Glencoe ;o))

Today (090414) was ground hog day - the expected trot around the Glencoe hills were hampered by the low cloud!  Nae matter  - eyes to the ground and being 'at one' with the Glens, burns and water was good enough. At times like this, there is no point heading to the top as the rewarding view is not there.... without the view - there is no need, well as far as I am concerned.  

Ahhh but 10/04/14 was a different matter ... eyes to the sky (3575ft) and snow line ... of course at the start of the tramp:  grunge and thigh level burn crossing was needed (sets the feet up very nicely)! Its been raining quite a bit here ... and the force of the burn reflected it .... after several attempts to cross, I was lucky to find a 'crossing' that was shallow enough to keep the water off the rucksac.

it looks so small in 2D... ;o(.

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View from the near top ....  muscles by this stage were wobbling a bit ... didn't really help the final drag to the top!! Sadly the 2D pan photo doesn't quite do the justice of the drop to the left ... it looks almost flat!!!! not!   (but guess who  has found the pan button on the phone!!! ;o))))

 

Ok, so this was the last photo taken  before the top.... note the snow (that has a lot of water running underneath it!!).  There are drops either side ranging from ultra steep to mega stupid steep. The drop on the right side of this picture is sheer face and if I rolled to the left ... lets just say that it just wouldn't be good at all. Just after this point I realised that my fear of heights (not helped by thoughts of avalanches etc) was not over. Darn it!! But there was also a wee bit of 'I have blinkin stomped over 1000ft to get here ... etc etc etc etc.....' .... . so what did I do?   I crawled, yes crawled ... feet, knees, elbows and hands (pain!) the last 100000000000ft (ok so it felt like 100000000000000 ft but you can see the distance!) ... THE longest crawl I have done ..... and did you know knees can still wobble when crawling!!?!? they can ...

I am sure that you will be delighted to know that I did have the presence of mind to 'get' that this was ultra stupid ... but sadly at the same time so did the giggles .... thoughts of local press being 'baffled by a new mountain creature still not yet identified except for 'interesting' prints left behind!....  I nearly giggled myself off the mountain at one stage!! ... nonetheless if you think that I was going to swing my rucksack off and look for my camera?!?! .....(that would have meant that I would have had to sit up and I needed every knee, foot, elbow and hand on the ground!!!) Just in case I need anymore excuses or justification for my actions -  it was hailing and blowing a gale too!! Joy!

Always a rainbow or two in Scotland ..... MWOM :o)

Great couple of days!!

Back in the driving seat...

A day at Brands Hatch .... Re-living the good old days of rally driving ;o)) So much fun ... just wanted lots more time behind the wheel. Instructor was great fun, although he did ask at one stage if I normally drove an automatic...perhaps it was something to do with the fact that I kept on stalling the car each time I had to pullover and stop!! .. Mad... Simply mad... Especially on the last spin of the day :o))

Bach, Handel and Vivaldi with a stunning 'flight' by Candlelight has made it to the wall. One of the best performances I have attended. Trafalgar Sinfonia only heard because of a series of comedy of errors ;o)) wonderful, uplifting ... A flight in the field has left me speechless. Wow!
;o)))) move over spectacular Yuka Wang .... Well ok, after I have moved on from chopsticks ... ;o)) humph... Patience is always the issue after inspiration and decision  ;o))) tonight I decided its time to return to the piano .. 1,2,3...1,2,3 .... ;o)

Step aside Jiro Ono!

Probably the best Sushi in the world ... just don't look too closely ;o) So I can now make sushish, I just now need to learn how to make sushi rice - which is probably the hardest part of the process and probably where it will all go wrong!

 Tick - first bucket list done  -next drift racing next month ;o)) back in the driving seat again - can't wait.

Another year has sailed passed

This year has passed in a flash! Fond memories are gathered, put in the 2013 folder followed quickly with the annual rolling of the dice and bucket list selection - dib dib dib! ;o)))

2013 has been a grounding family focused year, pebbles, leaks, PES, LFMR and of course OJWHC ohhh and the bush made centre stage! ;o))))  Discerning is a good word for 2013 ... far more discerning....

How funny then that many years ago all I wanted to do was create and build a school with a unique philosophy with what I would see as ' the right way'... the 'best way'. Kid dreams are always good to reflect on....

Anyway, 2014 has to beat the 200+ mile coast to coast  solo trot in 7.5/7 days and the hilarious street luging that has been carried forward again into 2014 (yes it was that fun!).  Eyes to the sky has to be the theme for 2014 ....

Already booked for 2014 is learning how to make sushi in January (;o)) yes I know!), getting back into the driving seat at Silverstone, a spot of gliding in March and of course this year has to be the return to the mountain trails and skydiving arena that have been neglected for far too many months. I still haven't quite planned the summer holidays yet - there is a mountain and/or very long trek with my name on it ..... I just haven't found it .................yet!

So, even before 2013 comes to a close ....this year, I am more than prepared than ever for 2014! ;o)))

Coast to Coast! St Bees to Robin Hood Bay 200ish miles - going solo

A passing suggestion (hmmm yes, that's all it takes these days!!), a trotting passenger of 200ish miles, a giggling suitcase, standing on top of different mountains at dawn, misty moors, following a random male runner* for a 10 mile detour ;o))))))))))), a pressure blister, an old JW on hot coals, a few river dips, stunning t-shirt tan, passing many fantastic people, conversations and giggles with even more amazing people, cold beer at the end of each trot, 'heat wave' and of course not forgetting those who let me go. There are too many memories to put here - just ask the very kind and lovely London bus driver who just kept on laughing! ;o)))) 
 


Beach of St Bees - Starting point.

The starting point with two stones.
The only black and white stone that I could find ...
and the only yellow 'sun beam' flint stone
that I could find on the beach at St Bees.
 




My home for a few nights ;o))

This whole 200ish mile solo adventure was initiated by a passing RC who will never appreciate the impact.  This short journey went way beyond foot miles. Thank you ;o)))))).
 

 
 
  Ohh the  Cumbrian hills - amazing! This adventure lasted 7.5 days - it should have been 7 days but I was unable to carry enough water on one very hot day so had to split my 42 mile day into two! This of course has now resulted in me buying a cement mixer!... for the huge chip! ;o)))) 

Flat fields - hard underfoot - the sun was amazing! I was trotting between 25 - 35 miles per day (number of mountains in between pending) .... with a day around the 15 mark. Not a hint of stiff muscles during or after the trot! I arrived in most days early/ mid afternoon. - so made quite good time. 



Moors - adding to the variation.

Room with an amazing view ;o) shame about the midges in the morning ;o)))))))))

...and of course the woods too!

 
 

 
 



The finish- at Robin Hoods Bay - both rocks made it too!

 

 Robin Hood Bay! Quite an amazing feel.  Walking down to the beach and out to the water through crowds of people who had no idea that my (and many others) walk to the water had 200ish miles behind it. However, during the 200 miles ... life shifted in quite a profound way.......  
So what did I learn? Well that is a conversation for another day ;o)) but marker it left that's for sure ;o))

 

So much to say, so many memories, 10 mile detours and wonderful thoughts ... too many to write here although the passengers that had to sit next to me on the train back from Leeds to London may have a different take! ;o)))))).  ooops! luck of the draw ;o))))

 

*ok, so the male runner was part of a race across the moors to the coast - the race ( I had passed through some of their checkpoints) seemed to be on my path ..... so when I became lost on the map .... I followed.....and 10 miles later I found out that it was a race to another part of the coast!! ;o)))))))

Street Luging! - Fun at its finest.

Street luging is off the wall fun! Ding dong! ;o))) Ok, so I must have been one of the most senior by about 25 years - but who says that you have to be 20 years old to lie on an oversized skateboard and scoot down a hill as fast as you can?

 2D pictures can't show hills and corners!!

After 'kitting up' with full leathers, helmet and 'army blister boots from the good old days' the first hour was on the flat getting used to turning/ weaving an ironing board on wheels through a few cones using my own body weight. We had to stop at the top of the real hill each time - otherwise the walk back up would be long and hard!




made it around the 90 degree turn! This time ;o)

 Then the real fun began.  Timed runs down the hill (individuals), followed by even more fun group mayhem (which I won one ... as I was only one of two that didn't crash - clearly I wasn't pushing it hard enough!!) followed by a girly competition of two (which of course I won).  I have to say that even though the group comp was mega fun .... the whole day from start to finish was a giggle. Even lunch was filled with mad stories of scars, daredevil stunts?!? and prediction of future fun.  The huge grin and reflection giggles didn't leave for a few days...
Can't wait to go back again!
So much fun as the video shows below:   Yes - I am the one in the front! ;o))))
http://youtu.be/1UCCXUiE3O4