Join me on this adventure as I set off to wild camp in some pretty harsh conditions in the Scottish highlands. Safe to say it didn’t go to plan but was an adventure all the same. Hope you enjoy
No, you absolutely did the right thing by not crossing that river! Who cares what others say! You listened to your intuition, and that's always the right thing to do, especially in the wilderness.
Nice to see a young lad with common sense and a good attitude. As someone who has wild camped for 54 years, many times in your wonderful Scotland, i can tell you to keep your plans flexible. You will often have to adapt to weather and condition changes. Also, despite the vast open spaces, good pitching locations can be surprisingly hard to find. Keep your love of the outdoors, nature and wildlife, that's what real wild camping is all about. Finally, don't follow everything you see on youtube. A lot of those videos are made purely to get views and not what real wild campers do. We do not head up on top of mountains when the forecast is for high winds, heavy rain or freezing conditions. We still go out but we'll seek out the valleys or glens where there is more shelter and protection. Good luck with your next journey, may you have as much pleasure as I have. 👍👍
On a solo hike you’re the one who has to live with your decisions. There’s no such thing as being too cautious! It’s always nice seeing videos where things don’t go to plan, it reassures people that it’s ok to turn back/fail sometimes. Not all adventures are good adventures 👍🏻
You made the right decision, and it was a great video. I just know by instinct when something is not right, and definitely not worth risking your life for, even for the video. Now waiting to see you do it on a drier, warmer day 😊
A wise head on young shoulders. You learn more from your mistakes, nice one! Proper research, prep, kit and preparing for the worst is key. Always have a plan A, B & C, cheers!
Yes......top priority is always to be safe.......rivers can be roaring rivers real fast... great pics of those stags on the hill...very regal..........thanks..........🐻🐻
Well, I think you have already had a wealth of really knowledgeable comments and advice from people who really know their field craft.!👍 A failure??, are you kidding me (sorry to quote!!) Not at all. You have produced a quality video presentation, on schedule, of an outing to our wonderful Scottish Highlands at their most climatically challenging times in January/February. As a lover of wildlife in all its forms, your encounter with such elegant deer Stags🦌, no doubt foraging for life sustaining nourishment, gives involvement and status to your video. Another day, another glen or hilltop for a camp not sinking in the mire will come, and we can all look forward to that😊
Just a recent subscriber to your channel. Great content. But the timing of this upload couldn't have been better for me. After weeks of yearning to get out, I ventured out for a wild camp in my local area earlier this afternoon and found a great spot, pitched up but soon discovered I'd left some essentials in the house and would be in for a pretty cold and hungry night if I stayed out. Packed back up in the dark and done the long walk home. So to open UA-cam tonight and see this upload was a great reminder that it doesn't always go to plan. Hard not to beat yourself up in these instances but I couldn't agree more with your sentiments at the end of this video. As much as the experience may not have went to plan, the lessons learned are invaluable and will set you in great stead going forward. And it's always better making these mistakes early on or closer to home so that you learn from them and avoid any trouble when you are further afield. All the best for the next adventure. Looking forward to another upload!
Loads of places to explore up there when the weather is better 👍👍 I have that very Etive loop plotted in for a two nighter this spring.. Looks good doesn't it.. Thank you for sharing 😎
💯%correct decision especially on your own you should try a hammock and tarp set up in your bag if you can make space/weight it’s a good alternative gets you off the ground in bad weather not always ideal if no trees tarp is always extra protection for tent in really bad weather as well I have a spare set up can give you if you fancy a try 👍❤️🏴
Some really good footage captured there on your hike , glen kinglass i believe headed via loch dochard where the yorkshire guys tent , kit, walking poles was found but he was mysteriously missing , kinda like the young bushcraft expert Fin who also mysteriously went missing in the flow country up north. Please be alertl solo camping alone. Atvb G
Never challenge the nature if you know the chances of the outcome going against you are higher! Good decision man! Thanks for the upload, it was pretty decent as well even though it didn't go as planned
You were going the wrong way, the way you were going leads up to a marshy plantation near Clashgour Farm. You had to cross the river lower down and keep the wire fence to your right. I have been over that river in severe storms it never gets higher than shin deep.
Correct decision, your camp spot will still be there another day. You might not have been! As soon as you get into the outdoors, it's then NOT a fail. You've a wise head on a young body 👍
The first rule of thumb mate. If in doubt leave it out . Keep yourself safe. You can always return on another day. Whereabouts were you? Well done still and interesting piece mate
Cannot underline enough - there is nothing failing in knowing when to turn around, i'd consider this a classic case of a really sound and good success (you got home)! River's are unpredicably dangerous (not just due to current but also riverbed obstacles, sudden fluctuations in depth due to rapid flood events. Certainly anything above the knee's or fast flowing is a no go (you can use a log to have 2 points of contact on the river bed at any one time to assist). I have been from the Artic Circle to deep in the Southern Hemisphere and lots of places inbetween with 20 years experience, i'm a strong swimmer but i treat river's crossing's above the knee's or if it's fast as a no go, if there is a couple of you with rope or shallow enough to group wade if you know the correct techniques you can mitigate risk alot and it's alot safer. You made a very good call, the other thing is once wet unless your well disaplined and trained it can be hard to get warm and dry again, which can lead to life threatening situations quite quickly when temperatures plummet, as they do this time of year in Scotland. You said you had no change of clothes, so defo the right call again. Note its always worth keeping a dry set of clothes (to sleep in) and your wet clothes. Put your wet clothes back on after sleeping, keeping your dry set, dry in a 100% drysack (not these crappy superlight ones they do these days but a kayak level one). Lastly re that lovely Scottish rain, invest in a decent poncho (they can be superlight these days and double as a tarp, brilliant for just needing to get out of the drizzle and keeping alot dryer (including sack etc). They have gone out of fashion these day's for some reason, god along know's why as when combined with a decent goretex jacket can make life alot less miserable. Edit - "you said you where such an Idiot" but you made an intelligent decision, only an idiot would have attempted to cross, only the inexperienced fool would have continued.
Where you stopped, a little bit futher there's stepping stones, might have been passable,there's a bridge 🌉 Further up,the Loch is a really scenic one, so give it another go.
Hi mate, a shame you didn’t make it to where you were going, but who’s to say if you did it would have still been too boggy to pitch. At least you got a good old hike in. There’s never a bad day in the hills. Thanks for sharing, and don’t worry about it, it was as entertaining as always. All the best, Dave. 😀🥾⛰🏴🏕️🏴
You're definitely not a wuss - and you didn't fail anything either. Rather, you made the right call. Only, with heavier rain forecast, anything could have happened to you by the end of the night - or quite possibly before, when ii was all just inky blackness, and you had only the sense of feel to tell whether the underfoot flooding had got worse or you had in fact wandered into an even higher river... It is a good idea to try out your new equipment, but not in the middle of flooded nowhere! As it is, you'd a nice walk in the rain and, as for entertainment value - what if I tell you that whereas your expression is normally quite wooden but as you were taking shelter under that tree from 04:21, you were more animated than I've ever seen you before, with your facial expressions and admission that you didn't know what to do..?!! I'd suggest that could be lesson no. 2 - just be you, and don't worry too much about getting it perfect, because you lose a lot of your natural expressions as you do so! And instead of just telling us what we can see, tell us what you're thinking, and what you're feeling! For you come across far more naturally, believe me! Oh - and lesson no. 3 concerns those deer: when they're hanging around the car park, they're hungry - and when the more you look the more you see, like that - they're there to tell you something... which is, beware! Whatever you experience down where you are, it's 100 times worse up in the hills, where you can't see for low cloud... Even if you'd found somewhere to pitch your tent, the water would be coming down as well as up - and down, in more ways than one, at that...!
No, you absolutely did the right thing by not crossing that river! Who cares what others say! You listened to your intuition, and that's always the right thing to do, especially in the wilderness.
Thanks for the support :)
No such thing as a fail. It was learning experience in the outdoors. Cracking video.
Nice to see a young lad with common sense and a good attitude.
As someone who has wild camped for 54 years, many times in your wonderful Scotland, i can tell you to keep your plans flexible. You will often have to adapt to weather and condition changes. Also, despite the vast open spaces, good pitching locations can be surprisingly hard to find.
Keep your love of the outdoors, nature and wildlife, that's what real wild camping is all about.
Finally, don't follow everything you see on youtube. A lot of those videos are made purely to get views and not what real wild campers do. We do not head up on top of mountains when the forecast is for high winds, heavy rain or freezing conditions. We still go out but we'll seek out the valleys or glens where there is more shelter and protection.
Good luck with your next journey, may you have as much pleasure as I have. 👍👍
Thanks for the kind words
On a solo hike you’re the one who has to live with your decisions. There’s no such thing as being too cautious! It’s always nice seeing videos where things don’t go to plan, it reassures people that it’s ok to turn back/fail sometimes. Not all adventures are good adventures 👍🏻
Some smart decisions made there. No fail at all. You have a fantastic attitude. If we’re learning and developing, we’re moving forward 👊. ATB bud.
100% agree mate. Thanks for the support :)
You made the right decision, and it was a great video. I just know by instinct when something is not right, and definitely not worth risking your life for, even for the video. Now waiting to see you do it on a drier, warmer day 😊
Yeh just didnt feel right. Thanks for watching anyways 😊
A wise head on young shoulders. You learn more from your mistakes, nice one! Proper research, prep, kit and preparing for the worst is key. Always have a plan A, B & C, cheers!
Yes......top priority is always to be safe.......rivers can be roaring rivers real fast... great pics of those stags on the hill...very regal..........thanks..........🐻🐻
Well, I think you have already had a wealth of really knowledgeable comments and advice from people who really know their field craft.!👍
A failure??, are you kidding me (sorry to quote!!) Not at all.
You have produced a quality video presentation, on schedule, of an outing to our wonderful Scottish Highlands at their most climatically challenging times in January/February.
As a lover of wildlife in all its forms, your encounter with such elegant deer Stags🦌, no doubt foraging for life sustaining nourishment, gives involvement and status to your video.
Another day, another glen or hilltop for a camp not sinking in the mire will come, and we can all look forward to that😊
Definitely the right call safety first always, a great video enjoyable to watch
Wise move safety first at all times and thanks for posting .
As much as it screams adventure and fun/risk.... avoid the water, especially on your own.
Live to explore another day 💪
Just a recent subscriber to your channel. Great content. But the timing of this upload couldn't have been better for me. After weeks of yearning to get out, I ventured out for a wild camp in my local area earlier this afternoon and found a great spot, pitched up but soon discovered I'd left some essentials in the house and would be in for a pretty cold and hungry night if I stayed out. Packed back up in the dark and done the long walk home. So to open UA-cam tonight and see this upload was a great reminder that it doesn't always go to plan. Hard not to beat yourself up in these instances but I couldn't agree more with your sentiments at the end of this video. As much as the experience may not have went to plan, the lessons learned are invaluable and will set you in great stead going forward. And it's always better making these mistakes early on or closer to home so that you learn from them and avoid any trouble when you are further afield. All the best for the next adventure. Looking forward to another upload!
Thanks mate, nice to hear it’s not just me. Good luck for the future :)
Loads of places to explore up there when the weather is better 👍👍 I have that very Etive loop plotted in for a two nighter this spring.. Looks good doesn't it.. Thank you for sharing 😎
Thanks man. Yeh it looks like a great loop, something slightly different from the usual walks
This is a good video! Keep up the the good work! 🙋🏻♀️NW GA
💯%correct decision especially on your own you should try a hammock and tarp set up in your bag if you can make space/weight it’s a good alternative gets you off the ground in bad weather not always ideal if no trees tarp is always extra protection for tent in really bad weather as well I have a spare set up can give you if you fancy a try 👍❤️🏴
Well done, at least you tried. Cheers, John.
Some really good footage captured there on your hike , glen kinglass i believe headed via loch dochard where the yorkshire guys tent , kit, walking poles was found but he was mysteriously missing , kinda like the young bushcraft expert Fin who also mysteriously went missing in the flow country up north. Please be alertl solo camping alone. Atvb G
Never challenge the nature if you know the chances of the outcome going against you are higher! Good decision man! Thanks for the upload, it was pretty decent as well even though it didn't go as planned
Thanks mate
100% right decision for the right reasons - sometimes it’s just not meant to be 👍🏻
You were going the wrong way, the way you were going leads up to a marshy plantation near Clashgour Farm. You had to cross the river lower down and keep the wire fence to your right. I have been over that river in severe storms it never gets higher than shin deep.
You made the right call in the moment and you kept yourself safe. That is not a fail.
Deciding to abandon a hike is a relief. Best decision if you have doubts.
Sorry you didn't get to camp. You made the right decision...Best wishes.
..totally right decision...especially on your own...there's always a better day!
Well. I enjoyed the video.Pity for the missing bridge.It can happen do nto be too hard on yourself.keep it up.
Correct decision, your camp spot will still be there another day. You might not have been!
As soon as you get into the outdoors, it's then NOT a fail.
You've a wise head on a young body 👍
The first rule of thumb mate. If in doubt leave it out . Keep yourself safe. You can always return on another day. Whereabouts were you? Well done still and interesting piece mate
Was trying to head to Loch Dochard. It’s a fairly remote loch close to bridge of orchy
Cannot underline enough - there is nothing failing in knowing when to turn around, i'd consider this a classic case of a really sound and good success (you got home)! River's are unpredicably dangerous (not just due to current but also riverbed obstacles, sudden fluctuations in depth due to rapid flood events. Certainly anything above the knee's or fast flowing is a no go (you can use a log to have 2 points of contact on the river bed at any one time to assist). I have been from the Artic Circle to deep in the Southern Hemisphere and lots of places inbetween with 20 years experience, i'm a strong swimmer but i treat river's crossing's above the knee's or if it's fast as a no go, if there is a couple of you with rope or shallow enough to group wade if you know the correct techniques you can mitigate risk alot and it's alot safer.
You made a very good call, the other thing is once wet unless your well disaplined and trained it can be hard to get warm and dry again, which can lead to life threatening situations quite quickly when temperatures plummet, as they do this time of year in Scotland. You said you had no change of clothes, so defo the right call again. Note its always worth keeping a dry set of clothes (to sleep in) and your wet clothes. Put your wet clothes back on after sleeping, keeping your dry set, dry in a 100% drysack (not these crappy superlight ones they do these days but a kayak level one).
Lastly re that lovely Scottish rain, invest in a decent poncho (they can be superlight these days and double as a tarp, brilliant for just needing to get out of the drizzle and keeping alot dryer (including sack etc). They have gone out of fashion these day's for some reason, god along know's why as when combined with a decent goretex jacket can make life alot less miserable.
Edit - "you said you where such an Idiot" but you made an intelligent decision, only an idiot would have attempted to cross, only the inexperienced fool would have continued.
Nice video 😊
Where you stopped, a little bit futher there's stepping stones, might have been passable,there's a bridge 🌉 Further up,the Loch is a really scenic one, so give it another go.
Thanks mate, will definitely give it another go in the future
You made the right decision. You Atleast had a great walk
Na u did right thing... and more u thought of the return and how that could go even if u got across now :)
Safety first fella :)
There is a bridge up ahead, it’s boggy going through the plantation but u eventually come to it.
Thanks mate, will look for it when I return
Not a fail. That was successful on the decision side of things.
100%
I would not have crossed that either being wet and cold in a tent all night is far from fun.
😂😂 that's the night you would have needed to be in bothy house with a🔥🔥
100% was the perfect weather for it
Did your OS map show a bridge? Right call tho.
Nah I couldn’t see a bridge on the map but I’ve seen people follow the same route and they found a bridge
Did nae look at deep bro 😮😅
Hi mate, a shame you didn’t make it to where you were going, but who’s to say if you did it would have still been too boggy to pitch. At least you got a good old hike in. There’s never a bad day in the hills. Thanks for sharing, and don’t worry about it, it was as entertaining as always. All the best, Dave. 😀🥾⛰🏴🏕️🏴
You’re not wrong, just love being out no matter the weather. Thanks for watching :)
You're definitely not a wuss - and you didn't fail anything either. Rather, you made the right call. Only, with heavier rain forecast, anything could have happened to you by the end of the night - or quite possibly before, when ii was all just inky blackness, and you had only the sense of feel to tell whether the underfoot flooding had got worse or you had in fact wandered into an even higher river... It is a good idea to try out your new equipment, but not in the middle of flooded nowhere! As it is, you'd a nice walk in the rain and, as for entertainment value - what if I tell you that whereas your expression is normally quite wooden but as you were taking shelter under that tree from 04:21, you were more animated than I've ever seen you before, with your facial expressions and admission that you didn't know what to do..?!! I'd suggest that could be lesson no. 2 - just be you, and don't worry too much about getting it perfect, because you lose a lot of your natural expressions as you do so! And instead of just telling us what we can see, tell us what you're thinking, and what you're feeling! For you come across far more naturally, believe me! Oh - and lesson no. 3 concerns those deer: when they're hanging around the car park, they're hungry - and when the more you look the more you see, like that - they're there to tell you something... which is, beware! Whatever you experience down where you are, it's 100 times worse up in the hills, where you can't see for low cloud... Even if you'd found somewhere to pitch your tent, the water would be coming down as well as up - and down, in more ways than one, at that...!