1200 GMT is precisely the centre of 2008.

This time today divides the year and we are now on the downhill side of the watershed into darker nights, shorter days and colder weather.  Well, that’s the theory anyway.

Just thought I’d share this gem……..!!!

Planks separated our world from the rest of humanity. Their worn edges were round and glazed with use. They were nine inches wide, barely three inches thick and black with age; not just a dull remote black, but a shiny, slippery ‘alive’ black. Alone, without handrail and only a centre support, they spanned the dyke outside our house.

Nearly 20 feet wide that dyke split the land like a pewter sword. Torrents of winter melt-water from inland heights raged between its high sturdy sides. Into the South 40-foot it writhed, and onward across the levels it exploded against the spring advances of the North Sea surge.

The skies then were endless, and beneath the pitiless blue-white dome our land stretched flat and naked. Winter winds had ravaged; dreaded north-easterlies ripped across the sea and turned acres of sullen saltflat into a frozen waste; now a pallid sun again caressed the land

The planks creaked and steamed gently as winter’s iron-cold grip eased gradually from their heart.

Part of one local walk I use in my daily exercise takes me alongside a river and eventually to a foot bridge which spans about 25 feet of water.  The depth below the bridge is not great – maybe 2 feet. 

Earlier I stopped halfway across the bridge to watch the water flowing and generally listen to the silence.  A splashing on the other side of the bridge drew my attention and swimming gaily along came a hen Mallard and three ducklings.  They appeared to have not a care in the world. (The river is a popular place for countless ducks to breed.)  BUT, in the not so deep depths a killer lurked; a pike about 2 feet long ‘hovered’ static in the current and watched.  With scarcely any effort it rocketed to the surface, there was a flurry of water and mother duck and two ducklings continued on their merry way.

Within one minute there was nary a ripple nor sign that one life had been snuffed to sustain another.

About mid-day I relaxed in a favourite spot in the garden where it overlooks a close cropped meadow.   The day was warm and the breeze carried the scent of fresh cut grass and jasmine.

Two Crows were energetically dissecting some long forgotten carrion when along comes the arch enemy of all bird-kind….the dreaded tiger striped hunter, the local tabby cat.  Immediate consternation from the birds; do they fly or do they try to bluff it out and continue their repast?  In this case neither; one bird of the pair took flight, swooping on Mr Moggie, making kamikaze attacks accompanied by raucous invective and flailing wings.  The dread hunter ignores such an obvious diversionary tactic and continues to stalk the remaining crow.  First crow at this point swoops over cat and disappears into a fold in the ground.  Cat crouches low and slithers forward.  Second crow ignores the threat and continues digging into the festering remains of something that probably once lived in the field.  Cat sinks even lower.  On silent wings first crow reappears, lands behind cat and squawks and wails like a banshee.  Cat whips around to confront the supposed menace and crow number two makes a leisurely take-off.  First crow now flaps over cat and nonchalantly starts feeding.  Cat detects the ploy and recommences the stalk.  Crow number two reappears behind cat and repeats the performance of first crow.  Again cat spins around.  And so on.  After some twenty minutes of this performance the cat is bemused, bewildered and definitely bedazzled.  With a drooping tail it makes a slow and wavering retreat keeping a careful watch on the two now merrily feeding crows.

I like crows in general and have a great deal of respect for these two.  I would guess they were a pair and may even have a brood to feed.  If they breed true then the local cat population could best take note and stay clear.

I do have to wonder about this particular cat’s mental capacity though!

Tuesday last I was off.  Walked to my previous campsite at Wing Hall, pitched up and by early afternoon everything was ship-shape.  My intention was to stay pitched here and explore from a fixed base.  This idea worked well and I fell into a relaxed routine of awakening early, (0500hrs), and walking by 0600hrs.  About 1300hrs I’d completed a good walk and settled in a pub for a beer.  Back to the pitch and head-down for an hour or so.  I have completely re-read a classic – ‘Journey to the Jade Sea’ by the late great John Hillaby.

Evening meal prepared and more from the ‘Jade Sea’ until sleep.

What can be better than an early morning call (about 0430hrs) by Blackbirds, a late hunting Tawny Owl or two, and Crows arguing about territorial boundaries?

I am amazed sometimes by the way some campers don’t appear to know how to erect a tent.  One tent at Wing had sagging walls, roof and guys; it billowed in the breeze and must have been hell to try to sleep in.  For the four days I was there never once was an attempt made to tauten any part of it.  After a brief but very dramatic downpour the roof had collapsed to the point where a miniature lake formed; it was still there the following morning.

My journey into lightweight continued with this outing and my overall pack weight on starting was 9.1Kilograms (including food, fuel and some water).  I was well pleased with this achievement.  I took a Quest pack, Adrenaline 20 sleeping bag, ‘Tyvek’ suit, Thermarest Prolite 3 (short). Akto tent, Primus Ti Micron stove with a ‘250’ size gas canister.  My cooking pot was an MSR Titanium Kettle and my mug a Snow Peak ‘Sierra’ (this latter because is has liquid measure marks), my trusty windshield and pot cosy.  I used 76grams of gas during the period and this was without stinting myself on hot drinks and food.

Returning home I felt rested, relaxed and in general a much nicer person.  I hadn’t covered any vast mileage but the break and isolation had rested me both mentally and physically.

All in all a damned fine outing.

One of the tweaks I mentioned in the last post was to reduce weight by not taking spare clothing, I took instead a Dupont ‘Tyvek’ lightweight (175 grams) coverall/overall http://www.safetysupplies.co.uk/trolleyed/7/index.htm (scroll down the page to the Blue (or green, or white) Classic Suit).  The quite fetching blue does not look quite as stark and clinical as the white ‘Soco’ suits we are used to seeing on TV (far too much these days I fear)

I had picked up some hints about this fabric from trawling through some of the more (in my view) strange US sites for ‘Backpackers, Survivalists and Mountain Men’.  It has the capacity to be both waterproof and breathable and extremely light.  And ‘cheap as chips!  My thoughts in trying the suit were twofold, nay even threefold.

Firstly I figured that worn with a fleece top (or without subject to weather) the suit would make acceptable ‘camp’ clothing for evening relaxation. 

Secondly it would obviate the need to take a sleeping bag liner (I usually try to use a silk liner but inevitably end up with the damned thing hobbling my legs and feet or trying to throttle me).

Thirdly I felt that in extremis I had a waterproof suit. (I did take waterproofs but didn’t need them!)

The latter point is moot as to use the suit in this manner would disqualify it as a bag liner (Hmmm, maybe not as some home tests proved)

The suit certainly met all my expectations.  It was light and easy to pack, it was comfortable as evening-wear and, most important, it did breath and it did do a superb job as a bag liner.

This will now become a regular pack item.

My new Golite Adrenaline 20 works superbly.  I am definitely sold on a centre zip bag; its comfort is beyond compare.  Combined with the ‘Tyvek’ suit I reckon its use is extended to 4 seasons.

Ok that’s the tweaks over except to say that in a home test I soaked the ‘Tyvek’ suit and then squeezed it as dry as possible and hung it out to finish drying.  9.5 minutes later it was dry and comfortable.  A note here, these suits are washable BUT by doing so the anti-static inner coating is removed – why should that worry a backpacker?  After washing my suit still breaths and is still waterproof.

Here we are at another weekend and the weather is still as wet as the last weekend.

I have plans for next week which include a few days meandering from my last week’s camping ground.   The plans will be dependant upon some critical factors relating to family, but things are looking good at present.

I mentioned in my last post the arrival of a Golite Adrenaline 20 sleeping bag.  I have now had a chance to test drive it and I’m amazed at its warmth, comfort and its weight or should that be lack of weight?

I have never used a centre-zip bag before but I’m converted.  The zip only runs for about a third of the bag’s length and so this does require a slightly different technique to climb in.  A technique not dissimilar to that we used to use with zip-less bags.  Not a major problem and it is definitely more comfortable if you’re a side sleeper as I am.

My test driving has only been in the comfort of my own garden, but to simulate a slightly colder feel I have slept under a tarp.  Minimum temperature was 6C and the bag is rated (for what that indicator is worth) at -7C.

The bag seems very well put together with ample room for a six-footer to stretch out.  It also has, what the makers call, a ‘girth’ capacity of 60 inches so it has a roominess not found in some lightweight bags.

So, all things being equal I shall be taking it along next week.

To lighten my load even more I may take only the Akto flysheet and footprint, I don’t think I’m really going to need the inner at this time of the year.  I’m also thinking about taking my Thermarest Prolite 3 short and making a weight saving there too.  I have one or two other little tweaks to try but more about them after the event (maybe, if they work!)

All that remains of a once mighty castle is a grass covered mound.   Richard lll was born here and Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned and executed here.

Where?

Fotheringhay Castle.

This area on the Cambridgeshire/Northamptonshire boundary abounds with history and ‘traditional’ villages nestling in slightly rolling countryside and dark mysterious woods.

For a jaunt the weekend past I ambled and rambled about.  I had neither definite goal nor target distance.  In fact once pitched down I stayed in the one spot (where must remain my secret).

The Nene Way always beckons and some of my amblings took me along a part I’ve traversed many times.  Simply seeing the changing seasons is a joy in itself.  The wildlife abounds and I spent many hours just sitting and experiencing.  There was the silence.  Not true silence but away from the sounds of man.  There were larks rocketing upwards with their trilling calls, suddenly dying as the bird plummeted to earth, applying some beautiful braking manoeuvres and silently slipping into waving crops of barley and oats.  Muntjack deer frolicked (maybe) as they charged hither and thither across empty fields, finally disappearing.  They are strange creatures, ‘piggy snouted hares with long legs’ one local farmer described them with more than a touch of possessive pride.

This area is Red Kite territory and I was lucky enough to have the leisure to lounge and watch.  I saw quite a few hunting males which tended to suggest chicks and a hungry female to provide for.  They quartered the area endlessly from quite a height, stooping suddenly when prey was spotted.  The different birds appeared to have a personal area to hunt and with only a couple of interloper incidents the whole process seemed amicable.

Sunday dawned warm with some early mist.  Distant church bells tolled calling the faithful and that was the only sound indicating the continuing existance of the human race.  Man’s hand appears everywhere but for once he didn’t put in any personal appearances so I count that time exceptional.

My second foray into lightweight passed with few problems.  Including food for three days and fuel my all-up weight was 11 Kilos.  

With luck this weight will reduce even further as this morning a parcel arrived from Bob at BPL and revealed a magnificent looking new sleeping bag – Golite Adrenaline 20 http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/product362.asp Feels beautifully snugly and light.

Last weeks experimental kit modifications continue to perform faultlessly so I shan’t be changing too much for more trials (Hmmm, well maybe just one or two bits!!! – this is the voice of a kit junkie).

I seem to have been lucky as far as weather was concerned.  Each day was, dry, warm and generally sunny, until I started for home on Monday afternoon.  Kit packed and loaded the heavens opened and rain followed me home and it still persists.

The matter now seems resolved…maybe!

Just a quickie.

For whatever reason, yet to be determined, I seem to have lost all my photographs attached to two entries.  Hope the matter is soon resolved.