I was plodding up a 5000m ridge line on an acclimatising day and felt what I can only describe as a grape being squashed in my head. Instantly lost all depth perception and felt totally exhausted. Told my climbing partner I was ok and I’d wait for him to come back down. Wobbled back down several hours later and could barely walk the next day. Spent most of the day sat next to a horse in a tea house kitchen by the fire. It was cold out and the horse wanted to be warm!

Next day felt great and got going again, joys of altitude, go up slow come back alive.

I’ve climbed Island Peak it’s 6100 I think. Usual approach has collapsed last year I think but probably another way up it now. Also rode the Annapurna Circuit solo that goes 5600m at the highest. I pushed as fell over trying to pedal. You need time and money before anything else.

Nepal rescue services are excellent but helicopters want paying in advance so have lots of credit available as no pay no come get you! If you don’t like travel,climbing risks and need on call rescue Himalayas may not be a good choice. But if you want big mountains it’s the best choice.

Great, thanks.

Ooh too late. I’ve test ridden a Camino for a day. Didn’t like it and think 1* is not enough for thrashing round Wales and the Lakes and clunky on the road.

Bought an RX9 full bike top spec version for £1100 when everyone panicked over Orange possibly going bust. Great fun to ride and it came in orange! If it was sand I would have said no as well.

Zelensky needs to call Putin telling him to keep what’s he’s got and see if they can call it quits. If you want to escalate it more get over there and fight .

I had a rather large crash in Spain last year, went to A and E and saw a doctor then a consultant then a scan then back to the doctor all in 4 hours. I was advised to have a follow up back in UK and had to wait 5/6 weeks for a scan here.

Is that Spain charging the NHS so going all out on treatment or just more efficient?  I only had to show my EU healthcard.

Long trousers back on for work today but wood stores are full which is good as my super cheap tariff expired last week.

Trapped nerve. Massage helped me so did pulling over in my van to shed a few tears during the day lasted about 4 months then woke up one morning and it was gone.

My old neighbours when I lived in Melbourne got arrested for inviting them in and giving them tea and hash cookies.

I just close the door and say bye.

Did it on a HT Id like to do it again on a gravel bike, great route, Tomintoul has an excellent bus stop to hide in if the weather goes wrong. Have fun.

No one, stadium gigs are crap and so are the greedy tossers playing them.

Oh a tour of Japan and buy those Orange 5’s brilliant fun bikes I regret selling mine to my mate who takes it out every time we go out for stupid fast downhill days.

Ticked most of mine, DH Racing, Alps trips in France, Italy, Switzerland, Heli-biking and touring in NZ, bikepacking in Nepal, riding and bikepacking all over UK, lots of enduro in Southern Spain.

I’d like a made to measure frame for me in a gravel bike but will stick with off the shelf ones and do more trips.

Sold my DH bike and bought an enduro bike as I’m faster and better on it. Love riding DH just don’t bother watching it or any sport really.

I think swimming at my local beach when United Utilities pump a load of raw sewage into the sea is worse for my health than someone smoking a fag in the beer garden. I’d prefer to see them do something about that.

Heart. Bikes are fun. Had a similar dilemma last year and bought a mullet Switch 6 when everyone panicked over Orange and got a great bargain. It got me back into uplift, downhill days and having a great time. Or just get both if you can afford it.

Very enjoyable series all round. I’ve even played street cricket in India 30 odd years ago, got absolutely battered by the locals but had great fun all round.

I liked the travel episodes on TG very entertaining, luckily I’m over 50 as well and drive a 20 year old van so never speed. Can we ban the Atherton’s though, I find them quite inspiring and crashing my humungous enduro rig is getting a bit ouchy.

Love a full fat coke once in a while before a big drive home. I work in quite a few crap neighbourhoods, loads of fat people lumbering around. Local supermarkets have all the crisps, chocolate and rubbish as soon as you go in as opposed to the fruit and veg. Areas that are depressing to work in let alone live in. Social and economic reasons lead to good or bad health. If you have a future and a nice environment you want to live longer.  You’d need big economic, health, work, social changes to improve lots of people’s health and sadly I can’t see that happening.

Never suffered FOMO Kramer I was always out and now I don’t care.

I was at a party in Windsor in mid 90’s that was very pill powered when one guy who lived there said must get changed go to work. He came out his room in a pilots uniform and said he was off to Italy. Exciting flight to be on.

I was raving a bit round Melbourne in the 00’s all the pills supposedly brought over by Quantas flight attendants from London. Didn’t see that on the adverts. There is a ludicrous amount of money being made due to silly and unworkable drug laws.

Stay out drinking all night, chemical uplift about 06 30 stroll into work for 12 hour shift building stages at festivals, argh to be young and bulletproof.

Now it’s all decaf coffee, and bed by 10 pm. Getting old sucks.

I was ok with my stuff in the van but had very little of value in it apart from 2 bikes.

Only ever got hassle one night near Madrid on my way home so just drove on. My only incident in 13 odd years of sleeping in my van. Not full time van lifer I must add. I spend my time in Sierra Nevada so lots of alternative life style types anyway as you must know. I think some of the quiet villages are happy for extra business and if you’re not making a mess they seem pretty relaxed about it all. All places from Granada, up into the mountains and over to Motril were good for me. Good luck, you’ve picked a great area to hang out in.

If your going to live in a van go as big as you can. I’ve spent lots of time in Andalusia parked up in remote spots or small villages. Small village I just go to the bar or cafe nearest my parking spot and have a coffee or beer. They know you’re there so say hello and give them some money.

With 50000 I’d look at getting a house if I was out there permanently.

I’ve got one. Had it on HT on Badger Divide with Ortlieb Classic Panniers few months ago worked fine. Put on my gravel bike and survived some abuse on big gravel descents in Spain. I added an extra lever holder arm thing so I had two on each pannier to hold them to rack. Worked fine no issues with dropper post. Swapped the set up to a Genesis CDF for a tour round Holland couple weeks ago with no issues.

I used the bolt mounts which are fiddly to move from bike to bike but appears bombproof. Ortlieb should sponsor me!

Counter protests are absolutely essential. In the three years leading up to COVID the EDL attempted to march in Liverpool and each protest turned into a mini riot with police horses and lots of fighting. The marches stopped and EDL escorted out of town to the Benny Hill theme tune. Look what happened this weekend when it failed. The alternative is having fascists march through your town intimidating who they feel like. Far rights groups have always taken and gained power from the street up. Being willing to give a good kicking to fascists  may not be a nice way to spend your day but it certainly stops them and in 30 years of going on counter demos it’s the only option that has worked.

Duolingo is good, classes with people make it better though it doesn’t prepare you for Spanish spoken in a regional accent at a million miles an hour! At least you can get across what you want though and just look confused when the reply. Watch some Spanish movies or series to get your ear in. I stayed in a small Spanish mountain village for 3 months last year. Road bike heaven compared to here, the drivers were very polite and cafe stops are great!

Take it to a mobile phone repair /vape shop and ask them.

It’s just won him the election, campaign photo of his dreams.

A lot of the point is missing that not all drug users have horrible lives, lots of people use drugs ’cause you know they are fun. Forget kid in a tracksuit on a street corner it’s all nice houses and people with well paid jobs and pleasant lives with door to door delivery. Drug policies are written by people who are way out of touch or more concerned with political loss or gain so nothing improves.

They’d turn to other crimes of course. Crime to fund drug deals, drug dealer profits to fund legitimate business for laundering you’re money, repeat in one way or another.

Heroin is indeed an amazing experience or at least opium is which I tried once and thought twice your an addict. Not all addicts are in grotty council flats it’s every level of society.

Put heroin on prescription. It would stop the one man crime waves addicts become and may stop some of the health problems with impurities, cannabis is virtually decriminalised as it’s not worth the polices time to arrest someone over £20 worth, let people grow it themselves. Drugs gangs are organised, successful and incredibly wealthy and offer a product people want and you will never stop them by the use of the law. Fancy some drugs, do a quick Instagram search and have it delivered to your door.

I’ve got a 2003 T4 had it for 13 years. Minor rust issues, still goes well, went to Málaga and back last year no issues 3000 odd mile trip. I wouldn’t buy a 96 one. I know nothing about them except they are old and if it’s not been replaced the part will soon need to be. Also if it goes bang they’ll blame you if you said it’s ok.

Mates bought an Elgrand. Get 3 of us in plus bikes and kit. Very comfy up front.

I used to work and live on a dive charter boat and I am mountain biker, never felt the need to draw a diagram about it.

Hats off for riding it. I would have cried at Pie Town.

Cheap eye mask so you’re not awake from 4 AM. Everything on the bike, backpacks are horrible to ride with.

I don’t know anyone who is. I’ve lived and worked in America, Norway, Australia, New Zealand,Spain and all over the UK. Most of my friends have lived and worked overseas or moved in the UK. Back a few miles from where I was born and quite happy. When I’ve had enough I’ll head back to Europe.

I went to Jane’s Addiction at the Apollo. They were good but really lame audience only gig I’ve been to for years with virtually no audience movement. Middle aged moshers were sadly lacking down at the front, kind of put a dampner on the night for me.

Just back. We started in Glasgow and looped to Fort Bill then got the train back to Glasgow so not full route. All rode HT on our regular tyres. Bit draggy in parts but not in a rush. Passed a few people on gravel bikes fixing tyres. More fun chatting and plodding along than mechanical issues.

The chippy in Aberfoyle is rubbish.