Wild Camping Sperrins | Binevenagh Bivy

A 13.5 km walk and wild camp on Binevenagh Mountain in the far north of the Sperrins. Walking through beautiful Spring growth in Binevenagh Forest and along the dramatic cliffs with views across Lough Foyle to Donegal. Some drama with the air ambulance and Mountain Rescue treating a casualty on the mountain. A bivy below the cliffs brought little sleep as a cold wind got up through the night.
Binevenagh Mountain
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[@JenniferLupine]

Wonderful wild camp and hiking Gerry! I loved seeing the views near the rocky bluffs… green fields and the ocean beyond. Always great to hear the flowing streams- and you found some beautiful spring flowers too! The gliders look very peaceful! Thanks for taking us along with you! 😄💚👌👍👍

[@JefPersonalVideos]

Beautiful and peaceful view of the place around amazing view of nature thanks for sharing

[@gerrymcveigh]

Thank you👍 It was a beautiful and peaceful adventure which was good for the soul😊

[@robertkelly28]

Another great video. I get the issues for farmers and dogs but to see those bare overgrazed mountains and groves of Spruce highlight the balance we need to find between farming and the environment on our mountains.

[@gerrymcveigh]

Robert, totally agree👍 Finding an isolated Rowan or Oak in the mountains makes me want to cry with both joy and sadness at the lack of diversity in upland areas here in N. Ireland and the rest of Ireland. If there was an alternative to sheep grazing, where farmers were paid to manage the land for us all and let it regenerate naturally that would be brilliant.

[@NorwayHikesTrails]

Great video Gerry. Thank you for sharing 👍

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers👍 It was a cool trip😊

[@RuggedTrack]

Great wee adventure Gerry! Lots of interest with the the gliders, mountain rescue and helicopter although very relaxing at the same time.

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers👍 It was a great wee adventure. Binevenagh is a cool mountain with plenty of interest. Only thing I would have changed was that wind that got up during the night😊

[@MiriamKennedy]

Lovely spot for a camp Gerry 🤗 Great that you (and we) can still gain access to these high spots…always fab to come across people that inspire us to get out to the wild, god knows you’ve played that role for many of us to date! Hopefully the injured/sick person is recovering well 🤞 Hope you got a chance to get out again at the weekend!!

[@gerrymcveigh]

Miriam, there is plenty of scope for wild camping on top or below those cliffs or even in the woods (something I have yet to try😊). NI Mountain Rescue did share details of the rescue and it was a walker with a lower leg injury which they got back to the waiting ambulance👍 Always good to keep an eye on what others are doing in different parts of the country to get the imagination going - it is needed sometimes! Was doing an Easter Egg Hunt last weekend so hope to be out again soon and hopefully with some more settled weather☀🤞

[@SiobhanBladebla-lu1mo]

Hi Gerry, love watching your adventures, your editing, knowledge of flora, funa and surrounding landscapes. Videos like yours are inspiring me to relaunch my sense of adventure!

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers Siobhan👍 It is just great to get out there and you never know what it will bring - that was certainly the case on this trip😊

[@paulwright2717]

You are a great videographer! What an eye for detail!

[@gerrymcveigh]

Appreciate that Paul👍👍 Lots to see on that trip😊

[@RamblingOn]

You're hot stuff Gerry 😄 Class footage as always. Watching you explore and find that perfect little camp spot has made me really want to get back out and about. Pity about the wind but the woods the next morning were stunning. Tea fixes everything 😂

[@gerrymcveigh]

Jason, it was a cold and uncomfortable night with that wind though the views were pin sharp with a near full moon. I might have to try one of those wild camps in the woods at some stage😊 Tea absolutely does fix everything😊

[@RamblingOn]

@@gerrymcveigh 100% get yourself down to the woods, these micro adventures as you call them are pretty cool. Beware of the midges though, I've seen some out and about 😧

[@Waterfordepiclocations]

Great Video as usual Gerry, lovely views :)

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers Mark👍 It is a superb viewpoint all along the line of cliffs.

[@orandoyle]

Another lovely video, Gerry. I like that you let the shots linger so we can absorb them slowly. V relaxing. If I can my head sorted I'll head out myself tomorrow 😌

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers Oran👍 I could have sat and listened to the birdsong in the forest all day, just mesmerising😊 My head is always telling me to not go though when I am there it is telling me going was a good thing👍

[@learn2rideVIDEOS]

Ah Binevenagh is stunning! My wee one will be up there this weekend in a bivvy doing fieldcraft around Magilligan. I'll be doing the Mournes myself. Hope you had fun. ❤

[@gerrymcveigh]

A brilliant place for adventure, as is the Mournes👍😊

[@patrickobrien8902]

Nice video again Gerry. Fair play.

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers Patrick👍 Nothing too long or overtaxing, just a fairly local mini adventure which was pretty cool😊

[@jamesoutandaboutn.i227]

Brilliant mate. I camped on the top last year. Was really windy too. Thanks for sharing atb James

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers James👍 It is a stunning spot above or below the cliffs. I cant remember the last time I had a camp that wasn't windy.

[@Kev_Russ]

A fine cheeky wee spot Gerry. Your a wealth of info. Defo need tae get across the water. 👍

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers Kevin👍 it was a great wee spot beneath the cliffs for a wild camp and there is always lots to see walking on Binevenagh😊

[@glennconnor3365]

I camped there before, it overlooks where i live :) great video as usual :)

[@gerrymcveigh]

Glenn, it is a super mountain and it is cool that you get to see it everyday👍

[@niallharran]

Lovely spot Gerry, I've only ever visited the top lakes by car and walked along the top but that was a long time ago now. I never would have thought of it as a camping spot. You looked to have a great location for the night, shame about the wind spoiling it for you. Thanks for sharing Mike's channel, another one on my list to watch 😊

[@gerrymcveigh]

Niall, it is a lovely spot with so much variety in walking. The area below the cliffs is well worth exploring along with the super walking along the cliff tops. I wouldn't have thought of camping there either and it was seeing and hearing or others adventures that motivated me to give it a go👍 Mike's channel is definitely worth a follow👍

[@BoomBoom7621]

Beautifully shot video, Gerry. I've driven beneath those black cliffs before on the way through to the Lough Foyle ferry. The camping spot amongst the badlands beneath the rocks looked interesting if a little wild on this occasion. Will give WalkTalkBrew a follow!

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers Steve👍 Binevenagh is a superb mountain for walking and exploring. Badlands is a good description of the area beneath the cliffs as it does have a bit of a wild feel to it. Cool that you are giving Mike a follow👍

[@debsmostexcellentadventure5353]

I really enjoyed your video debs xx

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers👍 It was a cool wee adventure😊

[@debsmostexcellentadventure5353]

@@gerrymcveigh my pleasure you have a lovely channel debs xx

[@heavydigging]

Class as usual Gerry very relaxing to watch, you've the heart of a lion Gerry. Brilliant i enjoyed watching...👍👍

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers👍 It was a super relaxing trip all done at a very leisurely pace. The woods were fantastic with the wild flowers and all the birds singing and there is great walking up along the cliffs with those far reaching views. A tad chilly during the night with the wind though all forgotten about the next morning😊

[@Sparky-ov1ot]

Will be up there this weekend, unfortunately the car park at the lake is a weekend haunt for what used to be called "raves" but if you get passed the trees they are usually so out of it and lazy they never venture far, spent my youth running around there and went back for my 60th and unlike yourself it was a scorching night and you could see right into the far reaches of Donegal and the Scottish islands, but then again it was the middle of June.

[@gerrymcveigh]

A great place to visit at any time of the year👍 A scorching night sounds more comfortable than my cold and windy one😊 Love the views from up there into Donegal.

[@TomMcClean]

Great views Gerry. I hope the feral? mountain goats didn't keep you awake! lol Those cliff birds in a flock, looked a bit like chough, maybe they were just jackdaws? Twinkling lights down below you as you tried to sleep? I've been up there a few times. I didn't know it existed until a few years ago! lol Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@gerrymcveigh]

Tom, Binevenagh is a super mountain with those high cliffs and views out over Lough Foyle to Donegal. The goats quietened down during the night though I didn't get much sleep anyway with the cold wind blowing. The birds were definitely from the crow family - there was a raven chasing a few of them. The air was super clear and there was a near full moon that gave everything that sliver light - it was absolutely magical and worth the long sleepless night😊

[@GAPTEXPLORE]

*_I like to see the view of the savanna which is very broad, it seems very good for a camping place at Binevenagh Bivy, right sir...?, nice to meet you sir, I support the channel, I'm Rudy from Indonesia_*

[@gerrymcveigh]

Thank you for your support👍 It was a great place to camp with super views😊

[@GAPTEXPLORE]

@@gerrymcveigh Yes I believe it

[@IrelandOutdoors]

Crazy old goat. Not you Gerry, the one at 10:54 😜Class man, only ever looked up at the cliffs from the beech and often wondered what it would be like for a hike, now I have a fair idea and an itch to go! Nice not to have to rush and have wee explore on the way up. And what a camp spot, though your kitchen looked like it was about to drop of a cliff 🙂Glad you avoided to get blown of in the middle of the night! How do you find the bivi for condensation, ever much trouble with damp sleeping bags? ATB and thanks again for sharing!

[@gerrymcveigh]

Gary it is a brilliant hiking area and well worth a visit, as well as the beach😊 I had loads of time as it is no great distance and it was great to spend time exploring and taking it all in. the camp spot was a wee bit too exposed in hindsight, though it did give glorious views lying in the bivy. Never had a problem with the Alpkit Bivy in terms of condensation in many different weathers so must breathe well👍

[@frozenmist-w4k]

Winning again Gerry, Your vids are the ones that say to me to get my arse into gear and get out !! Never turn your back on a wild goat, ive a permanent reminder on my right buttock. !! ATB Colin

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers Colin👍 I thought the goat was stuck up on the cliff face though I am sure they are nimble enough to negotiate even the steepest of places. Maybe that is a story you can tell on your next trip beside the fire🐐🔥😊

[@jamiedonohoe]

Hey Gerry, Walk Talk Brew link isnt working, I found it through search though! Great video as per usual.

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers, have sorted it 👍

[@jasonnolan4282]

Another brilliant video Gerry! Question: how do you navigate your walks? I know a lot of people use AllTrails. Cheers!

[@gerrymcveigh]

Cheers Jason👍 I was a user of Viewranger which was taken over by Outdoor Active - this took some getting used to though I can now work it well and use it for planning and recording trips. AllTrails and others seem to be pretty popular too👍

[@davidgallagher5837]

Love your video. real pleasure to see one of my local mountains. please dont access Benevinagh via St Aidens, during lockdown there were real problems with visitors, dogs running around the graves and drinking out of the sacred well. Some aged folk found it hard to access for sunday worship due to visitors parking in the disabled bays. Folks washing their boots in the Toilets ect. it was very distressing for the local and very tight nit community who use St Aidens as the hub of the community. you can access Benevinagh from Ballycarton forest, The lake at the top(my favorite) or the leighery rd. Its an amazing hike but please be very mindful that St Aidens is an active place of worship with very, very recent burials and the well is also sacred to many. St Aidens holy church and holy well is a very beatiful place and well worth a respectful visit but you can no longer access Beneivangh from it. Limavady is a lovely place and worth a visit also :)

[@gerrymcveigh]

St Aiden's was a great way to access the mountain, though totally understandable that access was removed due to a lack of respect. A lovely mountain with unrivalled views across Lough Foyle to Donegal👍

[@jamiedonohoe]

Hey Gerry, I seen you mentioned what camera you used in a previous video, a Panasonic Lumix. I was wondering would you mind sharing the model with me as I am looking to video some landscapes and your video looks fantastic? Thanks!

[@gerrymcveigh]

Jamie, it is a fairly aged model - the GH9. A good few years ago it was one of the few cameras with 4k at a fairly reasonable price. Being mirrorless it was smaller than the big Canon DSLR that I had used previously with 1080 quality. Not sure where camera technology is now though. I do like the combination of 4k and a variable lens for up close and more distance video. Plenty of research will get you something close to your needs I am sure👍

[@lifesahobby]

❤

[@gerrymcveigh]

Thank you😊

[@WalkTalkBrew]

That was great seeing Binevenagh through your eyes, I could actually picture and know exactly where you were throughout the entire video. You even camped very close to where i've camped before. You were certainly spoilt with the wildlife and drama though. 🐐🚁⛑ I'm up there so often and have never seen the goats, a helicopter or mountain rescue. Most days i'm up there it's common not to see another person. That atlantic wind coming up the cliffs is certainly something else. It doesn't seem to matter where your camp is your going to get the wind and the creaking of those trees at night makes for an interesting experience. Thanks for the mention and the channel link and i'm delighted to have inspired you in part to wild camp at Binevenagh. You'll have to choose a calmer night the next time though. 🤣🤣 Where you had your bivvy bag, if you moved closer to the other side of the cliff face you actually find a few sheltered dips that are certainly big enough for a few people to wild camp in a bivvy bag and you're much better protected from the wind and the elements.

[@gerrymcveigh]

Mike, it was fairly busy on the Sunday I was there with a large walking group and a full carpark at the top, though some of that was ambulance and mountain rescue. I have seen more of the goats on previous trips and the woods were full of new plant life and birdsong. First time that I have seen a rescue happening in the hills. You certainly got the idea of wild camping up there in my mind so thank you👍 I was too greedy for the views on that exposed spot though hadn't expected the wind to be quite as strong as it turned out. A long and restless night though all worth it for the whole trip experience😊