Durston X-Mid 1 Winter Camp - Lough Ouler, Wicklow
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ม.ค. 2023
- The purpose of this trip was to hopefully find some snow and camp. I brought my new lightweight tent - the Durston X-Mid 1 with a 4 season inner to see how it would be to camp in these conditions. I started my hike at the Glenmacnass Waterfall Carpark and followed the Glenmacnass river to eventually meet a track that brings you up to Lough Ouler. As I climbed higher the snow on top of Tonelagee came more clearly into view so I was hopeful there might be snow at Lough Ouler. I was in luck that there was - not much but enough to make me excited anyway! That evening the temperatures rose and it drizzled rain a lot which wiped out a lot of the snow by morning. The following day I made my way up to the top of Tonelagee which was completely under cloud but there was a lot more snow than there was at the Lough Ouler so I was very happy to walk in those conditions. I completed the looped walk by then descending down from Tonelagee back to the Glenmacnass Waterfall Carpark. A very enjoyable camp and hike!
Channel to check out @VISTATREKKER
Gear Used:
Tent - Durston X-Mid 1
Sleeping Bag - Rab Neutrino 600
Additional Sleeping Liner - Sea to Summit Reactor Extreme
Mattress - Thermarest Neoair Xtherm
Pillow - Trekology Aluft Pro
Down Booties - Sundick Outdoors
Stove - MSR Pocket Rocket 2
Music:
The Ethereal - Ave Air
Hello from America. Thank you for the lovely film from the land of my ancestors. My mother is from Roscommon. Cheers
Hi Cathie from the land of your ancestors! Thank you very much for watching the video - your mother is from a lovely part of the country!! Thanks again 😊
The landscapes we walk ,the pitches we make, have all different personalities in the changing seasons, all beautiful in their own right. You captured the mood of a Winter hike and camp beautifully .
Ah thanks very much Colin!! A lovely spot - great I could fly the drone on the first afternoon and thankfully got to capture the lake a bit in those magical conditions. The second day was fun too, although not fun for a camera 🙂 You could go for a dip up there in that lake with Chris this winter maybe!!
@@MiriamKennedy Im always concerned about shrinkage in sub zero lakes and rivers.😳
You'd survive I'm sure!
Well said.
Lovely. Getting lost is the best part of life. Enjoyed the solitude.
Thanks Chris 😂😂 there is some truth in your words for sure! Familiarity and predictability are things I definitely struggle with 😎 Thanks for your message!
Glad you're liking the tent! That's for giving it a shot.
Definitely liking the tent Dan! It really is a beauty 😉 Some adjusting needed from me to get used to the one person space but that’ll come no doubt! Looking forward to taking it out again soon. Cheers for watching the video 🤗
Thanks, this was really beautiful.
We go snow camping because it´s there, to paraphrase George Mallory. Why limit enjoying sleeping outside in nature to the snow free months? Your intro put it well, why you and others camp on snow.
I plan to take my Akto to the woods outside Oslo next weekend, the weather forecast looks good: not too wet, not too cold. More than half a meter of snow, pitching the tent with snow pegs. Looking forward to the clean silence of snow, and the subdued winter time scent of the woods.
Going from two to one person tents is a matter of getting used to it, and a bit of staying organized, in my experience 🙂
Best, Helge
Hi Helge - your upcoming trip sounds like a lovely trip away! Yep my journey to one person tent camping has been going on for about 9 months now. A year ago I couldn't have imagined I would ever have done it...I'm getting there with it! I love my Akto and my X-mid 1 in fairness - we're still getting to know one another but I'll be sticking with them for sure!! 😉 Have a great trip this weekend - enjoy all that snow 🤗
Nice aerial shot at 3:12. How cool that Lough Ouler is heart-shaped. Being from the States, I had to look up this nifty factoid and a map of the area.
At 13:28, it was the perfect time and weather conditions for tea. Put the kettle on.
Around 15:25, you mentioned navigation and being off track. I wondered how one would keep their bearings with the clouds socked in so low and no visible landmarks, so it seemed.
Thanks for your time and effort filming and taking us Yanks from across the pond on your journey.
Thanks so much for watching this little trip! I was disappointed I couldn’t show the area off more but also grateful I got those few shots showing the heart shaped profile of the lake at least! Wonderful that there is a yank watching these videos, so brilliant!! Yes - thank god I realised I was way off track before going any further than I did 🤭 Thanks again!!
Now that is a lightweight tent but I suppose if you are adding your own poles fair enough, looked a great place to pitch it and the drone footage really showed off the area. Looked a nice hot meal and it always amazes me people winter camping in real cold conditions who go on to drink a few cans of ice cold beer before bed😳 . Shame you got the mist but good you got the snow you wanted and micro spikes are a must in those conditions. You could see how cold it was with the ice all around and you will not be the first to lose the trail in those misty conditions - we have all been there😵💫. Cheers Alan
Cheers Alan! A nice new addition to my tent family 🤭 Looking forward to getting to know it a little more over the coming months. Lough Ouler and Tonelagee are lovely spots and thankfully 2 of the drone shots showed the profile of the lake. I needed to send the drone a lot higher to get better shots but at least two shots were ok 😉 The view over the lake from the summit is really lovely but it wasn’t to be on this occasion - the bit of snow made up for it thankfully 😉 Yep, going off track in foggy conditions so easy to do - I’ll hopefully be more careful the next time now! Cheers for your message and I hope you’re keeping well and that you’re feeling better 🤞
Your fabulous camps and adventures bring me back, along with that lovely big smile. 👍
Thanks Michael - hopefully they bring you back to good memories!! 😉 The big smile will hopefully get back out to play again soon 🤞 I've had my fix now for a while anyway....phew!!
Thank you for another great video Miriam. I thoroughly enjoy watching people take on wintery conditions from underneath my blanket on the sofa! 😉
😂😂 glad I could give you some Sunday wintery entertainment from beneath your blanket Richella!! Its a lovely spot - with or without a blanket 😊 Have a good one!
Such vast scenery - you’ve certainly conveyed an experience to me - your little tent in that ginormous space - amazing. Thanks also for sharing your wrong turn - it’s important to be reminded of possible risks. You are clearly experienced and know how to respond to situations.
Hi Jennifer - I don’t consider myself very experienced at all but each time I go out I learn a little more no doubt! I take plenty of wrong turns along the way and thankfully I’ve a gps on an App on my phone that I can check my exact location with…that gives me a lot more confidence! I love that spacious feeling of being out alone in the vast landscape alone - I feel very alive and free when doing it and it keeps drawing me back for more!! 🤩 Such a nice night away - even though I could see very little on Day 2 🫣
Absolutely fantastic, i always enjoy seeing a Miriam notification!!
Thanks so much Niamh, thats lovely of you to say 😍 What a nice message to wake up to!! Enjoy your day today!
It’s nice to see other women adventurers. I, too, have an X-Mid and contemplated an alternate inner so I contacted Dan Durston and he said that in 2024 he’ll be doing the sales/distribution himself (rather than Kaviso as is currently done) and will definitely be selling inners on their own so folks will have the option to buy an extra inner.
Hi Lisa - nice to hear from you! I did the same and contacted Dan from my tent on my first night out to ask about the same thing 😉 It'll be great to have the alternative inner to change out as necessary. Hope you're enjoying your X-Mid!!
I am mesmerized by your adventures..and you.
Aww thank you!! This is a very lovely spot with or without snow, very nice area to spend the night tucked up in a new tent 😊 Thanks very for watching and your message! Have a nice week..
Spot kemping yang sangat kren sekali. Pemandangan nya juga sangat indah
Terima kasih banyak! Ini benar-benar tempat yang indah untuk bisa berkemah 😊
I am certainly glad you brought your cameras along with you. Really enjoyed the drone shots. Recently discovered your channel and I am enjoying all your videos. Thanks for making them!
Thanks so much ToastandJam - love your name!! I’m reading your message from a tent while out with the camera again. Fingers crossed the footage will be good - I’ve far better visibility than I had for the Lough Ouler trip anyway 😉 So nice to hear you’ve enjoyed these little videos, it’s a nice boost!! Take good care…back to sleep I go 🫣
Maybe they are just pleasantly bonkers.
😂😂😎 - a nut job is what one friend called me when I sent her a photo of my camp setup!!
Love your overlay with your own thoughts. Thank you. ATB
Thanks Roger - thats very nice of you to say! The narration was a bit of a risk, but it didn't kill me thankfully 😉
Amazing adventure Miriam love watching your videos thank you!!
Thanks very much Pat!! Delighted you enjoyed it 😎
Nice video Miriam. Thank you for sharing. Wishing you all the best 👍
Thanks very much! Wishing you a lovely day too 😊
Hi Miriam 😊 the snow was back today in lough Ouler ❄️ it was stunning on the Wicklow mountains 🏔 what a lovely channel you have here ❤️
Ohhh sounds lovely!! Shame to have missed that 😏 But….I’m in New Zealand at the moment on a 3 week trip so I’m kept entertained for now!! 😊 Raining at the moment…home again at the weekend. Thanks so much for watching these little videos and letting me know you enjoyed it 🤗 Take Care!!
Hello my friend. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing video with us. Success for you 👍
Thanks very much! 👍
Dear Miriam - I am captivated by your gentle manner and cerebral comments. It has certainly inspired me to think. Thank you!
Thank you! I tried something a little different by saying a few words off camera for this one - felt a little awkward but hey 🤭 Thanks for your lovely message, delighted you enjoyed it!!
As always, Miriam, yours are possibly the best films out there. The views, the actual filming, the editing, the sound track and the narration. Thank you so much.
Wow thank you John!! That’s a compliment and a half for a Sunday morning 😊 Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed it, your lovely message gives me motivation not to stop on the videos for now 😎 Have a lovely day yourself!!
Thanks for this video and the effort in making it. Mist can be a great deceiver and I respect your honesty. Like the new tent. 👍
Thanks very much! A great deceiver is a fab description of it...yeah, it was a definite part of the adventure so it warranted a place 😉 Thanks again!!
Winter hiking and camping bring a special solitude and beauty that is simply poetic. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for watching! That's a lovely description of what its like alright 😊 I totally agree!!
Really enjoy your videos Miriam, thanks.😎
Thank you Peter - thats lovely to hear 😊 Thanks so much for watching and letting me know 😉
Great video again miriam keep them coming
Thanks very much Peter!! Nice to hear you enjoyed it 😊 Enjoy your evening!!
Thank you Miriam. That was my first video of yours but surely not the last. Loved the pictures, editing and your narration. Have a great evening.
Thanks so much Zurawiny - great to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know 😊
@@MiriamKennedy You're very welcome Miriam and by the way, the shot of the Lough Ouler was beautiful. I once was in Wicklow Mountains but I didn't know about the lake.
@@zurawiny great to hear that you made it to Wicklow 😎 Shame I couldn’t show it off a little more on this trip but nice to get a few shots that showed it off a little!! Thanks very much 😊
@@MiriamKennedy Sometimes less is more. Nevertheless, I hear you 🙂You might just got yourself a reason for another great hike in Wicklow. I definitely would love to go back to that magical place one day for a proper hike.
I hope you make it!! 🤞
I think your new tent is good looking new addition.The sharing of your videos isnt showing off,its letting us come with you on the adventure,and i agree,cold,snowy weather is a test we can see what we are made of.The fog was a good cover,and when you are walking along,enjoying yourself,it can be very easy to stray abit.A compass will keep you true.The heart was saying to me that the big man loves your land.
Ah thanks Lincon!! A lot of that first narration was related to my own questions of why I bring the camera and the tension I find with it at times...I seem to again and again question what I'm doing. It's a cycle that happens with every video, I won't say I'm used to it but it's pretty familiar. I said in another comment that 2 days before this video I mentioned to a friend that I thought I wouldn't ever be making another video and I believed that...to use your words of 'the big man', I feel that I'm 'worked' or something around this whole process. When the urge to do a video arises, it's very powerful - maybe thats just how creativity comes to the fore or something. There is plenty of fun and lots of nice stuff with it but also quite a bit of doubt and uncertainty comes to visit too. The questioning isn't in the filming and editing process - its afterwards when I start questioning 'why I'm doing it'..its possibly just a habit I find myself in...anyway enough of my internal processing!! 😉 My new tent together with my internal and external compasses will definitely serve me well 😎 I live in a very beautiful land for sure Lincon...thanks!!
I loved the walkin', talkin' and thinkin' format in this video, Miriam. Great that you got the novelty of a bit of snow for your overnight, albeit fleeting. We've had a decent enough amount of the white stuff in my local hills (the Ochil Hills) this Winter so far, but they are not the highest 1900-2,400ft) so it can be fleeting at times...so one needs to get up there when the chance presents itself ! I can relate to the strange peace that snow walking can bring as well. I was standing on the hill with the snow falling on the conifers around me the other week and thought that somehow it was even more quiet than silence, in a strange way. Maybe the way it can muffle any other ambient sounds or something. Then I got thinking about probably my favourite piece of descriptive prose, right at the end of James Joyce's short story, The Dead. Real goosebump stuff every time I read it back. You probably know it, but if not then I think it would resonate somehow. Looking forward to my next trip back to Ireland in September, after good adventures in the Nephin Begs and Derryveigh mountains last year , when the weather was very kind to me :). I hope you will make more videos along these lines in the future, and can see a lot of other people agree! Thank you for the work you put in to bring us these films. All the best.
Hi Jim! Good to hear from you again - its been a while! Glad your trip to Ireland went so well for you - any nice weather definitely helps 😊 I'm not familiar with the prose you mentioned so I'll look into it, your description of 'more quiet than silence' is beautifully descriptive..I get what it's pointing to. Great you've had some tasters of the white stuff too - its hit and miss for me too and work commitments mean the weekends are the only chance and the good opportunities have been on offer on other days. In fairness I've had some nice experiences with a bit of snow already and its definitely filled me up for a few more weeks until I want to wander off again with a back on my back. Thanks for your support on the little narration addition this time - I was happy enough before I posted it and then I felt it was a bit twee as time wore on. Good to take the risk though and at least try something different. I felt I couldn't do the 'same formula' again, I don't see the point of that or it holds no interest for me more importantly. Ive no idea what'll be next or if there'll be a next but we'll see and maybe I'll feel moved to do the old formula again or something different..no idea! The whole video lark brings me on an internal journey of questioning what I'm doing etc - not sure whether there is value to my questioning or if I'm just caught in repetitive self doubt loops 🙃 Anyway - lovely to hear from you again and thanks for your encouragement, I appreciate it!!
@@MiriamKennedy absolutely we all know what is right for us at a certain point....but likewise, if it don't feel good anymore don't do it :). Life is definitely too short. The video commitment is a substantial one with all the extra work involved on the day and afterwards, so I can get that, definitely. I just take the compact camera and wouldn't even be prepared to lug a DSLR up the hills, never mind any video gear and large tripods etc ! Nice to get the odd picture published when it happens (I was surprised to get picked for track review of the month and Irish picture of the month in MountainViews late last year -under my nom de plume for that site - and a cover shot in Mountaineering Scotland's monthly e-mag at about the same time, bizarrely!) . All very flattering, but we have to do things for their own sake, ultimately. You'll find what works, I'm sure, and you have a body of work preserved here to take satisfaction from whatever you decide. On a tangent...when I climbed Slieve Snaght last September, I glanced up at the roofless church in Dunlewy and wondered whether you ever retrieved that errant drone featured in your video :)
If you are curious about the Joyce piece , it is easily searchable as it seems to be well-loved by a lot of people - snow lovers, I guess, apart from anything else. Kind regards from Scotland, Jim.
Hi Jim - congrats on the recognition of your photos! Very nice to receive I'd imagine 🥂 No, I never found that missing drone - lost in the timeless Derryveagh lands 😢 I'll make it my business to look at that prose!
"morning after the night before" - haha; as for documenting, always a positive in hindsight
Not sure if its always positive, for me anyway 🙂 Thanks for watching and glad you got a giggle anyway!! 😁
Who on earth would go out and camp in freezing conditions ???
Er we do , scanning the weather apps hoping to get out and catch the winter conditions . As you said we don’t get that much snow so when we do we’re out 🥶👍
Liking the new shelter Miriam , pitches well and very light indeed . I hope you enjoyed your winter camp just a pity the clag didn’t play ball and clear to show us those views . TFS atb Dave 🥶⛺️👍
Cheers Dave!! 🤩 Its official - I'm not alone in my secret desires....thank god for a youtube community to come across people who share this interest for sure! Yeah - very easy to pitch Dave and it looked so good for its first camp pitch, I probably can take no credit though!! 🤭 Very disappointing about those views but I'm glad I stuck with it anyway and I got to talk a whole load of nonsense instead 😇
Awesome video 👏 thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks very much Kevin!! 😉
I somehow missed this one . .
Bravo
Thank you 😉
Another great video Miriam, thanks for sharing!
Thanks Sam - delighted you enjoyed it 🤗
Thank you for this awesome inspirationel video😊 It must be so peacefull so alone in nature. You are a great example for us ladies outthere to go on a adventure
Much love from Holland🌷
Thanks Mirjam - that's lovely of you to say! Always nice to hear from another woman here - most of those that are interested in this stuff are definitely male so I always notice when I come across another woman! I find it very peaceful being alone like that although company at times is great too in these places. When I met that big group of hikers they were a little stunned that I was on my own and were trying to recruit me to their hiking group - I think they felt sorry for me thinking I'd no friends rather than thinking I'd prefer to be alone 😂
@@MiriamKennedy 🤣
👍
Great to see the new tent met with your expectations, Miriam; well wear. Another fab video.
Thanks very much John! My new tent did very well - it seems to be a very effective design and my god I thought it looked so good....it looks nearly as good as my Brompton 🤗 Shame about the views up top - would have been nice to show the place off a bit more..ah well! Thanks for watching John 👍
"Sure we're all abit mad Ted" beautiful video Miriam you got some amazing shots of the lake. The narration was excellent. You have a very relaxed and calm voice for it.
😂 Some a bit madder than others of course! Thanks very much Paul - glad I did something different otherwise there wouldn't have been a video! I wonder what I'll need to do next though 😮 Hope all is well with you!!
Absolutely. Thinking of the next adventure already?🤣 I'm glad it went all good for you
Cheers!! Happy planning 😎
Miriam, absolutely beautiful video.
I am of course a little blown away, especially given that your thoughtful narrative explores a subject and question I have often asked of myself and explored in my own mind.
I think in truth a video is very often made out of the very human need to share the things we know to be good. A video in this style will in all probability inspire someone else and we know that best when we find the music that captures the feeling you want others to know, drop it into the timeline and suddenly when put together it comes alive. Then you know the story and feeling is told more completely than in any other way. The story is shared in full, but in essence it’s still an act of sharing.
Many videos I’ve found on TH-cam have done so for me, not least this one. In that way a video can be an act of generosity given that it’s made in recognition of the gift that life has given to you which is to be out enjoying these very simple pleasures and more importantly- knowing their value. That’s a gift that feels good to pass along.
That spirit of generosity is also borne out by your final comments for which I am sincerely thankful and more than a little humbled. 🙏
My thanks and respect to you Miriam.
Ha, my inspirer for this one 😉 Maybe there is never one answer to that question of 'why'...well thats been my experience anyway, and it's no doubt different for everyone. I certainly seem to have a big internal journey that comes by pressing the 'publish' button on a video, never mind the physical trip I did contributing to the video 😂 Its not stuff I hear others talk about so I'm glad to hear that you question that stuff too! I certainly never realised creating a video and then publishing it would bring me on this internal journey. Its a lot of fun and rewarding but also an unknown quality as to what is driving it all...I think its the creative process that is really unfamiliar to me, logic can't explain it so I feel very out of my depth and not in control for want of a better expression and I'm possibly always trying to figure out what is happening...Anyway...thank you sincerely! I meant it when I said I thought I was done making videos as I didn't see any point in doing what I'd done before again...now I realise it was just that I had to do something different! I don't know whats next, but I suppose I'll be shown if there is a 'next'...😉 Best of luck with your journey with it all too, I'll be continuing to watch what you get up to 😎
@@MiriamKennedy the next thing I’ll be getting up to unfortunately is an alarm clock at 03:20 😆….for work, so I better go or I’ll end up pondering this all night.
This ability to hit publish is so new to most of humanity that it is both fascinating and unnerving at once and all that in both good and bad ways. I reckon as long as the heart is in it then it’s most often in good ways.
Goodnight for now, and in the mean time I hope we will see much more from you. There is a synergy in these things.
Sleep well!! 😮
I've got the X-Mid 1 Pro, which I got despite preferring a separate inner, not due to the lighter weight, but more so for the increased space inside. It's the same dimensions but feels much more spacious and I struggle with intense heat and humidity here in North Carolina. Many of our trails are such that space is sometimes hard to find, so the small footprint of the single versus the double was also a draw. I always guy out the poles however and use 8 stakes. We don't get wind as much as your part of the universe but when camping by the coast i've seen fairly stout tents collapse, so the extra lines are a bit of insurance.
I just stumbled upon your channel, and it seems a nice unique more contemplative format. I look forward to more of your content. :)
Aww thank you! Very glad you stumbled on by…I can imagine the space of the Pro would be more favourable. I’ve been doing ok with the 2 skin, although every time I have one of my 2 person tents out, I really enjoy that extra space!! 😉 I must admit that the footprint of a 2 person would rarely be an issue for me if at all for the places I find myself - in saying all that, I’m glad I have this cool one person tent in my collection - I’m a lucky camper!! Take good care and lovely to hear from you 😎
Good thing you noticed fairly soon that you were headed in a wrong direction! I'm sure it's easy to get turned around! Good thing also you had the spikes on your shoes, I'm sure those are very handy. The 1 person tent is good in many ways, tho you give up some luxurious space. :) Good you stay warm at night!! The drone views of the lake were beautiful, along with the sunrise. :) Thanks for starting my Sunday off nicely! :)
Hi Char! Thanks for giving my Sunday evening a little lift too 🤗 Yep - the spikes were great to have and it definitely took a bit of effort to orient myself correctly, even with a GPS tracker, thankfully no harm done! I'll get more used to one person tent living and they are definitely warmer in the colder weather for sure. Overall - it's a keeper 😉 Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
What a beauty indeed Miriam, though I think the text was 30 seconds late....
Ha! 😂 It’s a very lovely looking tent, I’m hoping for a long and rewarding relationship going forward 🤞
I’m learning loads from the equipment you use for different environments. Your videos are so calming and inspiring. Please keep it up !!
Aww thank you Eoin!! That's lovely to hear 😎 Thank you!!
What a wonderful video. Winter can be a great time to go for a hike. Everything looks diference and you have it all for yourself.Beautiful landscapes. Your new Tent looks really good.Also very cool Droneshots of the lake and camp.Thanks !!!
Thanks so much!! In Denmark you must see that contrast so regularly with the arrival of winter - the landscape here definitely seems to have more of a magical feel to it with frost and ice! 🤗 Very happy with the new tents look and performance - great to have a nice light shelter as an option now too! Thanks so much Sören!
Watching with my tea and toast loved this,off out on a 10 mile hike soon,been doing it every day and a no carb diet oh! the pain lol things i do for everest debs xx
Thanks Debs - it’s a lovely spot! Hope your hike went well today and that your training routing is going well. Sounds tough!!
@@MiriamKennedy thank you useing runkeeper the best app love it,and its free and have a wicked weekend debs xx
Fair play to you, Miriam. Fantastic video! I was getting a little worried when you set off in the fog; luckily you know the area well. Pertinent questions you posed and I love the way you dealt with them. You'll have to come out to Switzerland and build an igloo. Saves carrying the tent! 😉
🤣🤣 best argument for an igloo that I've ever heard!! Thanks so much for watching - yep, the aul fog is a tricky one...you had more concern than me when I headed off to be honest. My lack of concentration led me off, lesson learnt (again) 😇
Great video once again. That model Durston tent is one an Engineer can admire wit it's diagonal inner inside a rectangular-based fly design. The snow looked beautiful! You found that deer don't use GPS'. Very nice production with a wonderful soundtrack. Thank so much!
The engineer in me is in awe of the design of this tent Denis - I hold it in the same esteem as the Brompton, a thing of such beauty and functionality!! 😉 As for those deer not calibrating their GPS...😂 Thankfully nothing injured but my pride!! Thanks so much for watching it and your message - lovely to hear from you! The X-mid doesn't have that sleek sports car look like the Akto...I'll have to think what kind of car it replicates!!
One of my favorite places to spend time, I camped in that very spot in summer many years ago but got plagued by midges. It's very hard to describe what we get from such adventures but your words came very close. I will have to dig out my 2 man vango blade for the spring.For me, no time in the mountains is wasted. Thanks for sharing, your Wonderful drone perspectives are a joy. Best wishes.
Hi Neil - I reckon that was my 4th time camping at Lough Ouler but only my first time at that location. I'd had really crappy pitches on the other side of the lake and the top end - at the time I was in heaven but my god there were so many flat pitches on that side! 🤗 So glad I could capture the lake with the drone on the first day - I realise I needed to send the drone higher though to get better shots. I was sending it 200m in the air but I now realise I could have gone higher. Sounds like a good Spring plan with your Vango - before the midges arrive!! 😉 Cheers for your message!!
Enjoyed your narration Miriam & so pleased you visited Lough Ouler again, especially under those conditions 💙 Thanks for taking the camera gear along & for sharing. 🕊🤍 from Sydney.
Thanks Franny for watching this one - what a spot Lough Ouler is, its even more magical with the backdrop of snow and frost! A shame I couldn't throw the drone out from higher ground to show it off more but glad I got some footage from Day 1 anyway 😉 Enjoy those warm temps in Sydney!!
I love watching all your videos, Miriam. I find them so relaxing, but I think this one is my favourite. I love your honesty and self reflection. See you soon hopefully. ❤️
Thanks Peter!! It was nice to do something different...about 2 days before this trip I said to a friend 'I think I'm done making videos', I couldn't see the point in doing another one in the style that I seem to have stumbled on, it seemed pointless. Then that guys video got some sort of creative juices going and I wondered if I could risk narrating like that...without knowing what I'd be doing I knew I was going to bring the camera. No idea what'll be next or even if there will be a 'next'...thanks so much Peter and catch up with you soon!! 😍
@Miriam Kennedy I think it was the different style of narrative I liked the most Miriam. For me, it feels like a more in-depth insight into how it is for you, when you are going camping and making trying to make the video, etc. Plus, your honesty just shines through it all.
Ah cheers Peter! I'm glad I did it, even if it feels pretty strange to record myself etc and then press 'publish'....such a small risk in fairness!! 🤭🤩
Glad you made the video-some great tips on that route and good views even in the fog. I was on the Spinc on Saturday morning looking across a Tonlagee. Everything above 350M was under cloud and there was plenty of ice on the sides of the path. Thanks for the good tips on navigation-some of the drop-offs near Tonlagee are steep! Back to snowy MA next week where I'll get a chance to give my microspikes a run-out!
Were you back for a good long visit Brendan?? I'd say the Spinc was nice alright but that cloud on Saturday was pretty thick!! Hope the snow wont be too bothersome on your return...I got microspikes for the first time last winter and that was my first time using them this season, great to have them!! Thanks for watching and your message - safe journey to your other home!!
Hi Miriam,
What a beautiful location to camp in. The drone shots really showed it off so well, you kinda got your snow camp in the end.
Still more Winter to go so maybe more snow will fall.
The 4 season inner really cuts down on the draughts, also it doesn't seem as flappy as your Hilleberg.
A nice bit of camping therapy videography for us all to watch:)
Sandy
Cheers Sandy - the narration stuff was a bit weird to do but it seemed I had to do something different from what I had been doing as I was bored with that. Yep great to have the 4 season inner for these conditions and plenty of differences from the Akto and it'll be good to learn more of what its capable of. Thanks very much for watching it!! Lough Ouler is very beautiful especially when seen from up high, you'd love it 😊
Heavens Miriam, you are so brave. I'm so in awe, not just the walking, but camping in sub-zero temps, brrrr! Well done, you are something else. Richard.
Thanks Richard! The aul quality gear keeps the cold from the bones 😉 In fairness though, the temps rose quite a bit during the night - I loved it. You’d possibly love it too!! 😎
I always thought of it as the creator sharing a story - like they would in person with a friend telling them about a hike/ trip etc . But here the sharing is through video, narration and music . . . . and you are sharing it with us.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Cormac! That’s a nice way to see it - those stories keep changing and I’m possibly beginning to consciously ask myself what stories I want to tell if I use a camera. For a long time I was just flying around the place with a camera, having fun (and still am in fairness) but I’m probably a serious soul underneath it all and I question myself a lot afterwards as to what I’m really doing…it’s a new world for me to find myself in and I haven’t a notion what Im doing in fairness 😉
@@MiriamKennedy you're doing very well for someone who "hasn't a notion" 😂......your stories are very enjoyable and inspiring. You've given me a few great trip ideas, and also friends of mine I've shared your videos with. 👍 The cliffs of Moher camp in the off season is a definite in my plans. Thanks
Thanks Cormac - hope you get to do it before the crowds arrive to disturb your peace there 😉
Thanks for sharing 👌
Thank you Rizal for watching 😉
@@MiriamKennedy your video always amazing 🤩 I know is not easy, you have great effort 💪 thanks
Ah thanks!! It’s rewarding as you know to do it 😊
Well done Miriam! Very beautiful, calming and soothing. And fair play to you for getting out there in the cold! ❄️ I'm definitely more of the 'punish yourself' type in those conditions 😅
Ha! Thanks Sophie 😊 Heaven to me for some reason 🤷🏼♀️ It’s a lovely spot for sure - nice to have been able to capture it a bit. I was out last weekend in the tent without the camera and you would have loved it 🫣 In a freak gust my mattress and sleeping bag were sucked out under my tent door - the inner was open but the fly was shut, I was walking back towards my tent and spotted my mattress about to escape and I rugby tackled the tent to save it. When I got into the tent I realised my sleeping bag was gone!!! -3 during the night and no sleeping bag…I survived anyway, not a life lesson I had hoped to learn in terms of how I could survive with no sleeping bag - I learned that night anyway 🤦♀️ 😉
@@MiriamKennedy Jesus Mary and Joseph! Girl you'll have to start filming live so we know your last known location!! Sounds like a father Ted sketch - the physical comedy of it haha it's almost slapstick! In all seriousness, sorry it happened in real life but I hope you can atleast laugh about it now 😅 or atleast I hope it's OK that I'm laughing haha 😜
Definitely can laugh about it now!! Thankfully I’ve a friend in New Zealand who are on the opposite end of the clock so I was able to talk to him for most of the night to keep me entertained rather than shivering!! I searched and searched but couldn’t find the sleeping bag that night or the next morning. I’m going to go back to the Mournes this weekend on a day trip with the drone and see if I can find it on the slopes of the mountain - one last attempt anyway 🤞 Slapstick is right 🙃
@@MiriamKennedy ah glad you had someone to keep you company and distract you from freezing over! I hope you find the sleeping bag - sounds like your next video to me...Dude, where's my sleeping bag? Best of luck with it! I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya 🤞🙏
Cheers! God - not a video!! No more videos now for a long while I’d say, I’ve lost the bug, just do my trips but I’ve lost interest in videoing. I’ll see if the mojo returns in time 🙃
Great video Miriam, love the drone shots.
Cheers Declan! I would have liked to do so much more with the drone - I came home with about 1.5 full batteries, so I could have flown for about another 40 minutes...wasn't to be. It was super to be able to capture what I did anyway! Thanks again Declan!
Tent looks spectacular. You must have been on a waiting list to get that tent. They seem to be flying off the shelves. Glad you showed and shared that you went astray. It just shows you cannot take the outdoors for granted. Beautiful footage as always. The area looks fabulous with the kiss of snow.
Hi Colin - I was waiting just over 2 months I think...there was no big rush as I'd plenty of backup in fairness but fab to eventually get it! It's such a good looking tent isn't it - wonderful design, so good to see it at last and be in it. Yeah I'm glad I left that piece in, its good to remind myself too as I can easily forget the dangers I face. Nature has a way of always giving me hints on every trip though!! 😉 The kiss of snow definitely gives more of a magical hint to the landscape - so wonderful!! Cheers Colin!
Excellent video, you made me feel like I was there with the excellent narrative and filming. Dan Durston makes great tents.
Thanks very much David! It was time to try something different again on the video front...it got a bit same-y doing the same style over and over and I couldn't see myself doing another one again in the way that I was. Not sure what'll be next 🙃 Very happy with Dans tent - such a great piece of engineering design!! Hope all is well with you!!
@@MiriamKennedy I like the new style, you've got the voice for narrating. I have been considering the same tent, as its half the weight of my Scarp 1, would be perfect for multiday trekking. Hope you're keeping well too.
@@DavidDoyleOutdoors yeah exactly my thoughts - a no brainer when you use hiking poles already. Import taxes always a pain but I'm still very glad I went for it! I'm looking forward to doing some multi day hikes with it too 🙂
Brilliant video Miriam, great mix of drone and camera. I thought the Lough shots were amazing early in the video, you captured the shape perfectly, especially with the snow on the surrounding hills. Loved the narration too, added something extra special 😊 Glad you shared this one, I'm sure you have inspired others just as you were 👍
Cheers Niall - just finished watching your vid, what a forest 😎 It was fab to be able to capture the lake on the first afternoon and I was glad a few of those shots showed the heart shape a bit! I could have sent the drone higher to get it a bit more - I just checked today to see what the limit is on height with the drone...I'd never pushed it beyond 200m before, I now know we can send them to 500m. The narration was a new one for me...glad I did it, but it is a bit weird to do 😉
@@MiriamKennedy I do them for work Facebook videos, used to it now but I agree, the first time was weird as hell 🤣
Nice video Miriam. As Jason said, when the visibility is poor, its time to wake up a bit a get home safely. It just goes to show that no matter how well you know a place it is easy to get turned around. Hiking, walking in the snow, is a rare thing here, as you said. It does add to the adventure but it also adds to hidden dangers. Until your next video, stay safe and keep cosy...
Yep - the danger is always there! Nice to get a reminder without too much hardship...every trip I get some sort of a reminder of how dangerous it can be. The bitter sweetness of nature I suppose 😉 Take good care yourself and cheers for your message!
What a stunning presentation my friend, these shots and narration are spectacular. Absolutely spectacular!
Thanks so much Ervin!! Shame I couldn't do more with the drone but glad I stuck with it anyway 😊 Hope you're keeping well!
You are not the first person to be merrily heading off through the fog in the wrong direction, nor will you be the last. With GPS (on phone or dedicated) it is very easy to get back on track, but with just a map and compass not so easy (speaking from experience from the 80s climbing Scottish mountains in winter).
So don't beat yourself up - you'll probably double check next time you are in that type of situation :-)
Hi Peter - absolutely!! A good little lesson without too much impact thankfully 😉 Even with a GPS it was still a little awkward in those conditions I noticed but once I got a better direction it worked out fine. Impossible for me without the GPS on my phone for sure! I hope your 80’s incident wasn’t too bad. Thanks for your message, I appreciate it 😊
Great video Miriam , and another tent added to my “to consider “ list 👍
Thanks very much Tony! I generally don't want to feature products in videos, I was pretty excited about this one so I let that slip in...hard to contain the excitement at times especially when I know some others might have some interest 😊 I hope your 'to consider' list gets some action at some stage in 2023!! 😎
@@MiriamKennedy I understand about not wanting to feature products but sometimes it has its place, and this time it has alerted me to something new!
I'll be buying a new, lightweight bike and backpacking tent asap.
Lots of trips planned for 2023 🙂
Thanks again 👍
Oh great stuff!! For additional info - they also do separate poles for bike packing (which I bought aswell). The poles fold up a lot smaller than my trekking poles. It's a big thing to move though I think to a trekking pole tent. The 2 person is only 1035g I now realise.....wow 😮
Thanks Miriam, the short poles, and therefore tent, should fit between my gravel bike bars. I prefer tent poles to trekking poles. I'll also check out the internal length of the 2p version as I'm tall and it's still lightweight at 1035 g.
Thanks again.
@@tonypaddler fingers crossed the tent length might work for you 🤞
just ordered a Xmid1 mesh inner is onrout to me now should have it my feb 10th. i was going to get the solid inner but after talking to Dan he said i would be fine with the all mesh inner , Dan said i can always order a solid inner after if i want and have both options. Dan is very knowlegable about his product and helpful . looking foward to getting my new tent. will be my first trekking pole tent.
Hi Jeff - congrats on your new purchase! I also got myself a mesh inner, it’s great to have both options available to me, I’m very happy to have both but the mesh inner is definitely the way to go! With the mesh inner you have more visibility in looking out (with the door open) and it possibly gives a sense of more space too. It’s a great tent and I hope you’ll be really happy with it. Cheers for your message 😊
@MiriamKennedy yeah I had a MSR hubba nx1 and I liked that tent but wanted to get a trekking pole tent and something lighter. Just recently sold my hubba nx1
You’ll love it! I also own a Hubba Hubba and an MSR Access 2 - I still get use out of them. The lighter weight option with the X-Mid is so good to have for those trips when I want to go lighter 😉
@MiriamKennedy I still have my MSR elixir 2 which has had more use .
Yes I felt from the start this video captured in a few words the surprising and even mystical moments in the true climbing wild. Maybe wonder if you work with words professionally. On the 1p vs 2p issue this is so commonly felt as a clear preference isn't. When I watch climbers who record and post on utube I often wonder if part of the 2p preference is the real difficulty of placement of camera and camera angles in a 1p tent. OK I've given away my bias on the issue. Takecare safe walking and thx for bringing us along and giving a little light. JMO
Thanks JMO! Writing becomes part of the day job indirectly I suppose - I work as a Project Manager and I end up having to write a bit but I’ve no special skill in fairness 🤕 Ooohh…the 2p V 1p debate - my preference is not down to camera gear at all. I enjoy the luxury of having that extra wriggle room in the inner. My mattress is wide and it practically fills the entire space, if it was 6 inches wider I know I’d be happier…this is based on how I feel in my other 2 person tents. I’ve been using my X-Mid 1 a lot and I seem too attached to sell it at this stage. I definitely make use of it but I may treat myself to the 2 person version also 🫣 I love tents I suppose 😎 I like having such a light tent at my disposal especially for tougher and longer hikes but the 2 person tent is only about 250g heavier but then has other things that you need to compensate for in terms of a larger footprint and bigger panel size for the wind. I think I might eventually get one though. Having said that - I’ve no plans to sell my X-Mid. Oh the joys of tents!! 🤩 Thanks for your message…back to the day job I go!
Hey Miriam, thank you for sharing this experience. Your thoughts really added to the story of this video and it has turned out really well. I am sure that you are glad that you made the effort to film... Another fab video under your belt.... ATB Tom
Cheers Tom...it was time for something different with the video making. No idea what'll be next, hope its not too embarrassing whatever it'll be 🙃 Cheers for watching - yep, very glad to have that memory record available to me now 😊 Cheers for watching and your message!! Happy snow hunting 😎
Outstanding Miriam!😎
Thanks very much, that's lovely 😊
What a place! I hope you're as happy as I am with the new X-Mid, I bought the 2p version and I love it. Terrible conditions for navigation the following morning, I did the same thing & was way off track coming down on the Wicklow Gap side, only I copped a fellow hiker on the trail, I managed to get back on track. Great video again Miriam, take care!
Thanks John!! In hindsight, I should have got the 2 person but I’ll do ok with the 1 person 😉 The inner is a bit narrow for my liking but I’ll make use of it! Always pretty humbling when I lose my way like that - literally skipping along for ages before I copped I was off! Could have been worse of course…great you’re enjoying your X Mid aswell, that’s great to hear!! Another recruit for an X Mid party - you’re the fourth person I know now that has one!! 😎
Love it Miriam. What a magical place made even more special by the weather you got. I found myself lost on the way down from that mountain before in similar conditions, and I remember loving every minute of it, knowing I had my tent if I needed to wait for the cloud to lift. Would love to walk the route in snow .Many thanks for taking the time to make,and share such beautiful videos as always. Best wishes. Joe
Hi Joe! I'm not the only one 😎 Yeah I mostly felt 'its all ok, I've plenty of time, no need to panic'...if I had plans or something that would have created some stress I think. So dodgy with poor visibility...the perils of hiking, a good reminder though without any harmful experience thankfully!! When I was last up there about a year ago there was snow up there also - good visibility too 🙃 Hope you get to have that snowy experience sometime soon! Cheers for your message, greatly appreciated!
@Miriam Kennedy Thanks Miriam. Nice new tent btw to add to your collection. First time seeing this tent, so I must give it a look online
👏
@@joebeatty4405 cheers Joe! I killed the Sea to Summit lightweight tent I had 🙁 I had it pitched in the wrong direction for some unexpected wind and I went messing with one of the guylines attaching extra support with my hiking pole which seemed to create additional tension and it snapped the pole! Thankfully it was early Summer and not January - so it wasn't too bad to spend the night in a collapsed tent waiting for the sun to come up! Thats what prompted me to get the Akto 😉 This one is meant to handle quite a bit of wind too - I'll be cautious about testing that though!! I can also attach 2 additional guylines which I'll do incase they're needed.
Another great video Miriam, lovely footage and great job on the narration
Cheers Peter! Its a lovely spot - shame Day 2 was so clouded over for the views but still a nice day out before heading home to the cat! 😀
Miriam, interesting questions about doing what you do😊 Lough Ouler was looking beautiful in winter conditions❄👍 It even looked calm weather wise!! Enjoying it for what it is, when it isn't exactly what it could be, is one to embrace, especially the loveliness of snow and fog😊 Have you been able to recover your sleeping bag from the Mournes?
Cheers Gerry! Always a lovely spot to spend a night and my little snowy, foggy adventure the following day had lots of pleasure too, I just couldn’t show the area off too well but I certainly enjoyed being there 😊 I heard Martin told you about the sleeping bag drama 🤦♀️ Such a random thing to happen - a gust seemed to raise the fly from the ground and suck out the sleeping bag (I left the inner open but the fly was shut). I was outside the tent and walking back when I spotted the mattress about to escape and was able to save that but then realised the sleeping bag was gone. I spent about 30 mins before it got dark searching but couldn’t locate it. I took a break and then tried again for another hour but no joy. I decided to stay rather than face into a climb down Lamagan in the dark. It went to -3 that night but I did ok, the good mattress was the saviour and I had a sleeping bag liner too which kept me going, an uncomfy night but I seemed to cope surprisingly well. The next morning I spent 2 hours searching and eventually called it a day. I was gutted!! A few days later I got the idea to go back with my drone (I hadn’t camera gear with me on the night) so I went back up last Sunday again with my drone to try find - unfortunately the wind was too strong for me to put it to good use. I tried it once form the base but was only able to send it up 80m before getting wind warnings. I went up top again and searched the slopes as much as I could but again came away empty handed. I feel so terrible to have left such a huge mark on the mountainside and that someone might eventually come across it and have the hassle of bringing it down off the mountain. It’s so open and there are so many boulders to act as obstacles but I just couldn’t seem to come across it. I’ll try again with the drone and hopefully locate it 🤞 Cheers for asking!!
Miriam, that does sound like a freak event to literally suck your sleeping bag out of the tent. I am sure it must have been a frantic search to get your sleeping bag back on the night and a difficult night in the tent without it❄ I appreciate your concern for leaving something behind on the mountain, even unintentionally. Hopefully it will be recovered and even returned to its owner🤞
Well, you got to get into the snow, at least for a wee spot of time!
I loved your intro commentary, I know I camp in the winter because I live in a place that has four distinct seasons, and it’s magical to be camping without bugs, humidity and most importantly other people.
Great tent, holy! Soon you’ll have as many shelters as I do :) Two person tents are much more comfortable but I do like my one person for the weight and packing size!
Great way to start my Sunday as I wait for the snow to fall here so I can get out for a bike ride, I love riding while it’s snowing.
Always a pleasure seeing you in your environment!
Take care, Rick
Thank you Rick!! I know you get it 😉 Very nice to be free of bugs aright. I rarely come across people thankfully! Maybe as a nation - the Irish aren't that enamoured with wild places..their indifference works for me for the most part anyway! Hope you get a magical snow fall for your Sunday cycle, that sounds like bliss! Yeah the tent is definitely a keeper but there was possibly not much of a weight penalty for the 2 person in fairness. Lovely to hear from you!! Best of luck out there 😎
Fabulous as ever. I'm amazed you can get a video of this quality out so quickly.
Cheers Dick!! As well as a camping fan, I'm a bit single minded and get lost in the next stage of the process as soon as I come through the door at home 😊 I wouldn't be able to sit on it at all but thankfully my life allows me to operate like that I suppose. Its done now..and now its on to the next thing of life 😉 Hope the Brompton is going well for you!!
@@MiriamKennedy Its been so icy here in Argyll that I've hardly had a chance to use the Brompton. Reluctant to use it when the roads are covered in salt but better weather is coming. Hoping to cycle in Denmark in the spring.
Oh wow - that sounds amazing! Yeah I'm only doing short runs occasionally on my Brompton for now, nipping into the city for work is the main thing, not too much salt to contend with here - that's something I hadn't thought of in fairness. Happy Denmark dreaming 😊
Another Brilliant adventure @Miriam. Nothing like trekking in the snow.
Hopefully we’ll get another period of snow before the winter is out and you can go all out arctic ! 👏 ⛄️
Ha!! I might have to ring in sick 🥶 Trying to catch the snow on weekends is hit and miss...I've had my hit now for a while so that'll keep me quiet and out of trouble for a bit hopefully!! 😊 Cheers Robert, I hope all is well!
Great video :) ... tent bought with your own funds lol loved that. If you want snow just go to the mournes :) I was there this week myself. Stunning:) ps the narrative was excellent 👌
It was only afterwards that I thought that might look like I was begging for money or something...I was trying to say that I wasn't sent a freebie and promoting a product but there was probably a better way of saying it. I just forgot to say it to camera. Yeah the Mournes would have been possibly a better choice at the weekend but it looked there was rain arriving there too...I'm due a trip up there again so hopefully I'll catch snow again up when I'm free 🤞 Thanks for your message and glad you caught some snow!! 😊
@MiriamKennedy I knew that you weren't begging lol sure the minute I see paud promotion I usually stop watching. Nobody wants to see a creator go on about a piece if kit they were given.. or paid for :)
Phew 😎 Its the ones that don't include 'paid promotion' that we need to be wary of too...glad you didn't think I was begging though 😉
I love cold snowy winter hikes and camps it's a totally different experience and a chance to camp at place's I avoid during the popular summer months when there super busy.i keep looking at the xmid but can't justify buying another tent I've got a cpl 3 season tents and a 4 season tent but I do prefer 2p tents just the extra room is so nice.ive a all mesh inner on 1 tent great air flow but on still nights the inside of the outer gets condensation on it and I've had it shower me with water through the mesh so I prefer semi solid works better for me.
Hi Craig - I’ve the same idea as you, having different tents for different situations. It’s a very lucky place to be! I was always drawn to a trekking pole tent and bought a Lanshan Pro - the single skin tent just wasn’t for me, I was freaked out about my down sleeping bag. I know plenty of people seem to love them but I just couldn’t do it!! I’m looking forward to getting more acquainted with the X-Mid but like you, the 2 person would have been a better fit for me. I’ll still use the X-Mid though and it will certainly have uses for me on plenty of trips…fingers crossed anyway 😉
@@MiriamKennedy yea having a tent for different situations is definitely a luxury.ive just got the hilleberg niak at Xmas so still waiting to use that but if by some chance I did buy another tent I think it would be the xmid 2p solid but I'll try and resist till at least next year😁
No more new tents needed by you for 2023 for sure!! I was out in my Akto last night - another one person tent but I appreciated it’s strength with some very strong gusts. Didn’t fancy trying the XMid out in very strong winds - at some stage I’ll need to test it a bit though to try learn what it can handle. Enjoy your Niak 😊
Beautiful video as always Miriam. The new tent looks stunning in the landscape and the snow is just amazing. It's mad how disorientated you can get when the visibility is so bad. I'm happy you got back safe and sound 👍
Hi Jason! The new tent does look so good doesn't it 😉 It has the attractiveness of the Brompton in terms of a design that has to be marvelled!! I was a bit in awe of how it looked 😂 Oh lord....navigation errors can be so easily done in that weather...being blissed out doesn't help in staying on track!! Cheers Jason and have a good week yourself!!
How appropriate the heart shaped lough for such a lovingly photographed video Miriam.
What a visual feast for the eyes. Thank you so much for all the care and thought in the making of this.
We had 10cm of snow this past weekend here in lower Austria but the weather warmed up today so it has nearly all gone and the little stream that runs the length of the lane I live on which has its source in the Vienna woods that surround me and flows into the Danube a 15 minute walk from my tiny home was in full force so I shall fall asleep to the sound of rushing water tonight.
Nature truly is a magical thing as your wonderful videos so ably show.
When I lived in Canada I used to spend Christmas and New Year in Banff. If you want sublime snowy winter walks I highly recommend the trails there in winter, it is so peaceful as there are so few walkers. Make your base the wonderful YWCA as it’s the perfect location for all the trails.
Thanks Ian - glad you enjoyed some of the views on this one, Day 2 was a bit limited but sure, that's the way it goes!! The soundscape for your nighttime sleep sounds like it will be lovely - I hope you went to the toilet before heading to bed anyway 😀 I imagine Canada would be lovely this time of year, harsh of course too. Your visits to Banff sound divine - mental note made! Wishing you well for the upcoming week in lower Austria. Thanks so much for your lovely message!!
Hi Miriam, glad that you got your snow camp. I see you bagged the prime real estate by the lake again 🙂. Such a nice watch, you managed to get the sunrise in as well, which was tricky under such conditions. glad the new tent worked out well, will that be the last one ?? somehow I don't think so 😉. As always an excellent video and narrative. take care 🧭
Ha! I keep saying its the last one for 2023 definitely....I've 4 now 😮 I've camped at Lough Ouler 3 times in the past but never on that side. My other pitches were dreadful compared to this spot! When I was leaving the lake the last time I spotted a tent in that area on my way out, I hadn't noticed it the night before..what a gem and lots of flat spots around there. Thankfully the sunrise snuck through before being gobbled up by more clouds...great to have caught it! Cheers Andrew and hopefully I'll be taking better care the next time 🤞
Nicely filmed Miriam the mood of a long winter Hike captured perfectly 🙏🏼🏔️❄️
It’s an interesting question why hikers and campers choose to go out in the winter ❄️ especially in our islands where apart from the far north snow is increasingly uncommon 😢and we haven’t had the many years of working in snow and ice like in Scandinavia
So why?
Search for Solitude, ego, or testing one’s self to see if we measure up in testing conditions far removed from our comfortable lifestyle or even testing your kit all valid all meaningful and ultimately i suspect it’s a combination of the above in deferring amounts for we are not all alike 🙏🏼🏔️❄️
Fabulous film
Best regards Simon 🤠👍
Thanks very much Simon! As you can probably guess, anyone who isn’t into this kind of stuff think we’re nuts to want to go out in the snow. The reactions I got from people when I mentioned I was going to try find snow to camp were usually filled with horror! When it comes to videoing any trips I do question what I’m doing and why - and as you said it’s never really a straight forward answer and it also changes every time I do it possibly. Anyway - it’s done now and I had a great time m, which is a nice memory to have 😊 Hope you’re having a good time in this winter weather and occasional snow 😉 Cheers for your message!!
@@MiriamKennedy a pleasure Miriam 🙏🏼
Best wishes 🤠👍
Durston currently doesn’t sell the inners separately. However, he told me they are looking into it in the near future.
Hi Micah - like you I contacted Dan also with the same query, it’ll be nice to have the option of changing the inner out in those rare very hot days in Ireland 🤗 Thanks for your message!!
Another brilliant, soulful video, Miriam. Thank you for taking us with you on your journeys. Wishing you all the best!
Thanks so much Chris!! Thank you for coming along with me 🤩 Nice to have people to share it with after the event - it adds a nice flavour to it all 😎 Take care yourself!!
It's great to wild camp in the snow, unfortunately it is not always possible to get away when the snow arrives! Beautiful video and stunning shots, I need to head south for my adventures and explore more parts of our Island!
Hi there! I totally agree - it’s very difficult to try align the visiting snow with free time 🤦♀️ Although I didn’t get much snow, it at least scratched that itch of wanting to camp in snow for now! I hope you do make it down south to explore some more, we’d love to have you 🤗 Time for me to make it north again too!! Cheers for your message!!
Thanks!
Oh lord Chris - thank you so much! I don't even know how this works 😊 I deliberately haven't signed up for ads on TH-cam as I don't want to be caught up in the circus. I'll look into this and see what it's all about. I'm very flattered 🌻 Thanks!!
Beautiful video Miriam 🙌 love the tent, we where out last week and it was freakishly warm for this time of year, the clouds help so much, anyways nice to see you out again and making great content 🎥🎬👍🍀
Thanks very much Mark!! Yep those temperatures certainly rose, the clouds weren’t so helpful when trying to navigate up top but added a nice dimension to the hike anyway 😉 Cheers!!
Lovely video and commentary, first day spectacular drone footage second day atmospheric. A new tent is always exciting I think that it embodies the excitement of future adventures.
It's taken me years to make the conscious effort to put my spoon and lighter in the same place rather than keep losing them in the tent 😊
We should have a little support group for 'losing things in the tent'....all the tips we could pick up from each other!! Thanks so much for your message, I'm very happy that I could at least fly the drone on the first day to capture the views and like you said day 2 had its own charm if not the majestic views! A new tent is definitely exciting - I liked the way you put it! 😎
@@MiriamKennedy I should add that I still lose other stuff within a tent 30 inches wide and six foot long I have no idea of how or why or where these errant bits go but go they most certainly do!
@@davidhale1568 I seem to spend my evenings looking for stuff - thats how I pass the time in truth!! 🤭
@@MiriamKennedy I reckon you also spend it looking at maps and if not out walking then haunting the travel section of book shop's like all the best people do!
@@davidhale1568 😂😂
Lovely scenery. Love your tenacity to camp out at this time of year😀
Thanks Yvonne!! Its a very beautiful place and very enticing any time of year in fairness 🙂 I was delighted to be able to do it. After my work day today - I'd look forward to another trip at some stage to the mountains where things are more straightforward 😉
You'll just have to return for another overnight. Well done!
Thanks Peter 😉 I did think that - that’s probably my fourth time to camp at Lough Ouler, the other times I camped on the other side of the lake on very lumpy, uneven ground. That particular spot this time was so nice, really flat and clear ground and very inviting for a return visit 😎 I realise I needed to send the drone higher to better capture its profile from the ground and I now know that I could send it higher…maybe another time!!
@@MiriamKennedy I thought the drone video from the first day was spectacular.
I was delighted the profile came through on some of the shots but the annoying perfectionist in me knows it can be better 🤦♀️ 😇
Brilliant video Miriam. Very inspiring but winter solo camp in the freezing cold is not for me. I went up Slievenamon on Thursday evening, the summit was completely cover over in snow. Even though I have been up there many times I got a fright as the snow had the path totally hidden.
Thanks for sharing both the journey and your thoughts. Another great job...
Cheers Derrick!! The snow covering the path must have ben a scary one..it reminds me of that double edge of nature with beauty and danger in everything...its pretty humbling when nature reveals its power!! Thanks so much for watching the video and your message, I really appreciate it 😊
@@MiriamKennedy Thanks Miriam, it's lovely to see the outdoors through the eyes of serious hikers. It encourages those of us novel hill walkers. We missed you on the Arra Loop. Gary and Niall were missing as well. But we got to meet a few new faces and catch up with some not so new. Hope ye make it on the next one. Martin does a wonderful job, and still gets to turn out a great video in the middle of it all.
Till the next time, take care.
@@gonefishingtoday yeah it looked you like you all had fun 😉 I still consider myself a novice too Derick - I've only a small amount of experience too, every trip gives me a little more knowledge for sure though. Yep Martin is a trooper in doing what he does!! 😎
@@MiriamKennedy 👍
Wow Miriam.. loving your narration at the start. It would make you think and appreciate why we do it. The connection with Nature is unbeatable. Just amazing. Brilliant video Miriam. Calming as always. Got my X Mid. It looks unreal so it does. Lovely spot and well done taking advantage of the winter weather. Stunning.
Cheers Martin! The X Mid is great, a bit tight in the inner but I'm happy with it! Lough Ouler is such a nice spot - whether to hike or camp, a great sight to see! Not sure about the narration - but good to give something new a go anyway!! 🙂
Well done Miriam another great video commentary and beautiful snowy foggy landscapes I was wondering how you navigate when it gets foggy and you proved that at the end. I was wondering did you use a compass. But as you said you know the area. Looking forward to your next trek video. ❤
Cheers Gerry - I generally always have a map and compass with me but not this time. I also have ordinance survey maps on my phone that don't require me to have a signal. There is a built in GPS on these maps on the phone that show me exactly where I am - very much needed when coming down from the mountain on this one 😎 Cheers for your message!! Enjoy work - you're up and out early!! 😉
@@MiriamKennedy I was awake early and seen your video I’m off till Wednesday so chilling out. Swimming lesson today at 12 and meeting a guy at 3 about work.
I must try and get down to Wicklow and try out the new drone for some videos I just upgraded to the DJI pro 3 classic series bit of drone kit
Wow - your new drone sounds fab!! Enjoy your time off you lucky thing, I need to get my head back in gear this morning 🤕 Best of luck with the swimming lesson!
A super atmospheric one here Miriam. The snow? I think I'm going to get a bit cosmic. We know for sure it will jettison us into an altered state of awareness. Don't you just love the sound when it snows? It's not just the visual or the freshness it's that sound and sound is such a divine part of the universe. In snow it mesmerizes and we love it. Good to hear of the new tent and of brewing up mountain side not least losing our way. I've done that before saved by a break in the cloud. Well, good going. Enjoyed that. All the best. Mark
Thanks very much Mark! Yes, that sound of silence in snow is very special 🤗 So easily forgotten until I got to walk in it again - my attention drawn to every crunch and squelch. The fog or possibly the limited distraction of visuals due to the amount that I could see seemed to add to the sound experience too…very close and intimate. Looking forward to getting to know my new tent some more over the coming months 👍 Thanks for watching Mark and good to hear from you!!
@@MiriamKennedy A pleasure Miriam. Yeah, that sound is golden amid the snow. And I agree, and was going to mention that, the mist as it envelops, does obscure the visuals and alter our perception to. Great stuff. See you out there in the tent then - hopefully me to. Take care.
nice ❤
Cheers Morts 😉 A lovely little spot!!
Bom dia joinha no vídeo
Muito obrigado! 😊
Hi Miriam. Love the new tent, and what a beautiful spot to try it out! Nice sunrise, before the heavy cloud moved in 😁 All the best and take care 👍😊
Thanks Des! It’s a lovely looking tent isn’t it 😊 Very lucky getting the bit of sun on the first day and that it was clear where it came up the following day alright. The fog was heavy but still nice to be out and about - just a shame the cameras weren’t much use. Hope all is good with you!
@@MiriamKennedy Yes, and fantastic to get a four season tent at that weight! My walking pole tent is single skinned, so strictly 2/3 season only. All good thanks👍 Hope you are too!
@@DesGreene so far so good Des - looking forward to getting to know the tent some more over the coming months!!
Love it up there but everyy time I've tried to camp at the Lough, the wind beats me. Tonlegee lives up to its name. Last time I found shelter just 100m down from the lough next to the burn. Less wind.
I have the xmid 2 solid. I had it it out for its first test in the high parts of Glenmacnass so not far from your pitch. They are such good tents but the import charge -ouch.
Hi Ewen - nice to hear from another Wicklow camper and X-Mid owner!! I'd say the space in the 2 person must be nice. Yeah the tents are pretty reasonably priced until we get hit with the customs charges 🤦 I went in with my eyes open knowing it would happen but its still a pain. I've been lucky with a few camps at the Lough now - twice right down at the lake and twice along the ridge as you descend from Tonelagee (going anticlockwise as I did on this last trip). The most recent pitch was the best though, the others were terrible on reflection - lumpy ground and plenty of slant...I still loved being there though! 😊 Hope you have plenty more nice camps with your X-Mid, fingers crossed I won't be stupid with it and kill it off early anyway!! 🤞
@Miriam Kennedy They seem tough tents. I had been trying to get one since they were on drop and got lucky on the 4th attempt. I had factored in for customs.
They seem tough enough and, yes, the 2 man is luxury for one after my wee vango f10 helium. Being able to sit up and 2 vestibule is great.
I’m definitely jealous of your 2 person version 😊 I never even considered it because of my other 2 person tents - hindsight though 🤷🏼♀️
Another great vid Miriam. All too easy to take the wrong path in those conditions, we’ve all done it. Currently planning to do the Camino de Santiago next year for my friend’s 60th birthday, wonky knee and health permitting. I don’t think snow and mist should be too much of a problem there 😂. Thanks again for recording these wee adventures.
Oh wow - that sounds lovely!! I think you'll be spared and snow and mist alright 😂 Make way for the blisters and the sun burn 😎 Fingers crossed for your knee and health, thats something lovely to look forward to!! I still have the 7 Sisters in my mind!! 😇
Give me a shout if you do make it up to do that walk.
@@tullycottage367 will do!!
I cycled the Camino in September 2010 and guess what we got 3 days from the finish at O Cebreiro? Lots of mist and snow!
@@chelladuggno way!!!
Well you got some snow in the end! Great! Another really nice video, relaxed and serene! Do you navigate using a compass and map or GPS or your phone?
I certainly did - a little bit anyway but enough to make me happy 😎 I generally always have a map and compass with me but not this time 🤭 I also have ordinance survey maps on my phone that don't require me to have a signal - very much needed when coming down from the mountain on this one. I need to practice more with my compass though to keep me on the ball! Cheers for your message - glad I got a little bit of snow anyway 😉
Just found your channel. Great videos. Very inspiring. Which drone and camera set up do you use?
Thank you Sean! I use a Dji Mini 2 drone, Go Pro Hero 8 and sometimes my iPhone SE. Thanks for your message! 😊