Russ Moorhouse, wild camper
Russ watching a golden sunset from the top of Rampsgill Head in the Far Eastern Fells, a summit he shared with a fellow wild camper.
"To have strong endurance, you need strong mental health"
Russ Moorhouse is a man on a mission to wild camp on the summit of all 214 of the Lake District’s Wainwright fells – and in doing so he’s raised over £2000 for mental health research.
“I’m in my tent on top of Stybarrow Dodd. The wind is howling, tent poles are bending, and the fabric is flapping. Outside the ground is covered in snow and horizontal hail fills the air. The mercury reads 0°C, and the wind chill makes it feel like -10°C. It is not midwinter, it’s the beginning of May, but this is what you get when you’re wild camping in the Lake District.
“This is my 39th night out of the planned 214 wild camps that form my ‘Sleeping with Wainwright’ adventure. I’m on a mission to become the first person ever to wild camp on all the 214 Wainwrights. Along with raising funds for MQ Mental Health Research and promoting the ‘leave no trace’ motto, I also want to help others to experience the benefits of wild camping. After completing the challenge I aim to offer guided expeditions to give those who would like to try wild camping but don’t yet have the skills and confidence to go solo a chance to experience what it is like to sleep in the mountains.
“I pick the day’s Wainwright out of a yellow bag each morning at random and then go and climb it, reach the top and find somewhere to camp for that night. Yesterday was Gavel Fell, today is Stybarrow Dodd, tomorrow who knows? That is what I like about this adventure – the future is unknown. I believe that to accept this is important for good mental health. Take the positives from what comes your way and try to live in the moment.
On the summit of Mellbreak, looking across Crummock Water to Grasmoor.
“Being alone on top of a mountain at the end of the day, when all the daily walkers have returned to their cars, pubs, and homes, is amazing. The feeling is unique, it gives perspective to what really matters in this world. If you are lucky enough to watch the sun set behind layers of mountains looking like waves in the sea it is tremendous. The best part of the day is golden hour, the final hour before the sun sets when the whole landscape changes and the beauty is magnified tenfold. This is when mountains become a place of ethereal quality and I feel drunk in their beauty. In moments like these, all my problems caused by poor mental health melt away, leaving only a deep inner satisfaction.
“The four big challenges in wild camping are the mist (or ‘clag’ as they call it up here in the Lake District), the wind and cold, and of course there is the rain as well. Battling the elements is a daily task. But thinking about it, perhaps the biggest challenge of all on this adventure is one of endurance. Anyone who has been wild camping for multiple nights will know the feeling of exhaustion when all your kit is soaked and you can barely climb into the car to warm up and head back home. Endurance comes from having a positive mindset and staying focused on the present. To have strong endurance, you need to have good mental health, and conversely improving your ability to endure also improves your mental wellbeing.
“I hope my adventure will inspire others to break out of their comfort zone and rise to new challenges to improve their lives – whatever those challenges may be. Already I’ve heard of a lady in Wales that has been inspired after following my daily adventures on Instagram and has set up her own company hiring out teepees for children’s birthday parties!
“I’ve also met children who see me as a mountaineer on an amazing adventure! Maybe the mountain sleep-bagging craze won’t start just yet, but I hope the next generation will increasingly understand the importance of connection with nature for good mental health.”
Keep up to date with my adventures by following @amountainbivvy on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.