Introduction to Wild Camping

Embark on an exciting journey away from the routine with our wilderness camping course, designed for those new to the adventure. We'll equip you with the necessary skills for a safe and delightful wild camping experience, enabling you to confidently explore nature and craft your own unforgettable camping tales.

Our goal is to guide you in enjoying the wilderness with respect and care, preserving its untouched charm for future adventurers.

Take the first step with us and immerse yourself in the authentic experience of wild camping.

1 night wild camping - we will head out early for a hike on to the fells, aiming to reach our campsite well before nightfall
Navigation - we will use the walk to introduce the basics of navigation on lowland/fell terrain.
Kit preparation - prior to setting off we will talk through the equipment we need to take with us and how to pack our rucksacks
Campsites - how to identify ideal campsites, what to avoid and how to leave no trace
Water & food - what to take, how to find water, cooking, and safety for ourselves and the environment we are visiting.

Course Content

Dates

March 15th - 17th: confirmed

April 19th - 21st: confirmed

May 17th - 19th: confirmed

We will be operating our courses from our Cumbria base throughout the summer with dates to be announced shortly.

Join our mailing list to receive updates and news about our activities and events.

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Base camp and camping site for first night

Crosby Garrett Village Hall

Crosby Garrett

Kirkby Stephen

Cumbria

CA17 4PW

We will use the grounds of the community centre to pitch our tents, get familiarised with the gear we will be using and get prepared for the next day.

You will need to bring appropriate clothes for a day on the hills. Be aware we often experience all seasons in one day. Walking boots are essential as are waterproofs (jacket and trousers).

You will need to provide your own sleeping bag, minimum of two-season and a sleeping matt we recommend a self inflating backpackers type. You will also need to have a backpack ideally 35ltr minimum

We provide Tents (per person) and cooking equipment (stoves, fuel, and food). We all carry our own tents and group equipment is shared across the team.

We will provide a full kit list with your booking confirmation and we can provide advice about suitability of your kit and recommendations if your need to source anything.

Bring a change of clothes for evening in the base camp.

Travel to and from Crosby Garrett - Participants can make their own way to and from Crosby Garrett village hall or join our transport from Northampton.

Those making their own way please arrive at Crosby Garrett by 7pm on the Friday.

Parking is available on site.

Trains and Public Transport

Nearest railway links are Oxholme (Lake District) and Penrith (North Lakes) both stations are served by the East Coast mainline. Please inform us if you intend to travel by train and require a collection from the station.

Typical Itinerary for the weekend

Friday

- Arrive late afternoon, early evening.

- Get to know each other and introduction to the weekend.

- Kit check to ensure we all have what we need for the next two days.

- Introduction to the tents we are going to use, before pitching them.

- We have access to the base camp for the first night, with common area, kitchen and toilets

- Dinner – either short drive to local pub or restaurant or food delivered in

- Big Skies – if cloudless an opportunity for a short walk to view the night sky.

Saturday

- Breakfast around 6:30am

- break camp - instruction on how to de-rig the tents and pack in to our backpacks.

- group kit distributed across the team before a kit check and departure.

- Walk departs around 8am. This walk will be out on local Westmorland fells for most of the day. There is no mileage target, this is more about being out and allowing ourselves the freedom of big nature, large horizons, and silence. The day will be broken up with regular stops, navigation exercises, discussions about terrain, hazards, weather forecasting and other skills vital for safe and enjoyable adventures on the lowland fells,

- We will discuss how to use a map to identify suitable camp sites, being aware of distance, terrain,our walking speed, our level of fitness or fatigue.

- When we reach our identified campsite we will discuss how to select a suitable site to pitch our tents, what to avoid, risks, wildlife, water sources, weather etc. before making camp.

- Evening meal as a group, discussion about camp skills, hygiene and leaving no trace.

- If lucky we will have clear skies and enjoy the zero light 'big sky'!

Sunday

- Breakfast around 7am or easier as we will probably be awake from first light!

- Morning walk takes a shorter route back to base camp

- End of event activity

Participation - is restricted to adults (over 18) only. All participants must be aware of the potential hazards of hill walking and outdoor activities. It is for each person attending to decide if they want to join a walking group or activity. Walks follow mixed terrain including hard packed trails, but large sections are off-trail and mostly uneven. The route includes sections of moderate climb and decent. All routes include alternative return routes, but these may still involve a considerable walk back to base.

This event may be subject to disruptions beyond our control that force some changes to the itinerary. The weather has the most significant influence. On an individual level, personal health and fitness and equipment (such as waterproofs and warm clothing) also have the potential to affect.

Before booking please read ESSENTIAL INFORMATION related to this event

Introduction to Wild Camping

Course Content

Dates March 15th - 17th: confirmed April 19th - 21st: confirmed May 17th - 19th: confirmed We will be operating our courses from our Cumbria base throughout the summer with dates to be announced shortly. Join our mailing list to receive updates and news about our activities and events.

Join our mailing list

Dates

March 15th - 17th: confirmed

April 19th - 21st: confirmed

May 17th - 19th: confirmed

We will be operating our courses from our Cumbria base throughout the summer with dates to be announced shortly.

Join our mailing list to receive updates and news about our activities and events.