UKC

Hi all,

We’re planning a hike and a ‘wild camp’ for this saturday, bit of a last minute thing.

I use wild camp loosely as usually we’d usually find a spot high up and out the way but we’ve got a new lad joining us and wanted the option to head to the pub on the evening.

Beddgelert was the village we were looking at, I wanted to know if anyone can suggest any secluded wild camp spots around Beddgelert that doesn’t require a good trek in the dark after a few beers?

cheers!

0/10

Half the fun of camping in my opinion is spending time looking at the map, planning your route and identify potentially good camping spots. 

Take a few beers, forget the pub, enjoy the wilderness and take your litter home. You'll have a great time  

Hi,

yeah I wild camp quite often but never round that area of Snowdonia, i’ve checked the map and there doesnt seem a great deal of low level areas around Beddgelert.

Unfortunately the pub is a must for this trip.

Hence the reason I was asking about areas around Beddgelert

if the pub is a must, stay at the pub?

This is a good spot 

https://bit.ly/32iPDyy

Just about the only place you'd get away with something vaguely like this is Dartmoor, or somewhere in Scotland.

If the pub is crucial then why are you wildcamping, as nature will not be the main motivation if you are there to drink. Why not just use a campsite? There are loads of vacancies these days, Snowdonia seems to be at fairly normal levels of tourism now. 

Presuming you're not a troll, it shows. Low-level "wild" camping is not accepted around Snowodonia, suitable spots or otherwise. Either wild camp up "high" (i.e. 3-4 km from a road), pitch after dark and leave by 8 am, taking all your rubbish with you, or pay for a campsite.  To be super clear here, fires are not acceptable, leaving shit behind is not acceptable, camping near a road is not acceptable. 

If you really want to wild camp, carry your beers in and empties out, it's not hard. 

There are actually other (better) pubs around North Wales. None within the vicinity of a wild camping spot. 

Its full

Thanks for the suggestion, i did check there but its full

It seems you’ve not tried to book anywhere recently or seem the state of snowdon...tourism isnt at fairly normal levels, every campsite/b&b or hotel is fully booked every weekend...the crowds queuing and fighting to the top of snowdon is definitely not something I applaud its disgusting...hence the reason we want to be out the way

It is discusting but it is normal. When I said normal I still meant really busy. There are spaces on campsites if you go away from the honeypot areas. Loads in between Bethesda and the coast for example.

Thanks for your rude response.

I’m definitely not a troll.

I fully understand the rules and etiquette around wild camping, I’ve been doing it for years.

However I’ve never “low level” camped so thats why I’m asking is it possible.

I have a friend coming with me whos never camped before, so to make the trip a little more ‘homely’ and comfortable for him, been as its his first time I wanted to be able to pop to one of the pubs for a beer late afternoon/evening.

I thought you’d be able to appreciate that starting out camping is a daunting thing let alone wild camping and to make the trip just that little bit more enjoyable for them isn’t much to ask.

https://bryn-tyrch-farm-campsite.business.site/
 

Great site, cheap, next to pub, 20min from Bedgelert.

P.S. I was actually there last weekend and managed to stay in a half-empty campsite on the edge of Bethesda!

I think the hostility you're generating is due to the fact that low level camping, near a village, in an area very sensitive to this sort of thing at the moment suggests you don't understand the etiquette of wild camping. I'm not trying to be arsey but this sort of thing isn't a great idea at the moment, and if you do do it whatever but don't talk about on the web.

Also consider the locals are pretty hostile currently, having to constantly look over your shoulder for angry landowners/police is not conducive to a stress free intro to camping!

If your friend is new to camping and wants to go to a pub then wild camping is not appropriate. Use a campsite. The issues others have highlighted in this thread have led to some grim scenes across the UK, which have been widely circulated here, on wider social media and even in the press. Please forgive me if my response was somewhat abrupt, but having seen places I love treated with utter contempt by many over this summer has put me somewhat on edge regarding this issue. In short, what you want to do is not compatible with the with camping ethos in Eryri. Wild camping is actually illegal in both Wales and England, and as such doing it at a low level, even if you clean up properly and take your rubbish, isn’t really on. But as an experienced wild camper, you’d know this. Hence why I suggested that a campsite would be more suitable for your aims.

I hope you find a suitable campsite and have a good trip. 

Edit to add: if every single campsite is full then 1) I’d be surprised and 2) it’s annoying but you have to accept that you may need to change your plans due to the increased tourism within the UK this summer. I’ve had to adjust plans for last-minute trips myself a few times and do appreciate that it’s quite annoying.

If you are not completely set on Beddgelert then maybe try here in Llanberis. Must admit not stayed there for years, but used to use it a lot (20+ years ago) as was close to the pubs and allowed fires. 

https://www.campinginllanberis.com/

"Wild camp" + "Pub".  Isn't that an oxymoron?  

I'm not too sure you'll find a spot 'high up' which doesn't involve a long walk down hill to the pub. 

ps - If you think your friend needs a a homely and comfortable first experience perhaps you could recommend glamping instead.

I’m with you mate. Used to do loads of that sort of stuff but in the Lakes. 
 

You seem a decent bloke and I’m sure you won’t inconvenience locals as long as you’re discreet and tidy which I’m sure you are.

Nowt worse than a campsite in my opinion.

Bloody hell.  Maybe someone should have told me it was daunting as a 5 year old.

Too right, giant herds of crazed cattle charging in the middle of the night, hurricanes, 200-year-old oak trees keeling over and crashing into the tent, mudslides, stinging nettles, beer bottles flying through the air at 1 AM, grandkids whining their heads off oooooooh I love Cumbria and Snowdonia

The only way to wild camp in an urban environment is using the urban environment.  Bus stop or park bench bivvying and dossing in disused buildings are fair game however Tents should be reserved for the wilderness environment ie not near the pub. 

Thanks for being more diplomatic about it buddy, i appreciate that.

Its only because around the peak district is done quite regularly down certain paths below kinder scout, so i just wondered if it was a done thing around snowdonia as i havn’t been that way for over a year.

I didn’t realise there was so many issues going on at the moment, probably because of avoiding snowdonia over lockdown to not add to the stress that the services have to deal with already.

I appreciate you explaining it properly, makes complete sense now, I’ll have a look else where or keep trying the campsites, thanks Ebdon 😁👍🏻

Thanks for understanding Ian and explaining properly, i fully understand your frustration as I share the same frustration, snowdonia is quite a special place to me as i’ve spent many seasons exploring here. To see it completely abused by disrespecting idiots really does make me angry. I was hoping that the crowds might have disappeared now but clearly not at the moment.

Thanks for understand Dave, we regularly pop into church stretton on our wild camps over the long mynd, stop off for a beer and carry on to where we’d planned to pitch up after dark.

I do get the hostility because theres plenty of idiots thinking they’re now into the outdoors because they cant got to magaluf this year...i’m not one of them! Haha!

campsites seem to be full of the typical ‘glampers’ wearing high heels across a muddy field, noisy, disrespectful and downright rude. Not my kind of people i’m afraid

When I used to go to Beddgelert at Easter in my youth there was a motorcycle club that used to "wild camp" in the graveyard I think. They would sometimes invite us back for a drink which was laways interesting and generally wild. They did like a campfire.

If you want to be near a pub then the campsite nr the Bryn Tyrch pub in Capel Curig is ok. It's not expensive and pub is round the corner. Some friends were there weekend before last and is wasn't too busy. Still best to ring and boom first though

Have you considered a bright yellow van? 

Ideally one so large you can only just drive it on a normal license and/or could use it move house I hope.