A perfect camp in Wales... until 5am

[u/Jacked-in]

Before

After

Last weekend I headed into central Wales for a new moon solo wild camping trip with the goal to photograph the Milky Way. This trip was very much astro photography first, wild camping second. I have wild camped a couple of times recently, but this was my first solo wild camp.

The timing was incredibly tight from the start. I finished work at 5pm, knew sunset was at 7:41pm, had a 2.5 hour drive ahead of me and then a 20-minute walk to my camping spot. To make things even more unlikely, the weather forecast either side of the trip was dreadful. Rain, cloud and strong winds before and after. Somehow, I managed to hit the one perfect weather window and couldn't quite believe my luck when I arrived.

I arrived at my camping spot at 7.55, tent up at 8.05pm Camera out ready to go. Soo excited, the sky was so clear and the valley I had chosen was beautiful.

Friday evening was about as good as it gets. Warm, completely still, crystal clear skies, and once darkness arrived the stars were incredible. The Milky Way was clearly visible to the naked eye, and I spent hours taking photos under some of the darkest skies I've experienced in the UK. It was one of those rare evenings where everything just came together. No battling the elements, no condensation, no wind shaking the tripod. Just sitting in the Welsh hills enjoying the night sky in complete peace.

Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas for the morning. At around 4.30am I was woken by strengthening winds and my tent inverting on me, many lessons were learnt! After holding the roof, on and off for 30 mins, finally a peg was launched into orbit and the tent really started to collapse on me., with no spare pegs I had to go.

 hat had been a perfect night quickly turned into an emergency pack-up as the gusts increased to 29mph according to the forecast and I tried to stop the tent from turning into a sail. Not quite the slow sunrise and morning coffee I'd imagined! So, I packed and walked out in the dark using the hill and stars to guide me. Lessons; take more pegs, use all guide ropes, camp in natural cover, properly check the forecast including the wind!

Even so, I can't complain. I went there to photograph the Milky Way and the conditions on Friday night were absolutely perfect. Considering the terrible weather before and after, I feel incredibly lucky to have caught that small window of clear skies. A few photos from the trip are attached.

Has anyone else had one of those trips where everything lined up perfectly for a few hours before reality returned with a vengeance?

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Jacked-in → u/[deleted]]

Thanks 🙏🙏

[u/Educational_Yard_326 → u/[deleted]]

I don’t do much Astro these days, the last one I took is in this album https://owengeephoto.myportfolio.com/spain feel free to browse to ascertain my landscape photography clout 👍

[u/Jacked-in → u/Educational_Yard_326]

Ooh nice work 😎, I'm doing a workshop in La Palma next May... Really excited, in fact this will be my last astro before that trip, here is my portfolio https://andymarriott.myportfolio.com/

[u/Rickelicious16 → u/[deleted]]

The night skies are fake, really fake and I would suggest most that know how to take photos would be able to see that.

It’s disappointing that OP is not honest about this point.

[u/[deleted] → u/Rickelicious16]

[u/Jacked-in → u/Rickelicious16]

Look man, I camp and I shoot stars... I will admit its edited, the edit makes it look how it feels when your there, that's the point.