8°C, rain all day.
The old techniques are coming back. Since my skills are rather rusty, I decided to buy base coat plaster and then layer skim coat over another day. That skim needs to be smooth and that’s the difficult part.
Once finished, I ventured into the loft. There is the largest wasps’ nest I have ever seen.
It’s about the size of a full rucksack, so around 40 litres. However you look at it, it’s a fine and beautiful object. I see no reason to remove it.
8°C, NE cool breeze. Grey.
I rode kona Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 15.18km, time: 01:06:21, pace: 4:22min/km, speed: 13.73km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2816224618
I’ve had a filthy stinking cold. Today, day 10, sees me not fully recovered and I’m wary of ramping up the exercise to quickly. Too quick and it all comes back.
It was good to visit the RSPB ‘visitor centre. There were knowledgeable volunteers there who pointed out an Avocet and a Spoonbill. The latter is a funny looking bird, more so because they look so serious with that absurd spoon.
I came away with some plans in mind: put up some House Martin boxes and maybe remove brick from the gable end. That will make it possible for bats nest in my roof. Some people worry about House Martins because for a short time of the year, they drop guano. That is a problem easily solved by fitting a window box. The window box holds nice plants and the Martins drop regular fertiliser.
6°C, grey.
No activity at The Pond today. This is what I think happened: last week, there were 10 males at the pond. Waiting, they would occasionally say “gribbit”. My suggestion is that they were staking out the pond waiting for an egg laden female to arrive.
It must have happened because there is plenty of frog spawn in the water. I’ll miss them but there are fascinating treats to come- tadpoles and then tiny frogs. I will construct some log piles for their cover.
I rode Paddy Wagon with MapMyRide+! Distance: 38.16km, time: 01:33:12, pace: 2:27min/km, speed: 24.57km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2792221178
The going was good but it seems to have brought my cold back. It’s odd because I felt fine during, but after, all achey. It’s down to timing, and this one wasn’t right.
–8°C start, then warmth came through steadily. Mostly sunny once hill fog burnt off.
A very long day’s walk, it turned out later.
A cold night: g knew it would get cold, it reached -8°C by about 4am. I piled on all the layers g could but no more would fit in the sleeping bag. That bag liner was helpful.
First summit. Carnedd Llewelyn 1034m in hill fog but milky sun was trying to break through. Navigation was easy enough using slope aspect and my newly repaired compass.
Ridges and cornices:
Do I need to spell out how utterly beautiful the views were? I went for a few reasons
The walkout was, perhaps a little too long. However, I was driven right to the end by the urge to get back to the car before dark.
Bethesda: the route skirted the edge of the village because the ideal route is impassible. There have been no repairs to destroyed bridges on th sites Caseg forcing a detour West.
Rhaeadr Fawr (Aber Falls): I’m not normally so impressed by waterfalls but this one (two) make it onto my recommended list. There is a well made path leading in from the north for tourists. Of course, I got there by the cross-country route from the south west.
Long walkout: The rest of the route is a long slog back to the car. The paths are nice enough, and as it turns out, the setting sun cast a fine golden light over the land.
Kit to remember next time: where did I put those little micro-towels? I had the wrong kind of gas too. This stuff had no pressure in the cold.
6°C start sunny patches. No wind.
Hiking in semi-winter conditions. The theme here is ‘no planning’. My first idea for a start was changed because of a closed road. There map a cross country running event that forced closures. Other people having adventures.
The next obvious car-park is far more remote near a roman road. It’s along track with very steep bits and all single-track. At the car-park, I got chatting to an elderly woman who wanted to hike there despite her recent his replacement. She keeps these years secret from her physician. I could have chatted more, but it was 12 and time to go.
I’m trying to use the Carneddau as a horseshoe. So far, the idea has worked. I’m now camped in the Lee of Carnedd Lleweddlyn by a crash site. It’s cold, the sky has cleared and temperature has plummeted. Inside the tent is +1°C. Outside must be 5 below that. No wind though. Utter peace but no animals. I miss them.
This picture is taken on Foel-Fras in the Mountain Rescue hut. Don’t worry, I only went in to brew a cuppa. Despite there being ice on the inside walls, it felt considerably warmer than outside. I headed for the lake on the east where we wild-camped on my ML training course, summer before last.
7°C, rain.
Pitched near Betwys-y-coed on the banks of the R. Conwy. Can’t really tell how good this place is because I arrived in the dark. Tonight’s rain should be the last of it this weekend.
9°C, still with clear blue.
I rode Paddy Wagon with MapMyRide+! Distance: 35.11km, time: 01:25:47, pace: 2:27min/km, speed: 24.56km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2761348144
Set a brisk pace after a good day with other stuff that has gone well today.
Rain, 6°C
Not moved into my new house yet but did call in to drop some stuff there. I decided to switch on the mains water. While eating a sandwich, I could hear dripping.
That is a sickening sound to hear. Water was coming through the kitchen ceiling. Immediately, I turned off the stop cock and rushed upstairs to find the source.
It’s that big nut. White tape was visible and it looked askew on the thread. Next, adrenalin.
Here it is after my repair. The top nut was cross threaded and not fully screwed down. With the weight of the water gone, the tank may have tilted preventing the nut lining up straight when the seller drained the system.
It looks like they opened the joint to drain the tank with a syphon. I can’t find a drain tap below the tank so I did the same with a hose into the bath
It was then that it occurred to me what happened. The seller drained the tank as described above.
Next step. Once drained I cleaned the joint with a wire brush and put new PTFE round it before winding the nut back down.
I hope that’s right. A plumber is coming on Wednesday so he’ll let me know.
Finally. I drained the heating circuit again so it can be refilled with some corrosion inhibitor added.
Moral: keep an emergency repair kit, spare pipe, hose clips, and some flexible threaded pipe.
The surveyor got it right, that wasps’ nest is the biggest I’ve seen too. I’ll get a picture another day.
Should I open a separate blog to document the work on this house?
12°C, white cloud and moderate S breeze.
I rode the Mustang with MapMyRide+! Distance: 90.50km, time: 04:05:31, pace: 2:43min/km, speed: 22.12km/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/2757600181
Late start but a decent length ride that’s only possible with these later sunsets. This has been a refreshing spring day.
Micycle 