2016 Summer Microadventure Challenge (or how to forget everything you should really have taken but still have fun)

Ok so this one was a little ill-thought out. Firstly I got the dates wrong - I thought that the deadline was 30th May. So I was already slightly late by going out on June 1st, but no problem. No problem at all in fact, I actually had til the end of June! Next there was the weather, being in the middle of a heatwave I wasn't even going to take a jacket, but thankfully I did. I took two......no three! I confess I took a bus to Upper Largo, as I can't count the number of times I've walked along the beach to the foot of Largo Law (that's my excuse for now). I stripped down to a t-shirt - unusual for me & also it was a cotton one, another hiking faux pas. I slathered myself in some Smidge as there were bugs about. Here's a picture of the hill :-

So just about now I realized I had no memory card in the camera so I won't be winning any prizes this time around. My phone camera would have to do & it's a bit rubbish. Weather was still very nice for nine in the evening.
So I got to the top without much difficulty.....well not too much, Largo Law is only 900 ft but it's also fairly steep. I changed out of my sweaty clothes & aired them on various rocks/ trig points etc. Fortunately nobody was around to witness this, apart from a few sheep. None of the sheep fainted or seemed to be overly traumatised. I took a wee while to scout out a good camp spot. I wanted to be out of the wind but the first few sites turned out to be a bit rocky underfoot.

The view here shows the Firth of Forth looking down to Upper Largo and along to Kincraig.
I chose a good site that was flattish but with a little soft vegetation for comfort. Now I'm someone that always carries a bivvy bag but rarely use the thing as intended - I almost always put a basic tarp up above it. No rain was forecast so I was eager to stick to the "rules" & also to try out some summer minimalist kit. With that in mind I opted for some tyvek as a groundsheet (it worked fine but got as damp as everything else) & took only my lightest "tropical" sleeping bag. Big mistake - I think my partner's hooped bivy would have been a better option along with my winter weight bag. It was freezing!

My (wholly inadequate) sleep system :- Rab bivy, tropical sl bag & tyvek groundsheet....oh & a thermarest pad. No foam mat, again big mistake. I'd love to hear other's recommendations for a condensation-free bivy experience!
I'll come back to this in a minute. Meantime here are some nice views :-

Here is the trig/summit :-

I was tucked under a nice little col. I don't have any photos - presumably because it got too dark too quickly, my fingers actually needed gloves (which of course I didnt have, being the first of June during a heatwave.) & also all my belongings pretty much froze solid overnight. Anyway it was a nice little hummock to cook on & take in the views. After setting up the camp & getting my tea on the go I was pretty much wearing everything I had : t shirt, shirt, merino top, jacket, down jacket (good call), wooly hat (even better call) & cagoule  (does anyone even call them cagoules now?). Yep, It was like a winter's night.....& I should know. *

Desperate attempt at a selfie. Luckily for you, you can't see much of my sweaty face.
Ok so I had a nice tea of chili con carne & rice ( I favour supermarket bags of convenience food over dehydrated space age stuff ) cooked on gas which was fine. My seat doubled as a windbreak. No booze this time, I think I was going for a healthy over-nighter. So I then retired to bed. I think I had to pretty much wear everything from the get-go, none of this start cold & layer-up-later malarky. I took off the cagoule though. So yeah, the sleeping bag did not live up to the name - fitful sort of cat-napping & semi-awake-bag,  would be nearer the mark. The view straight up was good initially,  some twinkly stars & I enjoyed watching the moon travel across the sky. Soon though the mist rolled up from the sea & condensation started to appear everywhere bolstered by the local Haar (sea fog), & so I had to deal with a very wet flappy bivi on my face, all night. Not good. Worse - it was cold, really cold. My winter  bag would have been better, Thankfully the down jacket  saved me from hypothermia &/or certain death. Merino leggings helped, but again, winter gear would have been a better choice. A foam mat would have usefully augmented the airbed I used.
 I did sleep but fairly fitfully. Sheep came & investigated me at dawn. I got up pretty early - 5.am ish, I knew I wouldn't sleep much more. It stubbornly remained cold, so I stayed fully dressed in my alpine layering system. Breakfast was good - those lightweight  eat-in-the-pot Hot Oats are my favourite. A couple of sticks of some godawful brand of coffee  sufficed for caffeine re-supply. It stayed cold until 7 or so when I set off again. (top tip - always remove extra jackets & any leggings or residual pyjama effects, as you will soon warm up on the move &  you won't want to stop & take them off later....you should though)
The view north :-

Ok so, it was my Father's Birthday & I planned to surprise him,  combining the overnighter with a walk to his home in Cupar. I have followed this route before (thankfully, as I took the wrong map!) & most of it follows farm tracks & paths through a beautiful estate & basically follows a fairly straight line without too much in the way of livestock, crops, or fences to cross. I got soaked again ( by going through a meadow instead of following the border of a field. I soon dried off but avoided further drenchings by sticking to fields & avoiding woodland ) I won't bore you further with any of the details, I'll just put up some more pics.

View East towards Leven/Kircaldy

 Saw a little brown fox  hereabouts.

Strangely insulting signage.

Look, it's the only significant hill for miles, so I had to photograph it from every conceivable angle.

Steady, ladies.

I had to cross the road near this thriving metropolis.

Ok so I made it to dad's before lunchtime. The long walk didnt't seem too bad - perhaps helped by the light packweight  & the fact that the scenery - in the sun - was even more beautiful than I remember. All this helps make up for the slightly rough night. A lesson learned for the next time, I hope.


* - I do this kind of thing all year round, winter included. I'm strange like that.