#frc2024 — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #frc2024, aggregated by home.social.
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FRC gear review 1: MSR Gravity XL 10lt filter.
This really worked well for the group. A couple of people had Sawyer if similar kind of small squeeze filters, but having this MSR filter meant we could filter into two 4lt MSR Dromedary bags in little time and people could then fill up their hydration bladders or water bottles easily.
It took a bit of time to get used, and there was not always place to hang it up, but we made do with the terrain we got.
I did find that due to the pools, we had to backwash the filter every 7-8lt. We also had to take care of getting air out of the system.
Luckily I won't need this for a while, but it will be there again when we need it.
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FRC report day 6: I wake everyone up a bit later, but they are all ready to go just after 07:00. It is the last day sand we have 7km to go. It is also relatively cold - below 10⁰C - as compared to our previous days.
This section is easy to walk and the pace picks up. There are some beautiful spots to stop off and take some last photos.
Just after 09:00 we march into Ai-Ais, to which has now become a custom, the traditional bell-ringing for a group finishing. It feels emotional. I'm glad I got this group through, but I'm ready to do another one - it feels like I have unfinished business in the FRC.
We have a small breakfast, then hang out in the hot springs for hours, then go out on the terrace for milkshakes and ice cream. The farmer who runs the guesthouse where we stay, picks us up at 12:30. We spent the afternoon watching a beautiful Namibian sunset, then indulge in a braai (BBQ) with proper Namibian meat from the farm.
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FRC report day 5: From here the terrain really changed - the canyon widenes and there are number of arid short cuts to take.
With just enough dawn available, we ascended our first shortcut to see the sun rise from the neck. From here on we continued to the next water, called Cornelius Camp. It is a beautiful spot to camp, but we push on. The more we do on day 5, the less we have the next day.
We got to the last of the NWR water stashes, fill up, ate something, talked about the spiritual effect the canyon has on hikers. Then we ascended the arid Bandage Pass to arrive at a pool at Fool's Gold Corner. This is a traditional place to camp for the last night, but we pushed on.
We arrived at Big Bend, by lunch time. I went off to look for water and a camp site. Having found a small brackish pool, suitable for sourcing water for cooking we set off to setup camp late afternoon. As night set in, some people went scorpion hunting.
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FRC report day 4: We were up again early to beat the heat. Some people took some load from our slow member, which definitely made his life easier, and he could walk faster.
We now encountered sections where the sand underfoot was form and well-trodden path appeared, making navigation easier.
We came across two more NWR water stashes. We took the day a bit easier, but we hit our overnight point, Barbel Pools, by lunch time. My original plan was to do this every day, but circumstances did not allow.
It was a pretty large body of water, but very muddy underfoot and not well suited for swimming. There were decent sized barbel in the pool too. We did eventually find a small, but better pool later in the day.
We set up camp, a hot wind blew through, then it cooled down. Before going to bed, I noticed 50% humidity on the sensor, but stupidly ignored it. By 23:00 we got hit by two hours of frontal rain drizzle - a scramble to cover up ensued.
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FRC report day 3: This was the notorious day, the day that for 15km there is no water. We made sure everyone had 3lt of drinkable water before setting off just after 07:00
It was hot - I measured 33⁰C in the shade before lunch. Although I had sunscreen on, I wore my BD Alpenglow hoodie most of the day. I walked at the back with the slow member. Luckily we had two-way radios. As we were resting, the front of the group radioed in that found the NWR water stash and it was full and in the shade. We had a long lunch there, just to avoid the heat. We filled up with enough drinking water for everyone.
At 15:00 we set off again to camp at a place called Sand Against Slope. Not my preference as when the blows at night it will sand blast you, which did happen.
There were some green pools. I filtered a sample from each and then pointed out the least brackish one to the group as the water source for cooking. Then dusk and the bright stars of the night came upon us.
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FRC report - day 2: I was up at 05:00 sitting in the moonlight, contemplating the day ahead. The silence was amazing.
At 05:30 I woke everybody up so that they could get ready to leave as soon as it was possible to see one's feet without a head lamp. We left camp just after 07:00. It was already hot even though the sun was not even up.
This was another day of mostly big river boulders and some soft sand. Going was slow. Some people were concerned that we were going too slow, and I had to reassure them a number of times that this is normal and that further down the canyon it gets a lot easier to cover terrain. The sensor in my backpack measured a high of 34ºC.
We camped at a place called Palm Sulphur Springs, where there is a ~60º hot spring that runs down into a large pool in the river bed. I wanted to camp 1km further, but the group was tired, so I called it a day.
I did not want to take water from the sulphurous spring -filtered water out of the pool.
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FRC report - day 1: We started our descent into the FIsh River Canyon just after 09:00 after being dropped off. Some of group made it down in 90min, but one of group was carrying heavy and took some falls. I stayed with him and it took us 150min to get down.
It was a hot day and going was slow across the terrain. We got to a great pool just before lunch and took a swim.
We made the 4km mark by late afternoon and took fresh water from a spring. There was soft sand to strike camp on, cook some food and enjoy the warmth of the evening next to a pool. (It was still 21ºC at 21:00)
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One group member of our trip messaged and said "I think my heart & soul is still in the FRC. I am struggling to focus on work".
Yes, the FRC is a magical place in some unexplainable way. Walking in millions of years of geological history of river stones, soft sand and hard sand. Sleeping on soft sand, looking up at thousands of stars and seeing the moon rise.
Even when you stand on ground zero, before starting the descent, some are happy to be back, others have butterflies in their stomachs not knowing what to expect.
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Sitting in traffic after having successfully getting our group through the Fish River Canyon.
Listening to some music which associates itself with the trip and contemplating a number of things which I'll write about in the coming days.
However, first a little video from the Augrabies National Park. We stopped here on our outward journey. Even though it is not full it is still an impressive sight.
The longest river in South Africa, the Orange River, feeds this gorge on its way to mouth in the Atlantic.
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Since this is the day of our descent into the FRC, and I won't be posting until we are done again, I thought I'll post this video of the descent that someone made. It really goes give a good feel of the steep parts.
Note that the title is misleading as it states 'Day 3'. This is the actual start of the hike.
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Backpack loaded. Comes to 14kg excluding water. Contains 6 days of food, multitude of camera equipment, solar charger, MSR gravity filter, two-way radio.
Looks I am going to start the descent into the FRC carrying 17kg, since we plan to carry at least 3lt pp/day. Not happy with the weight, but it is what it is. Food is adding most weight at this point, but we'll quickly gobble the heavies down I reckon.
Still contains the tent, which I probably won't take, but that will only take 1kg off. Still have to add the satellite phone, but someone else in group my carry it.
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It is a week to go before we set off on our drive to Namibia to attempt the FRC.
Like last year on social media, there is a lot of hype and naysayers, saying that there is not water and that the canyon should be closed.
This year, the biggest story is that a group of 13 people had to be airlifted due to dehydration. Even the print media got wind of this one. This is a small % of people as compared to those already having made it through successfully. We are hearing group was unfit & did not manage their walk and water.
Like last year, there is not an abundance of water in the canyon. Namibia is suffering from a cycle of dry years.
It will be a challenge for us, but we are confident. We have planned well. We are relying on on-the-ground info that comes in via experienced guides as to the best location of water.
And to chear you all up, here is a upbeat tune from Namibian kwaito artist Ees. (German TV viewers may recognise him).
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Loading up the Osprey Transporter Duffel roller with the bulky equipment before flying out.
That roller bag contains two Osprey backpacks, hydration bladders, trekking poles, one umbrella, a collection of drybags, eating/drinking utensils, water filters, tent, quilt, and some other minor items.
I have used this duffel roller on various airline trips to skiing & hiking destinations. It hauls gear through airports without resistance and is stable on the two wheels.
https://www.osprey.com/gb/osprey-rolling-transporter-120-2021#color=Venturi%2520Blue
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Since this is the day of our descent into the FRC, and I won't be posting until we are done again, I thought I'll post this video of the descent that someone made. It really goes give a good feel of the steep parts.
Note that the title is misleading as it states 'Day 3'. This is the actual start of the hike.
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A common practice on the FRC is to sleep in the open and not use a tent. It is also common practice to take two groundsheets. One is to sleep on and the other to unpack your gear on.
For this reason I invested in a lightweight, 2-person wide groundsheet from Gram-counter Gear. It weighs 220g and can be pegged in, if necessary. Size is 220x140cm.
It is waterproof to 8000mm, but I don't expect water to be problem. I do expect to find a scorpion or two below it when packing up in the morning. 🤔
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Finally got to try my new BD Alpenglow Pro hoodie on. The material is really soft and it is easy to roll it up small. Should be easy to stuff it into one of those stretch back pockets on an Osprey backpack.
I do suspect it will suffer some eventual damage due to being used with a backpack, but time will tell.
The hoodie seems to work well worn under a hat, or over a baseball-type cap. I also tested with wearing buff underneath it and over it (balaclava-style). Definitely a lot of versatility here.
Besides a sun hoodie, the idea is to use it as a 2nd baselayer. I am used to wearing a long sleeve base layer, with a T-shirt over it (or under it). Now the Alpenglow can fulfill the role of the long-sleeve baselayer.
https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/alpenglow-pro-hoody-mens/
#whatsinyourpack #frc2024 #Drakensberg #hiking #blackdiamond
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It happens that our permit for the Fish River Canyon permit still has three places unfulfilled. Accommodation around the actual hike and transport already arranged.
Leaving Pretoria/Johannesburg area on 25 May and back on 2 June.
If anyone would like to to join contact me and we can discuss privately.
Boosts for wider reach will be appreciated.
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SNOW DAY TOMORROW!! Four-day weekend before a three-day school week (for my kids on the robotics team competing in the Colorado Regional) and Spring Break next week! Huzzah! Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! @denversnow #COwx #Denver #PiDay2024 #frc2024
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We are probably taking two pots, but on the FRC one specific pot is for certain. It is an MSR 1.1lt Stowaway. It is completed with a pot cozy I made. This allows us to cook meals which normally requires time and simmering to rather cook in own heat. Rice, dehydrated cooked beans all benefit from this. It also allows for one to start meal preration when arriving at camp and then go for a walkabout.
- https://www.msrgear.com/ie/cookware/stainless-steel/alpine-stowaway-pot---1.1l/321109.html
#msrgear #myog #frc2024 #hiking #trailcooking #whatsinyourpack
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The call of nature...
The FRC is a delicate ecosystem. We want to leave as little behind as we can.This inspired us to take a CuloClean this time. ( @freeder23 has one in his lic the other day too - https://mas.to/@freeder23/112021670373932860).
Also taking the Deuce trowel along.
Not sure about the hand sanitizer though. Wet wipes might be lighter, but needs to be carried out. WDYT?
Everything goes in this waterproof multi-compartment Culo bag. It has a small bag for carrying out your dirty paper.
- http://www.thetentlab.com/Deuce/DeuceofSpadespage.html
- https://culoclean.com/#frc2024 #whatsinyourpack #howtoshitinthedesert #hiking #drakensberg
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I don't need a tent for the FRC as we'll be sleeping in the open (98% probability). I do need one for camping one night prior to crossing the border into Namibia.
I do need a tent for my Drakensberg trip. In 2022 I used a Nemo Hornet 2P and in 2023 teice a Vango Nitro 2+. This time I am taking a Durston XMid Solid 2P.
The Nemo Hornet is too narrow a cut and allows water to run inside when unzipping the fly. The Nitro (now superceded by the Xenon) is a great tunnel tent. Great for basecamping and windy conditions, but I handed it down to one of the kids for their mountain adventures.
The XMid is lightweight, simple to pitch and pretty decent in the wind. I can use it as a solo tent or share with someone.
- https://durstongear.com/products/x-mid-2-solid
- https://www.thegreatoutdoorsmag.com/review/review-vango-f10-xenon-ul2-tent/
-#whatsinyourpack #frc2024 #Drakensberg #tents #durstongear #hiking #nemoequipment
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Kid went to Utah to compete in a robotics competition. Last Saturday, the bumpers didn't fit on the robot, something was rubbing against the elevator, preventing it from shooting notes properly, and one or more of the plexiglass plates was somethinging I didn't catch. Today, THEY WON! If you'd told me last week that we'd be celebrating this weekend, I'd have laughed myself silly. However, they persevered and had a kick-ass driver. Next stop: Houston (🤮) and the World Championships(🎉)!!
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A beautiful afternoon for COMPETITIVE ROBOTICS. 🤘🤖
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I am only taking one pair of trousers on the FRC - the MT500 zip-off trousers from Decathlon. With big temperature extremes during the day, one wants to be able adjust quickly as the temps go up in the morning and then when the sun sets.
What like about them is that there is a vertical pocket that is easy to get a mobile phone in and out of. It is also very easy to zip off the bottom parts with boots on.
I have used the same pair for trekking in Nepal up to 4800m.
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I wrote about my sandals conundrum previously ( https://mountains.social/@ysb33r/111861977618179548 ), but I have now opted for the Kimberfeel sandals. A bit more bulky, but light.
I also spent a day just walking around in them, and I reckon I could hike in them with a hike, should I really want to.
I also came across this opinion lately and it agrees with me. https://youtu.be/7ZgYxiS8d3E?t=222&si=vNzNC7iHF8oEaAa8
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Introducing "Consequences of Industrialization" AKA "Connie" from #FRC Team 2811 StormBots of Vancouver, WA. She'll be making her season debut tomorrow.
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Interesting addition to events. I am now joining a 5-day hike to the Drakensberg, roughly one month before the FRC trip. As I a flying into Johannesburg, this means that I have double plan my gear, to include both situations.
By example: whereas for the FRC, I do not really require serious rain gear, I also now have to bring rain pants and definitely have my rain jacket, not just a windproof jacket. I'll also require a warm beanie etc.
So I might be tweeting even more about #whatsinyourpack.
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Talking lightweight gaiters. I wore my Montane gaiters on tough mountain trips until they got holes. (It looks like the model I have is discontinued).
Then I managed to get some Dirty Girl gaiters based on good reviews. I love the feel and quality.
For the FRC though, I am going blind. I ordered a pair from South African brand AR Gaiters, which I'll pick up upon arrival.
None of these gaiters are waterproof, but I prefer the lightweight nature as opposed to waterproof as I am not walking in rain-soaked places like the UK.
All of f them use the approach of having a bit of velcro at the back of the shoe. From experience I say is not to rely on the glue of the velcro - use a stronger glue and let it dry before using the gaiters.
Onwards... in a couple of months I'll post my impression of the AR Gaiters.
- https://argaiters.co.za/products/argaiters-hiking
- https://dirtygirlgaiters.com (In Europe https://www.trekking-lite-store.com/Dirty-Girl-Gaiters-Spacin-Out.html )#whatsinyourpack #frc2024 #hiking #argaiters #dirtygirlgaiters #gaiters #montane
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They are expensive, but oh they work so well! That is why I am sticking with SIlverlight when it comes to socks. I'll wear one pair probably for the duration of the trip and keep a 2nd pair in the pack for in case. They hardly smell, but given the heat on the trail, I should be able to rinse out a pair and they'll soon be dry. They come in R-L pairs identified by the words Venture & Out
- https://silverlight.store/product/silverlight-socks/
#whatsinyourpack #frc2024 #hiking #silverlight #socks #silverlight
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The Salomon X-Ultra 4 GTX, lightweight & agile, has been my go-to for some years, but the sole durability is disappointing. Given the amount of sand & boulders on the FRC, I have opted to go with Merrell Moab 3 Mid GTX instead. I am hoping that the higher cut combined with lightweight gaiters will do a good job of keeping sand out and the soles should cope with the abrasive boulders.
- https://www.merrell.com/US/en/moab-3-mid-gore-tex/52469M.html?dwvar_52469M_color=J135529#cgid=men-footwear-hiking&start=1
- https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/x-ultra-4-gtx.html#color=88809