I caught the train up to Penrith in November 2019 and then the 508 bus down to Pooley Bridge on the shores of Ullswater, in the Lake District National Park. It was a dry, but very cold day as I set off up the hill in search of somewhere to Continue Reading
Wild Camping
Wild Camp: Ben Alder from Dalwhinnie
In October 2019 I headed up on the sleeper train from London to Dalwhinnie, with the intention of climbing Ben Alder. I’d been interested in climbing this mountain for some time, I think mostly due to it’s remoteness. The weather forecast was, however, not on my side. Very heavy rain Continue Reading
Wild Camp: Hang time! South Downs Wild Camp
The South Downs National Park is relatively easy to get to from where I live, but it definitely does not count as a wild location, being mostly cultivated land and quite heavily populated. I have wild camped in the park twice, and on this first occasion I was trying out Continue Reading
Wild Camp: High Willhays – Dartmoor National Park
Not every wild camp trip needs to be an epic. This trip was a good example of that. My wife enjoys going wild camping, but it should mainly be about having a relaxing time rather than 15 mile days. This circuit, from Meldon Resevoir taking in Yes Tor, High Willhays Continue Reading
Wild Camp: Isle of Arran – Brodick to Lochranza
I don’t normally go to Scotland in the summer. Those of you familiar with Scotland will know why – midges! In case you think they are just a bit of an annoyance, I can assure you they are far far worse than that, especially if you are camping. However in Continue Reading
Wild Camp: Blencathra – Halls Fell
On 11th May, 2019, I took the (then) Virgin Trains service from London to Penrith, and then the X5 bus to Threlkeld to start the walk and grade 1 scramble up Halls Fell Ridge. This is a longer but less exposed scramble than Sharp Edge (not that I’ve done Sharp Continue Reading
Wild Camp: Cadair Idris, Snowdonia National Park
In March 2019, my friend Rob and I drove to Snowdonia to attempt to summit Cadair Idris and camp wild somewhere nearby. Whenever Rob and I have been out together, we always carefully check the weather for the days before. On this occasion, it really wasn’t looking positive at all Continue Reading
Wild Camp: Iceland – Westfjords
I had spent close to twelve months obsessively googling Westfjords, that part of Iceland that remains relatively free from tourism, particularly in the shoulder season. In May 2018, I flew to Reykjavik to go and see it for real. I decided, it turns out unwisely, that a Toyota Yaris would Continue Reading
Wild Camp: The Black Mountain – Y Mynydd Du Brecon Beacons
In February I headed to the Brecon Beacons National Park for an overnight trip on The Black Mountain (Y Mynydd Du). Not to be confused with The Black Mountains in the East of the park, this is in the far West. After parking in the short side road next to Continue Reading
Wild Camp: Not so wild at Peppercombe Bothy
I hesitated as to whether to include this trip in the blog, since it doesn’t fit really with the theme of wild camping, being a bookable National Trust bothy. Nor does it quite reach the definition of hillwalking, since I didn’t climb any hills. It was however a nice little Continue Reading