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Ennerdale wildcamp post-trip kit report

Posted by BG! on October 11th 2007 in Camera kit, Great Escapes, My reviews, Wildcamping

OK, let's start with the tent. I took the Vango Spectre for it's first wildie and it performed well, but then again conditions were good so it wasn't tested to the max. It was easy to put up, it took about 5 minutes, which I think is acceptable. In the morning there was a small amount of condensation on the underside of the fly, it would have been much less if there had been any sort of a breeze flowing through the end-vents, but there wasn't. I still need to replace the original guy-lines with Dyneemas. Oh, and I'll just take the right amount of pegs next time (14 Tikes, instead of the bag of 30 that I lugged around).

The pack. I was going to take a 40l pack but changed my mind at the last moment, opting instead for the Lowe Alpine Warp70 which allowed me to take the full camera kit. Features that I particularly like are the Torso Fit Duo back system (which suits me better than most other systems do) and the big external flap pocket at the back, which easily stores all of the food and drink for the weekend and which is so easy to access, being almost independent of the main body of the pack. I reckon that I had about 40l of walking kit and 10l of camera kit, so there was room to spare.

Navigation. As usual, I took the trusty Silva 15TDCL compass and A4 print-offs (printed at 1:12500) of MemoryMap maps stored in the A5 Ortlieb mapcase, backed up with the Garmin Geko 201. I hardly used any of that stuff, though, as I got by just fine with the O2 Xda with the inbuilt satnav working with the MemoryMap software that I have loaded onto the 2gig micro-SD card. I always got a good satellite signal and the positioning was fairly accurate and fast, plotting the positions directly onto the map overlay instead of having to transpose the position from Geko readout to paper-map. I started the walk with the Xda fully-charged, it was down to 81% when I got back to the car. I think that the Geko might be going on eBay soon, it's good kit but the Xda does the same job and much more besides (except the Xda's not waterproof, so I have to bag it in bad weather).

Cooking. The Jetboil performed impeccably, starting first-time every time, so there were no more beard-burning flare-ups. Fuel economy was acceptable - I had three hot rehydrated meals each day (pro-rata) and regular brew-ups, using just less than a quarter of a Coleman 100 canister.

Boots. Having got bad heel-blisters from the Raichle Fusion Mid XCRs on the Brecon Beacons meet, I went back to the Scarpa SLs and they were much better than they have been before, no doubt due to the liberal amount of zinc oxide strapping wound around my heels. The boots have now shaped themselves to my feet, so things can only get better.

Sleeping. I took the Alpkit AD700 bag, expecting the nights to be cold due to the clear skies that had been forecast, but it was too warm and I ended up using it as a blanket instead of as a bag. The mat was the InsulMat Max Thermo - it's light, comfy and packs down small. I've now got used to the fact that it needs re-inflating a bit just before use (when it's first inflated, the air inside is warm, but this contracts as it cools and needs to be "topped-up" to ensure the mat's fully inflated).

Clothing. I didn't bother to take a shell-jacket and over-trousers, opting instead for the Montane Featherlite Smock and Pants (Trousers), but I didn't need to use either of them. Most of the time all that was needed on the top half was a Lowe Alpine Dri-Flo LS top, with the Rab VR Climb for those odd post-effort chills.

Camera kit. This is an area where I didn't skimp on the weight. I took the camera and a couple of lenses (18-55mm and 70-300mm), a spare battery, cleaning kit, filters and a LowePro case to stash it all in. It added a fair amount (weight and volume) to the load, but I'm prepared to sweat that bit more if it means that I get some decent pics to help me remember the trip. I now know that I need a lens-hood for the 18-55mm kit-lens, and I reckon that a tripod would have been useful for the low-light and/or long lens shots.

Taken but not used:

1 pair spare socks
Montane Featherlite Smock and Pants (Trousers)
1 Mars Bar
16 Tikes (doh!)
Spare battery for camera
Garmin Geko and spare batteries
Lowe Alpine Mountain Cap
1 spare dehydrated meal
First Aid kit
Compass

Stuff that I almost ran out of:

Isotonic drink powder (I had enough left to make up 0.25l)
Bog-roll (I was down to the last sheet! TMI?)

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Ennerdale wildie question

Posted by BG! on October 10th 2007 in Great Escapes, Lakes Escapes, Maps, Site update

A bird (of the feathered variety) hassled me on the descent to the valley... could someone please give me a definite answer as to what it was? I've trawled through all of the relevant books in my mini-library but I can't find a positive match.

Thanks in advance.

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Plan v Reality: A weekend at Ennerdale

Posted by BG! on October 9th 2007 in Great Escapes, Lakes Escapes, Thanks, Wildcamping

Tags: Wainwrights, Wildcamping

OK, so it started with a plan. Drive up to Ennerdale, park at Bowness Knott, leg it up Grike and spend Friday night there, go on to Crag Fell, Lank Rigg, Caw Fell and Haycock and camp up there Saturday night, then either drop back down or carry on to the Pillar range depending on time, fitness, weather etc..

Well, it didn't quite work out like that. The traffic on the M6 was heavy, which added two hours to my travel time, which meant that I couldn't get onto the tops on Friday night. Further to that, in the (free) car-park at Bowness Knott there were signs that told of footpath closures due to forestry work , which meant that I wouldn't be able to follow my preferred route back down the valley if I went on past Pillar.

So, I spent the evening down by the lake and the night in the car, and made a new plan...

Ennerdale sunset

Saturday dawned cloudless after a clear, warm and starry night. Kitted up, I walked up the valley to the first concrete bridge and stopped there for breakfast beside the river. After that I crossed the valley and walked up through the plantations to the confluence of Silvercove Beck and Deep Gill, where there is a beautiful halt with waterfalls, cascades and a narrow bridge that looks like it should have a troll living beneath it. This was the last running water for miles, so I stuck three litres in the platy and started the grind up the ridge to the col between Caw Fell and Little Gowder Crag, walking directly into the strengthening sunlight.

The parting of the ways

After much sweating I reached the col and, after a breather, I made my way past Little Gowder Crag to the summit of Haycock. At the top was a nice couple that had passed me on the way up. We chatted while I set up the Jetboil for a brew, we took some photos (I must remember to email them their pics after posting this) and then they went off to make their way up to Scoat Fell and beyond.

Little Gowder Crag with Haycock in the distance

After a cuppa, a light snack and a smoke, I made off to Caw Fell, which is a simple place on the map but a source of confusion on the ground. It's a simple walk alongside the ridge-wall to the cairn, but, when walking towards it, you get the impression that it's not the highest point on the fell, probably because there are no high fells to the west to give a proper perspective. I marched on past the cairn and beyond the corner of the wall to the shelter at NY 12497 10763 for a break and to decide whether to follow the wall northwards then westwards to Crag Fell, or make a bee-line for Lank Rigg. I was getting through lots of fluids because the day was so hot, and the platy was nearly empty, so I decided to take the more direct route westwards, as it meant crossing several streams where I could resupply often without having to carry a full load.

I rounded the top of Caw Fell Crags then set off through the heather and boulder-fields on a direct line towards Red Gill, negotiating the ravines of Bleaberry Gill and Long Grain on the way. The watersmeet at the bottom of Red Gill looked like a great place to camp, but I pushed on up the Gill and set up for the night next to the sheepfold in the col between Lank Rigg and Whoap. It was only when I went down to the stream for a wash that I realised that my arms and face were red with sunburn.

A ravine in Long Grain

I didn't sleep much that night - it was too warm even though the sky was clear and starry. I spent some time looking for meteors (it was the start of the Draconids shower) but I didn't see any. I did doze off eventually during the small hours after losing a running battle with a family of shrews that seemed to want to party the night away between the tent footprint and the groundsheet.

I woke just before first light and decided to stroll up to the top of Lank Rigg before breakfast. The view towards the rising sun was impressive and compelling, but I couldn't stay too long as I wanted to get fed and packed up before the lowering clouds wet the tent too much.

Sunrise from the top of Lank Rigg

An hour later I was away over the top of Whoap and into the plantation below Crag Fell. From the far side of the trees it was a ten-minute pull up a heathery slope to the tops for an excellent view of Ennerdale Water and the hazy upper valley. After a few pics I trudged the mile or so along the marshy ridge to Grike and its many cairns, and then it was time to be getting back down.

I made a bee-line down the slope to the sheepfold in Ben Gill, stopping part-way at a bield to watch a little bird whose territory I had accidentally invaded, then it was back to the steep descent past the waterfalls and through the trees to Bleach Green Cottages and a ball-aching route-march along the lake-side path back to the car, where I dumped the gear and went for a much-needed bath in the lake.

The journey back was dire. The traffic on the M6 was crawling from J39 to J24, and beyond that I only managed to get above 60mph after J14. It took over seven hours and an extra gallon of petrol to do the 220 miles to get home.

I reckon it was worth the hassle.

Contrails over the Pillar group

My thanks go to David and Ros Shelton for the chat and pics atop Haycock, and to Gareth Browning (Beat Forester) of Wild Ennerdale for the information regarding access and parking.

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Time to start packing – Ennerdale beckons

Posted by BG! on October 3rd 2007 in Great Escapes, Lakes Escapes, Wildcamping

Tags: Wildcamping

You'll all be spared the ordeal of new entries on my blog this coming weekend, as Chris is allowing me to escape up to the Lakes for a wildcamping weekend around Ennerdale. The weather's looking fair, this is the outlook from MWIS:

PLANNING OUTLOOK: all mountain areas of Britain Fine weather over England and Wales this weekend and early next week will spread across Scotland by Sunday – after showers here on Saturday. Winds will fall light, and extensive sunshine is likely, after fog clears from valleys in the mornings. Forecast issued at 1600 Tuesday 2nd October.

But what the hell, the last time I went wildcamping when the forecast was looking grim, the weather turned out to be brilliant, so I reckon I'll bank on being lucky again. What's the worst thing that can happen? I might get a bit wet. It's hardly the end of the world, is it? Hopefully I'll get a few half-decent pics to add to the report that I'll post early next week. Now, back to the packing... Hmmm... Which tent? Which sleeping bag? Which rucksack? Oh, FFS, it's all so much hassle, maybe I should cut down the options by flogging some of my gear when I get back.

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OM Meet – Brecon Beacons

Posted by BG! on September 18th 2007 in Great Escapes

Last month I had to miss out on the opportunity to walk and wildcamp with the Outdoor Bloggers in the Brecon Beacons. The other bloggers had a great time and I was convinced that I was going to have to leave the area alone until next year. Well, thanks to the efforts of OM's Metric Kate, I got another chance to go at the weekend, and I'm happy to report that we had a great time. Old friends were reunited, new friendships were made, bizarre events ensued. Top stuff, as always! The first pair to set up at the Dan yr Ogof campsite were meet-newbies Tel R and Colonel Blimp. Tel was car-camping with a vengeance, his tent was stacked to the roof with luxury items such as a table, chair, fridge, wine store, air-con, billiard table, man-servant, etc. etc., whereas the Colonel was a tad more minimalistic due to his having to carry his stuff over from the Emerald Isle. After introductions, I set up the virgin Spectre next to them and we all dossed for a while until Kate arrived. Then we dossed some more, being sure to stay a good distance from the mutant livestock in the adjacent field. Eventually we could doss no longer, so we went off to the local pub to claim the table that Kate had pre-booked for us. During the (excellent) meal, Sam (NNPB) arrived, followed a while later by Marns and Nikki, two more newbies. At last our Fellowship was complete. After several more drinks we went back to the site to help Marns and Nikki put up their tent, an operation not helped by the pole-breaking habit of the group troublemaker. Later we sat out under the stars chatting away and watching meteors. There was no moonlight, no cloud and hardly any urban light pollution, which meant that we could see the Milky Way stretching right across the sky - it was really impressive stuff, the usually-dull background stars were so bright that it was difficult to pick out the regular constellations. Eventually we had to hit our respective sacks and try to sleep whilst being serenaded by Sam's snoring and Kate's zip-fiddling antics. Saturday morning was clear and bright with a heavy dew. Breakfasts were devoured and we made ready to embark on a walk that Kate recommended. A while later, six of us set out for the hills while Kate went to the pub to nurse her dodgy knees and watch the rugby. The 22km route took us up Allt Fach, along Fan Hir, and over to Fan Brycheiniog, where we stopped for lunch, watched the Special Forces candidates making light of walking straight up the escarpment, and encountered a dog that pissed on Sam's pack. Oh, what larks! Then off we went to Twr y Fan Foel, then across to Picws Du, walking the full length of Bannau Sir Gaer and around the top of the cwm of Llyn y Fan Fach. After that we dropped down southwards over Brest Twrch to pick up the path through bizarre shake-hole territory for the walk back to camp. We had warm clear weather throughout the day, and all went to plan until the group troublemaker was afflicted by one of the worst nosebleeds I've ever seen, a full 25-minute jobby during which time so much blood was lost that the emergency services were contacted. Tel raced ahead to the campsite to intercept the expected ambulance/rescue crew, but the folks at 999HQ had scrambled the big red bird which couldn't be stood down even when the emergency had passed and the casualty had (allegedly) recovered, so we made ready for the group troublemaker to be air-lifted out under protest. Then things became a little confusing... the casualty became more concerned with her lipstick and nonchalant about her physical condition... the allegedly-handsome HEMS paramedic's professional services were rebuffed... the big red bird flew off without it's prey. Eventually we started down the slope to the site, where we passed a couple of walkers who were curious about the goings-on with the rescue helicopter. Suddenly the combined smell of aviation fuel and dog-piss was replaced by the not-so-subtle aroma of bull-shit as the group troublemaker denied any part in events, throwing up a smokescreen-story about training exercises etc.. Of course, we wouldn't let it lie. The group troublemaker was ribbed mercilessly all night at the pub (where, concidentally, the bull-shitted couple were eating at the next table), then Stuey and Jules arrived for a beer and a chat, so they got the full (true) story too. The ribbing continued back at the site, and again in the morning during breakfast (when the site-owner informed the casualty that events had featured in the media), and then during packing away. All good-natured stuff, given in jest and taken in good spirit. Eventually we had to decide what to do with the day - Stuey and Jules met us at the site in the vain hope that we might be going walking, but we decided that a visit to the showcaves would be more fun, seeing as how the Colonel was still in recovery after his first ever proper mountain walk, Kate still didn't want to risk aggravating her knees, the group troublemaker was reluctant to risk another outing and I had blistered heels (again). It was a good plan, but it failed right at the start when we saw the entrance fee for the showcaves - not extortionate, but it was money better spent on beer and/or food, so we upped-sticks to find a pub with space for us to eat. Well, it was Sunday lunchtime and, as expected, all the pubs that we tried were catering for bookings only, so we drove on up to the Mountain Centre and dined outside on the terrace looking out towards Pen y Fan. The group troublemaker's services were called upon when one of the tourists fell ill, so she sort of redeemed herself for the events of the previous day. And then it was time to head home. Handshakes and/or hugs and/or kisses were exchanged all round, then we were off. In less than 24 hours we had gone from being strangers to being good friends, having learned from each other, supported each other and, of course, laughed with each other. Nobody could ask for better than that. My thanks go out to Kate for arranging this meet, and to Tel R, Colonel Blimp, Marns, Nikki and Sam for making this weekend such a brilliant event. It was good to meet Stuey and Jules too, at last I can put faces to the names. Our hosts deserve thanks too, as the site was well-kept, good value and the facilities were excellent - a place that I will recommend to others. 31 pics - click on the following one to get to the lightbox: