#PitchperMonth2022

Prologue

Remember back, dear reader, to the beginning of 2020. It was the start of a new decade, full of promise and adventure. On 1st January, I made it my New Years resolution to wild camp at least once per calendar month throughout the year.

I got of to a tremendous start - with my first camp on a cold January weekend above Winnats Pass in the Peak District. Powering on through February 2020 I walked the 'Langdale Loop', and camped overlooking the valley from just below the Langdale Pikes. March came, and I did my first ever snow camp in the Far Eastern Fells of the Lake District.

Things were going well.

Then, at the end of March 2020, the whole world ground to a halt as the coronavirus pandemic took its grip, and the United Kingdom was placed into lockdown. My pitch per month challenge was over. Whilst things did start opening up, and I was able to start camping again from July 2020, the chain had been broken. 'Maybe next year' I thought.

Then, just 4 days into 2021, the country was plunged into lockdown once again. When we could start camping again, in April 2021, I made the most of it, and managed a record (for me, anyway) 24 wild camps in the 9 months between April & December, but it still wasn't the full year. That would be coming in 2022....

Quarter One

- January -

2022 began with hope. Meeting up for New Years drinks with friends I hadn't seen for 2 years was a sign that life was slowly, but finally returning to some form of normality.

It had been a relatively mild winter so far, although a couple of named storms blew through, which prevented my first wild camp of the year for the first couple of weekends, one weekend mid-January had a weather window where, whilst the weather wasn't glorious, it would be good enough for my first outing of 2022.

I decided to do a route up one of the lower fells of the Lake District - Helm Crag. Starting from one of the large lay-bys by the side of the A591, I took a picturesque valley route by the side of Green Burn up to Greenburn Bottom, a classic glacial valley, surrounded by crags on three sides. My path then headed up the side of the valley onto the top of the ridge line. Passing over Gibson Knott it was a pleasant but chilly stroll along the tops to my destination of Helm Crag which lay at the end of the ridge. It's distinctive summit rocks, known as the Howitzer, were clearly visible, and the target I was aiming for.

After a stroll along the tops, it was a short steep climb from the col at Bracken Hause onto the top of Helm Crag. I found a flat grassy spot below the towering rock monolith known as the Howitzer which would be my pitch for the night. Instead of pitching straight away, I dropped off my rucksack at the spot, and had a short wander along the rocky summit ridge to the opposite end, and the equally well known rocks of the Lion and the Lamb.

It was quite a grey evening, there was zero sunset. On the plus side, the thick cloud meant the temperatures didn't drop substantially, and it was hovering a couple of degrees above zero overnight - I had prepared for it to be much colder. After cooking my dinner, and a few drinks, I settled into the tent for the night.

The next morning, after watching the sunrise from the Lion & the Lamb, I packed up, and descended the 'nose' of Helm Crag into Easedale, & on to the outskirts of Grasmere before heading through the country lanes back to the car. And that was the first one done.

- February -

The weather for the next few weeks was horrendous, a number of named storms passed over the country, bringing heavy rain & strong winds, and I was beginning to think I would fall at the second hurdle, and wouldn't be able to get a camp in for February.

But on the very last weekend of the month, things began to look up. There was a break in the weather, although strong winds were in the forecast for the higher tops. So, I decided to stay relatively low, and try and find a sheltered spot on one of the lower Lakeland Fells.

After a morning photographing Kingfisher, I headed north to Ullswater. I parked up at St Peters Church, where there were quite strong wind gusts ploughing through. I started to get that nagging doubt in my mind on whether to head up onto the fell, but that doubt was quelled when I saw two other chaps, loaded with heavy backpacks, starting the climb up the fell.

If you were to ignore the wind, it was otherwise a lovely afternoon & the sun was shining. But really, you couldn't ignore the wind. The strong gusts caused the 'wind chill' to make it feel quite cold. Heading up the southern side of the fell, I was being pummelled by the full force of the wind that was being funnelled up through the valley. On reaching the summit, with its large Obelisk, the wind was no better - in fact it was markedly stronger at height.

Heading across the summit, which is a popular wild camping spot in its own right (just not in todays winds!) I spotted the 2 chaps I saw at the church, & they were huddled behind a small crag sheltering from the wind. I dropped down off the summit onto the northern side of the fell. The wind was still strong, but not as much, and after some exploration, I found a sheltered pitch little further down the fell that was out of the wind, and had a fabulous view over Ullswater.

I was unsure if there would be any decent sunset, but as time went on, the sun began to drop below the ridge of the Helvellyn range over to the east, and mother nature put on a quite a show with a golden sunset, followed by some amazing clouds that were glowing pink for a short while afterwards.

I settled into the tent for the night, setting my alarm for sunrise. The location where I had pitched, I wouldn't actually be able to see the sunrise, as the fell behind me blocked the view, but come 06:30am, I peeked out of the tent, and saw some sunrise colours in the sky.

After a little lie-in, I got up, and had some breakfast & a brew, before breaking camp. Heading away from my sheltered spot, I noticed the wind had died down drastically from the day before, so I headed back towards the summit, and found a spot where I spent some time flying my drone.

Once I had drained a couple of my drone batteries, I had an explore around the summit again (as its a spot I'll definitely be returning to again for a summit camp), before making my way back down to St Martin's church, and my car.

- March -

March - this is the month where things should start to ramp up. By the end of the month, we'll be in spring, and back into British Summer Time. Those sunny evenings aren't that far away!

The first few weeks of the month though, the weather deteriorated again. I managed a few trips out to nature reserves, but no camping trips. Then just over half-way through the month, and on my half-day Friday, it seemed there would be a nice weekend ahead.

So, as soon as I finished work & got home, I got changed, through my gear into my car, and a couple of hours later pulled into the National Trust car park at Honister Pass.

The route I had planned was really simple - cross the road, then head straight up the hillside for about a mile . Thats it.

It's a steady climb up the hill, & one of the most direct ascents of any of the higher Wainwrights. But after half an hour or so, I reach the surprisingly windy top of Dale Head with its iconic cairn & view overlooking the Newlands valley. My original plan was to camp on one of the flat grassy patches on the summit, but the strong wind gusts meant I had to change my plan 'on the fly'.

I followed the path west for a few hundred meters and found a pitch in lee of the wind that was high above the Honister Pass. It was pretty sheltered, so set up camp for the evening, and it was a stunningly clear night.

The next morning I headed back down to Honister - the wind was still pretty strong on the descent - and I drove the couple of mile into Buttermere and called in the Syke Farm Tea Room for a cooked breakfast. My original plan was to camp out a second night, but I was unsure due to the wind.

So, I decided to kill some time by walked around Crummock Water. I've walked around Buttermere a few times, but have never done a full lap of its larger neighbour. After completing the 8½ mile 'lap', I sat at the waters edge for a breather, and to make my final decision. Whilst is was a glorious sunny day, it was the wind, which had picked up throughout the day, that put me off camping out for a second night. So I head home back to my own bed.

But this wouldn't be my only camp this month - and the weather Gods had a little treat in store the following weekend...

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