Solar Charger, Wednesday 2nd May 2018

A new bit of kit

Having *just* taken the decision to get back into doing more backpacking & wild camping this year (any excuse to get away) I took the plunge and bought a Solar Battery Charger for the princely sum of £33.90 including shipping, from www.mobilesolarchargers.co.uk

My choice was influenced by my mate Rob (photographer extraordinaire, box player, dance caller, drinker of beer and all-round good egg). Rob used the lower power version of this charger on our recent Via De La Plata trundle in Spain. The sunlight levels in Sunny Spain (the clue is in the name) are significantly higher than in UK and his charger performed well.

I’m quite realistic, the UK isn’t known for high levels of sunlight so I don’t expect this to be a cure-all for charging problems. This bit of kit has an advertised 3watts of (solar) charging rate, allowing for UK conditions I’d expect something like 1 – 1.5watts, maybe a little more in very strong sunshine.

From the website:

My initial impression is that it’s fairly robust and will probably stand a bit of knocking about. It’s not waterproof although I expect it will stand a bit of spray for a short time, and at 270gms it’s not horribly heavy.

Time will tell, I’m off on the TGO Challenge next week…we’ll see.

Details here.

Dancing up the Mayday sun, Tuesday 1st May 2018

Windgather Rocks
The fine folk of Powderkegs like to rise early on Mayday morning in order to dance up the sun on their local top, Windgather Rocks. At 416m it’s not a towering peak but it’s a nicely dramatic crag. It’s famous for rock climbing, good views (when it doen’t rain), easy access, and er, Mayday morning morris dancing.

Windgather Rocks

UK Climbing describe to top as crag being amply provided with square-cut jugs and picnic spots. Well, I’m not sure about square-cut jugs but the top certainly offers nice flat bits for picnics. And dancing.
Rather than get up at stupid o’clock in the morning to drive over in good time for the 5.36am sunrise I chucked some gear into my pack and set up camp on the top last night.
This was my second Powderkegs Mayday morning – last year I was joined by Rob – we camped. This year it was only Rob who showed up – he drove over in the morning rather than camp. Rob does photography rather well. He’s a pretty decent musician too. And a good dance-caller. He’s also a really nice guy….but don’t tell him I said so, it might go to his head.



An hour or so of not very fruitful night-time photography preceded a hot cuppa and a snuggle-down around 1am.
4 hours later my alarm jangled me awake and in time for caffeine followed by caffeine.

Dancers were already arriving – the sun waits for no man. Or woman. Or dog for that matter.

I took some photographs, chatted, sang a song, ate a sausage butty and then went home, getting back around 7.15am.
It was good.

Thanks Powderkegs, you’re a great bunch - you actually get out there and DO IT! And you gave me a great excuse to get out in the tent last night
Oh, and thanks for the lovely sausage butties!
Lots more photographs are here.
Rob’s far better photographs may well be here…I hope.
And a video c/o, and I never thought I’d say that, The Daily Mail

Lleyn Peninsula Backpack, 28th July 2017

Just a few photographs taken last week / weekend whilst backpacking a section of the Wales Coastal Path.

This was a fairly last-minute expedition that worked out nicely – apart from the torrential rain and high winds on the first night. I rather unwisely decided to leave the Akto behind and used the smaller and more crapmed LaserComp – a fine little tent, but I really could have done with a bit more room considering the horrid conditions of the first night.

The Plan consisted of spending the first night at Llandystumdwy (Lloyd George knew my father and all that…), having a bit of an explore in the car the next morning, then leaving the car at Lloyd George’s place I wandered west from near Llanbedrog through Pwllheli (famous for Butlins, the Royal Navy and a fine Wetherspoons pub), Abersoch, Aberdaron and round the end of the peninsula before hopping on a bus back to the car.

It’s an excellent coastline although the Wales Coastal Path wasn’t that easy to follow. The path doesn’t religiously stick to the coast and some of the signposts were ‘misleading’ which made following the route rather difficult at times. also some of the paths and bridleways marked on the current maps didn’t exist on the ground. Nowt new there then. Consequently I didn’t cover the distance I’d planned. no matter, it was very enjoyable.

Water was a problem, the coastal farmland was heavily populated with livestock so rivers and streams were a no-no. A public loo (with a shower!) in Aberdaron plus a couple of pubs and a garden hose came to my rescue. Churchyards, unusually, didn’t have water taps….perhaps because of the higher rainfall levels on this coast.

The coastline is very dramatic and the area warrants another visit….in September actually. The route is yet to be decided but I’d be very happy to re-visit much of what I covered on this trip. Discussions on this matter with the Lucky, Luck’s Dad, Dawn and me are to take place soon.

Hell’s Mouth

Boots….but no dead mouse this time

Aberdaron

An Ultra Marathon had taken place the previous day, a 63 mile trot along the coast

Barnsley Bardsey Island

Another brew with a view

Some of these photos are out of order….on account of M$ Windows funny ideas of file management. I gave up trying to re-order them, that will have to wait for another day.

Photographs were taken with my Lumix TZ70 and my Samsung S5 phone.

Sleeping with a Mad Woman, 20th June 2017

A Summer Solstice Wild Camp

Heat does something to your psyche, so I’m told. I couldn’t possibly comment.

The MetroLink tram journey from Wythenshawe to Manchester, around 7 miles in a straight line, took 1 1/2 hours. It arrived at Piccadilly train station just as the 6.40pm train to Edale was departing. The next train was in 2 hours and wouldn’t arrive in Edale until 9.30pm. I couldn’t have walked into Manchester in that time, but given cooler weather I most certainly could have jogged it. Oh well.

The light was fading as the train approached the tunnel beyond Chinley but the sky was fairly clear. When the train emerged from the tunnel in the Vale of Edale it was as if I’d been transported to a late autumn day: dark, grey and very foggy – the hills were completely hidden by a thick wet mist.

I resisted the strong temptation to cross to the other side of the station and to jump on the next train home – I’d made it so far I might as well stay. Anyway I might have been able to climb above the clag. Or not…

I walked north, past the Nags Head, crossed over the river and began the steady climb up to pass to the left of the rocky outcrop of Ringing Roger. The mist was so thick that it remained invisible until I was almost upon it. 

I got to the lower of the two footpaths that run East – West above Ringing Roger and turned right (East….which is A Very Good Direction). My idea was that by sticking to the slightly lower path I could use the slope to my right as a handrail….perhaps not the safest choice given the visibility.

By this time it was really quite dark and I had to use my head torch, set on low so as to reduce and reflected / refracted glare from the water droplets. At least I could see where I was putting my feet.

My plan was to get to the stream running down Jaggers Clough and then bear left, uphill. In normal visibilty it would have been a straightforward navigational exercise. In the thick mist and dark it wasn’t quite so simple. For a start, the stream, which was to be my water source, was dry. Fortunately I’d guessed that it might be dry on the tops and I was carrying 2 litres of the stuff.

Eventually, and after much cursing, I located the feature I was looking for, a footpath crossing the stream. From here I knew I could pick up a path to my intended pitch: Madwomans Stones – highly recommended by Chrissie.

I could hear voices in the far distance, it sounded like a group of 2-3 people were chatting, they sounded in high spirits.

It was 11.30pm by the time my tent was up and the kettle on. Visibility was quite dire and I wasn’t holding out much hope for a clear sunrise at 4.38am – I set my alarm just in case.

At 4am I awoke, it was getting light but the mist hadn’t thinned at all. I had a wander around but it was clear, actually it wasn’t at all clear (!) that there would be no magical Summer Solstice Sunrise for me. I made a cuppa and got back under my quilt…zzzzz…..

Awake again at 6.30am, the mist was lifting / burning off. It was going to be a warm one. The sun was hot – my sock and trail shoes, wet through from last nights trudge through sodden heather, were drying nicely.

First job of the day: make coffee….and drink it.

There was no sign of any other campers in the area, heaven knows where the voices I’d heard the previous night had come from.

I packed up, had a wander around and took a few photographs of the stones, the views and other stuff.

Jagger Clough dry stream bed

My return route was via the higher path to Ringing Roger, in the light there was zero risk of getting lost.

A hairy caterpillar

Ringing Roger

Ringing Roger

Breakfast of muesli (as usual) was at The Nab. A cooling breeze tempted me to linger longer but the path was getting busy with day walkers so I scuttled off downhill in search of water.

My breakfast stop at The Nab, overlooking Edale

It was now cookingly hot and very humid. I was back in Edale by about 11.30am so I topped up with water and soon found myself at the visitor centre, sampling the rather good Bradwells Ice Cream. If you haven’t already, then you really should – it’s a bit excellent.

My route:

Not very far, around 7.5miles + 1400ft(ish) of ascent….according to Memory Map.

A nice little trip, it would have been nicer in clear conditions. There’s always the winter solstice to look forward too….when I would expect no lack of water.

I improved my MetroLink tram journey time from Piccadilly to home: 1hr 25mins.