Hiking, backpacking, trekking, mountaineering...

Messiah Khan · 4 Jan 2013 at 14:34

robj20 said:
Looks good nice simple idea, only other thing i looked at was the MSR Minworks filter.

The MSR filters are rubbish tbh. On the Pacific Crest Trail, our MSR failed and several other people had theirs fail. We ended up using the Katadyn Hiker Pro which worked fairly well. A lot of people also used the Sawer Squeeze which looks like a really good (and cheap) option, especially for occasional use. There is some complaints that the Sawer Squeeze bags aren't very durable, but you can adapt it to fit Platypus or Evernew bags.

smelly_legend · 4 Jan 2013 at 14:35

Evoss those pics look brilliant! I wish I wasn't afraid of heights. I was up at the summit of the Pentlands and I got scared!

Greg · 4 Jan 2013 at 15:09

Evoss said:
View from refuge bedroom

What an epic photo! And that's one you've taken yourself! Stunning, just purely stunning!

Greg · 4 Jan 2013 at 15:12

Col_M said:
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?

Yea, just to do a 2 day walk really to start with. I've never done anything like it myself. I have a one man tent, though I don't think its good enough really so I was thinking along the lines of a Tarp and Bivi.

If anyone knows any good routes that they've done then I'd read over them with great interest!

I'm not really sure where you're allowed to wild/rough camp, you're defiantly not allowed to in the Peak District. Are you allowed to in the Lake District?

This year I also plan to complete all three peak walks, Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon (not at the same time) in preparation for the three peak challenge?!

Col_M · 4 Jan 2013 at 15:22

Greg said:
Yea, just to do a 2 day walk really to start with. I've never done anything like it myself. I have a one man tent, though I don't think its good enough really so I was thinking along the lines of a Tarp and Bivi.

If anyone knows any good routes that they've done then I'd read over them with great interest!

I'm not really sure where you're allowed to wild/rough camp, you're defiantly not allowed to in the Peak District. Are you allowed to in the Lake District?

This year I also plan to complete all three peak walks, Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon (not at the same time) in preparation for the three peak challenge?!

I'm not really sure of many routes in the northern national parks, I've just passed through the Lakes while doing the three peaks so I can't help much there.
However I seem to think the only places you can wild camp legally in the UK are Dartmoor and Scotland. Though to be honest if you camp anywhere away from roads and civilisation for one night and leave the place you camp as you found it (which I'm sure you would) I wouldn't have thought you'd have any issues.

Greg · 4 Jan 2013 at 15:47

Col_M said:
I'm not really sure of many routes in the northern national parks, I've just passed through the Lakes while doing the three peaks so I can't help much there.
However I seem to think the only places you can wild camp legally in the UK are Dartmoor and Scotland. Though to be honest if you camp anywhere away from roads and civilisation for one night and leave the place you camp as you found it (which I'm sure you would) I wouldn't have thought you'd have any issues.

This is what I thought, I guess no one is really going to know if. If you're setting up your stuff after most people have left the parks and you're probably going to be up before the majority of people have come in in the morning.

I guess the only major issue is with fires. :eek:

Skillmister · 4 Jan 2013 at 15:59

Just wait till it's dark to light fires and don't light it where it's going to be visible from a long way away, at least that's the rules we followed. The first is easy to follow in the autumn though! We stopped walking at like 2:30, by the time we pitched camp, had a cuppa and collected firewood it was dark

gary996 · 4 Jan 2013 at 16:18

I would love to do the Bugaboos Canada

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/bugaboo/

Hank_Marvin · 4 Jan 2013 at 16:29

Going to do http://www.boudiccaway.co.uk/ over a weekend with a few friends hopefully, nothing huge as not many of them are walkers, basically walking/pubbing/camping until we are back in Norwich

And in July should be camping in the wye valley for a week or so, walking/kayaking and standard holiday stuff.

D.P. · 4 Jan 2013 at 17:06

Evoss said:
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

Good luck for Mont Blanc! I lived 90 minutes away and tried every spring for 5 years but each time had to give up or make new plans due to the weather and avalanches.

We were aiming to do the Trois Monts Traverse on skis, ski down the North face. TBH, there are plenty of other more interesting mountains in the Alps, Mont Blanc just happens to be the highest.

Lethal` · 4 Jan 2013 at 17:07

I'm hoping to climb Mt Whitney in May.

Evoss · 4 Jan 2013 at 17:12

Greg said:
What an epic photo! And that's one you've taken yourself! Stunning, just purely stunning!

Thankyou, I only wish I had a DLSR with me and not just the iPhone, whould have had some awesome photos.

D.P. said:
Good luck for Mont Blanc! I lived 90 minutes away and tried every spring for 5 years but each time had to give up or make new plans due to the weather and avalanches.

We were aiming to do the Trois Monts Traverse on skis, ski down the North face. TBH, there are plenty of other more interesting mountains in the Alps, Mont Blanc just happens to be the highest.

Isn't Trois Monts Traverse an ascent not a decent to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, or are you walkign to the summit then skiing that route back down?

North dace of Aiguille du Midi is pretty jaw dropping but a good challenge.

I know there are many more technical and interesting peaks to do apart from Mont Blanc in the range, but just wanted to be able to say I have done it.

Greg · 4 Jan 2013 at 19:16

Evoss said:
Isn't Trois Monts Traverse an ascent not a decent to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, or are you walkign to the summit then skiing that route back down?

North dace of Aiguille du Midi is pretty jaw dropping but a good challenge.

I know there are many more technical and interesting peaks to do apart from Mont Blanc in the range, but just wanted to be able to say I have done it.

Good luck, you'll have to keep us updated!

Would love to have an 'outdoor' forum on OcUK. We've a sports and we've a motor sport but outdoor pursuits aren't really covered by any of them?!

Suggestion to the admins?

Col_M · 4 Jan 2013 at 19:18

Greg said:
Good luck, you'll have to keep us updated!

Would love to have an 'outdoor' forum on OcUK. We've a sports and we've a motor sport but outdoor pursuits aren't really covered by any of them?!

Suggestion to the admins?

That's what I was thinking too, I guess the argument is that there aren't enough posts on the subject to warrant creating a seperate forum.

Good idea though.

D.P. · 4 Jan 2013 at 19:57

Lethal` said:
I'm hoping to climb Mt Whitney in May.

That is a great mountain. I love he sierras, from desert to alpine in 7000ft.

D.P. · 4 Jan 2013 at 19:58

Evoss said:
Thankyou, I only wish I had a DLSR with me and not just the iPhone, whould have had some awesome photos.

Isn't Trois Monts Traverse an ascent not a decent to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, or are you walkign to the summit then skiing that route back down?

North dace of Aiguille du Midi is pretty jaw dropping but a good challenge.

I know there are many more technical and interesting peaks to do apart from Mont Blanc in the range, but just wanted to be able to say I have done it.

we always tried to climb the trois monts on skis and descend M. Blanc north face. Some pretty epic skiing when done right.

Messiah Khan · 4 Jan 2013 at 20:00

Greg said:
Good luck, you'll have to keep us updated!

Would love to have an 'outdoor' forum on OcUK. We've a sports and we've a motor sport but outdoor pursuits aren't really covered by any of them?!

Suggestion to the admins?

I very much agree with this! Would love to see an outdoors subforum. It could even be a subforum of the sport subforum. BUt currently any outdoors threads get drowned by gymrats/football/running etc threads in the sports forum.

D.P. · 4 Jan 2013 at 20:01

Col_M said:
That's what I was thinking too, I guess the argument is that there aren't enough posts on the subject to warrant creating a seperate forum.

Good idea though.

I started a thread in the sports section last year:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18393716&highlight=username_d.p.

Greg · 4 Jan 2013 at 20:07

Just a sub forum would be great, doesn't have to be anything big? We've got one for cooking! At least we use cool techie gadgets with mountaineering!

Messiah Khan · 4 Jan 2013 at 20:11

Lethal` said:
I'm hoping to climb Mt Whitney in May.

D.P. said:
That is a great mountain. I love he sierras, from desert to alpine in 7000ft.

We summit Mount Whitney while on the PCT last summer. Great mountain and amazing views from the top. We set off from the old ranger station (The Crabtree Meadows side) at midnight so we could watch the sun rise from the summit. Was something that will stay with me for the rest of my life! Was very very cold though!

What side are you planning to summit it from? The Whitney Portal side? It was funny when we came down, as we had been up there through the night so were freezing cold. So I was wearing everything I had (As you can see from the photo) including down trousers! On the way down, the dayhikers from the portal side started coming up, all wearing shorts and t-shirts etc. They all gave me funny looks as I looked like I had just come down from Everest!