Archive for the 'Wildcamping' Category

Far Eastern Fells Wildcamping – Day 2 – Ups and downs

Posted by on June 3rd 2008 in Annual Wildie, Great Escapes, Lakes Escapes, Wildcamping
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We woke at 04:30 but it wasn't fully light so we decided to have a lie-in. Well, why not? It was the weekend!

At 05:30 the sun was about to rise above the bank of low cloud far away in the North-East, so we went walkabout among the crags, peering down gullies and taking more pics. The views into and across Riggindale were immense, with the bonus of this being one of the best points of vantage for seeing the shy hanging valley of Sale Pot just beyond Short Stile. Riggindale Beck's twists and meanders glistened in the early light, being visible all the way from the source to the mouth at Haweswater. I could have spent another hour or so at this place, but we needed to be away.

 

Riggindale from Caspel Gate

 

Breakfast was a lengthy and leisurely affair - the day promised to be hot and sunny, so we wanted to take in a lot of fluids to cut down on the amount we would need to carry up, knowing that the flat top of High Street would be dry. We managed to cut the carry-up water to 1l each.

We struck camp and finished packing by 09:00 then started up Long Stile towards High Street, pausing now and again to take more pics. We made the summit at 09:40 just as the sun started to make itself felt.

 

Looking back down Long Stile

 

Muggins on the High Street plateau

 

After a few minutes at the top, we headed off towards Mardale Ill Bell, a gentle stroll that took all of 35 minutes, during which time we met a few folk walking up to the High Street plateau. We found a tadpole-infested small pond about 20 yards from the summit of the Bell, it was full of peat-stained water but we trusted our filter-bottles and processed enough for a quick brew. The Jetboil was eyed jealously by the few folk that passed the summit outcrop, comments like "I see you've got the kettle on" were met with offers of a free cuppa but there were no takers. Oh, well, it was their loss, it tasted good!

 

The Ill Bell Ridge from Mardale Ill Bell summit

Next on the list of objectives was Harter Fell. We were unsure of water availability at the Nan Bield Pass, so we made our stock back up to 2l and made our way down to the shelter in the pass. After a short breather, we carried on up the slope to Harter Fell, partly in shade but mostly in sunshine. Predictably, the small ponds at the top were dry, thus justifying the carrying up of those 2 litres.

 

The top of Harter Fell

 

At this point we had to make a decision. We had planned for the option of nipping down to Kentmere Pike and Shipman Knotts before carrying on around the head of Mardale. The sun was now really strong, so we elected to play safe and just go down to the Pike for lunch, and make another decision about the Knotts later, depending on water availability. The walk down to Kentmere Pike was soon done, and the Jetboil was soon steaming away boiling up for food and another brew. I wandered off packless to get a view of the Knotts but decided to leave them for another day.

 

Kentmere Pike trigpoint

 

We spent some time sitting in the sun but it was soon time to move on. We trudged back up to Harter Fell, pausing there only for a photo-opportunity, and strode around the Mardale edge of the wide curving ridge to Little Harter Fell before descending to the top of the Gatescarth Pass.

At the pass we were down to 0.5l each, so we had to scout around to find more before going on. With water we would carry on to Branstree, without it we would retire back to the valley. Eventually I found the spring that is the source of Gatescarth Beck, it was a cold and crystal-clear pond, no more than 3ft x 2ft and home to at least one splendid newt. We refilled and started up the dull, steep, straight grassy track next to the boundary fence, knowing that it led directly to the top of the fell. This was the third significant ascent of the day and our legs were really feeling the strain, but we made the top in good time - indeed, we stayed only for some pics, then carried on to the magnificent cairns on Artle Crag, situated in a strange area of naturally-standing rocks.

 

Cairns on Artle Crag

 

From there we could see our next pitch - the two tarns (one full, the other dry) just beyond the Manchester Corporation Water Works survey post, which we reached at about 17:00. I toyed with the idea of nipping off packless to nab Tarn Crag and Grey Crag but decided that the more-or-less pathless 6km there and back would be too much, so we pitched early so that Chris could get some rest. We spent a leisurely evening waiting for the sun to set the skies alight, but it turned out to be a bit of a let-down - nice, but nothing spectacular.

 

M.C.W.W. Survey Post

 

Tarn

 

Sunset

 

After a hearty meal and a well-deserved wash, it was time for some shuteye. It had been a tiring day, but well worth the effort.

To be continued...

Far Eastern Fells Wildcamping – Day 1 – Hold-ups and detours

Posted by on June 2nd 2008 in Annual Wildie, Great Escapes, Lakes Escapes, Wildcamping
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We had a hassle-free drive up the A5 and the M6 to Junction 39, there were none of the usual roadworks to hold us up, so we made good time to Shap. Then it was time to crank up the satnav and head off for the pre-programmed lat/long for Mardale Head. After a few miles we ended up at the end of the road into Swindale, with CoPilot telling us to "take the local road" directly to the head of Haweswater. Well, the only "local road" that goes the right way is the "Old Corpse Road", and that's hardly fit for MTBs, let alone cars, so we ditched the satnav and rerouted using the OS map. The nav error wasn't a complete waste of time, though, as Swindale is a nice place (we'll come back for a proper visit another time) and we saw some wildlife on the way out, including one of the biggest hares I've ever seen. Sadly, it was off before I could get the camera out, so I've no pics of the beast.

Anyway, we were soon belting down the road to Mardale Head but after a mile or so we were halted by a resurfacing crew who told us that we couldn't go further as they had the road blocked between the Haweswater Hotel and the road-end car-park. "Typical", I thought, "we've picked the only week for years when the head of the valley is off-limits", but a friendly chat with their gaffer revealed that they had just run out of tar and so would be going home soon. About 20 minutes later all their plant came back, followed by a string of cars full of disgruntled families.

We soon hauled up in the car-park and, after changing into our walking gear, donned our packs and made for Blea Water, which was our second-choice of pitch for the first night.

 

Blea Water panorama, Mardale Ill Bell (l) and High Street (r)

 

It was an easy walk up and we made it to the dam much sooner than we had anticipated, so after a snack-break we decided to head off up the easy grass slope on the right to our first-choice site, Caspel Gate Tarn on the ridge of Long Stile. This turned out to be an excellent place to overnight, there being plenty of level pitches and exhilarating views down each side of the ridge into the adjoining valleys. We would have had plenty of time to get up onto High Street to the third-choice site before dark, but that would have involved carrying up 5 litres of water for a night on the dry top, and neither of us was enthralled at that idea. Besides, I wanted to be at Caspel Gate at dawn to get some photos of the crags in the morning light. High Street could wait until the next day, we were in no rush.

 

High Street and Long Stile from the Caspel Gate pitch

 

As we pitched, the broken clouds, which had been just grazing the tops, lifted and thickened a little, which ensured that we would have a mild night. We had the place to ourselves, having seen nobody else at all since leaving the car-park. There was no running water, so we filtered from the tarn, brewed up, had some food then settled in for the night after taking a few photos.

 

Rough Crag from the Caspel Gate pitch

 

To be continued...

Ennerdale wildcamp post-trip kit report

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

Plan v Reality: A weekend at Ennerdale

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

Time to start packing – Ennerdale beckons

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

Bloggers’ Meet, June 2007 – Part 4 – Sunday

Posted by on June 16th 2007 in Bloggers' Meet, Great Escapes, Lakes Escapes, Wildcamping
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As is pretty normal for me, I didn't sleep much. I snatched a few hours after midnight but woke briefly at about 3am. After a few minutes of taking in the starry sky I slept again until about 4:30am when Lay started taking down his tent. After that I dozed for another hour and then got up and out. Lay was gone but the others were all still snoring away happily.

The sun wasn't quite over the horizon so I made a brew and decided to go out for a circuit of the tarn to get some pics in the early light while the others were still asleep. The tarn was flat-calm for most of the time and the reflections of the sky and fells were impressive. At the head of the tarn I found a couple of good wildcamping spots away from the main track and with decent running water nearby. Rounding one of the moraines I disturbed a heron which was fishing in the shallows. Later in the morning we would sit and watch it being mobbed by some of the seagulls that were in residence at the other end of the tarn.

I completed the circuit to find that some of the others were up and about. Darren was still in his doss-bag so I started off a brew for him and let him finish the job himself. John didn't appear for some time, was it because he was pacing himself, or was he just fed up of our company? 🙂 Anyway, the conscious members of the group started where we had left off the night before... more chat and banter, more brews and food, more photos.

It didn't take long for the day to start to heat up, there were a few light clouds around but for the most part it was very hot. There was general agreement that we should retreat to the safety of the Miller Howe Cafe again, so we packed up, checked that our site was tidy and clean, then set off down Easedale towards Grasmere.

Grasmere was a hive of activity - the place was full of runners and spectators gathered for the "Grasmere Gallop", which is described as "7+ miles over roads, timber trails and footpaths around the spectacular scenery of Grasmere and Rydal lakes". I decided not to join in, as I had errantly left my plimsolls and lycra bodysuit at home, so instead I went for a fried breakfast and a decent cuppa, inside the cafe this time because the sun was just too hot outside and the crowds were hogging the pavement.

Then it was time to start saying our goodbyes, first to John, who was off to other parts of the district for the next few days, then to Duncan who was steeling himself for the long drive back up to Scotland. Darren and Dawn kindly gave me a lift back to my car where we parted company after Darren had been presented with a small token of our appreciation.

So it was back to the tarmac for the drive back home, taking back the memories of a great time spent in the good company of a new group of friends.

 

Lilies and reeds

 

Howes Ridge reflected

 

Morning haze

 

Returning through Easedale

So, now my tally of “Wainwrights” is 160 (not counting repeats), which leaves 54 still to do. I'll update the maps ASAP and do a post-trip round-up sometime soon.
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