On Dartmoor it is legal to wild camp in some sections of the national park. You can find a map on the national park website (www.dartmoor.gov.uk) which shows the permitted areas. Some sites are used as military firing ranges, so you should always check the firing schedules (www.gov.uk – search ‘Dartmoor firing times’) as this would override any permission or right to camp.
Elsewhere, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, wild camping is illegal; the right to stay overnight on open access land is not granted in the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act. This means that you cannot wild camp unless you obtain the express permission of the landowner first. In practice, this can often be impractical or impossible to do, and wild camping is usually tolerated in more remote areas – typically, more than half a day’s walk from a campsite or other accommodation – as long as it is done sensitively. The following guidelines should help:
Arrive late and leave early
Sleep well above the wall line, away from houses
Leave no trace of your camp and take out all rubbish
Don’t light fires
Toilet duties should be performed 30 metres from water and the waste buried
Pack out all paper and sanitary products
Be respectful at all times; if asked to move on, do so
Aim to leave a wild camping spot in better condition than when you found it
Close gates behind you
Avoid disturbing wildlife, particularly during the moorland lambing and bird breeding season, from 1 March to 31 July
Always remember that landowners have the right to move wild campers on.
Bothies
Inside Strathchailleach (Sandy’s bothy), Sutherland, Scotland
Bothies are free mountain huts in the UK – usually old buildings that are left unlocked for walkers and other outdoors folk to use as an overnight stop. The Mountain Bothies Association maintains, through volunteers, around 100 bothies, mostly in Scotland but with a few in England and Wales, while there are others run by private estates.
Accommodation is basic and camping in a stone tent is a common description for bothying, but they are generally located in wild, remote locations making them a great option for running adventures. When staying in bothies, you will often meet new people, which could mean a memorable evening by a fire, sharing stories, food and a hip-flask.
You will, however, still need to carry most, if not all, of the same gear as you would when wild camping. Assume that there will be no facilities – no water, electricity, lights or beds and if there is a fireplace, there probably won’t be anything to burn. Also, you will need to carry or find water and there may not be a suitable supply nearby. And bothies generally don’t have toilets apart from a spade!
The continued existence of bothies relies on users helping to look after them. The Mountain Bothies Association has developed a Bothy Code which sets out the following guidelines (reproduced with their kind permission):
The bothies maintained by the MBA are available by courtesy of the owners; please respect this privilege
Please record your visit in the bothy log-book
Note that bothies are used entirely at your own risk
Respect other usersPlease leave the bothy clean and tidy with dry kindling for the next visitorsMake other visitors welcome and be considerate to other users
Respect the bothyTell us about any accidental damage. Don’t leave graffiti or vandalise the bothyPlease take out all rubbish which you can’t burnAvoid burying rubbish; this pollutes the environmentPlease don’t leave perishable food as this attracts verminGuard against fire risk and ensure the fire is out before you leaveMake sure the doors and windows are properly closed when you leave
Respect the surroundingsIf there is no toilet at the bothy please bury human waste out of sight. Use the spade provided, keep well away from the water supply and never use the vicinity of the bothy as a toiletNever cut live wood or damage estate property. Use fuel sparingly
Respect agreement with the estatePlease observe any restrictions on use of the bothy, for example during stag stalking or at lambing timePlease remember bothies are available for short stays only. The owner’s permission must be obtained if you intend an extended stay
Respect the restriction on numbersBecause of overcrowding and lack of facilities, large groups (six or more) should not use a bothyBothies are not available for commercial groups.
To find out more, see The Book of the Bothy (Cicerone Press) or the Mountain Bothies Association website (www.mountainbothies.org.uk).
Top tip
Always take a tent, in case the bothy is full, plus a sleeping mat for a more comfortable night’s sleep. There may be a sleeping platform, but if it’s busy you might have to sleep on a stone floor.
Mountain huts
Hut-hopping is great way to travel. Refuge de la Croix de Bonhomme on the Tour du Mont Blanc, France (Route 9)
Hut-to-hut running is a fantastic, cost-effective way of fastpacking through the Alps and other European mountain ranges, and it doesn’t involve carrying a tent, stove or sleeping bag. Running between mountain huts (also known as refuges, rifugios, Hütten and cabanes), where you can get a bed, hot dinner and breakfast, means you only need to carry essential gear; and a lighter pack means that you can move more quickly and comfortably through mountainous terrain.
High-level mountain huts are an alien concept to many British hikers, and yet there are thousands of them across the continent. They are generally situated at a key pass or high on a mountain, without vehicle access and open from June until October, with some open in the spring ski-touring season. Huts can come in all shapes and sizes, and range from the most basic of bivouac shelters for climbers and mountaineers to larger establishments that almost resemble hotels – imagine a high-altitude hostel with cosy bunks and thick blankets, superb views, hearty food, and a common room filled with outdoorsy types from all over the world. Huts let you travel light and live well, costing typically €50 a night for half-board, for a bed in a dormitory or twin room. Although a mattress and bedding are provided, you must also bring and use your own sheet sleeping bag.
Huts are a tourism industry in themselves. In an Italian rifugio, you might enjoy multi-course meals, a bar, proper Italian coffee, showers and drying facilities. Some even have hot tubs outside! Meanwhile, Norway’s huts are often unstaffed and work on a basis of co-operation and trust. You are relied on to make a payment for a stay and food taken from their stores, and to leave things the way you found them. Well equipped, cosy, comfortable and warm, with plenty of firewood, these make a welcoming stay after a day on the trails.
Guidebooks are usually the best source of information on the existence and location of huts, but many refuges now have their own websites giving details of accommodation, facilities and contact details so that you can book ahead. Appendix A includes the websites of the main European Alpine Clubs, where you will also find hut information.
The Mountain Hut Book (Cicerone Press) is an excellent introduction to mountain huts and refuges for walkers and trekkers. It explores the mountain hut experience, from how huts have developed to modern-day hut etiquette, and also includes profiles of the author’s favourite refuges and recommended hut-to-hut routes in the Alps and Pyrenees.