Sunday 20 December 2009
Sunday 13 December 2009
Sunday 15 November 2009
Thursday 12 November 2009
Telemetry 15: Down range 496 Km, altitude 13,918m
Second stage ignition successful - now accelerating into orbit.
Monday 9 November 2009
Telemetry 14: 457 Km down range, altitude 12,658m
After a break or proper 'flu - the previous bout was some other virus (premature shutdown of the inboard motor) I'm now past the halfway mark.
Now cycling in the foggy cold of early winter. Vey nice.
Now cycling in the foggy cold of early winter. Vey nice.
Thursday 10 September 2009
Telemetry 10, 11, 12 and 13: 417 km down range, altitude 11,317m
After a break for 'flu and other distractions I am now back in the saddle - and at an altitude of 37,120 feet well above Everest and shortly to leave the Airbus 320 on route to Mumbai behind.....
Wednesday 5 August 2009
Technology.........
I use the same fuel - liquid oxygen and hydrocarbons.
Worth watching - and listen carefully for key words like 'telemetry' and the way the commentator reports the ascent and all the schhhh....peep..peep.... etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGNryrsT7OI
Worth watching - and listen carefully for key words like 'telemetry' and the way the commentator reports the ascent and all the schhhh....peep..peep.... etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGNryrsT7OI
Telemetry 9: 313km down range, altitude 8350m....
Aliens!!
Came across a group of these mole crickets when I stopped for a rest. I don't think I have seen them in the UK before. Handsome chap - reminds me of a Yamaha Vmax for some reason - can't think why.
Came across a group of these mole crickets when I stopped for a rest. I don't think I have seen them in the UK before. Handsome chap - reminds me of a Yamaha Vmax for some reason - can't think why.
Monday 3 August 2009
Telemetry 8: 286km down range, 7410m altitude.....
As it was Sunday I decided to float around on Dartmoor - starting from Chagford and passing through Widecombe, Bovey Tracey, Lustleigh, Moretonhampstead and back to Chagford.
This is looking back over Widecombe after the climb up to Pudsham Down. It is a very pretty village but I was pushed for time as I was cooking lunch and didn't take a photo.
Lustleigh is also very pretty and sits in a sheltered spot. It's the telegraph poles that have got it wrong and not me.
Again, I didn't really have the time to do it justice and will just have to do this trip again. Here's a view in the centre of the village and sits at the end of the little track that I used.
The hill out of Lustleigh up onto the ridge is steep, long, painful, and excellent fun. Then it's uphill all the way to Moretonhampstead before the final clatter back to Chagford.
This is looking back over Widecombe after the climb up to Pudsham Down. It is a very pretty village but I was pushed for time as I was cooking lunch and didn't take a photo.
Lustleigh is also very pretty and sits in a sheltered spot. It's the telegraph poles that have got it wrong and not me.
Again, I didn't really have the time to do it justice and will just have to do this trip again. Here's a view in the centre of the village and sits at the end of the little track that I used.
The hill out of Lustleigh up onto the ridge is steep, long, painful, and excellent fun. Then it's uphill all the way to Moretonhampstead before the final clatter back to Chagford.
Thursday 30 July 2009
Telemetry 7: 237km down range, altitude 6314m....
20,700 feet - a bit of a landmark and some genuine altitude. I've fitted expensive new tougher and stickier tyres to cope with the wet and grit - so the sun came out and I got a puncture anyway. The rain did not disappoint though and gave a good showing in the latter part of today's trek.
Looking out over Exmoor I could see this cloudburst sweeping in.
As it was coming in very fast I decided to play chicken with it - as I packed the camera away after this second shot and departed I was accompanied by the splat, splat of some big fat raindrops. These two pictures are taken a few seconds apart - so you can see how fast it was approaching.
I decided to stick to my route and attempt a fourth crossing of the hills rather than head down and south. The road kicked back round more than I anticipated back under this cloud - and I definitely lost the game of chicken.
But I did see some sunshine! Here's the proof.
And I like this one because it shows the rain going away from me.
Looking out over Exmoor I could see this cloudburst sweeping in.
As it was coming in very fast I decided to play chicken with it - as I packed the camera away after this second shot and departed I was accompanied by the splat, splat of some big fat raindrops. These two pictures are taken a few seconds apart - so you can see how fast it was approaching.
I decided to stick to my route and attempt a fourth crossing of the hills rather than head down and south. The road kicked back round more than I anticipated back under this cloud - and I definitely lost the game of chicken.
But I did see some sunshine! Here's the proof.
And I like this one because it shows the rain going away from me.
Monday 27 July 2009
Telemetry 5 and 6: 200.6km down range, altitude 5210m.
Begining to feel a little altitude sickness - now slightly higher than Pic Marguerite in the Rowenzora's. There's a bit of gratuitously random info!!
The weather has been holding things up a bit. Or not in the case of the contents of the spectacular thunder clouds we've had around for the last week. Today the road cycling was a bit tricky as there is now mud and cuttings over many of the lanes which doesn't encourage successful stopping on the downhills. Not that the brakes work too well anyway given the grinding paste that develops on the rims in the wet. The upshot is that I might include some of my ascendeur runs as, ironically, the MTB is not great for stacking up altitude - it becomes too much of an all day expedition.
On Saturday I did a short 16km ride from Portloe in Cornwall. Here's a view of the village from the cottage.
Sunday was a wash out and I went for a run along the coast with Mango, a dog.
Today looked like it might be a bit better so I set off - and got soaked in the first 2km!
The weather has been holding things up a bit. Or not in the case of the contents of the spectacular thunder clouds we've had around for the last week. Today the road cycling was a bit tricky as there is now mud and cuttings over many of the lanes which doesn't encourage successful stopping on the downhills. Not that the brakes work too well anyway given the grinding paste that develops on the rims in the wet. The upshot is that I might include some of my ascendeur runs as, ironically, the MTB is not great for stacking up altitude - it becomes too much of an all day expedition.
On Saturday I did a short 16km ride from Portloe in Cornwall. Here's a view of the village from the cottage.
Sunday was a wash out and I went for a run along the coast with Mango, a dog.
Today looked like it might be a bit better so I set off - and got soaked in the first 2km!
Sunday 19 July 2009
Telemetry 4: 152.4 km down range, altitude 3834 metres.
After a break of a few days enjoying the rain and surf in Pembrokeshire I am back on the bike today - which I found suprisingly hard going. Added another 48km and 1000m anyway.
Very wet on the last downhill and really could not see where I was going. Good news though as I was able to top up with Tabasco Sauce at the halfway mark.
Now through the 12,000 foot mark - only 58,000 left to do.
Very wet on the last downhill and really could not see where I was going. Good news though as I was able to top up with Tabasco Sauce at the halfway mark.
Now through the 12,000 foot mark - only 58,000 left to do.
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Telemetry 3: 104.2 km down range, altitude 2826m
At 9,269 feet chasing the 10,000 foot mark hard - and very wet.
Telemetry not behaving very well and not storing stable track - can't understand what I am doing differently.
Telemetry not behaving very well and not storing stable track - can't understand what I am doing differently.
Sunday 12 July 2009
Telemetry 2: Altitude 1901m, 69.5km down range.....
Kingston St Mary over the Quantocks to Kilve and back via Will's Neck today. Met Office forecast light showers so I didn't bother with a waterproof as I had 7kg on my back as it was.
This is what it was like at Will's Neck on the outward leg. So the Met Office didn't quite get that quite right.
Picked this little chap up coming back up from the coast up through Lady Combe - he doesn't seem to mind the damp, although he speeded up a bit when he warmed up in my hand. This is the second one of these beautiful bronze slow worms that I have seen recently.
Weather did improve as the MO said and this is the view on the way back:
A lot better! 48.5km and 1071m later - not even hungry.
This is what it was like at Will's Neck on the outward leg. So the Met Office didn't quite get that quite right.
Picked this little chap up coming back up from the coast up through Lady Combe - he doesn't seem to mind the damp, although he speeded up a bit when he warmed up in my hand. This is the second one of these beautiful bronze slow worms that I have seen recently.
Weather did improve as the MO said and this is the view on the way back:
A lot better! 48.5km and 1071m later - not even hungry.
Saturday 11 July 2009
Telemetry 1: Lift off..........to 830m altitude, 21km down range.
I got the idea to cycle to the edge of space this morning when I was part of the way around a triple ascent of the Quantocks reaching 830m ascent over 21km.
This is the view from the second ascent above Triscombe. The bike is an Orbea - but more on technology in a later post.
Later I watched the rain come in at the top of the third ascent up Bagborough Hill onto Lydeard Hill. This is looking west to southern Exmoor.
I got a little bit wet on the way down, which was speedy.
This is the view from the second ascent above Triscombe. The bike is an Orbea - but more on technology in a later post.
Later I watched the rain come in at the top of the third ascent up Bagborough Hill onto Lydeard Hill. This is looking west to southern Exmoor.
I got a little bit wet on the way down, which was speedy.
James May at the edge of space......
Here is the clip of James May reaching 70,000 feet in a U2 and having his lunch. What I am going to do is cycle up there on my bike, tap on the window and give him a message. What should the message be? The prize for the winning suggestion will be a 3kg lump of moon rock.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8110001.stm
It's actually a very cool clip.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8110001.stm
It's actually a very cool clip.
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