I remember my first solo camp. It was just up and over a pass to Patterdale from Dunmail Raise. I'd visited family who were in a new caravan (touring) for a roast chicken dinner. On the way back I couldn't be bothered going home Just to meet up with friends in the same place the next day. So I parked up at the top on the way home and k walked up til I found a pitch. That was on a peculiar bit of flat grass in the middle of the rocky path. Pitched up had a brew and sat watching night fall with a real sense of what am I doing. I was jumpy and twitchy all evening. I then went to bed inside my little single skin tent. Boy I was jumpy. Then I heard the sound of a passerby walking on the path that surrounded the pitch. In fact a few and they went around both sides, stopping to see what this strange object was. It was sheep. Seems at night they join up into groups and use the human paths to get lower down. Then early in the morning they take the return journey before splitting up in the fells. I didn't know what it was but I still had a good night's sleep. Counting sheep I guess works! Although ear plugs and mp3 player works better.
The next morning I woke up refreshed and pottered downhill to the car. Only trouble was I was too happy, drinking a cup of coffee as I walked. I was wearing fell shoes for the first time for a backpack too. Unfortunately in my sense of achievement (small as it was, it was still my first solo adventure) I'd not paid attention to where my feet went and I sprained my ankle badly. Limping to the car I snacked on some cereal bars and took some ibuprofen then met my mates in Ambleside with a bacon butty in my hand, early for the first time ever. A great night, brilliant morning and a painful Fairfield Horseshoe doped up on ibuprofen and paracetamol.
Since then I've done solo trips but I must admit it is always trips shared with mates that are the best.
