Autumn Weekend Wander – 2009

What seems to becoming an annual ritual is about to kick off in a few minutes – just enough time to pen this “Out of Office” for anyone interested. Tex Gore and I are off to Wales for a 3 day wander around the Arenigs – as soon as he gets off the phone that is….

We’ve selected an easy-ish route – not too much height gain and not too much distance each day – we are both feeling decidedly unfit at the moment. So much so for me that I’ve rejoined a gym! I found that I didn’t have the discipline to walk regularly each day, so I now hold a membership at the local JJB gym. Carrying three days of food is a killer – I’ve had to leave the desserts at home!

I will post daily reports if I have any phone signal at the end of the day – I don’t expect to have one to be honest – its a bit wild and woolly out there. So I will record them and post them when I get home.

This weekend wander and the gym are hopefully going to get me fit for a winter of fantastic crisp icy weather and great walks 🙂 Failing that it will help me towards an unknown, as yet, long distance path for May 2009. I’m probably going to try something in Scotland – maybe the Southern Upland Way, or maybe a touring holiday?

QUESTION: I have a question for all those tea drinking backpackers out there – what do you use in place of milk? In the past I’ve carried UHT for short trips, but that goes off badly if it gets too warm, so I’m now looking at dried alternatives to milk. This trip has me packing a plastic baggie with a white powdery substance – thank God there are no customs posts between here and the walk – it looks dead dodgy. It is however, powdered skimmed milk – I have no had time to test it though, so no idea how it tastes in tea. What are others doing? I’d love to know.

Right – time to go! See ya!