My New Charriot slash Bike....

I think it's about time for a new post as I've been a little lazy recently and not updated what I've been up to.

A couple of weekends ago myself and a friend, Matthew, drove to Camberley just off the M3 to have a look at and buy a new bike. I say a bike but what I mean is a bike without wheels, plus it's second hand but new to me! The drive was fine apart from the possibility of being had by the police at one point but I wasn't sure how fast I was going.... ooops. Fingers crossed and touch wood, I've not had a nasty letter yet.

Anyway we arrived in Camberley parked at a church, called the chappy, and to our surprise he was across the road. It's unusual for me to find anywhere first time round. So we went into his house and were greeted by two huge Weimaraners who were lovely. One called Snatch and the other name I forget. Snatch got a little giggle to which I managed to hide from the owner who turned out to be a member of the Army and had completed various Iron Men and Triathlon competitions. I didn't want to annoy this guy for sure.

Matt and he had a lot to chat about because they are both into the heavy side of competitions whereas I'm content with fun rather than competition. So, eventually we came around to the bike and it looked great, Matt gave it his nod of approval and off we went, bike in car. Further more the bike is called a Specialized Epic, what a name!

Now I'd like to point out that I thought wheels would be relatively cheap and easy to find until we actually started to look around for them. They are not cheap, well the Fulcrum Red Metal 5's which I bought were not cheap but apparently the best value to weight to longevity ratio. Who knows if I'll ever feel the benefit of having flat spokes. They look sweet though.

Another slight issue about starting a new hobby is all the unforeseen costs and mountain biking is no exception. Being a skiier I did sort of understand that there would be some more tools and kit needed but the list is never ending with cycling. Fortunately there are only a few more items needed as I'm borrowing my mothers helmet, thanks Mum not sure if you knew that but it is a little small.

One thing has kept me rather chipper recently and I think it's to do with spending money and living in the countryside. Having never made the move to a large city where 95% of my friends are has been rather difficult but now after nearly 2 years I'm getting used to it and starting to love the relaxed life. I go mountain biking at least once a week and thankfully there are loads of trails around Dorset including Alfreds Tower which is only a few miles away.

Soon hopefully I'll be able to upload some videos of some of the trails as I've recently acquired a GoPro head cam which takes amazing videos but I broke the handlebar mount the other day and so swapping it for a chest mount which might be a little smoother, all being well.

Another new experience is using SPD pedals, these are the clip in ones that you see the Tour de France guys wearing and it takes a little while to get used to them as you're literally clipped in and can't get out unless you twist on purpose, yes I have fallen over but thankfully it was on grass and nobody was wathcing so I didn't feel like too much of a div. I bought my SPD shoes from John's Bikes in Bath and I thoroughly recommend going into to see them, my sister bought her bike from there too and she's very happy with it. Bath is also a great city to have a wonder around in.

All in all I'm very happy with the new bike although there is one problem and it's to do with space. Luckily I can keep the bike at work because there is not much space at home however I'm sure it'll find it's way there soon enough!

Once more to Afan, South Wales.

A couple of weeks ago Webtogs took us mountain biking to Afan in South Wales and sure enough those of us who had never been before caught the bug. We'd been planning our return since arriving back in Dorset and decided to go last weekend. Lucy, Jig, Lee and myself met at lunch time last Saturday to clamber on board Ernie the T25 Hightop VW Camper and put-put our way up the M4 to a new camp site called Bryn Bettws Lodge, about 7 miles from Afan.

We arrived at 4pm and to our surprise the sun was shining. We were overjoyed because the time before it never stopped raining, not for one minute, until we arrived back in England (see previous post). There was one downer from the sun shining and that was the attack of the midges. These miniature replicas of kamikaze mosquito's were everywhere, I definitely inhaled about 500 making for a light, unexpected evening snack, tasty....

Finding Bryn Bettws Lodge wasn't a challenge as Tom Tom knew where he was going, however we arrived at what looked like a small drive which we thought might be the way to the camp site. As it happens it was the way, but this drive turned into a 2 mile long track and we would have turned around half way had we not been feeling adventurous. Note to others who are going for their first time; if you arrive at what seems like a forest track then carry on because what awaits you is quite astonishing.

We wound our way up the stony track and then rolled around the final corner which opened up into a car park with what looked like a 10th century run down church in the corner and then on a lower tear stands the lodge. It's a fairly impressive building seeing as it's half way up a mountain, looking up the valley towards Afan. To the right they've made a down hill section which looked like great fun but I think we were all put off somewhat when the owner said we had to sign a waiver to go on. It still was only my second time mountain biking after all and Whites Level trail would be hard core enough.

We set up camp and then fired up the BBQ whilst sinking a few cold beers which slipped down mighty fine. The beers went down a little too quickly and so we had to wait until the lodge bar opened at 7 to quench our thirst some more. Luckily Lucy met a nice chap who was off to Tesco to buy some beer so we chucked him some dollar and off he went to Tesco while we went off to the bar. After a couple more beers and lots of laughs later we retired only to be attacked again by the midges which were very unwelcome I have to say.

Morning arrived and a few sore heads, mainly Jig, rolled out and into the lodge for a lovely breakfast. Egg, bacon, sausage, hash browns and beans for £3.50, great value I'd say. Poor Jig who isn't very good on a hangover hardly ate a thing, great for me so I had his hash brown, and some more beans. Then before we knew it we were at Skyline Hire Centre just down from Afan borrowing some Kona full suspension bikes. £40 and a £200 quid deposit later and we were off hammering our way up Whites Level trail.

This time there were only four of us and we flew up the mountain. The weather had cleared up the day before and the track was still wet in places but we had more grip than last time. Another reason for our speedy ascent was the darned midges. If you stopped for more than 2 minutes you'd be attacked by a million blood suckers so we tried to keep the stops little and often. Apparently that's the way to loose weight, eat little but often, not sure where I heard that though.

Last time we cycled Afan the weather was so terrible that we couldn't see any of the scenery, low lying cloud and fog filled the valley. This time, however, the weather was fine and wow what a place. Each time you emerged from the forest there was a view which beat the one before. We also came across several giant wind turbines on one of the descents which we were a little stunned about because they were hidden from view last time.

The hills of the valleys are densely populated with fir trees which are planted for the forestry commission and then felled in stages so some of the hillsides look like patch work but with trees obviously. This adds to the feel of the trails because you enter and leave different forests and barren parts of the mountain. At first it's a little strange but you get used to it fairly quickly and where the trees have been felled it means that you stand less chance of crashing into one.

Again we arrived at the foot of the mountain all with massive smiles on our faces and wandered into the cafe to have a good feed before showering and then delivering the bikes back. There was one mishap and it was Lee who decided to fall off rather spectacularly. One part of the trail is raised off the floor which means that if you lose a wheel over the edge you're going to fall off. Lee's Facebook status after read "If you're not crashing you're not pushing". Nice one Lee, I'd say if you're crashing you're hurting and judging by the size of your elbow I'd say that you hurt!

Another very successful trip to Wales done and looking forward to the next one. A few of my other friends are now thinking that they like the look of it now so hopefully we'll get a regular trip going, who knows maybe we might hit the down hill course next time!

On a more serious note mountain biking in South Wales does a lot more than give you a huge adrenaline rush. It's helping bring back some of the life which has been lost in the mining villages due the the coal mine closures. Many of the villages seem deserted and run down but you can definitely see the impact from the introduction of mountain bike trails and hiking routes. They are helping bring back jobs and money to the area which in time will benefit everybody and hopefully open up a few more mountains to walk and cycle up.

First Wakeboarding Experience - Poole Harbour, Dorset.

Now, I know that water sports are not the best training for climbing mountains but I went wakeboarding last weekend. The weather was absolutely brilliant and thought it would be a new experience for a Sunday. Here follows the sequence of events that lead to me aching in places I never knew existed.

Lucy and her boyfriend Jig have a wicked little Fletcher speedboat called Burt, that in itself is amazing. Who owns a boat called Burt?! Anywho, Burt has an 85hp outboard engine and enough room for 4 people, we managed to squeeze 5 on as Lee and Max came along too.

So last week Lucy mentioned that she might be going wakeboarding on the weekend and I thought to myself "Hmmm can't be that hard". So I had a look on youtube for some videos on how to stand up, and lets be honest now, the guys on youtube make it look so easy just to lure you in so once you're in the water and strapped into the board there's no escaping.

News flash - it's not easy and my goodness it hurts. There is nothing to prepare you for the force which 85hp generates and it's all through your abs, lats and legs. I'm still aching now, although I have just played two back to back hockey matches on the following evenings, which haven't helped recovery.

Jig went into the water first and sure enough stood up straight away thus confirming my original thoughts on the ease of the sport. He looked like a pro and was cruising in and out of the wake, using one hand and generally looking pretty relaxed. Anybody who knows me will say that I'm pretty relaxed, my skiing style is pretty much horizontal and I like to be chilled in most things that I do so to see Jig looking so chilled being pulled along by Burt was like a dream come true. There was no way I was being defeated by inexperience and I wanted to stand up. (This is Jig below)

My first few attempts at standing up proved useless and I started to feel like I was holding everyone up. Each time I nose dived or face planted into the water the guys had to do a U turn and we had to set up again. After about my 6th attempt I started to get the hang of it and I managed to get my bum out of the water but then hastily bailed again. Things became a little easier and after countless times a miracle happened and Charlie rose from the water, like a phoenix out of the ashes, but not so elegant. If I could bottle that feeling up and sell it I'd be a millionaire. It was incredible, if only for a short while before accidentally 'edging' off course and stacking it again. After that I thought I'd save my energy for round two and to make way for the others to have a go. (This is me below).

We then had some lunch on the beach and headed back out on the water for round two. Round two was great and the more you fell over, the more you learned. I even tried to ride switch which ended, well, quickly much to the others enjoyment and laughter by the sound from the video footage.

We ended the day shooting off out of the harbour and into the sea so we could deploy the ringo's. These giant rubber rings spell unexpected colonic irrigation when being dragged round the sea at what seems like 70 miles an hour but it's a gamble which adds to the excitement. I don't think anyone suffered it thankfully. The doughnuts, once skidding round after a turn, seem to accelerate faster than the boat. This is when you don't want to be heading towards a set of small but menacing waves, and yes you've guessed it, you hit the first, lift off, hit the second mid-air and then the third catapults you off, up and over into the water all at speed. A huge mixture of fun, fright and adrenaline mixes together to plaster a smile on your face which is hard to get rid of.

One boat called Burt, two ringo's, two wakeboards, five passengers and 85 horse power, what could go wrong? The answer to that is nothing, gladly, but I know that my face hurt from smiling so much and that I swallowed enough water to make me want to go to the loo. Not funny. All in all a great experience and I can't wait to do it all again soon.

Mountain Biking - Afan, South Wales.

A few months ago the decision was made that we, the Webtogs workforce, would be going to Afan in South Wales to participate in some mountain biking. Most of the guys and girls have had some experience in mountain biking but I of course have had none and was in for a bit of a shock.

We left work at just gone 4pm on Friday to drive to Wales. Five of us jumped aboard Mike's Bongo van while the other four went in Keiths Audi with all the gear and off we went. Keith decided to go via the 'nam' as in Chippen'nam' but we went through Bathampton and stole the lead as the traffic wasn't too bad. Soon nature called and the Audi over took us to arrive at the camp site long before. They kindly set up the tents at Glyncorrwg Ponds camp site while we waited at Afan Lodge where I kicked Mike's bum at pool several times.

What I've failed to mention so far is that on Friday morning the weather was okay. North Dorset had sunny spells but mainly cloudy, but once we arrived in Wales the weather rolled in and it did not stop raining until we arrived back in England on the Saturday afternoon. We love our weather but non stop rain in Wales, and the sun when we arrive home, is a little annoying!

So after rather a damp sleep and a few croissants Keith, myself, Mike and Lee went to hire some rather nice looking bikes to get us up Afan and off we went, eight Webtogs staff and one North Face rep, Jon Stock. Due to the persistent rain we were all dressed up in shorts and waterproof jackets. I had donned my brand new Marmot Mica Jacket over the top of an Under Armour Cold Gear long sleep Mock baselayer which together managed brilliantly but of course were covered in mud.

The ride was about 2 hours up hill and an hour and a half down hill. To start off with, getting your balance and technique right was a little tricky but we soon had wise words of wisdom from Keith to keep peddling but not put too much effort in. Keith would only put his foot down when he had stopped to re-group, so we all took this in and started shooting up the mountain.

With a few brilliant stacks along the way, me included as I became friendly with a tree at one point, we all arrived back at the camp site safely. We met Sue and Kuma who'd been on rather a wet walk and started to discuss our favourite sections and falls of the ascent and descent over a hot cup of tea and some hearty food to replenish our energy stores.

After some food and a warmish shower, we packed up and left for home. To make sure Mike didn't fall asleep at the wheel, there was a lot of singing in the bongo van mainly to Paul Simon as everyone loves 'You can call me Al'. The Greatest Hits album is a real winner if you like Paul Simon by the way. We all got a little excited when we were crossing the Severn Bridge because we saw the first bit of sunshine and it felt like a lifetime since last seeing it.

It was an absolutely amazing, eye opening weekend and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes adrenaline sports. For me I think it could be the start of a small mountain biking obsession, thank you Webtogs!

First steps

Hello, I'm Charlie and this is my first post in my first blog so be patient with me! This has come about due to a few circumstances that have all come together in order to give me a kick up the backside and get on and get outside.

I am working for a very successful e-commerce retailer of Outdoor Clothing, Equipment and Footwear called Webtogs.co.uk. I've been here for nearly 2 years and started off as a warehouse operative and have worked my way up to my current role as Website Manager. I love it and have a great time sifting through all the new gear for the coming seasons and salivating over which new jacket I'm going to buy but never actually get round to buying it and before too long we've sold out and I have to wait another year. The brands that we are very lucky to stock include The North Face, Marmot, Mountain Equipment, Rab and many more. Everyone who I work with swears by these brands and I'm looking forward to testing them out in the future myself.

This year, things have changed quite drastically and I've quit smoking, after 20 a day for 10 years, I've joined a gym and am still a member of my local hockey club, Gillingham HC. The club are much happier as I can now run around for a full match rather than half! Right back to the point. So now being healthy and more energetic than usual I have decided to get involved in hiking, camping and whatever outdoor activity springs to mind really. We're off to Port Talbot Mountain Biking next week with work so that'll be a great start.

Now there is some serious irony in my job and experience in the outdoors, it's quite embarrassing really so don't laugh.... Quite a large part of my job as website manager at Webtogs is to add all the coming seasons new products to our website and to make sure all the content is unique and interesting to those reading up on the new technologies and ideas added to the various products - this therefore makes me very geeky and I get my kicks out of explaining how things work and why. However I know how all these things work in theory but have never had the inclination to go and try them out first hand. Kind of like Nicolas Cage in 'The Rock' when he has to go and disable some rockets which he's never seen but read about, maybe that's a little extreme but you see my point.

I am not a complete recluse, as I've completed a couple of ski seasons and have lived under the Matterhorn for 6 months so I do know what it's like to get outside it's just a change from skiing down mountains to walking up them that's all.

The other day I was chatting to a friend of mine who teaches at the school I used to attend. We decided that as the school are paying for him to complete all his Mountain Leader courses he should take me with him whenever he goes off to the remote parts of our countryside. He agreed; and here starts my entrance into the outdoors.

Oh, and this friend from school wants to climb Mt Blanc next Summer and told me that he sees this next year as training. Oh dear, it looks like it's going to be a fairly steep learning curve for me but I'll update you more after I've had a chance to chat to him at hockey tonight.

Thanks for reading, C