Myself and 3 buddies try and get out at least once every one/two months for a bimble and a wild camp,so far it has mostly been Dartmoor but we have ventured to the Brecons for one strenuous hike/marathon/torture camp.
We take it in turns who plans the trips and it was my mate Dave's turn,he suggested the SWCP,and we all duly agreed nice views not to far from our base area so ticked all the right boxes but finding a wild camping spot was going to be tricky.
After arriving at the start we duly had the compulsory pint to set us up for the journey ahead,speaking to some of the locals about the task ahead all could not believe we would be setting off,high winds and cliffs don't mix apparently,one guy just laughed and walked off muttering to himself(the pub did remind us of The Slaughted Lamb in The American Werewolf in London,stay on the path),well we checked the map an plumped for the Alternative Rugged Path and true to it's word it was bloody rugged and bloody alternative but not very path like,it did include one delightful ascent that had to be done on all fours.
Stunning views,high winds,driving rain walking down dale then up dale then more rain,wind,more upping and downing more rain,wind,up,down you get the picture until we got to the position of our possible campspot.
A quick recce found us a spot far enough away from a car park!just before setting up camp a friend and i went off for another recce where we stumbled across two deer in some bracken they both bolted over a 6ft stone wall less than 10ft in front of us while the contents of my bowels tried to find their easiest escape route as well.
On returning to camp at dusk we heard wheel spinning at the car park thinking to myself how delightful Top Gear are filming a special,can you imagine my disappointment when it turned out to be the SW chapter of the Peugot 206 chav brigade practising their handbrake turns(not enough power lads)so we kept a very low profile until it was quiet then set up camp,this is where it gets a bit weird.
Camp was struck and food was eaten,lots and lots of talk about camping gear was had by one and all,and a few nips of medicinal fluid was partaken,we all turned in at a rock n roll time of 2045,now the weird thing i always sleep with ear plugs i am not a light sleeper but it helps me drop off when i wild camp,i was woken by a sudden sound i looked up and there was a light shining towards my tent just at that moment i felt a presence near my tent and the flysheet being pushed or tapped thinking it was a mate getting up for a pee i ignored it and dropped off to sleep,i don't know how long i dropped off for but i was then woken up by something grabbing or pushing my feet(we were camped on a slope so i had slid down against my flysheet)i shouted out F**K OFF then my porch area was being pushed in my same response followed,plus there was a light again,thinking it was my mate i dropped off again.Waking in the morning i had a go at my mate who was camping closet to me,he looked at me and went white he said that was happening to him for two hours but was to scared to do anything,another friend a bit away from us swears he heard footsteps in the night,my theory was it was poachers and their dogs,the dogs pushing sniffing at the tents,but whatever it was i will not be going back there EVER.
We take it in turns who plans the trips and it was my mate Dave's turn,he suggested the SWCP,and we all duly agreed nice views not to far from our base area so ticked all the right boxes but finding a wild camping spot was going to be tricky.
After arriving at the start we duly had the compulsory pint to set us up for the journey ahead,speaking to some of the locals about the task ahead all could not believe we would be setting off,high winds and cliffs don't mix apparently,one guy just laughed and walked off muttering to himself(the pub did remind us of The Slaughted Lamb in The American Werewolf in London,stay on the path),well we checked the map an plumped for the Alternative Rugged Path and true to it's word it was bloody rugged and bloody alternative but not very path like,it did include one delightful ascent that had to be done on all fours.
Stunning views,high winds,driving rain walking down dale then up dale then more rain,wind,more upping and downing more rain,wind,up,down you get the picture until we got to the position of our possible campspot.
A quick recce found us a spot far enough away from a car park!just before setting up camp a friend and i went off for another recce where we stumbled across two deer in some bracken they both bolted over a 6ft stone wall less than 10ft in front of us while the contents of my bowels tried to find their easiest escape route as well.
On returning to camp at dusk we heard wheel spinning at the car park thinking to myself how delightful Top Gear are filming a special,can you imagine my disappointment when it turned out to be the SW chapter of the Peugot 206 chav brigade practising their handbrake turns(not enough power lads)so we kept a very low profile until it was quiet then set up camp,this is where it gets a bit weird.
Camp was struck and food was eaten,lots and lots of talk about camping gear was had by one and all,and a few nips of medicinal fluid was partaken,we all turned in at a rock n roll time of 2045,now the weird thing i always sleep with ear plugs i am not a light sleeper but it helps me drop off when i wild camp,i was woken by a sudden sound i looked up and there was a light shining towards my tent just at that moment i felt a presence near my tent and the flysheet being pushed or tapped thinking it was a mate getting up for a pee i ignored it and dropped off to sleep,i don't know how long i dropped off for but i was then woken up by something grabbing or pushing my feet(we were camped on a slope so i had slid down against my flysheet)i shouted out F**K OFF then my porch area was being pushed in my same response followed,plus there was a light again,thinking it was my mate i dropped off again.Waking in the morning i had a go at my mate who was camping closet to me,he looked at me and went white he said that was happening to him for two hours but was to scared to do anything,another friend a bit away from us swears he heard footsteps in the night,my theory was it was poachers and their dogs,the dogs pushing sniffing at the tents,but whatever it was i will not be going back there EVER.
