At the beginning of June, my partner and I went to the Lakes for a spot of hiking and wild camping. Despite having planned the trip for weeks, I woke up on the morning of our departure feeling underwhelmed due to a tough work week and a gloomy weather forecast. Amber felt the same. Normally, I'd be buzzing with excitement, but this time, the black dog of depression was biting at my ankles. However, we had already paid for the train, and I knew I’d regret not going, so off we went.
We usually set off early, but this time we aimed to arrive around 7 PM to find a good pitch before dark. After some delays, our plans had to change, and I scoured OS maps for an alternative.
As we approached Windermere on the train, we dug out our rain covers, suited up in waterproofs, and prepared for the wet weather. A quick shoutout to my new £15 Frogg Togg’s raincoat—it performed better than any expensive waterproof jacket I've had over the years.
We stopped by Booths supermarket for water and took the ferry across the lake to Sawrey. I mistakenly expected a large ferry like those crossing the Channel, but it turned out to be a small barge, much to Amber's disappointment as she had never been on a ferry before.
After disembarking, we searched for camping spots but found them too exposed. As it got dark, we settled for a slightly secluded wood near the road. It wasn’t ideal, but it had to do. We tucked ourselves between a stone wall and a bush to avoid attracting attention. After enjoying some meals (courtesy of The Wandering Chef), we hit the hay.
Not long after I began nodding off, I heard a loud trotting noise followed by a horrible scream. It was vile and terrifying. Normally, I’d investigate, but Amber wouldn’t let me leave her side, shivering with fear. The noise repeated a few minutes later, then stopped. I decided to sleep, advising Amber to do the same. She barely slept, and I got a couple of hours before setting a super early alarm to get us out of there.
The next day’s weather was much better. After a quick disassembly of camp, we covered our tracks and got on the ferry to begin our journey to Ambleside.
Ambleside is a place I've visited a few times but only to pick up supplies. I didn’t know there were good starting points for hikes until I checked Komoot and found the Fairfield Horseshoe. The ascent to Low Pike was stunning with foxgloves everywhere. The views back to Ambleside as we climbed to High Pike were phenomenal, showcasing the vastness of Lake Windermere.
The trail had muddy sections and rocky terrain, nothing too technical but a nice change from the long slogs earlier this year. At the top of Fairfield, the wind was howling, but the sun was shining, and I felt so happy doing what I love most.
The descent to Grisedale Tarn was steep and scree-covered, which Amber found challenging. If anyone has tips for descending scree, please share in the comments. We set up camp and I made sure Amber ate well to recover. She was out cold right after dinner, exhausted from the long day with a fully loaded pack.
In the morning, we descended towards Patterdale and then veered off to Glenridding. After a harrowing ride on an open-top bus that absolutely shouldn't be operating on a route with so many trees overhead, we enjoyed a satisfying Subway sandwich and waited for our train home.
What Did We Learn?
Camping in the woods is completely different from camping on a desolate mountain top. The horrifying sound in the night turned out to be a red fox, as we later confirmed on YouTube. We also learned to spend more time planning our pitch for the night in case things don’t work out as expected.