Hiking, backpacking, trekking, mountaineering...

[Col_M]

I know we have reasonable number of people on here that enjoy putting one foot in front of another in the great outdoors and at least one thru-hiker, what have you guys got planned for 2013?
Call it curiosity, seeking inspiration or just plain nosy

I am off on a four day trek later this month in CHKO Kokorinsko, we were hoping to snow shoe it but snow is pretty thin on the ground so it's looking like a regular walk, that's no bad thing though. It's not going to be challenging as the guy I'm going with isn't the fittest, so only about 60km over the four days, even so I'm looking forward to it as I get to take a few bits of new kit out on their first outing which is always fun.
I'll probably do another couple 4 day trips during the year but they are TBD.

Also I'll be going on 1-2 day walks with colleagues from work every month. It's quite casual but sometimes we go on longer or tougher walks. I've actually seen more of the country in 2012 since we started than all of the time I've been here combined.

Then the usual day walks on Dartmoor whenever I'm back home.

 

[Greg]

I'll be heading up to the Peak District for a 12 mile walk on Monday near Kinder Scout, really looking forward to it.

This year I'd like to do some rough camping, maybe in Scotland as I've never done this before.

Would eventually love to do something like Kilimanjaro eventually.!

 

[Evoss]

Last summer I planned to do Mont Blanc, however due to the weather and constant avalanche it was called off, instead I did Aiguille du Tour, still an achievement in itself but disappointed Mont Blanc was not defeated.

This summer I should be doing Mont Blanc if the conditions are right.

Few pics from last climb:

Walking along the glacier





Climbing the ridge to the peak


Setting off at night so the ice is solid enough not the fall through:


View from refuge bedroom

 

[Col_M]

This year I'd like to do some rough camping, maybe in Scotland as I've never done this before.

Sounds good, when you say rough camping do you mean wild camping? i.e. on the hills and not in a camp site but still in a tent, or more along the lines of building your own shelter or using a tarp + bivi?

 

[King4aDay]

Really hoping to find some time after finishing my PhD in March to do the Cape Wrath trail from Fort William.

 

[Col_M]

Last summer I planned to do Mont Blanc, however due to the weather and constant avalanche it was called off, instead I did Aiguille du Tour, still an achievement in itself but disappointed Mont Blanc was not defeated.

This summer I should be doing Mont Blanc if the conditions are right.

Nice, good luck with that! It would be nice to do Mt Blanc, I've done a handful of French Alpine peaks but nothing over 3000m.
The last time I was in Chamonix my bro had been there a week longer and on the first night I slept in the Aiguille du Midi cable car station to see him off on some route or another, biggest headache ever that night due to not being acclimatised but I did get amazing sunset and sunrise pics over the alps and Mt Blanc

 

[Evoss]

Nice, good luck with that! It would be nice to do Mt Blanc, I've done a handful of French Alpine peaks but nothing over 3000m.
The last time I was in Chamonix my bro had been there a week longer and on the first night I slept in the Aiguille du Midi cable car station to see him off on some route or another, biggest headache ever that night due to not being acclimatised but I did get amazing sunset and sunrise pics over the alps and Mt Blanc

Aiguille du Midi is incredible, had many descents from it, skiing the glacier down. Ill be staying there over night for the Mont Blanc ascent.

 

[Messiah Khan]

Last year was the big hiking year for me as I completed the 2660 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in the US.

Doubt I'll top that this year. I have however signed up for a 69mile ultra marathon in June to try and smash my maximum miles in 24 hours which currently stands at 32 miles. I had hoped to break 50 miles in a day when on the PCT, but it never happened.

Other than that me and my wife are planning to hike/backpack the Bob Graham round (66 Miles with 42 Fells) in the Lake district over 3-4 days, sometime in the summer.

We are also going to Wales in April, so hope to climb Snowdon and a few others.

Col_M - You have some great mountains over your way. I did some mountaineering in the Czech Republic and Slovakia many years ago and it was a great part of the world. I remember climbing Rysy on the Slovak/Polish border, from the Slovakian side which was a gnarly climb. When we got to the summit, there were nuns and people playing guitars etc, as the route up from the Polish side is dead easy. Very strange experience when you think you are on a hard climb, lol.

Greg - Definitely go backpacking in Scotland, it's a great place. Me and my wife did a 3 day backpack from Blair Atholl, up the River Geldie, down Glen Feshie and finished in Aviemore. Was a great 3 days out and Glen Feshie is stunning!

 

[Messiah Khan]

Really hoping to find some time after finishing my PhD in March to do the Cape Wrath trail from Fort William.

Oh, I would be interested in joining you if you were to do this! Have you seen the Scottish National Trail has been launched, joining Cape Wrath way, West Highland way etc together. 470 miles in total.

 

[King4aDay]

Oh, I would be interested in joining you if you were to do this! Have you seen the Scottish National Trail has been launched, joining Cape Wrath way, West Highland way etc together. 470 miles in total.

That would be awesome, although I suspect you might be a bit too hardcore now

Not sure if/when it'll happen really; have to bash out this bloody thesis and will also be applying for jobs, but will definitely give you a shout if it looks likely to happen.

 

[Skillmister]

I want to do a fair bit of walking and wild camping this year. Need to get myself a stove, new boots and a few other bits and bobs but at least i have a decent (and light!) tent now.

This was my first wild camp up near borrowdale in Nov. Only did 2 days walking i'd like to do 3-4 next.

 

[robj20]

I want to do a fair bit of walking and wild camping this year. Need to get myself a stove, new boots and a few other bits and bobs but at least i have a decent (and light!) tent now.

This was my first wild camp up near borrowdale in Nov. Only did 2 days walking i'd like to do 3-4 next.

Im hoping to do some wild camping this year, got everything bar the tent sorted, i have one but its too big and heavy. Had a few stoves and so far my MSR Dragonfly has proved the best.

Found a nice spot half way up Scafell Pike that i want to camp at.

For the rest of the time me and my friend will be doing all the big mountains again, Ben, Scafell, Helvellyn, Bowfell, Snowdon and many more.

 

[Col_M]

Col_M - You have some great mountains over your way. I did some mountaineering in the Czech Republic and Slovakia many years ago and it was a great part of the world. I remember climbing Rysy on the Slovak/Polish border, from the Slovakian side which was a gnarly climb. When we got to the summit, there were nuns and people playing guitars etc, as the route up from the Polish side is dead easy. Very strange experience when you think you are on a hard climb, lol.

Indeed, it's surprising how much variation there is here from long rolling hills in Sumava to mountains in the north like Krkonose and the Tatras in Slovakia. It's certainly very different to the UK which is always a good experience what with the relatively large amount of forest here and the extensive marked trails. Because of the marked trails and the culture of casual hiking here from when people had to entertain themselves within the country as they weren't allowed out under communism you still often see hoardes of people including nuns out and about on the hills (though I have to admit I've not run across any nuns yet).

 

[Skillmister]

I was lucky, i got given that tent for free by a family friend as he has upgraded to some ultralight gear (and after picking up his bag i can see why it weighed nothing)

Dragonfly looks good but way out of what i'd be looking to pay The guy i went with had a pocket rocket and that worked great so i think i'll get one of those.

I've never been right up Scafell so that's probably first on my bucket list.

 

[Abraxaz1]

Skillmister, what tent is that? and how much does it weigh?

 

[robj20]

Does anyone drink from streams without trouble, i have had the occasional mouthful but never drank a few days worth, wondering if some sort of filter would be a benefit.

 

[Abraxaz1]

Does anyone drink from streams without trouble, i have had the occasional mouthful but never drank a few days worth, wondering if some sort of filter would be a benefit.

get some of these,used by humanitarian charities around the world
http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/surviva-pure-water-purification-straw-250-p.asp

 

[Col_M]

Does anyone drink from streams without trouble, i have had the occasional mouthful but never drank a few days worth, wondering if some sort of filter would be a benefit.

Most definitely use either a filter, steripen or chemical treatment, even on high moorland there are still nasties in the water, having a stomach bug on the hill is a very bad day. I have a MSR gravity filter and a Katadyn combi depending on where I'm going and what I want to carry.

I was lucky, i got given that tent for free by a family friend as he has upgraded to some ultralight gear (and after picking up his bag i can see why it weighed nothing)

Dragonfly looks good but way out of what i'd be looking to pay The guy i went with had a pocket rocket and that worked great so i think i'll get one of those.

A light bag is a god send but not cheap, I've got my base weight (less food, water and fuel) for multi-day trips down to about 7kg right now

To be honest you're probably better off going for the pocket rocket, don't get me wrong multifuel stoves are great but they are more suited to base camps or very cold weather, I have one and love it but I rarely take it with me if I'm going hiking now.

 

[Skillmister]

Skillmister, what tent is that? and how much does it weigh?

Terra Nova Solar, don't know exactly. Weighs about 1.7kg. it's quite old and doesn't look like any of the current ones on their site, it has a fullly opening door not just a half one


As for streams i only drank boiled water from them. Should i be filtering as well ideally?

 

[robj20]

Looks good nice simple idea, only other thing i looked at was the MSR Minworks filter.