When did that happen?

That's the question I've been asking myself. When did I go from being relieved that a plan fell through to being disappointed?

To be disappointed I must've initially been looking forward. Without realising, I was looking forward to a a night on a hill in shite weather with a bunch of folk I've never met before. I was looking forward to a night of sub-zero temp's, in the middle of nowhere, shooting the breeze with others of a like-mind.

When I packed my kit, there was an air of excitement and anticipation, not trepidation. When those plans were scuppered, my reaction was nothing like it would've been last year. The gear's still laid out, ready for the off rather than packed away and doomed to months of seeing no action at all.

My attitude has changed. This is good. This is almost an epiphany, in fact.

Game's a bogie

"I'm undoubtedly tempting fate by making any plans at all, let alone sticking them up here for the world to see but sometimes you just have to."

How prophetic. For the second weekend in a row, bag packed and ready for the off, it all goes wrong at the last minute.

The first time, the fickle hand of fate cast the di and came up with two sixes. I threw "snake eyes".

This time, the fourth horseman, Pestilence turned up just in time. He apologised for his lateness but there's nothing like a last minute cancellation to make you look like a complete and utter fud.

Bastard.

Operation: Not The Yukon - Update

See previous.

Message ends.

Operation: Not The Yukon

Standby.

-------------------------------------------------
I'm undoubtedly tempting fate by making any plans at all, let alone sticking them up here for the world to see but sometimes you just have to.

As plans go, it's a simple one: head up to Glen Derry on 28/11/08, pitch a tent and kick back for the next wee while. I might go for a hill on the Saturday but I'll see how it goes.

Base camp will be near the bridge over the Derry Burn at approx NO 041936. I'll be there from about 4pm, barring fate, misfortune and the unpredictablity of the Scottish weather. ie if it's really sh*te, I'm no' goin'. Quitting is, very definitely, an option.

Folk should feel free to come along and say hello or keep walking with their head down if they don't like the look of me. The tent will be marked with a couple of glow sticks after dark. If it's a nice night, I should be easy to spot, I'll be the one wandering about, mug in hand, looking rather pleased with myself.

See yiz up there. Or not :o)

Double Bagged Part 2 - Muddying the waters

Just when I thought I had it sussed, ie down bag inside synthetic, an unrelated trip to the loft threw a spanner in the works. There, tucked away at the side of the gear pile, was a suspiciously fluffy-looking storage bag.

In the bag was a Snugpak Sleeper Lite, rated IIRC, to about -10C. I'd completely forgotten I had it. From memory, it is very warm but, like all synthetics, relatively bulky. I'll have a go it stuffing it into things over the next day or 2. I think I'll still go with the down/synth' combo' but this one might work out as an alternative to the Alpkit for The Boy.

Interesting.

Lest we forget

90-odd years ago, my biological Great Grandfather went off to a war from which he never returned. He left behind a pregnant sweetheart. Just over 30 years later, the son he never knew also answered the call to arms.

Thankfully, he survived.

Today, I'll stop whatever I'm doing and spend a few minutes offering up whatever the agnostic version of a prayer is, to them and the others they fought alongside and against, and to all the men and women who made, and continue to make, the ultimate sacrifice.

Thank you. Thank you all.

Access Denied

My apologies for my tardiness in replying to those folk who've taken the time to leave comments over the last couple of weeks. It's not that I'm being rude, it's that our new Overlords (Hello btw) have decided that we're not to be trusted with our internet access anymore. And there was me thinking that an IT professional with over 20 years experience was about the only person that you could trust with unrestricted net access.

 

This post was brought to you via Google Mail.

Single Skinner

I picked up a Golite Trig 1 via Ebay the other day. It's in pristine condition and cost very little. It was an impulse buy and I'm no' sure how, or even if, it'll work out. I like the idea of single skin tents but there's the thorny issue of our increasingly mild and damp winters up here. I'm hoping for cold & frosty for our impending trip to the 'gorms but I'm no' holding my breath.

I'll stick it up in the garden tomorrow and have a look see.

Also in the post was a Silva L4*. With The Boy using the Tikka last time out, I was left in the murk. So a spare was called for. Anyway, it's Camo' so what's a boy to do?

As I wrote that last paragraph, I remembered the E-Lite that lives in the "emergency" dry-bag. I think I may be going senile.

*Tip o' the hat to ptc* for bringing it to my attention.