Langdale Winter Warmer

Langdale Winter Warmer, 16th January 2016

Hello all,

It was time to head out and blow off the post Christmas cobwebs. Michael and I had been planning on visiting Wasdale, however the weather had taken a turn for the worse with heavy snow forecast and we were concerned that the roads would be impassable.

I was in work the night before, so the alarm clock signalled a dreary start which was soon rectified with a strong cup of coffee. I had chosen the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 tent, which I knew would shrug off anything that a British Winter could throw at it. Our backup plan was to travel to Great Langdale and camp at the National Trust site.

I arrived at Michael's house and was soon expressing my disbelief as an Everest expedition-like array of bags and boxes was loaded into my brand new car. Michael, as always was erring on the side of caution should we have to face an end of world scenario. Our journey up the M6 was quick and painless, with the car temperature gauge hovering around zero - a good sign.

As we approached Morecambe, we were greeted with an almost Alpine array of peaks on the horizon, covered in snow. After a minor road rage incident whereby another driver decided to gesticulate to me because his vehicle was slower than mine, we were parking up in Ambleside. We paid a visit to the Apple Pie bakery which, rather disappointingly didn't open until 09:00. This delayed our start so we walked around and looked in the closed shop windows at the extravagantly priced outdoor clothing and equipment.

I paid for an English breakfast which aren't the best in this particular establishment. Michael played it safe and had toast with jam. I wanted to purchase a Cornish Pasty for my lunch, however they were not ready, not exactly the best business sense here then. This cafe although clean and pleasant enough, probably thrives on its location alone.

We were soon back on the road and driving up the valley of Great Langdale. The scenery was absolutely stunning; trees seemed to be in high definition and the majestic peaks were covered in a fresh white blanket of snow. We arrived at our campsite, paid our fees and set up the tent.

Soon, we were walking along the Cumbria Way, past the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and loosely following Mickleden Beck towards our target, Rossett Pike. I cannot emphasise enough how spectacular the scenery was. We were so lucky to have picked such a great day to enjoy full Winter conditions such as this.

Looking towards Bowfell, walking the Cumbria Way

The weather started out fine and sunny, however a band of snow moved in from the west and soon, the spectacular views were replaced by near whiteout conditions. We stopped about 3/4 of the way up Rossett Pike and ate our lunch. The temperature at this point was -7.4 which was perfect to enjoy a bottle of Wold Top 'Anglers Reward'.

Ski goggles had been donned by this point as the glare was starting to bring on a headache. We decided to retreat back down the valley to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

Post walk pint at the 'ODG'

The pub was very busy but the fire was roaring. Walkers jealously guarded their seats and positions by the fire as damp clothing dried out. It was almost like a sauna inside. After a couple of pints, we walked back to the tent to find it completely buried in the snow. We cleared some off to relieve some of the weight and then, to many strange looks, fired up the barbecue. This is the first time we have cooked on a barbecue in the snow which was falling heavily. We cooked by the light of our head torches, sausages and burgers. Michael had purchased some Birch logs and after we had eaten, these were soon ablaze and providing some much needed warmth.

The New Dungeon Ghyll was calling and after a bracing walk in the ever increasing snow, we were soon inside eating sticky toffee pudding and drinking a nice bottle of Merlot. We met some fellow walkers and 'YouTubers' - Julie Liddle and Graham of Wild Camp UK - two really nice people who share in our love of the great outdoors (see links to their channels below). It was soon time to head back to the tents with a whiskey inside us for the road.

By the time we arrived back, the tent was literally covered in a thick blanket of snow. A second clearing of snow was required, followed by a frantic scrabble to get into our sleeping bags. Once again, my sleep was in fits and starts. This has been the case for a few years now due to severe lower back pain whenever I sleep in a tent / on an air mattress. If anyone can suggest a cure for this, I would be eternally grateful.

We were awoken by the morning light and the muffled sounds of other campers. The scene outside the tent was amazing, a fresh Winter wonderland. We broke camp and fired up the stoves. The MSR Reactor performed well, although the Campingaz stove was woeful meaning our bacon was wasted - not however for a cheeky Robin who paid a visit and filled himself up.

Tent and equipment packed away, we stopped at Brambles Cafe in Chapel Stile. This place is a hidden gem and we had never been before. The cafe is upstairs and has wonderful views across the surrounding fells. We both ordered a full English breakfast which was very reasonable and much nicer than that of the Apple Pie bakery. We will be back and would recommend it to anyone.

Unfortunately, our trip had come to an end and soon we were travelling back down the M6, heading for home.

It was a shame we didn't make it to Wasdale, however it was the right decision as we would have no doubt been trapped by the snow. We are planning on heading up to climb Scafell in March, so please stay tuned. Thank you for reading and see the links below - please view our video which we hope does some justice to the amazing scenery. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel - we appreciate all views and respond to all comments.

See you on the next trip

Below is the link to our video "Langdale Winter Warmer" - take a look !

https://youtu.be/TCBgSgvQAtw

Trango 2 by Mountain Hardwear

Julie Liddle: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0nibgKgk_P_avxW877k_0g

Wild Camp UK: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGo517LsDw2_Fm6EroF_Gpw

Oktobercamp 2015

Hello everyone,

Our blog has sadly been neglected of late, this is mainly due to the purchase of the GoPro Hero 4 Silver. We have started a YouTube channel, the "MCM Outdoor Show" and most of our 'adventures' now take the form of videos.

Our annual 'Oktobercamp' had arrived again and on 29th October, Matthew and I set off for the beautiful Lake District. Our destination is set in stone, Brotherswater and Sykeside Caravan & Camping Park at the foot of the Kirkstone Pass.

Initially, the weather was awful with heavy rain persisting throughout the morning. I had brought the Vango Tempest 200 which has served me well over the years. Matthew had brought along a Vango Soul 300 and once set up, looked like a veritable hotel in comparison to my tent. Matthew had also brought along a small camp bed which made for a great nights sleep.

We sat and drank some Wychwood 'Pumpking' seasonal beer, discussed life and reviewed some camping equipment which we had recently purchased.

The scenery was as always, amazing with deep autumnal hues providing an optical banquet of colour. The weather started to improve and we set up our hammocks in a small copse on the higher ground of the camp site. After lazing around for an hour or so, I drove up to the summit of the Kirkstone Pass and we paid a visit to my favourite Lake District pub, the Kirkstone Pass Inn.

Unfortunately, Matthew was overcome by a sudden bout of illness and vomiting and our drinking session was cut short.

Back at base, Matthew retreated to his tent to recover while I took in the views and relaxed. After a couple of hours, Matthew made a good recovery and we headed to the Sykeside Inn for a customary pint of Hobgoblin; the beer had sold out ! After choosing and drinking our alternatives, we made our way back to the tents and heated up a chilli and some rice, saving ourselves the cost of a pub meal. This was washed down with a nice bottle of red wine whilst we exchanged tales of work woes and life.

It was soon time to retire. I decided to heat up a final meal, a Wayfarers 'Beans & Sausages' which was quick and convenient.

I had a reasonable nights sleep, however woke on a few occasions due to my usual sore lower back.

The next morning, the rain had returned and after a quick breakfast under the tarp, we said our goodbyes and set off for home.

This was another great 'Oktobercamp', a tradition which we will continue as long as we are able.

Here is the link to the video, please take a look and if you like our channel subscribe - it means a lot to us.

https://youtu.be/TCBgSgvQAtw