Sat in the snow thinking about surfing

Monday first light bought a small but decent period swell and some super clean lines on the reef. Room for some cutties! In at first light and just me and the attentive seals for an hour and half before the wind and tide ruined it and it was time to work again. Best swell of the Autumn? Almost the only swell of the Autumn other than that brilliant big day in early sept, overhead, fast long long rights!

In other news a Sup has been bought.

Mazda Mx5 1.5ltr vrs. 2.0ltr

The argument for shedding weight against adding power to a sports car has been a favourite for a very long time, look on any forum right now and some idiot will be adding more vitriol to the everlasting flame that is power vs. weight. Some people are above that of course, they just go faster by adding stripes.

Cars passing my mum's house

My belief is stripes first, light weight second and power third and it came to pass that a couple of weeks ago I got the opportunity to put these beliefs to the test. Mazda have just launched their new MX5 and as luck would have it they laid on a demo day not two minutes from my house and on my birthday too. This is something I discovered having stalked a batch that had swept round the corner below my mums sitting room window late Friday afternoon.

So for two wonderful mornings I was given the 1.5ltr then the 2ltr to drive for a couple of hours in the Scottish hills. No real time limits, no route limits and no dealer sucking his seat through his bum any time I dared to entertain some late breaking or questioned the traction control. “If you’re local you can take the car where you like sir” they said. “I will then”.

My 1.5

At this point I should state some stats on the two but I don’t really know many, so here is what I have bothered to look up; 131bhp plays 160bhp, there is a 25Kg weight difference. The2ltr has Billstiens suspension, uprated brakes plus 17s rather than the 1.5’s 16s (I asked for). The 1.5 is less than a ton not including a driver. It is pushing Elise territory, and when you see the standard of the interior that is quite impressive.

Sunny Saturday morning, roof down and before leaving the Archerfield estate I had the red 1.5’s media system synched to my phone, Spotify on the go and the heated leather seat on 1 bar. A quick look at the prepared route in the Nav revealed some good roads, but I lengthened it to take a run up the best roads between Gifford and Duns – Jimmy Clark country. The following morning I did the same with the 2ltr. Same choice of any colour combo 2ltr I liked, same roads, same music, same warm bum.

My 2.0

So let’s cut to the chase, the 1.5 is better. It isn’t quick by a long shot, but let’s face it neither is the 2ltr. What it does though is rev really freely and give its all whenever asked. It tool all of five minutes to fall in love with the gearbox. The start of the run took in steady A and B roads, with some simple overtaking before waking the car up for the run over the hill from Drem to Haddington. All good. On the English style B roads to start the car felt slightly floaty over some sweeping corners and the steering not blessed with huge amounts of feel, but it sure felt good running that engine through the revs with the roof down. Heal and toe down changes come no sweeter than this car. First impressions were good then.

From the start of the same run the silver 2ltr in grey with beige leather instantly felt a bit more grown up and the increase in power was evident just cruising out of the Estate. More power it has, more character it has not. Ringing it out overtaking a row of traffic approaching Drem revealed an engine that felt course at the top end and heal and toe that is not quite as sweet. On the Bilsteins the car was firmer and more polished at speed, but there the improvements over the 1.5 ended. The uprated brakes just felt firmer, not better, and it came to pass that I found both cars wanting in the stopping department.

In the dry neither car had the guts to unstick the rear end on the tight 2^nd gear corners between Haddington and the Pencaitland to Duns road, although the 2ltr was the only one I thought worthy of hunting for the traction control button. Note the 2ltr did go nice and sideways in the wet under some trees later and has the potential to be a riot in the wet, I believe it has an LSD. Both cars worked their traction warning lights really hard throughout the test drives though.

From Gifford I ran both cars about five miles beyond Whiteadder Reservoir (towards Duns) before doing a u-turn and retracing my steps back to Base… up into the hills and back.. wide roads and narrow, good surface and bad. Giving the 1.5 the full beans as I headed into the hills got me really starting to like the little car. Five minutes after turning round I had a scream out loud and pat the dashboard moment, and I generally reserve those for the Elise! You can use absolutely everything the 1.5 has to offer on a good Scottish road, and I love it for that. The connection between the gearbox and drivetrain is so good that the lack of steering feel and power stopped being important. Yes I wanted more out of some of the corners but then it treated me to another high speed down change and it had me loving it again. It’s a great little

car, best when flat out.

The 2ltr is all of the above and more in some respects, quicker yes, more planted yes, but when it really counted the engine felt a bit blowy, not as keen at the top end, and crashing into the limiter came easier. Worth noting that I’d argue that my Mini Clubman goes through a fast corner better than both MX5’s, and the front end feels better too. Back to the 2ltr though, the gear change up and down never felt quite as sweet as the 1.5ltr and that was the clincher for me, that relationship with the pedals and gearbox live up to the hype on the lesser car.

Small margins though, had I not driven the 1.5 I would have loved the relationship between box and engine on the 2ltr, but the 1.5 car led the way when it counted. It felt lighter on its smaller alloys and happily gave up all its performance when asked. Both cars can be driven extremely quickly on the back roads but the 1.5 somehow stood taller and had more fizz. As I pulled into Gifford at the designated rest stop it absolutely stank of speed.  

“Are you having fun” they said?

"Breath in and take a wild guess. By the way can you order stripes?”

 

 

On the subject of buying one, the 1.5 makes an interesting company car option. It has low Co2 and a decent MPG. Mine was showing 43when I gave it back, although I had not reset the trip and had taken a chunk off the average. I did reset the trip on the 2.0ltr and gave it back at 22mpg!

If it were not for the fact I regularly carry large items of sporting gear it could definitely work as a replacement to my clubman. The interior is as good with leather and media, it’s not much thirstier, a bit faster and a bit (just a bit) more fun on the right road, especially with the roof down option. It has that classless appeal that the Mini also carries.

In summary it is everything an MX5 should be and always has been I guess. Great little car.

East Coast Therapy

 After the high expectations and low realisation of the Wavegarden and the subsequent interest in my blog post all I wanted to do was catch some waves this week. In short It kind of felt like my quiet little surf existence had been sold out and normality was required.

So when a low expectation swell popped up on the charts I saw a chance to wipe clear the post Snowdonia comedown and by 5am on Saturday morning I found myself surfing solo on a small but improving swell at my local reef. Feeling decidedly better after a couple of hours I got out and skipped on my original plans to hang around all day. It was going to get crowded and I wasn’t in the mood.

I went home, reequipped with food and headed out to a less surfed beach. I was greeted by chest high lines which where pushing in true beachie style against a direct offshore wind. It looked picture perfect Scottish Borders East Coast. Once out back it was clear that my choice of bank was sound and chasing a feathering lip all the way to the inside on my longboard on the first wave told me all I need to know how good the session was going to be. Turns, trips to the nose and a half decent floater all came and went and three hours later I was sat on the beach having had the one of the standout sessions of the year. It was always around chest high with the occasional head high set, more punch than expected and perfectly well shaped. The surfing gods were smiling again.

There is no substitute for the sea.

Surf Snowdonia Wavegarden

This week I had my worst surf for 2 years, one of those depressing surfs where you always feel vaguely out of position and every drop turns into a hassle. To add to that pain I paid over £70 for the pleasure. Ladies and gentleman I was at the Surf Snowdonia Wavegarden. Worse still I had this moment of surfing horror right in front of my family, who when not commenting on the cost of the sandwiches were shouting things like “you’re not meant to fall off daddy”.

 

So was it me, or was it the Wavegarden? I am not really sure. On arrival the whole thing was slightly less than idyllic, rain was hammering down and a strong wind was running down the lake. But we watched a few waves come through and it looked pretty good, easy to surf, with a nice wall on offer. I regularly surf waves of this size and shape no problem at all on a range of boards so my nerves started to ease. I note I don’t recall ever being so nervous pre surf.

 

When I went to get my boards off the car the first worrying doubt appeared, one of the instructors commented that I should ride my board with most float. On the roof I had a 6.3 quad, 6.6 twinny and my 7.0 magic carpet. The plan was to ride the twinny first session and the quad second session. Plans change. So the 7.0 and 6.6 went up to the board rack at the well organised dispersal point. I checked in, got changed inside (a surfing first for me), put on a 3.2 (being a Scottish surfer I had to get it out the loft), told a beginner to put his wetsuit on the other way round, and went for the pre-surf brief.

Here the next doubt appeared. The staff rep was keen to state that you had to stay as close to the pier netting as possible when paddling and be quick on take-off to make a turn and get down the line. It was clear from the tone that people were struggling in the advanced group with these issues. “Don’t hold onto the netting either”, he said. “Why would you need to?” thought I, looking out at the lake?

Hour 1)

My 6.6 is like a cork in the sea so I ignored the floaty warning and jumped in with it and was first up, surfing front side. The sled/wave by the way goes both ways down the lake – i.e. you don’t need to paddle out, just back and forward sharing with two others so every third wave belongs to you and you alternate front and back side – this by the way works really well. Incredibly simple, at any one time there is one on a wave and one waiting at each end.

 

 

 

 

It went downhill from there, I fell on the next couple (too far inside), then missed a couple (too far outside) or couldn’t get over to the open face. Pressure started to build and it started to all feel like hard work, plus I was paying for it. The depression of the fact that it just wasn’t that good started to dawn on me.

Front side I got over to the face a couple more times which was great as it really walls up with a load of push behind it, but I had almost nothing to shout about backhand. By the time I got out after the first hour it felt like a waste of money for a lot of frustration and 2 maybe 3 good waves. And a few people around me were muttering the same thing.

Here are the problems with the wave that I found.

1)      There is a lot of current kicking around between waves. They had to reset the plough at one point and my board got sucked up against the netting from under me – it was mildly disconcerting! I was constantly paddling one way or another just prior to each wave. Tucking a subtle toe into the pier netting helped.

 

 

2)      The wave does not push straight – the waves are created by the sled in the middle but they break from the outside back towards the sled. This makes the dynamics feel very different to the ocean, as the wave pushes you out from the pier as it comes underneath and the take off is sideways but away from the direction you want to go. Get pushed too far and it is just a late drop in the white water and a waveface you are unlikely to recover. The more I think about it the more I think the trick is to stay as close to the pier as possible when paddling and never give up on that. My best waves were when I remembered that. Mentally you push wide though because it feels like it would naturally give yourself an easier take off. It doesn’t. The reverse happens and you look like a kook. It is easier in against the pier, trust me.

 

3)      The inconsistency. All Wavegarden waves are created equal right? Not so, the biggest surprise seemed to be that you didn’t know what you were going to get. I spoke to a few people who felt the same. One moment you were being launched over the falls, the next struggling to get into it, and then if you did, you were missing the section.

4)      Lack of time to size up the incoming wave. You get precious little. If you compare the start point of the sled with a normal wave, the sled starts from about 20-30yards behind you. At this point in the sea, most of the decision making is done, i.e. you can get in the right spot, simple as that. The first measure you get of a Garden wave is when it is right up behind you, therefore to a degree you paddle and hope, rather than line it up.

By way of a measure in the sea I would have pulled back off 50% of the Wavegarden waves to see if there was anything better behind, or I would have been better aligned to the take off – I generally don’t misjudge waves this size and shape. If I look at some of the photos where I fell on take-off I was miles out of position.

5)      The wind – it was blowing pretty hard down the lake which made sitting in the spot pretty tough and the face bumpy. Hard to tell how much of factor this played. All my best waves were downwind oddly enough??

The two other lads in my group seemed to be having a better time than I, one had a board with a load of float and the other was just a very good surfer. My caddie (wife) switched my board at thirty mins down to my 7.0 but I didn’t feel much better. Being brutally honest, it was just totally shit. £45 for 2 or 3 good waves and 10-11 shit ones. There is no denying the good waves were pretty good though.

 

Stopped for the break before my next session and had a hot chocolate and some piss take from the girls. As we sat in the café there were three guys on short boards paddling on our side and in the 20 mins I watched for not one of them got into a wave. This is meant to be fun. On the far side though I could see a guy on a short board ripping it apart. Plus Guts Griffiths was down filming a long boarder (could have been Sam Bleakly?) who was also making it look easy.

Hour 2 (part 1)

We suited up for round two and everyone in my group were opting for as much as float as possible. The two guys surfing on my side had longboards – (it doesn’t look like a logging wave but use a log!) and I stuck with the 7.0. I went in with a different mind-set – stay as close to the pier as possible on take-off (I can’t stress enough how important this is), relax, acknowledge the fact the money is gone and enjoy it for what it is.

First wave I was up easily backhand and I got stuck behind the section and struggled to chase it down. Second wave, again up ok and the wave died under me. The sled had stopped. It stopped for half an hour. I stood on the side in the howling wind talking to my Mrs and bored kids whilst trying not to freeze to death. With twenty minutes to go they got it going again with a rumour we were going to get an hour extension. I started to enjoy myself.

(Part 2)

Back up and running I was backhand again and again I got stuck pushing then for the section and fell – the wave gets flat/fat in the middle and it really is hard to come from behind. Next front side and I was up and in the spot dropping into the meat of the wave and what the fuck, the power seemed to disappear and I bogged and lost the face. Hmmm. Next wave, backhand, along the pier, early drop and straight into the meat of it. Fly down the line, pump, pump, pump and exit before the beginners – perfect wave – finally it is beginning to happen for me. So I get out to wait for my next wave (it’s easier just to get out between waves by the way!) and find out that it is me done for the day, end of session, no extra hour. I had been keeping a tally scratched into my wax and I had had five waves.

 

Got out, got changed and asked for a refund on the second session which turned into a credit for another go on another day. Not a great option if you live in Scotland eh, but I have a contract currently in North Wales so should be ok for a return. The staff were great in this respect, they were good all day in fact. There is no doubt on my second session, longboard.

So Wavegarden Heaven or Hell?

Before arriving I was ready to put aside the many (online) suggestions that it is not real surf, and figured that if the wave was good it would work and who cares about the rest. Now I am not sure. To feel worth it the wave had to be nice to ride and reasonably easy for an average surfer to roll into.

To be clear Inter did not seem worth it, you are paddling into the white water and catching a fat reform or trying to stay out the way of the advanced surfer. I didn’t see an inter who looked like they were having much fun. The couple I spoke to seemed pretty low on it, had gone in for more float and there was mention on someone asking for their money back. A friend suggested the beginner group could be me more interesting.

And the advanced waves, the only short boarders I saw catching waves were as good as the best surfers in my area and anyone else was on longboards or oversized boards. For someone like me who regularly surfs waves of this size it was just not user friendly enough, especially on the take off. It could be just me having a bad day, but I surfed a better sized Pease comfortably less than 10days previously and took far more waves off a busy pack. I have not had a surf like the Garden for a long long time, additionally the vibe was not great in the water or the changing room. I heard it said a few times that “it would get better as they refined it” and I hope this to be true.

 

Dynamically I don’t think they will be able to lose the odd sideways push from the sled and the factor of the curl coming the other way. Bearing in mind you start paddling down the pier you end up taking off about 15 feet across from it. I don’t also think the current and wash can be removed either which to be fair I started to get used to and it’s not exactly Thorntonloch on a big day.

 

But they can work on consistency and calculate the speed that gives the best wave given the wind and bottom contours and also offer better advice for paddling. They could also screen the open end off from the wind which was a pain all day. That could really bring it on.

 

It has no soul…

I wasn’t going get involved in the arty-souly-surfy bit as my friends will rip the shit but the reality is that waiting for a sled to push a wave towards you has absolutely no soul whatsoever. Being timed into a wave has no soul. Or being in a changing room with people with back to front wetsuits, or pulling out before entering the beginner zone when the wave is still running nicely, or being told to get out after an hour. “fuck you” I wanted to shout at the end of hour 2, “I am just getting into this”.

 

The issue can’t be overlooked; surfing in a lake highlights everything that is great about surfing in the sea. Watching sets roll towards you and choosing the waves, the ebb and flow of a session, taking turns and sharing with people enjoying that same mind-set.

 

Watching surfing or being watched surfing from the window of a coffee shop somehow doesn’t quite sit right with me either. I may be taking a moral high ground due to having a bad day, but ultimately it is not how I want my surfing served up. I am of an age where that shit counts.

 

But surf Snowdonia are not trying to create that, they are putting on an attraction (like a snow dome) and it I love them for that. Business like this deserves to work because there is passion behind it – and the wave will get better, I loved the madness of it only being open for a couple of weeks and being rammed, the staff running round in a mild state of panic and apology. They were great btw but don’t expect them to answer the phone in a hurry. They do care, they are just busy. If you think Surf Snowdonia is the end of surfing as we know it then you are probably taking yourself too seriously – I’d be more worried about powered water craft.

 

Is it a great day out with the kids? Yes I bet it is fun as a beginner and my kids want a go (so I guess we will be back for that next summer).

Is it value for money? Again for the kids maybe compared to the competition for days out, (btw I went on to pay £34 (family of 4) for the Welsh Mountain Zoo which we all thoroughly enjoyed).

Should an average surfer go? – for sure, just don’t expect too much, take float, stay close to the pier on take-off, and don’t let your head go down if it’s not all roses and if all you can hear is “you’re not meant to fall off daddy”. I am already talking myself into another trip but that is surfing for you.

 

Would I go back? Well currently it is 1-0 to the Wavegarden, I have a free credit, and my surf ego is fit to burst and driving me back. I am already looking forward to surfing it on my log, and I may change my opinion after that. Would I however continue pay £45 an hour to dial in a wave that is always going to be £45 an hour? No that would be financial madness. The kicker is that for whatever reasons conditions were decidedly worse than an average day down my local – and that is the simple yardstick.

 

Given another hour or two I think I would dial in the take off and start to really enjoy the inside section – don’t get me wrong it is superb when you are on it. But I don’t have the money or desire to throw at it when the local is as local as mine.

 

So after a run of thinking about the Wavegarden it feels nice just to be looking at the local forecast again. There is a bump coming Saturday/Sunday morning so I am happily thinking about how ridiculously early I can get up in order to change in the rain and snag a few before the rush. My surfing life is back to normal, hell I might stay in more than an hour

First Wave

Llandegla and some surf

Nice run of summer treats, two days of solid surf followed by some good riding, including two trips up to landegla. To tired to write some witty prose, but feel required to mark the occasion.

Nice trip up to Whitadder in dad's road bike

Coed Llandegla

Quick Report from Coed Llandegla

 

The run starts with a long climb (30Mins) over open land (cut woodland) to the far end of the forest. This was hard work given that it was exposed and was pushing thirty yesterday. Not too taxing just a steady climb.

 

Then the route runs along the hillside up and down some great sweeping sections before you get the option to go red or black. I went down the black and it is pretty easy (just read some trail reviews which bemoan that it should be red). Easy but also extremely fast and flowy with loads of rollers and jumps. Some of the best trail I have ridden so far, similar to Spooky Wood at Glentress which is good.  I might add you could have a big fast accident going down here. I nearly overcooked a couple of corners coming out of jumps!

 

There is then a nasty hill out of the black area to rejoin the red and this is where things started to get worse. Essentially there is a red loop with a couple of black/orange marked sections which looked good on youtube, especially b-line. However there seemed to be a route closure and the work around option was not clear. Someone told me to go the wrong way up a trail which I did for a while, then lost heart and got nervous I was going to meet someone coming the other way. So I turned round and went the way they were going. (I have since discovered I had nearly reached the start of the fabled North Shore/B-Line section, which apparently is the best in the park and will make sure I do it next time.)

 

Turning round meant losing a lot of altitude on a fire road which is always deeply depressing. I then picked up the red again (the black is finished by then) and rejoined a last half hour of very average single track to the finish. An occasionally spicy bit of downhill would get quashed by nasty uphill, and the heat was not making it any easier. I really need a dropper post too – I must have got off 15 times to adjust – it drove me nuts.

 

Just when I thought I was due some downhill I was back at the start and feeling short changed. The last half had just felt like steep tedious climbing So I went up to the freeride trail and pump track, both of which were deserted. The pump track was dull but the freeride downhill good even if I can’t do proper jumps yet. I did however make the mistake of running up onto one of those man made wooden elevated sections. It started quite wide but then narrowed and went up down, round and round for what felt like 200meters. At some points the track was head high off the ground. Falling off was not an option and I was shitting myself. My heart was really going when I exited – pure fear of spending the night up there with a broken leg kept me on it! After that there is two good drop-offs before you are back at the centre, the first which looked a bit high for me but I made it no probs and caused me to exit the trail feeling like Danny McAskill.

 

In summery the first half was excellent, you need to do the black, make sure you can find the b-line section (I didn’t have a map although I am not sure it would have helped) and the last section of red is quite tedious for climbing so I would cruise the last couple of miles back on the blue which takes you to the top of the freeside so you can finish on the fun drop offs. But go on the elevated section at your own risk!

Another trip with the wrong car

Another trip to France with work, again tantalisingly close enough to the Pyranees to imagine just how good it would be to get the Elise down here again. This it was closer than usual being based out of &&&& right in the foot hills, surprisingly working with a guy who owned a Morgan and unsurprisingly sporting a twirly moustache. Anyway the stead for this week was a fiat panda with the aircon option firmly unchecked, seriously I had not realised you could still buy cars without aircon.. Anyway a mighty panda it was, still no rear engined twingo but maybe next time.

So after day one I got the chance to run the col du &&&& in said panda and it delivered the kind if laughs that only a small underpowered narrow wheeled French or Italian hire car can muster. Delicious amounts of tyre squeal were coupled with a moderate amount of grip and predictability from a chassis you could take liberties with if you were feeling stupid, or on an empty col. Fortunately my work colleague and passenger has become accustomed to my driving and was reasonably happy with our progress, only squeaking when we got a bit of air on the way up and having crested  the summit when I slotted reverse, pulled a J-turn in order to do the descent, this time in the rain that had started falling as we neared the top.

Day 2 meant a fast cross country run from the site to Carcassonne on the &&&&&. I say fast, the panda does not really do fast, however what it does do is fun and despite having to let a Leon through who was also "on it" we had a fun time wringing out the petrol engine which was surprising fun after so long in diesels.

No sat on airfrancs to Charles de Gualles with renewed desire to get the Elise back on the road and back to the mountains. The maths on 45p per mile fro. Edinburgh to the Pyranees is interesting..

Up and running 1992 Hardrock

Was a wreck in dad's garage, now back up and rideable on everything but the chain and tyres.

Approx 45miles so far no probs. last ridden by me on the London to Brighton 20 years ago.

Crowded Waves and Quiet Trails

Friday off in May and a lucky swell. Surf 1 on the twinny was good but marred when I dropped it. Hung around for the push and surfed a very crowded reef on my log. Got the lions share with on of the c2c guys and later a couple of the other regulars that showed up. Most were just floating but it did make getting down the line without running people over interesting at times. And you don't want to be hit by a 9.2.

Later in week ride Cannock and it was nice and quiet, met a group on the trail and ended up riding the second half with them. We pushed each other onto some of the black sections and I was pleased to complete then all - shows how far you can progress in a couple of months riding.

Nasty little step up

Spotted in Monaco

These things are getting better with age.

 Couple of shots of them setting up for the race

Agent Orange

Goes like shit of a shovel. Two of the best surfs of the year, nice evening surf then the following morning

got up 4:30 to hit the beach at first light and it was pumping. The first half hour solo was just about as good as I have surfed and the new board the best board I have ridden - and I do love my single fin.

Wave number two was the money as they say, easy roll in then it walled up all the way to the inside allowing my average ability to draw the kind of lines that my  mind often plans but rarely delivers. Speed up for the last section then up and over the shoulder, paddle out and repeat. Someone later paddled up and said they had been watching from the road, "looked great first thing, you were all over it eh" oh aye my ego will take that all day long, at least till the next missed wave.

And more on the way for next week.

Wetsuit warming, wrap it round a bottle of boiling water.

New Rocket

Super clean logging

Perfect clean little pease on the push after low tide. Surfed it till the swell said goodbye to the bank.

Nice Drops

Report from 19a Ryanair, Beziers to Edinburgh. So after a long run of flatness the East Coast suddenly woke up and things got interesting again. A decent long range swell showed up and for a couple of hours at least the wind came good, a bank held some shape and it went real glassy. Once again a small few were getting our fill.

As is often the case there was a short period of twenty mins when things were just so and the drops got steep and the shoulder real pretty.

More of the same due tomorrow and a new board has been bought on a whim on Scottish second hand surfboards Facebook page.

No surf pics but how about this 2cv6 I saw in Meze this week.

Cannock Chase - MTb

Decided to go and have ride of the Cannock chase trails which came on a recommendation.

Generally very good, the red was reasonably easy to do on the hard tail and the climbs were all easy after Macc Forrest and Glentress. Some of the single track was excellent and it was worth it for a few of the rock gardens and drop offs.

Clearly made the most of the elevation and space but is it really mountain biking if you can hear road noise most of the time? And the trails rarely leave the woods so you never get an appreciation of where you are or how far you have travelled.

Good though.

Gt again

So back up to Glentress again, another early start and a run over the red. This time I have burm baby burm a run which was also good, plus two or three runs over the free ride park including first drop of the Hucks.