A tale of Type 2 fun and many, many learning moments, told from the cozy Grwyne Fawr bothy in the Brecon Beacons. Following a few very successful bothy trips, including Scotland’s four star Magoo’s, the remote Tarf Hotel, and Nant Syddion bothy in mid-Wales, I’d caught the bug. There aren’t many bothy bagging opportunities this …
Book Review: Wilderness Weekends
This is less of a review and more of an homage to one of my favourite books and travel writers. Wilderness Weekends by Phoebe Smith was the first book I bought to inspire my early wild camping adventures. As the title suggests, this book is a guide to 26 overnighters across the UK in wild …
My tiny camper slide out bed
Adding a bed to the Ford Transit Connect was a big exciting step forward in the camper project! A place to sleep AND to store a few things. The result is by no means perfect, but for someone who has never built a single piece of furniture in her life*, I was pretty pleased! I …
Whisky & Raisin Banana Bread
I was a little late to the lockdown banana bread trend, but a bowlful of ripe bananas during lockdown #3 finally brought it to the fore. In truth, I’d caught the dreaded virus. Mild symptoms, fortunately, but it did send my taste buds out of whack. Foods I usually liked were suddenly unappealing. I often …
Ryder’s Hill, Dartmoor
I’m a sucker for a high point, and Ryder’s Hill at 515m is the highest point on southern Dartmoor. This became our target on a cold but clear New Year’s Eve. There are several marked footpaths up to this remote hill on Holne Moor, but we decided to approach it from our base near Yartor …
First campervan trip in the Ford Transit Connect
Our Ford Transit Connect campervan conversion project is far from finished. So behold the concept of Minimum Viable Camper (MVC*), our version of the camper with just enough features to be usable for a night out. Frankly, I could sleep in anything, but as our overnight was destined to be in winter, there were a …
Camp coffee convenience? Review of Lola’s Coffee Bags
I take my backcountry coffee pretty seriously and have long sacrified weight, bulk and convenience for the promise of a good brew at camp. That said, there have been numerous times – often when the weather is poor and I’m fatigued from walking – when digging out the V60 or Aeropress from my pack feels …
Camp coffee convenience? Review of Lola’s Coffee BagsRead More
Book Review: Scottish Bothy Walks
Geoff Allan’s Scottish Bothy Walks books is a superb companion to his earlier book The Scottish Bothy Bible. Whereas The Scottish Bothy Bible provides details on each individual bothy in Scotland, Scottish Bothy Walks focuses on 28 select bothies and the beautiful journeys that will take you there. It’s somewhat unfortunate that Allan’s new book was …
Ford Transit Connect Camper Conversion
This post documents my Ford Transit Connect camper conversion journey. I started the project in September 2020 when I sold my car and bought a 2012 Ford Transit Connect long wheel base high roof panel van with 55,000 miles and a lot of potential. I’ll keep this post updated along the way. Use the links …
Llanbedr Horseshoe, Black Mountains
The Llanbedr Horseshoe is a classic ridge walk in the Black Mountains, the easternmost hill range in the Brecon Beacons. With over 16 miles in length and almost 1000 meters of ascent, this walk makes for an exhilarating day out and a highly rewarding challenge, particularly on a beautiful day. After a steep climb at …
Chickpea Nettle Burgers
I now have nettle burgers to add to my lexicon of favourite nettle recipes (which also includes nettle pesto, nettle pizza, and nettle spanakopita!). These burgers are mega tasty, super nutritious, and easy to make with a food processor. The ingredients: nettles (of course), your favourite bean (chickpeas or any white bean work well), cumin …
Erme Plains, Magical Wild Camping in Dartmoor
Fans of history, solitude, and off piste wild camping will have a field day in The Erme Plains in Dartmoor. All of Dartmoor is rich in prehistory, with the Erme Plains containing a particularly dense cluster of still-visible Bronze Age settlements, stone rows, and stone circles. The first part of this walk takes the easy-to-follow …
