Geo and Jack camp it up on the Coast to Coast

[Geo the Sarge]

Good luck with this!

Isn't traditional to take a stone from the West beach and deposit it on the beach at the end?

Thanks Robert,

We're taking the stones back from East to West, always like to restore the balance 

Geo

[Geo the Sarge]

This is the view from half way up Turnhouse back to Castlelaw and the range area. Stopping to take photos is a great way of hiding that you're blowing out your arse and need a rest.

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Click to see full-size image.

There is a similar albeit smaller ridge which runs parallel to this route at the other side of the valley

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[Geo the Sarge]

The route to Carnethy Hill

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Click to see full-size image.

The view from Carnethy back towards the Bonaly route I completed last week

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[Geo the Sarge]

From Carnethy Hill looking back to Turnhouse

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They call it a cairn, much more a dumping of stones at the top of Carnethy

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Loganlea Reservoir from Carnethy and with anglers out for a days fishing

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Click to see full-size image.

[Geo the Sarge]

Carnethy to Scald Law. This was to the highest point of my walk, it certainly wasn't the hardest part.

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Click to see full-size image.

From the bottom of Scald Law. The pics don't do it that much justice as when the sun hits it's a blaze of purple heather, however a prolific spot for these damn flying ants. Where did these things come from? I can't remember them so much when I used to tab these hills a few years back.

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Half way up Scald Law looking back to Carnethy. Looks quite daunting, cover me I'm going in. If I don't post again after an hour sound out a search party

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[Geo the Sarge]

The top of Scald Law, thought the hardest part was done, very bad read on the map reading, although I had only really looked at the map to plot the route for the post on Friday. That said, it was a route I had done as a young soldier I had been to "The Kips" before.

It did afford me the opportunity to get the silly hat pic, obligatory to walking threads. Taken by a Polish lad I spoke to at the top.

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Click to see full-size image.

A look back across the route completed so far

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[Geo the Sarge]

The route to East and West Kip. The climb up both of these are much steeper than anything previous and was a real teeth gritting period for me. At this point I was obviously tiring but knew I was on the final part of the route. I wasn't stopping for many more photos during this phase

Scald Law to East Kip

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Looking back to Scald Law from East Kip

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From the top of East Kip, the route to West Kip, last part of my journey

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[Robert HM]

Good luck with this!

Isn't traditional to take a stone from the West beach and deposit it on the beach at the end?

Thanks Robert,

We're taking the stones back from East to West, always like to restore the balance 

Geo

Doh!

[Geo the Sarge]

From West Kip down to Kip Woods, Geo's version of Day's Inn

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Got myself into the woods and took about 15 minutes looking for a decent spot to camp down. Once I found the spot I cleared the area of any fallen branches and stones, checked for any beastie nests etc and started preparing for my stay.

My Basha kit. DPM Groundsheet and a few bunjees

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Sleeping kit. Lightweight sleeping bag and a goretex Bivi bag, once correctly rolled up and fastened, not much bigger that a drinking flask

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Put them together and we are ready for a good nights kip once the admin for the day is complete. I have deliberately raised the Basha a bit more than normal to get a decent pic of the set up

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[GreekStein]

In on page 1.

Looks interesting Geo, will be following. Ive always liked the way you sign off every post with your name. I think in your honour we should all do the same in this thread.

Alex

Thanks Alex,

It actually tilts one person that I know of, which doesn't bother me as most of his posts tilt me anyway. Mpower does the same with his regards and I quite like it, adds a wee bit of uniqueness (is that a legit word?)

Geo

The regards thing tilts me but signing off doesn't even though I don't see a massive need for it since every poster has their name on each post. Luckily I have no idea which poster it is who's posts tilt you

Good luck with the walk, sounds great.

[Geo the Sarge]

Admin:

Typical routine is to get the shelter and sleeping bay sorted out then onto hygiene. As my evening meal was going to take 25-30 minutes cooking I decided to prepare the food first and once it was cooking, get down to the hygiene.

My cooking kit:

Stove

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Click to see full-size image.

Cooking pot with lid that doubles as a frying pan

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My meal of choice tonight was chicken and sweetcorn soup. Ingredients - 3 chicken thighs pre-prepared in a sealed bag before I left home with garlic, mixed herbs, salt and pepper to which I added spring onion and sweetcorn. I also carried a bag of rice 2 chicken stock cubes and water.

I had carried a flask of tea and a flask of drinking water as well as 2 bottles of Lucozade sport. I kept one of the Lucozade bottles and filled with water from a stream on route, this is the water I used for the cooking. Where possible I always avoid drinking water straight from the stream but when required as drinking water will always boil and allow to cool or use puritabs although the tabs tend to chlorify the water and taste horrble.

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Inside the bag I also had a slice of lard for frying off the chicken

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Click to see full-size image.

Once browned I added the rice, stock cubes, sweetcorn and spring onions and covered in water

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I then covered and left to simmer away for about 25 minutes whilst I set the table

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Click to see full-size image.

This left me plenty of time to clean up and change out of my walking boots into a pair of light trainers after having checked my feet for any blisters (none thankfully) and powder them. I'll spare you those pics.

By this time my evening meal was ready

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Apologies to Alex for the meagre table setting, however I wasn't going to risk breaking the crystal.

[Geo the Sarge]

In on page 1.

Looks interesting Geo, will be following. Ive always liked the way you sign off every post with your name. I think in your honour we should all do the same in this thread.

Alex

Thanks Alex,

It actually tilts one person that I know of, which doesn't bother me as most of his posts tilt me anyway. Mpower does the same with his regards and I quite like it, adds a wee bit of uniqueness (is that a legit word?)

Geo

The regards thing tilts me but signing off doesn't even though I don't see a massive need for it since every poster has their name on each post. Luckily I have no idea which poster it is who's posts tilt you

Good luck with the walk, sounds great.

How often have you been caught out thinking a certain person had posted on a thread and at a later time realised it wasn't them because you had went by the avatar, not realising they had changed there avatar to match someone else's?

I have, especially when at one point half the forum were sporting your pic as an avatar, why anyone would have done that is beyond me.............

Geo

[Geo the Sarge]

After eating I had a wee wander as the sun started to settle in the hope of maybe seeing some sort of wildlife, nothing to report bar a few cows and sheep. I did come across this mushroom though. At first I thought it had been knocked upside down, however it appeared to be fairly set in the ground and growing this way............any ideas?

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Click to see full-size image.

I settled down and got a decent nights kip, waking a couple of times through the night but managing to drop off again quite quickly. There was a wee bit of rain during the night that wasn't any bother either.

I got up about 6 and prepared my breakfast. Black pudding, Lorne sausage, link sausage and egg.

The egg was tricky as I didn't have a spatula so opted to half scramble it and it was ok. Ended up with a triple decker roll (Lorne/Black Pudding and egg) with a single sausage on the side (cue Geo likes a sausage on the side puns.)

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Click to see full-size image.

I then started off on the return journey which you can view by going backwards through the report. I did go down to the road and took a few pics of the ridge from the side detailing the route.

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Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Hope everyone had as an enjoyable and productive weekend as I did and thanks for viewing

Geo

[technolog]

Fantastic report Geo! I'm raring to go now.

[Geo the Sarge]

Been asked what boots I have. I have 2 pairs. One are leather Neebee (company no longer exist) I've had since about 1999 and are quite heavy, good for short wintry trips. The other are a pair of Goretex walking boots that I got for £20 from the sale at Mountain Warehouse the make is Outdoor Essentials.

Click to see full-size image.

Geo