PTC*

It’s going quite well. We got the heat exchanger nest out without losing tempers of fingers, we did flood the plantroom, but that’s kinda traditional. The drain was choked with shite so it didn’t empty and when we got the nest moving it just emptied onto the floor. My foot sticking out of the shell tells the story of Craig getting hold of the camera and me poking about inside to try and find out why.
Getting it back in was slightly more labour and swearing intensive as it wanted to roll as we pulled it in which it can’t do as the tubes have to match that huge tee-piece lying on the floor. And although very heavy indeed, it’s also quite fragile. Still, it’s in now, and no I’m not telling you how we did it.

Elsewhere the steam boiler maintenance is proceding apace, although the makeshift palletesque dining table is near impossible to get your legs under.
Working in plant rooms in this heat is horrendous though, tomorrow might be shorts and a vest. I’ll glue the kneepads out of my trousers-brown onto my knees or something.
Jimmy cares not for any such distractions, he has his tea, his piece and his (Glasgow) Herald, and thinks we’re all daft. 

The Haglöfs LIM 45 was back in action. The hipbelt is a marvel, but the shoulder straps were out of adjustment because a pal had been using it. Velcro is very hard to put back where it was before, but I’m just about there now. My version 3.0 OMM chest pouch (more of that later) doesn’t match it so well with its revamped attachments, so a couple of D-rings might have to fired on there next time. The LIM carries so well and looks so untidy… Still, it feels like an old friend.
My Big Agnes Three Wire Bivy saw action for the first time this year, and again it felt like an old friend. No condensation, no hassle, and I can still get all my gear in there with me. I ditched the pegs and took some Vargo nails and I even remembered how to put the pole assembly in right. Crivvens. The Three Wire is a great bit of kit.
What has become clear though is that the Big Agnes designer is five foot one. All the shelter entrances are low, now that I’ve tested a few and had a look at others it all makes sense. Ach, maybe five foot eight. Or nine. Still, it’s no deal breaker.

I took the Markill Peak Ignition stove which works fine and it’s nicely small-packing, but after using the Optimus Crux almost exclusively for a year I was surprised at how fuel-thirsty the Peak was and also that it took a little longer to boil my standard 600ml. It’s not exactly a disaster, but it’s good to have an update from the trip so I know what amount of fuel I’ll have to carry next time. It’s a very stable stove, the pot just sticks to it and the valve works smoothly which made me happy after my recent jet engine shenanigans.

I slept in the buff (not a buff) in my PHD Minim Ultra 900. It’s 345g and it was warm. At one point the wind was strong enough the flatten the bivy and consequently the bag flat against my “flanges” when I was on my side and I could feel that a bit, but in a tent I’d have been fine, if not finer.
Underneath me was the still trouble-free Neoair. Long may this continue.

New on this trip were the Powerstretch gloves and jumper just in from Marmot. The gloves are a great fit and did the job when I was cooking ouside the bivy in the early hours when it was a bit chilly. They’ve got some small finger-tip and thumb grips so they’re dextrous, but don’t bind and twist around your hand on trekking poles as they would with an all-over gripping surface.
The Half-Zip Pullover got pulled-over my head when I was sitting up to make my morning cuppa and it stayed there until I was back on the track below for my midmorning cuppa some hours later. The fit is great for me, slim and long with a nice high collar which can be zipped right up without impairing brain function or breathing. The cuffs have reversed fabric. That is, the furry side is outside so you can wipe your nose on it, and I did. The Powerstretch they’re using is a very soft version, but still takes the sting out of the wind and I found myself wearing just the pullover without a windshirt and was completely comfy reaching the summit at exactly 0700 in blowy conditions. Out of the wind I can feel its warmth too, Powerstretch is great stuff.
I kinda like the looks of the pullover, the black stitching gives it a sci-fi quality, and the bizarre shade of red make it a bit 70’s. So my maxim of “dressing up to go out and play” applies here in spades as it’s hitting so many personal markers.
More to come on the Marmot kit, but I like when stuff just fits-in like that

I took the Haglöfs Jura shirt on it’s first proper hill trip, and you know something, a front that opens up completely, a collar that stays up, wide cuffs and a fabric that isn’t really warm but keeps some wind out are just exactly what I needed on the day. It was a joy to wear and I only stuck a windshirt over it when I was at 900m at 2200hrs. I’m glad I didn’t have to sleep in it though, I’m sure buttons and sleep would have had consequences of some sort.
The windshirt was an old Rab Quantum, just for a change. Great ftting, nice long arms and completely unnoticed when worn. Good stuff.

Quick Kit List

• Pack, Haglöfs LIM 45
• Shelter, Big Agnes Three Wire Bivy
• Sleeping Bag, PHD Minim Ultra 900
• Sleep Mat, Thermarest Neoair Standard
• Stove, Markill Peak Ignition
• Fuel, Rekri8 125g canister
• Pot, Optimus Terra Solo
• Shell, Haglöfs Oz Pullover, OMM Kamleika Pants
• Insulation, Haglöfs LIM Barrier, Marmot Powerstretch Half-Zip
• Worn, Chocolate Fish merino boxers, Haglöfs Rugged Mountain pants, Haglöfs Jurs L/S shirt, Montrail Streak’s, Wigwan socks out and Smartwool socks back, H&M denim hat, Rab Quantum windshirt.
• Other, Alpkit Gamma headtorch, Petzl e+Lite, compass &map, plastic spoon, sunblock, shades, Camelbak 750ml Better Bottle, Nalgene Oasis Canteen, AMK DIY-ed medical kit, iPod, Snow Peak titanium mug, camera and tripod, Marmot Powerstretch Gloves, Summer Buff, Haglöfs beanie, Coghlans trowel and toiler paper.
• Food, main meal & breakfast freeze-dried bags, 2 porridge bars, 1 beef jerky, 2 Cup-a-Soups, Lyon’s coffee bags, Cadbury’s hot chocolate, tube of Nuun (lemon and lime), a yumyum, Honey Stinger chews*, some chocolate and trail-mix stuff.

I think that’s it?

*Honey Stinger seems to have disappeared from the stores round my way, but the UK distributor’s got an online store now.

Kev was right, go the other way. 

I’m not going to talk about the A82, I don’t want to look back on this in times to come an just read about how close I kept coming to having a stroke behind the wheel. Let’s just say the journey north was harrowing and leave it at that. Harrowing.
I stopped in Ft Bill for a couple of bits and pieces, a mini naan from Morrison’s, and some Nuun from Ellis Brighams. Morrison’s was easy, they even had rucksack-sized yumyums. Entering EB’s after the “boot incident” just isn’t the same. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but maybe it’s a bit like EB was the smart arsed kid in class, who when asked “What’s the capital of Peru?” answered “The Factory Act of 1833″. They’re stuck with that one defining moment of stupidity in my mind.
I was fingering through the racks of stuff and came across those 150 weight Icebreaker t-shirts and it occurred to me that maybe I would be better in one of those than my nice checked shirt. I dunno, a moment of distraction we’ll say. But pulling at the corner of the t-shirt was a big magnetic swing tag which immediately caused me to raise an eyebrow. Still, I took it the the checkout where said tag was removed and I said “Thanks, let’s have a look…” and held it up to the light to see the big hole where the tag had been. “Ach” says I. At which point someone more senior homed in this potential loss of sale.
“That’s fine”
“No, there’s a hole it”
“It’s next to the hem”
Sigh…”Do you have one round the back without a hole in it?”
“No, this one is fine”
“No, there’s a hole in it, why don’t you put the tag through the label?”
“People will cut them off with scissors”
Sigh…”So I have to have a t-shirt with a hole in it because…look, never mind, I’ll take the Nuun thanks”
“You’re not taking the t-shirt?”
“No, there’s a hole it”

An hour later I was in 914 Outdoorin Dornie and was breathing a sign of relief at a wee shop jammed with kit and staffed by smiling folks. They had the 125g Rekri8 gas canister which brought me great joy, and minutes later I was pulling into the thoughtfully provided walkers carpark at the entrance to the Attadaleestate by Loch Carron. It’s beautiful country up here, half mountain infested wilderness, half Balamory. It should be visited by all with extreme haste.

1710hrs when I left the carpark, even for me that’s leaving it late. Especially considering I was supposed to be camping on one of the (if not the) remotest peaks in the UK. In baking sunshine I wandered through the estate on old-time tarmac, there’s gardens to visit and holiday cottages to rent, very pleasant.
My right shoe’s is a little loose, I should tighten it.
It’s pretty much estate track until you reach the slopes of Lurg Mhor, but it’s not the too-familiar bulldozed scars of elsewhere, what we have here is old, wear-hardened tyre-tracks, often with a grassy mohican in the middle. It winds through forest and by lochans, high into the hills and far away. Without the track, covering this distance would be much harder, but there is a trade-off. It’s hard on the feet.

My right shoe’s is a little loose, I’ll need to tighten it soon.
There’s a big meander to the left which does take you higher than you were expecting at at nearly 350m, and it’s here you leave Loch Carron behind and first see where you’re going. And it’s really far away.
Bidein á Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhor look very different from this side than they do from the regular point of view on the ascent over Beinn Tharsuinn from Craig to the north. In fact, when does Lurg Mhor actually even get into the photie? It’s always that same shot with the lochan on Tharsuinn and Sheasgaich’s summit. I really wanted to see what was on the other side. Miles of track as it turns out, and as I wandered along I kept imagining what this empty land would be like in winter, scary I think. I never saw a single soul while I was in there and it’s holiday time, I don’t see it being any busier in the first week of February.

My right shoe’s is a little loose, I’ll tighten it at the bridge.
Bendronaig Lodge and bothy is remote, it feels more remote than the recently visited Altbeithe, and also more deserted. Apart from some heilan coos which ran away, I’ve never know heilan coos to run away.
The track splits and then I was suddenly in the mountains. The sky became a strip walled by crags and I knew I was finally getting somewhere, but the sun was sinking, I was hungry and a little tired. The heat just sucks the life out of me. I stopped by Loch Calavie and had some munchies, including the now vital chicken Cup-a-Soup. The sun was out of view behind Sàil Riabhach, but the light spilling over the the other hills was golden, I was running out of time and I still had 600-odd meters of ascent.

My right shoe’s is a little loose, I’ll tighten it up when I get to the ridge.
The slopes of Lurg Mhor are flooded with flowers. I lost count of the different colours, shapes and sizes as i slowly climbed towards the skyline. I could see the clouds start to catch some colours at their fringes and there was a breeze whipping up. The day was shutting up shop. Curse my lateness, I was going to get the finish line and take an expected left turn to the icecream van like an idiot and miss out on the mighty prize.
I made it onto the rocky plateau with the lochan below Lurg Mhor’s summit to see Bidein á Choire Sheasgaich blocking the sun as it hit the horizon. Now it looks like an eclipse of sorts, at the time I was just shouting “Bastard, bastard, bastard…” and trying to get to the summit cone of Lurg Mhor before I missed out completely.
As is often the case, it’s when the sun goes down that the sky really lights up. I saw the tiniest glimpse of the sun as it sank from view and the clouds just exploded. All the miles in that heat, all the cleg bites that I’m sitting here scratching, all worth it.

My right shoe’s is a little loose, no point in tightening it now, I’ll be camped soon.
The summit of Lurg Mhor is a fine spot with a very fancy cairn. The hills in view are the superstars of Torridon, Skye and Kintail, and there’s the scary steep and deep coire just beyond the cairn. I lingered and enjoyed, it was 2230 and it was bliss.
I would have camped right there, but I needed water and the lochan below was calling to me. It’s a pity, there’s a flat patch of grass 10 feet from the cairn that was perfect. But I needed cuppas in abundance, and dinner. Hopefully before midnight.

My right shoe was a little loose, I should’ve tightened it.
My first blister since the West Highland Way, my own stupid fault. I sat in the bivy shaking my head. Clean socks on and I felt much better, hot food and drink and I was quite happy. There was still birdsong, and the sky glowed to the north as the sun took a shortcut just under the horizon to spring back up in the east in four hours.
I was comfy all night, but I never slept much because of the brightness. In the bivy it was a bit like sleeping inside a space hopper with a desk lamp trained on it. I watched the sky light up sometime after 0400 and within an hour I gave up and had the stove on again. I never saw the sunrise, I was just too tired to get shoes on and run over to the other side of the ridge. It was cold as well, and very windy, but I was snug and happy in my sleeping bag with my proper coffee from a Lyon’s bag.

I was breaking camp around 0600 and was away. It wasn’t a vintage camp spot, but at 2300 and being waterless, my needs outweighed the picturesque and it did give a great starting point for day two.

Bidein á Choire Sheasgaich isn’t too far away. It’s a rocky descent to the bealach and then straight back up, and when you’re onto the summit ridge itself it really is an “Alright!” moment. It’s got a little exposure to the west and absolutely stunning views everywhere. Walking the ridge past the summit (with its amusingly small cairn) you can look down on the regular route. Sod that, huge amounts of ascent, descent, re-ascent and possibly even a little traversing and re-traversing.
The wind was whipping across the top which threatened to tip the camera and tripod over the side, so I ended up sitting by a rock just looking and grinning. I started down about 0715, it was a long trek and I wanted to get some of it out of the way before the sun was too high above me.
I soon passed all the places that I should have camped on Sàil Riabhach’s ridge, this is wonderful ground right here. I could have walked the ridge all day, but the steep descent was soon upon me and I was back on the track too soon. I stopped by a deep pool and had a brunch of sorts, and adjusted my layers. I’d been wearing a powerstretch top since I broke camp, but it was time to be back in my shirt and daft hat. The heat was creeping up and I was back in trek mode, as opposed to mountain mode. But I’m not actually sure there’s a difference as such.

I reached and passed the bridge over Uisge Dubh’s beautiful gorge and started the climb out of the glen. It was now roasting and lack of sleep was beginning to tell on me. I stuck my iPod on and set my legs to automatic. My iPod seems to have had a nervous breakdown. I like “Shuffle Songs” on the move, but it picked Rush’s Hemispheres, 2112 and Cygnus X-1 one after the other, an hour to get through three songs. Then it hit me with Tone Loc straight afterwards, which just felt odd. I could have pressed skip at any time, but I loaded the songs, so I’m not letting the iPod know that I didn’t want to hear it, it’ll undermine my authority over it.
I was happy to be desending again and it’s very different here in amongst the trees and lochans, dragonflies of all colours swooping past, butterflies chasing each other around like confetti in the wind, birds, frogs all were out and not afraid to announce themselves. Wildlife had been a feature of this trip, the stag that had bellowed at my arrival on the slopes of Lurg Mhor had unsettled me a little, but he soon gave up and left the hill to me. The other creatures were then divided into those which delighted and those which saw me as food.

It was 33°C when I hit the estate tarmac. My steps were slow, my blister was sore and I really wanted a cold can of Irn Bru.
I arrived at the motor and opened all the doors, stood back to let if cool and stripped myself of pack, shoes and clothes. Magic.
I reinstalled shorts and t-shirt and headed off to find a fridge and its contents.

Another short sharp adventure, and that seems to be the way of it these days. Truth be told I don’t like being away from the girls too long anyway, Holly really doesn’t like it when I’m gone too long, it upsets her a lot, so a night or two is about my limit now. I don’t give a shit though, it’s taken me 20 years to get around to climbing Lurg Mhor and I didn’t do it in the times of multi-day trips a few years ago, so I reckon I’m making the most of my time now.
As ever I’m a bit vague about what my route was, but this one will be in Trail in a couple of months, Hey, I took notes and everything!
I will say that it’s well worth doing it from this side, I saw no-one, there’s only traces of a path on the hill, and I really felt like I was out there. Marvellous.

I’m wandering around in this bloody heat wearing steel toe-capped boots, canvas troosers with kneepads in them and pockets full of tools, a black t-shirt and a beard. There’s a red light flashing in the control room along with a howling siren and the message coming through is “System overload, prepare to abandon body”. That’s very easy to say, but managing a cooling out-of-body experience is difficult at best, and in front of customers very difficult to explain indeed.
With every arc that the stilsons cut through the boiling air the end seems a little closer…

Still, orange flavoured Fabs? They could well be the saviour of my summer. I’ll deal with the acid erosion on my teeth later. Even recording the telly and fast forwarding through the adverts, I can still tell what the bastards are trying to sell me. Pronamel toothpaste indeed, I’d like to bake it into a flan and feed it to them. And Iggy Pop, why must he shout loudly and look unappealing every time I want to watch Stargate or Futurama? I’d rather watch an hour long compilation of compare the meerkats than his insurance selling, sci-fi on Sky sponsoring semi-nakedness.

The biggest dilemma is for the next two days though. One route choice is 6km shorter with 1000ft more ascent than the other. What’s better to cope with in the heat? Distance probably, and the longer route isn’t in the guide books, so although it’s not as spectacular it’s something different to write up as route for the mag.
I’m going to sleep in the PHD Minim Ultra and take the Three Wire Bivi I think. If there’s a wee breeze to keep the midges away it’ll be bliss on the top at night. Trousers though, I don’t know yet. I don’t think I’ll take the same route as Wodewick has on her ascent of the er, Cobbler. I think the tick paranoia would reach fever pitch.

It’s also a last hurrah of sorts. I’ve got a maintenance contract starting at the weekend that’ll drop me off the radar for a bit. So I’m hoping to finish off the first half of 2009 with a wee flourish.

I had a 3-season synthetic sleeping bag review in the June issue, they’re not up on LFTO yet, I’ll post a link when they appear.
That was interesting to do, and quite difficult as they were often huge, and indeed sometimes rubbish. But there were some gems in there and the winner from Mountain Hardwear was just a good bag whatever way I looked at it, pretty much trouncing the rest. Temperature ratings made life difficult as they were either wrong for the test or a pack of lies.  Some bags looked good but the rating was ludicrous, and because they were all synthetic there’s no weight clue like you have with down to make an educated guess. Nightmare. 
Folk look at Trail reviews and bitch because something gets apparently odd comments and does badly despite being good kit, well, I know why. When Trail order stuff for a group test, the request is often quite specific: Can we have item A, around £X, rated at 27 pobs and weighing between 100 and 150 piffs.
You’re then in the hands of the distributors and agents who sometimes send in something completely inappropriate, or just don’t send stuff.
So while I might still sit and look at Trail reviews with my face screwed up saying “No, no, no…”, at least I understand a little better these days. Yes, I know individual reviews without an umbrella heading would solve that. Hey, that’s why we have the internet.

Moving on to the current issue, I was utterly horrified to see the selection of packs in the 35L test. Praise Jimmy they didn’t ask me to do this one. There were three in there, three, that I liked the look of. Maybe four.
I’ve got a Used & Abused of the Vargo Titanium Nails in there, spreading the word about such things is what it’s all about.
We’ve got six reader’s lightweight waterproof reviews, featuring familiar face Moggy with his Haglöfs LIM Ultimate. His review has a very important phrase in there that stuck out: “…gave me the impression it might not be as hard-wearing…” was used rather than “this is going to wear out by lunchtime”. Reviews need that kind of awareness.
GT’s lightweight section is interesting as it reminds me of my own constant evolution, a year or more ago I’d have been agreeing, but now I’ve changed my mind. Again.
Sleeping with clothes on I’ve mostly abandoned as I’m using better sleeping bags and mats and carrying no more weight because of it. I carry a mug these days rather than just a pot so I can have a cuppa while I’m boiling water for my apple and custard dessert, and of course the spork is dead to me (for now…) and the spoon is king.
Special mention goes to Matt for tackling the Cuillin ridge. Good lad.

Since the Featherlite came in for test a few months back, I haven’t left the hoose without it in my my pack.

It’s dead simple. A smock with a zip, high-ish collar, elastic cuffs and hem and cut from a great fabric. I had one of the original versions with the black lycra cuffs and hem and although the fabric was great, the cut was horrendous, being based around a railway mail-sack from the late 50’s. This version is much slimmer, which means better fabric performance, less wind flappiness and of course less weight for a given size, my large sample coming in at 114g. There’s great range of movement and the slimmer fit limits riding up at your back.
The mix of two different Pertex Microlite Rip-Stop’s makes for a nice tonal variation and takes away the bare look that the orignal suffered from. The fabric is outstanding, soft and comfortable, but tough and warding off wind and a good bit of rain. It dries super-quick and copes with a shed load of sweat as well.
The two-way zip is long, but I’d extend if further to clear a pack’s chest strap better and take better advantage of the two-way zip. And, the only real niggle is the arms could do with another inch on the end.

It’s just a wee thing, it fits in a trouser pocket. But, it’s proven to be vital kit and worth a family size mince pie’s weight in gold.

Yes, yes, I’ve seen them! Stop it with the emails already…

I saw the samples of the new range a few months back down at OMM’s secret Lakeland bunker (Mike Parsons modelling the smock below) and it’s killer stuff. The new Gelanots fabric has a closer knit outer to absorb less water and has an inner coating now to feel better against bare skin. The pocket moving to the outside, the water resistant zips and the jazz styling bring it it up to date. The jacket version is the same, much more alpine in style now with the two welded chest pockets and it has the same new sharp look.

So, it looks cool, it does feel better to handle, still like a softshell, but more substantial than before. Despite the added features, the weights are staying pretty constant. There’s a few tweaks coming for the production version, the hood will be better for example, and I think the Kamleika kit should now step out of the fell-racer, don’t care what I look like bracket and into the better world of good kit available for everybody.

When I was in Kintail a few weeks back with Tim & Co, I was impressed by some of the kit he was using. He’d picked out some of Marmot’s lightweight kit at their UK HQ on the way up to fit in with the theme of the trip and it caused me to raise an eyebrow. FastForward and just arrived are few samples of test kit.
Unfortunately the Eos 1P tent that Tim used (seen in the photie below) wasn’t available, but it’s in the same area as the MSR Hubba HP and the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 and it’s definitely worth a look. Small packing, light, roomy and quick pitching.
What we have here is their Nano Jacket, Atom Down Bag, PowerStretch Half Zip and Powerstretch Gloves. It’s nice kit, with a bunch of surprising features, and all nicely light.
I’ve used plenty Marmot kit over the years, clothing, sleeping bags and gloves. It’s always worked well for me and it’s nice to get an update because it’actually all very different kit indeed. The styling of the clothing is much sharper than in the past, the gloves still have the same outstanding fit, and the down bag, which is Marmot’s heritage, also has the freshness of design that seems to run through the whole range.

I’m heading out with this stuff shortly, first looks imminent.

I’ve had a couple of shots with Haglöfs ACE L pack that’s in for test, and I must confess I’m awfy impressed.
It sits low on my back which suits being on the bike and makes the bottle pockets super-accessible, the hipbelt is stable, comfy and has big zipped pockets. The shoulder harness is low profile and feels good, with the floating mechanism hidden in the lumbar area working well and being unnoticed while doing so.
It’s a good shape and is the usual robust Haglöfs design at the expense of ultimate weight.
There’s a couple of oddities on there though. The tiny external pocket has double fabric and a shielded zip to protect the contents from any assault by persons or weather, but there’s a hole in the top for iPod earphone cables and to let the water in…reaches for roll of duct tape…
There’s a bladder sleeve (and tube exits), but no internal pocket. I haven’t missed it yet, but I’ll be watching for frustrated fumbling at the bottom of the pack for “stuff”. 
There’s the chest strap which has the much maligned slider attachment, here though the slider wire/tube ends are captured, so no frustrating re-attachment woes. The buckle has the now obligatory wee whistle on it. I wonder if this now common feature on packs is causing trouble in the global whistle manufacturing industry, are Fox trying to increase their already earsplitting whistle output to 150db to keep demand up?

Anyway, it’s early days, but on my back it’s like a limpet, a very comfy limpet. I’ll try and destroy it over the next few months and report my findings.

It’s too big a gap. I hadn’t been up Ben Lomond since the winter, and that’s just not right. So a school-night quickie was in order.
Available personnel was limited to myself and Ange. Poor Ange, as anyone who’s been with me on my home hills will know, I have an encyclopaedic knowledge of “interesting” local facts, very varied in topic and crossing an ocean of time. Hey, and new ears to catch it all!

It was very hot and sunny when we set off sometime after 1730 and we passed a few folks coming down, one of whom (Who was also very cheery, amongst the bunch of otherwise stoney-faced bastards that we came across. Don’t like the hills? Stay at home.) remarked that they hadn’t seen anyone else climbing Ptarmigan Ridge, everyone was going in an anti-clockwise direction. Well yeah, that’s because the guide books tell you to do it that way.

The trail is good, the views expand with every footstep and a cool breeze was very welcome. We sat on a warm rock and ate our pieces as the light became more diffuse with high thing cloud shimmying in from the east. I stuck my windshirt on as well, it might be summer but as the evening wore on the warmth wore off.
From Ptarmigan to the summit is a gem of a walk, with a little scramblyness thrown in too. The air was clear and all the usual Arrochar, Crainlarich, Tyndrum and Orchy peaks were visible, but a wee prize was the distcinctive shape of Nevis looming large on the horizon 47 miles away.
The cloud thickened and the light changed, from golden streaks picking out every contour on the hillside to dark grey cardboard cut-out mountain shapes in ever fainter rows.
There was no sunset. We waited in the little rocky shelter below the top in hope of some colour appearing, but it never did. What did appear were four slightly rattled looking folk descending from the summit who passed by quite quickly. They’d be fine, although it was after 2200 by the time we were standing by the trig pillar it never got properly dark until midnight.
Nice to be up there after hours, ach, just nice to be up there at all.

We had a fine bimble down the tourist path to sound of some very strange wildlife in the heather, and then of course the other wildlife that was waiting for us at the treeline. I was back in short sleeves by them and the wee bastards descended upon us with a vengeance. Today I itch in many places.

Farewells were hurried at the carpark, midges and midnight will do that to you. The next stop was the garage where I purchased Irn Bru and milk. Both vital components.
A fine evening indeed, strange not to be lugging a tent, and good to be on home ground. I think Ange enjoyed it, although she was clearly worn out by my constant supply of information and relentless pointing at stuff. She’ll learn to shut it out like everyone else I’m sure.

Schoolnight mini-adventures, alright!

What was the dry weight of my current favourite Chicken Tikka 800Kcal main meal?
It was 130g

Thanks for all the entries, and thanks for all of the kind messages attached, bless all of you good peaple out there.
Our winner (picked by Holly with a little coercion, involving witholding Peppa Pig) is Jeremy Taylor who will be sticking a spoon into an orange bag very soon.

I’ve been having a rummage and it’s time for a change. After the unrequired pyrotechnics with my Optimus Crux Lite during the week I’m going back to the Markill Peak Ignition. It’s a great wee stove, and the ignition still works so I’ll ditch the firesteel for a while and carry a wee plastic packet of matches just-in-case. Folk are sometimes sniffy about Markill, even though it’s the same stuff as Snow Peak with a different brand stamped on it. I’d looked at some of the current models like the Snow Peak Lite Max , but it’s all just tinkering with materials to get the numbers down, there’s nothing genuinely new or sexy.
While I’m at it I’m going to go back to my MSR Titan Kettle for a bit, well, once I’ve insulated the handles, and see if I notice any difference. At 40g less that my regular Optimus Terra Solo pot I won’t feel any weight difference, but the shape might let me cram more stuff in there, so we’ll see about that.

I’ve got a huge long titanium spoon that’s become a regular (it’s currently down at Trail HQ getting its photies took) that totally avoids “camp sauce finger” when eating from a bag, so sporks are oot for the timebeing. It’s a bugger that I can’t stow it in amongst my cook kit, but hey, you can’t have it all.

Also after my water bottle contents reaching undrinkably high temperatures recently due to the sun’s extra-super shinyness, I have installed US military coloured (ie sand, are there any wars in temperate regions these days?) neoprene sleeves upon my Camelbak 750ml Better Bottles.
I look foward to drinking merely luke-warm Nuun in the days to come.