Not every trip ends with a gallery of masterpieces. This adventure on the Long Mynd was about battling a biting northeasterly wind and navigating storm debris just to reach Ashlet Hill. The weather was too chaotic for the camera, so the focus shifted to the reality of winter camping: chicken and mushroom Pot Noodles, staying warm, and keeping a light on to stop wild ponies from trampling the tent.

I headed up Caer Caradoc during a January cold spell, expecting a chill but getting a deep freeze. By nightfall, temperatures on the summit dropped near -10°C, frosting up my camera gear as I filmed a cloud inversion rolling into the valley like a slow tide. It was a night of basic comforts—meatballs, Pot Noodles, and reading Dostoyevsky’s Demons while the fog shifted beneath me. Watch the full video to see the frost, the fog, and the sunrise that made the shivering worth it.

This trip was a trial by fire—or rather, by ice—for my new Hilleberg Soulo Black Label. I headed up Small Batch towards Grindle in 25-knot northerlies and snow showers to see if this £1,000 tent was worth the investment. Pitching in biting wind on the Nills ridge is a proper test of resilience, but the reward was a sunset that turned the distant snow showers into a golden red glow. Read my full verdict on the tent and the Buffalo Special 6 shirt here.

I hiked up Callow Hill expecting a cold, wet autumn night, but the Long Mynd had other ideas. After battling the wind to pitch my MSR Elixir 1, I settled in—only for the sky to explode. This video captures a stunning Northern Lights display and a Starlink train passing overhead, all shot on a tricky Samyang 85mm Cine lens that I forced into service for landscapes. It’s proof that sometimes the coldest nights, where the "dark sky exfoliates my soul," offer the best rewards.

I climbed this hill in thick winter fog for exactly 4 minutes and 28 seconds of light. Caer Caradoc stands at just 459 metres,

It was -7°C on the summit of Ashlet Hill, with a wind chill hitting -15°C. Naturally, this was the perfect time to test my "summer sleeping bag layering system" and confess my love for down booties. The night involved capturing Starlink satellites rising over Pole Bank, but the real drama happened at dawn when a herd of wild ponies decided to charge my flapping tent. Read the full account of freezing winds, controversial sleep systems, and my "Braveheart" moment with a tripod.

A Long Mynd wild camping trip video on Callow Hill in Shropshire.