Kentmere horseshoe,extended.Wild camp Feb 2023 Xmid1 & 2

- February 28, 2023

Thornthwaite crag

While chatting on a forum about the new Xmid tents,I got chatting to William May as he had one ordered.Short story he came up to the Lakes for a wild camp to compare and we met up with my brother Jamie,later in the day

Didn’t take many pics on first section of ridge as we were too busy chatting about gear and the different peaks I could point out

We left Kentmere valley and set off doing a clockwise loop.We met some other walkers who had not brought a map,so I offered some advice and gave them the laminated map sheet of the route,that I’d brought with me…..I know the route pretty well

The Forecast was for Northerly winds 20-25 gusting too 45 mph with a windchill too -10c,after cresting Garburn pass we turned north and into said windchill.We walked along the ridge picking of the summits, I recorded some gusts too 53mph giving a windchill of -12c

We met Jamie on The Knott,just as the snow hit us,we sat behind the low wall as it rushed past us on the strong wind…20 mins later it had blown through,so we carried on into the clag it had left behind,Firstly onto the vague top of Rampsgill head and then over

too Kidsty pike as the views returned

I was able to spot some deer sheltered in the valley below the summit

Collecting water on route we soon found a spot to shelter us from the worse of the wind and I got chance to pitch the Xmid2 out on the hill for the first time.It must be one of the easiest tents I’ve ever pitched and was soon up giving a taught pitch as does its smaller brother the Xmid1

The extra space over the Xmid1 was perfect for me and Maggie,almost too much space,it’s a proper 2 person tent and still only 1100g

Maggie was soon out checking on the Xmid1 of Williams and she agreed the Xmid2 was much better for one man and his dog

The wind eased off and we had some great views of most of the Lakeland fells,spotting some deer further away on the fell Side as i got some soup on the go

Tea for tonight was a favorite of mine from Real Turmat,supplied by the good folk at Basecamp foods

This was the first time its been colder for Maggie and she loved that i had carried up the heavier of the two Woofbags i have off Christie,for her too sleep in

With camp set up we all chatted away while enjoying the views,the wind having died off some now,a brief snow shower had us breifly back in,but it soon passed over us

It was a quiet night but cloudy so only a brief glimpse of the stars above,only dropping to -2c,i sat with the door open till i decided to go too sleep around 10-30pm

Dawn came and was at least dry but no sunrise but the clouds cleared away as Jamie returned Northwards to collect his last Eastern wainwright and i took William back towards Kentmere,collecting a few new peaks for him on route

L.N.T

Just after leaving i spotted the conditions for a brocken spectre so moving our position William got to see his first,but was a bit slow with taking a picture