Tag: camping

Bikepacking, Packrafting, Scotland

Way out West: Bikerafting in the Outer Hebrides

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Scotland is an infinitely more varied and variable part of the world than its size and tourist-pleasing stereotypes would suggest. The mainland alone is a geological patchwork quilt of different massifs and ecosystems, of different accents and too many unhealthy foods to count. Macaroni pie, anyone? As well as the mainland, there are of course nearly … Continue reading Way out West: Bikerafting in the Outer Hebrides

topofests2 Comments
Bikepacking, Bikes, Gear, Iceland, Kit, Mountain Biking, Travel

Iceland: Boots, Bikes and Boldly going…

Soon (this evening in fact), I’ll be heading back to Iceland for a second time to explore more of its mountainous dirt roads by bike, and to learn more about that improbable, impossible and very thoroughly lovely country; that’s not to mention further research on the infinite variations of liquorice-based sweets to be found all over the place. Problem is, March is still wintertime in … Continue reading Iceland: Boots, Bikes and Boldly going…

topofests2 Comments
Bikes, Gear, Mountain Biking, Uncategorized

Bikepacking bikes

Bikepacking for me started with a loop of the Cairngorms on a hot, sunny weekend in 2013. I used a couple of harnesses borrowed from Annie to attach oversized, dumpy drybags to the bars and seat of an Orange Elite 26” hardtail, and faded into the moors. A couple of days later I emerged, slavering a little and desperate for a shower, but also permanently … Continue reading Bikepacking bikes

topofests1 Comment
Bikepacking, Mountain Biking, Packrafting, Scotland

Bikerafting the Rough Bounds

“And this is where Rob thought he’d broken his leg”, said Andy, pointing to a mass of tightly packed contour lines on the map as he talked about the last time he had been to Knoydart. “Good job he hadn’t too, because if something happens out there, well… It’s not going to go well. Are you sure about going on your own?” I looked again … Continue reading Bikerafting the Rough Bounds

topofests1 Comment
Packrafting, Scotland

A Packrafting Apprenticeship

Packrafting? That’s floating about on one of those rubber dinghies from Argos and then going camping isn’t it? As far as I was concerned that was pretty much the sum of it, until recently anyway. Andy and Rob at Backcountryboating are on a mission to educate the un-buoyant masses though, one landlubber at a time. Is it a souped-up lilo, or is it a 2kg, … Continue reading A Packrafting Apprenticeship

topofests1 Comment
Bikepacking, Iceland, Mountain Biking, Travel, Videos

Video: Laugavegur

Slowly, slowly, I’m starting to get the time and bandwidth to actually do something with all the video and photos we brought back from Iceland. This is a short film that I put together last week with footage from the Laugavegur trail, a hiking trail that links the steam-wreathed volcanic hills Landmannalaugar with the southern ice glaciers of Myrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull. We rode it as … Continue reading Video: Laugavegur

topofests1 Comment
Bikepacking, Iceland, Mountain Biking, Travel

Iceland: South Coast and Eastern Fjords

Iceland: The South Coast and Eastern Fjords As we descended through thick cloud, sleepy and dry-throated from the flight, I found myself suddenly very much awake, staring childlike through the tiny EasyJet regulation cabin window, certain that any moment now the plane would break through a misty ceiling and a panoramic view of Iceland would be spread before me to replace the present soggy greyness. … Continue reading Iceland: South Coast and Eastern Fjords

topofests1 Comment
Bikepacking, Mountain Biking, Videos

Video: Red Travellin’ Socks

Look at a map, make some sammiches, set off on your bike and who knows where you’ll end up? Maybe there’ll be some company! Or maybe you’ll just fall in a bog, although such details are irrelevant… Thanks to Andy at Backcountrybiking for providiing the Revelate Designs kit, and Annie for standing in the middle of a river to get those ‘authentic’ shots. Continue reading Video: Red Travellin’ Socks

topofests1 Comment