Bit behind with the blog again. I’ve been trying to reorganise our summer holidays (COVID has infected our plan to go to Italy) and try and gamble on booking a trip to France over Xmas.
Anyway, about a month back we decided on a quick overnight to mid-Wales on what looked like an ok bit of weather in midst of a rainy spell. We stopped off for chips on the way and I hoped there would be a breeze in the mountains as the midges forced us to eat in the car!
Setting off under very gloomy skies I got my wish. What began as a light breeze became a strong wind by the time we reached our intended pitch on Pumlumon Fach. What I hadn’t wished for was the shock cord in my tent poles failing, turning them into long pieces of string. Threading that string back into the poles in a high wind and dim light so I could connect them and pitch the tent was not what I had in mind. Once pitched we managed to chill in the tent as it was too gloomy and cold in the wind to sit outside.
Despite the mixed forecast it wasn’t at all bad when we woke. Still windy but there were patches of blue sky and sunshine. Breakfast in the tent with a view!
Our spectacular little camp site.
Looking back to the main summit of Pumlumon with wisps of cloud still hugging the top.
We set out for a morning walk to Y Garn, a missing summit in my list of Nuttalls.
Steep climb to the summit of Pumlumon.
The weather was improving all the time. Gorgeous view over the Nant-y-Moch reservoir.
Pumlumon summit.
Looking out to our/my target of Y Garn.
It was a really nice walk on a grassy path along the edge. These are not well known hills so we saw no-one.
Looking back to Pumlomon from Y Garn summit. Another one ticked off!
Returning over the summit of Pumlumon.
Pumlumon Fach – our tent is the middle of that photo if you can spot it!
Time for lunch. I sat outside in the warm sun (and wind), TBF preferring the cosy comfort of the tent.
Leave No Trace!
We headed down to the confluence of the Hyddgen and Hengwm valleys hoping to find somewhere for a swim.
Its wonderful open and wild country with barely a soul around and nothing but very sketchy paths.
We did indeed find a really nice swimming hole and despite TBF’s shocked expression it wasn’t especially cold.
Not deep enough for an extensive swim but great to freshen up and enjoy the water.
We found a cracking little ledge, out of the wind and in the sun to enjoy a brew and second lunch.
A view over our swimming hole to our little spot in the sun.
The Hengwm valley. Beautiful, wild and remote but a devil to walk through.
Time for the easy walk back to the car along the old drovers road.
Drosgol, one of my missing Marilyns and another summit that I have a plan to camp on.
And a final view from the car back into this austere area of hills. We were only out for about 24 hours but sometimes all you need to throw off the shackles of everyday life.
Any of you who read my blog regularly will know from the comments that my great friend Mark has his own blog over at Beating the Bounds. Indeed it was he who introduced me to it some 10 years back and I’m still going. A few weeks ago he mentioned his school was running a “Name the Teacher” competition from old photos and asked if we had any from days of yore he could use. Always ready to review old photos I dug out a few and scanned them in.
Sadly we have a case of COVID in the house so my outdoor activities are on hold for the forseeable while we isolate. I thought it would therefore be a good idea to use these photos to celebrate that long standing friendship along with many others and tell a few stories while my blog has to take a pause.
I first met Mark at University at the start of my second year. He joined me on a hike I was leading in Llangollen and we hit it off immediately. The fact that he led a mutiny and took almost all my party off in another direction while I went the other (and right way!) you would have thought might end the friendship before it ever began. However it just became the first of very many shared stories that we still tell to this day (In my defence I was navigating on a map from the 1950’s which were a little light on features). We met up again a couple of weeks later on a weekend in Keswick when we did Skiddaw and Blencathra together (on the same day) and met in the pub later where he was cradling two pints of Theakstons Old Peculiar, claiming it was busy so he better get a double round in. There are so many shared stories and a few of them are in here. I’d never imagine at the time that our friendship would endure another 30+ years and today I’m almost as close to his family as I am to my own.
Anyway, so here we go.
A photo taken on a walking trip before my final year at University in 1985. We were supposedly doing a hostel to hostel walking trip but the weather was truly awful with several days of ceaseless rain. We were heading up to Great Gable I think but after sloshing about in the rain and risking life and limb trying to cross swollen streams we headed down. This is Mark and our other good friend Matt Couch (who I haven’t seen since I left university). This is obviously the moment you reach when soaked through and you have no option left but to laugh. Quite why they posed like that who knows!
Later on that same Autumn I think. A youth hostel weekend in Buttermere and on the Sunday we walked back to Keswick (via a beer or two and a pub lunch in the Swinside Inn on the way). While waiting for the coach to take us home we and bunch of other mates took row boats out on Derwent Water. And yes that fresh faced pair of youths is me and Mark. Check shirts were all the rage as was my legendary black jumper. All my friends seem to think that was funny that I always wore them. Taking fashion tips from this lot – sigh! I also recall that one of the group saw a small island in Derwent Water and stepped on it on the faithful promise we wouldn’t abandon them there. We did!
The back yard of my student house in Manchester and an end of year BBQ in 1986. Who needs expansive lawns to enjoy al fresco eating I say. All you need is a few stray bricks from around the alleys and the tray from the oven! Mark with a drink in his hand was a common sight – he’s a more responsible and grown up parent these days. That’s TBF sat next to him, EWO hiding in the corner, and a chap called Rob Webster on the right. He was another friend lost touch with. Very Yorkshire with a sharp acerbic wit. Best known for going on a Youth Hostel weekend without a change of clothes so having got a soaking in the day went down the pub in his pyjamas!
A post exams celebratory walk on Bleaklow again in 1986. Lunch in the fabulous Dowstone Clough near Glossop. Matt Couch showing off a tremendous mullet! His family were pretty well off and we noticed his address was had the word “Manor” in it. Therefore thinking he came from aristocratic stock we christened him “The Viscount Chaise-Lounge” (Couch – Chaise-Lounge – geddit?). The most ironic of names as he was the most down to earth, Yorkshire-accented chap, always happy, always smiling, great company. Terrible cook though I seem to remember.
Every Xmas and Easter we went on a two-week youth hostel trip to Scotland, usually with a couple of mini bus loads. We always cooked together in big groups. Here’s one of our troupe’s meals, Crianlarich hostel I think. Looks like a Mince curry to me with, as always, a truly staggering amount of rice. I was criticising the Viscount earlier but in truth we weren’t much better. Our menu consisted mainly of 3 varieties of mince and tomatoes (curry, spag bol and chilli, subtly different ingredients and starch accompaniment but essentially the same meal), tinned meat casserole with Guinness, sausages beans and potatoes (or sausages and crap as it was affectionately known), cheese and potato pie (still a classic) and omelettes. What we lacked in ability we always compensated with quantity – we never went hungry!
More characters here, Paul who has lived in the states for the past 30 years, UF when he had hair, Adam, a man with a planetary sized physics brain but who struggled with even the most mundane of everyday tasks, never met anyone quite so hopeless, but a funny and kind hearted fella. Adrian who could put food away in quantities hard to imagine but possibly the worst cook in the world bar none, and in our group that was up against some pretty stiff competition.
Every May weekend we always went to Wasdale for a camping trip (still do in fact). These were formative years for my wild camping and we always headed into the hills for a couple of nights. This is taken in upper Eskdale and as you can see rather misty! Hard to tell but that is Mark. I recall from that trip chucking a tiny frisbee about in the mist and playing cards with a pack that came out of Xmas Cracker! Playing frisbee reminds me used to play with a Trangia frying pan, they fly quite well but you don’t want to get hit. Quite a dangerous sport.
A weekend away in Barber Booth. That’s Mark enjoying another classic camping meal, tinned meatballs and tinned spaghetti, cheap and nasty! It had been a great day’s walking including several lunchtime beers on the way at the Cheshire Cheese in Hope. Things went downhill from there. An ex-hurricane from the US swept across the Atlantic and deluged the UK. That’s my Saunders Satellite tent, spacious and light but leaked like a sieve. I woke to a tent full of water and soaked sleeping bag. We barely got out to catch the train as the swollen river had almost completely engulfed the road. A huge fry up breakfast in the station cafe put us right.
As we finally left university clubs behind we started running our own Xmas and Easter trips to Scotland. On our first one we did our first private rental of a wooden chalet near Cannich. It was astonishingly cheap but very cosy. I shared a room with Mark which is bad idea as he always woke in the morning early and would talk incessantly – I’m not a morning person!
The big smiles tell you what a happy trip it was. Not quite sure what UF is doing is this photo, probably better not ask
Same trip but we’d moved to Ullapool Youth Hostel by then. This is Mark standing on the summit of Stac Polliadh. A wonderful little mountain that proves big isn’t better.
Same trip again and one of those classic Easter days. A big round of the four munro’s around Beinn Dearg. Calm, blue skies, warm sunshine and deep snow on the summits. Still one of my best remembered days in the hills. We were out until late evening and had many stops like this with an expansive vista of peaks. Here looking out to the Coigach and Assynt Hills. Nothing better than a day like this spent with your mates. Fabulous. I think this trip was 1989.
Fast forward to 1997. Another regular trip was a Scotland wild camping outing every May Whitsun weekend. This one was to the upper reaches of Glen Derry in the Cairngorms. A fabulous site, and one I revisited a few years ago with TJS on a wild and windy Easter weekend. That’s Jim, our skiing mate who started to join us for our walking adventures as well.
First part of the weekend was cool and chilly but then the sun came out and all was t-shirts and shorts. Sitting in the sun having breakfast with plenty of brews is no better way to wake to the world. My trusty Quasar in the background that saw me through countless adventures but now sadly retired.
And lastly the summer trip from the same year. Another regular was a summer trip to the Alps. This was to the Ecrins and took a 4 day wild camping tour. We found some fabulous spots and again spending the afternoon and evening lazing about under blue skies surrounded by massive mountains is hard to beat. Sadly, for these trips anyway, most of us started families not long after so this was the last of such trips. One day I hope we can maybe rekindle them again although I think my big mountain days are over. (the headline photo of the post is also from that trip)
I know Mark has very fond memories of this trip so a fitting end to the post. Some great memories here, so raising my glass not only to Mark but to all my friends of many years standing for helping me create them.
I’ve been trying to get out more to wild camp this year and TJS was keen for a last trip before heading off to university. Forecast wasn’t too bad so we gave it a go on a Friday after work.
It was past 7 when we set off from the car, windy and cold. We had less than an hour of light left. We returned to the same point by Llyn y Fan Fawr where we camped earlier in the summer. The wind made it difficult to put both tents up at the same time so it took a while to get set up. Pitch dark by the time we’d done so a lazy evening drinking tea and chatting.
Next morning was much better. Brighter with wisps of blue sky
Breakfast in the tent (too windy and cold for an al fresco affair)
Its a cracking spot though
TBF readies herself for a day in the mountains
We left the tents pitched and went for the classic circuit of the Black Mountain range. Same circuit as in the summer but in reverse. I figured as the wind was so strong we’d want it behind us on the higher section
A view down over Llyn y Fan Fawr
TJS on the high level traverse under the cliffs
The old water leat that supplies Llyn y Fan Fach
One of my favourite south Wales views over Llyn y Fan Fach and Bannau Sir Gaer
As we walked along the edge we were engulfed in a heavy shower of rain. Luckily it didn’t last long and we had some nice wispy cloud effects
View from the highest point over Llyn Fan Fawr. Our campsite is in the top left hand corner of the lake
A view down the prominent gully that splits the crags above the lake
Time for lunch at the tent. We had to hide behind the tent for shelter such was the force of the wind
Forecast for the afternoon and next day was very poor so time to get the hell out of there. We packed up and headed down
The views across to Fforest Fawr were excellent
Fan Gyhirych looking dark and moody
There was a lot more water flowing than earlier in the summer
The sunshine on the small waterfalls was very fetching but the water looked cold. Those hot summer days of wild swimming seem a long time ago
Chances to sneak away for a wild camp will be limited as winter closes in although it is my intention to get out and do some winter summit overnights if we get some cold frosty weather.
Having been reading and enjoying Ken Browns new music inspired blog I thought I might add some tunes to my post to broaden the scope a little. I used to create a music tracked slideshow but I’ve lost interest in that of late so I’ll just add a tune that I like to each post. I just happened to be listening to this while I finished this post and as its a sublime and chilled track, one of my favourites I’ve discovered in the past 12 months I thought I’d share it. I like the lyric “Didn’t I take you to, higher places you can’t reach without me”
Back a couple of weeks before the weather turned too hot to venture into the outdoors with a heavy pack, I took another Friday night out in the mountains. I wished for a bit of breeze to keep temperatures and insects at bay and certainly got my wish.
A glorious evening of clear skies and warm sunshine. I chatted to a lady van-camping in the car park with her very friendly Jack Russell pup chewing my laces. No sign of the promised breeze as I set off.
It was a hot climb through the fly infested bracken as I headed for a summit pitch on Pen y Gadair Fawr. Still no breeze and I felt that the midges were eying me up for a buffet supper
As I crested the top, the breeze finally kicked in. Less a breeze than a very significant and very chilly wind that I was struggling to stand up in
It would have made a superb summit camp, lots of flat thick grass but it was just too cold to enjoy the surroundings. I’d also hoped to pick up some water, figuring that at least one of the numerous springs that rise on the summit would be running. No such luck. I decided press on in the hope of finding a sheltered spot
Trouble its a pretty exposed spot up here and the wind was roaring and grass is in short supply. The compensation was that it was cool and walking along a high level ridge in the late evening is a simple joy
The bog cotton was giving everything an almost frost-like feeling. The photos can’t do justice to how beguiling it was
They have massively improved the paths up here so I made swift progress over Waun Fach without ever finding a respite from the wind. I tried a few grassy groughs, but none were suitable
Eventually I had to plunge a hundred metres or so down the Y Grib Ridge and found a sort of level pitch on a terrace of deep lush grass. What it lacked in comfort it more than made up for with a superb sunset vista
There was just enough wind to keep the insects at bay without it being too cold and I sat outside, read and drank many brews of tea before turning in well past 11pm
Tough to tear yourself away from views like this
I expected a blazing sun to cook the tent and have me outside early. I awoke at 8am with no sign of the sun. I was in the cloud again. Looking up was clear blue though and the sky was surely to clear and on queue as the water boiled for my last cuppa before I ran out of water, it did
It was an amazing morning. The east wind had cleared any haze from the air and the sky between the wispy clouds was a deep azure blue. Pen y Fan and Beacons poked above the cloud and I thought of TBF on her 25 mile sponsored walk around the range. She was on Pen y Fan summit round about the time I too this photo
I decided to walk all around the escarpment to Lord Hereford’s Knob and on a day like this it was amazing. It really puts a spring in the step to have views like this to accompany you and I covered the ground swiftly
There were several D of E groups out most of whom seemed cheerfully incompetent, walking in various directions none which seemed to be the right one!
I topped out on the Knob and where the panorama across the Wye valley is breathtaking
Despite the glorious day I had this very popular and easily accessible summit to myself but it was still very windy and bit chilly. Added to the fact I’d not had breakfast and had no water pushed me onwards to resupply and take on calories
I had to walk much further down the Nant Bwch stream before the water was flowing sufficiently well to be drinkable. I found a fine spot and set about making my bacon sandwiches and several cups of tea to re-hydrate
I had thought about dropping down to Capel y Ffin and walking back over the ridge to the car. The fact that out of the wind it was still really hot had me thinking of a better plan. I retraced my steps back toward the edge and the curved off towards the summit of Twyn Talycefn.
The strong breeze was keeping the skies clear and the temperatures perfect for walking. Much better to be up high in weather like this
Looking back to the ridge I’d walked the previous evening
I dropped down to the Grwyne Fawr Reservoir with an idea of a sneaky swim.
I don’t normally like swimming in reservoirs as they do have their dangers but I found a stunning little spot on the banks and took a short dip without straying too far into the water.
Another cup of tea seemed in order as I felt like I had the whole place to myself.
Then it was a simple matter of the long walk back down past the dam to the car
A nice easy angled path to finish the day with grand views back to the dam and the deep greens of the valley under the still totally clear sky
Another superb one-nighter although I would have enjoyed a bit of company as I’ve done most of this years trips solo. 15-16 miles over the two days with the aimless wandering I did looking for a pitch and just enjoying being out.
May be the last such trip for a while. The last couple of weeks have been just too hot and sultry for walking so I’ve been getting my exercise in the water with some wild swimming, more of which in future posts. Then its holiday time for me and the family as we head to Wales and France for some sociable fun with friends
We had a pretty successful wild camp trip last summer with many of the kids and wanted to repeat this year. Unfortunately Mark and his gang couldn’t make it and the Hard Man’s youngest couldn’t be persuaded so it was a more exclusive group this year. I pored over maps and decided that a camp by the wild and rocky Llyn y Gadair under Cadair Idris would be a fine spot so we agreed to meet in Dolgellau for lunch prior to setting off. The forecast wasn’t great but it did say it might stop raining after lunch and Sunday might be ok so we decided to go for it.
We had to start further away than we planned as there is no overnight parking rate at the main car park (why don’t they offer this for backpackers!). We drove down the road to the free car park at Cregennen Lakes, in the end not a bad plan as it’s a fine spot in its own right and the walk back to the climb up to the mountain was rather nice.
The lakes are dominated by pronounced nose of Pared y Cefn Hir.
Blue skies seemed to be approaching from the west
The walk around the lakes and over to the valley that marked our ascent was exceedingly fine
We had some sunshine and smatterings of blue sky and for a while even the summit of Cadair Idris came out of the clouds. It was however a fleeting appearance and was soon enveloped again never to re-appear, at least for this weekend
After a short road walk we started the climb
Steep at first but then easing into a nice day easy angled approach to our target
As we climbed pretty well all the nearby summits became smothered in dark clouds but there was bright light and sunshine on the lower slopes
We reached our target, the dramatic corrie that holds Llyn y Gadair. I’ve climbed Cadair Idris many times but always from the south so while I’d seen this place from above I’ve never visited up close and personal
It’s a rocky place and flat spots are very hard to come by. After a little searching around we settled on a spot between the main lake and a smaller sibling. A bit rocky but it did the job and the setting was magnificent
Unlike our last group camp it was chilly and windy so the midges didn’t bother us
We made the place our home and cooked tea including a pudding of Guinness flavoured chocolate cake brought up from the cafe.
Appetites sated we set off on one of the joys of a wild camp, a gentle stroll around the surroundings
In this case a circuit of the lake and the small knolls and outcrops that surround it
There wasn’t a sunset as such but there were some interesting light effects and we had a great evening poking about the area, chatting and looking for other potential spots to camp
We kept hoping that the summit would make an appearance but it never did.
Still, our wild site and the setting were hard to beat. A real big mountain feel
We returned to camp for another round of brews before deciding it was too cold to sit outside and turned in for nights sleep, hoping for some clearer weather the next day
Sadly, that was as good as it got. We were in the cloud when I woke up and while we eating breakfast the light drizzle increased in intensity and set in for the rest of the day. Despite the forecast stating “mainly dry” or words to that effect, the rain was relentless. We took a slightly longer route back and whilst we had the wind behind us and then walked through the trees it wasn’t too bad. When we emerged from the trees and walked into the wind and rain for the last hour back to the car it was utterly miserable and we were soaked through when we reached the car.
Didn’t make much of a dent in the enjoyment of a good trip though, slight disappointment that in the midst of what’s turning into a pretty sunny summer we picked the only wet weekend for a trip out
Only one way to finish off. A return to the superb cafe in Dolgellau, TH Roberts, that we’d started out from. An exceptional range of home-baked cakes and meals, exceptional value and all served with a smile. Well worth seeking out when you are in the area
I’ve been trying to make more effort to get out and camp this year. This was the third outing for me with another one to come in the next post
I had a Sunday walk planned with a few friends in Shropshire and with a decent forecast thought I could make a proper weekend of things with a one night wild camp and walk in the Arans. It was pretty gloomy when I parked up with little sign of the promised evening sunshine.
It was also warm, humid and airless and a very, steep climb into Cwm Cywarch. I was dripping sweat all the way up and bothered by flies and midges whenever I stopped. I feared the lack of wind would continue and I’d be sharing my planned site with tiny unwanted friends. I was beginning to regret the decision to head out and I wasn’t in high spirits.
All that changed as I reached the broad col below Glasgwm. The sun was emerging from below the mask of heavy cloud and throwing some promising sunlight onto the surrounding hills. Even better there was a breeze to blow the flies away and cool me down
Within minutes there was more abundant sunshine. My mood was lifted immeasurably
I was heading for the summit of Glasgwm to camp. The climb up to the top is a steep one and on the way up I’d been dreading it. Amazing how sunshine improves your mood and your energy. I fair romped up the steep slopes
The views just got better and better as I climbed, keeping ahead of the setting sun so it was still out as I reached the summit
On the top it was just stunning. The summit was swept with swirling mists and low angle sunlight
The light was fading fast so I had to concentrate as much on setting up camp as admiring the views (forgetting that even once the sun has gone down, it doesn’t get really dark at this time of year)
I’d targeted the summit as a good place to camp on a previous visit. Its broad and largely grassy with numerous spots to throw up a tent (although the grass and turf is only a couple of inches thick before hitting rock)
The small Llyn y Fign provides a useful water source although has no outflow worthy of the name so needs to be boiled or filtered to be safe
I pitched just below the summit cairn. There is no better feeling than a summit camp especially at sunset
I made a brew and watched the sun sink and bathe the summit in glory
It took me a while to set up camp while admiring the views
I had a very refreshing wash in the lake before I turned in. The views across the lake were amazing with a deep pink sky and thin mist over the water. Alas I hadn’t taken either my phone or my camera so the views went unrecorded other than in my memory.
It was pushing 11pm and quite chilly so just lay inside the tent watching the sky darken
The sense of peace when wild camping is quite hard to explain and I drifted off to sleep in happy mood
The fickleness of the weather brought me back to reality with overnight rain and unzipping the tent to realise I was in the cloud
Still I had my feast of Bacon and Eggs to cheer me up and it was still a fine if rather blank spot in the cloud
As morning progressed it kept threatening to clear and then mist up again but after an amble about the summit area looking for other possible pitches for future visits it did clear
The photo below was taken from the summit cairn at 772m and shows the green and expansive summit plateau. Sadly being more focused on views than where I was putting the tent meant it wasn’t quite as flat as it appears!
I packed up and headed off for a stroll around the Arans
It was another warm and muggy day but there was a breeze to keep me cool and the day became sunnier as the morning ticked over into afternoon
As always I rejected the main path for an off piste route to the top of Gwaun y LLwyni. It’s a very rough walk and a short steep grassy climb but worth the effort as the views across the deep Hengwm Valley and Cwm Cywarch are immense.
A quiet grassy path leads along a broad ridge and then along the edge to Drws Bach
On Drws Bach I stopped for lunch and the sun came out in force
The views across to the main Arans ridge were superb and I felt I had to make the effort to make the summit. I hid the pack and went briskly two the summit unencumbered.
I have a fondness for the Arans as they have a proper, rocky big mountain feel without being difficult or busy. I only saw a handful of people on this day. Looking north to Arenig Fawr
West to Cadair Idris
North along the ridge to Bala and its lake
And east over Craiglyn Dyfi
Selfie to prove I didn’t steal the shots from the Interweb
I headed down in the best weather of the day as blue skies took centre stage
Hengwm valley
Gwaun y LLwyni & Drws Bach
Looking back up Hengwm
And full circle to my route of ascent the previous evening
A cracking little over-nighter and reward for taking a chance on the weather. One of the best sunsets of I’ve seen in the mountains for a while. Time to head off to meet up with good friends for the second half of my weekend
My good friend the Hard Man and his two kids came to pay us a visit over the recent BH weekend. They were spending the week in South Wales doing touristy stuff and seeing relatives and took a chance to come see us and try to convince me to go walking in the rain. The Hard Man seems to have taken over the mantle of blind weather optimism from my friend EWO and always sees good weather prospects in the worst of forecasts. On this occasion we were faced with a forecast of heavy thundery showers, not exactly ideal weather to be sitting in a small tent. He even tried to convince that the tent poles would act as some sort of Faraday Cage if we got struck. Deluded!
Anyway as the weekend progressed the forecast improved and seemed to indicate we might get a dry evening on the Sunday and a dry albeit cloudy Monday. Against my better judgement we decided go for it. Packing up on Sunday morning it seemed like a very bad idea. We had the lot. Torrential rain, thunder, lightning, hail. We set off in an almighty downpour that had us dodging several pretty serious floods. Most of us looked out of the window with severe trepidation. The Hard Man simply looked happy that he’d at least got us in the car. We shopped like aristocrats in Waitrose and it had stopped raining by the time we were done. Shortly afterwards the sun came out. It didn’t rain again for the rest of the weekend.
Before the backpacking festivities we took a short stroll to Henrhyd Falls. I’ve never been to these (this corner of South Wales has loads of waterfalls) and very fine they were too.
Like all the very best waterfalls you can walk behind them
It’s a popular spot and there were plenty of people about so we didn’t linger
There were mountains to be climbed and wild campsites to be occupied
Our route was a local classic. A camp by the wonderful Llyn y Fan Fawr and a walk along the edges the next day. The summits looked dark and gloomy as we set off (after a monumental faff by the family Hard Man).
It’s a relatively easy walk up to the tarn now I’ve finally discovered a way through the boggiest bits
As we climbed up the clouds parted and there was sunshine aplenty. It’s a really fine spot for a night in the hills
After a little deliberation we found a great spot by a small beach on the Lake. We set up camp and basked in sunshine. The pointing is showing TJS that the sun was shining as he’d mocked us when we left about how wet we were going to get. I even managed a very quick and very cold swim to wash away the grime of the walk in
The Hard Man returns from a water gathering exercise
The wind had dropped and the water was stunningly calm and mirror-like
The downside of warm weather, no wind and clouds is obvious. Midges! That’s the reason TBF has her hood up by way of protection. They were not even close to the scale and numbers of a Scottish midge attack but there was enough to be irritating while trying to cook
As evening drew in and the temperature dropped they went back to their evil lair for the night and we enjoyed a pleasant late evening stroll to collect some fresh running water to save having to filter the lake water
The moon was dazzlingly bright. Not a bad picture with a handheld zoom
The next morning we were shrouded in cloud when we woke. It was a still a nice peaceful spot so I still got up and cooked my breakfast early and alone before the midges came out. As everyone else stirred and came to life the cloud began to break and we saw the first tentative rays of sunshine (and the first of the midges)
It soon turned into a quite amazing morning with expansive and clear blue skies interspersed with mist. Stunning. Way better than anything forecast had us believing.
Nice that the Hard Man purchased a tent that blends so well into the landscape you can barely see it!
We set off for a walk and the views were amazing. It’s rare to walk in the UK without so much as a breath of wind and see such a mirror like calm on a lake surface
It was quite mesmerizing. Our pitch is at the far end of the lake towards the right
As we crested the top there was a welcome puff of breeze – it was exceptionally hot for May. The fickleness of British weather never fails to amaze me. We camped by the lake a few years back in July and it was too cold to eat outside the tent!
Whilst we weren’t above the cloud there was a bank of it seemingly all around that gave a similar vibe
The highest point of the Black Mountain, Fan Brycheiniog
It’s a classic walk and the first time for the Hard Man for many a year (he spent a good part of his youth in these parts)
Heading off for Bannau Sir Gaer
We hoped to have a first lunch somewhere on the summit but as always seems to be the case it was overrun with flies despite the wind which seemed to be blowing them in. The walk along the edges, normally so wonderful was an unpleasant affair as we picked flies from every facial orifice. We did manage to find a windy spot to keep them at bay for a while until it dropped, the midges came out in force and we ran for cover
The walk back to the tents along the base of the cliffs is one of my favourites and in baking sunshine it was a joy
We returned to base camp for more food and to think about packing up. It had been a hot walk and all that I’d been thinking about was a swim.
It was fabulous if very cold but so refreshing after a hot and sweaty hike. Yours truly enjoying the cold clear water
TBF joined in as well
As we packed up the clouds started to bubble and we heard a few rumbles of thunder. Time to get the hell out of there
As we followed the stream back to the car we turned and saw that the clouds had completely enveloped the summits again and all looked very threatening. It appeared we caught the weather window perfectly. The sun shines on the righteous and all that
Luckily the mindless and delusional optimism of the Hard Man had worked wonders and we had a cracking little trip out. Another weekend out planned in a couple of weeks time so more of the same will be in order
I’ve read quite a few blog post in the past few days reviewing other peoples 2017 exploits. I enjoyed them so much I thought I’d do the same. Good excuse to look back through my photos and remember what we got up to. At my age I need help remembering stuff!.
Acutely conscious of the modern trend for these awful “round robin” letters you get at Xmas (we get one of these smugograms every year) I tried to select photos that bring back a particular memory for me so its more a personal, family introspection on outdoorsy stuff, than a blow by blow account of the year. As its based on my photo collection if I didn’t photograph it, it ain’t here!
January
We started the year off in Tenerife and New Years Day was spent on this rather splendid beach (the earlier part of the day was in the mountains but I cocked up the photos from that part of the day!)
Returning to the British winter, a walk along the Cats Back in the Black Mountains with TBF, memorable for a cloud inversion after a very wet morning. A reminder that despite our travels we are lucky to have some stunning scenery on our doorstep
A solo day out in the Brecon Beacons, the first snowy walk near to home and pretty much the only one with significant snow during the early part of the year (made up for it at the end)
A glorious day out in the Black Mountains with TJS and a cooked breakfast on a cold Table Mountain. I like this photo though as it has Mynydd Troed in centre shot, my very first mountain climbed when I was about 10
And my usual skiing trip (only a weekend this year) to finish off the month. Snow was a bit rubbish but we had a laugh nonetheless
February
Another solo day on Fan Fawr in the Brecon Beacons. I remember this day for a very mild Friday afternoon (16C) and snow in the mountains 18 hours later
A short walk with TBF on Hatterall Hill
March
The first weekend of the month is always spent in Scotland with friends of long standing. A new location at Bridge of Orchy and a two out of three days were magnificent winter days. The walk along this ridge high above Rannoch Moor on the first day was superb
Me and TJS also managed a cheeky backpack into the Black Mountains. Straight from work on the Friday for a one nighter in my new tent. Need to do more of these this year
2017 is the year I rediscovered cycling – mainly to help my knee and also to be less of a lazy layabout during the week. The Hardman – a VERY keen and VERY fit cyclist caught wind and insisted we meet up in the Peak for a trip along a couple of the old railway trails. A cracking sunny day and I survived cycling with the Hardman!
And we finally managed a meet up in the Berwyns with Uncle Fester after a few aborted attempts
April
More cycling and solo trip through the Brecon Beacons on the “Gap” route. Cycling to over 600m was a first for me and I started to feel that I almost, might, actually enjoy cycling.
Easter and a major backpacking trip with TJS to the Cairngorms. The weather was wild and windy but we had a couple of superb wild camps and TJS bagged his first Scottish 4000 footer
I even coaxed TJF out for a bike ride along the Brecon and Usk canal
May Day weekend was mostly in April. Mixed weather but we had a fine gaggle of friends on a hike around Greendale, taking in Buckbarrow and Seatallan
May
No finer way to celebrate a birthday than a lunchtime hike. This one was on one of my local hills, Bryn Arw with TBF
Followed by a weekend away in Cornwall. It almost felt tropical on the white sands just north of Padstow on one of our walks
Whitsun weekend was spent with our good friends in Silverdale. The Sunday was a real winner with a long but easy stroll and a fantastic pub lunch. Weather was mixed the rest of the time but great company, many laughs and a chance to relax
June
A different walk from the usual mountains. One of the small hills that overlook Gloucester and across to the Cotswolds. Not something I’d do every day but a nice change
One of the highlights of the year was the long-planned backpacking trip with the kids into the Howgills. Despite poor weather we gave it a go and it was a huge success. The kids really enjoyed the adventure and I’m hoping they have caught the wild camping bug
July
After the backpack trip I was out of action for a few weeks recuperating and resting after a minor knee op. Didn’t affect my water based fun though, a nice albeit far too long trip down the river Wye
By the end of July I was back in the hills again (the knee op has been a great success I’m pleased to say). A fine evening stroll with TBF and TJS on Ysgyryd Fawr (we even took a cheeky cold beer to drink on the top)
Another “local walk for local people” – this time Garway Hill where we reached the top, saw this nasty storm approaching and raced it back to the car. We won.
Late July brings the annual camping trip to Towyn Farm on the Llyn Peninsula. We packed in lots of walks and beach fun in a very mixed few days of weather. My abiding memory though was this game of Kubb which was huge fun with both adults and kids alike taking it far too seriously and larking about in equal measure. A happy afternoon
August
The big family trip of the year, a rail trip around some of Europe’s finest cities. An real change from our usual outdoor camping trips and it was real success. We all took took to the city life rather well you might say. One of my best ever holidays. A few photos that made me smile
One of the many fountains in Paris (we called this one the fountain of throttled fish)
A monster thunderstorm in Turin
My favourite seafront walk in Venice
The Colloseum in Rome – of course
Schloss Belvedere in Vienna (courtesy of an unplanned extra couple of hours from a very late train)
The thermal baths in Budapest – “like taking a bath in a wedding cake”
A stroll along the Spree river in Berlin on a sunny Sunday afternoon
And the railway bridge over the Rhine in Cologne
September
Back to earth with a bump. A few days after the heat and sun of Europe we were walking in the Black Mountains in driving rain and cold winds!
But there was still enough warm weather left for a round of the hills near the Talybont Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons
October
A walk with friends in the Roaches on the dreariest day of the year (when everywhere else was sunny – I’m not bitter)
More evidence of my new found cycling passion (probably too strong a word). A ride around the tracks of the New Forest while TJS took a look around Southampton University
And why settle for one trip to see major cities when you can do it twice. As a special treat for TJS 18th Birthday we spent a week in Barcelona. Probably my favourite city but despite all its famous sights, this little known hill and its view overlooking the city was my favourite spot
November
After sunshine comes the reality of winter. A couple of cold but beautiful days. One in the Black Mountains on the Sugar Loaf and Crug Mawr
And one of my favourite walks in the Black Mountain
A delayed birthday treat weekend for TBF saw us in Padstow for a couple of nice meals and walks along the Cornish coast and Dartmoor
December
And last into the proper depths of winter. The first snows saw me and TJS head into the highest peaks of the Black Mountains
The day after saw the biggest dump of snow I’ve seen in my own backyard for many a year. Walks around my village in deep snow under crisp blue skies were wonderful
The start of the Xmas holidays is marked with an annual get together of my University friends and their families. Always great fun but this year we could climb the hills in snow (rather than wet rain) and play at snowballs
Finally coming full circle with a return to the Canary Islands to spend Xmas in Lanzarote and Xmas Day sunning ourselves on the beach
Well I enjoyed looking through my photos, choosing a few and reliving a great year. Hope you enjoyed it too. All the best for 2018 🙂
The delights of Wild Camping are not always obvious to the younger members of the family. We’ve been hatching a plan for a couple of years to get more of the kids involved after Mark took A out on a couple of trips and me, TJS, the Hardman and his eldest did the same last year
To coordinate a weekend is easier said than done so we just picked a date and agreed to decide closer to the time to see if was a goer.
Right on cue the forecast was really poor. I almost bailed out, not fancying spending a weekend in the rain with grumpy kids. However it was said kids who convinced me I was the grumpy one and we decided to give it a go. We had planned a trip to upper Eskdale but the weather looked truly awful so we plumped on a less ambitious route into the Howgills.
The Saturday morning was as horrid as the forecast, several hours of ceaseless rain had us lounging about Mark’s place while he filled us up with a nourishing soup. We headed out anyway and as luck would have it got delayed by a traffic jam on the M6 long enough for the rain to have pretty much stopped by the time we parked up. All packed and ready to go we headed for the hills
The original plan had been to walk up Carlingill Beck. Its a superb valley and has possible camp spots at the far end. The wet weather had the streams in spate though and crossing them would have been a challenge. We changed tack and headed up and around the head of Carlingill by going over Linghaw and picking up an interesting looking traversing path high above the waterfalls at the head of the valley
The horses kept us company clearly waiting for us to disappear so they could get up to mischief, more of this later
Considering how poor the forecast had been the weather wasn’t all that bad. It had stopped raining and whilst it was windy, the cloud lifted a bit and we had views of a sort
We easily picked up the high level traversing path and what a find (thanks to Mark). Even in gloomy weather it was a real delight, easy, yet elevated high above the deep cleft of Carlingill Beck
We even had a few glimpses of sunshine on the valley below
The path cut across the top of the dramatic Black Force
The kids seemed in great spirits and were enjoying the challenge of the walk into the wilds
There were even steam crossings to delight and amuse for young and old alike
It was just a short walk from there to Blakethwaite Bottom, our intended pitch, having read favourable reviews online as a great spot. It was seriously windy and exposed but we found a great spot on the far side sheltered enough to make sitting outside the tents quite pleasent.
The Hardman had a new tent to try out, an enormous 3 -person Vango affair, in a discrete scarlet colour
I lent Mark my large Lightwave 3 person tent for him and two of his dangerous offspring. He was very taken with it. So taken I’ve lent it to him long term as his kids are really taking to the wild camping and this tent really hits that 3 person spot. I don’t have much use for it any more (TJS prefers to sleep solo when there’s the three of us – I snore apparently as well) and I’d much rather see it in use than under my bed gathering dust
We had a really enjoyable time cooking tea, messing about and having a laugh. The kids seemed to really enjoy themselves and being outdoors with a trio of middle-aged grey hikers
We even had some brief sunny spells and decided to take an evening walk up Uldale Head
It was brutally steep and when crested the top, amazingly windy.
We had a few fleeting views but the real fun was had from surfing in the wind. The smiles on the faces below tell how much we all enjoyed being kids. We also discovered that turning cagoules inside out made a fairly effective parachute to drag us around the summit. I forgot to take photos alas
It had been cracking day, all the better for the fact we hadn’t expected to get much out of it other than a soaking and long periods sat in the tent. In the event we only went under canvas when it was time for bed after an improvised game of Petanques with rocks, many brews of tea and lots of biscuits
We woke the next morning with company. A small gathering of wild horses and ponies on our doorstep. A bacon breakfast got the day off to a grand start
Soon there was celebrity death-match between some cows and the horses. The cows won and spent an age just stood close by looking at us curiously, nudging each other out the way for a closer look. Very comical. I’ve had a few run ins with cows recently but these were harmless if a little disconcerting but soon dispersed with a little encouragement
We didn’t want to hang around as the forecast was for strengthening winds and rain in the afternoon. We packed up and headed back down but were hit by the only bad weather of the weekend. We walked straight into a cold deluge that had us all soaked within seconds and for a short period it was deeply unpleasent. It stopped soon enough though and apart from a few short sprinkles we stayed dry the rest of the day
We dropped back down to Carlingill Beck by the side of Black Force. An impressive ravine and extremely steep so we took our time. Again I think the kids enjoyed the challenge and the rain hadn’t doused their spirits in any way
We had a brief lunch by the river and embraced the challenge of a couple of river crossings
The walk along Carlingill Beck is superb and provided a fitting finish to what was a superb if short trip out to the wilds
I wasn’t sure how the kids would take to a wild camp in less than perfect conditions but they were all superb company. My abiding memory of the weekend was smiles and laughter. They took everything in their stride and were a pleasure to be with from start to finish. For me, there was a real sense of pride that they enjoyed it far more than I hoped and seemed to share in the simple pleasures of just being out in the mountains. Their youthful enthusiasm was infectious and I hope we can do this on a much more regular basis. Cracking stuff. If only those pesky ponies I mentioned hadn’t sheltered by my car and barged into it, denting the front wing, the little pests. Still that’s why we have insurance I guess
That brings my blog back up to date. I’m out of action for a few weeks having just had some minor surgery on my left knee. All went well and healing nicely so blog service will be resumed in a couple of weeks
Sleep comes so much easier when the wind isn’t roaring and your mind starts to imagine scenarios of tents blowing down and trying to rescue everything in the dark of night. All we had was gentle rain to soothe us. By morning it had stopped and there were tentative glimpses of sunshine. Enough to tempt us outside for breakfast. Life was pretty good in a boil in the bag sausage and then porridge kind of way
There was no urgency to head home so we took a walk back up towards Corrour. There was plenty of blue sky and sunshine but it was still windy high up and pretty chilly. On a whim I decided to head for the skyline to the south as it looked moderately interesting. A chance to make a summit
TJS was less convinced by the bog and tussocks to reach it so he returned to the tent while I covered the ground more briskly than I thought
Having crossed Creagan nan Gabhar, Sgor Mor didn’t look much, just a bare high point surrounded by heather
I traversed over to the SW ridge and found it pleasantly rocky and a joy to climb very easily to its summit. The view became ever better as I ascended, both north to the main Cairngorm summits and south across Glenshee and Beinn a Ghlo.
I got my reward for making the effort as my stay on the summit coincided with a lovely sunny spell. I grinned to the sky at my good fortune and sat on a rock to ponder
I tried another attempt at panorama shots but I still haven’t sussed them. Either I’m moving the camera too slowly or quickly but there is always a break in them at 2/3 across. Not quite sure why. If you click on them you can see a larger version. The second one (looking south) is much better and there is a video 360 in the slideshow at the end
I particularly enjoyed the views to the south as I hadn’t seen much of those the previous couple of days. It reminded me of a backpack through to Bynack Lodge many years ago, a trip remembered for very heavy showers, a very scary crossing of the Geldie Burn and two days of wearing shorts when I really should have known better
I also thought of the many bloggers who I read and enjoy who will (about now in fact) be walking through this area on the TGO challenge. If any of them are camped up near White Bridge and get a decent day they could do worse than take a trip up this fine mountain. Sitting between the bigger ranges of hills its a perfect vantage point across some wonderful wild and remote landscape
When I got back I was further cheered to find out it was a Corbett. It doesn’t look high enough until you realise that all the valleys are already at 500m in these parts. Didn’t make the last few hundred meters to camp through some of the deepest heather I’ve ever seen any easier but at least I had another tick on the round of Corbetts that I’ll never finish
All that was left was to have lunch in the sun outside the tent, pack up, and head back to the car. TJS resisting the photo call from dad to fall in for some extra blog novelty value
The trudge down Glen Lui was just as long, perhaps a little longer with a heavy heart of great trip nearly over
A last look along the Lui Water and we were back at the surprisingly empty Linn of Dee car park. Best part of 50 miles walked over the 5 days which we were both well chuffed about. As we finished getting ready to leave it started snowing!
I commented on the previous post how I look back on this trip as an adventure in challenging conditions. By Cairngorm standards it was pretty benign but when I think of the fact it was cold, windy, snowy, that we were in some remote spots, that we saw few people hiking and almost no-one wild camping the feeling of achievement grows still further. This is especially true for TJS as he still has limited mountain experience and for me as I am ultimately responsible for keeping us safe (as opposed to leaning on the experience of friends). It would have been easy to bail out to a B&B or a campsite (and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider it at a couple of points) but we stuck with it and got reward with some fine spells of weather, great views and for TJS one the UK’s great summits and another long trip into the mountains under his belt.
Next years plan is already forming for more adventures. My friends that went to Arran had a good time but didn’t wild camp saying its too early in the year. What do they know! 🙂
I need to backpack while I still can as I don’t know how many I have left in me (private joke!)
I spend alot of my time surfing the web looking for ideas on places to go, walking routes, travel ideas and tips to plan the perfect holiday or day out. (I'm a project manager I like to plan). I thought it was time to share my own experiences and contribute to the vast amounts in information that's already out there.
I'll also add in some gear and tech reviews and when something irks me I may even use this forum to have a rant - I do that pretty well I'm told.There are a few pages at the top that give a bit of background to what I like to get up to and what you can expect to see in my posts. I'm not exactly a creative writer but I hope some people will find my stuff useful or inpsiring or at least enjoy some of my photos.
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