Archive for the 'Rambling on…' Category

Self-Assessment 2009

Posted by on January 2nd 2010 in Blog on Blog, Rambling on...
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In my first post of 2009 I set out a few objectives. Well, that year's done and dusted so it's time for a reality-check.

Here's the list again...

 

1a. More actually getting out and doing "stuff"
1b. Less talking about getting out and doing "stuff"

I reckon I did about the same amount of "doing" as I usually do in an average year, but you're no doubt relieved that I didn't waffle on about it too much. Yeah, that's right - I don't tell you everything. Mind you, this is WordPress, not Twitter.

 

2a. More "pushing the envelope"
2b. Less "comfort zone" dossing

Having had a relatively high injury-rate last year, I had to be content with just licking the envelope. Fellwalking with injury or in the post-recovery stage was definitely out of my comfort zone, but it was hardly what you'd call dossing.

 

3a. More meaningful blogging
3b. Less blogging of drivel

You lot can be the judges of that. The total number of posts for 2009 is 145, way less than the 215 totals for 2008 and 2007. Exactly how many of those 145 posts are drivel is a moot point.

 

4a. More gear-testing
4b. Less gear-envy

I didn't test anything new, apart from the Argos tent. I managed to fight off the urge to acquire a NeoAir, but the attraction of an updated Scarp 2 is still there. - hopefully Henry Shires will eventually get around to making one. As for the envy factor, there's very little kit out there that I've looked at and thought "that's a must-have item". If I'm envious about anything, it's the abundance of hill-time that others seem to have.

Actually, I've just lied to you about the envy thing. Truth be told, I'd like one of these.

 

5a. More improvement in use of the camera
5b. Less "missing the moment" while faffing with settings

I feel that I've done better with the camera, this being helped by the acquisition of the new lens. That said, I did faff with the settings while in Brum and therefore ballsed-up some potentially-good night-shots.

 

6a. More time out with the scope
6b. Less time-wasting while faffing with settings

Did well at this. Having the observatory up-and-running has helped a lot.

 

7a. More progress with astrophotography
7b. Less set-up time

I got my first images of Mars late on in 2009, but still managed to miss all of the major meteor showers due to unsuitable weather. On the bright side, there'll be some new kit here in time for the next closest approach of Mars on 27th January 2010 - this should enable me to make some major improvements.

 

8a. More Wainwrights
8b. Less use of traditional routes

Yep, did some more Wainwrights, but only seven "new" ones - nowhere near as many as I'd have liked to have done. Current tally is 180 out of 214. Tried hard to plough a different furrow, but had limited success. The solo ascent of the West Face of Ullscarf was fun, though!

 

9a. More local walking
9b. Less hiding behind the laptop

I failed miserably on this one. Had a few local walks but nothing special. That said, there were so many other things that kept me away from the countryside and the laptop.

 

10a. And, thanks to George, more data-storage, and hence
10b. less dross on the internal HDD

The huge USB HDD is excellent - how I managed without one for so long is a mystery that I'll never figure out.

 

So there you go - 2009 in a nutshell. More or less.

But what of 2010?

I reckon I'll stick to the same objectives, and try to do much better.

 

Whatever plans you have for your New Year, I wish you the very best of luck.

Note to Self: use a wider lens next time

Posted by on November 9th 2009 in Pics, Rambling on...
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For the first time in ten years we didn't invite all and sundry to our place for our traditional Pyromania in the Garden Party. We decided to have a break from the two days of food prep, the weeks of bonfire-building and the operation to clean the mud out of the house after the fun.

Instead, last night we went to the bonfire, fireworks display and carnival held at the village park. Sadly, the fee-paying public were kept at least 100 yards from the bonfire, which was a paltry affair of pallets and air compared to the vast pyre of tree-trunks that we usually have. I mean, the attraction of the bonfire is the opportunity to stand near enough to it to keep warm, isn't it? The massed launch of Chinese Lanterns was a flop, with most of them failing to reach the boundary of the display area. The fire-eaters were much to far away from the crowd, and the funfair was a minor distraction rather than the major attraction that it was billed to be. The fireworks were good, though, and the fact that the profits go to support the Royal British Legion is admirable. After much deliberation, I gave the event a rating of 5/10.

Back at base we discussed the evening and all agreed that we do a better party at home. OK, it's a lot of effort, but it's worth it.

I'll start collecting the firewood next week.

:mrgreen:

Don't forget to click the pics for much bigness.

If you're from foreign parts and haven't a clue why we Brits torch all manner of stuff at this time of year, have a look here.

Hard as nails

Posted by on July 16th 2009 in Blog on Blog, Rambling on...
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There's something satisfying about wearing sensible footwear on rocky terrain. Maybe it's the confidence that a stubbed placement won't result in a blackened toenail being forced back through the metatarsals into the heel-unit, maybe it's the protection and support that they afford when negotiating the sharp stuff or just running down screes, or perhaps it's just the knowledge that they're not being used to carry around 3kg of grit or soaked-in water that would negate the weight-savings of wearing Jessiehiker plimsolls (for further enlightenment, see here and here).

Personally, I reckon it has much to do with loving the smell of napalm Nikwax in the morning.

 

Scarpa SLs - Humvees in a world of Snatch Land Rovers

The postman arrived early today

Posted by on May 18th 2009 in Rambling on...
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... about 3 years and 2 months early, by my reckoning:

 

cheeky

Cheeky feckers!

:evil:

Talking crap

Posted by on May 14th 2009 in Rambling on...
Way back when I was a kid we used to have toilet-tissue that was boxed rather than on a roll. At the time I didn't give much thought to it, and when the stuff became hard to find we moved to "bog-standard" rolls and the memory of it was filed away in the "Obsolete" cabinet. That was way back in the early 70s.   Over the last few years, that memory's been popping back to the forefront of my mind now and again, usually when squatting over a cat-scrape out in the wilds, frantically fighting the elements to regain control of either the uncoiling paper roll or the bag of loose sheets that mark the end of a job well done. The old-fashioned bogroll-in-a-box would be ideal for such duties, I thought - lightweight and simple to pack, less weight and more eco-friendly than wet-wipes, more humane and hygienic than turd-greasing, and safer than using a handful of tick-infested vegetation.   Our searches for said accessory during our weekly supermarket-shopping adventures have always proved fruitless... until yesterday, when Tesco turned up trumps:  

 

I'll give them a try. "Every Little Helps", as they say.

Hopefully they won't cause piles the size of space-hoppers, as has happened to the unfortunate kids depicted on the boxes :shock:

For Scott

Posted by on March 29th 2009 in Rambling on...
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Crumble pic as requested:

 
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