Same as Matt.....
@G1ZmO ( Paul ) has summed it up very well in his post......don't want to duplicate it
Thanks to Paul and Mel for a nice breakfast on our arrival to pick up Paul and his kit.
Thanks also to Neil (
@WildWood1965 ) for collecting the water from the river and making everyone happy by making the tea most of the time........also for the huge bag of pick and mix.....teeth are now knackered
...............enjoyed your company as co-pilot for some of the drive home
@Matt for organising yet another great trip........organising accommodations for the breaks..........and for being an all-around good egg........ and company.
The ONE cup of tea he made was a real treat............and caught on camera for the disbelievers
On a personal note, I had a few issues with kit........the most devasting was my Exped sleep, Matt which I have total faith in normally.....but managed to get two small punctures to appear on one of the seams.......now found and will be repaired.
The Robens Fairbanks tent turned out to be a real bitch with sagging when wet (new tent )
This would not NORMALLY be a problem as the sagging could be adjusted by simply tensioning the straps at the pegs.
Because the ground was so hard with frozen snow and shale beneath the snow the pegs were holding.....but would not.....could not.......... cope with the tightening of the straps and pulled out easily.
I made the decision to drop the tent in the end and kip in the Landrover
Had my heater in the tent for a good few hours and managed to thaw and dry it out mostly before packing it away.
On our next trip, I will be taking my SlumitGobi 3..................I really rate it and enjoy using it.
The issues were a nuisance but did not affect my enjoyment on the trip.
I would not hesitate to use the Fairbanks in the snow again..............was just unlucky with the ground for pitching.
Apart from that.............. this was a brilliant trip being out in the snow..............looking forward to the next one!!!
A few pictures.....more on my phone to follow.