A collection of trip reports from my camping & hiking trips to some of the more remote places in UK and from around the world.
I’m just back from northern Spain from what turned into a bit of an epiphany for me. I’d been longing to test my mettle in mountains over 2000m in height for some time now when the Picos range in northern Spain suddenly cropped up on my radar at just the right time. Continue reading “High adventure in the Picos de Europa Mountains”
A long while ago I decided upon a challenge that took several years to realise. The plan was a simple one, hike to the most remote area in the Cumbrian Mountains known as Great Moss, wild-camp out overnight, then in the morning have an attempt at the summit of England’s highest mountain Scafell Pike!
The theory was that by hiking in the day before and setting up camp at the foot of the mountain I would have dispensed with the long and tiring walk-in of around 7 miles and as an added bonus I would have spent a night camping in the wild in one of the most remote corners of England. Also to my advantage I figured would be the front row seat afforded me from my tent porch where I would be able to monitor the weather patterns swirling around the summit of Scafell Pike thus enabling me to make an informed decision whether or not to make a dash for the summit on the day or cut my losses and head for home.
Continue reading “The Scafell Pike Challenge”The Route: Bowfell and Esk Pike | Distance: 17km | Time: 7.5 Hours
Height gain: 1,129m | Max Altitude: 897m | Start: Langdale Campsite
Finish: The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel | Map: OS Explorer OL6 | Date: 07/02/2013
Click to enlarge route map
You don’t need to go to New Zealand to walk in a landscape full of myth and wilderness, oh no! Now this might shock and surprise some people and even sound a tad absurd, but you can get your Tolkien fix right here in the UK. Oh shut-up I hear you say, but wait, it’s really true, please let me explain. Continue reading “My ‘Lord of The Rings’ hike!”
I’m off to the Great Langdale Valley next week for a much needed outdoor fix. I’ll be camping in the valley for a week at the beautiful National Trust campsite. My tent will be ringed on three sides by some of the most dramatic and rugged mountains this country has to offer. The fells here are much beloved by generations of hikers, climbers and campers alike. Continue reading “Let the Adventures begin!”
JAMES HANDLON 