Winter wild camping on a cold English hill video

I set out on January 8th, early afternoon, and it was already minus one. The UK was having a cold spell, so I headed out to Caer Caradoc Hill in Shropshire for a winter wild camp and some photography, as you do. The forecast said 4c or so in town later, but I knew it would drop further up on the summit, likely around -5 or -6.

Winter wild camping on a cold English hill - Video

The climb started easy enough, though the paths quickly became slick with ice. I moved quickly—sunset was just after 4 PM, and I didn’t want to miss the light. When I reached the summit at 457 meters, the wind had picked up a bit, biting through my layers. But the views made up for it.

To the north, flat farmland stretched into a hazy distance, smoke from wood fires hanging low in the valley. Westward, the Long Mynd rolled into the horizon, its ridges catching the last of the sunlight. The east held a faint glow of urban sprawl in the far distance —Birmingham’s lights just starting to flicker awake.

I set up camp quickly, choosing a spot with an open view to the north and west. As I secured the guy lines, a cloud inversion started to form below, rolling into the valley like a slow tide. The timing couldn’t have been better—layers of fog catching the red light of the setting sun.

I pulled out the camera gear and started a time-lapse, framing the fog as it flowed and shifted beneath me. The cold made my fingers clumsy, but I worked through it, knowing moments like this don’t last long. I ended up with a fair few out-of-focus shots…

By the time the sun dipped fully below the horizon, the temperature had dropped sharply. Inside the tent, I warmed up with a hot drink while the time-lapse camera kept running outside. The view of the inversion stayed steady, soft moonlight spilling across the landscape, giving the scene an otherworldly glow.

Dinner was basic—meatballs and pot noodles—but enough to refuel after the hike. I spent a lot of time outside the tent, just staring into the night sky. Fog and cloud below me, breath freezing in the air, the off puff of cloud engulfing the summit. A frost started to build on the tent, tripod and camera.

This was why I came out. The cold, the effort, and the long night were worth it for those moments—watching the world shift slowly, quietly, beneath me.

A long cold night was followed by a beautifully clear and warm sunrise. I bumped into a local at the end who informed me it had been -8c in Church Stretton last night, so I must have been down near -10c!

Wild camping doesn’t get much better than this, but I was pleased to get back home to chuck a few logs in the fire.

P.S - A link above to the book I’m currently reading, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Demons. It’s an old classic and very cheap to buy on Amazon, and I earn a few pence from it if you do so thanks!

I’ve considered putting a reading list or something similar up on my website, maybe I will in the future, but for now I’ve put some of my favourite quotes over the timelapse footage in my video. This serves as a watermark to protect my footage, and also allows me to share some of my favourite quotes. It’s a win win. Check out the video. Thanks all. Chris