Midges ... great!

I've received an email asking about midges ... will there be lots and how best to avoid them, so I thought I'd share a few thoughts here.

Firstly, it's fair to say that there's a very good chance you'll run into the odd midge or 2 whilst on the WRT, they do seem to be getting worse year on year. Midges thrive in certain conditions so if you avoid the places they're most happy, you'll greatly increase your chances of returning with less spots than a leopard.

Winged teeth from hell.

The areas to avoid will be anywhere that is:

Damp

Still

Warm

Dark

So setting up camp in a forest, next to a pond when there's no breeze is a sure fire way to get bitten. Instead, a camp on a open hillside, 300m from the nearest water would be a far safer bet. The more you stomp about around camp the more midges will spring into action from the ground, so tread lightly or try levitation. Midges are also attracted to dark colours, so while your black, brown and navy cycling gear may look stealthy to us, the midges will see it as an open invitation to an all you can eat buffet.

It's worth taking something to cover any bare skin in camp, a pair of leg warmers (day glo obviously) will help stop your lower legs turning spotty and won't weigh you down much. Some kind of repellent is always wise, there's far too many on the market for me to comment on but if in doubt just pick the one with the most severe health warnings. If you're going to be sleeping in a bivvy bag then your face will become a delicious target for the midges all night ... a cheap midge head net should ensure that your face will remain all yours.

If you're really bothered by biting things then I'd consider carrying a full net. They don't weigh much, pack up very small and are relatively cheap ... best of all, you'll remain un-bitten all night.

Some are more annoying than others.