Wild Camp - Red Pike (Buttermere)

Fleetwith Pike will be my last Wainwright - hopefully on my birthday this year

A tent is one of those things that you buy and are already wondering if you are ever going to use it. Well I've used my tent a fair bit this year.  If you compare it with a night in a B&B, I've got really good value out of my £40 tent.  I suppose it is a bit less convenient but I've been very happy, the views have been better.

This week, my mate David suggested a wild camp on Red Pike in Buttermere.  David takes some brilliant photos, you can check them out at his Wainwright Fellwalker Facebook page.  Wildcamping and photography go together well because the best light is usually at the beginning and end of a day.

After a quick turnaround from finishing my fell run, David picked me up at home and we were parked up in Buttermere for about 7pm.

we had thought of camping on Grasmoor but decided it was better to look at than to look from (at least for tonight)

up through the woods and making good progress on the steep Red Pike path.

over to Robinson

looking back up to Dodd

almost there now, looking over Melbreak and Crummock Water

we made it.  Top of Red Pike

Looking across to Pillar, Black Crag, Scoat Fell and Steeple (where I had ran this afternoon).

My Gelert Solo tent - about £40.  Not much room inside but easy to put up and packs down small

sun starting to go down now

Wainwright's Ale of course

Crummock Water

Started to get a bit cold

And then I retired for the night.  David got up during the night and took some decent pictures of the lights over Whitehaven.  I think I crashed out about 11pm.

Sunrise was at 4.45am.  At about 3.30am, I thought, "I'll just stick my head out of my tent"

3.30am

Robinson - I think this is from Chapel Crags

looking back to Red Pike

from High Stile looking over to angular Fleetwith Pike, High Crag in the foreground.

Scafells, Kirk Fell in front

looking along to High Crag with Scafells through the mist at the back right, Great Gable is highest on the horizon with Green Gable to it's left.  Kirk Fell in front, then Looking Stead on Pillar.

to the east, craggy top of Causey Pike is centre left on the horizon.  Buttermere Moss sweeps up to Robinson (out of shot) in the foreground.  Knott Rigg and Ard Crags in front of Causey Pike.

Sun rising for a second time over a bank of cloud.  Robinson centre stage.

I'm not the only one up early

I carried on to High Crag.  I would say that's, left to right, Robinson, Hindscarth and Dale Head with Fleetwith Pike right.

Haystacks looked lovely in the morning light.

time to head back.  It got hazy as the sun rose.  Not good photography conditions.  This is on the way back looking towards Red Pike from High Stile.

packed up and on the way down.  You can see the fog over the tops

someone having an early morning dip

last shot of a still and slightly reflective Buttermere before my phone battery died.  Yes, these photos are all from my phone.  I should really take a camera next time!