A Wintery Wildcamp on Wansfell

A phone call from Ian on Monday, he was expecting his new tent and wanting to try it out on an overnight camp...before the next round of Tiers/lockdown. Wansfell with its superb views was the choice. I asked if he minded me tagging along. So having met in Troutbeck yesterday, socially distanced of course off we went. It was a grand do, I should do more of this kind of thing. But to often the motivation is lacking. 

Here's a short? video of the trip...is 6½ minutes to long? Anyway it's a record for me really....

Should you wish to see the video "full screen" please click on this link

Whitbarrow.....and a Summit Camp on Calf Top

As the title suggests, a day of 2 halves. Old friend Tim was down from Scotland so we planned a walk, Whitbarrow was the choice. We met near Low Fell End and set off under sunny skies up the zig-zag path.

A short detour from the main path brings you to this viewpoint, Millside is below, Morecambe Bay beyond...Blackpool Tower was visible with the naked eye.

                        Looking North from the first highpoint. The Lakes Fells in the distance.

Having visited the summit (Lords Seat), we descended by Bell Rake into High Park Wood. then crossed the valley and took the bridleway onto Yewbarrow. This is a panoramic looking back at Whitbarrow Scar.

A number of overgrown paths were taken to bring us back to Beck Head. Here there is a craftsman, this is his latest creation.

The resurgence at Beck Head. Some more overgrown paths and we were back at the cars. 

A great day, always good to catch up with Tim in person rather than on the phone!

I'd only just returned home and received a text from @ianwood2011 saying he was going to camp at the summit of Calf Top. So a quick bit of packing and a short drive to Barbondale to meet at Short Gill.

It was a stiff climb from the valley bottom onto the ridge. We found some water and filtered it then walked along the ridge to the trig on Calf Top. 610m so just misses out on 2000' status. Ian was using a new shaped tarp and bivibag....I had the Tramplite shelter. We expected a sunset but the sun simply disappeared behind a bank of cloud. There was however a stiff breeze, which meant that conversation was carried out from within our respective shelters!

 

The wind dropped a bit overnight, and a shower passed through. No sunrise this morning, a quick descent reversing our route of yesterday evening back to the cars. Back home for my breakfast!

A short trip...and a better effort at pitching the Tramplite.

An Overnite Camp from Bridge End in Patterdale

Back on my quest to visit all the 2000' Wainwright Summits in 12 months, yesterday I parked at Bridge End in Patterdale and left the car about 4pm. It was also the first chance I'd had to use my new-to-me Tramplite shelter. I could have done these remaining hills from Martindale, and it would probably have been an easier route as well! As is the custom on this blog we'll walk by photos...

Off across the valley and up the well trodden path to Boardale Hause. Not one of my favourites...I'll leave it be for a bit! There was an image shared on social media recently of rubbish left at Angletarn...inc a suitcase full of clothes!! amongst other stuff...you have to wonder what was going through their mind a they toiled up here with all that tat! 

Looking back across Dubhow Crag to Sheffield Pike and the Dodds. Shortly after this I met the last people I saw until at Side Farm this morning.

I expected to see a few tents here at Angletarn but there was only 1..its there for the eagle eyed.

On towards Satura Crag, the first target of the day directly above the gateway Rest Dodd.

One of the lesser visited summits I'd say. Rest Dodd is a little bit off the main paths. A great view to the North, a little bit of Ullswater in the distance.

There's a fair bit of descent and re-ascent to The Knott...the boggy ground between the two meant the end of my dry feet as well. High Street (on the right) looked a lot more inviting in the evening sun than it had on Thursday. 

Rampsgill Head was next, it didn't take long. I took a beeline from the Knott "helped" by a savage wind. this is the view South dominated by High Street (on the right) and Harter Fell (on the left)

There was no hanging about, I jogged across to Kidsty Pike. The sun had disappeared for a while and the temperature had dropped...out came the windshirt.
The weather to the East looks better!

Next it was over to High Raise, you get some easy summits for your effort once your up here.
Again looking east to the higher summits of the Northern Pennines.
My original plan (such as it was) had been to camp up here. The wind was a lot stronger than the forecast, so I pushed on...I still had lots of daylight. 

If my feet were'nt wet before, they certainly were by the time I arrived here on Wether Hill.
 Is this the top? it's as close as makes any difference...any stones to make a cairn up here have no doubt sunk into the morass. 

Last of the hills to be climbed on my notional list in the Far Eastern Fells, Loadpot Hill. Conditions up here were slightly better. High raise in the distance still had the sun on it.
Decision time, it was 8pm, still 2 hours of usable daylight...I could head Northish and camp on Bonscale Pike, or back and down beside Groove Gill to camp in the top of Fusedale.
I headed for Fusedale.

I found a half decent spot, adjacent to the old shepherd huts. The Tramplite shelter looks quite well pitched in this image (not bad for a first attempt)...but the ground was tussocky so it was never going to be the best. 

I slept well, no wonder I'd been out on the bike yesterday morning before the walking in the afternoon. The Tramplite is superb, I didn't use the additional storm guys and there were certainly some strong gusts during the night. of course the wind had dropped this morning and the midges were out in force.

All packed up and underway for 6am  #leavenotrace...you can't tell but my suitcase is actually inside my pack! 😉

Down the contouring path under Brownthwaite Crag. The early light just catching The Nab and the head of Bannerdale.

From Matindale I picked up the shore path back towards Patterdale. The sun only briefly made an appearance as here on the other side of the lake at Glencoynedale. Its a while since I've been on the shore path....quite a bit of up and down! 

Almost at Patterdale, a good view of St Sunday Crag.

I walked on through Rooking, Crookabeck and Beckstones, then back across the valley to the car.
A great little trip.

Silver How Wildcamp

A great spell of weather just recently here in the Lakes. As Wednesday is one of my days off work I planned an overnight camp. Parking in Grasmere I decided to head up onto Silver How. Heading round the back of Allan Bank, then up by Wray Gill.....

Seat Sandal, Greenhead Gill and in the distance Fairfield from the track round Allan Bank

Across Wray Gill (normally a reliable source of water but last night only a trickle) to the Eastern Fells...Fairfield et al.

Just over half an hour to the top, I was rewarded with the view to Grasmere (not in this image) and Rydal Water.

Time was getting on, and after a chat with a guy who was also planning to camp (in my preferred spot no less!) it was time to find a likely pitch. In the near distance was where I ended up.

A last look down at the two lakes before I went off to pitch up.

I found a good pitch, soon had the tent up and the sac unpacked. Windermere in the distance.

Not so much unpacked as scattered to the four winds!
Wetherlam in the distance.

Nothing really sunset wise, but the sky o the North was rather good.
I turned in, and had a decent nights sleep.

Dawn didn't bring much in the way of a sunrise, again looking North there was a bit of colour in the sky.

I got packed up and walked back over the summit.
Here looking east, the other temporary residents tent on Silver How.
Then it was back to the car, descended the same way I'd ascended he evening before.
 Enjoyed this short trip! :-)

Wansfell Wildcamp

The great spell of weather prompted me to ask @ianwood2011 if he wanted to come along on a trip up Wansfell earlier in the week. our last wildcamp on the top of Coniston Old Man had been almost 2 years ago...how time fly's.We agreed to meet on the top, having been at work during the day it was after 6.30pm when I left the car near Town End in Troutbeck.....

Troutbeck and the Ill Bell ridge looking great in the early evening light.

Windermere from Robin Lane

Reaching the summit of Wansfell about 8.00pm after my roundabut route, Ian was already in residence! He was using his new Durstan X-mid...which looked very good.

I chose a pitch a little to the East, with a view down almost the full length of Windermere. I was using my Six Moons Deschutes...I got a really taut pitch, although the ground was a little slopey.

The sun disappeared without much of a sunset...nice layers tho'

A little later there was a bit of a light show over the Fairfield Horseshoe.

There was very little cloud at sunrise, so there was no great lightshow either...this was as god as it got.

There was a few pockets of mist, this one over Blelham Tarn and its environs picked out with the telephoto lens.

The warm light starting to catch the slopes below the summit of Wansfell Pike.

Loughrigg and the fells round the Langdales.

With Ian due to start work in Grange-over-Sands at 9.00am, we left the summit and descended to and then down Nanny Lane (recently repaired it would seem).
A good trip we both felt, so no doubt there will be others in the future.

Dusting Off the Deschutes Tarp

It's been a long while since I've done a solo backpack/wildcamp. In truth I've attempted to get out several times....even getting the tent/tarp pitched then turning tail and returning home! I've just not been "feeling it" together with a lack of self confidence. I can't explain what clicked to get me out last night, who knows!
I packed my gear on Monday evening and took it to work in the car...still not completely sure I'd carry it through.
Sorry for all the "I" in this post.....but this blog is mainly about "ME ME ME"! Anyway off I went and parked below Rydal Mount....

My proposed destination was Alcock Tarn or thereabouts, so off on the "Coffin" Route I strode

Its a popular path and justifiably so, great views down to Rydal Water and across to Loughrigg

The light was very flat, I didn't take many photos. I arrived at Alcock Tarn, this was as good as the sunset got.

I walked back a couple of hundred metres to Grey Crag to a good spot I'd seen earlier. I was a bit rusty at my campcraft...but got the Deschutes erected and stuff organised eventually.

After a bit of a broken nights sleep, I woke to my alarm at 5.30am hoping to see the sky a mass of colour as the sun rose....ah well...

As the sun gained a bit of height Silver How caught the first of the light beyond Grey Crag.

I packed up and started to descend back the same way I'd ascended the evening before.

Perhaps I should have waited a bit longer as the light was starting to improve. Grasmere was starting to wake up below me.

Wetherlam in the distance beyond "Red Bank"

Then it was back along the "Coffin"route to the car. Rydal Water looking it's picture postcard best.
I'd enjoyed the trip, sometimes hard to justify the effort....its camping for campings sake of course.
I'll be having another trip in the next few weeks I think.