Spring has not sprung just yet.......

Friday say me grab a much needed day off from the day job so I thought the time was ripe for packing my new Black Diamond Speed 55 pack with my overnight kit and hitting the hill.  I figured the weather would be okay........you'd think I might have learnt a few lessons over the year!!  It was raining when I got out of the car and the sky did not look promising.

I threw my kit on and headed for Kings Seat.  The going underfoot was pretty wet to start with but things started to get better as I gained height.  But with height came the wind and it was a cold one.  I made the top of Kings Seat in pretty good time but by then the wind was getting up to gale force and the rain was constant. 

I pushed on towards Byrehope Mount and by this time it was micro navigation time which was good because it's be a long while since I had to practice that and it was a good route to do it on because there was any number of escape routes.

I dropped over Byrehope Mount, took stock and decided to head back the way I had come and along the way I set myself up on a couple of compass bearings just to practice that a bit.  Again the route was good for this kind of practice.  Always better to practice when you feel really safe , than have to do it for real when things go pear-shaped.  I was also testing some new gear I've bought over the last few weeks and I will be blogging reviews of this in due course.  Needless to say my new Haglofs hard shell jacket did the business.

So a good three hours out for some much needed fresh air.

Salomon Mens Classic 4D 2 GTX Boots Review

I actually bought these boots before Christmas but have only just got round to really testing them in conditions when I really want my boots to do the business.  That was yesterday with  9 mile walk in the Pentland Hills in Edinburgh when the conditions underfoot where particularly wet and boggy.

First up the boots fit well but, as with any footwear, make sure you get the right fit and wear them around the house for as many hours as possible to allow your feet to warm up.  Mine fit really well and the feel around the foot and heel is one of comfort but stability.  After about four miles I could feel the top of the boots rubbing, but a quick loosening and retying sorted that one out.


The soles are good and during my walk they gripped just about anything I walked on, or at times jumped on.  I felt comfortable and confident throughout the outing.  It was truly wet and horrible underfoot but my feet stayed dry and warm throughout the walk - so much so that I just left them on for the sort drive to the coffee shop after the walk.

I had never used Salomon kit until I started training for ultra-marathons a couple of years ago.  That's when I discovered their range of running shoes.  It seemed a logical step t try their boots and I have not been disappointed. 

Great 9 Miles on the Hills.....but very wet!!

Me and the usual suspects managed to get out onto the Pentland Hills today for a decent 9 mile walk.  When we started the cloud was pretty low but as we progressed along our way the cloud burnt back and the sun made a welcome appearance.  It was still very cold on the face and hands - I'm convinced that at one point a dentist could have pulled teeth and I wouldn't have felt a thing.  The gang have been all over the Pentland's because basically they are on our doorstep, but recently I picked up a guide book and I discovered some great new routes for us to try.


It was very wet underfoot though - in fact in places it was simply a bog, but with a bit of jigging and a bit of jumping we managed to get through and head for the two hills that where the target for the day.  The conditions underfoot made the going tough and we had that for pretty much the whole 9 miles. At least my new Solomon boots got a good workout - look out for a review of them soon.

The short sharp ascent of the first hill was a bit of a shock to the system, but it was fairly short lived and at least the top offered some shelter from the bitterly cold wind.  We grabbed a snack and a drink then headed for the second hills, only to be presented with more boggy ground.  We travelled pretty fast between hills now and pretty soon we had topped out on hill two.  Another quick snack and we started back down and onto the route back to the car park. 

This was a great walk and it let us all see the Pentland Hills from a different perspective.  It also let Helen get some miles in as she prepares for the Caledonian Challenge in June.