Eat Sleep Wild
Routes Recipes and Wild Experiences from the West Coast of Scotland
This trip report includes notes and photos from a winter ascent of Bac an Eich (849m), a Corbett above Strathconon in the Scottish Highlands. For a detailed route description, see the Walkhighlands website. I’ve come to Scotland for a January escape. Scotland may not the most obvious place for a winter holiday – the daylight …
This trip report is from a winter wild camping trip to the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains. The area is known by some as the ‘Green Desert of Wales’, so-called for its lack of roads and towns. As I found for myself, this part of Wales feels like a truly undiscovered country. No doubt …
It was mid-November and I’d taken a few days off well ahead of time. It had been a few weeks since I’d been on any kind of outdoor excursion, so I was eager to get out. The weather forecast was a mix of rain and cold, with snow in the forecast and more to come. …
This wild camping trip in the Carneddau area of Snowdonia was inspired by the “Hut Among The Hills” chapter in Wilderness Weekends by Phoebe Smith. Her book details a relatively low level circuit with a one night stay in Dulyn bothy. We adapted it into a two night trip taking in some of the major peaks of …
The Bochlwyd Horseshoe is a challenging all-day scrambling adventure around the Glyderau region of Snowdonia. The route includes four popular scrambles: Tryfan North Ridge, Tryfan South Ridge, Bristly Ridge and Y Gribin. I had the immense fun of completing the Bochlwyd Horseshoe with Andrew and our dog Lucky on a sweltering August Bank Holiday weekend. …
The Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons are a terrific place for wild camping. These are not to be confused with the Black Mountain (singular) on the easternmost side of the National Park (you can read my other post on wild camping on the Black Mountain for that). The Black Mountains form the northeastern part …
The Skye Trail is an unofficial walking route across the Isle of Skye in Scotland taking in some of the most epic landscapes of the island: wild headlands, epic ridges, towering mountain summits, eerie remains of abandoned villages, fascinating geological formations, and miles and miles of unspoiled scenery. This is the stuff that wild camping …
This Dartmoor wild camping route takes a journey through the north west part of Dartmoor, one of the bleakest but also most dramatic parts of the this national park. Along the way you take in Yes Tor and High Willhays, the two highest parts of Dartmoor on Okehampton Common, with splendid wild camping spots on …
This post highlights a circular walk via Fan y Big, including a wild camping option. Starting point: Blaen y Glyn Uchaf free car park. Distance: 7 miles (11km). Height gain: 420 meters (1380 feet). OS Maps: Explorer OL12 or Landranger 160. Download Route Summary. Fan y Big may not be the highest peak in the Brecon …
We’ve been looking for some straightforward outings that enable us to grab a slice of wilderness at short notice without excessive planning or time off work. Our recent one night wild camping excursion in the Berwyn Mountains proved just the ticket. The Berwyn Mountain range is an isolated range in northeast Wales just outside of …
Cadair Idris has been on my hit list for a few years. Knowing it’s one of the most popular summits in Snowdonia, I’ve been saving it for a weekday, when I happened to be free, and when the weather promised great views. I finally got the chance this July, which happens also to be my …
The Rhinogs (also known in Welsh by the plurals Rhinogydd or Rhinogau) are a mountain range in Snowdonia, known for the rugged and wild terrain. It’s far less popular than other areas of Snowdonia such as Snowdon, the Glyderau, and Carneddau, and so a great place to truly get away from it all (particularly on …
The Cotswold Way has long been on my hit list since I first moved to this area back in 2004 (crickey!). Eight years later and I’ve finally got around to it! The decision was slightly random: last November 14th was Andrew’s and my two-year anniversary and we knew we wanted to spend a good chunk …
I’ve just returned from an incredible (and way too short) cycle tour of Wales. In four days I covered just over 100 miles from Chepstow to the Elan Valley following various branches of the wonderful National Cycle Route the whole way. The distance is a testament to the challenge – there are hills a plenty …
We are just back from a short escape to Dartmoor for a wild camping excursion near South Zeal at the northwest corner of Dartmoor National Park. This is my new favourite part of Dartmoor! Bleak, empty, and remote, this is Dartmoor at its wildest, and at its best! The route: South Zeal, Belstone, and Cosdon Hill We started in …
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This post includes highlights and route details from a sensational walking and wild camping trip around the Black Mountain range in the Brecon Beacons. PLEASE NOTE: this post is about the Black Mountain near Carmarthen on the far western side of the Brecon Beacons National Park, NOT the easterly Black Mountains south of Hay on …
This post highlights an 11km circular walk via the Thames Source taking in The Monarchs Way and the village of Ewan. Scroll to the bottom for maps and other logistical tidbits. The Thames Source (aka Thames Head) has always been a special place for me. I’ve always liked walking to river sources; they feel like places of promise and …
Dartmoor has long been one of my favourite places for a wild camping adventure. This vast moorland, hallmarked by forests, rivers, and many exposed granite hilltops (tors), has a bleakness that makes you feel like you’ve truly escaped the world and have entered something truly wild and untouched by man (ironically, Dartmoor only looks the …
Scenes from an autumnal romp around Dartmoor National Park, starting at Postbridge, heading south and making a loop via Drizzlecombe to view its spectacular stone rows, with a wild camp in the middle on the River Plyn. It was a clear cold night but I had lots of layers, hearty food, hot tea, a good …
I’ve just returned from a 3.5 week cycling holiday through France and Spain, a journey of just over 1000 miles from Cherbourg to Santander (with a few stops and diversions along the way). I was a little nervous going into it. Would my legs poop out? What if my bike breaks? Are the hills going …
If you’ve ever camped in France and Spain then you know that Camping Gaz is ubiquitous in most supermarkets, gas stations and general stores. However, if you’re coming from the US or Great Britain, then it’s very possible that you have a camping stove that takes a screw-on gas canister (often sold under the Primus …
I’m currently in the midst of a big long bike ride across France (see hashtags #franceenvelo and #tothemoon). Eight days and 450 miles into it, I feel like my legs deserve a rest. So it was convenient that I had just landed in Dordogne, one of my favourite regions in France for its woodland, enchanted …
I went to Wales last weekend to do some camping and walking in Brecon Beacons National Park. Camping and walking I did, as well as a bit of thinking, but not about life, the future, and other deep things I thought I’d have headspace for. Instead, I kept my head in the trip, looking at …
