This site has now been retired. I've moved to my new site Silverknife, where you'll find new blog posts and all my latest projects and photos. These pages will remain for at least a while, as I know some of you are still looking through the archives, but I'm reposting my travel journals and many other articles on the new site. Come and check it out.
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So begins the tale of the weekend. It was a slightly overcast Thursday mid-afternoon when I set out for the train station carrying my 65 litre rucksack, which contained pretty much my entire round-the-world kit. This would be my first (and possibly only) full test of the gear, carrying it, using it, packing and unpacking it.
The train ride to Sheffield was smooth and comfortable, the train quiet enough that I could get my rucksack on the seat next to me. However, I quickly realised that I'd missed two vital items (mainly because they weren't part of my main list) - my sleeping bag and mat. Fortunately my brother was able to pick me up a replacement mat, and I reckoned that with the night temperature for the area pegged at 14 degrees I'd be okay in my clothes and coat. Spot the error in the above plan.
After coffee with my brother and some of his mates at the overpriced-but-pleasant Showroom Cafe/Bar, I hopped a bus for Hathersage, gathering an additional set of directions to the campsite from an elderly couple in the next seat, to go with the two conflicting sets I had already received from a website and the campsite phone line. Fortunately finding the path turned out to be relatively simple, and I meandered across fields of curious, recently-shorn sheep and past some beautiful views for about 40 minutes before reaching the campsite.
North Lees is a lovely site, run by the Peak District National Park and mainly catering to climbers going up to Stanage Edge. The toilet and washing block was spotless, and I'm told the shower is great although I didn't use it myself. I was welcomed by a very nice PDNP staffer who showed me the top field, which had a lovely view back across the valley and was completely empty. The lower field was occupied by a couple with a large expensive-looking tent (slash cottage), and a school party.
The schoolkids were doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award - I actually met half of them on the way up to the site, and it turned out that (bizarrely enough) they were from Harlington, which is just down the road from here. I wondered if there would be a lot of noise overnight, but actually they were very quiet and well-behaved. I dumped my gear at the top of the field, and began the process of setting up the tent, very grateful for the practice session in the garden.
There was real excitement in laying out my temporary home for the first time - I was tired and hot from the uphill walk to the site, thirsty and hungry, a little drizzle was beginning to fall, and the anticipation of settling in with a cuppa and getting dinner ready kept me buzzing. There was also a childlike excitement in getting my shelter up before the rain fell. Unfortunately the site was rather heavy with midges, which spoiled the enjoyment of the process a bit but didn't dampen my spirits.
After a cup of tea for strength, I fine-tuned the guylines, unpacked then had a hearty dinner of a sausage sandwich, boiled potatoes and a muffin. The Trangia did a brilliant job, taking only 5-10 minutes to boil a pint of water. It was once I settled in that I realised my big mistake in doing without a sleeping bag - the cold so high up on the hill was brutal and I shivered through the night with less than 3 hours sleep, despite wearing pretty much all the clothes I'd brought.
In the morning the rain fell in earnest, soothingly drumming on the tent as I ate my breakfast of sausage and beans (and keeping the midges down). It also gave my tent a proper waterproof-testing, showing that I had one slight leak on a seam but was otherwise fine. I packed up quickly and strolled down the village to get the train back into town. All in all a fun experience, a successful test of the gear and has reassured me that I can organise myself camping alone (as well as enjoy it, about which I did wonder a little). Next objective: My sister's wedding, which was to go more smoothly than anyone could have expected, and getting home, which certainly didn't.
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