My Countryside - Out and About

Why your senses feel heightened outdoors!

When outdoors, it never ceases to amaze me how my senses seemed heightened and enhanced - the coutryside seems to come alive with small mammals rustling in the undergrowth, my skin seems to be able sense slight changes in air temperature and wind, and I am suddenly aware of the rich variety of smells.

The outdoors was far from my mind today as I sat on a train on the way back from London reading 'Seventeen Equations that Changed the World' by Ian Stewart. I was reading the chapter about logarithms when I came upon the Weber-Fechner Law. This law states:

"The perceived sensation is proportional to the logarithm of the stimulus"

Basically our brains handle relative difference in sensation (from all senses) rather than the actual difference. Put another way our senses tune into the scale of a stimulus - whilst we need to hear quiet sounds like a mouse and loud sounds like thunder, we cannot respond in proportion to both at the same time (or our ears would explode).

So (and I am extrapolating here slightly), as we leave our over stimulated lives to head out into the great outdoors, our senses must be re-tuning to our new environment, and this is the superman-esq feeling of enhanced senses we experience.

Get outdoors and experience it!

(this is presumably the same reason a world class violinist playing one of hardest pieces of music in a Subway station was largely ignored - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/15/the-things-we-miss-a-viol_n_158188.html)

Remembering Offa's Dyke 4 MS

(download)

Click here to download:

Remembering_Offas_Dyke_4_MS.zip (2.33 MB)

Powermonkey Extreme Field Test - The Plan

As a Social Hiking addict, the biggest problem for me is battery life. Modern smart phones are getting cleverer and cleverer, but it seems that battery technology is not developing at the same pace. On a long day walk it is a struggle to keep my phone going without a power top up.

I am hoping the answer to my problems is the Powermonkey Extreme ( https://powertraveller.com/iwantsome/primatepower/powermonkeyextreme/) - a 9000mAH capacity lithium polymer battery which comes with a solar panel. I picked one up a month or so ago via Pilgrim Chris but I have not had much chance to use it much. According to their website the battery should charge a smart phone 6 times and the solar panel can fully recharge the powermonkey with 15 hours of "optimum" conditions. But I always take these official figures with a pinch of salt.

The proof is of course in the pudding, so I am going to use my week in Snowdonia as an opportunity to put the extreme through it's paces. I am going to start out with the powermonkey extreme fully charged and two full batteries - the plan is to try and keep my phone going for as long as possible under normal hiking and camping conditions.

I will update here on how I get on.... if I have any battery left....

Taking the plunge...

Today I tried something new... in a tucked away part of Brecon Beacons, I stripped off and slipped into a river's refreshing embrace.

For today's route I choose a free download on ViewRanger from Trail Magazine. The route happened to be to some plunge pools, but it was the right length and in the right part of the Brecon Beacons that it seemed ideal. It was only as I was boiling some water for tea just off the ridge of Fan Dringarth high above the river, that the idea of taking the plunge actually started creeping up on me.

By the time I reached the river, my mind was made up - I was going to do it! I don't think I chose a particularly suitable plunge pool - it was only waist deep with a layer of slippery algae covering the river bed - but my already fragile courage was disintegrating and I just had to get it over and done with, so in I went!

Initially it was cold... but almost instantly my body got used to it, and it quickly felt almost warm. After a few minutes of splashing water over myself and trying to encourage the dog to join in, I moved over to where the water was flowing stronger (and therefore removing the debris from the river bottom I was disturbing) for a finally soaking.

After maybe five minutes, I clambered out, put on my Chocolate Fish merino baselayer and replaced my soaking underwear (for both decencies sake and the practicalities of sitting on slime I sensibly kept them on) with my dry trousers, and put on some water to boil. Compared to the cold river water, the warmer air felt positively toasty, and as I sipped my tea, both my body and mind glowed as I reveled in the tranquility around me. As a gentle shower started, I felt possibly the most content I have done in a long time - it was magical.

Eventually I had to move on, and I set off up the final peak of Fan Fawr with a bounce in my step and my underwear dangling off my rucksack (I am exceedingly grateful that I did not encounter anyone before I reached the car though!)

It was an amazing experience that I would gladly repeat, so the next time you are walking past an isolated river or lake why not take the plunge - you won't regreat it!

I would rather be camping than working!

Yesterday I was presented with a lovely gift - a mug with "I would rather be camping than working - a bad day camping is better than a good day working".

This is particularly apt since, for the last month, I have spent the vast majority of my waking hours (including some where I should have been sleeping) stuck in my office working. Perhaps I should not be complaining that I have so much work, but I am really starting to suffer from the lack of exposure to the outdoors.

During the past few weeks I have barely made it out for a handful of dog walks, let alone any longer hikes or exciting trips, and I am currently a staggering 50 miles behind target on my aim to walk 1000 miles this year. I am not alone in finding the outdoors so recharging, but right now I am flashing "battery low"!

Fortunately, by a quirk of fate, the slight easing of work coincides with a long weekend to Brecon planned ages ago. Since pre University days I have infrequently met up with a group of friends for the Brecon Jazz Festival - this mainly involves sitting in the sun (at least I remember it always being sunny) and drinking my friend's dad's homebrew (which is amazing). This year I will be combining the friends and homebrew with hiking during the day and camping (not exactly wild camping... more garden camping... but that still counts!)

Hopefully I will return with batteries at least partially recharged so I can get cracking on all the outstanding blog posts, Social Hiking updates, and making a dent in that 50 mile deficit.

Friday will not come soon enough!

The Berwyns

(download)

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The_Berwyns.zip (7.42 MB)

Even more dull?

What is duller than a test post? A second test post!

The dullest post ever....

This will probably win the award for the dullest post ever..... but it is testing very exciting things :)

Take a walk at lunchtimes

I try and head out every lunchtime for a dog walk - nothing sensational, just a couple of miles around the local fields or an occasional stroll in the nearby Salcey Forest.

Sometimes though, I convince myself I am too busy to spare the half hour or so needed for a walk. But this is false economy - I find a short time in the fresh air, surrounded by nature and away from work, reinvigorates me ready for the rest of the afternoon. Without it, my productivity and concentration slip.

Of course I am lucky to work surrounded by countryside, but there are enough parks, river /canal sides and trees in our towns and cities for this principle to apply to everyone.

So tomorrow, instead of eating lunch at your desk or the nearest starbucks, head out for an explore. Your body, mind and soul will thank you!

Summary of todays walk #1000miles

A mostly pleasant circular loop in the highest part of Bedfordshire (not really saying much!) from Lavendon, following the Three Shires Way to Santa Pod Racetrack, then back to Lavendon via Harrold.

Most of the route was through some great countryside along fields and through deserted woods. I didn't encounter a single other walker, bar a couple of dog walkers near the more built up areas. Only downside to the route was the long stretch on tarmac towards the end.

View the route at: http://new.socialhiking.org.uk/maps/os/daylightgambler/2011-03-12

Length: 15.8 miles
Height Gained: 784 ft
Number of tea stops: 2
Number of pub stops: 0
Number of times almost killed by a horse: 5
Number of blisters from new shoes: 0