Guide to bothy use

[Taylor]

http://www.scotoutdoors.com/features/bo ... 4-69536117

[Ray Young]

My bothy experiences have generally always been good but on occasion you can meet some odd people. Turned up at one with an older guy already there. He had been cooking but none of his other gear was unpacked. Once we had introduced ourselves his first question was am I staying the night. When I said yes he immediately and without saying anything started moving his stuff outside and putting up a tent. I said that I hope he didn't feel as though I was chasing him out. He replied that he preferred his own company and that was it, he didn't even say goodbye in the morning even though I was up and about.
Another time I really felt for the guy. I was in Greg's Hut, a bothy on Cross Fell. This guy turned up who was walking the Pennine Way. He was friendly enough but as a psychiatric nurse I could tell something wasn't quite right. As the evening wore on he eventually confided in me that he was a soldier suffering from post traumatic stress disorder having just recently returned from the first Gulf war. The more he got to trust me the more he told me of his experience's which where horrific to say the least. I was just glad that he felt comfortable enough to open up to me and I knew enough to just let him talk, he was only in his early twenties and like I say, I really felt for him.

[composite]

Good stuff thanks for sharing. Never stayed in a bothy myself. Planning on my first solo experience in a few weeks and then the night after planning a social bothy experience. Are those self igniting logs he had heavy? (for instance how do they compare to 2 full bottles of cider )

[Bearbonesnorm]

I love bothies but have had some odd experiences.

1/ Had a place to myself but around 10ish 2 blokes turned up. We had a chat and a brew and they went off to sleep upstairs, while I stayed downstairs by the fire. I was woken in the small hours by screams, proper blood curdling ones. After a minute it all went quiet and I drifted back to sleep (if someone was dead there wasn't anything I could do). The next morning I asked if everything was okay and one chap said it was but he was a bit aggressive. Later on the other bloke took me to one side and explained that his mate suffers from night terrors and it always happens in bothies ... he'd got used to it so didn't mention anything the previous night.

2/ Sleeping downstairs once and a bloke sleeping upstairs got up for a slash 8 times during the night. Each time you'd hear a big sigh, followed by clump, clump, clump as he came down stairs. Door opens and out he goes, then clump, clump, clump upstairs again ... 45 minutes later the process started again.

3/ Chew and me finding 2 twenty-something Scandinavian girls in a bothy in Scotland ... but due to trying to do the HT, we didn't stop the night.

[Zippy]

I met FlatFishy (and quite a few others) in a bothy whilst the BB200 was riding past. 8-)

[FLV]

I love bothies but have had some odd experiences.

3/ Chew and me finding 2 twenty-something Scandinavian girls in a bothy in Scotland ... but due to trying to do the HT, we didn't stop the night.

Sounds like a trap anyway. you were right to scarper

[mountainbaker]

Scandinavians in a remote hut. Makes me thing of this gem of a movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-KQh87_V2Q

[Mart]

have met a load of interesting characters in the last 20+ years or so
Find you sometimes have to make the effort in terms of conversation, some good banter and craic to be had with the right crowd
A good roaring fire a a bottle usually help anable the more wild night

Finding 2 twenty-something Scandinavian girls in a bothy

Thats just an urban myth ..... bit like a crock of gold at the end of the rainbow

[ScotRoutes]

Flatfishy and I were joined by three girls recently.

They'd brought firelighters with them so we were more than happy enough to make them feel at home.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Finding 2 twenty-something Scandinavian girls in a bothy

Thats just an urban myth ..... bit like a crock of gold at the end of the rainbow

I always thought it was made up because the bothy book usually has something like this ... 'Doing our DoE and stopped here for the night. We had a hard time getting here due to the weather, we were so wet by the time we arrived, we had to strip down to our knickers and get a big fire going. Stayed up quite late and had a naked pillow fight. Love,Jane, Rachel and Fiona xxx" and it's always dated the day before you arrived

[Mike]

Hux and I had the most oddest man i Moel Prysgau bothy two yr ago. He was from Stourport ( says it all ). He eat all our cheese n biscuits then got his own out after and eat that without offering us any! then he got up a about 430 decided to cut wood with an axe n bowsaw ( hux had to get up in his pants and do it for him! the guy was hopeless ) then he didnt leave till after 930 considering he got up at 430 to make fire eat some beans out of a tin that was left which he tried to warm on a half arsed fire in a dirty pan! He then went for a pooh and brought the paper back in to burn on the fire which had died by this time so left it for us inside the stove ( nice ). All this time we were awake! Thanks to Elric the crazy axe weilding man

Next time ur there look in the visitors book theres a two page write up i did!!

On my 7 day trip of TCW and mids wales a few yrs ago i stayed at Nantsyddion bothy on the friday night had it to myself up till about 8pm then i heard a car arrive. Out gets two lads and a girl, i thought ah great just what i need. Turns out then had come to prep the bothy for a rave on the sat night, they asked if i were staying on sat ( hell no ). the two lads were out of their faces on weed or something. thgey went upstairs and made so much noise. When they left at about ten, i obviously went to see what they had been doing up there the place was covered in banners, flouresent paint. I since found out that some of the locals use the bothy as a meeting place for mad parties. Yes i did report this to the MBA they said they cant stop them....shame

Dont let this put you off though they generally are fine

[Pirahna]

Not a bothy, but in a hostel in Australia I was woken up by the bird in bunk above having a w.ank. I started sniggering and she stopped. She left very, very early next morning. :D

[composite]

On my 7 day trip of TCW and mids wales a few yrs ago i stayed at Nantsyddion bothy on the friday night had it to myself up till about 8pm then i heard a car arrive. Out gets two lads and a girl, i thought ah great just what i need. Turns out then had come to prep the bothy for a rave on the sat night, they asked if i were staying on sat ( hell no ). the two lads were out of their faces on weed or something. thgey went upstairs and made so much noise. When they left at about ten, i obviously went to see what they had been doing up there the place was covered in banners, flouresent paint. I since found out that some of the locals use the bothy as a meeting place for mad parties. Yes i did report this to the MBA they said they cant stop them....shame

Nant Syddion is where I'm heading for my solo trip. 8-)

[Bearbonesnorm]

Nant Syddion is where I'm heading for my solo trip.

Make sure you read the history about the place (framed picture thing on the wall). It's very interesting and goes some way towards explaining why many people believe Nant Syddion is haunted

[Yorlin]

Don't forget to knock on the bothy door, especially if you get there during the day - there's a semi-legendary story about someone walking in on two elderly gentlemen walkers who were getting 'friendly' at the fireplace!

Apparently, they did invite the discoverer to join them... (very polite)

The story does not relate what kind of cheese was in their sandwiches, but they did have bobble hats on.

[Chicken Legs]

Composites solo trip to the bothy is getting more worrying by the minute :)

[Mike]

Yes i forgot about the history Stuart, its worth a read isnt it!! And yes it did give me the heaby-geabies when i was there but ive discovered that like in the Cadair shelter, when on ur own and u think uve seen something spooky if you put ur head in ur sleeping bag it goes away and ur safe There was a thread on here not long back with ref to the Dulyn bothy, about hearing voices in the night! sub standard the bed i stayed there on my own the week after i think it was and so many weird noises under the floor ( think it was mice-i hope )

But hey Neil, if u experience any weird goings on or noises at least it will make for good reading on here

[Yorlin]

Good stuff thanks for sharing. Never stayed in a bothy myself. Planning on my first solo experience in a few weeks and then the night after planning a social bothy experience. Are those self igniting logs he had heavy? (for instance how do they compare to 2 full bottles of cider )

Oh I didn't see this - according to proper beardie bothy types, coal is the most efficient fuel to carry to a bothy in terms of weight and burning time. You'll need firelighters/kindling though!

Don't forget your bobble hat!

[composite]

But hey Neil, if u experience any weird goings on or noises at least it will make for good reading on here

I'm very happy for you all.

according to proper beardie bothy types, coal is the most efficient fuel to carry to a bothy in terms of weight and burning time. You'll need firelighters/kindling though!

Don't forget your bobble hat!

Coal is pretty bulky though right? I'm not planning on needing a long burn time, I would have been riding for 2 days by that point so I'll be out as soon as I've eaten. :)

[Mike]

Where are u riding from and to mate?

[composite]

From Stu's place, along about 200miles of gravel road then breaking off before Pennant to meet Taylor and then you and Stu at Penrhos Isaf. :D

[Mike]

Ah good man ill see u on the 20th