Thursday 7 April 2011

Wild camp just off Kidsty Pike

Trig point/summit top of High Street Me & David Murphy


So it all started with me planing this trip I took 3 days off work to get the best weather thinking it would be at least nice for 1 night, however I was totally fucking wrong.

So packing on Sunday night I came across the choice of hurricane tent or voyager superlite, this decision went on for quite some time most of the night to tell you the truth, after weighing it up in my head light tent or more stable I thought bugger it take the light tent, hurricane is very heavy for 1 person to carry and the weather by the mountain weather forecast from the met office, changed from 70mph max gusts to 60mph max gusts.

However little did I know this was going to be the worst wind I had camped in and too much for the voyager superlite, so I had inevitably made the wrong choice of tent, a usually good start to a wild camp adventure.

Monday 4th April 2011 came and I packed up the rest of my snacks and beer, set off and after about 5 mins driving had to turn around I forgot my hat fucking hell mint start now am half an hour late picking Mr Murphy up.

Been alone in them conditions can make 1 very mental?
So eventually we were on our way we pulled up to Haweswater car park right at the end of the reservoir and it was pissing down and the wind was strong, a nice start it was, nevertheless we plodded on up Gatesgarth pass onto Harter Fell, Mardale III Bell, High Street where we had planned to pitch and camp for 1 night but kept on walking as it was full of water we headed for Kidsty Pike and checked the satmap for potential camping places with a bit of searching we found a semi sheltered place smack dead in the middle of Kidsty and High Raise.


We were soaked and couldn't get the tents up fast enough to get in and get some dry clothes and a drink not in that order drink first then dry clothes lol. I had bought some matches as a back up from my lighter but they had gotten soaked in my trouser pocket as did my phone which now the screen is fuckt.  I attempted to light my meths stove but my lighter give up the ghost now am fuckt, I asked Dave but he only had his blast match which I tried to light a bit of shit roll with no hope.  Things were looking like shit.

Eventually Dave already cooked and ate his tea I got my lighter to light and lite my candle to use for lighting my stove for my boil in the bags which I must big up http://www.lookwhatwefound.co.uk/Page/Index.aspx 
 They were on at sainsburys for half price but am afraid you have missed them. 

So food on and drink flowing in my belly I was set to take on this weather but it just kept on getting stronger and judge this wind by the wind on Harter fell which was very hard to walk in the occasional stop or the bit where the wind was actually pushing us up the mountain was a bit of a giggle keeping spirits high in this shit weather.  After I had 2 of them boil in the bags I lay down to rest and watch as the tent kept hitting me in the face, the weather at the met office was wrong the cloud was suppose to lift and rain was only suppose to be on and off it never stopped maybe for a minute that I don't recall but the winds just kept getting worse and worse flattening the Superlite.
A pint is what everyone needs after a good walk or camp

I felt quite safe in the tent even though it was flattening out more than usual after all my last wildcamps its done this and just sprung back up this time it was too much for the poor bugger all night it had been belted from pillar to post and suffered a bent pole, not too bad considering what it was doing, which you can see in my video bottom of this post.

As the night grew on I think I was in and out of consciousness drunk as a sailor, but at around 3am the wind had unhooked the door and flapped it so hard the zip opened up completely and I awoke to rain coming in.  Not too nice getting woken up like this but I quickly got it zipped back up and hooked back down after that its all a blur as the brandy must have done its job and I was flat out snug as  abug in my alpkit pipedream.  I awoke to the noise of Murphys stove he had been awake all night with water and  having to go outside to re peg his guy lines.

So after a bit breakfast bacon sarnie for me, we packed up and put our wet clothes back on to hike a short walk back to the car and to Haweswater hotel for a pint.  Sitting in the pub both shattered and weather beating sipping Lager we caught a rare glimpse of a red squirrel which I also captured on film see below.

Another trip over and we pray for our next trip to have nice weather, it seems like we are trying to win the lottery but all we ask for is some nice sunshine and less wind, wish us good luck and if anyone would like to tag along maybe give us some good luck please feel free to let 1 of us know thanks you can also read about this trip and see where we camped and walked just click on the clip below.




http://daveswildcamping.com/?category_name=wild-camp-between-kidsty

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting a link to my site mate, well usual weather again even worse than normal you doing well to feel safe in that tent after that good old battering well I guess you must be used to it now.
    I think we need to take less notice of the weather and follower our nose lol

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  2. we need some better weather thats for definate am sick of eating tent man the winds are getting strong each time whats next a whirlwind lol

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  3. Hi Paul, great stuff as usual! Did you have the side guy lines on at the time? In some of your videos it looks as if you haven't fitted them on? I mean, there are loops where the poles cross on the two sides and a couple of guys there should give the tent more stability? Also, are there velcro tabs on the inside of the fly at that point to fix the fly to the poles? I'm asking because I'm tempted to get one myself, and I'm wondering about how good it is in strong winds.

    Cheers,

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    1. I have fitted guy lines but i hadn't in this trip, not sure but don't think there is ant velcro straps inside haven't used the tent for ages could do with putting it on ebay

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