Pablo’s Woodlife

I’m still thawing out. Even though there was little wind chill and compared to extreme colds in some more northern countries and perhaps Canada this probably was nothing. Nevertheless, I still thought it was damned cold.

We had great difficulty getting the fire going on Friday night. A couple of feather sticks helped and we chopped the wood down into slithers, but it was still damp all the way through. Not only was it damp, but the damp had frozen through the wood. Any heat was taken away almost immediately and at best, for a while at least, we had a miserable, smouldering mess. But it did pick up eventually.

With little daylight left, the tarp and hammock went up. After a bit of tea, a friendly social as more people turned up, a bit of start-gazing at the crisp, clear night sky, I turned in. I looked longingly at the Helesport tipi Rob had just erected.

It wasn’t a bad night. Only my toes suffered the cold. This was my own fault. I always takes off my socks and rub some talcum powder on to my feet and then put a pair of fresh socks on before turning in. This chore leaves the feet massaged with blood circulating and, above all, dry. I was too lazy and too cold, consequently I suffered.

The morning saw a layer of fine snow and a crackling cold temperature. When I went to bed it was minus 4C. It wasn’t that much warmer in the morning. Luckily the fire had been started and was looking good.

The coffee pot was on, the smell of bacon was in the air, and things were looking up.

Later, I wandered down into the valley, following some fallow tracks. The stream was in full flow and it was nice just to sit in the weak sunshine, listening to the water being pushed along the narrowing gaps between the fallen branches. Despite the cold, it was a beautiful day.

My feet were beginning to thaw as I climbed the hill back to the hut. I had seen no deer so I had to be content with watching the birds hurrying to try and beat the daylight to find enough to eat.

It was time for us to eat again. I planned not to make the same mistake as the previous evening and prepared not only the fresh socks and powder, but a NATO water bottle full of hot water to warm the bottom of the sleeping bag. I also closed down the usually open side of the tarp. I intended to be snug-as-a-bug.

We piled the fire high and sat around it in a huddle slowly roasting away. Amongst other things we discussed the merits of wool layering and keeping hydrated in the cold. It was great to see everyone again and even though we were a little thin on the ground, there was enough of us to keep out the cold through joking and laughter.

I was certainly warmer during the night and had the additional benefit of having non-frozen water to drink in the morning. The MSR dromedary had frozen solid. After a quick breakfast, it was time to pack away. My fingers suffered as I wrapped up the ice-cold cordage and it took me twice as long to pack everything away. On this occasion I was pretty glad to see the car as I walked around the bend and into the car park. Roll on spring!