An Outdoor Life..........

Pop Up decathlon Tents and Campsites in France

2010-01-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

Decathlon popup tent. Or canoe camping tarp and DD hammock or bivvy. prefer just sleeping bag on a beach or summit.

Beach bivvy site, Cap Drammont, French Cote de Azur.

Not that I am into Lightweight or whatever just better ambiance. I prefer quiet 'aire de camping' than big commercial sites. Was on one in the Cevennes this summer, 3 shwrs, 2 toilets and a large field, with orchard. Open views.

And a quiet site in the Verdon, in La Palud. Only ten folk there, no noise, open sided barn for cooking, chatting.

And another quiet site, in Bonnieux, Luberon France. No noise or candles after 10pm.

Gorges de loup, nice quiet site in an Olive Grove, still harvest the olives in late Oct.

In Chamonix, quiet but busy later as no pitches marked out.

And a video showing how to fold the 3 Seconds tent in the pics.
http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/f...100_2062-1.flv

Spey Canoe Descent oct 09

2009-10-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

I went 106km down the river Spey, wild camping good weather and lots of rapids and white water, over the oct hol week.

It's a big river !

Approaching the sea, nearly there.

A wee Fake tiltshift Miniature of a lunch stop.

A wee Grade 2 rapid before lunch, literally ! Video clip

Trying to catch a Salmon leaping on film.

Tarp and tent up for tea, the first night wild camping outside Aviemore.

Arisaig

2009-08-13T15:32:00.001-07:00

Spent a while paddling around here, great scenery and clear water. Seals following me.

Sentier Martel

2009-08-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Gorges du Verdon, deepest gorge in europe. We did the interesting Sentier Martel along the gorge base. Named after the first surveyor of the gorge.

What is it ?

2009-08-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Give way to Ascenders !

2009-08-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

This sign shows how you must give way to ascenders going up the Echelles (ladders) on the sentier Martel in the Gorge du Verdon, French Alpes-Maritimes.

Quecha base tent

2009-08-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Just waiting for showers to stop to get the tent dried off. Drove back yesterday from France. Avignon to Glasgow in 24hrs. this Base tent by Decathlon worked well for shade, living space and in a thunderstorm. The campsite above was the Municipal one in la Palud high up on the Verdon Gorge plateau.

Kayaking on Loch Lomond

2009-05-04T05:43:00.001-07:00

We got six brand new boats at work, Perception Arcs. So, time to get them unwrapped ! DJ eager to get them unpacked and out on the loch.

Sunny Seal watching

2009-04-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Seal watching at Rhu Marina, Clyde Gareloch. Nine seals in total. We drifted past using a tidal eddy.

The Navy Navigation Lighthouse at the end of Rhu spit.

Do I still have to paddle ? No, we can just drift on the wind. You can just make out the wee trolley, cheap in Decathlon.

A wee ruined tower, just past the RNCYC pier.

The canoe tied up.

Wee trolley came in handy for the 100yds back to my parents hoose. Now time for flapjacks.

Ben Lomond - Winter's still about

2009-03-29T11:31:00.001-07:00

Up Ben Lomond today, very icy on the upper path. Chap asked which was down when we were taking photos at the top, told him, it is easy every way was down.

Sponsored by Powerade

Rimed up summit butresses.

Last day of the School hols.....

2009-01-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

Last day, so headed up Ben Cleuch, not quite a munro but you start at nearly sea level. Very cold, numb face. The Law was very slidy with icy snow so a few feet off the path was fine. Very warm sun though. Perfect on the summit for half an hr, cooked up some soup, using an MRE flameless heater and hot choc. Back to work tomorrow.

Loch Ard Canoeing

2009-01-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

A bit chilly, 1degs C, when we left, and a bit choppy but with a Windsurfer as a bow paddler we made no time up to the island, with the bothy. A quick setup of the Volcano stoves and tea and beans, not mixed, was ready. No need for gloves and a warming sun.

Swiss Army Ranger Volcano Stove

2008-12-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

Recieved this cool stove, from a Group buy on http://www.bushcraftuk.com/ forum. Used the packaging for fuel. It can use a meths, trangia style, burner too.

The cup fits snugly on top, sealing the chimney effect.

Only a few mins 5-10, for a cuppa to be ready. Lighting the cardboard and letting it 'volcano' first then popping on the bottle or cup.

The burner certainly 'volcanoes' well, you can almost see wood gas effects, the gas would ignite if a match was held to it. Blowing in the lower hole shoots the flame up a few inches more.

Even though it was 3degs, the dog was happy watching/snoozing !

The cup, big enough for pasta/pot noodle for one, fits snugly into the side rack while the bottle is on. Note the cork upside down to avoid it blasting off, the bottle can be turned by the handle that supports the cup when it's boiling. This prevents the fire falling out.

A short video showing how to lock the bail for water bottle boiling.

http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/ff241/dyNick_Scots/?action=view&current=MOV08123000001.flv

Lake of Menteith - Mary Queen of Scots Islands

2008-12-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

The launch beach is just past the SNH Ferry terminal. This carpark is 30ft from the beach below.

Very still and calm although it was reading 2degs on the car temperature gauge.

An easy and quiet paddle out to the Inchmaholme priory and the smaller island of Inch talla.

Inchtalla ruined castle. The island of Inchtalla, looks as though it's more of a crannog. Only rubble visible at ground level.

The site of the of the ruined castle. Worth a wander around.

It Always Rains in Scotland...........

2008-11-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

No takers for a paddle 'too cold' quotes in emails. The launch beach at Millarochy Bay, just past Balmaha. Click on the photos for better sizes.

Too hot for a cag and shades req'd. Looking across at the Luss Hills.

Looking NE from behind Creinch.

Lunch stop, Port Bawn beach, Inchcailloch. No sound except for a drumming woodpecker and some squirrels throwing acorns down.

Luckily, didn't need my trowel out, as the composting toilet was open, just off camera left. The building on the background is a wee summer office for the rangers.

Live Ship Tracking

2008-10-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

An interesting site showing live tracking of all sorts of ships and their destination and locations etc http://www.shipais.com/

Helps avoid being squashed at the likes of Rhu Spit by big subs !

Nordic or XC ??

2008-10-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Whilst in Aviemore, Saw these skis, Tenner for 3 pairs. One pair has a sticker from a XC in 1984 ! Boots come in at £50 new.

There is a few days every winter when the Ochills are plastered and I have done every munro within three hrs drive, 142, so.........is there room in the garage ?, of course !

Too windy to paddle

2008-10-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

Must get the laser dinghy fixed, the mast step needs reglassed in. As I drove 200 miles in two days, without paddling, crawling along the A9, trucks overtaking me when I was cruising at 50mph, with the boat on the roof in the gusts.

However, you can't beat a scots history day. So visited the Leonardo Sketches at the Smiths muesum at the City of Stirling. Ironic as they are owned by the Queen, Elizabeth the first of Scotland. The local church is the only surviving church still standing with, Westmintser's, that has coronated Royalty.

The battle site, behind me was where Robert the Bruce rasied the standard of the Scots Army.

Ben Lawers - First snow of the winter

2008-10-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

Went up Lawers, very windy and cold, felt like winter. Fiona enjoyed the snow higher up, yes it's early Oct.

Shazza sending a photo text of the snooooow.
The last gully line to the summit.
The triangulation pillar needs adopted or rebuilt, not gonna last many seasons.

Sea Kayaking - Seals and Spits

2008-09-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Rhu by Helensburgh

Had a wee paddle, very sunny,managed to get an hr and a half before the rain. Some nice wakes to pop over and a seal followed me for a bit. Ater the spit at Rhu there was quite a wee race, 2-3knots pushing through.

New Toy - CAG Europe MIWOK

2008-09-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Took out my new toy today, a DAG Europe, single skinned 5.3m boat. Performed very well, straight line tracking, surfed well in 2-3ft swell/clapotis and only need to pad out the thigh braces and seal the hatches better. Compared to a PH Capella, it performed as well as or better in all aspects except the Capella has better leaning chines.

The launch Beach

Blackness Castle - Blackness West Lothian. Looking back at the launch beach.

Blackness Castle - cared for by SNH for the nation, Mel Gibson filmed Hamlet here in the 80s.

A small rockgarden that you can play in and use wee eddy lines at higher tides.

Returned at high tide, quite high spring one. Pretty disgusting water quality. And the stuff in the beach was untypeable.

The Dark Side.............

2008-09-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well I have gone back, to the dark side, my young padwans. After many years without a kayak paddling urge I have decided to get one, a sea boat, which I'm collecting tomorrow down in 'Gods Own Country' (Doncaster). This is the model here.

Superlight and compact Gas Burner

2008-09-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

Coleman Super light F1 - open up the slightly bigger than fag packet sized box and the contents are surprisingly small. Bought from http://www.go-outdoors.co.uk/ for£12. A small mesh pocket fits all the burner components.

The main burner unit srews onto the support arms and into the std cannisters. The bottom part is the folded up supprt arms.

The arms slide out and lock into the heat resistant plastic. A quick and easy fit.

In use it is a ferocious wee burner and boiled a pint of water very quickly. Reasuringly noisy.

As with all gasburners it needs a windshieled so I'm designing one just now with a snap on heatshield for a pan too, hopefully working like a heat exchanger.

Camping in Oban

2008-09-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Nice site, quiet, great outlook, until my neighbour fired up dance music. I used my '1 second' Quecha pop up tent. The original ones, 20 euros.

Brogan enjoying the sunset.

250miles...3 lochs and 5 sea lochs...still no paddling

2008-09-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

After driving from Grandtully, past loch Tay, Rannoch and Tummel I headed past Killin, then onward to Oban. Still too windy on Loch Awe, then gusty at Loch Etive and on.

The Connel bridge, the Falls of Lora, minor whirlpools as the tide had just started to ebb. Three times passed this and always higher tides, not seen the awsome falls since 1994 when doing my TI Course at Kilbowie.

Bridge over the Atlantic - bridging the mainland over to the isle of Seil.

Looking back north from the top of Bridge over the Atlantic. Loch Feochan at the end.

Continued past Oban down eventually to Easdale, passing two depsondant looking Sea Kayakers maybe looking for a swell free loch too. Oh well next weekend looms.

Easdale.

On of the smaller isles south of Easdale ??

The Crannog Loch Tay

2008-09-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

After leaving the quiet and peacful SCA camp site at Grandtully, in search of a calm loch - no chance - I popped into the surreal Crannog Centre on loch Tay. Well worth another visit, unfortuantley I had missed the tour and couldn't wait another hr. I did however have a good browse at their books, fell for 'Seaweed and Eat it' an interesting and lively read all about food for free in scotland.

Ben Avon - via MTB

2008-08-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Pedalling up Ben Avon was easy but a long drag of about 8 miles. Starting from Keiloch, pay parking then a solitary roll up the draggy climb thru Glen Slugain. You pass some fine examples of old Caledonian pines and other stands of native trees eg Mountain Ash. Plenty of Deer sign but none visible.

Sweet singletrack with occasional drainge dips and bunny hops to wake me up. This path is only a year or two old, some contractors were tweaking the fine gravel near the drainage channels. Pity it's not 6inches narrower.

A trail panorama, still more singletrack ahead. Even though a few had passed. Plenty ofsmall crystal clear streams for refreshement stops. There are a few erratic boulders big enough for bivvying under too.

Arisaig and Morar

2008-08-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

Open Canoeing on the sea, I have probably had more days paddling on the salty stuff than the fresh stuff. My Old Town Chalres River, ready to go.

Although you can get the free Skye Bridge, I still prefer to get the ferry over, from Mallaig to Armadale-Point of Sleat.

Sands of Morar, high tide. Any opporchancity for a cuppa, with the kelly kettle was taken.

One of my fav. scottish paddling spots, Arisaig and Morar. Park at the end of the singletrack, signed RHU, heading out south form Arisaig and find your own private beach,blisss.

Eigg and Rhum from a perfect coral beach

Is it gonna rain tomorow ?

Another fantastic fews days........

2008-08-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Another fantastic fews days, with weather and views and the excellent views of Eigg and Rhum. Here is my Old Town Chalres River canoe, beached for a brew stop with my kelly Kettle. The fuel this day was old dried bracken stems and some dried seaweed from above the spring tide line.

Corral Beaches at Arisaig

2008-08-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Some amazing shell beaches up there but the coral ones are amzing too, especially when you actualy land and inpsect them.

As I landed, the deer chewing away disperesd up the beach, not too far away. Lots of tatsty fresh shoots in the deer grass and heather.

Vallorcine - Sunny Bolted Alpine Granite

2008-07-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

We were very lucky with the weather, a full week of warm weather with light thunder showers evening. The Vallorcine crag is a great sweep of steep, rough, textured, granite slab.

This is actually 'Gietroz' slab, spot the climbers ?

The belay after the first pitches of Vallorcine.

The History of Cycling on Mont Ventoux

2008-07-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sad but true, Tommy Simpon had died on his way up the Geant, luckily I did not although it did feel like it for a while. The last 5Km form the Bedoin side contours up, at least now the cyclist can see the 'end in sight'. You can se the large radio antenna 'sputnik' in style.

The last 5km on the Mont Seiren side snkes up in hairpins,no such hairpins on the Southern 'Bedoin' side. Fantastic riding as you roll up admiring extensive views of the Alps, expanding in scale as you progress up the gradient.

Driving up Mont Ventoux

2008-07-05T01:22:00.000-07:00

After driving up Mont Ventoux, the Mont Seirin side, couldn't resist another panoramic shot. The snowy alps are just visible on the horizon. At least it was only in the 20s up there, rather than the high 30s below.
There is an idealstopping point at Mont Seirin. The Chalet Liotard. Great Provencal and Paysanne Omlettes and lattes. Also look out for the Bergerie, sheperds.

Who use the Pastou Gaurdien dogs. These dogs take the flock up to the pasture at dawn, guard the flock, then return at dusk, all without any instruction or guidance, amazing. They are also known as Pyrenean Mountain dogs. Above the pastou leads the border collie pups. Don't ever approach them unless theye are with the Berger as they will attack you. Event eh Berger for the above flock admitted that they are very stubborn and won't lead the flock over roadswithut a lot ofushing myhim. Very independant, not good urban family pets ! Last year we read in the 'Dauphine' about a flock of sheep that were driven over a gorge by a pack of Loupin, wolves, and only 4 were eaten the rest died. If they had a Pastou maybe the flock would hve been safe. See more here . And a full wikipedia article.

MTB WHW Too Hot in April ??

2008-04-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Bridge of Orchy to Glencoe and return. Climb up from B of O, sweet singletrack natural climbing.

Can you spot the rider ?

Water stop on the Old General Wade Military rode, built to pacify (sic- more like opress) the Highlanders.

Union Canal

2007-05-08T06:56:00.001-07:00

An easy paddle on the narrow Union canal. Plenty of wildlife, not the urban kind, and plenty of brew spots.

Launch at Woodcockdale.

Old Faithful - Inches and feet ..........April 08

2007-04-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Well we bailed out of the Dochart as it was registering 1 foot so we ended up at Old Faithful - Loch lomond.Haar all the way till Buchlyvie then warm humid sunny weather all day. No space at Aldochlay for my bowman so I blasted off downwind to Luss. Totally diff. from the 'Disco' I'm using with grps thursday nights. My boat has much better tumblehome for soloing and much better sec. stability. Just shows how you adapt from one then 'feel' the diff. after a while and a change. Headed for the Narrows and the Inchtavannach beach quiet. Just two boats, one idiot had a petrol generator thumping away, another idiot went thru the narrows with his boat stereo blasting dance music.

Beach spot, just before the narrows. No litter just some small fire scars with peanuts, which we used for Kelly Kettle fuel.

Beach view looking up to Ben Lomond (Perthshire Wood canvas 12.20pm ?)

Mr and Mrs Mallard with youngsters.

Some goose eggs ? 2p coin for scale, about ten broken and scattered in a metre sqr

So what are these plants/bushes Blaeberry, Blueberry or Juniper

The narrows Heading for, Costa del Inchmoan' Inchmoan Ruin with disgusting human waste all over the inside, needs to be made intoa composting toilet, better cash spent on this than large HQ buildings for the park.Looking from Inchmoan back thru the Narrows.