A weather forecast predicting local temperatures not too Icicle friendly, prompted me to extend my usual monthly two or three nights camp out to four nights. The bonus was that the extra night under the stars would see me though the annual celebrations when people get legless drunk, swear lasting friendship with people they dislike and in some urban areas, stab each other, all in the spirit of the goodwill season of course. 
28th December with rations for 4+ nights, I headed inland and straight into the rain, not uncommon in the higher regions of central Wales. On the coast the weather had been quite dry for at least a week but on parking my van and heading into the wooded high ground it was obvious that locally at least the weather had been different.
The hill country with it's thin soil over rock base makes even the slopes waterlogged. I had decided that the semi waterproof boots were favourite for this trip, although the price paid is that walking any great distance carrying a loaded Bergan is not as easy as when wearing more supportive boots.
In fact, after a fairly short distance in rain which was now practically torrential, I decided that a very marginal spot was going to be my campsite. Probably the least boggy patch of ground, although on a very slight slope was going to be home for four nights.
I did a record breaking tent set up just to get out of the pouring rain and increasing wind strength. Time to sort the guys and square the tent up later, I just chucked my Bergan inside and dived in for cover.
I still find the Winter leafless trees beautiful, they swayed to the strong wind gusts the branches shaking themselves like a Dog emerging from a puddle. Later I was glad of the extra wind protection they provided too.
With a break in the heavy rain I set about getting the tent squared away and bedding etc: out of the dry bags in my Bergan.
The brief respite from the rain came to an end and some thoughts struck me while getting a brew started.
I'm sure everyone else who spends time outdoors does the same, but having more than one method of cooking, brewing up or even just heating water should be a basic drill. This trip I had decided to use a posh Fire Bowl that I had been given as a Solstice present on the 21st December by my kids. Ha! If I had tried using it for that first brew it would have probably floated away!! Time to break out my old favourite, the Surplus Cooker with the Gel Fuel tablets...bullet proof.
16.30 hrs and darkness with howling wind and rain battering the tent, and later some sort of dehydrated Pasta with bits of Bacon hidden in it, cooked in the tent vestibule on the little Gel Cooker.
The next day in light rain, donning Poncho and taking just my small pack with emergency kit I went to investigate the nearby River which I had heard roaring away throughout the night.
Even the feeder streams to the River were in full spate. And the rain continued to fall....
On the way back to the tent from my little wander an event occurred which I had been fearful of for a long time. Two years ago (25 months) I had an accident resulting in serious injury to both legs. While learning just balance, then to walk again, and finally carry fairly respectable loads, my main dread has been, " what if I fall over? " Not just a trip or tumble, done that plenty of times when re-learning to stand up unaided, but a real fall on rough ground?
Walking carefully, carrying my Hazel Walking Staff, I slipped when my foot sank into ankle deep muddy leaves on a slope. My Staff sank about a third of it's depth into the adjoining boggy ground causing me to lose my balance and in order not to fall I found myself taking giant uncontrolled strides down the slippery bank.
Four wild stumbling strides and finally I slipped and fell. Laying in the mud waiting for the appalling pain that came when I snapped my Quadricep Tendons two years ago...Nothing!! Covered in mud, wet bum, but obviously the leg repairs were made with kit other than bargain price screws from the Pound Shop...
So if nothing else the trip had served a purpose and laid to rest a slight worry.
Third night and I get to use my present...
Day 5 a new calendar year and time to decamp, and still the rain fell.
My old faithful Eurohike tent took everything the weather threw at us and my other concern that my van may have sunk, proved unfounded.....
Home now and the big dry out/clean up..
28th December with rations for 4+ nights, I headed inland and straight into the rain, not uncommon in the higher regions of central Wales. On the coast the weather had been quite dry for at least a week but on parking my van and heading into the wooded high ground it was obvious that locally at least the weather had been different.
The hill country with it's thin soil over rock base makes even the slopes waterlogged. I had decided that the semi waterproof boots were favourite for this trip, although the price paid is that walking any great distance carrying a loaded Bergan is not as easy as when wearing more supportive boots.
In fact, after a fairly short distance in rain which was now practically torrential, I decided that a very marginal spot was going to be my campsite. Probably the least boggy patch of ground, although on a very slight slope was going to be home for four nights.
I did a record breaking tent set up just to get out of the pouring rain and increasing wind strength. Time to sort the guys and square the tent up later, I just chucked my Bergan inside and dived in for cover.
I still find the Winter leafless trees beautiful, they swayed to the strong wind gusts the branches shaking themselves like a Dog emerging from a puddle. Later I was glad of the extra wind protection they provided too.
With a break in the heavy rain I set about getting the tent squared away and bedding etc: out of the dry bags in my Bergan.
The brief respite from the rain came to an end and some thoughts struck me while getting a brew started.
I'm sure everyone else who spends time outdoors does the same, but having more than one method of cooking, brewing up or even just heating water should be a basic drill. This trip I had decided to use a posh Fire Bowl that I had been given as a Solstice present on the 21st December by my kids. Ha! If I had tried using it for that first brew it would have probably floated away!!
Time to break out my old favourite, the Surplus Cooker with the Gel Fuel tablets...bullet proof.16.30 hrs and darkness with howling wind and rain battering the tent, and later some sort of dehydrated Pasta with bits of Bacon hidden in it, cooked in the tent vestibule on the little Gel Cooker.
The next day in light rain, donning Poncho and taking just my small pack with emergency kit I went to investigate the nearby River which I had heard roaring away throughout the night.
Even the feeder streams to the River were in full spate. And the rain continued to fall....
On the way back to the tent from my little wander an event occurred which I had been fearful of for a long time. Two years ago (25 months) I had an accident resulting in serious injury to both legs. While learning just balance, then to walk again, and finally carry fairly respectable loads, my main dread has been, " what if I fall over? " Not just a trip or tumble, done that plenty of times when re-learning to stand up unaided, but a real fall on rough ground?
Walking carefully, carrying my Hazel Walking Staff, I slipped when my foot sank into ankle deep muddy leaves on a slope. My Staff sank about a third of it's depth into the adjoining boggy ground causing me to lose my balance and in order not to fall I found myself taking giant uncontrolled strides down the slippery bank.
Four wild stumbling strides and finally I slipped and fell. Laying in the mud waiting for the appalling pain that came when I snapped my Quadricep Tendons two years ago...Nothing!! Covered in mud, wet bum, but obviously the leg repairs were made with kit other than bargain price screws from the Pound Shop...
So if nothing else the trip had served a purpose and laid to rest a slight worry.
Third night and I get to use my present...
Day 5 a new calendar year and time to decamp, and still the rain fell.
My old faithful Eurohike tent took everything the weather threw at us and my other concern that my van may have sunk, proved unfounded.....
Home now and the big dry out/clean up..
