my new exped synmat Ul which has to be the best mat I've ever laid on

They are rather good aren't they.

Yeah you can really feel the warmth in it, much much better than the karrimor one I had.

2/2 January Bivi (S24O)
Out on Lon Las Cefni, round the forest and beach and back on Sustrans 8. Nice and easy post-chest infection ride.
SW gales but a fantastic dry night with a full moon. Nice sunset/sunrise.
Wanted to get out to the lighthouse but thwarted by high tide and storm surge!
Didn't fancy wading or waiting.

This thread is a great incentive :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99percentc ... 632956860/

@99percentchimp, have u a gpx of ur route i could nick please. And im guessing that the Lon Las Cefni is on Angelsey. My friend has been up there and said it has some nice riding? Fancy a trip up but wouldnt know where to start.

by Yetiman on Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:09 pm

@99percentchimp, have u a gpx of ur route i could nick please. And im guessing that the Lon Las Cefni is on Angelsey. My friend has been up there and said it has some nice riding? Fancy a trip up but wouldnt know where to start.

Several GPX on their way later this evening... some nice riding on quiet lanes coupled with some great bivi spots (some I know and can access only from a sea kayak).

Blowing a right hoolie up here now

Blowing a right hoolie up here now

Same down here. I was out (very) first thing this morning and it was beautiful and clear, nearly full moon. By the time I finished the ride I was battling a really strong headwind barely able to turn my cranks on a slight upwards gradient

Ian - I feel your pain - managed to get out in the only weather window I could see in the next few days - stunning last night and at dawn this morning. I got blown up the hills on the way back this morning (planned that way round!). Belted down within 5 minutes of finishing (but this wasn't planned )
That yr.no seems to be pretty good - thanks for that link!

some lovely beach shots on you flickr

Cheers - I tried some moonlit shots too during the night but they didn't work out... shame 'cos it was quite a night between gales! I left some spare batteries for the intervalometer in the car too :(

i recently bought an intervalomter but have yet to find the time to figure the bugger of a thing out - i love what can be done with them but feel like i'll never master the thing!

Gairy... slightly offtopic but these are good links for a starter
http://forum.timescapes.org/phpBB3/view ... f=7&t=1871
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/9/timelapse
Have fun - I'm just at the beginning of starting to play with this too...

thanks fella - mucho appreciated (all i need now is a free afternoon).

Well there's nothing like leaving it until the last minute ... it was very windy, rained most of the night and it was great

Is that the BPWD with beak or the SMD?

Is that the BPWD with beak or the SMD?

It's a Lair with extended beak, rear vent and full bug netting ... not that it was required last night It stood up well, you can see in the top picture how much the wind was bending the pole.

Nice work Stu. There's something very satisfying about being snug and warm in a sleeping bag when it's stormy outside.

I've already failed my challenge. My other half has been ill with pneumonia which has scuppered my plans. I'll be going for 11 from 11.

Looks good.

Last night of the month for me too. Windy rainy and sleet in morning. Used my laser comp as I was feeling poorly. Can't manage to post photos from my phone though. Like the look of the lair stu. How much does it weigh? Much condensation?

Like the look of the lair stu. How much does it weigh? Much condensation?

This one comes in at 625g inc, lines and stuff sack. The standard Lair is 349g inc lines.

The extended beak is handy in winter but I'm still not convinced by the full netting as it goes around the entire outside edge, once zipped up all your gear is now inside and there's no 'outside' area for cooking ... I just leave it unzipped

There's plenty of venting so I've never had any condensation issues in either.

I think the most versitile UK set-up is a standard Lair with a Pyra net 1 ... but get BPWD to add a full silnylon front to the net (extra $20 or so). My Pyranet weighs 307g, has a full sil' bathtub floor which extends 12" high on the back and sides.

s8tannorm wrote:

Like the look of the lair stu. How much does it weigh? Much condensation?

This one comes in at 625g inc, lines and stuff sack. The standard Lair is 349g inc lines.

The extended beak is handy in winter but I'm still not convinced by the full netting as it goes around the entire outside edge, once zipped up all your gear is now inside and there's no 'outside' area for cooking ... I just leave it unzipped

There's plenty of venting so I've never had any condensation issues in either.

I think the most versitile UK set-up is a standard Lair with a Pyra net 1 ... but get BPWD to add a full silnylon front to the net (extra $20 or so). My Pyranet weighs 307g, has a full sil' bathtub floor which extends 12" high on the back and sides.

Sounds good. And probably quick to pitch I would imagine. Off to read up about it.

s8tannorm wrote:

Is that the BPWD with beak or the SMD?

It's a Lair with extended beak, rear vent and full bug netting ... not that it was required last night It stood up well, you can see in the top picture how much the wind was bending the pole.

Stu, do you prefer this to the lunar solo?

Stu, do you prefer this to the lunar solo?

I prefer the standard Lair/Pyra net combo to the Lunar just because it's more versitile. If I don't need the inner then I just use a polycro groundsheet.

However, I prefer the Lunar to the Lair in the pictures ... due to the Lairs sewn in net. BPWD do a Lair with a floating floor which makes it very much like the Lunar ie, you keep the porch space, don't need a seperate groundsheet and keep the midges out.

2/2

Met up HUX and Yetiman in Ambleside for a ride around the Lakes.

Saturday started with light drizzle, and got a bit better through the day. First over Loughrigg Fell then down to the side of Lake Windermere, via an 'interesting' bridleway, then up an over the east side of Grizedale forest to the visitor centre before picking up the trail centre climb up to Parkamore.



We should have had a great view of Coniston Water, but the low level cloud wasnt playing fair. Great decent down to the bottom and then decisions to be made. The temps were just the wrong side of zero being about 2C rather than -2C so we were cold and damp, rather than cold and dry. The decision was made to go straight to Coniston and find a pub, rather than going back up into the cloud and over to Seathwaite as originally planned.

Warm pub found and a few well earned beers consumed, we made our way slowly up the Walna Scar road in search of a Bivi spot. We'd all seen the weather forecast and inlight of the threatened snow showers we all brought our tents. Great spot found, and all set up nicely before it bounced it down all night.

We tried crossing our fingers that it would stop raining, so we could put the tents away. It did. It started to snow. All enjoying some type B fun.



After numb fingers we packed up the tents and head back down to Coniston to try and find somewhere warm to try and at least get a brew. After we warmed up it was over to Elterwater and down Loughrigg Terrace before a well earned all day breakfast in Ambleside

Nice looking trip - the Lake District is somewhere I've ridden little but always enjoyed (nice looking breakfast too!).

I'm still awaiting a weather window for February's outing.

It was -7°c on yesterdays ride and I'm glad I had decided not to make a night of it (I was dropping a mate off in Lyon and was planning on heading into some foothills for some wintry fun).

Maybe this coming weekend....?

2nd of the yr ( at the terra nova convention ) with hux and chew