Wild Camping: The Lake District 2023

The Lake District - home to some of the most rugged wilderness in the UK south of the Scottish border, and the largest national park in England. A very popular location for outdoor enthusiasts, and wild campers in particular, thanks to its epic views, beautiful scenery and enough space to remove yourself fully from civilization - even if it's just for a night or two. This is somewhere that I've wanted to visit for a wild camp for some time now, and 2023 was the year for it. Myself and my previously mentioned camping associate Jake had decided that our 2023 big 'away' trip was going to be in the Lakes, and so, we started to plan our trip, which ended up consisting of two nights away, the first in a conventional campsite, and the second, somewhere on the slopes of England's highest peak - Scafell Pike.

After spending all of the Friday morning driving northwards we arrived at our campsite, The Barn Campsite, near Holmrook around 2pm. The afternoon was forecast with rain, but fortunately it was still dry and sunny when we arrived, which meant that we could pitch our tents without the hassle of a shower.

The first item on the agenda for Friday after arriving was to go swimming in the Wast Water, the deepest lake in England - I couldn't visit somewhere literally named after bodies of water and not go swimming there! However, the weather had turned from sunny and dry to misty and drizzly very quickly, but it was still warm and we would not be deterred from going swimming. Along the Wast Water there are lots of lay-bys and small areas where you can easily park, so once we'd found one near a beach that we could use to enter the lake, we took off our rain coats, and made our way into the water, whilst getting some strange looks from everyone else in the vicinity (these people clearly do not know that all weather is swimming weather). Somewhat surprisingly, the water was at a very agreeable temperature, which coupled with its clarity and freshness made for a wonderful swimming experience - despite some light foot pain from the harsh stony shore. 

After drying off and heading back to the campsite for a warming shower, we set out in search of the nearest public house, mostly so that we could sit at a table, get the maps out and plan our route for the wild camp. We found a fantastic country pub called King George IV which provided a warm and dry location for poring over our maps, and of course some creamy pints. Arguably the most useful information for planning the wild camping element of the trip came from the owner of our campsite, who's local knowledge helped us find a good place to park the car for free overnight, whilst we slept in our tents somewhere near Scafell Pike.

We followed up the map reading and creamy guinessy goodness with a meal at the Bower House Inn, which I would definitely recommend for some proper pub grub, and then we went back to the campsite for an early night, ready to wake up early and tackle Scafell Pike.

After a hot June night in my small tent, I woke up around 5.30am, anxious to get packed up and head over to where we hoped to find some parking. Within less that an hour we had packed up, filled our water bottles, and left the site. It was a short drive to our parking, just north of Wasdale Head, where we made coffee and porridge to fuel us until lunch time. When we set off there was a light rain, and mists covered most of the open ground, we headed North-East.

After about three hours of uphill walking, varying between some rocky sections, some softer grass, and even a stream crossing, we reached Sty Head, a mountain pass at approx. 488m of elevation. Unfortunately, as the air was still thick with fog, we didn't get much of a view from this point, but it was a really rewarding feeling when we saw the mountain rescue box, and the cairn that signalled we had reached the top. We took a few photos, and stopped for a cereal bar, whilst looking around, scouting for potential camp spots. We decided that if we didn't find anything further on, then this would be a good location to fall back on. 

We got back on the trail and, re-energised with the feeling of good progress, soldiered on uphill. This lasted for about 40 minutes, at which point I had caught up with Jake, who was waiting further ahead on the trail (his speed and fitness far exceed mine). He then proceeded to break my heart. From Sty Head, we had continued on the wrong trail, and we had inadvertently been heading towards Sparkling Tarn and Great End, and although we could have reached Scafell Pike that way eventually, it would have taken much longer, and that would probably compromise the camping plans. So it was that we had to head back to where the paths split, which was back at Sty Head. This really took the wind out of my sails, and my positive mood turned, making every step seem harder, and my energy levels lower. But, these things do happen, so we headed back, found the right path, and carried on.

The correct path up to Scafell Pike was a different animal to the route we'd been heading on before, with lots of loose rock, steep ascents, and even some scrabbling sections. All of this of course is to be expected on a mountainside, however, with a 15kg ruck on your back, it does make a noticeable difference to balance, which, when you're on the edge of a 100ft+ drop, isn't my favourite feeling (I am regrettably not a big fan of heights). Energy levels low, and nerves taking a beating from the height, I eventually made a decision - I would have to turn back. I've never regretted the call that I made, as I was holding back my companion who was more than capable of reaching the top, and I knew that it was the best option - it just wasn't my day. So we parted ways, agreeing to meet later at the Tarn, each taking a walkie talkie for communicating if necessary, and I started my descent.

My walk back down to the Tarn was slow, and I made a few stops along the way to admire the view, as the mist had started to clear and the landscape was nothing short of epic. Once I was back by the Tarn, I setup my stove, and made my lunch - which was probably one of the best curries that I've ever eaten, which can be credited entirely to the view.

Content with my lunch and my view, I sat to recover and wait for Jake to return from the highest point in the country. Before long my walkie talkie went off, and he told me that he was now returning to the tarn, having made good time towards the summit. We caught up, and I heard how the trail to the summit became even more steep and scrabbly, which reassured me of my decision to 'tap out', and looking at video footage from the summit, it was very windy, and misty. Now reunited, it was time to settle on a camping spot, so we headed down towards the tarn where the ground looked level, and the grass shorter. After tramping over some of the more boggy ground, we made our way to what could not have been a more perfect pitch. Short grass, level ground, and a great view. This was clearly a popular location, as some less caring previous campers had left their waste there, which we packed into our own litter bags to ensure that we were following the all important LEAVE NO TRACE practice. Pleased with our spot, we pitched the tents, removed our boots, and made our dinner whilst looking over the sky blue water.

The long summer evening was on our side, and it was still light well after 10pm, allowing us to pitch the tents late in the evening when no one was likely to be around. We saw other wild campers passing by heading out to find their own spots, which is not something that I've seen on a wild camping trip before, but being the Lake District, it's obviously a very popular location. Before long we retreated into our respective tents, for another warm night of limited sleep.

By 4:20am I was fully awake, and knowing that the area would get busy with walkers in the next few hours, I got up, dressed myself, and started to pack away my tent, sleeping bag, and mat, leaving out only the gear that I would need to cook breakfast. Once packed away, I was able to sit and watch the warm morning sun rise fully over the tarn, making the water shimmer in the early light. I waited for Jake to get up and pack away as I had, and by about 5.30am, the first morning walkers came into the valley where we had spent our night. Once packed away, we heated our ‘Ready-to-Eat All Day Breakfast’ in boiling water, made coffee and took in the views for the last time, before we found our way to the trail that would lead us back to the car park and from there, home.

On the walk back down, we were fortunate enough to enjoy the views that the mist had denied us on our ascent the previous day. With the skies clear we could see all of the surrounding peaks as well as right back down to Wasdale Head. In this trip I only saw a snapshot of the Lake District National Park, but it was enough to make a lasting impression, and to make me certain that I would return to explore more of the area. Lots of the natural areas that I enjoy in the UK are made up of lush green rolling hills, windswept moorlands and dense woodland, however the Lake District has an epic ruggedness to it, that sets it apart from the rest. Mountainous terrain and deep blue lakes define this beautiful part of England, and make it the epitome of wild locations in our country. I look forward to the next time that I can return and get to know more of this beautiful place.