(I tried to post this in the New Member area, but I was cut short! So I'll try again here.. It doesn't have quite the same ring now, though.)
(I've had to split it again. This is confusing.)
I was up in the Lakes for the first time in a long while last April and remembered what I seemed to have forgotten about the joy of being among the fells and the waters. I've been trying to get back up there ever since - schedules, finances and sundry other life-things have cruelly hijacked me so far - but I'm set on some wild camping around the South West Lakes within the next couple of months and I can't wait.
Last April my girlfriend and I were in the Lakes for 5 days, last minute stuff, and spent one night by Styhead Tarn. (The rest we spent in campsites, all but one of them superb). I've since noticed that this particular location, by the tarn, isn't the most novel of spots to retire for the night, but at the time it felt like we were virtually on the moon, remote from civilisation and alone in the grandeur etc etc. It was lovely, really, and I've spent the last year aching to get back up there (not to that spot in particular, not necessarily.. just anywhere like it
I'm something of a tyro regarding wild camping, and I probably sound quite amusing, talking about grandeur and all that, but I'm guessing you all understand my meaning. There is definitely a pull, a magnet dragging me back to the place. And I think it's something to do with this:
My girlfriend and I decided, after pitching the tent (was it too early to pitch?! there's still people on the far side of the tarn.. yes, but they're walking down... but won't they get annoyed about us pitching so early?... I don't know. why would they?... I don't know either but I don't want to annoy anyone... well nor do I... shall we wait a bit?... where? we should wait in exactly the spot where we're going to pitch anyway?! won't they know we're just wating for them to leave?... oh ok let's just put the tent up and see if anyone comes over with a gun or a badge... good plan...).... we decided to have a go at Great Gable. We were halfway there, after all
So we set off, me all cocky about the light and how we'd be fine, loads of time, I've been here before and knew everything and so on. We got to Windy Gap, breathing like we'd forgotten how to, met a bloke who was running back down like a gazelle, which made us ashamed, and then spent far longer than we'd expected to scrambling (kind of) up to the summit. The wind was extraordinary, and exhilarating. We had a couple of Boosts (the chocolate bars, they're great when you're not particularly fit and you're on a summit) and just hung around for a bit. Absolutely lovely, it was.
Then, on the way down, we spotted our tent. This made us smile, through binoculars, because we knew it was at least forty minutes of pounding downwards away.
Then we spotted, approaching over crests and troughs in the landscape that we couldn't make out from this elevation, but that we knew were there because we'd walked over them earlier, two walkers from Wasdale. From where we were we could see they were headed straight for our tent, though they were at least six troughs and crests away, and wouldn't see our tent for maybe another ten minutes. We realised that we could watch, while we were descending, them arrive at our pitch, light a fire, eat all our food, pack up our tent and nonchalantly disappear off towards Borrowdale well before we got there, if that's what they decided to do.
Of course this wouldn't happen, and as soon as they did see our tent they described a wide arc around it, very thoughtfully, and we watched them searching for their own pitch as we got closer to the 'ground'. But it made us laugh because where we're from this kind of thing never happens... if you can see someone's face through binoculars you can reach them in less than a minute (provided you have keys etc . I can't explain it very well, I'm afraid - but it was a lovely, odd experience. Seeing the world from a different place, I suppose.
Anyway, I feel I've gone on long enough (and not really explained the pull and the magnet very well - I hope you can read between the lines!) so I shall end this abruptly.
I will be asking some questions, if it's ok, over the next little while. Asking for advice, mostly. I want to get back to the very old peace and solitude that's up in the hills. I found it empties my head of useless stuff, and reminds me of simpler and stronger things. And I recently bought some Rohan boots that make me walk like Burt Lancaster, so it'd be a shame to just amble up to Tesco in them
Sorry if I've bored anyone. It's late and I got carried away. I'm going to post a very important (to me) photograph-based question in a bit. Please look out for it, if you know the Lakes. The correct answer will not only make me smile like an idiot for weeks, honestly, but will also get a special prize.
(Hmm, that last bit sounds rubbish, doesn't it? It does, I'm sure, though I wish it didn't..)
And here's the picture, as a challenge! I think it's somewhere just down from Rosthwaite. I went there 14 years ago, we climbed up and up, though I can't remember where, and about 20 yards off the path we found this, hidden away, like a little paradise - well, that's how it seemed to us at the time. We went for a swim in it, listening to all the walkers going straight past, missing us completely.
I want to go back there, but I'm not sure this photo, at this size, will help identify it. I'll ask the person I was with that day, see if they have any more info that will help. (It's a scanned in and massively reduced old print, but it might be good enough?)
Wow Alfie... I've really enjoyed reading about your 'wild camping' experience. I've often done some camping sauvage, but in south west france. Totally different I expect as we hide the tents behind the dunes....i have to say, it is the most amazing feeling to camp with only a few friends right by the see with no-one around you! I love it! And in the heat of southern france, we oftern would sleep outside and under the stars! Amazing.
Afraid I can't guess where you were from the pic as I'm not too familiar with the Lake district, but I am intrigued...
Oh - and please do tell us some more anecdotes...as you're a good story teller!
Thank you Penguin (your name came up as something else a few hours ago, didn't it? It's quite possible I'm cracking up, I suppose
Southern France is an aim of mine, too. I love it down there, though I don't know where to camp, particularly. I've been there a few times now, but camping on site and B and B'ing. Shall look into it, definitely..
Regarding the waterfall, it's really tucked away from the path - though only a short distance it's not very evident from the main thoroughfare. It's not a famous one by any means. I'd be surprised if many people even knew of it.
I hope no-one minds if I make a separate thread out of the picture... might get spotted by a few more people. IE those who got bored with my ramblings and never got this far
If you want to go camping in France then head to the south west coast - from Biscarosse - Mimizan - Hossegor - Biarritz. There's loads of camping, forests and miles and miles of beachesl, what's more there's the atlantic so there are proper waves (unlike the boring mediterranean!
I quite enjoy people who ramble on a bit... in fact, I'm working for an online magazine who are on the look out for writers....you should check it out:
That area of France sounds just the ticket. One seems to forget about the south west in favour of the south east, but I know it's beautiful down there too. Think my summer holiday may have a destination...
That website looks very interesting. I'm having a look through it now. Gissa job!
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well i think i am 
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