Kona Coiler For Sale

My baby's gotta go!

"I've been riding mtbs for 14 years and with a lot of different people, I really can't think of a single person or situation that needs a bike like this." http://www.singletrackworld.com/article.php?sid=1422

2004 model, purchased new March 2005.Extensively upgraded.

Size 18" (suit 6' ish rider). Suspension tuned for 13st ish rider.

Colour: Frame in faded skull (off white). Black rear.
Sram X7 drive with original deore shifters. Raceface XC cranks.
2005 Marzocchi Z1FR1 150 20mm.
TF Tuned in May 06 (Have receipt)
Fox Vanilla R. Mojo Serviced in May 06 (have receipt)
Front wheel: Hope Bulb on Mavic Z729. Maxxis High-Roller 2.35
Rear wheel: Hope Sport on Mavic D121. Maxxis High-Roller 2.35 Both built by Cyclopedia, Cardiff using strong black spokes (not the cheap crap).
Hayes HXF9 brakes.
All bearings and bushings replaced in Jan 06 by Sunset Cycles, Cardiff.
Odi Lockon grips.
New Kona Jump Saddle (not the wrecked one in the picture).

Frame cosmetically poor. Scratched and mud-strain. No dents or cracked welds though! £100s and £100s spent on keeping mechanicals in top notch. This bike has done 3 alps trips, many Dragon DH runs, and finished in the top quarter in the Dfyi Enduro. The one do-it-all bike....? Enrage the non-believers for only £750.
Cash on collection. Bike in South Wales. Available to collect 23rd October.

Photo Album now on-line

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The Grantha

Our Pub of Choice for a drink after work.

Cambridge might be seriously boring from an outdoor sportman's point of view, but at least you can get a decent pint.

Spiffing! 

Messing About in Boats

Andy, a mate from Uni, playing at the National Watersports Centre, Nottingham

Had a good paddle with some old mates from Uni. It's a bit daunting to think it might be 18 months till I get in a boat again. After this job I'll need some series skills-rehab! 

Derbyshire Field Course

"...FITZROY SOLE WESTERLY OR SOUTHWESTERLY 8 OR 9. RAIN SHOWERS AT FIRST IN BISCAY. 968. POOR..."

Words from the radio that would have, a year ago, had me grabbing my surfboard and checking the local beaches' webcams. But not last Sunday. With my mind set for a drenching, I packed every waterproof I own and joined the minibus to Curbar Edge in the Peak District.

Thankfully the met-men got it wrong, and the forecast storms never made more than a down poor on the way home from the pub one night. This left us with excellent conditions to learn abseiling and jumaring: Techniques to allow us to descend into, and escape from crevasses in the ice. Although I spent a lot of time rock climbing at University, it had been a while since I last ventured on to the rocks. The knots and abseiling came flooding back, and I learned some new techniques for getting back up the ropes from our excellent mountain guides.

There was more to this course than just the ropes. Divided into the groups we will be sharing a base with, we lived in big tents and cooked outdoors. Once he had recovered from finding tins of Spam in the food box, Antony, our chef (pictured), supervised the best Pasta Surprize I've ever tasted.

T'was a good week.

Ah yes! Welcome to the re-sized pages!

Got a free five minutes so am having a fiddle with the page formatting.

Picture shows the main hall at Girton in full evening bar set up. 

Girton Conference

This is it!
Many new to BAS find their Antarctic Experience starts at the Girton Conference. It was equally important to those of us who've been in for a while, as pretty much every 'Ice' question was answered. Over the first three days, there were lectures of the origins of BAS, the nature of the stations and on the science being carried out. The history lectures were really fascinating. Sitting in a red-brick lecture hall, captivated by an 1947 sled-dog training film, it really felt good to be a small part of a historic institution.

Thursday to Saturday covered advanced first-aid. Although I've done a good few such courses before, this drew home the point that we really are going to the end of the earth, and, over winter, there will be no-one else to help us! Thankfully the doctors were excellent teachers and we all passed with good marks. That's one weight off my mind.

As there's no rest for the wicked, I spent today with a smaller team going over the oil-spill responce plans. This is important as a small spillage could do serious harm to the fragile eco-system, particularly on the South Georgia islands.

Tomorrow: Crevasse Resque training on the trecherous glaciers of...

...Derbyshire.

My New Company Car

Here it is! 

Thinking Inside The Box

I have a space just 100x80x70cm in which to pack what Z-list fans might describe as my 'luxury items': it's going to be a tight squeeze! In addition to this crate, which will be manifested as cargo, meaning I don't see it on the journey, I'm also allowed to take passenger luggage. Despite having ruthlessly auditted my life before leaving Wales, I'm now struggling to decide what I can do without over the 2 month voyage. Alongside non-essential items in the crate, I've added some supprises including a selection of magazines, DVDs and CDs. This was all purchased along with a 2-year supply of underwear in a most surreal trip to Adsa.

Back in the office, things are still storming along at full pace. We've mixed chemicals, seen a selection of new vehicles, and have nearly grasped the complex calibrations requried to use the Dobson Ozone Spectrometer. We've also been busy equiping ourselves with more tools and toys for the journey. Ebay have been doing very well!

I've started to feel tired this week. Looking back in my diary shows not one free day in over a month. Add in a full-on holiday and a very emotional previous week, and it's not supprising I'm starting to flag a bit. Hopefully the remaining A4 sheet of life-admin will be finished on Saturday, finally giving me a day to myself. We will see...