Tag: Adventure

5 Steps To a Wild Night Out

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People camping by lake

This Saturday, people across the UK (and possibly further afield) will be taking to the hills, woods and fields for a night of wild camping. If this is the first you’ve heard of it, it isn’t too late to join in the fun.

Just follow these five steps to plan your own wild night out.

Step 1: Find a Friend

Don’t get me wrong. Wild camping solo is one of the best experiences you can have. (And in some cases the most nerve-wracking, but let’s not go there.) But if you’re new to wild camping then you may enjoy it more if you bring along a couple of friends.

If your friends are proving to be less than willing (what? Miss Casualty?) then it may be time to find some new ones. Fortunately, there are plenty of places to do so. Legendary adventurer Anna McNuff has been rallying women to meet up in various locations across the UK. You can sign up here. (Guys, you’re just going to have to organise your own fun for the night.)

Step 2: Decide on a location

Time for some research. As much or as little as you want. Decide how far you want to travel and how you want to get there. By train? Bus? Bicycle? On your own two feet? Anything goes.

Bear in mind the weather when you’re planning (currently – fingers crossed – looking dry!). You may get a beautiful view from a hilltop, but if it’s a windy night, you may also have a cold, sleepless night. If it’s looking like rain, then pick a spot in or near a wooded area to give you a bit of shelter if the heavens open.

Step 3: Organise Victuals

I love the word ‘victuals’. It makes me think of the Famous Five and lemonade, hard-boiled eggs and freshly-picked blackberries. But basically, I’m talking about food and drink.

A nice country pub is the easy option and a good starting point if you’re meeting people for the first time. Even if you eat at the pub, it’s always nice to have a hot chocolate before bed so be sure to pack a stove.

Step 4: Get Your Kit Together

You don’t need much to go wild camping. A sleeping bag and mat and either a bivvy bag, tent or hammock. That’s about it. A wee nip of whisky is always nice. As is hot chocolate. (Or chocolate full stop.)

If you’re not sure what to bring here are a few ideas.

Step 5: Choose Your Spot and Settle Down for the Night

Wild camping can be a fickle thing. You’ve spent hours pouring over maps and choosing the perfect spot for the night, then you get there and, well, it isn’t all that great. But don’t be downhearted. Sometimes your perfect spot is just around the corner.

A couple of things to bear in mind when choosing your spot:

  • The direction you’re facing so you can watch the sunset or sunrise (or possibly both).
  • The likely wind direction. It’s worth checking the forecast before you set out as the wind direction can sometimes change overnight. (Yes, that is the voice of experience talking.)
  • How visible you are. You may not be bothered by early-morning dog walkers or locals coming across you, but it’s worth remembering that in most of England, wild camping is technically illegal. If you’re a guest on someone’s land, it can pay to be discreet.

Wild Camping Tips

You can find out more about the legalities and practicalities of wild camping in this post. But the most important thing is to have fun and respect the environment. And don’t forget to share your adventures on social media with the hashtag #microadventures if you want to be in with a chance of winning a prize in Alastair Humphrey’s 2017 Summer Solstice Challenge. You have until the 9th July to enter.

Everything You Need to Know About Wild Camping

by  on  in Hiking, Microadventures • 0 Comments
Wild camping in front of mountains

One of the best things about wild camping is the view from your front door

Wild camping season is here! The days are drawing out, the sun is shining (sometimes) and the countryside is a million shades of green. If you haven’t already dusted off your tent or bivvy bag, now is the time.

Whether you’re new to wild camping, or just looking for a few new ideas, here’s the lowdown on everything you need to know about wild camping.

What’s the Difference Between Wild Camping and Camping On a Site?

This may be a dumb question. (But there is no such thing as a dumb question, right?) It’s pretty obvious that camping in the wild is going to be a different experience to pitching up in a serviced campsite. There are no showers for one thing. Or toilets. Or other people. If any of these things are essential to your love of camping, then you may want to give wild camping a miss.

On a more serious note, whereas you may pitch your tent in a campsite for a weekend or week-long trip, this is not the done thing when wild camping. The unwritten rule is ‘dusk ‘til dawn’. Pitch up late in the day and move on early the next morning. You’re a wanderer. An explorer. If you pitch up twenty metres from your car and spend the weekend relaxing in your folding chair next to the barbeque, you’re kind of missing the point.

Is Wild Camping legal?

This depends on where you’re looking to camp. In Scotland, wild camping is permitted as long as you follow the Outdoor Access Code. Leave no trace, follow the ‘dawn ‘til’ dusk’ guidelines and don’t get in anyone’s way and you’re unlikely to have a problem.

In the majority of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you have no legal right to camp wild and technically you should ask the landowner’s permission (except for Dartmoor where you’re allowed to wild camp for one or two nights on open land). However, in many remote areas, wild camping is tolerated as long as you pitch up well away from roads and farmland.

Essential Kit for Wild Camping

Wild camping kit can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it. At one end of the scale, you can have a perfectly good night with a cheap plastic bivvy bag, a sleeping bag and a pack of sandwiches. But if you’re planning on making a regular habit of wild camping, or if you’re backpacking then you may want to invest in some specific gear.

Here are the main essentials you’ll need for Wild Camping:

  • Bivvy bag or tent – bivvy bags are perfect for microadventures and single nights out, but if you’re doing a long trip then a small tent can be worth its weight in gold. Particularly if it’s raining.
  • Sleeping bag – even in summer, you’ll have an uncomfortable night without your bag.
  • Sleeping mat – ideally a lightweight, blow up mat such as a Thermarest.
  • Warm jacket – always worth carrying a spare layer, especially if you’re likely to be sitting around in the evening.
  • Torch – to be fair, at this time of year, it’s light late into the evening. As long as you don’t need any night-time toilet stops you may get away without one.
  • Stove and pan – something small and light is ideal.
  • Lighter – you will regret forgetting this. Take two, in case one doesn’t work.
  • Water bottle – if you’re planning on filling up from streams, then one with a wide neck is ideal.
  • Mug – not your best china.
  • Spork – the only implement you need for eating.
  • Food – see below for ideas.
  • Insect repellent – you may consider this optional until you’ve been attacked by the dreaded midge. No one wants to wake up with a face full of itchy bites.
  • Fold up trowel – for your DIY toilet.

You should be able to fit these into a small rucksack, particularly if you’ve taking a bivvy bag rather than a tent. If you’re planning on camping in the woods, then a hammock and tarp is a great alternative to a tent.

Pick Your Perfect Wild Camping Spot

Perfect camping spots rarely appear just when you need them. It’s worth having a rough idea of where you want to camp before setting out.

A couple of things to bear in mind:

  • Popular spots tend to be, well, popular. If you head up to a classic wild camping spot with a beautiful view on a summer Saturday in the Lake District, then you’re unlikely to have it to yourself.
  • Look at the weather forecast before heading out. If it’s due to get windy overnight, you might want to avoid camping on an exposed mountaintop.
  • But if it’s looking calm, an exposed location may help keep the midges at bay!
  • If you need to collect water for cooking or drinking, then plan to camp near a reliable water source. If it’s been a dry summer, small streams may be more of a trickle near their source. If in doubt, fill up your bottles before heading to high ground.

Once you’ve found the area you’re going to spend the night it, spend ten minutes walking around to find a good spot. If the ‘perfect’ spot you picked on the map turns out to be a man-eating bog, then be prepared to look again. Sadly, maps can’t tell you everything.

Cook Up a Feast

Cooking over a campfire can be the epitome of wild camping. But you should only light a fire where it’s safe to do so and there’s no chance of you starting a wildfire. Seriously, wildfires are a big deal. Don’t be the idiot who accidentally starts one. If you do build a fire, make sure you clear it up afterwards. Leave no trace, remember?

Cooking on a stove may be less romantic, but it’s much more practical. And just because you’re wild camping, doesn’t mean you’re restricted to instant noodles. If you’re out for a single night, then pick up some sausages or cheese to include in your feast. Packing for longer trips requires a bit more thought, but there are lots of tasty meals you can cook up in a single pan. If you’re looking for inspiration, the Dirty Gourmet blog has some great recipes.

When Nature Calls

If you’ve grown up in the outdoors, then you can probably pass over this section. But if you’re new to wild camping and spending time away from ‘real’ toilets, then there are some things you need to know.

Firstly, choose a toilet spot well away from water – at least 30m.

Secondly, leaving toilet paper littered around is the ultimate no-no. I see this all the time when I’m out hiking and it really gets on my nerves. There’s no excuse for it. Ideally, bag up toilet paper and sanitary products and take them out with you. Alternatively, you can burn them VERY CAREFULLY (see point above about wildfires) and bury the ashes, or in a worst case scenario, bury them in a hole in the ground.

Finally, if you’re going for more than a wee, dig a hole. What if you’ve forgotten your trowel? Use a stick. Or a rock. Or your bare hands. Just bury it somehow. Got it?

Wild Camping is Supposed to Be Fun

Ok, so camping in the middle of nowhere with no pub or toilets isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. But I suspect if you’re reading this, you’re at least willing to give it a go. If you’re in need of a break from the hectic world of work, people and social media then I can recommend spending a couple of nights wild camping to recharge your batteries.

Of course, this being Britain, the weather is never guaranteed. And to be honest, if it’s lashing rain then camping in any situation isn’t that fun. So keep an eye on the forecast and if it’s looking bad be prepared to change your plans. If you’re determined to go ahead anyway, then check out my top tips for staying dry when camping in the rain.

So, is there anything I missed? Anything else you want to know about wild camping? Drop me a line, or come and hang out on Twitter and let me know. Until next time, amigos!

Do You Know What’s in Your Backyard?

by  on  in Musings • 0 Comments

Photo of park with text - what's in your backyard

Is it just me or are the weeks flying by? And every day, we’re creeping closer to the longest day of the year. This is one of my favourite times of year. The weather’s getting warmer, flowers are popping their heads up and it really feels like the start of summer. Because we’ve been busy wedding planning recently, we haven’t been able to get away for as many weekend trips as usual. While I’m missing these, I’ve really been enjoying exploring our local area. This got me thinking about how often we overlook things that are right under our noses. That we travel in search of something different when there are often new and interesting places to explore that are literally just outside our backyards.

Last week I found a secret park. Of course, it wasn’t actually secret – it’s quite easy to find if you know it’s there. But when I came across it, after taking a small dirt path through the trees that looked ‘interesting’, it felt like I was discovering something new. Ok, so it’s not the Lost City of Teyuna, but it also didn’t cost me anything – other than half an hour of my time – to experience that feeling.

Human beings are creatures of habit. We like our nice, safe, boring routines. But this can lead us to think that the only way to break out of these routines is to go on a big adventure. To get away from home. It makes us stop exploring what we have on our doorsteps.

So, if you’re feeling like you’re stuck in a rut; that you go on the same walks, runs or bike rides, then here are some thoughts on how you can shake things up a bit. Even if you think you know your local area like the back of your hand, you may be surprised at what you find.

Take a different path

Do you walk the same route to the station/shop/office every day? Always take your dog on the same loop through the woods, or take your kids to the same park on a Sunday afternoon?

Rather than treading the same old tracks, next time, choose a different route. Take a more roundabout route to the station, or a detour off the road to the local shop. Instead of eating at your desk, take a lunch break and explore the area around your office. When I worked in London, I found hidden parks, peaceful churchyards and a host of blue-plaqued houses through doing just this.

Follow your curiosity

Do you ever see a road, or path and think, ‘I wonder what’s down there?’. Or spot a lake through the trees when driving that looks, well, interesting? Next time you see something that arouses your curiosity, rather than just thinking about it, go and take a look. Follow the road and see where it leads. Find a path that leads down to the lake (not if it’s on private land, obviously) and sit by it for a while.

As children, we are naturally curious and spontaneous. When we grow up, this may be trained out of us; we sometimes feel like we need to limit our curiousity. There are other more important things to be done, after all. But every once in a while, give yourself permission to be a child again and follow your nose down that path or road. You may be surprised at what you find.

Look at your local map

Even if you live in a town or city, there are often lots of small footpaths, linking different housing estates, leading through parks and woodlands or crossing fields. Often you may not even realise they’re there. We moved house about five months ago, to a different part of the same village. Even though I thought I knew the area quite well, when I had a look at the OS map I realised there were loads of paths and back roads that I’d never been down. I’ve been happily exploring them ever since.

You can often borrow Ordnance Survey maps from your local library. There’s also an option to view the OS map for an area on Bing maps. OS maps have a handy phone app where you can plan routes and view maps of different scales on your phone and if you subscribe to the fantastic Trail Running magazine, you get a whole year’s worth of premium access to OS maps for free (which is a bit of a bargain).

Go running without a map

This may sound a bit contrary to common advice, particularly coming from me. I mean, I’m an orienteer – I love maps! I also love knowing where I’m going. But sometimes it’s actually quite fun to lose yourself in a local patch of woodland or a large park and figure out where different paths may lead you.

There’s a wood near our house where we often go running. We’ve even done an orienteering event there and I thought we knew it pretty well. But the other week, when we headed out for an evening run, I chose a different path up the hill. That led to another path, and another and suddenly we found ourselves in a flat, open section of ancient woodland. A signpost informed us that this was the site of a neolithic settlement. If we hadn’t have chosen to lose ourselves in the wood, we may never have known of its existence.

So if you’re not able to get out into the wilds this weekend, don’t feel glum. Take an hour out of your day and discover something new about your local area.

How to Decide On Your Next Big Adventure

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How To Decide On Your Next Big Adventure image

This week I’m delighted to share with you a piece I wrote for Tough Girl Challenges. As it says on the tin (so to speak), it’s written to help all you people out there who are determined to go on a Big Adventure! (And yes, the capital letters are deliberate. A Big Adventure is very different from a big adventure, dontcha know.)

But first, I have a bit of a confession to make. When I set out to write this article, I was planning on writing a ‘how to’ guide on planning your big adventure, from start to finish. But then I got a thousand words in and realised I hadn’t actually got past the first stage – deciding what to do.

For many people, this is the first stumbling block you come across when dreaming of adventure. Sure, there are lots of things you could do and perhaps many things you want to do. But sometimes there are so many options or ideas that narrowing them down feels impossible.

And, after all, things kind of get a bit easier once you have a goal. Then you can start thinking through what you need to do to get there – how much money you need to find, what visas to apply for and how much time to beg off work. Without that specific goal, your dream will stay just that – a dream.

So if you’re feeling stuck – if you’re pining for adventure, but struggling to work out what it is you really want to do – then check out my piece at the Tough Girl Blog. I hope it helps you move from daydreaming of adventure to living it.

If you need a bit more encouragement, then check out my review of The Push: Overcoming Obstacles to Adventure – a book designed to give you a polite kick up the backside when it comes to taking action.

Getting Off the Beaten Track in Skye

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Off-beaten-track-Skye

A beautiful, deserted white-sand beach on Skye

The Isle of Skye is one of the most beautiful and best-known parts of Scotland. And where you get a well-known beauty spot, what else do you get? Sight-seers. Tour buses. Cameras/iPhones/iPads/electronic device of choice. I have never seen so many people crowded around a pair of bewhildered sheep on a single-track roadside, viewing the mountains behind through their camera lens.

But never fear, there are still many places where you can get away from the crowds and enjoy the best of Scotland’s wild, unspoiled landscape. It may mean you have to put on your walking shoes or brave the narrow, single-track lanes, but believe me, it will be worth it.

How to escape the crowds

Unfortunately, public transport is somewhat limited on the island, so some form of transport (two wheels or four) is a must for getting away from the tour buses. As with the rest of Scotland, Skye is a great place for motorhomes, with a choice of well-equipped campsites or wild camping spots. Just make sure you follow good campervan etiquette and don’t stay in one place for more than two nights. Cycling can be a great way to get around if the weather is nice, but be warned that the mist, rain and wind can descend at any point (even the height of summer) so come prepared!

Coaches and tour buses generally stick to the larger roads, so the easiest way to escape the crowds is to explore some of the smaller roads on the island. And yes, these are usually single-track roads with passing places! General etiquette is to pull in at the nearest passing place if you see someone coming towards you and, if you’re on a hill, give priority to vehicles coming up the hill. Drive carefully and look out for sheep and Highland cattle. Unless you really want to annoy the locals and other visitors, don’t park up in passing places.

Tourist hotspots (and the alternatives)

Don’t get me wrong – the places which attract the hoards are beautiful and worth a visit. But if you want to get these sites to yourself, you’ll need to get there first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Summer nights on Skye are short and as it stays light until after ten in June, there’s plenty of time to explore. But if you want to find a piece of Skye where the only company you’ll have is the odd sheep or moorland bird, then check out some of my favourite alternatives to the popular tourist traps.

Fairy Pools, Glen Brittle

The advent of Pinterest and Instagram have ensured the clear waters of the burn (stream) a firm place on the tourist route map. Many couples have picked this spot for their wedding elopement, only to find they themselves declaring their love to their spouse and twenty Japanese tourists (and their iPads).

A less-travelled alternative to the Fairy Pools is Coire Lagan. Park up at the end of Glen Brittle and hike up a good path for about an hour to reach this small lake, ringed by the imposing black peaks of the Cuillin mountains. Seen from above (you can scramble a short way up behind the lake) it looks almost like a heart. Cute. The clear waters are tempting on a sunny day, but it’s colder than it looks!

The Trotternish peninsula

The Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing are certainly impressive, but there’s no need to fight the traffic on the peninsular ring road. You can get dramatic views of the imposing cliffs from the little-known An Aird peninsula. Take the minor road that leads off the A87 to the south of Portree and continue down the coast until the road splits at Gedintailor. Follow a footpath that leads across a rough open area before the enclosed fields, down to a small dell and round to a stony beach. It’s a short walk around the peninsula, but you could easily take a picnic and spend a full day exploring the coastline, paddling off one of the two beaches and taking in the views of the Trotternish peninsula to the north, Raasay to the east and the Red Cuillin mountains to the south.

Neist point

This is another site which Instagram has a lot to answer for. The dramatic cliffs and easy access make for a trail of people pottering down to the lighthouse at the end. If you’re willing to put in a bit more effort, the Macleod’s Maidens offer a wilder and equally dramatic viewpoint. The three sea stacks (mother and two daughters) can be viewed best from the headland above. It’s a 17km round trip, but the spectacular views across Loch Bracadale will help keep you going.

Coral beach

A romantic stroll to a white ‘sand’ beach at the end of a headland; it’s not hard to see why people swarm to this beach north of Dunvegan. The ‘sand’ is actually small pieces of fossilised and sun-bleached algae – beautiful, if slightly spiky underfoot. But (and I’m about to let you in on a BIG secret) there are proper white sand beaches on Skye. And with a bit of luck, you’re get them all to yourself.

I came across one such beach on one of those Scottish days that started with torrential rain and then gave way to a beautiful, hot, sunny day. It’s said you can experience all four seasons in a single day in Scotland and from personal experience, I can attest to the truth of this.

I’m actually quite relunctant to tell you about this spot. It’s one of those beautiful spots you come across and secretly want no-one else to find. (So keep schmum and don’t go sharing this post all over the internet.)

Head down to Sleat, to the most south-westerly road on the island, and keep going until you can’t drive any further. There’s a small car park next to one of those art galleries where you just want to buy everything in the shop. Get your walking boots on and follow the track for a couple of miles as it winds its way down to the sea. Keep following your nose and the sound of lapping waves until you come to a perfect, white sand bay ringed by rocks.

Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints and act all mysterious when your friends enquire which Mediterranean island you’ve been holidaying on.

How to get to Skye

Most people arrive on Skye by car, either via the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh or across the ferry from Mallaig. It is possible to get there by train, from Glasgow up to Mallaig (a beautiful journey in its own right) but once on the island, you’ll be at the mercy of the limited bus schedule. If coming from further afield, fly to Inverness (2 hrs), Glasgow (4 hrs) or Edinburgh (5 hours) and hire a car for the drive up.

There are plenty of B&Bs and self-catering accommodation on Skye, but it does get booked up during peak season so it pays to plan ahead. There are also a number of campsites with excellent facilities that accept campers and campervans/caravans.

What else do I need to know?

The Scottish midge is possibly the creature most feared in proportion to its (tiny) size. Though I seem to have particularly tasty blood and hence get eaten alive, I do have a slight fondness for the midge for its role in keeping Scotland relatively free of mass tourism. Take repellent, a head net (particularly if camping) and some antihistamine for when you inevitably get bitten.

Skye is pretty cosmopolitan as Scotland goes, but phone signal is limited in places and non-existent in others, which, depending on your perspective, is either a blessing or a pain in the backside.

The other reason people don’t flock to Scotland for their hols? The weather. That’s not to say it’s always bad. I’ve come back sunburnt from many a Scottish holiday. But it is somewhat unpredictable. When it’s good, there’s no better place on earth. And if it’s not so good? Well, that’s what waterproof clothing was made for.

Go to Skye. Find the places away from the crowds. Just don’t tell your friends.