Monday 18 May 2009

Packed For The Langdales – 3rd Time Lucky

Golite-LiteSpeed My Packed Lite-Speed

This will be the third attempt at wild camping in the Langdales coming in from Grasmere. I attempted this the first time back in March with the idea of a nice solo trip for two long days - with a shopping trip for new gear thrown in for good measure! Some will know that I was denied entry by the Gods who send wind in forces I wasn’t comfortable pitching my the Big Agnes in. Those buggers had read my cocky post about them trying to take my ticket from me and they called in a few favours to have me running for home!

I decided that the next trip out I would venture over that way again and so at the last minute I decided that I would dash up on Friday after work. I watched the forecasts and although the weather wasn’t looking great, if the wind dropped a bit I was going to try my luck again. As the week plodded on I realised that the short trip I had in mind wouldn’t be that great with the weather as it was forecast. So on Friday afternoon at work, having already packed my bag and ‘bagsied’ the car, I called it a day on my Langdale dreams once again. Glad I did though as the weather was a bag of poop by all accounts!

So, we were due to be car camping  and kayaking in the Brecons this weekend for the bank holiday but (for reasons I won’t go into) this is now cancelled. In my wisdom I deem this unfortunate affair to be a sign from the Gods. A sign that my turn in the Langdales has been granted. I’ll have a close eye on the weather this week and all being well I’ll make a dash for it on Friday after work. The bag is still packed from last Friday (bar the down-filled lovelies and water) so it’s a case of hitting the motorway and walking to a pitch somewhere around Harrison Stickle – as a loose plan.

On another note (and perhaps this was another sign from the Gods) but my Mini Atomic Stove from Minibulldesign went a bit kaput when I happened to test a modified windscreen in the garden this weekend. The filling screw had somehow stuck fast since last using it so I couldn’t fill the stove with meths. This would have been a disaster on the hill! I finally managed to loosen it with some blowtorch action and its working again but I’ll have to be careful not to over tighten it in future. I’m trusting it for the next trip but I hope it won’t leave me eating chocolate bars and dinking cold water all weekend! I bloody love that little stove.

4 comments:

Mac E said...

I'm hoping for a 3rd time lucky experience myself. Hope it works out for you this time. :-)

Martin Rye said...

Fingers crossed for you. It is a fine place to go to.

GeoffC said...

Well beyond Harrison Stickle for a pitch I should think, there will be lots of folk up there till late if the weather is fine. Grasmere doesn't spring to mind as a choice for a bank holiday weekend, it's heaving on a cold rainy day in November!.

Marcus said...

Hi Geoff,

I don't think I should have too much trouble as I'm arriving late myself. By the time I get to Grasmere, saddle up and get going it'll probably be around 8. Here's hoping I'll be OK but knowing my luck I'll arrive for the first midnight carnival on Pavey Ark!