jossey
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 03:29 PM |
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My Charity Challenge January. (highlands)
So i was a little bored last week so i was thinking of something to do. and i decided to ....
well cycle 150 miles over the highlands from the 26th jan and stay in a tent over night. just 1 tent 2 people. 2 rucksacks lol
ye i know its mad.
does anyone live on route?
anyone know the route at all and know how hard it will be.
I used a OS map and google maps to work the route out but its alot of guesswork.
Thurso
kyle of tongue
Brae Tongue
Lock Naver
Dalchork
Bonar Bridge
Cnoc an t-Sabhail (barnhill)
Lamington
Inverness
If anyone wants to sponsor me for 50p or something then that would be great but i dont know any of you so i dont expect anything but free advise on
the route.
Also if anyone has a good tent they wanna sell me which is a mountain tent that would be good too.
http://www.justgiving.com/crazycyclechallenge
My name is David Johnson and my race colleague is Richard P.
I’m sure most of you have had a family member or close friend who has been diagnosed with cancer, I know I have.
We are raising money for Cancer research by cycling NOW 149 miles from Wednesday Pm to Saturday AM.
Staying in tents withstanding temperatures as cold as -22 degrees c. (seen last year near to the route same time of year as we will be cycling.)
Background to why we are doing this.....
Every two minutes someone is diagnosed with cancer in the UK with more than 1 in 3 people developing some form of cancer during their lifetime.
There are more than 200 types of cancer, each with different causes, symptoms and treatments.
3 quarters of cases of cancer occur in people over 60 but it can develop at any age.
Our plan is to cycle 149 miles from Wednesday 26th January 2011 over a 3 day period.
Although this may not seem like a huge amount of miles the average temperatures in the highlands are around 1-2 degrees Celsius, with temperatures
likely to fall below -10 degrees.
Also most of our trip will be on the road we will navigate (Barnhill (Cnoc an t-Sabhail)) 1247 ft high, a well known mountain. The house at the base
of the mountain was the house in which George Orwell spent the summers of 1946-1949 writing the novel "1984".
we will travel 15 miles off road through hard terrain to the peak and down the other side.
Plan currently.
WEDNESDAY
Leave Thurso at midday
Cycle 45 miles to (B)
Stay over in tongue
Overnight stay in Tents
THURSDAY
(B-C) Brae Tongue - Lock Naver 16 miles
Lunch
(C-D) Lock Naver – Dalchork 19 miles
Tea
(D-E) Dalchork – Bonar Bridge 12.6 Miles
Overnight stay in Tents
FRIDAY
(E-F)Bonar Bridge - Cnoc an t-Sabhail (barnhill) 12.2 Miles
(F-G) Off road trip See OS map 15 Miles up mountain and down
Sleep.
Overnight stay in Tents
SATURDAY AM
(G-H ) Lamington-Inverness 29 miles
Inverness.
FINISH.
WHY YOU SHOULD SPONSOR US
You’re helping us save lives through groundbreaking research
Our work on the causes and prevention of cancer has saved millions of lives across the world. Over the next decade we aim to save many more.
Cancer survival rates have doubled in the last 40 years and our work has been at the heart of that progress.
We fund the work of more than 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses throughout the UK and support over 200 clinical trials, testing vital new drugs and
treatments for cancer.
How your donations are spent
For every £1 you raise, we spend 80p on our work to beat cancer. We receive no government funding for our research – it’s funded entirely by you and
we’re so grateful for your support.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 04:06 PM |
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first off you are mad
but I've done a few mad things before so I say go for it and good luck
what kind of kit / food are you planning to take with you ? (stoves etc.....)
quote:
Originally posted by jossey
Also if anyone has a good tent they wanna sell me which is a mountain tent that would be good too.
its hard to beat a Terra Nova Quasar, my mates had one for the last 10 years and its never let him down - here's one going cheap at the moment
(NTDWM) - eBay Item
these are a bit cheaper but still do the job (I've got one myself) -
linky (you can get a slightly bigger
'300' version if your sharing)
and I hope you've got a really good sleeping bag - one of the best things I ever bought was a decent down sleeping bag (it kept me toasty on the
summit of ben nevis on hogmanay  )
[Edited on 20/12/2010 by mcerd1]
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TimEllershaw
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 04:16 PM |
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Lovely place to ride in the summer, but you deserve every penny you get for being up there this time of year,
Good Luck,
Tim
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jossey
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 04:17 PM |
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the plan is to take a stove with us and decent sleeping bags tent.
food im unsure about but ill sort it.
all the usual stuff mars bars etc.
we are hoping to find somewhere to buy bits of food from and live on anything light to carry with high carbs.
i have done some mad stuff before but ye i know this is mad mad mad. lol
Thanks for the advise on tents.
also i best get the lad im going with a sleeping bag.... whoops i nearly forgot... ;O)
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jossey
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 04:19 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by TimEllershaw
Lovely place to ride in the summer, but you deserve every penny you get for being up there this time of year,
Good Luck,
Tim
thanks for the donation. very unexpected but thank you again.
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 04:41 PM |
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Good luck, it's only a couple quid from me, but it all helps...
Oh, if you're tenting it and have a half decent sleeping bag, then yourr head/face/nose can get cold - I use a cheap balaclava and sometimes a
hat even though I'm usually only in my boxers lower down!
ATB
Steve
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bitsilly
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 04:43 PM |
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Ditto on the Quasar, I have slept through some big storms up high in them.
They do deflect a bit but don't break and are very light to carry.
We have also had three adults sleep in them fairly comfortably.
Down sleeping bags are excellent and pack down well but are super expensive.
If you wear thermals and a hat, and have a liner, then you should be fine without down even on snow.
What will make a lot of difference is a good self inflating mat. You don't need to buy a Thermarest these days as there are some excellent
alternatives, but the one Argos makes is rubbish. Get a thick one!
The very best of luck.
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blue2cv
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 04:50 PM |
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Good luck and some sovs from me
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jossey
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 05:13 PM |
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thanks all.
ill look at these tents then Terra Nova Quasar sounds good so ill find a cheap one.
if anyone has one i can buy that would be great :O)
thank you all for being so kind.
i just need to get a tent them im about done.
well give or take the GPS, First aid kit, spare tyres, sleeping bags ill get a new one, a new bag, cycle carrier for car and few other bits lol
ok im not close to getting everything.
anyone on route so i can stop in for a coffee :O)
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speedyxjs
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 05:13 PM |
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Just a little bit from me im afraid but i wish you well in the trip
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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bbwales
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 05:15 PM |
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Good luck and keep warm.
Trangia stove is small and useful, you can get them for 3.99 on the bay.
A couple of quid off me too.
Bob
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PAUL FISHER
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 05:50 PM |
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Good luck lads, great cause, I think we all know someone who has had by cancer at some point , all the best.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 06:30 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by bitsilly
What will make a lot of difference is a good self inflating mat
second that, but I take a small/thin foam mat aswell when its really cold
you'll see ground sheet protectors for the quasar's - these are a good idea (for any tent)
its basicaly just a slightly thicker ground sheet that goes underneath the tent to save it from damage on rougher ground, they also give you an extra
waterproof layer between you and any snow on the ground
of couse you don't have to but there one, you could easy make your own 
folk do hang on to there old Quasar's, so its can be difficult to find a cheap one......
quote:
Originally posted by bbwales
Trangia stove is small and useful, you can get them for 3.99 on the bay.
I'll second that too
a trangia set will last you a lifetime (mine must be 15 years old now) and with a gas coversion its one of the best stoves you can get
food:
when me and my mates are walking the classic is super noodles - the weight next to nothing and just need water, but you soon get sick of them if your
having them for more than 2 nights
those dehydrated meals are a waste of money - so there are these:
...and any other pasta, noodle, rosotto type thing in a packet
some of them ask for milk as well as water, powdered milk can work for these but try it before you go - none are fantastic but some of them are really
horrible
we normally also take a chorizo or salami (so you can have it cold or cooked) and lots of cheese sandwiches
those instant porridge sachets work quite well with a bit of powdered milk, but they don't half stick to the pans (using a a wooden/ good
plastic spoon to stirr it all the time is about the best you can do to avoid this but its still a PITA)
that said it sould be plenty cold enought to take bacon, real milk and so on if you can deal with the weight.....
[Edited on 20/12/2010 by mcerd1]
[Edited on 20/12/2010 by mcerd1]
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mcerd1
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 06:58 PM |
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there should be a few £ on the way to you now
and give us a shout if your still stuck for any kit nearer the time....
-Robert
[Edited on 20/12/2010 by mcerd1]
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 08:57 PM |
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Nice one jossey.
I'd rather give it to you than a barman.
Good luck to both of you.
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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jossey
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| posted on 20/12/10 at 10:37 PM |
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Thanks again guys your advise n kind donations are great so thanks.
I'll keep u updated on how I'm getting on and post while I'm on the challenge.
Thanks all.
Any advise is brilliant so keep it coming.
Cheers
Dave n Richard.
Well save but richard says thanks too :-)
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