Author Topic: First walk of the New year  (Read 3546 times)

nick949

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #15 on: 14:16:12, 01/01/19 »
About 8 miles in the Ontario Canadian Shield bush yesterday on trails within Frontenac Provincial Park. Total silence. Didn't see a single person. A light dusting of snow made following fisher and coywolf tracks a delight. A great way to spend the last day of the year. Today: freezing rain. I'll be lucky to make it around the block.
Book: "Actually, I'm English: rediscovering my homeland on foot and by motorbike" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01AGQIX1K)

sussamb

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #16 on: 14:19:32, 01/01/19 »
I recon i might purchase a high powered portable torch for such conditions, any advice on which model from users would be much appreciated.


I carry a LED Lenser P7 ... https://www.ledlenser.com/uk/products/handheld-torches/p-series/p7/


Ignore their price, can normally be found around £30 but beware as lots of fakes around
Where there's a will ...

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #17 on: 14:31:08, 01/01/19 »
Cheers, that's the kind of torch i might be interested in.
Ive just checked out their website, and blimey their range of torches, is impressive, certainly food for thought.
Very portable, they all look very high quality, and even though they are not at bargain prices, you most certainly get quality if your prepared to pay for it.
Its not often i find myself out in such nasty conditions, but at least i now have a potential torch manufacturer to put on my wish list.
There are so many torches on the market, its good to have someone recommend one that looks built to last, and performs well.

Happy New Year, and thank you for the suggestion, i may have a look at some of them.
« Last Edit: 14:37:32, 01/01/19 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

sussamb

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #18 on: 16:13:25, 01/01/19 »
Main manufacturer of choice in our SAR team, although generally as a back up to a P14, but that would be overkill for walking  :)
Where there's a will ...

richardh1905

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #19 on: 17:01:44, 01/01/19 »
I had a fancy LED Lenser headtorch some years ago - wasn't that impressed, to be honest. The battery compartment was fiddly to open, and the hinge to allow tilting broke after a year or so. Maybe their hand torches are better.

So now I have a Petzl Tikka+, a wonderful headtorch that I use pretty much on a daily basis during the winter months, in all conditions that Orkney can throw at it. Absolutely bombproof. As a spare, I would consider a second headtorch, Petzl Tikkina - less than £20 and only 85g. Edit - £13.95 on Amazon right now!

I'm quite a fan of Petzl, in case you hadn't guessed. For years and years I used one of the old Petzl Zoom headlamps, with a tungsten bulb and one of those strange 4.5V flatpack alkaline batteries that were not so easy to come by. So tough and reliable that I used it for caving!
« Last Edit: 17:52:36, 01/01/19 by richardh1905 »
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GnP

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #20 on: 17:45:12, 01/01/19 »
Im doing a 9 mile circular from the Gospel Pass car park tomorrow, taking in the Tarren yr Esgob ridge then Twmpa (Lord Herefords Knob) towards the end. Just inside Wales. I will drive from south Birmingham. Just planning & thinking about a route excites my old bones.
The forecast is good. Cold, dry & sunny, but will still have my waterproofs with me..Just the ticket. ;)
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

sussamb

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #21 on: 17:52:50, 01/01/19 »
I had a fancy LED Lenser headtorch some years ago - wasn't that impressed, to be honest. The battery compartment was fiddly to open, and the hinge to allow tilting broke after a year or so. Maybe their hand torches are better.


I too have a Lenser headtorch, had it for years and still working perfectly.  Lenser will replace any faulty ones so maybe you were unlucky?
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Annejacko

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #22 on: 18:29:30, 01/01/19 »
A good start to the year today, 8 miles ish circular from Monmouth along the Wye valley path to Redbrook and a drink at The Boat Inn, which was doing a brisk trade. It was warm enough to comfortably sit outside too. We then returned following Offa's Dyke path via the naval temple on the Kymin and the view point across to Sugar Loaf and Skirrrid etc. Visibility was really clear but typically I'd forgotten my camera :-[
 
Enjoy every sandwich

sussamb

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #23 on: 18:44:18, 01/01/19 »
Ah the Boat Inn, great little pub and only just off Offa's Dyke, been there quite a few times  O0
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Dovegirl

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #24 on: 19:07:21, 01/01/19 »
I went a walk on the rolling heathlands of Ashdown Forest in the High Weald today.  Good views and some of the gorse is in flower.  Fine and mild and not too muddy     :)

BuzyG

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #25 on: 19:36:53, 01/01/19 »
Enjoyed reading the thread thanks for all your replies. Interesting comments on the Snowdon walk.  My own short walk today was totally off the cuff.  I set off intending to head for minions.  The pull of Dartmoor was too much though, as I left Tesco's after filling my car.  So I headed up to Oakhampton and High Willhays.


  Typical Dartmoor meant that between leaving Home and parking up the weather had gone from lovely sunny day to rapidly decending cloud.  As I headed up it became obvious the cloud would beat me to it.  On any other day I would have had my day sack with me.  Today I just had my old camera bag with a bottle of juice and a biscuit in it.  No map no compass and no head torch no bivi bag.  My one essential was my phone.   Knowing the area well I pushed on and enjoyed a good brisk little walk.  The visibility was around 20 yards on the top ridge, happily there are two easily intersected and followed tracks between yes tor and High Willhays, with a number of distinctive minor tors along the ridge, so it's pretty hard to get lost if you know the area. 


After explaining the purpose and history of trig points, to a very grasious guy, at the summit of Yes tor, I headed over towards west mill tor.  Once across the source of red a ven brook and onto west mill, I was grateful for the GPS on my phone to confirm I was heading the right way to the summit.


So did I take any risks today?  Well I certainly had less kit with me than I would recommend any one to take into poor visibility on the moor.  To counter that.  I have walked that route dozens of times in the past few years, including in similar conditions.  So clearly I was happy with the level of risk, as with the Snowdon post above, my progress was slower than I was expecting.  That was mainly down to being very aware that I did not have enough kit if I sustained an injury, so treated the clitter with maximum respect on the decent and arrived safely back at the car just before dark.
« Last Edit: 19:40:39, 01/01/19 by BuzyG »

inthebagbud

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #26 on: 20:40:06, 01/01/19 »
On a glorious warm day (remind me it is new years day) a lovely 24km taking in Pen y ghent, Plover Hill, Horton Moor to Old ing  and back to Horton in Ribblesdale . It was my first ascent of Pen y ghent and glad I opted for a more circular route than the traditional paths as really enjoy the open moor walking


The only risk I had was from overheating!

sunnydale

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #27 on: 10:20:55, 02/01/19 »
I was out early yesterday (avoiding the crowds) doing a recce walk, ready for a group walk I'm leading tomorrow.
Most of the route I knew like the back of my hand...but a couple of areas needed a bit of exploring to check they were suitable for a group. It's surprising what you come across hidden deep in the woods!
The route included Baslow Edge, Gardom's Edge & Birchen Edge...with some interesting bits in between! :D
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Rather be walking

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #28 on: 12:19:15, 02/01/19 »
First walk this year will be this weekend, 7.5 miles (going to be cold, 0c), starting at Hooksway, Sussex and up and over the south downs to Treyford, Didling and back to Hooksway and lunch in The Royal Oak in front of a roaring log fire. :)

Jon.
““The hardest part was coming to terms with the constant dispiriting discovery that there is always more hill.”
― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods

Toxicbunny

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Re: First walk of the New year
« Reply #29 on: 23:00:02, 06/01/19 »
I walk 4 mile every day in the woods where I live as I have an energetic dog. Come rain or shine I do the walk. So today I did my first trip out walk to Roseberry topping not far from me. I must be out of sync as I pulled my hamstring  :-\ . I've never seen so many people. The stone path was steep down full of mud and slippy hence the pulled hamstring. I've decent hiking boots but I really hate slippy stones on a decent. How do others overcome this. I can't use a pole as I have my dog on a leash.

 

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