Lake District overnighter, should have been two though

[Shewie]

Got back today from an interesting few days in the hills around Haweswater and High Street. We were supposed to be doing two nights but last night mother nature made sure that didn't happen, ten minutes after pitching the tents one got flattened by a huge gust and then when we turned in later on another tent got smashed by the relentless winds.
Angle Tarn near Patterdale is a place I camped at around 12 years ago and I was keen to get back there again for a night, the wind was strong from the NE all day on our route but I thought we might be able to seek shelter once we reached the tarn with good camping spots on all sides. How wrong was I, the wind was blasting up Bannerdale and then coming straight back down onto the water creating mini typhoons and wreaking havoc from all directions. Me and Andy did a loop of the tarn trying to find a sheltered spot for three tents but it was just as bad wherever we went, we decided to stay where we were and hoped the wind would die down eventually. I think I managed to grab around 3-4 hours sleep at some point but Andy and Mick only got half that between them. I think we all agreed that last night was the worst night any of us had spent out, it was one of those nights which was so noisy that you couldn't get off to sleep and then as soon as you did you got a face full of tent as the sides collapsed in again.
So with two broken tents an no sign of the wind dying we made the decision to head back for the cars this morning, we were all pretty knackered from lack of sleep so the return journey was fairly hard going.

It was all good fun though, especially getting airborne a couple of times in my hooped bivvy in the night

Our route plus a return down Kidtsy Pike this morning

Andy & Mick, on our way

The car's parked over there somewhere

Looking back up Mardale

On we go

Lunch stop next to a waterfall, out of the wind and before the big climb

Up we go

Heading for the summit of High Kop

Andy admiring the views across the rest of the Lakeland peaks

Heading up to The Knott

A breather above Hayeswater

The gloom of Angle tarn

Camp for the night (before the tents got smashed)

 

[gsfgaz]

Nice 1 Rich , great camp spot mate , great pics ,.... that wind must have been amazing mate ...

 

[morch]

Thanks for sharing the pics Rich, you just have to love the lakes. Sounds like it was a really rough night

Dave

 

[drewdunnrespect]

Looks good shewie mate thanks for sharing drew

 

[kINGPIN]

Great pics mate!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Brilliant! I do like a windy camp out, cheers

 

[Shewie]

Glad you liked them chaps

I'm still battling with the wind today, so far I've had to rescue a down pipe that's rattled loose (and my ladders are too short) and a piece of next doors fence has knocked down a bit of trellis by the shed. Still the sun's out though

 

[Mesquite]

Looks like a great time was had going for a wander in the hills Rich, just a shame it was cut short.

 

[scrogger]

9.5miles??

 

[scrogger]

Great walk again shame the weather gods did not want us to be out 2 nights. I found some old easton alloy poles I might butcher up but will be ringing TN Tuesday for a chat.

Nice pics, some of mine look a bit bleached!!!

I will have a look at a few routes for the next one.

 

[Shewie]

9.5miles??

Cough ... erm.....well.....

I remembered I hadn't plotted the first day but knew it was a full days walking, I think the 9.5 number might have been Sundays walk

You can't say you didn't enjoy it though

Tell you what, those poles don't half make a difference when you're covering some mileage. I used to stand at the bottom of ascents looking up and thinking this is going to be a killer, now it's just a case of picking your pole placements and off you go, no more thigh burning. When we were climbing back up the Knott yesterday morning I can remember what a nightmare it was last time, I knew how much pain Pish was going through

 

[scrogger]

Yes the poles make a lot of difference and I think probably aid recovery for the next day too. I have a couple of old ones the Swmbo and little swmbo use so I will find them for Pish to use for next time.

It was such a good weekend and really whilst walking the wind was quite nice I just wanted to switch it off once we got to camp. I am not going to give up on the Laser though as they seem to tick all the boxes I think it might have been user error maybe I did not have it leaning right or maybe the rocks on the guy lines did something.

Everything else worked great though. Was good to calculate fuel usage aswell to the burners. I am going to take out the wood burner whilst out with the dogs to see what gives but will also be getting some esbits aswell.

All in all a good trip with some useful things learned, One of the main ones been dont trust your mileages!!!!! lol

Hows pish ?

 

[Shewie]

I think I'm going to use two guys coming off at 45deg at each side of the pole when I get mine, it should help to give a bit more support from sideways gusts. I think there are extra tie outs on mine so I'll add some thin dyneema cord and just leave them attached permanently.

I've just cleaned out those Capri Sun drink pouches which I think will make good fuel bottles. I'll fill one with water first though and see how they stand up to a few days abuse in the pack.

I've sent you an email about next weekend, let me know

 

[JonathanD]

Shame you didn't get the full couple of nights, looks like a great place. The wind has been bad here too up on the hills.

 

[calibanzwei]

I've just cleaned out those Capri Sun drink pouches which I think will make good fuel bottles. I'll fill one with water first though and see how they stand up to a few days abuse in the pack.

Now thats a great idea!

 

[SimonM]

Nice area, shame you had to cut it short.

The wind killed my Kyham utility tent yesterday...we had been using it at a football competition as a shelter for the kit & kids. The extra guys did there job, but the "knuckle" joints snapped...3 of them!

Simon

 

[Teepee]

Great pics again Rich

Airborn in a bivi sounds like great fun, I want a go. Paddling was interesting yesterday too, very choppy.

 

[Barn Owl]

I hate the wind.

Had a jaunt up L Doon the other night for a coffee with Doonboy, the water was like a winters sea.

Around 20 appliances had been tackling a fire in that wind too.

Looks like it'd have been great up there Rich otherwise.

 

[The Cumbrian]

Looks like you al had a great time Rich.

I've just got back from 3 nights at Stonethwaite with my wife and kids, and my sisters and nephews. It was the most consistently windy three days in the Lakes that I've experienced in years. I took my Vango Equinox 800, which was about the strongest large tunnel tent that you could get at the time, and it's been battered. The 3 central poles are now severely bent out of shape, and the longest one snapped. We all had a great time though, although for the first time in ages I couldn't be bothered to sit around the fire because of the wind.

Cheers, Michael.

 

[Shewie]

Looks like you al had a great time Rich.

I've just got back from 3 nights at Stonethwaite with my wife and kids, and my sisters and nephews. It was the most consistently windy three days in the Lakes that I've experienced in years. I took my Vango Equinox 800, which was about the strongest large tunnel tent that you could get at the time, and it's been battered. The 3 central poles are now severely bent out of shape, and the longest one snapped. We all had a great time though, although for the first time in ages I couldn't be bothered to sit around the fire because of the wind.

Cheers, Michael.

Sorry to hear about the Vango mate, I was actually quite relieved to be in my Saturn rather than a tent for once, not that I got much sleep either.

Stonethwaite's south of Derwent isn't it ? We wondered if it would be any better a bit further west but it doesn't sound like it was. Crazy weather though, you could here the wind channelling up the valley and then whipping round the crags around us, you'd get a bit from one side at first and then a few seconds later it would hit you full force from the other side.