paul standley
28-11-2010, 09:14 PM
So, Decided to get out and about today and take a ramble through the Sirhowy country park which is a small park just a few miles from where I live.
The sirhowy valley is a regeneration project, the valley and the west side ridge was the site of a coal mine a lot of years ago but you wouldn't know it now, it's amazing. The park covers the whole west side of the valley from near Cross-Keys in the south up to blackwood in the north.
We had snow end of last week and so there was a couple of inches cover today which increased at the ridge to 4 or 5 inches and it was minus 6.5 degrees C when i kicked off...!
The plan today was to get out in the snow and test some gear and to start thinking about how I'd go about doing a 2/3 day winter trek and camp sometime during the next few weeks.
Recently bought some walking boots and gaiters which had never seen snow and bought a thermal base layer that i hadn't worn yet so today was a great time to test...!
It all worked well, very impressed, was layered up and was as snug as a bug all day.
Had planned to do a video diary whilst I was out but basically, it all went wrong... Not long after I started my phone packed up so no ability to record video or take stills, managed to sort out the reason once I got home but what a bummer cus' I had some great opportunities for some nice shots in the snow but hey ho...!
Forgot my walking pole, left it leaning up against the car when I started off, what a plonker. However, it was still by the car when I got back 5 hours later, can't be bad in this day and age.
Collected kindling, pine cones and wood on my way through so had a good stash for lunchtime. Stopped for lunch on the ridge at 350 metres, got a small fire going, made coffee by boiling snow which was a first for me (1 mug coffee takes 3 to 4 mugs of snow, how does that work then...) and cooked some bacon for my bacon sarnies... just fantastic. Was still minus 5 degrees at 1pm lunchtime but blue sky so spread a folded tarp out on the snow next to the fire and did some sun bathing...!
So, a great few hours out, and good winter/snow walking practice so looking forward to the heavy snow forecast for here next week so I can get back out again next Sunday.
The sirhowy valley is a regeneration project, the valley and the west side ridge was the site of a coal mine a lot of years ago but you wouldn't know it now, it's amazing. The park covers the whole west side of the valley from near Cross-Keys in the south up to blackwood in the north.
We had snow end of last week and so there was a couple of inches cover today which increased at the ridge to 4 or 5 inches and it was minus 6.5 degrees C when i kicked off...!
The plan today was to get out in the snow and test some gear and to start thinking about how I'd go about doing a 2/3 day winter trek and camp sometime during the next few weeks.
Recently bought some walking boots and gaiters which had never seen snow and bought a thermal base layer that i hadn't worn yet so today was a great time to test...!
It all worked well, very impressed, was layered up and was as snug as a bug all day.
Had planned to do a video diary whilst I was out but basically, it all went wrong... Not long after I started my phone packed up so no ability to record video or take stills, managed to sort out the reason once I got home but what a bummer cus' I had some great opportunities for some nice shots in the snow but hey ho...!
Forgot my walking pole, left it leaning up against the car when I started off, what a plonker. However, it was still by the car when I got back 5 hours later, can't be bad in this day and age.
Collected kindling, pine cones and wood on my way through so had a good stash for lunchtime. Stopped for lunch on the ridge at 350 metres, got a small fire going, made coffee by boiling snow which was a first for me (1 mug coffee takes 3 to 4 mugs of snow, how does that work then...) and cooked some bacon for my bacon sarnies... just fantastic. Was still minus 5 degrees at 1pm lunchtime but blue sky so spread a folded tarp out on the snow next to the fire and did some sun bathing...!
So, a great few hours out, and good winter/snow walking practice so looking forward to the heavy snow forecast for here next week so I can get back out again next Sunday.