Well now the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority are going into a 12 week public consultation period (starts today) on a new proposed bylaw they want to introduce that will allow them to crack down on this problem.

I do like the fact they have stopped referring to it incorrectly as “wild camping” which it most certainly was not, and have given it the name of “informal camping”.

You can get more info on the official site here and also read the actual document here.

So how does this affect us of the backpacking world? Well basically it means that in the area they want to apply this new bylaw to you won’t be able to camp unless in one of the official camp sites. But if you read the planned proposals then there are exceptions. One of which would allow backpackers to carry on as before, kind of. Here’s what it says:

“On prior application in writing to the Authority by an individual or group,the Authority shall be entitled at its sole discretion to grant exemption under these byelaws in circumstances where, in the opinion of the Authority acting reasonably, the activity or activities concerned would further the aims of the Park. Any exemption granted shall be in writing, shall specify the activity or activities for which the exemption is granted and shall specify the duration of the exempted period, and any terms or conditions which may apply. It shall be an offence to fail to comply with any such terms or conditions imposed by the Authority.”
I welcome this exemption, but I also hope that a bit of common sense will be shown by the Park Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies when coming across backpackers, and that they will not be heavy handed in their actions if they don’t have written permission. Backpackers are not the problem here, and it is usually pretty obvious who is a backpacker and who isn’t.

I can see why the Park Authorities need to do this, however I fear that they will use this to harrass backpackers as well.

You can also read the BBC Scotland coverage of this story as well here. A certain blogger gets quoted in the story as well

Apparently (and I haven’t dug out the maps to check this out yet) the racecourse is near or next to the Cotswold Way. But this got me thinking if folks are thinking of coming along, and I hope that they are that maybe they may want a few more suggestions as to what is available in the area for them to do.

Well there is the obvious of nipping into Bath itself and doing the tourist thing there. But as luck would have it The Guardian website have had a couple of bits up that may be of interest.

The first is something for you to listen to “Top National Trust walk in Bath: ‘Six mile ramble through wooded hills and valleys’” (you can get the downloadable map from the NT here). Which they have also written about on the Guardian site as well with a very nice picture of Bath on it. You can read the article here.

What I will do over the coming weeks in the run up to the AGM is dig up more ideas/suggestions for what to do while at the AGM that weekend.

I’d like to take this time to congratulate Robert and Jen on their marriage. I wish them both a long and happy marriage.

Which has meant I have spent less time blogging than I normally do. Now I can see that for some out there that can only be seen as a good thing.

But with this diversion coming to an end, it is going back for yet another repair, I can concentrate on more important things. Like the impending cut off date for route submissions for the TGO Challenge. So I am spending some belated time on getting my route worked out and written up.

The first three and a half days are worked out. I need to plot a path across the Monadhliath Mountains from Inverfarigaig to the start of the Lairig Ghru. Which I have about four days to it in. Then a leisurely two days to go over the Lairig Ghru and walk into Braemar.

In fact one of the hardest decisions I had to make was for my planned first day. I love waterfalls and one of the options when leaving Shiel Bridge is to see the falls at Allt Grannda. But North are the Falls of Glomach, which apparently are the highest unsupported falls in Britain. You can see the dilemma I had. Anyway after a quick chat with Alan I’m saving the Falls of Glomach for another crossing as they make sense to take in from another starting point. It’s great being able to call a friend and get some feedback on plans that are  floating around, get an opinion and talk things through.

One comment made to me at the end of last years Challenge from a good friend was that the next Challenge should be more er challenging. So who knows as I plot my way across the Monadhliath  I may take up that gauntlet, or I may delay that and take Mount Keen in as a different way to reach Tarfside. The bit after Braemar is all up for discussion at the moment. Who knows I may miss Tarfside altogether.

But all this does seem to have that old feeling of being at school and leaving homework to the last minute. Yeah I was never one of those studious types that did the homework the night it was given. I was too busy taking part in the that whole 80’s home computing boom thing. Oh yeah the skills that would later be of use to me.

Anyway enough of my ramblings I have some maps to look at.

I do feel that this blog seems to have developed a kind of photo blog element to it. It seems to have started after the 2008 TGO Challenge. On that crossing I used the camera on my MDA Vario III. Back then I was just snapping (ok you can argue that that’s all I am doing now as well), not thinking about the limitations of the camera I was using and trying to work within those limitations to get better results.

I then as long time readers will remember got a better camera. Which did have a very big impact on my walks. I was experiencing so much more on them, noticing more wild life and just as important capturing it with the camera.

Even though my cameras are not DSLR, they do have some of that control over the camera settings. For example controlling the shutter speed, aperture etc, and a 10x (or now 20x) optical zoom. And even though I say it myself I am and have been getting some great results with those cameras. Despite the handy cap of not having the foggiest how all those settings work (that’s a project for me to do before the Challenge this year).

But as you know I decided to go back to basics and start using the iPhone camera. Which is ironic really as the iPhone camera on my 3G is 2MP so less pixels than the camera I so cruelly rejected on the Vario III.

The big difference on the iPhone compared to the Vario III was the apps I could use to edit the photos. There was just nothing like them on the Vario III (which was a windows mobile based phone). However what made an even bigger difference was that I was more aware of the limitations of the camera and taking them into account when taking my photos. I also started thinking about the shot more that I was taking. Along with looking at photos by others and trying to replicate angles etc with my own photographs. I now need to start applying this to when I use the better camera.

Back to the iPhone apps these have made a big difference to my photo editing. The apps are aimed at my level of ability of using a photo editing app, ie very very simple. They enable me to achieve results with my photos that I am really happy with, but just as importantly I can achieve them quickly and simply. I’m looking forward to using these apps on the larger iPad.

I hope folks don’t mind these retrospectives of mine. I always find them handy examining the journey I have taken to get to where I am at the current point in time. It allows me to also think about where I’d like to go next on the journey. Which path to take, left or right?

It always seems to me that when I write a post like this I am almost thinking allowed, and sharing my thought process with you. Thank you for baring with me this far.

Todays arty farty pretentious iPhone photo effort (see photo at top of page) is more leaves but this time frozen ones. Yeah I bet you really needed me to tell you that one. Let’s just file it under stating the bloody obvious.

Yes I know that I take lots of photos of the ducks that live at the nature reserve. But I some how feel I have been documenting their struggle to survive through out the year. A struggle that has been exceedingly hard for them since just before Christmas when the cold spell hit. They even had to endure a zombie duck apocalypse and a serial killer in that time. So here is todays photo of the survivors.

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I know this sounds like I am blowing my own trumpet even maybe egotistical, but I’ve amazed myself with how good some of these have turned out.

So what I have done is put those favourites together in one place given them some pretentious titles, included location taken and some notes on the photo.

Which I suppose turns this into a virtual photo exhibition. Now if only I could monetise these.

I just hope that others like these as well.

	Squabbling Ducks Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve
Fenland Giants Location: Near Warboys It pays to look in the review mirror sometimes. This photo came about all because I noticed the setting sun behind me.
	Misty Morning On The Pond Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve
Ripples Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve The ripples were created by Barney after he had a little paddle in the freezing cold water.
	Flags Location: Crook
Winter Snow 1 Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve
	Winter Snow 2 Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve
Winter Snow 3 Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve
	Winter Snow 4 Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve
Shadows Location: Queen Elizabeth Park, Farnborough
	Swans Location: Fleet Pond These three show the swans at Fleet Pond cleaning themselves in the little bit of water that was available to them.
Slow Location: An early start for a drive South saw me catching the sun rising.
	A Local Classic Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve This was inspired by the classic image of Ullswater that has found it’s way into so many shops that sell prints, and onto many walls.
Misty Morning Swan Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve
	Moorhen Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve If I had to chose one as my all time favourite this is it.
Stone Wall Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve My attempt at capturing in an artistic way a Stone Wall.
	Toad Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve Well I couldn’t not like this one. After all it did win me that Webnation iPhone photo comp.
Autumn Leaves 1 Location: Queen Elizabeth Park, Farnborough
	Autumn Leaves 2 Location: Queen Elizabeth Park, Farnborough
Autumn Leaves 3 Location: Queen Elizabeth Park, Farnborough
	War and Peace Location: Durham Durham Castle and Cathedral
Pipistrelle Location: Durham Cathedral They have a colony of Pipistrelle at the Cathedral. It was amazing being able to get this close to get the photo of the juvenile.

Winter Snow 5

Location: Oakenshaw Nature Reserve

Even so I had spent my night in a nice warm double bed. Which I will be repeating tonight as well. Which is unlike Martin, who will be sleeping rough tonight to raise funds and awareness of the plight of the homeless.

As the late Bill Hicks put it so well:

“Anybody can be a bum; all it takes is the right girl, the right bar and the right friends, and you are well … your buddies will see you off. They’ll christen your dumpster for you.”

In these uncertain economic times I’m surprised that the homeless numbers haven’t gone up. Well I haven’t heard it reported on the news that they have. It does get me thinking just how close some people must be to being homeless. Of course those with families would get emergency housing from the council. But single people just aren’t that lucky. It seems the benefit system and help to those in need in this country is biased against the single person.

I know that the causes of some one becoming homeless can be more complicated than that. And that discussion is a massive one that can be very emotive. The majority of people seem to have an opinion on it. Very often they are polar opposites and there seems to be very little middle ground.

All I will say is that a society should be judged by how it treats it’s weakest and most vulnerable members (yes I know that is a quote from some-one but I’m not sure who said it and can’t be bothered to google it). As far as I can tell our society wouldn’t do very well if it was judged.

I’m going to leave you with more Bill Hicks and ask if you can, pop over to Martin and donate some money if you are able to.

"I’m from Houston, Texas originally, I moved up here a year ago. The first thing I noticed when I came here was the homeless situation. Now I’m no bleeding heart, okay? But . . . when you’re walking down the streets of New York and you step over someone who might be dead do you ever stop to think, ‘wow, maybe our system doesn’t work.’ Does that push a memory bubble up out of you? If there was only a couple of bums I’d think ‘well, they’re just fuckin’ bums,’ but there’s THOUSANDS of these guys. I’m running a bum hurdle down the street. It’s the hundred yard bum hurdle.

"gotanymoneygotanymoneygotanymoneygotanymoney? I tipped that last bum but I didn’t tip him over. Okay, that hurdle counts.

"Some of these guys look healthy but they’re just bums. The very idea. They want me to just give them the hard earned money my folks send to me every week. "You leech. Get a job, my dad works eight hours a day for this money."

"You ever get those bums that turn mental on you? "Sorry, I don’t got any money."

"MOTHERFUCKER!" "Wo wo, where’s my checkbook? Hold on. Is that Mr. Bum? How do I make it out? Is that Capital Vagrant? I didn’t know you were psycho, definitely wasn’t your personality that put you on the street was it?"

With another guy, he said, "Thanks a lot, buddy. You don’t know what it’s like to be broke!" I said, "Yeah I do, that’s why I work. I know exactly what it’s like. You sleep on the pavement, you dig through the garbage for food and you bum money from strangers. Am I right?"

"That is what I do."

"I feel sorry for these guys because I don’t know why they’re bums. Nobody every asks them. "What are you doing? Why are you digging through the garbage."

"You got a quarter?"

"Hey, for that same quarter I can get that bum to squeegee my window. I’m going to comparatively bum shop. I want the most for my bum quarter, and I want a receipt. That’s how you get rid of them. Get a receipt.

"Some people say, "Don’t give him any money, it’s probably for drugs and alcohol"

"Yeah. You’ve never been a junkie then. Drugs are pretty important to a drug addict."

"God damn right it’s for drugs, lady! And if you don’t give it to me I’m going to cut out you fuckin’ heart and eat it front of you."

"Well, if you put it that way." Ding.

"Thank you."

It’s described as “Similar to metrosexual but one who lives in the mountains or otherwise pursues the outdoors adventure lifestyle. Kind of a cleaned-up granola, a Woodsy GQ kinda guy with a splash of bohemian.”

That describes me and everyone on the TGO Challenge! Who indeed could deny that after seeing Mr Sloman in his best hotel trousers that he truly is the embodiment of the Challenger mountainsexual? Want further proof of Alan’s  right to this title? With his ever loyal man Friday, they host wine and cheese evenings as they stagger across Scotland looking for adventure and the pure adrenaline rush of getting to a comfy bed and hot shower (ok that was me last year I admit it).

Besides look at the pictures on this page showing off the latest in Challenge fashion sense. Confirmation indeed that we Challengers take how we look very very seriously. Last year the in look was the lime green crocs, and Ronhill trousers that made you look like an outdoors impersonation of Max Wall. The only draw back of the Ronhill look was that unless you had a package that could compete with Linford Christie then the ladies already knew that you had nothing to back the words up.

The definition goes on “Knows that he doesn’t have to look or smell like a dirtbag to enjoy climbing, hiking, cycling, skiing (all forms), snowshoeing, etc.”

Yeah every Challenger knows that. But if you didn’t smell how would people know we were Challengers? That’s part of the fun isn’t it smelling like a dog that has just rolled in some fox poo? Come on ladies admit it, if they could bottle up that distinctive odour of unwashed trail worn man sweat into an after shave you would be buying it for your man right now.

You can read the whole mountainsexual definition by clicking that link I just put on the term.

A big thank you to Duncan for letting me use his photos of me taken on the 2009 TGO Challenge.

I’m rather impressed with the audio quality considering it is just the internal phone mic, which is also being held away from the mouth, and not being held next to mouth like a phone usually is. The plus side is that I can also if I chose and had the money get an external mic to use with the program that would allow me to record in stereo.

Oh the app I was using was the FiRe app. It’s only draw back is that it doesn’t offer the option to save as an mp3. But I can understand why, that would require them having to license the tech involved and pushing up the cost of the app. Otherwise it does have a few output options on the sound formats.

So I think I have video, audio and photos sorted on the iPhone. I’m also at the moment playing around with some other apps that I will talk about more in another post. But these are more to do with using the GPS side of the iPhone.

I suppose the big question for all of you out there is why do I care about all this? I don’t have an iPhone, so what?

Over the last few years the mobile has become more and more of a convergent device. It truly has become a useful tool for those of us in the outdoors. You may not have an iPhone but you can bet good money on the fact that the iPhone is having a massive influence on the phones that you can get from other manufacturers. Whether you think that is a good thing or not is another thing altogether.

The iPhone really was a game changer for the industry. A very positive influence. Yes all the bits where there before hand, but it took some-one like Apple to come along and put them together in a way that worked and was consumer friendly.

So yes I talk about editing photos, or recording video and podcasts on the iPhone, that is the phone I have. There are other phones out there that can also do this, like Google Android based phones or the Palm Pre to single out a couple of specific examples.

But I think it would be remiss of me not to cover developments or useful apps that I come across in this field, and relate them to use in the outdoors. Now if you argued I’ve been doing a crap job of it, then I couldn’t argue against that.

Besides if you see what I am able to do on the iPhone it may get you thinking about what you can achieve with whatever phone you are using.

Wow I never saw that coming when I started writing this post. That’s what I love about writing my posts. I start in once place and end up in another place altogether. This was going to be a short post, with a photo taken a couple of days ago and some taken from this morning.

I’ll finish todays post with a photo of ol’ three legs himself paddling this morning. He may be short of a leg, but he is still hard as nails. The majority of the pond is till frozen, and I can assure you that water is ice cold.