I pulled as many clothes on as I could, and found my headtorch underneath the pile that had made my pillow. The sound was like a rushing waterfall as the air forced itself through every gap in as much volume and with as much speed as it could muster, the sharp cracking of loose fabric played a demeted solo over the backbeat. I fell out of the tent in unlaced boots and clamped my hand back onto the apex of the pole as the flysheet danced wildly on the other side, cutting through my torch beam in a flurry of red and inky darkness.
Bobinson was also outside in a disheveled state, fussing around the front of his tent, it looked crushed and bent, he had guy lines flapping in the air like tentalcles trying to grab James Mason and sink the Naultilus.
I had two corners up and both ends were loose, the guys attached to the pole were solid so I let go and scurried round to see what I could do. Two bungee cords had snapped simultaneously and the release of tension had sprung one of the carbon end rods out and had fired the guy peg from the opposite end into orbit. But, the Lasercomp was still standing at this point in undiminshed wind.
I re-tied the remains of the bungees and re-pegged them, finding most pegs bent. Not just those wire thin Terra Nova novelties, but the titanium V pegs I took along for extra security in the wind.
With a mix of bent pegs, rocks and even doubling up pegs with Bobinson at the front as we were so close, we both got the tents as good as they were going to get. We laughed.
Back in the tent I stayed dressed and admined my gear for departure, just in case. I slepft fitfully, more aware of the wind in spite of the increased volume of metal.
Daylight wasn’t far way, and when it came it was in sarcastic pink soft focus. The wind raged and small drops of sleet had started to go pat-pat-pat on the flyshet, but it looked like a 1960’s calendar shot outside.
The tent was standing, and standing well. The porch was calm enough to get the stove on for a cuppa and muesli. I was warm and comfortable, but tired.
I emerged and had a wander around. The tents looked sore, my Lasercomp looked like somebody else other than me had pitched it and the Seedhouse was all wrong at the front. A pole had taken a wee kink and the guys were like a ball of wool that the cat had got at.
But they both survived intact, no fabric tears, no stitching stretched. We knew this might happen, but all it’s done is increase my confidence in both tents.
The folks from Inchree were on their way up to meet us, so we had time ponder the night, have another cuppa and pack carefully.
The weather got worse, the wind got even stronger and we had wet sleety snow lashing us in increasing heaviness. We were wrapped up and packed up as the six hooded figures appeared on the track above us. We headed up to meet them.
Greetings and smiles were exchanged and we all descended together, no possibility of a summit, we were being blown sideways constantly. It really wasn’t a day for the hill.
We ended up in the cafe at Glen Coe, including Elaina who’d stayed at base earlier to plot the peoples revolution in peace without Steve, Sandy, Kate, Cath, Jamie and Nicky interfering.
We ate well, very well. The banter was good and the rain bouncing off the slate patio just outside the window could have been a million miles away.
Some hours later Bobinson and I left reluctantly to head South and home. The hillsides were split by the silver streaks of swollen burns and rivers had burst their banks all over. Not a day for the road either. We stopped briefly at the Real Food Cafe to top up the tank…
There could be finger waving because we went out in those conditions. But we’re both experienced and knew what we were doing, we worked around the problems and were never in real danger.
All the gear behaved perfectly, both tents landed safely even with their tails shot to pieces and the pilots walked way.
Great mountains, great weather, great people.
Ach, and I thought it was going to be a job for International Rescue….! ;O)
Sounds fun :))
Any idea what made the elastics go pop – were they rubbing over anything or was it sheer windforce?
definately sounds like an eventful one!!
Aye, it got the pulse up a wee bit :o)
One bungee looked frayed and it was next to a rock, and the other one just snapped. It looked like ten year old knicker elastic.
At one point when I was outside the Comps pole got bemt flat into an S shape and sprang back up unaffected.
Strong tent.
“Ach, and I thought it was going to be a job for International Rescue….! ;O)”
It WAS International Rescue! There were representatives from Scotland, Wales, Manchester, Yorkshire and elsewhere in the Rescue Party!
As a postscript to the Lightwave Fastpack 40 review, despite the claim that it is ‘virtually waterproof’, I’ve now discovered that it’s possibly only waterproof in a virtual reality ;-)
You obviously would have had your Silva Tricorder with you, so what was the windspeed?
I bet the elastics rubbed on the sharp edge of the V pegs, if you’d used the TN carbon pegs or titanium hairpins you would have slept soundly through the night, I think you should test this theory next time there’s a storm :)
Good to hear how solid the LC is. Mine was up for about an hour at the OMM mid-camp before the infamous abandonement, and although it was moving a helluva lot in the wind, it seemed quite sound.
…actually I forgot the tricorder…
But by the time we got to the cafe we were quoting 140mph to anyone who’d listen.
I think the flexibility of the Comp is its strength, and I’m pretty sure on flatter ground with better pegs I would have stayed put.
Aye, Kate’s pack got heavier through the day as it filled with water. Back to the drawing board for that one I think.
I’ve burst a few of them V pegs aswell, I reckon Y pegs are the way to go.
http://www.cleats.co.uk/home/details.asp?id=8
Some rather nice blue ones here which look lovely with my red LC.
They look good, not unlike the ones thart Big Agnes pack with their tents.
I think I’ll give them a go.
…and they take PayPal too. Alright!
I bet you’ll still be listening to metal when you’re 82… Just like this old chap!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7826717.stm
The folks at BPL also think Y stakes are the way to go
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tent_stakes.html
Well spotted Bigbananafeet!
I picked up a set of similar Y pegs in Blacks as I needed mine in a hurry and couldn’t wait for mail order. They work great in a broad mix of ground conditions and don’t bend. Only normally use 2 on the end guys of the LC, but add two on the pole guys if windy.
Never too old to rock Beth!
I got a couple of dyneema guys while I was in the shop as well. They took a pounding on Friday night so I’ll do a test pitch on the lawn and spruce the Comp up a bit :o)
Purple guys, red tent, blue pegs…mama I’m home.
And exactly like BBF I think?
Purple guy’s!!! I might have to swop my lumi yellow ones now, otherwise spot on ;)
Ha ha you are starting to be like all those other kit testers !
Pitching tents in your backgarden! next you will be out there with your stove as well
Oh aye, dont forget the glow in the dark line locks!……Pimp my tent!
Nothing wrong with camping in the back garden
Is that what you did instead of using Room no. 6 this weekend Bigbananafeet?!! ;O)
Aye, I’ll need an email or a text explaining what happened after hours…?
Hey Bobinson, you know the anguish I experienced pitching that tent after all my settings had been altered. I’m going to pitch it and superglue it all in place!
I’l save it for a wild camp over a wee drink mate, maybe towards the end of this month?
Aye, and there’ll be snow for that!
You put the wild back in wildcamping with that trip. The tents where there in the morning so they do what it says on the tin. And to think the L/C gets called not that suitable, or stable for windy conditions by other outdoor writers. All I see is story after story of stormy nights in them, and they are around in the morning standing up in one piece.
Absolutely Martin. Why carry more than what actually works?
It was the firts proper bad weather test of the Seedhouse SL1 as well, and it did pretty well.
I’ll pitch both tents to check them out later in the week and if there’s any issues we’ve missed I’ll report back.
I’ve got some of those blue Y pegs.
They are very blue. Very very blue. The sort of electric blue that used to crop up on Top of the Pops in 1983, often on ‘New Wave’ guitars. Easy to locate in snow though (the pegs, not the guitars)…
…which is just as well as the forecast for this Saturday is “Gales to storm force winds over the summits by dusk with blizzard conditions”.
Those of us with sturdy, well crafted tents are unconcerned, of course ;-)
Yes, yes, yes… :o)
I might see that Hilleberg Soulo back up here for some more testing, it gives the impression that it would stand a re-entry from orbit.
I’m watching the post for my blue pegs already!
Did you catch the news tonight? The Spean Bridge Woolen Mill burnt to the ground overnight!
Aye? I’ll need to go and have a look for that. That’s a shame, they’ve only got the commando statue and the Little Chef now.