see you in 5 weeks

Anonymous
Anonymous Posts: 79,667
edited November 2008 in The Crudcatcher
i am off to the falklands again, this time for 5 weeks. i leave tomorrow night.

have fun whilst i am away and promise you wont let an orange thread go unflamed in my absence,

glad i am going just as the weather has improved fo riding, it'll be cold and wet by the time i get back :cry:

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    bring me back a present :wink:

    Rule 1 Pics.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    seeing as you are the frst to ask, i'll see what i can do.........
  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    Are the Falklands a bit...errmmm...quiet these days?!

    Bizarre question but if you see any surfable waves, let me know! Could be a fine "secret" place to surf - but might be too rocky.

    Wonder what the riding would be like? Probably pretty good.
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    edited October 2008
    Wonder what the riding would be like? Probably pretty good.

    bet it's a bugger getting hold of spare parts though :lol: Been looking on Google maps, looks a bit barren. amazing how many places on the map I've heard of. Looks a bit chilly in the aerial photos, but I suppose they must be heading into the spring down there at the moment.
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    it is quiet but we do still have a force on the islands just incase, i am going on a range clearance task to pick up any unexp[loded ordnance on the live firing ranges.

    as for surf, some of the beaches are the most amazing looking i have ever seen but they are fenced off as they are minefields and land mines regularly pop up or wash up on the sand.

    there are hundreds of minefields left over there and they are all just fenced off. you will get an enormous fine and possibly some jail time if you are found in one of them, not to mention possibly dead. a week or so before i went last yr a cow had wandered into one of the fields and got blown to pieces, the pics were published as a reminder to anyone who fncied getting a photo of themselves behind one of the fences about how dangerous it is!

    i did get out on a ride last year but it is awful, so boggy and most of the island is unrideable, plus i fell off twice in one ride and broke a rib so was prettysore for the remaining couple of weeks i had left over there.
  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    Errrmmmm - how about trail running then?!
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    or possibly sitting in a nice warm cabin with a brew :roll:
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    i reckon trail runners would have the time of their lives out there, it is very beautiful and plenty of very steep terrain to keep you challenged. im gonna have to make do with a treadmill as we are not allowed to go running out on the range where i will be working but my days are going to be full of walking up and down hills and fields so i should keep plenty fit!!

    plus, i will be getting to blow loads of stuff up which is stil one of my fav parts of the job!!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    stumpyjon wrote:
    or possibly sitting in a nice warm cabin with a brew :roll:

    it appears you know me well jon, i will be doing what i can to make sure i am brewed up to the max!!
  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    Is the tea still waaaay too orange or have thye got better stuff yet?!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    as i remember its not brilliant, i like mine weak as p1ss but the army likes to make it stron enough to stand a spoon in it!!

    that said, theres nowt like a hot wet when you are out on those hills!
  • toshmund
    toshmund Posts: 390
    The story about the trenches either side of the road from MPA - to Stanley. Allegedly someone misunderstood the plans, and they dug it 4 ft deep. Was only supposed to be 4". Don't know if it is true. The "Death Star" was also the largest wooden building in the world, in 93' it was anyway. If JCUFI bar is still going, have a red for me please!

    I was one of the lucky ones...South Georgia for both stints, stunning place!
  • GT Destroyer
    GT Destroyer Posts: 1,719
    Sounds like fun Teeth - Just make sure you don't get one of those explosives stuck under your boots!

    Actually how dangerous is it? Do you have really safe methods to detect the un-exploded mines?
    500 Miles in 5 days
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    ok, so i have only been gone a few hours but here am i in sunny mount pleasant. flight was loooong and i stil havent popped my ears yet.

    we have got safe ways to detect bombs destroyer but nothing beats the mk1 eyeball in most circumstances. last yr i was on mount longden and had to shout the phrase we hope never to shout: "stop, MINES!!"

    as we were searching along i found the top half of an anti personnel mine which had gone off, luckily that was all i found but it was stil a shock to the sytem, not least as the war finished over 25yrs ago and searches have been done on longden dozens of times, just goes to show what the peat does with what it finds!!.

    i will be working on a live firing range, clearing the ordnance that hasnt quite gone off properly during the training the guys come out here to do.. its good and safe and the mortar platoons promise they will stop firing when we are out on the impact sites!

    toshmund, you might well be right about the drainage, the ditches are massive, id love it if it really was a mistake!! i dont know about the bar you mentioned but i am about to return the the "bottom naafi" for a few more tins before bed, i'll dedicate the next one to you anyway.
  • toshmund
    toshmund Posts: 390
    Mount Pleasant used to average a crash a week. So they used to put the mangled wreckage, up at the top of the road by 1312 Flt (by the Phantom). Unfortunately 2 women were killed in a RTA (Land Rover into the aforementioned ditches...which are massive, he is not exaggerating!) It was deemed a bit too macabre after that.

    I hope your plane is grounded at Ascension on the way back, and you get a few days out of it! :lol: Supposed to be great diving, a 2000ft continental shelf - something along them lines....
  • toshmund
    toshmund Posts: 390
    Forum playing up...hope the Bennie's are on top form anyway!?!? :lol:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    hey guys, i am back.

    had an ace time, the weather was actually pretty good and i managed to convince the wife to give me an early birthday pressie and i bought another stumpjumper since i got home. it alredy has new wheels, casette, tyres, tubless strips and saddle, the new pedals are on the way too.

    just wish it wasnt so miserable weather wise here as i cant be arsed to get outand ride.

    also, just found out i am off to kenya for a few months in january too, looks like the egypt hol is getting cancelled eh!? (for me atleast)
  • BlackSpur
    BlackSpur Posts: 4,228
    Isn't the "new" Stumpy very similar to your older one?
    "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~James E. Starrs
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    sheepsteeth wrote:
    i managed to convince the wife to give me an early birthday pressie and i bought another stumpjumper
    Lucky you! :D 8)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    the new stumpy is the same age as my older one but is better specced. i regret selling the old one and have been hankering fter a replacement so wifey has been v generousin getting me the bike and i bought the "upgrades" with some of the cash i saved whilst away.

    i did have a thread about the new watch i wanted for my birthdy (which isnt until april) but decided to get some cash fo a bike and a cheaper watch (probs gonna be a nautica bfc46 at the mo) instead.

    as i said, im off to kenya in january (found ou this week) so i should be able to save up for another bike...........only joking, i might actually take the wife away on hol instead, seeing as i have to cancel going to egypt.
  • GT Destroyer
    GT Destroyer Posts: 1,719
    Aye - some of us have to put up with just the 1 bike, and no regular trips around the world!! Lucky you +1
    500 Miles in 5 days
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    there might be a trip to afghanistan later this year too, but that isnt confirmed and im not certain if my boss is gonna be too happy about me trying to pack a bike!!
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    You're going to be going back to the Falklands alot according to the BBC news website, 10 year extension on clearing the mines :shock:
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    the mine clearing job would take forever, apparently the peat swallows and spits out mines all of the time.

    i hope i wont be going back for a fair old while yet, its good to be off and about but i dont know if i can cope with the flight again, it truely is atrocius (sp)
  • BlackSpur
    BlackSpur Posts: 4,228
    sheepsteeth wrote:
    the mine clearing job would take forever, apparently the peat swallows and spits out mines all of the time.

    i hope i wont be going back for a fair old while yet, its good to be off and about but i dont know if i can cope with the flight again, it truely is atrocius (sp)

    What did you fly in?
    "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~James E. Starrs
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    it was a 737-300 and the plane and service was pretty good, its just so long!! 18 hrs with a stop over for refuelling at ascension island.

Categories