Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

General => Meets, places, trips and reviews => Topic started by: ChuckMcB on January 08, 2011

Title: hello from Drinneever
Post by: ChuckMcB on January 08, 2011
Wanted to get a snow bivvy in before it's all away. Tarp up, hobo stove lit, and fresh snow just started falling. Nite all.
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: LandyLiam on January 09, 2011
Pleasant dreams, i'm off to look up the map to see where you are
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: RedLeader on January 09, 2011
Sounds great. No idea where Drineever is though.
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: LennyJ1 on January 09, 2011
Sounds great. No idea where Drineever is though.

I was thinking that as well.
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: Scribble on January 09, 2011
Sounds great. No idea where Drineever is though.

I was thinking that as well.


Ditto
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: Dowser on January 09, 2011
Sounds great. No idea where Drineever is though.

I was thinking that as well.
Ditto

Can none you you guys read a map... It's out the back of Donard Wood at the base of Millstone Mountain  ;)

(http://i.imgur.com/2IIOO.jpg)

How'd you get on Chuck..?  Did you wake up buried in snow?
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: RedLeader on January 09, 2011
I can read a map, just seemed easier to ask than scour the whole of the Mournes OS map ;)
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: Dowser on January 09, 2011
I can read a map, just seemed easier to ask than scour the whole of the Mournes OS map ;)

Sorry... I was just being a bit grumpy..! My Wifelet did something a bit silly tonight  :-[
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: ChuckMcB on January 09, 2011
Seriously windy up there last night = seriously cold, hardly slept. Had to put hobo stove out because sparks where being blow everywhere..forecast had told me all that, but I new this was the last chance to get out in the snow.

Very special non the less, esp. when the morning came: woke up facing the sun, clear blue sky (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/5340475364/in/set-72157625786013164/), wind had died.

That's what it's all about IMHO.

Some pics:

(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5162/5340442698_ea58d1976d_z.jpg)

(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5339831697_2bcf23250a_z.jpg) (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5243/5340447458_44f2535ac3_z.jpg)

More here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcrobert/sets/72157625786013164/).

Need sleep, still a bit broken. Nite all #2 ;)
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: LennyJ1 on January 09, 2011
Totally jelious
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: RedLeader on January 10, 2011
Looks like a great spot, did the tarp hold up in the wind okay?
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: ChuckMcB on January 11, 2011
Yes, tarp did it's job but I didn't do mine too well.

After a bit of walking about in the dark I found a large enough hollow to give me some shelter. Set the tarp up half size. Tried to keep it as low as possible, but if the forcast had lied and the 25MPH wind has changed direction during the night the whole lot would have collapsed.  ;D

Couldn't find much soil to dig the pegs into, so I had to start using rocks and bolders to loop the guy ropes around. That caused the first drama of the night: one of the guy lines was cut right through by the wind grinding it against the granite during the night. Replaced it with a red bungy cord on the left. (there is no such thing as too many pegs or guy lines)

Also because the lack of soil I couldn't peg down the tarp at the back fully, that lead to a rather chilling gale on my lower back/legs (my faithful cheapy Trek Mates bivvy bag starting to show it's short comings). So I ended pulling my orange emergency bag out and getting into that as well.

Then when I woke up in the morning I saw this:

(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5339837575_c4df6544dc.jpg)

I've no idea how I managed not to see that rock during set-up, so now I've got two nice large puncture holes in my tarp.  :(
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: RedLeader on January 12, 2011
Must have been some serious flapping to grind through a guyline - was it paracord? My DD has more than a few burn holes in it but luckily the water tends to run around them so it doesn't bother me too much.

Bit of spinnaker tape and it'll be right as rain !
Title: Re: hello from Drinneever
Post by: ChuckMcB on January 12, 2011
Naw, it was one of the black ones that comes with the DD tarp.

I've was recommended TENACIOUS repair tape, it's clear strong and quite thin, have used it for smaller repairs, will see how I get on with it. Worst case I'll just buy another DD, had it 10 months, loads of use from it, it's done me well.