"Don't let a bit of bad weather put you off!" That's what my dog; The-Chezza-Pooch said as I grumbled about the wind and rain and settled into my cosy couch to enjoy a second round of ASDA's own potato hoops.
"But it's one of those storms with a name" I protested.
"What name?"
"Bebbie, or Barbie or Bibbit or something" I responded finishing my Hula Hoop imitations and reaching for a morbidly oversized bowl of Crunchynut Cornflakes.
"You can't be worried about something called Barbie-Baby" She argued sitting patiently at my feet and fixing me with an unblinking stare that combined vulnerability and obsessive-persistence in equal measures.
I didn't respond. A silence fell in the room, a silence that was punctuated only by the gentle slurp of my breakfast cereal being devoured. Chezza kept staring. And then, almost imperceptibly at first, a noise like a squeaky gate began emanating from what seemed like the back of her head. I knew it would build in pitch and volume and then turn into the combined sound of a wolf howling, a toddler crying and fingernails being scraped across a chalk-board.
"Alright, alright" I said "Just don't start that din"
"You'll enjoy it once you're out there" She said her mood changing from tragic to bullish in an instant.
"Oh god, it's past two already" I said. "I bet we end up setting up in the dark!"
To be continued (watch the video).
We made it to the Rhinog mountains a little later than I had hoped and hiked our way up for what turned out to be a very gentle storm-camp. I love tent-time so always look forward to being cooped up in a binbag with the rain hammering outside. It's basically a game of dens that you're allowed to play when you grow up.
Chezza was right - storm Babet was a push-over and we just got a bit wet.
Good call Chezza!
If you fancy taking part in such adventures, I run Wild Camping and hiking trips all over the UK.
Take a look at the website www.greatoutsi...
Instagram / greatoutsid. .
Facebook / greatoutsiders
Much love
James and The Chezza-Pooch
2 окт 2024
