Introduction

This was my first camping expedition with the BFT. One benefit of a weekend trip was that we could spend more time travelling to the planting site and our campsite destination, Whtehope burn, was the deepest I have ventured into the Corehead site. A sizeable group of 20+ volunteers had made it out for the weekend.

Striking camp

We made a camp near Whitehope burn following an approach of an hour or so. The approach was uphill and with the camping gear and planting equipment there was a fair bit to carry so it was some relief that there was a Polaris vehicle onhand to shuttle some of the heavier gear to our basecamp. It had been a decade since I had cause to get my backpacking tent out and it took me an embarrassingly long time to erect it. To make matters worse I definitely didn't search long enough for a flat spot - although the options were fairly limited given there were 20-30 tents going up and no real flat ground to speak of.

Planting - day 1

The planting area comprised the area between Whitehope burn and Lochan burn. In general, the area had already been extensively planted. The task had 2 elements. The first being to infill suitable areas that had been previously missed. Secondly, the upper slopes of Middlefield Knowe and Whitehope did not have much if any tree cover, and these exposed areas were ideal spots for our Montane plants like the downy willow. On the first day I spent most of my time with another volunteer on the slopes of Middlefield Knowe, the weather was decent and although the approach was over rough terrain without anything resembling a path, it was more straightforward to plant up there than in the lower regions where finding unplanted areas was the order of business. After dispatching 4 bundles, we made our way down and picked up another few bundles.

Evening

In the evening, everyone prepared their own meals and shared stories about the day’s activities. Although the planting had been tough, spirits remained high. I had the chance to meet a couple who, like me, had recently moved to Peebles, and it was enjoyable to exchange experiences with them. While a few volunteers were interested in having a drink, most people gradually made their way to their tents without much, if any, drinking. What I appreciate about BFT volunteering events is the flexibility—they allow you to be as social or as private as you wish, yet you always feel included in the group effort.

Planting - day 2

I awoke early on day 2 as is my custom and decided to crack on with some early planting. Initially I made for the upper slopes of the ridge leading to Whitehope. However, when the bad weather came in it felt really exposed up there and it wasn’t long before I had tested my midrange Alpkit waterproofs to the limit. I descended to the lower slopes where the rain was still heavy but at least the wind was less intense. Here I found a few bare patches to plant with some downy birch. Once I'd expended my bundles I headed back to the camp. Some of the other volunteers, let’s say those with owl like chronotypes, were just making their way out. Even though it was still morning I was totally sodden and so I elected to head into my tent to try and dry out for a bit. By the time I had achieved that goal, the other volunteers were filtering back and with the level of rain most of us headed down the slopes around midday.

Conclusion

Camping weekends with the BFT are a great way to access more remote, higher altitude areas of the charity's range and are a very rewarding experience. Often, they are used as an opportunity for the organisation to achieve some montane planting. I would recommend doing a single day before a weekend session, just so that you have some idea of what you'll be up against. I would say 2 days of tree planting in a row can be quite demanding for a desk jockey like me. Although, there is no quota for how many trees you plant so you can take it as easy as you like, and you certainly wouldn't be alone if you take this approach.