Running on empty.............

There was a slight hint that things might not go as planned - my Neoair burst and deflated, leaving me trying to sleep on Louise's lounge floor......I replaced it on Thursday morning in Inverness before we caught the train to our start points. I bought a Vango Ultralite self-inflating mat - thankfully it is quite comfortable and seems much tougher than the blow-up neoair - also much cheaper!

This is not going to be an account of the few days of Challenge 2012 which I managed to complete but more a reflection of why it all went so badly wrong and why I was very relieved to find myself on the bus home late on Tuesday afternoon......

After the sleeping mat incident things settled and I enjoyed the first couple of days walking to Kinloch Hourn and beyond. The Granite Gear rucksack was exceptionally comfortable to carry and didn't seem too heavy. I didn't miss a top pocket as the OMM chest-pouch was a great substitute. It enabled me to access my small bits and bobs without having to take off my rucksack. The Keen boots were grippy, comfortable and supportive.

The ground was wet, well, saturated, with water standing in pools everywhere and any burns I had to cross were full and fast. A dry wild camp site proved difficult to find on the first night so I eventually went with two other Challengers right down to Kinloch Hourn and camped in late evening sunshine just before the bridge, this made my day a lot longer than I had planned.

I stopped short on the second evening, realising that a crossing of the River Loyne might just be too difficult for me on my own. The sky seemed dark and threatening, with occasional squally showers. A passing Challenger told me the weather forecast - heavy rain and a south-westerly gale, maybe gusting over 80 mph.
The pitch I chose at the old Altbeithe cottage was as sheltered as I could find.

By 5 am all hell was breaking loose - and I spent two hours listening to the wind howling like some pre-historic beast and trying to tear the tent out of the ground. After packing up inside the tent, eating a cold breakfast, there was a lull so I finally went outside, foolishly losing my concentration and the wind succeeded in taking the tent....I'll never forget how it flew up, kite-like, still complete, and was carried over the barbed wire fence and up the hill away from me. There was some very bad language.........................

I haven't run up hill for a long time but fuelled by adrenalin and panic - I set off.  Ploughing upwards through bog, tussocks, dips, mounds and hollows I would almost reach the tent when the wind would take it off again. A last effort found me climbing a waterfall and finding, resting in a small river gorge, my tent, still assembled, waiting for me........

Getting back down, grimly clutching the tent, I was knocked off my feet several times by the gale but finally made it to the house. Three other Challengers had come to meet me, realising what was happening but not being able to see me, and helped me fold the tent and finish packing up. The next few hours we all struggled along the road, fully exposed to the terrible gusts of wind and monsoon-like rain. Even the Paramo gave up, my feet were completely soaked, and I could hardly see through my wet and steamed up glasses. Stopping for food or drink or respite was not an option.

The walking on Monday was hard going. My feet were badly damaged by a day spent walking in water-filled boots. A mistake in my route made it necessary to almost double back to Invergarry leaving me the endless canal-side walk into Fort Augustus. I arrived at 9 pm, foot-sore, and too hungry to eat any supper.

Struggling up the road in the morning, eventually reaching Loch Tarff, being hit in the face by a heavy shower of sleet, hail and snow - I asked myself a simple question. Are you enjoying this? And another, are you looking forward to the next few days' walking?

The answer to both these questions was an emphatic NO!

I went back to Fort Augustus and caught the bus............

Why did this happen? I have thought about it.....

I allowed myself to get too tired...My mental and physical tanks were emptied by the frantic race to retrieve the tent......I made a bad decision about following my route in bad circumstances  despite there being an easier alternative....I didn't eat or drink properly nor rest enough.....I should have stopped before I had to walk the canal tow path and done that the next day....I should have put on my gaiters and waterproof socks before walking in the storm....If I'd carried my bothy-bag could I have sheltered inside it?.......I should have waterproofed the OMM chest-pouch more carefully as everything inside it was soaked through.....I could have sprayed the rucksack too, so that losing the use of the pack cover (it was too windy to keep it on) didn't have such consequences (a wet rucksack is surprisingly heavy!)......and so on.....

I did feel that I was putting myself in danger by carrying on, so, although the decision was hard, I still believe it was wise........

Number 20 - Time for another Gear Review...........

Here's a brief look at a few more of my favourite things............

Vaude Kiowa Basic 200 Sleeping Bag
Now this is not the lightest bag - nor is it a very trendy down filled thing BUT it is COSY..........

It doesn't compress as well as a down bag but it does fit (eventually) into the bottom of my rucksack quite neatly. I believe it weighs about 1.3 kg which is quite respectable.

I bought it for last year's Challenge. The Lafuma down bag it replaced was rather thin and a bit prickly. So although it packed small it was also not very warm or comfortable.

The Vaude bag came with an internal pocket with a zip which I have carefully removed. It also has a good hood and baffle. The material on the inside is very smooth, warm and lovely to snuggle into. The shorter length means my feet stay much cosier.

And I find the synthetic filling much more to my liking than the down I had before.

{Photo of a sleeping bag exactly like mine}

Ridgerest Sleeping Mat

This year for Christmas I was lucky enough to get a new Neoair mattress. Despite this I think I will probably still carry my Ridgerest mat with me. I find it to be a brilliant insulation against cold ground. It fits perfectly into the sleeping space inside my tent. Along with the mattress it should help me get a good night's sleep when camping.

I like to use it for lunch stops too. Being able to sit with my legs on the heather or ground without getting chilled or wet is a great advantage. The weight on the outside of the rucksack is negligible. The only downside in carrying it is that it makes my pack a bit wide for narrow spaces!

{Photo of a Ridgerest mat like mine}

JetBoil Stove with stabiliser

I didn't actually buy this stove nor even ask for it. It came as a surprise Christmas present from my eldest son, Sam. At first I thought it would be difficult to carry as it's not tiny nor very light. However I was wrong and it fits well into the rucksack. So thank you Sam.............

{Photo of JetBoil Stove }

And it works a treat.

Lights first time (up till now!) and boils water super-quick. I found it uses a very modest amount of fuel. One 125g cannister of gas lasted me about 10 days on last year's Challenge walk.

I did buy a folding stabiliser thing to steady the stove in use - it does seem top-heavy when boiling a full cup of water.

{Photo of JetBoil accessories}

The gas cannister stabiliser folds up and tucks away inside the stove. It comes with a pot support which apparently converts the stove so it can take a larger pan - but I've never used this.............

Well next time it'll be number 21 - will that mean I'm a grown-up at last................?