Collected Musings of a Hill Wanderer

Usually I write my trip reports in the order in which the trips took place but I am considering making an exception to that convention and writing up last weekend’s excursion to Cumbria before the previous weekend’s visit to Argyll. The day trek should be quicker to share and I can devote more time to telling of the various walks I did in Scotland, perhaps over a number of blog entries. All of that has had to wait because yesterday evening provided yet another distraction from sitting in front of a computer: a sunny end to a day with a wet start coaxed me out for a local trot that further broke in my Scarpas. The cornucopia of recent hikes are making the old Salomons look more and more worn so getting the new boots ready for longer outings is becoming more necessary by the day. In fact, the thought has crossed my mind that it might be sensible to get another pair of walking footwear, perhaps a pair of lightweight boots, for summer walking. However, that might be a luxury too far in the current economic climate…

Given our desire for clear blue skies and bright sunshine, it might seem strange to say it but seeing the countryside draped in a misty damp murkiness has a certain allure, a somewhat primordial feel in fact. That isn’t what is at the heart of this post because I succumbed to the lure of soft shell clothing with the purchase of a North Face Apex Elixir jacket and these conditions presented an ideal opportunity to try it out in damper conditions than it has been seeing since I got it. The idea of soft shell is that there is at least some water repellency on offer though heavy downpours always will require something better suited to those conditions. If the Elixir keeps out drizzle and light rain like it has been doing (I am aware that Montane has something that is better in this regard), then the waterproof jacket can stay in the rucksack just a bit more.

Otherwise, the jacket has come in very handy on recent dry weather trips to Teesdale, North Wales and Argyll as well as going to and from work. It’s a lightweight affair, a good thing for when it stays in the rucksack, but that does not stop its allowing you to warm up on the move. Even so, I am not convinced that this is a cold weather item, at least not without additional layers, so the Polartec fleece remains the jacket of choice for those times. They are a while away yet so I won’t be dwelling on the prospect. If things continue as they been going, it looks as if my summertime fleeces could have their place usurped by the newcomer. The pockets are big enough to take a map, even if getting one in to and out of them is a bit of an art. The sleeves are roomy and can be rolled up for ventilation or cinched at the wrist if it gets a bit nippier. All in all, the jacket is a versatile thing that is seeing a lot of use, which is just as well seeing that it cost me £90.

Alan Sloman may have been carrying his the length of Great Britain this time last year but I always thought that my penchant for carrying two SLR cameras (one film, one digital) with me precluded my using my Osprey Atmos 50 for anything other than day walks. However, this past weekend’s escapade in Scotland has changed my mind. Apart from walking boots, the Atmos swallowed all that I was taking and I was able put most things on my back so that my hands were free while wandering along glen, by loch and under ben. In fact, I was left wanting for nothing and that was without my putting anything in the cavity formed by the curved back.

Heretofore, my weekend pack was a heavyweight Karrimor Cougar that I recently have adjudged to be overkill for the task. Thoughts of its replacement had percolated into my brain only to be thrown into confusion by last weekend. Before then, options such as GoLite’s Quest or Osprey’s Aether 70 made their way onto a tentative shopping list. I now am inclined to regard a 70 litre sack as being too big for a weekend or a few days away and contend that 55-60 litres would be sufficient if I need something a little bigger than the Atmos. That means that Gregory’s Z55 and Osprey’s Aether 60 come into the frame but, for the moment, I will continue to assess my current needs and what I may need in the future. While that’s going on, the Atmos may be seeing a few more weekend outings yet.

Update: I have discovered since that Osprey make an Atmos 65 and I wonder if any have made it across the Atlantic. I’ll be sticking with the "50" but, on paper, its big brother doesn’t seem that dissimilar in its characteristics apart from the volume and weight that it can carry.

It’s a slightly strange sensation to pick up a computer magazine and encounter a review of products relevant to the outdoors community therein. I suppose that it is natural given how computer technology has pervaded many aspects of our lives that a review of mapping software might sooner or later appear in a mainstream magazine such as PC Plus. As it so happens, its latest edition features a review that considers familiar names such as Anquet, Memory Map and Mapyx’s Quo while also bringing an unfamiliar name, Tracklogs, to my notice.

As is habitual for many PC Plus comparisons, a general piece setting the general context  takes up most of the article and, as part of this, they consider the differences between what is found on the web free of charge and what we tend to buy for our walking needs. The given overview is general in its scope and, where it does make mention of subjects such as route planning capability, it does so in not too much depth. Nevertheless, it could be seen as a reasonable introduction to the outdoors digital mapping market.

As to the results of the comparison itself, Anquet seems to score best in test and Quo gets a nod for its value for money, even if its crashes and the need to contact technical support get a mention. Another thing to note is that Anquet and Mapyx sell mapping data online while the others don’t. Memory Map comes out as being being the most expensive and it looks as if all that money is going towards a user interface that attracted favourable comment in the review.

In any event, I’ll be sticking with Anquet because that works for me but it remained intriguing to see the line taken by a computer magazine. However, a comparative review by an outdoors type might be even more interesting…

While on my Sunday morning stroll, I got to pondering plans for breaking in the Scarpa boots that I have had since August. At the time that these thoughts came into my mind, I was wetting my Salomon Extend Lows in the grass and got to thinking that the terrain over which I was travelling would be good for breaking in boots. I haven’t taken the new boots out of the house since I got them so it is time that they started to get some wear.

I am not so worried about the footbed and so forth but it is the stiff ankle support that could give me trouble if I don’t give it a chance to develop a little flexibility. I wasn’t so judicious with the Salomons that were their predecessors and I learnt the hard way. I particularly remember one excursion near Dolgellau where a steep downhill descent seared itself into my memory; I was thankful that I had trail shoes in my pack. I won’t be making that mistake again.

So my plot is take the Scarpas out and about around Macclesfield. I’ll start with the level; the Macclesfield Canal sounds a convenient option before starting to traverse field paths, upping the ante as I go. I haven’t anything more definite than that in mind for now but it sounds like a good start.