Couch 18

Nothing much on the hiking scene in the last few weeks. Been in at work over the weekends prepping for classes, so that's put a hold on things. Out to the Cairngorms in a couple of weeks time, but even that's causing problems, one pal can only go on a Saturday, another can't, and the final one is working on effects for his new movie.

We've all heard about the 2 A.U. lads who recently lost their lives in the Cairngorms. I've given up reading the drivel that's been written about the loss of life. I think - no, I know - I'm taking it more personally because I've been hiking in the region over the past 2 years. Maybe it's just the revenge of the couch potatoes, the people that seem to accept deaths on the road as a fact of life, but if people are caught out in bad weather, that's stupidity. I made the mistake of looking at the Scotsman's forum - maybe that's why I've had 2 nosebleeds in 12 hours?

Anyway, as to light relief. I 'won' both volumes of the Munro Show on eBay (20 quid plus postage in total). They're on VHS, so I've taken a dvd copy to protect the tapes. I'll have a film night soon, and we can all enjoy this cultural landmark show - and the blue-screen rapping opening sequence.

I've cut down on my intake of OutdoorsMagic recently, as I've been doing more painting for my wargaming. It's a matter of focus. Being male, I can't multitask properly, so split things into projects. Easter's project - the Wainwright Coast-to-Coast. 2007 wargame project - the German civil wars at the end of WW1. If I have time to paint, I'll paint, if I'm in the mood to read, I'll read Wainwright's book and think about the ground underfoot.

Gear 7: Petzl e+Lite

Nice wee torch from Petzl. Collected from sorting office today after ordering it from Bob and Rose at Backpacking Light.

The plastic ball-socket allows the LED light to be rotated dependant on how the lamp is secured to kit or worn with head-strap. Stated time of 35-45hours, distance not as far as my Tikka, but smaller and lighter using watch-batteries. Lamp settings are dim white, bright white, white strobe, red strobe and bright red. I'm looking forward to trying it on my next trip out.

Couch 17

Been a quiet week. The skin on my feet has been peeling off the blisters to reveal lovely new shiney skin beneath. Picked up the Harvey's maps of the Coast-to-Coast route. It's so big it takes 2 maps, though they are only printed on one side of the paper. It'll be to make folding easier.

No C2C books in Aberdeen, so ordered via Amazon. Got the Trailblazer book by Henry Stedman/Jim Manthorpe, and, of course. "A Coast to Coast Walk" by A Wainwright. I couldn't not get that one!

Went to the MCofS meeting on Thursday. Exciting stuff. Some problems about changing to a company, legal issues, and issues concerning voting procedures. I thought we'd entered a timewarp when block votes was mentioned and thought Mick McGahey was going to be quoted. I'll stick to Markism. Bought a couple of dvds co-produced by the MCofS: "Winter essentials" and "Water hazards in the mountains".

Got an email through from a group who hiked the WHW and Great Glen Way to Inverness. You can find their blog here. They raised over £1000 for SCOPE. Shiney. Nice to see different stopping places. Reading the blog, I'm glad I missed the midge-season.

My new iPod arrived. Been listening to podcasts on it. Been watching movies on it. Being me, I dug out the oldest movie I possess: Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", from 1927, to put on the iPod. Of course, being me, I now find that "The Battleship Potemkin" is 2 years younger. Ah well.

I noticed that some of the links I put to YouTube are now dead. Both were to clips that had been cut to music, rather than dvds recorded from the TV. I guess it's part of Google's clean-up. Hmm, I wonder how they are getting on with their copying of in-copyright books? Anyway, it just means that some of the links in the blog for the WHW will be dead. In an alternative universe, I'd go and point to new links, but I have neither the time nor the inclination.

Couch 16

First snow of the season spotted via webcam at CairngormMountain.org.uk. I'll need to get some winter camping in to dust off the cobwebs. Nothing on the hills until I get competent with winter practices. I don't like the idea of putting myself in danger.

Couch 15

Put in the last of the charity money from work. That takes the final total up to £203.08 (including gift-aid). Thank you all folks.

Gear 6: Primus Micron

Collected the Primus Micron screw-in stove from the sorting office today; after Planet Fear shipped and delivered within 48 hours of order. Tiny bit of kit, as the photo to the left shows. 96 grammes, and fits inside the palm of my hand. More importantly, fits into my cook-set.

Make sure that the 'grids' (arms) are locked in place before placing pan on top. On a test burn in the kitchen, I hadn't locked one arm properly. Boiled a titanium pan of 1 pint of water in 4 minutes. Not really test conditions for the hills, but good enough for me.

The gear below shows a Coleman 250 gas cannister with Micron all inside my Snow*Peak Titanium Trek 900. with room to spare.

Couch 14

Carried my Primus Gravity gas stove for 95 miles and only used it 4 times to boil water. Thought that I was being silly. So spent money at Planet Fear on a Primus Micron. I'll cope with my fears of the screw-in stove and its high centre of gravity. Just need to make sure it is stable first - shouldn't be difficult.

Primus Gravity: 220g. Primus Micron: 96g.

Been hobbling round flat. 2 blisters are painful, but I'll get over it. Tent drying naturally, other gear washed and dried. I definitely took too much food with me, still got lots left.

WHW-epilog 8

Gear fixes. Sew reflec tape onto peg-cord so easier to find in heather (or investigate reflec cord). First aid kit: more blister pads, plasters and tape that actually stick to the skin. Maybe an insulated camelbak as heat from my back was being transferred to the uninsulated sack. Retaining system for solaruno. Replace batteries in headtorch.

WHW-epilog 7

As the train departs from Glasgow northwards, my goal on returning to work on Monday is that my blisters will have healed enough so that I can climb 5 flights of stairs without taking the lift.

Music from yesterday: Status Quo "you're in the army now" [*] as the pacerpoles developed a life of their own and frogmarched me into Kinlochleven. Out on the moors, with no-one around, it was G&S time. With half-remembered songs from The Mikado [*] and Pirates [1, 2, 3]. On the way into FW, The Doors classic "The End" [*]. Exit Glasgow to the Willy Fogg theme [*] (there's a historical reason for that, which I won't go into here). In case anyone has any doubts, of course I will be making a compilation album.

WHW-epilog 6

Loch Lomond is mirror flat. I look out for the bothy where I spent Sunday night, but trees on both sides prevent the chance of a re-acquaintance. The clouds are rolling back and sun turns the loch silver and gold.

WHW-epilog 5

Upper Tyndrum. The announcer pronounced it tine-drum. No-one was able to give me a definitive answer on the Way.

I didn't see anyone on the trail. If I had, I would have waved. You won't get far escaping justice on the WHW [*], the police have helicopters and thermal imaging these days.

WHW-epilog 4

Rannoch. The sun breaks through the clouds, catching a hill with its light. A pallete of glowing browns, reds, yellows and greens. There isn't enough of a gap in the clouds to light the whole hill, so the borderline moves along with the thermals. There's a person on the train who looks like Fyfe Robertson. I doubt it's the real one, though. [*]

WHW-epilog 3

Corrour station. 2 people get on the train. Wow. They must be hardy folk.

WHW-epilog 2

The train heads south at seeming-breakneck speed, eating up the miles it took me days to walk over. Bridge of Orchy in 80 minutes. It took me 2 days, including yesterday's 22 mile slog. The train is an old 1972 tf model. I made that up. All I know is that it is an older model, from days when the customers were considered as people, not numbers. There's even a warm air vent by my feet!

My Roclites are tanning themselves. One of the train crew congratulated me on completing the Way. I've changed into fresh clothing, but I'm detecting an aroma. Eau de fiadh?[*]

I'll summarise things later. I took too much food. I took too little notice of the guidebooks and how the conditions underfoot would affect my feet.

WHW-epilog 1

Sat in a dead Fort William, waiting for the train station to open at 7am. I'll get ticket and changed then. I'm waiting for the polis to swing by - well it's not as if they're going after the early birds for speeding. Half-perched on a wall, designed to be uncomfortable to stop people hanging around.

WHW day 6.19

WHW done, and done. 0305am. Photos to take, then pitch to find for remainder of night. Good night, and good luck [*].

WHW day 6.18

On pavement walking into FW.

WHW day 6.17

Finally I clear a forest and see the actual lights of Fort William below. The day doesn't end until I stop hiking.

WHW day 6.16

The stars are coming out, and the scent of pine from the felling ops wakens me.

WHW day 6.15

I wade ankle-deep through the mud where forestry vehicles have churned up the crossing. A timely reminder of priorities. The map board notes it's 6.5 miles to go.