But go carefully and legally!
With restrictions on holidays and people looking for new adventures we were interested to read Jamie and Laurie's blog that they sent us. They share with us their trip to the Lake District, where you can legally wild camp in some places.
But if you are planning on trying wild camping please ensure you check out www.coolcamping.com for more info.
You may be wondering, can you camp anywhere? The general rule for wild camping is that you must have express permission from the landowner before you pitch up for the night. We always recommend that if you aren’t sure you’re in a permissible zone, you should check first, as you could be disturbing farmland or private property.
Wild camping is our escape and our way of feeling closer to nature, we feel wild and free, it’s a cheap and cheerful break for anyone who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the rat race!
We are Jamie and Laurie, a local couple with a passion for the great outdoors and photography, and we are super excited to share our adventure with you.
We planned our trip carefully and decided on a sunny Saturday to pitch on top of one of the mountains in the Lake District.
After checking the weather to make sure it was going to be nice, we set off on our adventure. We knew the top of the mountain would be the perfect place to watch the stars, the world go by and relax and unwind in nature. We packed two litres of water as the mountain is a steep climb and I pre-cooked a pasta the night before as carbs are a good source of energy and taste great cold. Jamie made sure we packed coffee (we cannot live without coffee) and milk in miniature tubs, we took our two man Gonex tent, two light weight regatta sleeping mats, Regatta sleeping bags and foil that goes under the sleeping mats to keep us warm during the night. If you are wild camping try and pack as light as possible, you don’t want to be carting a lot of equipment around.
We set off on our adventure at ‘silly o’clock’ from our home in Chesterfield so we could catch the sunrise at Derwent Water, and it didn’t disappoint. We walked down to the Lake, no one was around, the world was still for a moment, just us with our cameras and a white silhouette appeared. It was a swan gliding in the mist so majestically. We were tired from our early start and long journey, but this made it worth it. We were mesmerised by its beauty against the backdrop and instantly felt at peace.
We made our way to Great Langdale Campsite and the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel. The hotel looked lovely, a traditional pub to stop in for a meal and a bevvy for anyone that loves pub grub. We parked up and rested realising the walk ahead of us would be a tough one, especially with 20kg on our shoulders, mine was slightly lighter, Jamie’s was the heaviest and he resembled a pack horse! The weather was fantastic, the sun was shining bright with just a slight gust of wind, perfect weather to walk in. The walk took us three hours. I would recommend walking poles as it is tough on the knees, it is quite steep, long and tiring especially if you have bags on your shoulders, but the views are stunning on the way up. You can see most of the Lake District from the very top on a good day, even better at night as there’s very little light pollution so the stars shine fiercely! We awoke to the sunrise, a burst of pinks and purples lit up the sky, it was a warm morning. We gazed on in awe…
When clearing our tent up we made sure there was no trace left to respect the farmers and the land. On our way down we had some lunch and watched the farmers herding their sheep with amazing skill and agility down the mountains with their sheep dogs. We were hot and bothered on our way down so decided to bathe in the flowing river to cool off. Refreshed and full of the wonders of nature, we laughed and began to plan our next adventure in England’s green and pleasant lands.
This was a fantastic walk and to stop the night was even better. If you are planning on following in our footsteps, always remember to take a map and plan your route, wear appropriate footwear and clothing and have a great time soaking up the beauty of the lake district.
Stay safe, Jamie and Laurie.
Text & Images: Jamie & Laurie