Well the season has started and time to think about my week in the hills somewhere. It is time to check all the gear and make sure nothing has deteriorated over the winter :) In the process I reread an old book I have in my Kindle, Smart Backpacking After 50, which sets out most of what I have done myself over the years. It is worth a read even for those younger than 50 :)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smarter-Backpacking-after-trekker-fitness-ebook/dp/B008CMW83U
Quote from: Fishtales on March 26, 2023, 11:56:20 AM
make sure nothing has deteriorated over the winter
I wonder how much I have deteriorated over the past few winters Sandy ;D
Out on the hills tomorrow so I'm about to find out! :o
Quote from: admin on March 26, 2023, 12:15:14 PM
I wonder how much I have deteriorated over the past few winters Sandy ;D
Out on the hills tomorrow so I'm about to find out! :o
I'm not too bad Fred.
Walking three days a week to school and back which is usually 1.5 Miles up to 5 Miles occasionally depending on weather and how I feel and not carrying anything :)
I am still doing the weights too. Twenty Kilo rucksack; 10 lifts from mid thigh, bending my knees slightly, lift to shoulder using just my arms and then slow lower keeping my back and legs straight and tightening my stomach muscles; !5, or if I feel like it 20, squats onto my toes with it on my back; 15 to 20 alternate leg stands and bending the knee slightly and holding for a second or two, as if I was walking on the spot, with the rucksack on my back (this one is good for ankles and balance too).
Have you and George thought about where you are going yet?
In NZ this year I realized just how much older I am compared to last time I was there. Just had my 70th birthday, I was 65 last time. I feel a lot more than 5 years older. ;D
Point of this is - if you are thinking about doing something then FFS do it while you can. That was my 7th trip to NZ and it was my last. The travelling, the tough going, the long days etc - well I'm just no longer able to take them in my stride.
I can still manage to fish at home no bother, if slower, so this year I'm going to spend more time at my old haunts. Starting with a season ticket on good old Loch Beanie. Travel is great, it helps you keep things in perspective, but there is no place like home. ;)
Quote from: admin on March 26, 2023, 01:13:48 PM
Have you and George thought about where you are going yet?
The Scourie angling club lochs are the front runner at the moment. It is a flat walk in and with George's health problems the best bet.
Quote from: admin on March 26, 2023, 01:40:30 PM
In NZ this year I realized just how much older I am compared to last time I was there. Just had my 70th birthday, I was 65 last time. I feel a lot more than 5 years older. ;D
Point of this is - if you are thinking about doing something then FFS do it while you can. That was my 7th trip to NZ and it was my last. The travelling, the tough going, the long days etc - well I'm just no longer able to take them in my stride.
I can still manage to fish at home no bother, if slower, so this year I'm going to spend more time at my old haunts. Starting with a season ticket on good old Loch Beanie. Travel is great, it helps you keep things in perspective, but there is no place like home. ;)
It is a mind thing too. I am off to Tenerife with the family, ten of us, for our golden wedding for two weeks and I am looking forward to it :)
Quote from: Fishtales on March 26, 2023, 07:50:51 PM
It is a mind thing too. I am off to Tenerife with the family, ten of us, for our golden wedding for two weeks and I am looking forward to it :)
Congratulations. It is our Golden Wedding Anniversary this year too. We thought of a celebration inviting the guests from our wedding. Strangely, there are not many left ::)
Quote from: arawa on March 29, 2023, 06:07:42 PM
Congratulations. It is our Golden Wedding Anniversary this year too. We thought of a celebration inviting the guests from our wedding. Strangely, there are not many left ::)
Same here :(
We went off for a Japan tour four years ago for our 50th. Had a great time on that but a few years before there was a school year reunion and that had quite a large and sobering "departed" panel of young photos taken back in the mid sixties.
The training should step up a pace over the next two weeks. The schools are on holiday so my time, should be, my own. A few walks in the hills and if the weather stays fair perhaps a cast or two on a couple of hill lochs :)
Quote from: Fishtales on March 30, 2023, 10:55:57 PMThe training should step up a pace over the next two weeks. The schools are on holiday so my time, should be, my own. A few walks in the hills and if the weather stays fair perhaps a cast or two on a couple of hill lochs :)
Well that didn't go well. Ended up with a chest infection and didn't do anything and now it is back again this week. Three weeks to get sorted 🙄
That's bad luck Sandy :(
Quote from: admin on April 30, 2023, 01:20:07 PMThat's bad luck Sandy :(
I have been getting the rucksack sorted and weighed and at the moment, without sleeping bag, it is at 9Kg which includes 2Kg of food. I am hoping it doesn't creep past 15Kg by the time I am finished :)
Quote from: Fishtales on April 30, 2023, 01:10:00 PMThree weeks to get sorted 🙄
How did you get that smiley?
Quote from: admin on April 30, 2023, 01:41:14 PMHow did you get that smiley?
I was using my phone and I used the one on the edit window and it showed up.
I have started getting myself sorted for next year. Still walking to school three days a week and I have also done a couple of twenty minute walks, 1 mile each, on the treadmill but this time with a 14 Kilo rucksack :) It wasn't too bad but I could feel it in the legs a bit. Today (18/10/2030) I did two real world miles with the rucksack. Nothing strenuous just a few up hills and flats on made up paths and tar :) The legs were fine but my right shoulder/neck muscle didn't like it, nothing new there as, after carrying the heavy post bag on the other shoulder for years, that right one has always given me aches and headaches as the neck muscle gets stretched :) Hopefully I can keep doing it regularly until next year, it usually never gets done.
Quote from: Fishtales on October 18, 2023, 09:21:07 PMI have started getting myself sorted for next year. Still walking to school three days a week and I have also done a couple of twenty minute walks, 1 mile each, on the treadmill but this time with a 14 Kilo rucksack :) It wasn't too bad but I could feel it in the legs a bit. Today (18/10/2030) I did two real world miles with the rucksack. Nothing strenuous just a few up hills and flats on made up paths and tar :) The legs were fine but my right shoulder/neck muscle didn't like it, nothing new there as, after carrying the heavy post bag on the other shoulder for years, that right one has always given me aches and headaches as the neck muscle gets stretched :) Hopefully I can keep doing it regularly until next year, it usually never gets done.
A wee update on this. The Traps issue wasn't there on the second outing to the school and back and I have done another few extra walks with more real world walks with a few hills. Nothing strenuous just a couple of miles. The muscles are fine on the neck and back but the legs and hips are complaining as I get near the end but a half hour or so with a coffee and they are back to normal. The highest HR peak was 135 but it generally stays below 125 and the average seems to even out at 110, give or take a few beats up or down, and is soon back to my usual resting HR of 63 to 65. Quite happy with my progress so far, if only it would stop raining :)
Keep it up Sandy! :)
This rain is a pain, have not been out of the house for 3 days! :(
Had to nip to the doctors and we managed a walk around the village in between the rain, should be dry tomorrow, hoping to get out with the camera, the fishing is a washout now, though the Gallery beat fished we last week.
Sandy what about a trip to Inverpolly area book a boat from the lodge on loch Sionascaig which is a 15 min walk from the roadside down to boat bay from there you use the boat for transport down to Eilean Mor island with a lovely we camp ground and safe mooring for the boat then you can use the boat to wander as far as you both so wish to explore the surrounding area none of that carrying in KG of rucksacks. Plenty of lochs to keep you both occupied.
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Quote from: superscot on October 30, 2023, 04:42:59 PMSandy what about a trip to Inverpolly area book a boat from the lodge on loch Sionascaig which is a 15 min walk from the roadside down to boat bay from there you use the boat for transport down to Eilean Mor island with a lovely we camp ground and safe mooring for the boat then you can use the boat to wander as far as you both so wish to explore the surrounding area none of that carrying in KG of rucksacks. Plenty of lochs to keep you both occupied.
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Believe it or not but that has no appeal to me :) I have looked at the area a few times over the years but if I did go it would be to the lochs above Loch Assynt on the South side between it and Canisp :)