I had a bright idea today; the forecast was
horrendous for low temperatures, heavy rain showers, and strong winds. Ahh I
thought the ideal day for a walk along the old railway track the ten miles to
Ravenscar. Particularly as much of the walk is very exposed to the elements. By
now you are starting to think that I may have lost some of my marbles.
No I
have perfect reasoning, over the last few months we have bought all the outdoor
gear for our trip to the Antarctic, this includes multiple layers of clothing
some of which provides wicking. No, I don’t know what that means either. There
are waterproof trousers, neck gaiters, two hats, and gloves that can be
submerged and still stay warm and waterproof. The problem is that I have tested
none of this gear. So today was the ideal opportunity as well as enabling me to
get some fresh air.
It
was great; at times it blew hail straight into my face. The kit absolutely did
its job; I stayed warm and dry on the interior. It did also exposed some
problems. Firstly I am not sure that I was wearing the neck gaiter the right
way up, also it is not waterproof so you have to keep it buttoned under my
outer layer. Secondly the exposed part of the face around the mouth and chin
need greater protection, and lastly my nose kept running. Apart from the last these
are all solvable.
So a
successful first test, also I reasoned that conditions in the Antarctic would
not be as extreme. I think it unlikely that we will be led onto the ice with
such wind and precipitation. So in this instance Ravenscar on a November day
was far more extreme than the Antarctic.
Mind
you I was very glad to see Marion at the end of the walk with a warm car.
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