Wildcamping in the Fells of the Lake District

Heather and I had been trying to get out on a wildcamp together for a while, but the weather just never seemed to be on our side. Then finally, an Autumnal weekend in the Lake District in October was planned that we were both so eagerly anticipating for weeks before. When we arrived, it was just after dusk and raindrops slid steadily down my car windscreen as we passed the moonlit lake of Rydal Water. That evening, I cooked us spaghetti carbonara in the tiny kitchen at YHA Grasmere while we studied the map and planned our hike and camp for the following day. Neither of us could wait to wake up in the morning and properly explore the Lakes in Autumn.

When we awoke, the sky was still filled with rain and a quick jog to my car to retrieve my swimming costume revealed that the weather from the previous evening had not subsided… it was wet, and cold. I quickly chickened out of a morning dip in Rydal Water, but Heather was not to be disuaded. While I took some video footage and photos of raindrops on the flat water and low clouds in the valley, Heather braved the cold. It was simply a beautiful morning; clouds hung suspended over the forest, with shades of orange, amber, and gold painting the hillside above the cold, glassy water of Rydal.

We warmed our fingers and toes with a coffee and cake at Lucia’s in Grasmere, before driving over the beautiful Kirkstone Pass into Patterdale.

Heather swimming in Rydal Water

The little boathouse on Rydal Water

Lucia’s in Grasmere is an excellent spot for coffee and cake!

Low clouds and autumnal colours over kirkstone pass

Patterdale was where our overnight hike would begin. We loaded our rucksacks with everything we would need for the evening — tent, sleeping bags, dinner, breakfast and warm clothings — and then the heavens opened once more…! We decided to hold off hiking in the rain for a while to avoid getting soaked in our first 10 minutes, and lo and behold the sky cleared and a rainbow appeared almost as though the heavens were giving us a cue to leave. And so we did.

The hike began by heading up to Side Farm, and then up and up into the fells overlooking Patterdale. As the sun finally shone, views were simply breathtaking with Helvellyn and her surrounding peaks just on the horizon. As we hiked higher and higher, we could see snow on the very tops of the peaks, while ours remained sunlit and beautiful.

A rainbow as we left patterdale

Heading up to Side Farm

Views down to the Patterdale valley

The tarn appeared like a bright and beaming beacon, as we turned a corner with freezing fingers and tired legs. It glowed in the evening sun, so inviting and simply stunning. We could already see another tent pitched on a small island in the lake, but we spied a few spots we felt would be appropriate before rambling down to the shores of the tarn.

By the time the tent was pitched, tea was made and dinner a-cooking, the sun was dipping on the horizon and the warmth of the sun had been replaced by a biting cold. We ate our dinner as quickly as we could before retreating to finish off in the tent. It was set to be a freezing night in the wild, with a howling wind battering the side of the tent and rain falling all night. We didn’t sleep much and were both pleased when dawn finally broke and we could warm up with cups of tea, waffles and berry compote before packing all our belongings and rambling our way back through the Autumn fells and into the valley.

Angle Tarn from Angletarn pikes

Our pitch for the night

The next morning, heading back to Patterdale

tired but happy faces!

Though we may have frozen in our sleeping bags and spent most of the night lying awake, I can safely say that there is nothing much better than spending a night outside in the wild — away from phone service, hustle and bustle, where only the hills listen to your innermost thoughts and you can escape reality and feel at one with nature, just for a little while.

After waking ourselves up with a coffee from the lovely Chesters by the River, we headed for a muddy boulder at Langdale before leaving the Lake District for another weekend, feeling renewed, content and just a little but re-wilded.

Check out my Ramble guide to the Lake District here: ramble-guides.com/lake-district.

Scroll down for my video from our wildcamp!