Chasing the northern lights

It was all over Twitter and the morning news. People around the north of England were seeing the aurora borealis, the northern lights. So, with nothing to stop us, we loaded the van with food, rucsacs, bikes and the lovable, limpy lab and set off. Tilly's had a recent resurgence of her back problem which means she, as we left, was on two, twenty minute walks per day; not much for a bouncy lab but, following prolonged chats with her her personal orthopaedic surgeon (yes, really) she's on a third drug, in addition to the two she's taken for a year now, and does seem to be settling back to her normal self. But she does have a limp, a result of elbow dysplasia which was operated on two years ago, which, it seems, we'll all have to learn to live with. I mention all this because it does impact on the outdoorsy stuff we can do at the moment, not wanting to leave her on her own for too long, especially in the van. We love her.

On a beautiful day we charged up the A1 to a fave van wild camp in Upper Teesdale. As night fell, the weather closed in so no chance of an aurora sighting here then. We woke to snow for Tilly's morning wander.

Then it was off further north to the Northumberland coast. It had turned cold again so we really would be best with some electricity. Keeping comfortable in the van means low heat during the night and this can soon rattle through our lpg tank. With mains electric, we can rely on that for low-level overnight heat. Our heating system still needs gas though to lift temperatures to a sensible level during the day.

We found a Camping & Caravanning Club certificated site just south of Amble which fitted the bill perfectly. No loo or shower, but we have those anyway, but electric hook up and just a tenner a night; perfect.

And on our first night there, keen not to miss any activity as I got up for a pee, I peered out through the window, then got dressed quickly to venture outside to see the faint tinge of green across the horizon. I woke Chrissie (it was around 4am). We were thrilled; our first sight of the aurora borealis. Brilliant! Sadly my attempt at a photo brought only a black sky. I wasn't prepared; should have had a tripod at the ready but, never mind, we saw it.

The following morning, after a 30 minute walk with Tilly (we were now upping her time a little) we were off on a bike ride to Amble, then following the coastal NCN1 south, before returning to camp.

That was a really pleasant ride. Cold, a touch windy, but quiet and relaxing.

Next morning, we treated Tilly to a walk on the beach, even letting her off the lead for a few minutes. She was beside herself, indulging her fondness for rubber sticks, aka seaweed branches.

Then we were off in the van to Alnwick on a cultural/shopping expedition. The castle and grounds were closed so we could only take sneaky pics through the trees.

And Chrissie joked that Prince Harry walked past us in the street (I didn't see 'im). Thing is, next day on the local news we saw he'd been in the area. P'raps she did see him?

Next day we fired up the bikes again, this time for a ride across country to Warkworth and the magnificent castle.

Then, off along a fine new cycleway to Alnmouth. Lunch in a cafe; hot beef stotties! Back along the cycleway to Amble and cakes bought from the, highly recommended, Trotters' Bakery; the most enormous Chelsea buns you have EVER seen.

We needed to head south the following day; we'd an assignation with our friends Kim & Hamish in a couple of days. So it was down to Durham where we used the excellent Park & Ride (special spaces for caravans and motorhomes) to visit the cathedral and Rohan; it being the last day I could use a discount voucher for their new merino/polyester mix T shirts. I'm hoping these'll be good for my End to End ride.

We found another wild camp spot for the night near Middleton in Teesdale and the following morning drove into Hamsterley Forest. Having walked Tilly and fixed the umpteenth puncture of the trip on Chrissie's bike, we spent an enjoyable 2 or 3 hours exploring the forest tracks which we've walked many times in the past.

Chrissie made an admirable job of dealing with the steepest slopes on her tourer. From here it was off to the North York Moors and another wild camp where we met up with K&H. Chrissie and Kim had a short backpack and wild camp planned for the next night whilst Hamish and I were off cycling.

See here for Chrissie's account of their backpack.

H & I cycled from Sleights into Whitby where we partook of lunch from the Magpie Cafe's excellent takeaway.

Then we followed the Cinder Track down to Robin Hood's Bay and back.

That night we camped in the vans high on the moors near the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge. Just as Hamish turned in, a little after 10:30, storm force winds hit; easily 60 mph. My front roof vent snapped open (I'd forgotten I had it slightly open) and you can picture the scene as I stood on tip toes, trying to pull it closed against the full force of the wind. I succeeded ... just. I then had to turn the van round to point its nose straight into the gale to reduce the side to side rocking. It didn't let up all night. It's only my confidence in Chrissie's backcountry skills that kept me from worrying about her but, judge for yourself, by reading her account.

The following night, as K&H returned to the world of work, Chrissie and I settled in for afternoon tea at the same camp spot as my previous night (no wind now). I dozed off to awake to an inch of snow across the windscreen and the untreated road. We beat a careful retreat downhill towards Hutton le Hole and a safe, snow-free spot for the night before driving home next morning.

It'd been an exciting and eventful trip. Walking, cycling, aurora spotting and camping in 60mph winds (albeit some of us in tin boxes, rather than superlight nylon). Life is good!

End to End planning, 4

It's a crappy morning here; pishing it down, so I'll sit down and write.

The End to End is starting to feel really close now; 11 weeks from today. This past weekend I've booked the night of Friday 1st May at the Lands End Hotel (on recommendation) and reserved a rental car from Enterprise which I'll pick up late Thurs 30th April. Leaving here early on Friday will let me drop the car off at their depot in Penzance for 5:30, before riding the 9 miles or so out to Lands End. That should give me a pleasant, stress-free start to my journey.

Over the past week or so I've scanned Google maps and produced a list of campsites at intervals along the way, supplementing these with a couple of Camping & Caravanning Club's certificated sites where I could find no commercial sites (I'm a member). These are in a list in a Word document which I've transferred to my Kindle. If anyone out there might find it useful, I'm happy to share it. There are quite a few C & CC proper sites along the way and I'll use these when poss; they always have good shower blocks and laundry facilities and I'm planning on meeting Chrisse at the Clitheroe site along the way with our motorhome. I'm gonna take day off there to catch up with laundry an' just take a rest. I might well have other rest days as the need arises; it's a holiday, not a test of endurance. Actually, thinkin' about it ... it's that as well.

If all goes to plan I'll wild camp on Dartmoor, west of Princetown, so I can partake of the Fox Tor Cafe's excellent breakfast (which I've sampled before) in the town. I'm also hoping to wild camp as I cross Dumfries & Galloway, not to mention the rest of Scotland wherever possible. Might even try the odd wild camp across England if I'm far enough away from civilization. I'll have my water filter on board so a supply of tap water isn't essential.

I've downloaded the gpx routes from Cicerone's End to End Cycle Route and these are on my Garmin Edge Touring. I've plotted my variation via Dumfries & Galloway, Arran, Kintyre, Mull and Ardnamurchan and have this on Garmin Connect, yet to transfer to the Edge, I also have this route marked on a Collins Touring Map of Scotland; this an' the Cicerone guide being the only maps I'll carry. Maps in the guide are Ordnance Survey ones.

Have purchased 3 pairs of Rohan's fancy knickers, some nice new Rohan merino mix socks and am considering a couple of their new merino/ polyester mix T shirts.

As I write, our lab, Tilly, is recovering from a resurgence of back pain, so she's on two 15 minute walks a day. I don't much enjoy hillwalking without her so, instead, for the last week I've been out every day cycling. I'm trying to catch up on my 3000 mile per year target, hoping to get to 500 miles by the end of Feb, that being the average of 250 miles per month. This has also made for useful training. I did, though, fall off my tourer on the canal towpath last week, slipping on a diagonal bit of wet wood, exactly where I did the same thing this time last year, prior to the C2C! I've bashed my right knee AGAIN. I did cover 37 miles though, a couple of days back, plus a very rapid 17 miles on my roadie yesterday morning. But I was limping as I took Tilly out just now. I'm sure it'll pass.

I've been practicing producing one pot meals using commonly-found ingredients with quite some success using my little pan; surprising how big a helping will fit in it.

The enormity of the task is just beginning to occupy my mind. Although used to independent travel and high mountain adventures, this is unlike anything I've done before. I've never traveled so far for so long on my own, though I wouldn't want it any other way cos I'm convinced it'll avoid any sense of unnecessary stress/pressure. The longest I've toured on a bike up to now is for 3 nights, and that was with my mate, Hamish. So, it's a big step for me.

At the beginning of April, Chrissie and Kim are doing the Cumbrian Way with Hamish and me supporting with the vans. We're gonna get a couple of big, Lake District road bike rides in and I'm wanting to fit in a couple of back-to-back 40 milers.

The clock's tickin'.

End to end planning, 3

Ok, so I said I'd update every month and I haven't. Bin too busy and not a lot to say but now, well it's a new year and we're rapidly approaching the end of January, so only a little over three months to go.

Where am I up to? Since the last update:

i. I wasn't finding the Charge Spoon saddle any more comfy than the original Thorn Velo so I've nicked the one from my Dawes Karakum, which I always found to be fine. Interestingly, when I removed it and turned it upside down I found it's also a Velo, though of a different style to the one Thorn use. It feels like a nice compromise between the very soft original and the quite firm Spoon. So, far, after a few rides, it feels pretty good so I reckon I'll stick with it.

ii. Santa brought me some rather pleasing Christmas pressies, my having been a VERY good boy all year; an Ortlieb Classic handle bar bag, which matches my panniers beautifully,

an MSR Pocket Rocket stove (we've used one o' these for years but Chrissie wanted me to have my own in case we're off doing independent stuff at the same time), 

a very smart Evernew Titanium pan, a tiny 0.9 litre one which'll suit me fine when on my own. It has a built-in handle and a lid,

and, lastly, a clever little device called an NBT2, which allows you to remove the rear cassette should you need to replace a cassette-side spoke whilst touring.

Ain't tried it yet.

To complete my cookset, I bought a windproof lighter and some wind'n'waterproof matches while we were in Aviemore last week.

iii. Given I've pretty much settled on my route I've asked Chrissie to come and meet me at a campsite with the camper somewhere not too far from home, maybe the Dales? I plan on staying with her for two nights so I can do some vital washing. I'm gonna take my two favourite Rohan merino wool 

t-shirts to wear while riding. I know I can make one of these last a week so the two should see me half way on my, nominally four week, trip. I can wash these on the go if needed but it'd be good to set off again with 'em both freshly laundered.

iv. Again on clothing, I'm gonna buy two, maybe three pairs of Rohan's knickers. I considered merino wool but the going rate's about £30 per pair and I think that's a bit excessive. The Rohan ones have recycled silver in 'em which reduces odours (like merino) and they cost £17 a pair. Off to pick up a long sleeved merino top in a few days from Rohan in Bakewell which I ordered in the sale (£30 off) so I'll see if they have any in stock. I hope this'll mean I only need to take two or three pairs of knickers to last two weeks before meeting Chrissie. On a similar theme I'm gonna buy myself three pairs of shiny new wool socks for the trip, hoping to wear each for three or four days.

v. I bought one of these Sea to Summit collapsible bowls which has a base wot can be used as a chopping board.

And Chrissie sneaked off and bought me a tiny salt'n'pepper thingy,

which was nice.

vi. Following a recent motorhome trip we came to the conclusion that we couldn't justify the space taken up by our folding chairs. We'd hardly eaten one meal outdoors during a six week summer journey, but we had sat outside having drinks, snacks or reading. We are increasingly using the van to allow us to follow other passions such as cycling or backpacking, both being equipment-heavy hobbies. We needed the space in the van's backbox for rucsacs, bike gear or whatever. So, we made the decision to buy two Helinox Ground Chairs. These amazing designs are very small when packed.

They take up very little space and weigh just 590g packed in the stuffsac. They assemble quickly using DAC, aircraft grade, alloy poles, as used in the best quality backpacking tents.

Their only downside being they're very low to the ground, so no use for sitting at a normal height table. Anyhow, I mention all this here cos I'm considering taking one on my End to End trip. I figure the comfort offered around camp will justify the extra 590g. I do embrace lightweight gear but comfort is a major consideration. I reckon I can pack one with my tent on top of my rear rack, though I haven't tried yet. One to try out on an upcoming shakedown trip perhaps.

That's it for now as far as I can remember. We didn't take bikes on our trip up to t'Cairngorms last week; too much other paraphernalia; crampons, axes, snowshoes, mountain boots (none of which got used). So, I ain't been on a bike for about 10 days. MUST get out tomorrow, weather permitting.

If you've only just caught up with this planning malarkey and are interested in the rest of the story, dig about on here for the first two episodes.

Feel free to add a comment or ask any questions on here.

Above all, enjoy your own travels and keep safe.

A ride and a resolution, of sorts

Today, 1st January, first cycle ride of the year.

Hamish and I set out at 10am for a road bike ride, me on the Cube and Hamish on his, recently rebuilt 1980s Dawes.

I felt like a slightly challenging ride so, we left Hayfield out through New Mills then the A6 to Disley. Here we turned uphill and rode up past the old Moorside Hotel (now a young offenders institution; how the mighty have fallen) then, meeting the road from Whaley Bridge to Macclesfield we turned left to Kettleshulme, then right to climb up towards Windgather rocks. Riding past here towards Pym Chair is a section I've covered many times but today, we had a strong headwind and, despite the modest incline, I couldn't get out of my lowest gear!

Struggling to stay upright in a strong wind at Pym Chair, we turned left to descend into Goyt Valley by the Errwood Reservoir, where we stopped to sup from flasks and consume butties before the grind up to meet the top of Long Hill.

We turned right down towards Buxton then left up Old Road to Whaley Bridge. We had to resort to walking for the broken section of the track but battled valiantly with most of it before it becomes tarmac again near the Whitehall Outdoor Centre. We then had a glorious descent (mostly) into Whaley. We paused outside the town hall for a quick refreshment break before riding back to Hayfield, bypassing New Mills via Marsh Lane.

It was a tough ride, by my standards. We covered 26 miles at an average of 9.7mph, climbing 2633ft in the process. It's a route I've not done before; nor's Hamish but it was exhilarating, 'specially the descent into Whaley. The ascent from Errwood to Long Hill is hard!

The resolution? Well, I've just set myself a target, on Garmin Connect, of 3000 cycling miles for the year so that's 26 down, 2974 to go.

I'm tired now, but Chrissie's just making tea, fruit cake and cheese.

The passing of a friend

Yesterday our precious boxer dog, Dixie passed from this world peacefully.

She was thirteen years old just over a month ago, a good age for a boxer by any standard. Chrissie and I are very upset, our dogs being a very important part of or lives; very, very much members of the family.

Dixie came to us only a few days before Christmas 2001. The breeder, having recognised us as responsible owners (we'd lost our previous boxer only a short while before) allowed us to bring her home aged only 7 weeks, having been reassured that she'd have a quiet, stress-free Christmas in our home. It meant a lot to us. She was a very tiny pup and I remember sitting on the kitchen floor nursing her, in tears, after a seemingly allergic reaction to titbits of turkey saw her face swell up alarmingly; I thought we were to lose her! Fortunately the reaction died away quite quickly, never to resurface.

That was the start of a long and happy relationship with our gorgeous boxer. She grew up with our border collie, Ragga, who herself passed away aged 13 and greatly enriched the life of my daughter Abi. Soon to follow Ragga was our chocolate lab, Tilly, and Dixie made a superb job of raising the upstart lab; always ready to growl and chastise her if she failed to follow our instructions. Together, this happy, inseparable pair have traveled with us on many outdoor adventures and been as far as Norway and Sweden in our motorhome. Only four years ago, Dixie accompanied Chrissie on her walk up the Pennine Way.

I believe that it's the unconditional love and affection caring owners receive from dogs that makes it so painful when they pass on; a dilemma Chrissie and I shall continue to face as years go by, since life without a canine angel is just unthinkable for us.

I wasn't really too much of a dog person before meeting Chrissie but it's one of many delights she has brought to our life together for which I'll be eternally grateful.

It's perhaps fitting she left us at Christmas time, being the time of year she first came here, leaving us, given our sadness, with so many beautiful memories. Thankfully, Tilly's still here with her loving, silly madness, though she's quite subdued just now, understandably. Tears are welling up again so I'll finish by sharing a few pictorial mementos of life with Dixie and I pray she's in a good place along with mine and Chrissie's previous four legged friends.

God bless you Dixie x