Get parked up early (by 9am) and parking is usually straightforward. The parking info at https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/car-park-status#295213 is useful. Generally waterside is VERY busy, and avoided unless you need to be close to launch something- but walking car parks (except Brothers Water, White Moss, and free laybys) have generally been a bit quieter.

Why don’t you go for a velux with a remote control that you can open from anywhere in the house? You can even get them with rain sensors so they close automatically during showers. Then you get light and air

The arts, culture and heritage sector? Lots of workers are freelance and have fallen through the gaps, venues can’t open until social distancing is ended, unlike the airlines, and whilst they can draw down on the furlough scheme, they will be unlikely to open by August when it starts to decrease at which point venue after venue will go into administration.

Pub in the middle of the walk, or pub at the end?

Cambridge have fleshed out their plan a little- lectures will be online, but supervisions will go ahead as normal. Labs will be open, but class sizes will be smaller to allow for social distancing. They are looking at how they can open libraries etc, and getting post grad students back on site soon for a soft opening.

Locally I’m acting like I’m shopping in the supermarket- don’t touch your face and wash your hands when you get in. Presume everything is infected and expect everyone else to be presuming the same?
Although when running across the parish boundary I’ve taken some hand sanitiser and done my hands before and after.

Whereas we’re experiencing the opposite in the Lake District. Normally it can easily get to double figures of jets heading down Windermere everyday. Think I’ve heard 2 in total since the start of lockdown.

I found a hammock really cold because you compress the sleeping bag against the fabric and then the air wicks the heat away. I had a sleeve in mine into which you could clip the included silver foil mat. This didn’t make things much warmer, so added another 3/4 thermarest type thing inside plus additional down duvet. Then it was cosy. Much easier to get out of bed/ put boots on than a bivvy, but definitely easier and comfier for me to sleep on a mat on the ground.

Some areas have specifically prohibited swimming, specifically Dorset I think. Some areas have not. We have had police on the shore when when we’ve been in the water- all we got was a cheery ‘is it cold’ and left to crack on. Obs don’t post it on social media, then it never happened, and you don’t rub up those in the community here and abroad who don’t have access to water atm

There’s a general rule of the number of minutes in = degrees in C of the water if you’re swimming skins. Wetsuit takes the edge off, reducing shock and temperature drop, but definitely enter water slowly and acclimatise rather than jumping in. You might also stay cold for a long time afterwards. If you have a look at the Outdoor Swimming Society website, they have a good section on ‘how to’

Supposed to be heading south on Sunday for a gin cruise, sorry, sailing holiday in the Solent. Keeping the week off work though- its getting a bit Groundhog Day at home so need the change.

There’s a hostel next to the river in Aviemore which is very convenient

If you don’t mind a bit of road, and the ferry is running, then you can cycle to it (about 30mins by mountain bike). Turn right on the far side of the lake and you are quickly on the lake side cycle path to Wray Castle which is pretty and traffic free. The cafe at Wray Castle is very good too. (Much better than the one at Claife Heights).

Oh yes, the Low Sizergh farm shop and cafe is lovely. They have a 24hr raw milk vending machine as well if you need to stock up and the garage is closed! There’s a short stretch of bridleway in crosthwaite itself that goes through the churchyard.

As in it’s easy to get to! Descent is a lot lumpier than the Witherslack, Gummer’s How and Sow House ones.

The topography is a little fun in this end of the lakes (there’s more lumps than you think) but there is a lot of fun to be had. Also, we rode all day last August bank holiday and only saw 3 other people.
Worth noting Garburn pass route is very accessible too…

If you have the Vertebrate Lake District guide book then ride 3 Cartel Fell and ride 11 Whitbarrow Scar are right on the doorstep. We tend to link the two together for a nice day out..the decent from Witherslack Hall and from Simpson Ground to Staveley in Cartmel are really fun. We also tend to do Sow How to Raven’s Barrow as a descent (rolling).
Pubs at Underbarrow (Black Lab) and Levens (Hare and Hounds) are ime better than the Mason’s Arms, Punchbowl in Crosthwaite and Hare and Hounds in Bowland Bridge.

We’re between two 24hr raw milk vending machines here in the south lakes. One also sells glass bottles. Keep meaning to get some to make paneer with as I imagine it would be delicious

No nudity in transition…

Not Maribel related but checked the governments brexit ready page yesterday and it looks like an international driving permit will be needed for France…

Neptune? It’s pricey but lovely. Just wish we didn’t move out 2 years after fitting! Also, a lot of handles I looked at were awful (including the Neptune ones). I sourced some from Anthropologie that looked amazing and cost less than those quoted for.

I purchased some neoprene toe covers which fit inside shoes. They are supposed to be for skiing- my feet are never cold in ski boots but we’re always cold on winter MTB. These helped a lot.

I reckon the ‘snowline’ such as it is is about 700m right now – passes should be fine.

And Muppet Treasure Island

I have a feeling Patagonia have recently re-engineered their capilene line to be a bit less stinky? Has anyone got old and new and can confirm this. Unfortunately after being smug for years that my HH weren’t that smelly despite being 15 years old, I think they might finally be succumbing to the curse so it’s time for something new!

Ty Nant (tyrant.me.uk) sleeps 10 and is very comfortable.

Wow! Congratulations on a great set of results. Problem of being so good at a wide range of things is it leads to difficult choices (especially in the system where you have to choose which 3-4 subjects to specialise in in Y12). Even thought there are no ideas about university yet, it might be worth a browse of the HEAP guide to look at course descriptions and possible offers, it might set some thought processes rolling. And below is the Cambridge guidance re number of a-levels/further maths

“Applicants taking four subjects won’t normally be at an advantage compared with those taking three, although competitive applicants for STEM courses often have Further Mathematics as a fourth subject.

For courses where A Level Mathematics is required by all Colleges – Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, physical sciences options in Natural Sciences – students taking A Level Mathematics in Year 12, and A Level Further Mathematics and only one other A Level in Year 13 will be considered.”

And the pub in Seathwaite is great!

One at Allerthorpe in N Yorkshire

It was notable that the campsites were full within campervans, mostly from the Netherlands, who were cleverly doing Norway ‘on the cheap’ by bringing all their own food and just topping up with bread and milk when required.

We took bikes, but flew to Bergen and hired a van. Flights and van hire was cheaper and faster than the ferry. It is a shame the newcastle to Norway ferry no longer runs ( there is still a route but it takes 36hrs).

Verbier is ok to do self guided as long as you have a decent map! It’s lift assist, you can bike on all the walkers trails, which are signposted (except one above the town which is clearly marked). There is bike park as well in the main bowl, but the balcony trails are a real treat.
Expensive though as it’s Switzerland, and not sure about camping.

Anyone know why Sagan was sporting clear goggles round his neck at the finish?

I’ve been doing some research recently on a side angle to this, investigating why there is such a disparity between the number of men and women using the outdoors. Where I got to with it was that a large contributing factor was the socialisation of boys and girls, with boys encouraged/allowed to be boisterous and go outdoors (“boys will be boys”) and girls and encouraged to be sweet and passive. I classified these traits into normalised ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ behaviours because they are socialised behaviours/expectations rather than biological ones (there’s another argument about the socialised aspect of binary genders, but now is not the time!). Consequently, some women and men who have not been socialised this way cross the norms, but they are in the minority. This works against men as well as women, because expected behaviours create pressures to behave in a certain way. If anyone wants 4500 words on why adventure is a ‘masculine’ privilege it will hopefully be published soon.

Hang on, why does a sup have a clip on seat?

The Goldeneye NYM cycle map is the most useful guide I have found.

Head west into the Yorkshire Moors for beautiful road riding. Most of the ‘gradual’ road climbs run north/south. Lots of the east/west is very steep (e.g. Rosedale Chimney). There are plenty of tea rooms. There is also a recently set up equivalent to the Dales Bike Centre which might be able to advise on routes…they are up near Goathland somewhere. You can also ride from Scarbs through Scaby and into the back of the forest drive though Dalby which is good going.

Some Swiss sockets have a weird diamond inset that can make it hard to wedge an adaptor in.

i Think particularly for sea paddles a rigid is the way to go- I’ve got an 11.3 sport with the batons, and it feels perfectly rigid on Lakes and rivers, but sea swell seems to make it flex a bit more.

I love Dalby- it gets a lot of hate (and the first half feels almost all uphill) but it is a quiet and playful track. Although the NyM themselves are also great riding- anything from the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge if the weather is good will give you awesome views and great natural riding.