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Walking wild camp BG
I fancy walking/slow run around the BG over a couple of weekends in the summer
Anyone done this? What would be the best way to do it? How about wild camping spots/water?
I could either drive and leave my car somewhere or get the train to Windermere
All help gratefully received
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I think the Ron Turnbull book has a four day walking schedule. (Lakeland Mountain Challenges)
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I tried this last summer (2015) with a couple of mates in early August. We went clockwise and got to Grisedale Tarn the first day as it was going dark, had a terrible night trying to get to sleep and sacked it off in the morning. It was a pretty cold day and we were soaking wet. Carrying everything we needed for four days didn't add to the fun. If I try it again I'd rather be running, I think.
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Interesting idea ....but I think the BG misses out some great lakeland scenery e.g. the eastern fells, crinkle crags, Dow crag, high stile buttermere range, catbells etc. On a four day wild camp I'd be tempted to devise my own route. Sorry....not intending to tell you what to do. The BG is a great route and i can see the appeal of it as a circular walking tour. Just my inner ramblings.
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a number of dark peak contenders do it every year as a way of reccing and enjoying the hills. they use youth hostels though.
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A two day option is start at Dunmail for legs 3,4 to stay at Honister YHA. The following morning, leg 5 into Keswick to stockup and on to do legs 1 and 2.
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Me, Hester and Gavin had a crack at a 3 day BG in April (or early May) three years ago. From memory our plan was to do legs 3 and 4 in one go on day one (pah!), legs 1 and 2 day 2 and have a breeze doing leg 5 on day 3. With clever placement of cars and drop offs we were able to camp in Braithwaite each night.
Needless to say the weather put pay to all that with a constant deluge of rain on our first day. Having battled all the way from Dunmail to Esk Pike, we decided to bail - the trouble is the bail from there to Honister, in that weather, was an epic in its own right with us dropping down to Sty Head, deciding (in hindsight perhaps not so wisely :) ) to head over Aaron Slack and Windy Gap and following Moses Trod back to Honister. Anyway we made it and the mug of tea at the slate mine is still possibly the best I've ever tasted.
For day 2 the weather was even worse with incredibly strong winds and continuing remorseless rain this time. As it was training for an a/c BG attempt anyway, we shelved our original plan and decided to "just" do leg 2 in reverse, Dunmail to Threlkeld (an a/c leg 4). That was a tough day out on the Helvellyn range for sure but we made it. For day 3 the weather was kinder and we did an a/c leg 5 Threlkeld to Keswick to finish. Great fun in a way but the weather gods really chose to dump on us.
And that is the main problem with a 3 day BG - the weather will get you inevitably
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We did an evening plus couple of days leisurely BG "greatest hits hike" a few years ago with bivvy bags and MM type kit. It was planned a few days ahead following a good settled spell of weather being forecast. We had possibly the only clear night we've ever experienced on leg 2 with an ace sunset, followed by a memorable pocket rocket dawn brew on Helvellyn. We saw a merlin fighting a peregrine on the third day and the beer and food in Wasdale was worth the walk over on its own. From memory we did around 20 peaks in total between Clough Head and either Gable or Kirk Fell. Great fun and very easy nav when you know the way and can see for miles, even in the dark