Higger Tor Wild Camp with Kids
Wild camping is becoming a bit of an addiction. I am constantly researching places to go, what kit to take and when we can do it! Read about our Higger Tor wild camp with kids.
Through the wonders of the internet, we found Wild Night Out. On the 29th June 2019, there was a UK wide initiative to sleep under the stars for a night. You could pitch on a site recommended by Wild Night Out where they had speakers and events to encourage more adventures, or you could pay for a pitch on a regular campsite. Or, you could simply camp in the back garden!
Higger Tor Wild Camp with Kids
We chose to wild camp. As we were arranging a Hikerkidz meet up in the upcoming weeks, we chose to camp on Higger Tor, close to Padley Gorge and kill 2 birds with one stone.
Higger Tor is very easy to navigate to, and to park the car. Although the car park does try and discourage overnight parking, we actually didn’t see that until the morning. Oops! We put Higger Tor in the satnav and drove to the nearest car park, which is just off the A6187. There was no charge either.
Higger Tor follows in a straight line from the car park so we had a roam around first, to get the lie of the land. It is fairly rocky with a few large flat patches that would be suitable for a single tent. As we have a 3 man tent we needed something a little wider and also out of sight. We found a pitch at the far end of Higger Tor so went back to the car to gather our supplies.
On the way back to the car, a group of approximately 10 young persons were setting up 4 or 5 tents on the grass verge before Higger Tor ascends. We weren’t comfortable with setting up so close to them so we picked up the tent and walked along the opposite footpath. We ended up pitching under Burbage Rocks.
Burbage Rocks
The rocks give good coverage and we managed to get the tent set up. Dicky also got to test his Bivvy for the first time. We have invested in inflatable mats and the kids were excited to put those to the test too.
Dinner was pasta and mashed potato, readily prepared and eaten at around 9.30pm. We tucked ourselves in and had a relatively good night sleep, if only for a little wind pulling at the restraints of the tent.
Why do we do it?
The kids are big fans of Wild Camping an are always asking when we will go again. They are more than happy to carry their own equipment, for a short while at least! For a comprehensive list of what we take, please have a look at our checklist. You can print it off too!
Wild Camping is daring and exciting, and as long as we Leave No Trace, we are happy knowing that we are not hurting the wildlife or the landscape when we settle down. The kids learn the basics of survival and it is a good bonding experience without the distraction of screens and devices.
The only question is…. where shall we go next?!
