HOT TOPIC
There are hideouts secreted all over the hills, some warm and dry enough to sleep in. But many are secret no more and some have been poorly treated as a result. What’s to be done?
Towards the end of last year, Trail put up a post on Facebook and Instagram that lasted only a few hours before it was taken down.
The post was about a cave in the Lake District, showing the dark interior, roomy enough to sleep in, with a couple of close-up pics of the entrance. The comments blew up. People were furious that a secret sleeping spot had been shared online, even though the location wasn’t explicitly typed out.
“Why on Earth would you publish this?” wrote one commenter. “You know for a fact this will get trashed as a result of this post. This location was only ever passed from trusted friend to trusted friend to protect it. For a magazine that’s supposed to support the outdoor community, this is very irresponsible.”
Legendary hill pub the Old Dungeon Ghyll weighed in: “Such a shame these little finds have to be shared on social media. We’re not being elitist but the last time this appeared online it was destroyed by numerous visitors. Its beauty and its charm is that the location is for those who strive to find it, not to be shown. We don’t often comment on these type of things but these wonderful places need to be protected.”
The post was taken down and has not gone back up. However, the inclusion of sleeping spots of all varieties – bothies, howffs, caves, dossholes, hostels, hotels and fancy rental cottages – is not new to Trail. Snuggling down in your bed, whether that’s under a fluffy duvet after a hot shower or under a blustering canvas after being caught in a cold one, is one of the best parts of being in the hills, and the magazine hasn’t been shy about sharing it. Is it always the right thing to do? Absolutely bloomin’ not, came the resounding reply.
