Wasdale head Inn bans campervans

[Fisherman]

As you can in the Lakes Bill, but bear in mind it is a county not a country.

But take your highest mountain and that will be teeming with people even in the Winter - it is a Honeypot as are parts of the lakes, but there are hundreds of Mountains/hills/fells in the Lakes, if not thousands and many will be deserted at any time of year.

I have done Ben Nevis six times Rob, twice up the normal boring way, and four times up the north face. If you head up the north face in Summer you may meet a dozen or so, if you head up the boring way yes it will be busy, but nothing like the hills in the Lake District. And you have another 300 Munroes to do not to mention another 200 odd Corbetts over 2600 ft. Sorry Rob as you say it’s a county Scotland is a country with much more to offer.

 

[runnach]

I have done Ben Nevis six times Rob, twice up the normal boring way, and four times up the north face. If you head up the north face in Summer you may meet a dozen or so, if you head up the boring way yes it will be busy,

The above reads like something out the Kama Sutra, Bill.

 

[izwozral]

I had a night on black bess there when a few mates and I camped up there with our bikes in the 70s, too.much black boss I spent most of the night talking to this lovely sheep, but I knew it could never work, she was too good for me.

I had sloppy seconds!

 

[izwozral]

I have done Ben Nevis six times Rob, twice up the normal boring way, and four times up the north face. If you head up the north face in Summer you may meet a dozen or so, if you head up the boring way yes it will be busy, but nothing like the hills in the Lake District. And you have another 300 Munroes to do not to mention another 200 odd Corbetts over 2600 ft. Sorry Rob as you say it’s a county Scotland is a country with much more to offer.

Dirty boy.

 

[izwozral]

Ditto

Was great when I was a kid back when the dinosaurs were alive and you could hike to the top of Helvellyn, Scafell Pike and so on and barely meet a soul on the way up or down. Now I wouldn't fancy it at all. Folks crawling all over the place.

I really do prefer far from the madding crowds.

Did all that in the 70's. Striding Edge and Sticks Pass were a challenge, now they would be a nightmare due to social media. Did the Pennine way 1.3/4 times and loved every minute of it. Wasdale Head was also good and Robinsons was a privilege, followed by Cat Bells to Keswick.

In them days it was 'SPECIAL', now it is a tick box exercise.

Don't even get me started on caving.

 

[Fisherman]

Did all that in the 70's. Striding Edge and Sticks Pass were a challenge, now they would be a nightmare due to social media. Did the Pennine way 1.3/4 times and loved every minute of it. Wasdale Head was also good and Robinsons was a privilege, followed by Cat Bells to Keswick.

In them days it was 'SPECIAL', now it is a tick box exercise.

Don't even get me started on caving.

In Scotland we have the well known term Munro bagger. Some of these people turn their noses up at hills which have failed to reach the magical 3000 feet. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing but admiration for someone who can climb all 282 munros. Apart from the effort and commitment involved it’s a logistical nightmare. Some of our hills are so remote long difficult walks over rough terrain are involved in reaching them. But some of these people have lost the real meaning of hillwalking. I have dine some hills several times because they are special to me. Goatfell on Arran for me is a superb hill, yet because it’s just over 100 feet short of being a Munro some would refuse to do it. Yet Goatfell is far tougher and far more rewarding than most munros. Then you could take Ben V’Rake near Pitlochry, a fabulous and popular ignored by the baggers. Hills are not there to be ticked of, they are there to be enjoyed and treasured. I have never lost that sense of accomplishment and achievement when I lay my hand on the trig point at the summit, I haven’t ticked a box, I have struggled up a hill and been served with a view as a reward when I get to the top. Sadly I am getting older now, and doing certain hills are much harder than they used to be. So I now do walks which don’t involve as much climbing. Sorry Rob, and Barry but the Lake District simply cannot match what is pictured below, it will never be able to offer me what Scotland has in terms of an unspoilt environment. When doing this walk for the first time I never met anyone on a fine may Day I have since done it another twice and only met half a dozen or so. It’s remoteness and it’s serenity are what make it special. It’s near Torridon and Achnasheen and the walk up to the loch an. But there are hundreds of similar walks up here, hence why people from all over the U.K. and Europe come here.

 

[trevskoda]

We have ones here with almost nobody ever up top, come see and stay at the little quest house.

 

[mark61]

I can find empty paths in my local park too, if I go early enough, and when there’s heavy rain, similar to Lake District in that respect. But local pubs don’t ban mh’s.

 

[barryd]

Sorry Rob, and Barry but the Lake District simply cannot match what is pictured below, it will never be able to offer me what Scotland has in terms of an unspoilt environment. When doing this walk for the first time I never met anyone on a fine may Day I have since done it another twice and only met half a dozen or so. It’s remoteness and it’s serenity are what make it special. It’s near Torridon and Achnasheen and the walk up to the loch an. But there are hundreds of similar walks up here, hence why people from all over the U.K. and Europe come here. View attachment 147013View attachment 147014View attachment 147015View attachment 147016View attachment 147017

Oooooh! Fighting talk now Bill! This is going to turn into a which is best, England or Scotland thread! (Forget Wales) Perhaps its a matter of personal preference. With the greatest of respect your photos look a bit bleak to me. Now look at the lovely sunny lake district snaps I took (well most of em) last May in comparison. Its all lovely and green and pretty. Plus we have that big orange thing in the sky which you lot up there don't know about and as everyone knows its always sunny and warm in the Lake District. Game on!

 

[Fisherman]

I stated clearly why I don’t like the Lake District Barry. It’s got nothing to do with the views, it’s a stunning part of the U.K. possibly the jewel in Englands crown. I remember well three nights we spent in Castleton on the Peak District, the hills were so busy they actually tiled the paths. And when you live in a small country with nearly 60 million people this is inevitable. I have never managed to achieve the same feeling of remoteness anywhere in England that I have in Scotland. As for Wales we did a tour around its coastline from Anglesey, and absolutely loved the people and the places we seen. We did Snowdon up the normal path which more or less follows the railway. A stunning hill spoiled by far to many people. Sorry Barry it’s not a competition, but to state that there are not to many people in the Lake District simply does not stand up, hence your initial post. Wild camping you have stated many times is almost impossible there now, and for a reason, to many people in to small an area. Here’s a photo I took on the Peak District path.

 

[runnach]

My sis and I, we scattered my brothers ashes on Ben V’Rake, Bill, not too far up, reached the lochan, then turned back to the bench seat overlooking Pitlochry, where he lived and worked for many years.

Have you climbed/walked Suilven, Bill. I always thought Suilven looked an ominous Mountain.

Barry, take note of the lovely blue sky and the icing sugar scattered over the mountain.

Suilven Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland

Information about and images of Suilven in Assynt on Undiscovered Scotland.

www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk

 

[Fisherman]

My sis and I, we scattered my brothers ashes on Ben V’Rake, Bill, not too far up, reached the lochan, then turned back to the bench seat overlooking Pitlochry, where he lived and worked for many years.

Have you climbed/walked Suilven, Bill. I always thought Suilven looked an ominous Mountain.

Barry, take note of the lovely blue sky and the icing sugar scattered over the mountain.

Suilven Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland

Information about and images of Suilven in Assynt on Undiscovered Scotland.

www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk

Sullivan is one of my favourite hills Terry.
But I much prefer V’Rake even though it’s popular.
The view from the loch an is stunning.
And the hill looks intimidating, but it’s actually just a slog with stunning views from the top. No false summits. We did it one winter but forgot our crampons, so we had to slide down the hill on our backsides. I watched a fisherman taking brown trout from that lochan. Here the photos from that day Terry. You can see the lochan frozen in the third shot.

Sorry about your brother Terry, that must have been a hard day. But what a gorgeous place to spread your brothers ashes.

 

[Fisherman]

Maybe get back on track.
I know this was put out by a local BBC outlet.
But is a pub stopping motorhomes from parking really so newsworthy.
Yet again a small minority spoil it for the rest of us, and yet again the media do us no favours. Yes the report was fair and balanced, but the part stating that most were well behaved is lost amongst the rest. Places to park up in the Lake District were already at a premium, it’s a shame this one has been lost.

 

[barryd]

I stated clearly why I don’t like the Lake District Barry. It’s got nothing to do with the views, it’s a stunning part of the U.K. possibly the jewel in Englands crown. I remember well three nights we spent in Castleton on the Peak District, the hills were so busy they actually tiled the paths. And when you live in a small country with nearly 60 million people this is inevitable. I have never managed to achieve the same feeling of remoteness anywhere in England that I have in Scotland. As for Wales we did a tour around its coastline from Anglesey, and absolutely loved the people and the places we seen. We did Snowdon up the normal path which more or less follows the railway. A stunning hill spoiled by far to many people. Sorry Barry it’s not a competition, but to state that there are not to many people in the Lake District simply does not stand up, hence your initial post. Wild camping you have stated many times is almost impossible there now, and for a reason, to many people in to small an area. Here’s a photo I took on the Peak District path.

View attachment 147023

Oh I think it is a competition now Bill! You say its got nothing to do with the view but then say "the Lake District simply cannot match what is pictured below". I strongly disagree. Where did I state there were not many people in the Lake District as well? Yes it can get mental, especially the main roads. I certainly prefer riding the little bike there than the car or even the bigger bike.

You forget, I live there (next door). The district we live in is the second least populated district in England only beaten by Eden next door. Guess which county Eden is in. Cumbria! If you want remoteness in England the Lake District is actually a good place to start as all around it are places I could show you where you will hardly bump into anyone. Just not Scafell Pike, Windermere and Keswick!

Wilding is indeed tricky in the Lake District national park that is for sure and to be honest I am glad about that these days. There are still a few good spots though if you know where they are. Personally I prefer CL's and I might add when I started plotting a trip up to Scotland, the west coast and Mull I was put off by the lack of good wild spots and almost a complete absence of CL sites.

 

[YeoBlade]

I think all your pictures are very nice in deed. And as bill says poor publicity for the, as we know , responsible motorhomers.
It's so much about timing for the popular places.
Now to get back off track, here's a couple of photos of my jaunt up a very popular mountain in France. Pick a £$%^ day on the week and nobody else is going to be there. In the summer it would be heaving. Mind you you would have been able to see sothin .

 

[Fisherman]

Oh I think it is a competition now Bill! You say its got nothing to do with the view but then say "the Lake District simply cannot match what is pictured below". I strongly disagree. Where did I state there were not many people in the Lake District as well? Yes it can get mental, especially the main roads. I certainly prefer riding the little bike there than the car or even the bigger bike.

You forget, I live there (next door). The district we live in is the second least populated district in England only beaten by Eden next door. Guess which county Eden is in. Cumbria! If you want remoteness in England the Lake District is actually a good place to start as all around it are places I could show you where you will hardly bump into anyone. Just not Scafell Pike, Windermere and Keswick!

Wilding is indeed tricky in the Lake District national park that is for sure and to be honest I am glad about that these days. There are still a few good spots though if you know where they are. Personally I prefer CL's and I might add when I started plotting a trip up to Scotland, the west coast and Mull I was put off by the lack of good wild spots and almost a complete absence of CL sites.

You completely misunderstood my meaning Barry.
That walk involved a ten mile hike over rough terrain and took me seven hours to compete. Apart from my wife I never met a living soul. I saw several golden Eagles, lots of deer, and other wild animals. And believe me my pathetic efforts to catch its beauty on camera are completely inadequate, the photos cannot capture what I experienced that day, something I have never experienced anywhere in England, never mind the lake District. I seem to have upset you by stating there are to many people in the Lake District most of whom don’t live there. You say just not Catsbells, but Catsbells is a stunning hill, why should I ignore it, and so was Scaffel Pike. Scaffel Pike was a very challenging hill, with stunning views. These hills are popular for a good reason they are stunning hills, and not there to be ignored due to the masses who frequent them.
No barry the Lake District has never matched what I experienced that day, and I very much doubt it ever could.

But it would be good to get this thread back on track, what’s important here is we lost another place to park up due to poor behaviour by a few, and in a place where wild camping is struggling. And yet again the media don’t miss an opportunity to take a pop at us.

 

[Fisherman]

I think all your pictures are very nice in deed. And as bill says poor publicity for the, as we know , responsible motorhomers.
It's so much about timing for the popular places.
Now to get back off track, here's a couple of photos of my jaunt up a very popular mountain in France. Pick a £$%^ day on the week and nobody else is going to be there. In the summer it would be heaving. Mind you you would have been able to see sothin .

Shame it looks like you never got your reward at the top. The snow looks fresh so crampons could be a hindrance balling up.
I am always wary of snow on the hills in winter after warning two English hill walkers not to go up the Buccle in Glencoe. The gap between the large and small Buccles is scary in winter with fresh snow sitting on hard packed snow causing avalanches. The snow can come down from both sides at once then it follows down the path taking you up to the buccle Etive Mor. The two men had travelled all the way from London to do the hill, and when I advised them against they ignored my warnings. Unfortunately both they and a man from Northern Ireland perished that day, and we could hear the thunder of the avalanche which killed them from afar. A sad day I will never forget. RIP.

 

[barryd]

You completely misunderstood my meaning Barry.
That walk involved a ten mile hike over rough terrain and took me seven hours to compete. Apart from my wife I never met a living soul. I saw several golden Eagles, lots of deer, and other wild animals. And believe me my pathetic efforts to catch its beauty on camera are completely inadequate, the photos cannot capture what I experienced that day, something I have never experienced anywhere in England, never mind the lake District. I seem to have upset you by stating there are to many people in the Lake District most of whom don’t live there. You say just not Catsbells, but Catsbells is a stunning hill, why should I ignore it, and so was Scaffel Pike. Scaffel Pike was a very challenging hill, with stunning views. These hills are popular for a good reason they are stunning hills, and not there to be ignored due to the masses who frequent them.
No barry the Lake District has never matched what I experienced that day, and I very much doubt it ever could.

But it would be good to get this thread back on track, what’s important here is we lost another place to park up due to poor behaviour by a few, and in a place where wild camping is struggling. And yet again the media don’t miss an opportunity to take a pop at us.

I would have thought you would have known me well enough by now Bill to know I am simply having a laugh and of course you haven't upset me. Quite the opposite. I'm enjoying it!

For someone like you who is used to roaming the remote glens of Scotlandshire with only the occasional rabid Haggis for company I get why you might find it a bit of a shocker to get stuck in a five mile traffic jam trying to get into Bowness. Or wonder what all these English idiots are doing huffing and puffing their way up Catbells and then moaning when there isn't a Wetherspoons at the top. Personally I think they should put gates up and charge £50 to get into the park unless you live within 50 miles. That seems fair to me.

 

[Fisherman]

I would have thought you would have known me well enough by now Bill to know I am simply having a laugh and of course you haven't upset me. Quite the opposite. I'm enjoying it!

For someone like you who is used to roaming the remote glens of Scotlandshire with only the occasional rabid Haggis for company I get why you might find it a bit of a shocker to get stuck in a five mile traffic jam trying to get into Bowness. Or wonder what all these English idiots are doing huffing and puffing their way up Catbells and then moaning when there isn't a Wetherspoons at the top. Personally I think they should put gates up and charge £50 to get into the park unless you live within 50 miles. That seems fair to me.

This is why I have done Catsbells several times. Not for the company, but because it’s a stunning hill, with stunning views over Derwent water. I always advise people to do Catsbells but try to ignore the masses if you can. I don’t like doing it in winter due to a small very tricky section which can be difficult in the wrong weather. This particular part has required people being taken of the hill many times by the local mountain rescue team in Keswick. Oh bye the way I love Keswick in winter, it’s got lots to do. I love all of the outdoor shops and they reduce their prices in winter, particularly January. And being a canny Scot I take full advantage. I don’t go to the Lake District for solitude, I have that not far from where I live. I go there in winter because it’s simply a nice place to be masses and all.

 

[runnach]

OOPS.