Lake District Wild Camp 2/10/15

I parked up at Mungrisdale just before 2pm and set off towards pastures new. This was my first visit to the northern Fells and I'd packed enough supplies for a comfortable two nights; I say comfortable as I'd brought the Force 10 Ion 2 with me.
I chose a slightly more direct route up Souther Fell which meant battling a tough incline and despite being October it was like a summers day!

I began to regret not collecting water lower down, I was starting to struggle and my body temperature was all over the place. I thought back and my only drink had been a coffee quite a few hours ago.

When I made it to the top of Souther Fell I was greeted by numerous little pools which could be used as a last resort (as the water would need boiling). Instantly I felt better and began to make my descent, my eyes finally locking on to the River Glenderamackin far below.

I decided to take no more chances and aborted my route up Scales Fell, instead dropping down to take on much needed water.
The gurgling little stream was absolute heaven and I glugged until my head started to feel numb!

I plodded onward up a gentle ascent passing the last of the days walkers heading back down to civilisation.

Sharp Edge.

As the sun sank over Blencathra the valley began to feel a little cold and dewy. I dropped down to a nearby stream and collected water for my first nights stay.

Once out of the valley I was greeted by warm evening sunshine. After a final stop for a couple of cups of water I walked the short remaining journey to the summit of Bannerdale Crags.

After a filling tea with some bread and wine, I took a short stroll to find a decent spot to camp.
Amongst the tussocky grass were a couple of lovely yet small short-grassed areas which were nice and flat, perfect!

Evening meal on Bannerdale Crags.

Inversions were everywhere, I'd seen them from afar before but never right beneath me!

Looking over to Bowscale Fell.

As the sun dropped behind Skiddaw there was an incredible feeling of calm and peace. The colours were stunning; delicate pastels with fine mist which added to the beauty of it all. It's hard to put into words how special an evening it was.

Sunset beyond Skiddaw.

Blencathra at dusk.

I listened to music for an hour before peering out at 10pm. I could see the Milky Way quite easily and decided to head out for some photographs.

Milky Way between Blencathra's saddle.

I'd been out a couple of hours and the Moon was beginning to rise from the North East so I decided to call it a night.
I hardly slept and was less than impressed when my alarm woke me at 06:30. I begrudgingly got out of my toasty sleeping bag.
My mood soon changed as I took in the beautiful dawn sky, there were vibrant orange shades over to the east and delicate pinks over to the west.

Force 10 Ion 2 at dawn.

Sunrise from Bannerdale Crags.

After watching the sunrise I headed back inside for a coffee, I felt like going back to bed but it was getting light and I needed to pack up and vacate this amazing place.

Blencathra and its edges.

Blencathra was my next stop and looked huge (even though I was just below the 700m mark!). Progress was slow up Blencathra's steep path and all but the highest peaks were hidden by a white sea of cloud.

Skiddaw from Blencathra.

Gategill Fell Top.

I reached Blencathra's summit quite early and in solitude but it soon became busy with people arriving from the various different routes to the summit.
I sat down and tucked in to a fig bar whilst watching the cloud below occasionally creep up onto Blencathra's saddle.
After a quick sip of water I slung my pack on and set off back the way I'd came.

Water was my main priority as yesterday's stocks were nearly depleted. I chose to pass the pool on Blencathra's saddle in favour of some running water I'd passed yesterday.

Memorial with Skiddaw behind.

I made a misty descent off Blencathra and found a clear stream very close to the path. I had lunch nearby and went back to top up my reservoir, it was a warm day and I didn't want to run out of water.

I made my northeast across some boggy ground which required a keen eye to avoid sinking. Heavy mist drifted across the hillside making progress a bit more of a challenge, I could hear voices behind me but they remained hidden by the mist.
After a quick tap of the summit I walked a short distance away and plonked my kit down. It was now early afternoon and I had a couple of cups of squash whilst mulling my plans over. An hour or so later and I was still deciding what to do! The mist was still rolling in and showed no signs of lifting so I made the tough decision to leave the mountain and head back to the car.

I kept a storming pace down the rough path all the way to Mungrisdale. As much I hate to lose a night's wildcamping, the first night had been complete and utter perfection so the trip had been well worth it.

River Glenderamackin.

Hopefully the next time I'm in the Lakes I'll be treated to some cool winter conditions, there's nothing better than the Lake District in winter :)

Lake District Wild Camp 7-8/6/15

Route: Wasdale Head-Yewbarrow-Red Pike (Wasdale)-Scoat Fell-Steeple-Haycock-Wasdale Head.

The last couple of months had flown by and I was keen to get back to my favourite wildcamping destination.

After a fair amount of planning I'd decided on a week in the Lakes which would involve two wildcamps, separated by a bed and breakfast stop (Lingmell House) in between to freshen up.

I arrived at Wasdale Head mid morning and made my way beside Wastwater towards Yewbarrow.

I was soon off the road and making my way across the pleasant fern covered grassland.

My chosen route would involve scrambling up the southern end of Yewbarrow and it looked pretty daunting from below.

Bell Rib on Yewbarrow.

The path steepened considerably and progress slowed as my full pack held me back. The grass was soon replaced by loose rock as the scramble began.

The scramble kept my mind occupied as I sought out the best route upwards. Thankfully it had looked far worse from below and wasn't exposed in the slightest.

.Middle Fell, Seatallan and Dropping Crag.

A glance back showed impressive views over Wastwater to Illgill Head and beyond.

Wastwater and its screes.

Yewbarrow south top.

The original plan was to camp near Red Pike the first night but Yewbarrow was far more open than I'd imagined, not to mention the fantastic views of the Scafells that it offered. I was more than happy to stay put.
Finding a suitable place to pitch took some time due to there being hardly any flat spots away from the path. I sourced water from a clean looking pool and eventually found a slightly soggy bit of ground which was fairly level.
Phone signal was good so I whiled away a couple of hours in the sunshine.

As the evening drew to a close I pitched the tent facing the Scafells and watched the evening light slowly rise and start to dim on neighbouring fells.

My alarm sounded at 4am and I wasted no time in getting dressed and stumbling out of the tent. I clumsily made my way towards the Northern end of Yewbarrow.

The Scafells at first light.

I found an ideal vantage point and perched on a rock whilst Herdwicks grazed nearby. I was thankful I'd brought gloves as the slight wind was much colder than anticipated.

Sunrise on Red Pike (Wasdale).

As I broke camp I headed west over the top of Yewbarrow which would avoid the more direct and steeper scramble down to Dore Head.

As I made my way past Gosforth Crag Moss I was surprised by the size of the animals grazing in the distance. They looked massive and were certainly not sheep!
After half filling my reservoir and a quick drink, I headed in the direction of Dore Head.

I was quite surprised to see cows on the fells and as I got closer I saw they had calves with them so I cautiously gave them a very wide berth. Dozens of pairs of eyes watched my progress and I was relieved when I finally got to Dore Head.
My first ascent of the day began as I made my way slowly up to Red Pike with a small packet of jellybeans for company!

Looking back at Stirrup Crag on Yewbarrow.

As it was lunch time I decided to stop for a quick meal a short distance from the Red Pike summit whilst taking in the views of Seatallan and Hayock.

Seatallan, Low Tarn and Haycock.

I was soon on my way with my next stop being Scoat Fell. I'd passed it on a previous trip (on route to Pillar) but visibility wasn't that great back then.

Looking back at Red Pike (Wasdale).

Steeple.

As I'd decided against climbing Steeple the last time I was here, I didn't want to pass it up again.
I left my pack behind a boulder and made my way across the rocky and exposed ground. It wasn't too bad but I soon headed back to safety after a couple of shots from the summit.
I plodded on towards Haycock and began to feel the wrath of the sea breeze! After finishing a quick afternoon snack I changed into trousers, hat and gloves! I aborted my plan of Caw Fell and started descending towards the flatter southern slopes of Haycock.

Low Tarn with the Scafells behind.

I soon warmed up once out of the wind and my next job was to find tonights campsite, I spied a decent looking site but decided against it once I'd checked it out properly. I left to search for somewhere better.

After some careful bog-trotting I found a nice level bit of ground amongst the rocks and went on a macro mission while it was still light.

Although I was on the wrong side of Haycock to see the sun setting, the evening light on surrounding fells was magical so I was not disappointed in the least.

Seatallan in evening light.

Unfortunately when I woke up the next morning, a slight eye irritation had got to the point where I could barely see out of it. Dejected, I headed to Lingmell House a day earlier than planned and the following morning an extremely kind fellow guest drove me to Whitehaven accident and emergency. I'd like to say a heartfelt thanks as I also managed to go ahead with my other two night backpacking trip a day later, albeit with some difficulty! :)