Author Topic: TR A wet and windy wild camp on Sale Fell Sat 28 to Sun 29 Jul 18  (Read 2527 times)

April

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Day 1

The weather forecast wasn't great for Sat and Sun. Heavy rain and strong winds. We hopped on the Honister Rambler at 9.30 in Keswick to avoid some of the rain and did the whole circuit and ended up back at Keswick at 11.15. We cobbled together a plan of where we were going to go when we were on the bus, we'd struggled to think of where to pitch later. There were some Chinese tourists on the bus and they were oohing and ahhing at the views  :) I always feel happy when people who have travelled such long distances are rewarded. Despite the rain the cloud was high and the views were pretty good. These two touristy type lads got off at Honister, one with jeans on, no waterproof trousers only one tiny rucksack between them and they'd asked someone where the path was. A woman must have given them directions up Dale Head because they started climbing it as the bus left for Gatesgarth. We hoped they would be ok, it was forecast very strong winds up there, 40mph plus and lots of rain. In Keswick we got on the X4 to Woodend Brow, we would walk through Wythop Woods then have a look on Sale Fell and see if we could find a pitch up there.

Beefy on the forest path from Woodend Brow


It was now after 12noon. It rained on and off but we were sheltered from the worst of it in the trees, the reason we'd thought of this route.

Ullock Pike and Long Side from Beck Wythop


A sign at Beck Wythop


Our hearts sank but when we read the notice it was advance warning, the path wouldn't be closed until 10 Aug.

The paths marked in red will be closed


With it only being the 28th July we were surprised to see a path closed sign higher up into the woods. There was nobody working and we saw someone had been preparing a wider forest road. Perfectly safe to cross the forest road, why was the path closed sign up? Nobody there! We ignored the path closed sign, walked across the forest road and higher into the woods on the path.

Sale Fell


We were out of the woods now and the wind hit us and the rain was being blasted into our faces for a while.

Ling Fell


We were pleased to turn off right toward Chapel Woods. The rain was behind us for a while.

On the path to Kelswick


I didn't take many photos, any that were taken were when the rain stopped for a while.

The remains of the old Church near Kelswick


Beefy on the way to Kelswick


We turned right at Kelswick up beside the wall onto the slopes of Sale Fell. We were being blown up the fell by the wind and the rain was on and off again. We didn't go up onto the summit, the wind was really strong when we got to the path leading to the summit at the highest point of the wall. We rounded the fell looking for a pitch. We tried the quarry on the northern slopes, no flat spots. We had an uncomfortable traverse of the fellside near the quarry and a steep climb up over rough ground trying to find a flat pitch out of the wind. I was ready to go home, I didn't think we would find anywhere suitable. We'd descended to about 130m and climbed back up again, if we'd gone over the summit it would have been quicker and easier  ;D

The houses at Routenbeck seen below Sale Fell


We eventually found a spot below the summit, about 310m, sheltered from the worst of the wind. Low down for us but the wind was too strong to pitch a tent higher up.

The MSR below Sale Fell summit


Beefy went down for some water from the beck. It started tipping it down after he had got back and the tent was buffeted by strong gusts of wind too. We'd got in the tent relatively dry, that was the main thing. We had a brew and some food and enjoyed the tent time. We had it zipped up, it was cold, wet, blustery outside, we were nice and warm inside. We opened the wine listening to the tent being battered.

The MSR with Binsey in view


There was no sunset, we finished our wine and went to sleep at 9.30. Day 1 was Woodend Brow - Beck Wythop - Wythop Woods - Kelswick - Sale Fell (not the summit) 7.6km with 506m ascent.

Day 2
We awoke to more rain. Beefy said there had been thunder and lightning and torrential rain during the night, I'd slept through it. I did see some flashes of lightning in the distance in Scotland when I popped out for a pee at 2.30am. We decided to just go home and not do a walk, we were sick of rain. We do need rain, we just don't want to walk in it, well not two days in a row.

On the way down off Sale Fell


Beefy on the way to Routenbeck


Sale Fell from the Dubwath bus stop


We got the bus to Keswick and saw the two lads from yesterday who had been on the way up Dale Head. We were on the 554 and we waved at them, they had survived  O0 Day 2 was Sale Fell - Routenbeck - Dubwath  3.2km with not much ascent. A bit of a waste of a day but getting soaked didn't appeal to us. We were happy we'd got out for the night, it had been doubtful we would be able to find somewhere.
We got home at 1.25pm and made a korma, yum yum  :) The weather looks better for this weekend and we've had a fair bit of rain in the last few days. Roll on Friday at 5, I'm ready for the next one but it won't be the Lake District  ;)
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Ridge

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Shame about the awful weather,  still at least you managed to get out.

beefy

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Great pics Ape O0

     [/color]
I did enjoy the weekend more than I expected, surprising with the weather, but we did get in the tent dry
Fancy a wc this weekend, I'll order a new single skin tent  ;D
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Dovegirl

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Good photos April, despite the weather.  Hope it's fine for your next trip   :)

gary m

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Great trip report april. Shame about the weather. I bet you still enjoyed it
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April

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Thanks all, we did enjoy ourselves despite the weather being a bit pants  :)
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Ridge

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April
It is none of my business but I wondered how your back and arm were? I hope all is OK.

April

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It is none of my business but I wondered how your back and arm were? I hope all is OK.

Ah, thank you for asking, it is my neck where it stems from, my arm/hand is still numb but the pain isn't quite so bad now from my neck to shoulder and down my arm. I am hoping it is going to get better on its own and it is just a trapped nerve or inflammation causing it. I will go to the docs if it doesn't get better in a couple of weeks.
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pdstsp

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That's dedication to the wild camping cause!!


Hope the neck sorts itself out, April.


Paul

sunnydale

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Nice pics & report, as always O0
***Happiness is only a smile away***

Ridge

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Ah, thank you for asking, it is my neck where it stems from, my arm/hand is still numb but the pain isn't quite so bad now from my neck to shoulder and down my arm. I am hoping it is going to get better on its own and it is just a trapped nerve or inflammation causing it. I will go to the docs if it doesn't get better in a couple of weeks.
I'm not stupid enough to tell you to take it easy but do look after yourself.

richardh1905

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Good to get out into the wilds for the night even if the weather is crap. In fact, there is a certain satisfaction to be gained from toughing it out.


Regarding thunder - I re-proofed an old Vango Force 10 MK2 last Friday, pitched it in the back garden and applied Nikwax spray. As the tent was up, I couldn't resist sleeping out in it, despite thunderstorms being forecast (I would be sleeping on an insulating mat, right?)

Awoke around midnight to the sound of distant thunder; getting closer; then the rain started, and it pelted down. The thunder died off, or so I thought, then there was an almighty flash, a crackle from the end of the tent, and, a split second later, the loudest noise that I think that I have ever heard in my life - so loud it left me dazed. A very near miss. My wife (sensibly sleeping inside) was petrified, and thought that the house had been struck. My son slept through it all!


The strike took out our broadband router, but nothing else. The good news is that the tent stayed dry!


Quote
Roll on Friday at 5, I'm ready for the next one but it won't be the Lake District  ;)

I'm intrigued.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

beefy

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Good to get out into the wilds for the night even if the weather is crap. In fact, there is a certain satisfaction to be gained from toughing it out.


Regarding thunder - I re-proofed an old Vango Force 10 MK2 last Friday, pitched it in the back garden and applied Nikwax spray. As the tent was up, I couldn't resist sleeping out in it, despite thunderstorms being forecast (I would be sleeping on an insulating mat, right?)

Awoke around midnight to the sound of distant thunder; getting closer; then the rain started, and it pelted down. The thunder died off, or so I thought, then there was an almighty flash, a crackle from the end of the tent, and, a split second later, the loudest noise that I think that I have ever heard in my life - so loud it left me dazed. A very near miss. My wife (sensibly sleeping inside) was petrified, and thought that the house had been struck. My son slept through it all!


The strike took out our broadband router, but nothing else. The good news is that the tent stayed dry!


I'm intrigued.
We too had thunder right over the tent and lightening
, April slept through it, Drunk :D


Short video clip you might find amusing ;D


https://youtu.be/KRIKiZa4uaI



Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

richardh1905

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Short video clip you might find amusing ;D

https://youtu.be/KRIKiZa4uaI



 ;D


I'm sure that a single skin tent would have been just fine - for an amphibian!
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

Lakeland Lorry

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Sale Fell is one of my local fells and the one that I always do if I fancy a quick walk, or a short walk after work.    There's lots of different routes that can be done.


I set out to do Sale Fell on Saturday, but changed my mind at the last minute and went to Whinlatter instead.   Would have bumped into you both again, if I'd stuck to my original plan.   :)




 

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