BROKE BIKE MOUNTAIN

Started training for my GYM FOR HEROES, so put the bike in for a service, picked it up and a few days later, off i set, to work on toughing up another group of muscles, which i am far to polite to discuss on a blog.
4 miles into the hills and what happens?

so got an extra work out by having to carry the bike 3 miles back home to finish the circuit. great!



On the walking front, i completed my first long walk on mothers day,18.5 miles prior to taking everyone out for Tea at the lerwick hotel, top food but slightly sore feet

Today started on the rower and yes of course the run of good luck continues, as i type this with my good hand!

well that's it for this week,off to nurse my wounds and try and find a bagful of enthusiasm for next weeks training

SHETLAND MARILYNS NOT THE MUNROS!

Started to concentrate more on height rather than distance. to build up the muscle and joint power required in Nepal

having already completed  two of the highest Marilyns in Shetland, Ronas Hill 450m and Fitful Head 283
 i have now added Sandness Hill 249 and Scrae Field 216 to that list, brilliant views from Scrae Field sadly the mist was down on Sandness, visibility was less than 25m so had to use my compass for the first time to find a safe route back down. an experience in itself after 20 years.

Also completed some sub Marilyns on route,

A Marilyn is "a hill of any height with a drop of 150 metres (nearly 500 ft) or more on all sides". In other words, a Marilyn is a hill which is relatively high compared to its surroundings. There are 19 Marilyns in Shetland.

Marilyns In Shetland

Click here for a map showing the 19 Marilyins in Shetland. (Marilyns appear as Type=M on this map).
The full list is as follows:

Name	Height (Meters)	Height (Feet)	Map Reference
Dalescord Hill	252	827	HU 39300 68400
Fitful Head	283	928	HU 34633 13547
Hill of Arisdale	201	689	HU 49500 84200
Mid Ward	172	564	HU 32000 65200
Noss Head	181	594	HU 55384 39886
Ronas Hill	450	1476	HU 30529 83486
Royl Field	293	961	HU 39594 28518
Sandness Hill	249	817	HU 19171 55722
Saxa Vord	285	935	HP 63121 16623
Scalla Field	281	922	HU 38932 57260
Scrae Field	216	709	HU 41790 36148
The Noup	248	814	HT 95400 37500
The Sneug	418	1371	HT 94780 39508
Valla Field	216	709	HP 58462 07867
Vord Hill	159	522	HU 62229 93521
Ward Hill	217	712	HZ 20838 73402
Ward of Bressay	226	741	HU 50287 38722
Ward of Scousburgh	263	863	HU 38791 18803
White Grunafirth	173	576	HU 27568 80731

Notes:

A 'sub-Marilyn' is a hill which just fails (by up to 10m) to qualify on the drop rule, i.e. drop of 140m to 149m on all sides.
The Marilyns are so-called by the list's compiler, Alan Dawson, after the more famous mountain list - the Munros.
You can learn more at the Marilyn News Centre website and also at this site about The Relative Hills Of Britain.

ii SHETLAND MAGAZINE ARTICLE

BLISTERS, BAD KNEES AND BEN NEVIS

While i might be sufferring from blisters and bad knees, i am still focused on the reason for me doing this trek, my few aches and pains are nothing compared to the trauma some of our forces suffer on a day to day basis, so to make sure i stay on track, i have decided to trek up Ben Nevis on the 26th of April, the trip expenses will be covered by my employer as i have to go to Inverness for business and will combine the two

Ben Nevis (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Nibheis, pronounced [peˈɲivəʃ]) is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom and the whole of the British Isles. It is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William.

As is common for many Scottish mountains, it is known both to locals and visitors as simply the Ben.^[1][2] It attracts an estimated 100,000 ascents a year,^[3] around three-quarters of which^[4] are made using the well-constructed Pony Track from Glen Nevis on the south side of the mountain. For climbers and mountaineers the main attraction lies in the 700-metre (2,300 ft) high cliffs of the north face; among the highest cliffs in the United Kingdom, they harbour some classic scrambles and rock climbs of all difficulties, and are one of the principal locations in the UK for ice climbing.

The summit, at 1,344 metres (4,409 ft) above sea level, features the ruins of an observatory, which was permanently staffed between 1883 and 1904. The meteorological data collected during this period are still important for understanding Scottish mountain weather. C. T. R. Wilson was inspired to invent the cloud chamber after a period spent working at the observatory.

kit sponsors

working on putting together the kit i need for the trip,

concentrating on the expensive items first, today's job, sun glasses with full UV protection

Thanks to C Kelly Opticians for their expertise and kind words of encouragement

and not forgetting the generous discount

Group Contact:	Andrew Foyle
Contact's Title:	Practice Manager
Contact Address:	58 Comercial Street Lerwick Shetland
Postcode:	ZE1 0BD
Area:	Shetland-wide
Contact Telephone:	01595 693690
Fax No:	01595 695304

Tread Bare

Back out walking tonight after a bout of man flu, kept me inside, shame as the sun has been shining everyday i have been sick.

After 230  miles my first pair of trekking boots have bitten the dust

So on Saturday i treated myself to a new pair, i looked them up on the Internet, checked them out in magazines and even read a few forums, there was a stockist in Shetland ( a miracle in itself), so with a handful  of  11 crisp ten pound notes , Three times as much as my first Pair, i headed to lerwick and got them.

Tonight like a kiddie at Christmas i opened the box with glee, shiny new socks too,
so booted and spurred off  i went.
and what happened! Got my first blister! typical

so what have i learnt
-cheap is always cheerful, expensive is not always a guarantee.
on the other hand it could just be-
don't try to brake new boots in walking 7 miles up and down hills in the dark, at a fairly fast pace because you don't want to miss junior doctors on BBC three

painful lesson learnt,

On the fundraising front, went to the terminal building this afternoon to stock up the wristband box, they are selling well
While i was there, the terminal staff gave me the money they have raised over the last few weeks,doing various things,a cake bake,a prize draw and guess the number of sweets in a jar, a total of £73.15p
thank you very much to all of you, but a special thanks to Mary at security, as in her own words" I'm the nagger who collects the money" you might be a nagger Mary but your also a SUPER STAR

Thanks again for all the support

Dal Bhat simply delicious

It was Curry night at the fire station, so the boys got me a Dal baht to try, it was great, but i will have to learn to trek fast between meals and villages in Nepal , if i am to avoid a "Paula Radcliffe " at altitude!

Liked it so much, we had it at home for tea tonight.
The Nepalese Restaurant that made it, also offered to host a Help For Heroes night, where a set menu will be offered and the profits will go to H4H, just need to speak to the owners to confirm a date, thanks to all the staff at the Gurka Kitchen for that, have included the recipe below if you want to try.

Dal bhat (Hindi: दालभात) is a traditional India and Nepali staple food consisting of cooked or steamed rice or sometimes other cereal bhat and lentil soup Dal. It is generally eaten twice a day: mid-morning and early evening.
Bhat means boiled rice. At higher elevations where rice does not grow well, other grain such as makkai (maize), fapar (buckwheat), jahun (barley) or kodor (millet) may be substituted in a cooked preparation called atho or dhiru. Bhat may be supplemented with roti or chapati (rounds of unleavened bread).
Dal may be cooked with tomatoes, onion, chili, tamarind, garlic and ginger in addition to lentils or beans. It always contains herbs and spices such as coriander, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric. Recipes vary by season, locality, ethnic group and family.
Dal bhat is often served with vegetable tarkari - a vegetable curry with spices similar to those of Indian cuisine. Then it is called Dal bhat tarkari (दाल भात तरकारी). There may also be yoghurt or curry made of chicken, goat meat or fish. A small portion of chutney or pickle (called achar) is usually included.

Dhal Bhat Recipe

Ingredients:

Dhal
10 tbsp mixed lentils
2 chopped tomatoes
1 medium onion
chilli, coriander, garlic, ginger garam masala to taste
Bhat
Rice washed and stood in cold water

Directions:

Boil the lentils with 5 cups of hot water. Once they are soft, mash them and add the spices. In a separate pan fry the onion, garlic, and tomato and once done add to lentils.
Finally, add a handful of coriander to the soup.
Cook rice from cold water. Pour dhal over the top of rice and eat!


Enjoy, early night ,off walking again in the morning
cheers