Ullapool National Meet 2009

[Wee Jack]

Wee Jack was wrong.

He said it was raining, dark and miserable in Scotland.

I'm very pleased to say I WAS wrong !!

After two months of almost constant rain , you guys brought the sunshine with you , and it was very kind of you to leave it here when you left

It's been almost a week now with no rain

I hope it lasts.

[raymo]

have to agree .. ground a bit rocky for tent pegs, yet you needed sidestand pucks

ohh.. and the grouse gave me a sore heed

[Raven]

Firstly just wanted to apoligise to the majority of the people who I did not really speak to or introduce myself to, I didn't mean to be ignorant, just been feeling like proper **** recently and all weekend, wasn't really with it so kinda kept myself to myself. I promise I'll do my best to be much more agreeable next year .

Did the ride home in one hit, just over 800 miles, including a few interesting routes before leaving Scotland. 14 hours in total, and man did I have a sore arse Monday morning . Could have done without all that traffic on the M6 though, and the monumental tent leak causing me to have to ride home in soaking wet bike clothes

Couldn't keep up with Boris' group on saturday due to having hardly ridden the bike this year and being very rusty to say the least. Thanks PaulS for your patience, and cheers Pigugly for coming back for me, sorry to have wasted your time mate. Cheers BT, Austin and Marc for adopting me and for my first taste of "proper" off roading, want some more of that

See you all next year!

[Boris]

The relentless journalist within me has spent the past few days - in the interests of balance, you understand - trying to think of something negative about the National.

Yesterday, as I hammered all my bent pegs straight, I found it. The ground was stony and hard to get pegs into and you really needed a mallet (which I had left out of my kit, despite having plenty of room for it).

Typical Journo. Fails to do his research and then blames someone else . Had you read the review on the camping forum [1] you would have read that the
"ground however was extremely rocky just under the surface" and you would have come prepared.

In the best stereotypical Scottish style I could have hired you my hammer if you had only asked.

Never mind. You know for next time.

[1] Scotland - Ullapool - Broomfield - Camping Forums UK

[Paul-S]

Firstly just wanted to apoligise to the majority of the people who I did not really speak to or introduce myself to, I didn't mean to be ignorant, just been feeling like proper **** recently and all weekend, wasn't really with it so kinda kept myself to myself. I promise I'll do my best to be much more agreeable next year .

Did the ride home in one hit, just over 800 miles, including a few interesting routes before leaving Scotland. 14 hours in total, and man did I have a sore arse Monday morning . Could have done without all that traffic on the M6 though, and the monumental tent leak causing me to have to ride home in soaking wet bike clothes

Couldn't keep up with Boris' group on saturday due to having hardly ridden the bike this year and being very rusty to say the least. Thanks PaulS for your patience, and cheers Pigugly for coming back for me, sorry to have wasted your time mate. Cheers BT, Austin and Marc for adopting me and for my first taste of "proper" off roading, want some more of that

See you all next year!

No problem Raven, we always make sure everyone is safe and OK and would never leave anyone exposed or behind. I must have forgotten to advise Phil you had gone for fuel and gone back - no apologies needed from you matey

How did your tent leak?

My sleeping bag got a bit wet but that was just the wind blowing the rain underneath the outer and onto the groundsheet footprint - I must remember to fold the edges up inside the the tent to prevent this next time

[Boris]

Couldn't keep up with Boris' group on saturday due to having hardly ridden the bike this year and being very rusty to say the least.

See you all next year!

Sorry. It wasn't my intention. It's really difficult when leading a large group. You should have said on the first stop and we could have modified the speed a bit. With so many people stopping to take snaps etc. it was difficult to keep everyone together or know if anyone felt we were going too fast.

A similar thing happened on the Friday and at one of the stops someone asked me on one side to slow down a bit which we did without any loss of enjoyment.

Here's to the next time.

[Whealie]

T
In the best stereotypical Scottish style I could have hired you my hammer if you had only asked.

Is that the same Scottish service we saw at the hippy village cafe. The hammer would have arrived in time to get the pegs out when I upped tent.

[Raven]

How did your tent leak?

I reproofed the whole thing before the trip, apart from the inner skin as I didn't see the need. I also didnt see the two bloody holes in the top of the outer layer either (must've caught it on something). On the last night when it got quite wet, that was too much for the tent, and loads came in through all the vents on the inner skin, soaking my bike trousers, boots and sleeping bag with me in it. Live and learn, eh?

Sorry. It wasn't my intention. It's really difficult when leading a large group. You should have said on the first stop and we could have modified the speed a bit. With so many people stopping to take snaps etc. it was difficult to keep everyone together or know if anyone felt we were going too fast.

No apology needed, everyone else seemed fine with the pace so I made the executive decision to just leave you guys to it and not slow anyone down. Anyway I am now back to riding my bike full time so should be able to keep up on any future ride outs .

[Paul-S]

I reproofed the whole thing before the trip, apart from the inner skin as I didn't see the need. I also didnt see the two bloody holes in the top of the outer layer either (must've caught it on something). .

I have had a small hole made by the material getting caught in between the folded up poles and the small circular bit they locate into when you open up the tent and pull up on the chord, the material had got trapped and caused the small hole

You may have had the same problem - just be carefull when opening up the tent next time

[Whealie]

I am now back to riding my bike full time so should be able to keep up on any future ride outs .

It's not the keeping up I worry about. It's the stopping.