Wild camping in the Lake District over a small tarn

Wild camping Lake District Scotland Helm 2 Compact Tent

Wild camping in the Lake District - you can't beat it!

A Wild Camp in the English Lake District

With a free day & night and the weather looking pretty decent and mainly dry I took off into the high fells of the Lake District with my wild camping gear in my backpack in search of a place to pitch my tent for the night. I’m always drawn to water, and the tarns of the Lake District are like a magnet to me as I love their solitude and peaceful atmosphere as they are usually sheltered from the wind by the surrounding fells.

I'm a sucker for a view and found this perfect little flat spot to pitch my Helm 2 Compact tent high above one particular Lake District Tarn - can you guess which one it is?

Once the tent is up it's time for a rewarding brew, get the boots off, have a chillax and soak up this amazing place

What a beauty camping spot. With no one at all around it felt quite remote - just how I like it :-) If I can I’ll try and wild camp during the week or on a Sunday night as your more likely to have these places all to yourself.

It was quite surreal being at the same height as the clouds and watching them role in and envelop you in the mist. The weather forecast had an hour or so of evening rain forecast so I decided to pitch my tent before the rain arrived and I’m glad I did as I had somewhere to shelter for a while.

The rain lasted an hour as forecast and soon passed whilst I read a book in the tent. Once I’m pitched up I like to just amble around the immediate area, find a water source, enjoy the views and make sure I’m prepared for when the sun goes down

The evening quickly turns to dusk and it’s time for a bite to eat and a couple of cans to savour this quiet and peaceful spot, where the only sound on this windless evening is the distant cascading waterfalls

One of the great things about wild camping is if you are lucky to get clear skies the sheer amount of stars you will see with the naked eye are mind blowing!

I'm up early and before sunrise on the chance I may well get to see the sun come up - and I luck out on the weather - what an amazing sight to see the ball of fire appear in the sky

It's time for one last brew before I pack up, get outta here and leave no trace that I was ever there.

I find a nearby crystal clear infinity plunge pool with cascading waterfalls flowing into it and it's makes for a superb place for a refreshing dip! After it's time to move on - What a quality little trip it has been!

Hope you've enjoyed that little write up and it inspires you to try your hand at Wild Camping! If you are interested I have a blog post with useful tips and gear on it - see below:

Post by Stuart Hodgson
'The Hiking Photographer'

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