getting wet at some point.
The humble plastic sac liner still outperforms the taped/expensive liner options IME.
By default, I wear my gaiters under my waterproof trousers, as I'll start off with them on over top of boots and trousers, and invariably pull on waterproofs after when it starts to rain. This means the water runs off and over gaiters, so works well.
Not having gaiters, and wearing fabric type boots, I have had days where the wet grass has caused the outers of my boots to get soaked, and 'leak' over and into the inside. Gaiter help this no end.
As for the pack rain covers, I reckon the rain runs down the straps and inside the rain cover, so I never use them. I have all my kit in dry bags, not only does it keep stuff dry, it means I know where everything is, which works really well camping too.
Nothing will beat some of the current weather.
Another gaiters under over trousers here - and remember that no gaiter is breathable enough, so they do get damp over a day anyway.
We have Black Diamond Cirque short gaiters for short of leg mrs_oab - they fit well, stay in place and suit short of leg. I have Rab goretex gaiters - less well fitted but noticeably more breathable, too long for short legs but ideal for mine.
I am another plastic bags are better than dry bags, and that pack covers do very little when it gets really wet. Everything in my pack is in a plastic bag, lid pockets I use ziploc bags.
If it isn't windy, umbrella is ace ;-)_
Thanks all, good advice
Gaiters under over trousers in the rain, but gaiters over (over) trousers if you're walking through snow.
A couple of weeks ago in the Forest of Bowland
I love these signs
Gaiters under over trousers in the rain, but gaiters over (over) trousers if you’re walking through snow.
Gwahn, why is that? (As a habitual gaiters under wearer...)
Gwahn, why is that? (As a habitual gaiters under wearer…)
If you're walking through snow then snow going up your trousers is a bigger problem than it getting down your gaiters from the top.
I'm going to experiment this winter then. One leg in, one leg out.
Still the best solution was my old Patagucci XCR breeks with inbuilt snow gaiters...