Their story, in their words…
Day 0: Arrive at Keswick, find camp. Not too much trouble finding camp, camp was perfect – hidden in woods.
Day 1: Keswick to Threlkeld via Skiddaw. Slight issue finding camp, had to go above a quarry but all set up before 10pm
Day 2: Threlkeld to Grisedale Tarn (along all the peaks including Hellvellyn). Extremely strenuous day, did so many peaks including Hellvelyn. Had to filter a lot of water. Luckily the tarn was a perfect camp site – no issues.
Day 3: Grisedale Tarn to Rosthwaite. Difficult day because of the strong sun, luckily elevation wasn’t too steep, and we were able to make it.
Day 4: Back to Keswick. Mostly relaxed day, nice paths to walk back to Keswick & camped nearby day 1 yet found an even better spot.
Day 5: Did a loop around Derwentwater, relaxed. Well needed day, we were exhausted and needed easy access to supermarket water and fresh foods as supplies began to run low
Overall, the experience was very difficult yet very successful. There were three major challenges: Water, Shelter and the hiking itself. The food was planned perfectly, and we were rewarded with lighter bags as more was eaten! Water was an issue and where possible, we stocked up in supermarkets. However, the only supermarkets were in Keswick so between day 2 and 4 we had to find good streams to filter from. None of us were sick and the water was clean however we did look forward to bottled water! Finding campsites never took longer than 90 minutes and was overall simple. The sleeps were good, 7-9hr every day. It was still a challenge to balance a hidden, flat area, a good view and access to water.
Unexpectedly, the trip was a very good detox from phones – we kept them fully shut off during the day except for the occasional photo or phone call. Despite this, the phones still fully shut during day 3 to day 4. We were able to charge them back up on day 5 in the supermarket. Stressful at first, but by the end we were all honestly happier and it had allowed us to fully experience the trip distraction free.
Personal improvement – Andrew – Whilst already having prior knowledge of reading routes , the most important part was learning to adapt routes to pass by certain necessities along the way, i.e streams effectively. Also keeping a mental note of the route without solely relying on the map and compass – using the sun to direct my internal compass . It is not as easy as ‘rises in the east and sets in the west’ in the middle of summer ! Lastly, it was a challenge but by the end, I was incredibly quick at identifying a good wild camping spot – hidden, no safety hazards, access to water , flat etc . My navigation skills overall significantly improved however, specifically reading the landscape and sun rather than simply map reading was the area that I developed the most.
Spyridon – This experience helped further my navigation skills making me proficient in judging contour lines, triangulation, and determining ground features using a map. I also learned how to put together a route and create the required mapping of an area.
