Just got back from checking out some rucksacks at Outside in Hathersage. I really liked the Exos 48, they’d only got the Large in stock, which seemed to fit fine (hard to say 100% when it’s basically unweighted) The Osprey sizing app says Medium though….they didn’t have that size in stock to compare unfortunately. My head is saying large as it definitely felt a good fit.

I then nipped over to Alpkit and picked up a 650 ti mug thing. My aeropress fits inside it, and inside the netting from my old cheapo pot set the mug, aeropress and mar pocket rocket clone all fit nice and tidy. I’ve decided that cook in the bag dehydrated meals are the way to go for me. Easiest way of getting enough veggie friendly calories, the Go Outdoor ones aren’t too expensive and I quite like the taste tbf! Can carry 4 days worth very easily. The single use plastic element does grind my eco friendly conscience though.

Still trying to recover from Covid so I might have to plan some single hill/very easy walks to get some more summer camping in I think. It’s absolutely wiped next out so far!

I could eat the summit to eat Mac cheese every day, give it a bash Tom, it’s awesome!. Blacks have them for 7.50 for 2 ATM.

Heading down to walk the bob graham in 2 weeks, over 3 days. Looking forward to it, and keen to recce it for a wee attaimpt at some point in the future. Welcome to join us for a hill or 2 Tom.

When’s that? Ordinarily I’d jump at the chance, but really struggling with anything more strenuous than walking a 100m at the minute……worked 6 days most weeks since October looking forward to some me time over summer, and boom taken out by Covid 1 week into my summer off 😔

Edit, just seen that you said I 2 weeks….what dates?

Starting on Skiddaw around 9am on Fri 20th mate.

That might just work you know! Got a fairly mental weekend at home that weekend (we’re hosting a hen do, dont ask!!) so I’m fairly keen to make myself scarce! Skiddaw should be nice and quiet that day too 😂

Cool, see how you feel nearer the time, and gimme a shout mate.

Not proper hill walking but a photo from near home walking up a small hill

🙌

Getting out is ace…

@ Tom-B if you want an exos 48/58, I’m gonna sell mine, used it for 4 days in Cairngorms, 3 days in Lakes, still in great nick, otherwise it’s going on the bay.

Started off on friday morning laer than usual, as my wifes a nurse and had to do a short notice nightshift on thursday night, meaning we didn’t set off up skiddaw til gone 11am. Skiddaw, Great Calva and then over Blencathra in the smog, Halls fell ridge is interesting with zero visibility!. We knew after the late start and shit weather we’d be cutting it short tbh, so just camped in the site east of Threlkeld (bloody noisy btw!).

Then off over clough head etc and up onto Raise, seen the blackness approaching and made the decision to shoot back down sticks pass to the west. Lovely coffee and cake in st johns in the vale, then round by legburthwaite and a lovely wee camp up on walla crag, for half an hour, then it pissed all night, and no views in the morning. 🙂

Still had a cracking couple of days, 35 miles, 11,500′ – good times. My mate is a YT vlogger, I’ll post up his vid when he fires it up.

Great photo! It sounds like you had a good trip despite the weather.

Halls Fell ridge is a great way up Blencathra. It often gets forgotten about as a lot of people want to go up Sharp Edge (which is a horrible greasy weasel of a ridge).

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.

https://www.3fultralight.com/product/3f-ul-teepee-pyramid-ultralight-tent-2-3-person-15d-hiking-tents/

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.

@Tom-B – try these guys

https://plattyplus.co.uk/

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://www.flickr.com/gp/matt_outandabout/4Z9a5s]Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui[/url] by Matt Robinson, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/matt_outandabout/05Juw5]Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui[/url] by Matt Robinson, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/matt_outandabout/467SgY]Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui[/url] by Matt Robinson, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/matt_outandabout/sy03m7]Beinn a' Chlèibh and Ben Lui[/url] by Matt Robinson, 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