Missed a trick there, could have been all clever and titled it Carpe Diem😁 Where I cut my teeth backpacking up there, 70lb pack wild camping in the late 80's. Now remember why I have a dodgy hip 🤣 I see a Brocken Specter up on top of Pen y Fan, can remember making rabbit and dinosaur shapes (twatting around as you do) 🙄, but I never realised till many years later how rare it is to witness that. Blessed by the mountain gods😎 Thanks for that trip down memory lane, great video👍
I am glad you enjoyed it, and that it brought back some memories for you. I have only ever seen a brocken spectre once, I think you have to be very lucky to see it. Thanks very much for watching and taking the time to comment, I hope you have a good weekend 🙂
Cheers John - this looks like a grand day for a hike in the hills and for running the selection of the next generation of SAS troopers! That white stuff on the ground is nature's way of telling you to be properly prepared before you venture out in the open. Unfortunately there are people who disregard the sensible advice from the mountain rescue teams about how to dress; a problem I also face up here in the north. One piece of gear that you are missing is a light shelter/windsack to wrap yourself in when you are having a break in the open. I bring the Hilleberg Bivanorak when I head out to the hills. It makes lunch on a desolate mountain peak a little bit more comfortable:-) And in an emergency it will be easy to spot by the rescue teams! All the best, Ant
Hi Ant, funnily enough I came to the same conclusion about a shelter for next winter. They are called Bothy Bags here and are good for getting you out of the wind when you stop, or as an emergency shelter as you say. One would have made my lunch stop a lot more comfortable. The snow has pretty well gone from the UK now apart from high up in the Scottish mountains. I expect you still have a lot of snow up there. Enjoy the rest of your weekend 👍
@The Camping Astronomer Bothy bag is a new term for me; but I saw some fun designs when I googled. I always bring this with me on my trips; especially at this time when there is plenty of snow here:)
I think that everybody made it down safely, although I suspect that many people would have given up well before the top. Thanks very much for watching and commenting, its really appreciated. Hope you have a good weekend 😊
Can be a bit worrying John when you do see what people go out in. I've had tourists before ask me if there's a "tap" anywhere hours into the bush 😲. Those microspikes well worth it.
The micro spikes made a huge difference on this walk. I go downhill quite slowly normally as dodgy knees. However, on this walk as was faster than everyone else as most people had no grip at all.
Hi John, another great and informative video. I did happen to get a sneak of your footwear and noticed you were wearing your scarpa ribelles. I have a pair, too, but have not tried them yet in the snow. I would be interested to know how they performed in respect of their warmth. Thanks Keith
Thank you Keith. My Ribelle boots are my favourite boot now. Last year I used them all of the time except when it was the heatwave on the summer. However, like you, I hadn't got them out in proper snow until this trip. I found them plenty warm enough for this trip. I used Bridgedale heavy weight socks and a liner sock, and I was very toasty. The only but if me to suffer was my hands when filming with gloves off.
It was a lovely day out Shan. I live in the South East of England, where snow is rare, so I need to travel to get to it. I am toying with going to Scotland next winter to climb Ben Nevis in the snow, to mark my 60th birthday. I've been up it a few times now the summer, but never in winter. It is much more dangerous in winter (several people die each year), so I would hire a guide to keep me safe. First I need to spend this year getting very fit though 🙂
Got drawn to your channel (V-Good BTW subbed) as I was searching for info on the boots. In terms of insulation do you have anything to compare them to say for instance Manta's
Hi Andy, thank you for the sub, it's much appreciated. As regards the Ribelle Lite versus the Mantas, I did look into getting the Manta boots as they have a very good reputation and cosy pretty much the same. The reason I erred away from them, was I reckon they might be a bit too specialist and un-usable outside winter time in the mountains. They are slightly stiffer than the Ribelle Lites (B2 versus what is really B1.5 for the Ribelle Lites). I have found the Ribelle Lite boots very comfortable in all sorts of conditions. I even wore them in August this year when I walked round the Fan Dance route in the Brecon Beacons. They were very comfortable and I welcomed the slightly stiff sole. They were a little warm for August though, and when I took them off at the end of the day, my socks were damp. The insulation on them has so far proved enough for me in cold weather. However, I think that the Mantas are warmer boots. If I lived in the North of England and had easier access to snowy mountains, I would probably have opted for the Mantas as they are a tried and tested design for that environment. However, the Ribelle Lites are a bit more versatile for my needs, and are more comfortable to walk in. I hope this helps 🙂
@AndyWragg Hi Andy, yes I bought the Grivel Air Tech New Matic crampons. These are nominally C2 crampons, but have a slightly more flexible central bar than the typical G12 model. I picked up some Scarpa literature at a product launch exhibition and noticed that this crampon is specifically recommended by Scarpa for the Ribelle boot. It has the rear clip in heel binding to match the cut out in the heel of the boot, so it's very easy to fit.
@thecampingastronomer8554 Thanks, that's worthwhile knowing. Andrew Beavers has the same combination. I shall have to get to Go Outdoors in Sheffield to go try some on.
Very well done Jon 👏. You may have been in Wales at the same time as ‘Simon a Bloke in the Woods’ … he had a pretty torrid time, particularly in his tent overnight 😳. When you see what people who are experienced and properly equipped go through, it’s unbelievable what risks novices expose themselves to 😟. Search and Rescue take their own risks trying to rescue these fools… Great video 👍
Oooh, I'll have a look at Simons video, nothing like watching people suffer 🤣. I assume that most of the badly equipped people eventually give up and don't get to the top. It's certainly remarkable that there are not more accidents and cases of exposure, etc. I was very comfortable, apart from my hands when I took my gloves off to operate the camera. I'll have to sort something out on that front for next winter I think. Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend 👍
@@thecampingastronomer8554 It’s a shame those army chaps were ‘busy’ Jon… I’ll bet they have some fancy choices in gloves to show you 😉… fancy secret technology stuff…🤭🤫
It certainly was a nice day out Graham. Last year I missed the snow on the Brecon Beacons by one day, so I was glad to get it right this year. Hope the telescope is going OK ?
Hi John I have followed you and your adventures for a while now and now my children are getting that bit older I am feeling brave enough to take one of them on a wild camp. Hopefully not a silly question but can I just pitch up anywhere on the South Downs is there any rules I need to follow? Any spots you would recommend? Thanks Simon
Hi Simon, thank you very much for your support, I really appreciate it. The rules on wild camping are that it is technically illegal. However, it is not a criminal offence and if you are asked to move on, you apologise and do as asked. Having said that, I have never seen anyone or been asked to move. If you are discrete, camping away from the path, arrive fairly late in the day, and are on your way back by about 8.30 in the morning, you probably won't see anyone. Leaving no trace of your presence is a key here also. If you follow these rules then the chances of any issues are minimal. A good first time place to go is Chanctonbury Ring. This is a hill with a bunch of trees on the top. It is easy to hide yourself away here and to some degree the landowner here tolerates wild campers. It is quite a popular spot though so avoid the mid summer solstice. I have done a couple of videos camping here. I will give you the link to them in a separate reply in a moment 😊
Hi Simon, ....and here is the second link to a wetter camp at the same site. The walk up takes around 30 -45 minutes, so it's not too far. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xjTKq1HbCgw.html
Finally, if you are a little uncomfortable with the possibility of being moved on, I did a "nearly wild camp" with my family near Horsham. Here is a video of that trip, which includes details of the site etc are all included. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ixCdL_clbMQ.html
@@thecampingastronomer8554 Hi John I will be sure to check these videos out and this location is about 40 minute drive from home so not far at all. My tent is on order so I am nearly ready to go. Just need to build up the guts now :) Totally understand the rules leave no trace and if asked to move I will do. I share your passion for astronomy also we have a let in common. Thanks for taking the time with the videos and responses! Simon
It's quite a day trip but certainly looks like it was well worth it. I'm always amazed at the sights you see on Pen Y Fan/ Corn Du, especially in winter, so many people just don't see it as anything other than a "nice walk". Nice video again. All the best, Roger
Hi Dougie, I really enjoyed the day. Last year I missed the snow by one day in the Brecon Beacons, so I was delighted to get some this time. I assume that most of the people I saw heading up whilst I was on my way down, never made it to the top. They would have had a very cold and potentially dark second half of the walk otherwise. Luckily, I think most people get away with it when they are poorly equipped and perhaps have a bit of a miserable experience. Hope you have a good weekend 😀
@dougieranger It turned out to be a civilian event, exactly replicating the SAS selection march. It looked like the military had given them a few personal and some equipment to man the checkpoints etc. In the summer I will have a go at doing the route, but at my age it will take me about 8 hours instead of the 4 hours the military do it in 🤣
@@thecampingastronomer8554 Ahh, got it. Well, it’s famously tough, the Fan Dance, as it’s known. I’m sure a couple of lads died doing it a few years back, heat stroke I think. Take plenty liquids rest up frequently.
@dougieranger I think I'll be going too slow to suffer too much, and won't be carrying a heavy pack. I want to see if I can do the distance and ascent in around 8 hours. This would be a test exercise as I am thinking about climbing Ben Nevis in winter next year. This is shorter with not quite the same ascent as the Fan Dance. However, it takes 9 -10 hours to do Ben Nevis in winter, so a slow Fan Dance is a good test. I would use a professional guide for Ben Nevis as it is fairly dangerous in winter, and I would want to be able to tell them that I have done a difficult walk in the previous few months.
Hi G, Thanks very much for watching and your kind comment. The route here starts from the Storey Arms Car Park. This is free and consequently gets full very quickly on the mornings. There is a much bigger car park about 500m south of the Storey Arms. This is run by the National Trust and costs about £7.50 all day. You have a much better chance of getting into this one. The route I took starts at the Storey Arms and goes to Pen y Fan via Corn Du. The return route I took drops down to the National Trust car park, and avoids having to climb back up Corn Du on the return leg. Thus, it doesn't really matter which car park you choose. Hope this helps 😊
There was snow in the Brecon Beacons a couple of weeks ago, but it has all melted now. I think that the mountains in Scotland have snow cover at the moment, but not in England and Wales.
