Author Topic: Your greatest wild camping memories :)  (Read 5656 times)

Birdman

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #30 on: 18:28:26, 27/09/20 »

..like Coire Mhic Fhearchair in Torridon, somewhere that I am determined to spend a night.


I actually seriously considered that last year, because I knew what a stunning place it is (I had been there before) and it was right on the Cape Wrath Trail (the variant I was walking). However, I decided on a less exposed location and when I passed Coire Mhic Fhearchair the next morning I was glad I hadn't try to camp there because it was incredibly windy that day.
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gunwharfman

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #31 on: 10:41:32, 28/09/20 »
I actually like wild camping at historical sites, it can really get my imagination going! Two wild camps spring to mind, one wild camping alongside Hadrian's Wall, at 2 am looking up at the stars on a frosty night was as they used to say "far out man!" The dawn sunshine was stunning! I also once wild camped next to a prehistoric mound on the Cotswold Way approaching the Chelenhamd area but the weather was not kind to me that night, spooky though and misty in the early hours! I have never had the desire to camp in a churchyard overnight, have you?

richardh1905

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #32 on: 11:02:45, 28/09/20 »
No!
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ninthace

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #33 on: 11:25:50, 28/09/20 »
I bivvied in a hut circle near a stream on Dartmoor once.  During the night I could hear the ghosts of the Bronze Age inhabitants wandering around, going down to the stream to collect water and so on.  In the morning that had all been magically transformed into sheep.
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Bigfoot_Mike

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #34 on: 14:19:18, 28/09/20 »
I wouldn’t have any concerns about camping out in a churchyard, other than it may not be that far from civilisation. It is not likely that there will be zombies and ghouls wandering around at night. 💀👻

Birdman

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #35 on: 15:04:54, 28/09/20 »
I have never had the desire to camp in a churchyard overnight, have you?


I have actually camped in a churchyard once!  That was in 2018 on my PCT hike, in Sierra City, Northern California. Sierra City is a tiny town but a major resupply point for PCT-hikers. All these towns are super friendly towards PCT-hikers and this particular town allows PCT-hikers to camp in the churchyard. And that's great, because it is a bit off-trail and the next hiking day starts with a massive climb. There is a (free, cold) shower too! This is one of the few places where I stayed in town on this hike.  

 
It doesn't qualify as one of my "most memorable wild camps" though, if it can be considered a wild camp at all...
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richardh1905

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #36 on: 15:25:33, 28/09/20 »
I wouldn’t have any concerns about camping out in a churchyard, other than it may not be that far from civilisation. It is not likely that there will be zombies and ghouls wandering around at night. 💀👻


But do you have a desire to camp in a churchyard?
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Bigfoot_Mike

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #37 on: 15:50:45, 28/09/20 »

But do you have a desire to camp in a churchyard?
Not at the top of my list I must admit. There aren’t many churchyards in the hills.

Birdman

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #38 on: 15:58:57, 28/09/20 »

Sometimes, a wild camp is memorable for another reason than an awesome campspot!


In Southern California, during a fantastically beautiful but very hot hiking day, I descended 2500m, surrounded by fragrant blooming lilac (photo), many lizards and birds and having to walk right past a nest with agressive bees (I heard later that many hikers got stung) towards the San Gorgonio Pass. I pitched my tent in the desert below.



Descending 2500m towards the San Gorgonio Pass in the desert below

 
The camp spot was mediocre: flat ground, no spectacular views, hardly any vegetation and very windy. However, the next morning around 5:00am when having my breakfast, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake happened! Having lived in Taiwan for 4 years, I'm no stranger to earthquakes. But that was always in a city. I had never experienced one while camping in the wild! It first sounded like an airplane was taking off in the distance and then everything was shaking. I remember thinking how lucky I was to be camping at such a "boring" location, because there was no danger of falling rocks or getting hit by landslides!
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Birdman

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #39 on: 16:12:03, 28/09/20 »
After the earthquake on that mediocre camp spot, a hiking day followed that was going to end with a truly spectacular camp spot! One I will always remember.


It was incredibly hot, with strong hot desert wind. It was like a hairdryer blowing in my face! But the desert fauna was fantastic. Despite the heat, some birds were even having sex!



These Cactus Wrens really weren't bothered by the scorching heat!


My day ended on a ridge overlooking the desert. Really a stunning location for a wild camp!



My most spectacular wild camp in Southern California, with stunning views, hooting owls and howling coyotes
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gunwharfman

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #40 on: 16:57:24, 28/09/20 »
Great tales, great photos.

You have reminded me when on the Coast to Coast walk, I'd met up with two late middle aged professional ladies from the USA who were walking and holidaying together (and some other people as well) and they had left their husbands behind in some city, can't rember now where they were from. For both ladies it was the very first time in their married life that their husbands were not with them.

At one point, just after us all having coffee and cake at a farm, we all observed a large Bull who was trying to mount a cow in the next field. He was so thick set and heavy he kept trying but just just could get up and hang on. A lot of the people started cheering and tried to encourage him to 'do his stuff.' He tried quite a few times before he finally managed it and what surprised me (it was really amusing at the same time) was how carried away and crude these two ladies became. It was quite something to see and listen too!

Afterwards they seemed blissfully unaware of what they had shouted out, or the arm gestures that they had made at the bull. I leave it to your imagination!

Dodgylegs

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #41 on: 16:59:07, 28/09/20 »
WOW!


Where's next on your adventures Birdman?

Birdman

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #42 on: 09:06:01, 30/09/20 »
Where's next on your adventures Birdman?


Next year I'm hoping to hike part of the Continental Divide Trail, through New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming and one year later the second half through Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. I had to cancel this year because of Covid-19, but as things stand I'm now also pretty pessimistic about next year.
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Birdman

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #43 on: 09:27:34, 30/09/20 »

One of my most memorable camps, but not in a good way, was in Oregon on 20th Aug 2018. In fact, it was my most horrible wild camp experience ever! Anyway, I will never forget!  

I camped in a burnt forest. Away from burnt trees of course (they can fall over at any time and crush you). At the beginning of the evening everything was still OK, but then a very strong wind started blowing!  My tent was almost completely crushed with every gust of wind but luckily it kept bouncing back so that was no problem. I've been there before...  

 
But with every gust of wind, very fine ash was blown through the mesh of my tent and it kept piling up in my tent. And the ash that was already in my tent was thrown up with every gust of wind that lifted my groundsheet and then rained down on me! This lasted the entire night. It was horrible!

 
Of course I didn’t get any sleep that night, and the next morning everything inside my tent was black with ash! Sleeping bag, backpack, mattress, everything! To this day some of my gear still show clear signs of this.

 
This is the burnt forest where I was forced to camp, but not the actual camp spot, because that was an open spot in the forest where I could avoid falling trees
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Dodgylegs

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Re: Your greatest wild camping memories :)
« Reply #44 on: 12:22:56, 30/09/20 »
Was this a large burnt out forest? The smell, I can imagine!


Met a lot of Americans enjoying walking over here because 'there's nothing that'll eat you'!
« Last Edit: 17:55:02, 30/09/20 by Dodgylegs »

 

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