Sat on Hedgehope Hill today across the valley from The Cheviot and I suddenly realised I hadn’t any repellant with me. Thankfully there were few midges around and I was away before they were looking for their evening meal. In my experience they have breakfast and an evening meal, but skip lunch… or is that just how’s it seems?
I’m not sure that I will need any repellant this year as the NHS have arranged for me to be “inactive” during the midge season by scheduling my op for Monday 18th June. Hopefully back on the hills later in the year.
On a trip in SE Asia last year a guy in our group had a very unpleasant experience. He got a high strength DEET repellent onto his polyamide socks (he was wearing shorts) and it partly dissolved them but some how they got stuck to his legs. He had a very unpleasant time pulling them off with some of his skin!
I feel this is rather a drastic way of avoiding being bitten by midges but I very much hope that the op is very successful and it won’t be too long before we get another s2s or s2h! It was a great surprise to hear from you when we were on May Hill the other week and I hope you have other humps in the area on ‘the list’ - ideal for when you are recuperating! Best wishes
M6BWA Viki
Yes, now re-programmed for Spring 2019 so you have almost a year to give up the booze, fags and burgers. Plenty of time for me to prepare as well with hopefully some decent summits in the interim. I am already having withdrawal symptoms and I was only up a hill yesterday!
Well Viki, the HuMP that I activated yesterday (Hedgehope Hill G/HSB-007, 714m with 500m of ascent, much of it in the last kilometre) wouldn’t be on my “recouperation” list, but there are some in the Welsh Borders and also in Southern Scotland that fit the bill. I suppose I probably will be back on the hills in time to “bag” a few midges before the cold arrives. It depends on what kind of summer we have - non-existent, short or extended.
73, Gerald G4OIG
(an Avon user, but I can’t say I like the smell)
I just spent a couple of days in Arizona’s White Mountains and spent the first day in an area where they were both unexpectedly out in force and living up to their name. Result: I’m now covered with bites literally head to toe.
Plenty of time for me to prepare as well with hopefully some decent summits in the interim. I am already having withdrawal symptoms and I was only up a hill yesterday!