Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
Outdoor Activities => Northern Ireland Camping and Bushcraft => Topic started by: KyleL on March 09, 2013
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Hello all, last night I almost bit off more than I could chew.
(For the shorter version, skip to 'Lessons Learned'.
If you care to read, my first solo camping trip went as follows;
I woke up on Friday morning and deliberated about wether or not I could be bothered to hike the mournes and sleep under the canvas for a night. Afterall, it was nonstop rain forecast, temperatures down to 3 degrees and 20-30mph winds.
I'm not sure what makes us want to sleep outside in bitter weather, but whatever it is - it took hold of me. Besides, the postman was going to be delivering my new miniture gas heater. I loaded up my rucksack with my new Vango Tempest 300, Gas cooker, some food and tea, dry clothes for sleeping, large river rock bottle, vango rollup mattress, and my blue mountain 350 sleeping bag (more on that later). I would also be taking my trusty steed, Nanook, the Siberian Husky.
I'd be wearing my ski trousers (waterproof to 5000), water proof coat over my fleece, and my Campri boots from SportsDirect. Unfortunately I didn't have waterproof gloves so I grabbed a pair that seemed 'good enough' (One of the decisions that led to such a miserable night, along with 'the tent will be easy set up, no need to practice').
So I was ready to go and loaded up the car. Still no sign of my heater in the post, "oh well, doesn't matter", and I headed off. (Another one of those 'desicions'). *Not saying that a heat source is always required, but it sure helps*.
After many arguement and cursings with Siri the iPad Gps - I arrived at the Trassy road carpark via the ass end of nowhere, adding 30minutes to my drive time and this deducting it from my walking time. It was now three o'clock and I figured that I could reach the top of Slieve Bernagh before it got dark around Six. (Oh yea, I didn't mention that for my first solo camping trip I decided to attempt to navigate to the summit of Sleive Bernagh in 100metre visibility having never been there before).
The navigation for the most part was pretty straightforward. Our team of man and dog pressed on in the cold and rain and managed to enjoy what we could see of the scenery. Then we came to the point where the Trassey Path splits, at the bottom of Bernagh. "Left or right?..". Left takes you to hares gap, and right takes you around the other side of the mountain. "Looks shorter that way - sure the counter lines are pretty close but a hill is just a hill". So I went right. (I found out from a passing hiker the next morning that the other way would have been much easier).
We pressed on. The rain had picked up and now I couldn't tell the difference between the trassy river and the trassy path. Water was in my boots but at least my coat and trousers were keeping me dry (right?).
After a few breath stops and a whole lot of walking later we reached the mourne wall. Great! Now all we have to do is follow it up!". So I looked at the wall running up and it seemed almost vertical at one point - with one particular part running for about 20feet over a huge near vertical stone slab. It was then I learnt respect for the builders.
So that simply wasn't an option. But it was getting colder and viz was dropping so I decided we'd jump the wall and follow it as best we could up the South Western side of Bernagh. It was tough. It would seem that not all hills are just hills. You would not look silly if you were using ropes to get up this one. We had many slips and stumbles - never physically painful but mentally draining as we could only manage about 5 or 6 steps before stopping to rest and to lose 10 from a slip was a nightmare.
Each rest cost precious body heat, and i felt my hands go numb unless i was walking. The temptation to sit down and rest was growing. I'm not unfit, I'm in my early twenties and I have never 'given up' on a physical challenge, but this night I did. We were near the top, I could even see the tor, but if I kept going I wouldn't have the energy to put the tent up and then we'd be really screwed. The problem was, there was nowhere suitable to pitch a tent. "Time to lower my standards". This was no longer about comfort, it was still raining badly as it had been all day, it was colder than ever, and I was on the south west side of Sleive bernagh with 30knot winds from the south west. I parked it in the best place I could see, half on grass and half on a stone slab.
I'll give credit to Vango; it may have been gusting and I may have been slow but the tent was up in about 20minutes. I didn't even secure the pins as nicely as I would have liked as the plan was to get in, warm up a bit, and then go out to perfect the strings and pins before sleeping. I never went out again.
Wet gear off, dry stuff on, dog in the tent with me for some owner-pet bonding hugs (though we'll both say it was for warmth). Warmed up some water and made some tea with the gas cooker. The heat off it and the warm liquid improved moral. I opened the sleeping bag to jump in....but oh no, damp! The waterproof bag it was in was apparently not waterproof enough. But, no choice, I stuck more layers on and jumped in. Now I was really considering bailing.
I looked outside the tent, and the fog had increased greatly in the 10minutes I was making tea. I could no longer see 4feet ahead of me (no exaggeration) and my hand was soaked instantly by the air. So perched on a slope on the top of a mountain I decided going back was not an option, and I just didn't have the strength for it. It's funny how you feel like you'd be able to do these things if you 'had to survive' but if you aren't properly prepared you will just die trying, no doubt about it.
So I tried to catch some some shut eye in my damp sleeping bag. I was just drifting away when something happened. The shivering stopped. That's either good or really bad. The phrase "cold is the enemy" came to mind. I checked the temperature inside the tent, 4 degrees, and the sleeping bag 25degrees, with it being wet it certainly didnt feel that warm. Satisfied I laid down again. The the wind picked up, and the rain, and they didn't stop until 6am. Every gust threatening to rip the fly sheet off and send it to the Antrim coast. I couldnt sleep because of the noise and the fear that at any moment I would get a soaking. I only hoped I could get my boots and coat on and make the 2hour dash to the car.
But the tent stood firm, to my utter disbelieve.
As the sun rose, the storm calmed a little. I braved the elements again and began repacking the tent - Nanook was less than helpful at this point but he did try his best to join in the 'game' his master seemed to be playing with the funny pole and sheet thingy. As for what happened next, I don't know if it was the wind or the dog but I turned around to see my packed sleeping bag rolling down the side of the mountain, (and disappearing instantly as the visibility was around 15metres at this point).
It was another blow to moral, especially as I was now wearing last nights drenched 'waterproofs'.
We made our way down, but despite 30minutes of searching we never did find the sleeping bag (please see my lost and found thread here). Drenched and feeling defeated by Slieve Bastard, we began the 2 hour walk back to the car, back to civilisation, and back to the glorious invention of the in-car heater.
Lessons Learned
- Pack spare matches in a waterproof bag.
- Pack more spare matches.
- Waterproof your waterproof sleeping bag bag with another waterproof bag.
- If your sleeping bag gets damp and you have no alternative, use it.
- If you are warm, it's not too late to turn back.
- Cold is the Enemy.
- Practice setting up your tent, even if the instructions look easy.
- The term 'waterproof' is very much an open ended thing.
So to finish, it was wet, cold, and miserable. Only a madman would subject himself to wild camping wilfully.
So, see you all next week? :D
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Now that's an adventure. Well done and sticking it out and surviving deserves some karma. We all have these days but thankfully I've never had one as bad.
Liking the name nanook cracking film lost boys
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Nice write up pity about the weather :o :o Its funny how when your just bustin to get out nothing's gonna put you off the old grey matter goes into meltdown and you find yourself in a state of (it will be grand it will be dead on its only a wee bit of weather) and you carry on thinking sure it will be fun and even though it turns into a bit of a nightmare it not gonna put you off. Karma earned there alright ;D ;D
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Hi Kyle, I laughed out hard when I saw your new name for Slieve Bernagh.
Well done for making it and having your first summit camp, though something a little smaller might have been advised. :)
What ever you do though don't let it put you off, we have all taken a woopin some time by the weather, there are plenty of us here who enjoy our summit camps and you can join us anytime, you'll soon pick up what you can and can't do without kit wise and hopefully it'll lighten your load.
Karma mate.
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Excellent writeup mate.
It's the experiences that don't quite go 100% which you remember and tell the stories about.
You're right about waterproof, it's definitely not an absolute.
I use a down bag, even when bivvying, it gets kept inside a drybag inside its compression sack. In weather like this the whole rucksack contents go in a drybag liner also.
The ultrasil ones if you can spare the cash don't add much of a weight penalty if you're ever worried about that.
Sounds like you're getting out there, finding things out for yourself and making decisions based on what you learn - best way to do things.
Good man for going out and doing it, even better for telling us all how it went.
Cracker
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I laughed out hard when I saw your new name for Slieve Bernagh.
Me too, couldn't get a breath, laughed till my face was sore
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Fair play to you Kyle for staying up there (I would have bailed out and camped at the saddle) sounds like it was a fine line between success and disaster going up the steep side of Bearnagh (or whatever its now called ;D ) not really the recommended thing to do on your own, could have ended badly :o but lady luck was on your side this time. Have you a grid ref for the the point you lost the sleeping bag? and an estimated direction of travel? i just might be in the area tomorrow morning and i fancy a wee challenge ;)
edit: just seen the lost & found post, so know where to look now :)
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what a story,respect mate for sticking with it,sometimes when things go a wee bit wrong,they can get even worse with bad descions,you kept you're head,good man & karma.As liam has sayed there would have been nothing wrong with camping at the Saddleof Bernagh,Meelmore ,using the wall as protection.I learned a lesson last year myself about the weather,maybe you could join us for a furture camp, ;D ;D ;D weather permitting
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Thanks for the feedback everyone.
Scribble - Thanks mate. And yes, Nanook is a mean looking dude (but he's a big girls blouse but the average hiker that walks past be doesn't need to know that).
Glenn - I knew it would be miserable but like everything in this game so far I underestimated it. And yes, nothing was going to stop me!
Rumblebum - Thanks mate. Nah it won't put me off, Infact I now want a new story for you all to read about so I'd love to join you sometime :P
Liam - Yea it could have ended badly alright. If that fly sheet had of went for a wee night flight I was screwed. Probabaly not dead, but very very cold after the 2-3 hour walk back to the car. Not to mention the money lost from abandoned kit. And yes, let me know f the sleeping bag turns up - I have no idea if its on the slope but if it is it will no doubt be wedged behind a big rock so invisible from lower levels. It could have also rolled to the very bottom, though I did check but bad viz in the fog didn't help.
Mourneman - Thanks mate. I'd love to join! (Laughed at weather permitting :D)
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Oh here I love the re name of bernagh, fair play KyleL, great wee write up as well.
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Well done on getting out there, good write up!
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Popped up this morning for a wee look for the bag but there was so much snow on the ground in was a needle in a haystack job, even if I had stood on it I might have missed it, best wait for the snow to dissappear before looking, it was over knee height in places.
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Wow! Fair play walking up there anyway, karma.
Hope it's gone soon, wouldn't mind heading up myself for another search effort.
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Great write-up Kyle, karma :)
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here's where i searched today
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/gpsrouteimage2Small_zpsfc74f010.jpg)
but it was rough going and i decided not to venture high as a i was alone and it was hard work going uphill :)
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280172Small_zps908d31a7.jpg)
needed the ski google to see where i was going
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280169Small_zps40c178d7.jpg)
even the dog was struggling at times
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1280160Small_zps17b4e40a.jpg)
nice drift at the pollaphuca saddle
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Looking cool mate!
That snow would make it next to impossible to find, but good search route - perhaps it didn't fall all the way down.
Your last photo, if you jump the wall, walk 100steps, turn left and go uphill for about 45mins you get to where I was camped.
I was thinking of heading up on Tuesday but I might not bother if that snow sticks around - and it looks like it will as the tempretures isn't to be above zero.
Was the snow deep on the hill itself?
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Very patchy and lots of hidden deep bits which made coming down dangerous as you would have more weight on your foot when you sink in the snow covered holes. If you were just going up you could pick a good line ok, but trying to contour the hill and stay on a line was difficult.
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Hmm. Will maybe wait for the snow to clear then, or see if I can get a bit of company in case I lose an ankle or two.
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Great stuff, as long as you've not put yourself off then it's all good. We've had a couple of really rough night (http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/blog/2011/01/slieve-meelmore-summit-cam/)s out and I've also had an aborted Bearnagh attempt (http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/blog/2011/02/solo-summit-bivvy-part-one/)!
I'd definitely say that Bearnagh would be a tough one for a first solo, it's a steep ascent and extra hard when visibility isn't good. Still, I know what it's like - once you have permission to launch it's hard to cancel.
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We've archived this writeup into the NI-Wild Blog. You can see it here:
http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/blog/2013/03/cold-is-the-enemy-bearnagh-solo-camp/
Contact if you would like any changes or a login for the Blog (http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/blog/2013/03/slieve-donard-summit-camp/)
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And alas the saga of 'Cold is the Enemy' continues as I venture in the snow tomorrow to retrieve my lost sleeping bag.
Ski goggles packed!
If anyone's mad enough to be around the hills tomorrow give me a shout!
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Fair play on that trip, well done also !
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I had another attempt at finding the sleeping bag this morning but no joy :( i zig zagged from the stile to the summit, i've no idea where you actually camped as nowhere but the summit seemed possible :o If its still there i reckon it will be within 20m of the campsite where its quite rocky, if it managed to roll further than that i reckon it would have made it all the way to the bottom (which i didn't search today). Interesting thing happened though, I met the same guy today that I met on my last search 6 weeks ago :o and only 50 meters from the same spot i met him! maybe he lives there ;D
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1020139Small_zps18d1daef.jpg) (http://s1222.photobucket.com/user/landyliam/media/P1020139Small_zps18d1daef.jpg.html)
no snow left at the stile
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1020141Small_zps1e370f9e.jpg) (http://s1222.photobucket.com/user/landyliam/media/P1020141Small_zps1e370f9e.jpg.html)
still some snow patchs near the bottom
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1020157Small_zps95687833.jpg) (http://s1222.photobucket.com/user/landyliam/media/P1020157Small_zps95687833.jpg.html)
plenty of rocks at the top to catch a falling bag
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1020156Small_zps4af266bc.jpg) (http://s1222.photobucket.com/user/landyliam/media/P1020156Small_zps4af266bc.jpg.html)
i did manage to accidentally find a geocache :)
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd496/landyliam/P1020158Small_zps8682c914.jpg) (http://s1222.photobucket.com/user/landyliam/media/P1020158Small_zps8682c914.jpg.html)
great view from the top
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Nice one Liam.
I tell ya, it wasn't a comfortable night! I was parked on a slope, with half of the tent actually on rock. I'll hopefully be up soon to find the original spot.
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Went up yesterday, and finally conquered Bernagh. Wasn't easy!
Unfortunately a search was impossible as it was gusting pretty badly, never felt wind like it - I was sure I'd burst an eardrum if I stayed too long. Gorgeous views though, certainly my favourite Mournes spot so far.
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Well done Kyle she was starting to be a bit of a jinx but you whipped her in the end. Happy days. :)
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It was much harder than I thought it would be, especially since I intended to camp somewhere so I had my tent, sleeping bag, fire log and wood etc in my pack.
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Did you get somewhere for a wee overnighter or did it just not happen??
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I found a few spots between the summit at hares gap, but the wind picked up - would have been a nightmare.
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Ah well maybe next time.
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Was up last week for a look. Got to the top again (still an amazing spot) and zigzagged for ages down the side, but it seems to be gone. Beautiful day out though, but I think it's time to close this chapter.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/05/putyqu8y.jpg)
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Very nice !