Archev's adventures in the Berlingo

[Rolfe]

I'm almost there!

 

[Rolfe]

Well, it's 24 hours since I arrived here on 91% charge. Now on 71%. As well as heating the car overnight I've charged the e-bike, boiled the kettle several times, inflated the airbed twice, and the refrigerated cool box has been on whenever the car itself was on, including overnight.

It wasn't as cold as the forecast suggested last night, probably because there was more cloud cover than expected. It was still 10 or 11°C when I went to sleep and 9 when I woke up. But I feel quite comfortable that I can stay toasty overnight, boil the kettle in the morning and still get the 20 miles to Kilchuimein without being stranded. And that charger is in the car park of a very nice hotel that has very nice scones.

 

[Rolfe]

There's still someone swimming in the loch even though the sun has gone behind the hills.

There's also someone in one of these rubber sofa things being towed behind a speedboat. Or maybe it's Nessie's latest disguise.

 

[Rolfe]

Current view. Nightie-night.

 

[securespark]

Gorgeous!

 

[securespark]

I don't do people very well in photography, but the landscape I try and do better.

Here is one when we went to NZ.

And a shot of Criccieth Castle.
Both taken on my humble Nokia XR20.

A view across the water in a village near where we live.

As you can see, I like sunsets!

But your picture is absolutely brilliant.
Which camera/phone did you use?

 

[Archev]

Well, it's 24 hours since I arrived here on 91% charge. Now on 71%. As well as heating the car overnight I've charged the e-bike, boiled the kettle several times, inflated the airbed twice, and the refrigerated cool box has been on whenever the car itself was on, including overnight.

It wasn't as cold as the forecast suggested last night, probably because there was more cloud cover than expected. It was still 10 or 11°C when I went to sleep and 9 when I woke up. But I feel quite comfortable that I can stay toasty overnight, boil the kettle in the morning and still get the 20 miles to Kilchuimein without being stranded. And that charger is in the car park of a very nice hotel that has very nice scones.

That’s impressive e-sconomy

 

[Archev]

I don't do people very well in photography, but the landscape I try and do better.

Here is one when we went to NZ.

View attachment 40117


And a shot of Criccieth Castle.
Both taken on my humble Nokia XR20.

View attachment 40118


A view across the water in a village near where we live.

View attachment 40127


As you can see, I like sunsets!

But your picture is absolutely brilliant.
Which camera/phone did you use?

Lovely pictures, fine sunrays

 

[decrep]

Sunsets, you want sunsets. We had loads of them on our old house at Avalon.

Taken with various cameras, but all from our balcony, where I could check the surf out.

 

[Archev]

Sunsets, you want sunsets. We had loads of them on our old house at Avalon.
View attachment 40128

View attachment 40130

View attachment 40131
Taken with various cameras, but all from our balcony, where I could check the surf out.

Stunning

 

[Rolfe]

That’s impressive e-sconomy

When I woke up it was 8.35 am and 4°C. Yes it is possible to get dressed without getting out of the car! But the sun came up above the trees and everything was fine. Got washed and had breakfast outside.

By the time I was ready to go the battery was on 51%. So it took a bit more overnight, but not that much more. I would have been able to stay another night but I want to move west now.

Morning view across Loch Ness.

 

[Archev]

When I woke up it was 8.35 am and 4°C. Yes it is possible to get dressed without getting out of the car! But the sun came up above the trees and everything was fine. Got washed and had breakfast outside.

View attachment 40147

By the time I was ready to go the battery was on 51%. So it took a bit more overnight, but not that much more. I would have been able to stay another night but I want to move west now.

View attachment 40148

Morning view across Loch Ness.

Wonderful blend of domestic bliss and the rugged outdoors life with MG undertones

 

[Archev]

I’ve not moved from home to go out on Berlingo manoeuvres yet. I had a doctors appointment then a bit of a chase around to get new tablets resulting from it. I’ve another appointment booked for Friday so hopefully that concludes that sort of fun and I can aim Berlingo west or north for a day or two. Missed this reasonable weather window but try as I might I can’t rewind this dam body clock

 

[Rolfe]

The weather is going to stay semi-decent for a bit longer. Saturday and Sunday not so good but nice again on Monday and Tuesday.

I'm currently charging and waiting for my coffee. After that I'll see if my scoped-out parking spot beside Loch Uanagan is actually a runner.

If it is I'll mosey back on the bike for a look at Fort Augustus, and maybe a bike shop because my tyres might be the better of a little air.

 

[Rolfe]

The place at Loch Uanagan has notices saying Private, and what looked from aerial views like active campervans in fact seems to be a sort of caravan and campervan graveyard. Nobody there, and it would have been fine if it had stayed deserted, but there was a sort of shed/office and a garden chair by the loch, and I wasn't confident an aggrieved owner wouldn't appear. There was a possibility at the road-end, but in the end I didn't go back.

A free car park in the outskirts of the town had a notice about no overnight parking. I might have risked it, but it wasn't really suitable. Too open. So here I am.

Yes, you read it right. That is the start of the Corrie Yairack pass right behind Caliban's duck tail. I had rejected this from Streetview because it's a field entrance, but it doesn't seem to be currently in use and there's a possible daytime parking space just yards away (open and right on the roadside, so not an overnight spot, but not blocking anything).

So let's see what tomorrow brings. Not promising anything. Laggan a' Bhainne might be too far, as it's not just the climb but how cold it might be up there, but maybe Blackburn. Or maybe not. All options open, including disappearing up the NC500 instead.

Sorry, taking over your thread again Archev, sorry.

 

[Archev]

I’m

The place at Loch Uanagan has notices saying Private, and what looked from aerial views like active campervans in fact seems to be a sort of caravan and campervan graveyard. Nobody there, and it would have been fine if it had stayed deserted, but there was a sort of shed/office and a garden chair by the loch, and I wasn't confident an aggrieved owner wouldn't appear. There was a possibility at the road-end, but in the end I didn't go back.

A free car park in the outskirts of the town had a notice about no overnight parking. I might have risked it, but it wasn't really suitable. Too open. So here I am.

View attachment 40156

Yes, you read it right. That is the start of the Corrie Yairack pass right behind Caliban's duck tail. I had rejected this from Streetview because it's a field entrance, but it doesn't seem to be currently in use and there's a possible daytime parking space just yards away (open and right on the roadside, so not an overnight spot, but not blocking anything).

So let's see what tomorrow brings. Not promising anything. Laggan a' Bhainne might be too far, as it's not just the climb but how cold it might be up there, but maybe Blackburn. Or maybe not. All options open, including disappearing up the NC500 instead.

Sorry, taking over your thread again Archev, sorry.

pay back for my intrusions elsewhere
Really jealous sitting around here

 

[Archev]

If you’re thinking about the Corrie Yairack I can head over that way after my 10:00 doc appointment on Friday so I could be in Fort Augustus area late afternoon. Saturday/ Sunday also available as I intend to be over that way in any case.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm only doing a recce at the moment, taking a look at the northern end which will be the end point if I do it for realises. I think it's likely to be too cold now to go over the top, which is 2,500 feet up.

I just want to see what the gradients are really like, and how bad the surface actually is. I suspect the full route is for the spring or early summer.

 

[Archev]

I'm only doing a recce at the moment, taking a look at the northern end which will be the end point if I do it for realises. I think it's likely to be too cold now to go over the top, which is 2,500 feet up.

I just want to see what the gradients are really like, and how bad the surface actually is. I suspect the full route is for the spring or early summer.

Sounds sensible there will be an added chill factor at that elevation right enough. Enjoy and cycle serenely

 

[Rolfe]

Thank you!

Actually the info sheet for the route says May to September, and we're nearly out of time on that one. When it was an actual road they apparently had to go up for the bodies in spring sometimes.