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

October Camp 2012 ! Sykeside & Red Screes

It's been a while since my last blog. I've sold my house, bought a new house and basically been very busy indeed. A tradition has developed whereby each October, we visit Sykeside campsite in Brotherswater. The main reason for this is probably the Hobgoblin ale on tap !

Matthew setting up his tarp

Sykeside is a very conveniently placed campsite nestled at the northern foot of the Kirkstone Pass. In summer it can be very busy, but at this time of year (my favourite), you can usually expect the place to yourself bar a few solo campers. I was camping with my cousin Matthew. We arrived early and paid our fees at the inn. I'd brought along my old Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 tent. I've had this for a good few years now and I must say, it has stood up to some horrendous conditions with winds in excess of 80mph in some cases. The tent is very strong and capable of providing safe shelter on the high camps of Everest, never mind the English Lake District. Another plus of this tent is that it is very warm. It is easy to pitch although inner first.

Having pitched the tent I made a quick drive into Glenridding for some breakfast. I also popped into a small shop which had a good selection of local beers and ales, I picked a very apt "Spooky Ale" for the post walk beverage!

I had decided on Red Screes for our walk. The route is easy and is completed in no time. Our objectives on this trip were beer drinking and relaxing rather than an epic walk so this one fitted the bill perfectly.

We started off from the car park opposite the Kirkstone Pass Inn which happens to be my favourite pub in England!

Kirkstone Pass Inn

The path up Red Screes is well defined and easy to follow. Visibility was good lower down however the summit was shrouded in thick grey cloud. The temperature was noticeably colder at the summit of the pass.

Looking back toward the Inn

Height is gained quickly and we were soon leaving the Inn far behind.

Matthew with Windermere in background

Approaching the summit

There are no photos from the summit as the visibility dropped. On a clear day the views from the top are stunning in all directions. We found a spot out of the wind and ate lunch before a quick descent back to the welcoming fires of the Kirkstone Pass Inn.

Mountain Hardwear Trango 2

After warming up by the fire with a pint of Tirrils finest, we headed back to the camp site to find we had been joined by a D of E group. Having had the whole site to pitch on, they decided to........ yes; pitch next door.

Tent !

After the very nice bottle of Spooky Ale, it was time to try a few tarp setups.......

Hammock 

Matthew had decided to use this setup to sleep under. Having tried out the hammock, I have to say it is much more comfortable than any air mattress I have ever used. I have a Thermarest NeoAir which is very thick, the comfort nowhere near matches this.

The whole setup is extremely light weight and packs down very small. It would be ideal for cycle touring and wild camping but of course relies on suitable anchor points for the hammock & tarp.

It was soon time to head up to the on site pub, the Brotherswater Inn for some tea. Hobgoblin was on tap and was extremely drinkable as always. If you like the bottled variety then the draught is a completely different brew altogether. They had the illuminated tap badge for Halloween. The prices seem to have gone up here, especially for the meals which are a fairly standard but decent affair.

Feeling full and ever so slightly (i.e. struggling to walk) drunk, the call of the warm goose down sleeping bag was too hard to resist. Matthew struggled into his hammock after a quick guy line check.

The D of E group were out in force and ridiculously noisy. There were about 10 lads, I would guess 17-18 years old. Just as I was about to fall asleep, one of the imbeciles decided to shout into my tent "GOODNIGHT" repeatedly in a geordie twang.............. his friend informed him that it was 'the wrong tent' to which the imbecile shouted "I KNOW MAN". Shortly after, he incurred the verbal wrath through the flysheet and immediate calm was restored.

I awoke about 8 the next morning. The D of E group were up and shouting. Matthew had survived (and very much enjoyed) the night in the hammock.

This was a good trip, not about the walk, but just enjoying being out in the fresh Autumnal air and enjoying some nice beers in some nice Lake District Pubs. I'm not (much of) a grump, but the D of E group took the edge off somewhat in that their noise levels were unacceptable. I would have probably been the same when I was their age however.

I've got another walk coming up at the end of this month. I'm hoping for some snow and to bring out the down jackets. Plus I'll be trying out the new Mountain 25 Tent from North Face.

Thanks for reading.

Helvellyn - November 2009

Helvellyn is a brilliant mountain. One of my Lake District favourites. A massif that is unsurpassed in sheer grandeur. The name is synonomous with the Lake District and if you are a true Lake District walker, will no doubt have been ticked off your list.

I will usually climb Helvellyn a couple of times each year. I have yet to try a winter ascent in full snow, however aim to achieve this in 2012. The only route I have ascended is via Ullswater YHA, then Striding Edge. A lofty knife edged Arete, leading up to a final scramble to the summit plateau.

This particular trip was in November 2009 with my cousin, Matthew.

Mountain Hardwear "Trango 2"

We camped in Sykeside. At this time of year we had it all to ourselves. There was a nice Autumnal feel, the wind whipping around brown and crinkled leaves and blowing scudding clouds across the distant Dove Crag.

After a night in the Brotherswater Inn, we awoke to a crisp November morning. There was a temperature inversion which made for some great early morning shots.

A ten minute drive to Ullswater and we began our walk.

It was a cold morning, the temperature inversion had filled Patterdale with thick cloud. We started our slow ascent up the mighty flanks of Helvellyn.

Me sporting a 'Buff'

The initial ascent is somewhat arduous, following a path with a steep gradient toward the Hole In The Wall.

Catstye Cam on the right, Helvellyn in the middle of the shot

Suddenly, one is presented with the view above. Striding Edge can be seen in the left hand side of the photograph above.

We continued following this path which eventually led to the start of Striding Edge.

This is one of the most enjoyable of Lake District ridge walks. It is not overly difficult in dry and windless conditions. If you don't like heights, I can say it is definitely not for you. The ridge is very exposed if climbed via the true 'edge'. One can drop down to a lower path which is not quite so exposed.

Matthew, surveying the panorama

We began our walk along Striding Edge. The rocks were nice and dry and it was a simple task today.

Me with Striding Edge and Helvelln behind

We made our way along the 'Edge' toward the final scramble to the summit plateau.

Looking towards the Summit of Helvellyn

Red Tarn

Matthew above with Red Tarn behind, Striding Edge and our route up can be seen on the right.

The weather was in our favour today. We headed back down via Swirral Edge and back to the car park in Patterdale.

Thank you for reading.

Next up is Pavey Ark, Jacks Rake.

Adventures..........

Hello again;

This blog thing is quite addictive.

I've got hundreds of photo albums featuring many of my walks stored on my PC. It would take far too long to upload them all, so this blog will feature some of my favourite walks and associated pictures. Feel free to add comment and I hope you enjoy the views.

Brotherswater, October 2010

Brewing up in the North Face Mountain 25 (US Version)

Most of our walks from this area start from Sykeside camp site. It can be very busy in the Summer, but at this time of year you generally have it to yourself. The views are excellent over to Dovedale and you are surrounded by high peaks on all sides. Drainage is okay but the ground is quite rocky as far as inserting tent pegs goes. I once had a Vango tent destroyed by high winds here as the site is very exposed. Either take a tent that is up to the task or choose some natural shelter to pitch against.

This particular walk was up to Dove Crag with a visit to Priests Hole cave. My walking partner was my cousin Matthew. 

We headed up to the Kirkstone Pass Inn for a quick pint. This is one of my favourite Lake District Pubs featuring slate floors, low beamed ceilings and real fires. It's location perched atop the highest point of the Kirkstone Pass is unsurpassed. The pub is ideally placed for a post walk pint if one should venture up and down Red Screes. Quite a few good ales on tap here, usually a selection from the Tirril Brewery. There is usually a jar of pickled eggs at the bar too however I've not braved one so far. 

Enjoying a pint in the Kirkstone Pass Inn

Following on from this, we headed back down to Sykeside and paid a visit to the Brotherswater Inn. There was a distinct Hobgoblin 'Halloween' theme throughout. This by the way is a lovely ale on draught. Noticeably different from the bottled variety. 

Hobgoblin. A seasonal October draught

The evening quickly faded into a Hobgoblin induced blur and soon, we awoke ready for the walk into Dovedale.

Matthew and Dove Crag behind

The weather was okay, at least it wasn't raining. 

The picture above looks towards Dove Crag. Priests Hole perches mid way up this outcrop although is hard to distinguish in this photograph.

Looking back down Dovedale

We soon arrived at Priests Hole.

Lunch with a view

The plan was to summit and head over to Red Screes. 

By now, the wind had picked up significantly and temperatures plummeted. We walked up the west slopes of Red Screes and saw the welcoming Kirkstone Pass Inn from the summit.

We made our way down the Kilnshaw Chimney, by now tired and cold. Back to ground level, we popped into the Inn for a customary pint.

We warmed up by the fire and enjoyed a pint of 'Red Screes' which was very fitting. Unfortunately, the only way back to the tents was to walk ! Gravity was on our side though. 

Another good trip completed.