[26th March 2026]

11 years ago I first summited the second tallest of the three Yorkshire Peaks, Ingleborough and it was the first night out in my brand new tent, the OEX Bandicoot II. Prior tents didn't make the grade with the first one simply being too big (4 man tent) and being bright blue. The second one, the Vango Blade one manner met the criteria much better. It was compact, dark green and low profile however, rather stupidly it only had 1 pole from front to back and on one gusty night on the Old Man Of Coniston the entire thing spent more time pressing against my face than sheltering me. So when I saw the Bandicoot it was the goldilocks of the tent world, not too big but not too small and definitely nice and sturdy and it instantly proved itself on that first pitch as we were hit with strong winds and an unexpected frosty night. Since then the past 11 years with this tent allowed me to focus on the conditions and what I was doing, and little to no focus on will this tent stand up for the night. It's this level of confidence that's going to take some time to replace with the next tent. For now, I don't have to think about that. I arrived at Ingleton where the remnants of the first storm system were heading off north... the second system was said to be hot on it's heels but for now, the sun was shining... glorious.

I put my pack on my back, locked up the car in the same quiet residential street I parked last time, and soon was on the track... summit bound. The way initially is pretty simple and straight forward, just follow the walled trail up to the farm. At points it gets steep but this is nothing compared to the last quarter of the ascent. Soon I was at the pretty Crina Bottom farm. It's somewhere i'd love to live as you're tucked into the hills with no views of towns or villages, just the rolling green countryside, some nice crags that are begging to be climbed and Ingleborough towering above. Nearby is a trickling stream and with the temperature being higher than usual I was in need of a drink. Instead of using the water from my pack I purified and drank what I needed there and then. It's some of the best tasting water i've had with low levels of that earthy taste you get some times. I'm sure the farm will be sourcing water from here too, if they don't they're missing a trick. After the farm the nice, very established trail is a thing of the past and the trail becomes much more rugged for a spell with some nice drops into the abyss. Dodging these I was soon on a typical mountain trail again and the views open up. You can see for miles all around, it truly is stunning and is up there on some of the best scenery i've ever seen. Just before the summit the trail becomes rugged once again, to steps, to rugged one final time for the steepest part of the ascent. It'll have you panting, especially if you're yomping with as much gear as I do. Still the stops to look at that view are worth it. You'll be scrambling up the final part of the ascent but then, all of a sudden it'll level off and very quickly you'll see that beautiful sight in the distance... the trig.

It's a special summit as it's so large a plateau providing so much to see all around. It was nice to be back and after a little rest behind the stone shelter away from the biting wind, it was time to explore the old iron age stone shelters and see where the old tower used to be. It's incredible what went on up here and the fact there's so much evidence still in existence today. Now was time to find my old pitch. It's not obvious where it is, I kept having to orient myself with the trig and tower base to find where it is... all of a sudden, I find it. It was an odd feeling being back here, it was so long ago and still so beautiful. My beloved stone seat was still as great to sit in as it was the first time and I decided to make a coffee to enjoy both sitting here and the last of the dry weather. I wasn't enjoying a beer sat here tonight as I can already see the second storm system coming in. I headed back to the summit after getting the tent set up and checked on the wind speeds. 34mph was already recorded on the anemometer with stronger winds guaranteed on the way. This was going to be a nice final challenge for the Bandicoot. As night began to fall I get tea sorted of some beatuful steaks and a side of spicy tomato pasta. The pasta was odd initially but even if I hated it, I was eating it. There are no alternative options and a freezing night ahead. I need all of the calories I can get to keep warm. A full stomach calls for a nice beer and tonight I opted for a Shipyard American IPA. A nice beverage with a slight citrus taste and good bite... a great drink to celebrate the 11 years of adventure with this tent. I wished there was something to look at while celebrating however, we were in the most densest of fog... no views of the distant village of Ingleton... no stars... just me and the Bandicoot... alone. 22:00 and the wind speed had increased. I should've checked what it was but I was ready for a kip. I didn't last long before I was asleep, only to be awoken at 02:00 not only needing an old man wee, but the tent was now getting knocked about quite a bit now. Nothing more I could do but go back to sleep until dawn. Come on tent, you've got this!

Morning... and the Bandicoot was still standing however, the waterproofing of the tent has seriously become an issue. The outer was drenched, more than what is caused by condensation and the floor had pools of water and clothes had become saturated. Still, I was dry and warm so it's still doing it's job valiently. I enjoyed my breakfast and watched the wind batter the craggy face ahead of me. Soon was the dreaded next step, not heading out into the elements but the final tear down of camp. No peg had come loose, no pole unseated and no guy line had come loose. Incredible. I packed the tent into my bergan, took one last look at my ridge before picking up my gear and heading back to the summit. It was brutal this morning but none of that was a priority in my mind. Every step was one step closer to the end of an 11 year long adventure with the Bandicoot. While it's leaving my main gear, it won't be the last you'll see of it. It's proven itself a worthy weather worrior and it has my absolute confidence for a safe night in the wild. Maybe when my son is a little older we'll head out on his first adventure in it with me. What better way to welcome Charlie to the wild. In the meantime this was an epic adventure and the best way to retire this brilliant tent.

Thank you OEX for the best time!

Here's to the next Ruck!