Bivvy a Month 2017.

[Zippy]

The Lakes trip with Ben and Wotsits last weekend makes me now at 3/3. Sleeping in a Cave is a first for me, and the canopy thingy at Grizedal forestry visitor centre was a bit of relief from full on torrential downpour all night.


P1050408 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr


P1050412 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr


P1050473 by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

[RIP]

Can't not compliment Zippy & Co either - nice one, you're all bonkers.

Oh dear it looks corking weather for the Things this weekend, how shall us wimps live it down

[Chew]

I always found March and November to be the hardest months, as its usually wet and cold.

Once into April it becomes easier

[frogatthefarriers]

3/3 A comedy of errors.

So I was booked on to a course at Llandudno last Wednesday. Hmm! Llandudno is close to Dulyn Bothy. That'll do for my March bivvy. But the course started at 8:45 and I didn't fancy driving up early that day, so booked a B&B for Tuesday night. There's a particularly good chippy in Conway so I partook of a fish supper and headed off to the digs. Only later did I find that my Buff had gone missing. The only chance to get another was in the lunch break so I dashed around the corner to Blacks where they relieved me of 25 quid for a replacement.

After the course I quickly donned my riding gear and found a place to leave the car overnight on the West Shore. After a mile and a half of mostly soft sand on the cycle path I realised that I'd left my phone in the car. Back at the car, I've done 3 miles already and no nearer to my goal. And my front brake has started squealing. I tried fiddling about with it but eventually gave up and squealed off into the darkness. And rain.

Somewhere on the lanes before Tal-y-Bont my GPS flashed a low battery message so I turned it off until I would really need it, using Viewranger on my phone to navigate instead. But I had to take a glove off every time I wanted to check where I was so I stuffed it into my coat. It was only after some very steep climbs that I found that the glove had fallen out, who knew how far back. I wasn't ready to backtrack for a cheap glove, but all the same that was another £10 or £12 gone.

By the time I reached Llyn Eigiau parking I was getting tired and soon afterwards this:-

loomed out of the darkness. Forget the bothy, I'll doss here instead. But it was just a rock. A house shaped rock, but a rock nonetheless. Pedal on then. A couple of miles further up hill I stopped to check how far I'd got and found no phone in my pocket. Luckily I just had to trudge back a quarter of a mile to the last gate I'd opened and there it was, lying there, laughing at me.

Now, on Youtube there's a video of someone riding to Dulyn bothy, so I foolishly assumed that I could ride there too. How wrong I was! The path down from Melynllyn is no more than a goat track, steep, rocky, twisty. I finally reached the bothy at midnight, to the surprise of a pair or walkers and to the alarm of their little dog who didn't stop barking for a good 15 minutes. They had a nice warm fire lit but they'd already bedded down for the night and I didn't want to be crashing around getting food ready, so removed to the other room, having first hung my damp clothes to dry near the fire.

Next morning was cold and clear, but by the time I was fed and packed to go, a thick fog had set in.


At first I couldn't find the path but after blundering around for a while I found something I recognised from the previous night and was able to drag myself back to the double track at Melynllyn. It was a hellish climb.



This is the remains of the Llyn Eigiau dam that burst in the early 20th century and flooded down the valley to Dolgarrog, taking out the Coedty dam on the way and killing 17 people.


I made a couple of bad choices of track to reach Llyn Cowlyd, opting for bridle path where a solid track was available and I wish I hadn't skirted Llyn Cowlyd at all. The track is mostly unrideable (for one of my ability on a loaded bike) in that it is either too rocky or the sides or the track are too close together and too deep to allow the pedals to turn. The climb out at the top is like the one out of Dulyn though thankfully not as high. I was too fed up to stop and take any photos of this bit.

Once at the top, the sun started to show and the trail became easy. Even, wide, grassy. There are lots of little bridges over the worst of the boggy bits but you have to be careful, because the lead up to the bridge can be deceptively deep.

And smelly! It was at one of these that I discovered that my Cateye rear light, that had been fastened to one of the seat bag straps, had gone.

The run down to Capel Curig was straightforward. Here I decided to cut my losses and catch the train from Betws-y-Coed instead of more cross-country to my original destination at Dolwyddelan. But there are no trains running due to track works. The shock of my heart hitting the floor would have been enough to start a tsunami. Or a butterfly to flap its wings in Brazil or somewhere. When I called the Arriva trains helpline, the man told me that there is a bus sevice running, but they don't take bikes. I could beg the driver, but it would be his decision.

When the bus turned up, it wasn't a bus but one of those big smart international coaches wiith tellies and toilets and the driver said "No Problem, I can take bikes", and opened up a door to the cavernous luggage hold. When I asked him where I should pay he said "don't worry about it"

The final tally then, is Buff, £25, gloves £12, Cateye lamp another £25 making £62. Less £9 for the train fare not paid makes £53 in all. More than I thought it would cost me but still cheap at the price for 2 days of memories.

[ChrisF]

My first effort at posting photos... (thanks Sam for the sunset pic)

I made the most of the good weather and spent the night at the little hut up on Combs Edge in the Peak with my son Sam. We made a late start and headed up onto the moor in the failing light catching a nice sunset:sunset by Chris Farley, on Flickr

Temperatures dropped rapidly when the sun went down so we had a look at the stars and the lights over distant Manchester and settled down for the night after hot chocolate and hobnobs:
manchester by Chris Farley, on Flickr
Sam1 by Chris Farley, on Flickrhut2 by Chris Farley, on Flickr
hut1 by Chris Farley, on Flickr

It was a chilly night, below zero, Samhad the warmer sleeping bag and I didn't sleep well!
Up early to get back home in time for his rugby match.

Not a proper BAM night as done on foot, will head out Friday on the bike for a last minute March night.

[sean_iow]

3 of 12 - March

I planned for March to be mainly about the bivi and less about the ride as I had a busy weekend. Left home late on Friday and after only 30 mins I was at the woods I'd picked out. A bit of faffing looking for the perfect location, put the tarp up as a wind break and I'm just about to get into my bag when I hear "Oi, what are you doing!" from somewhere behind me. The conversation goes like this:-
Me "Just having a kip mate"
Them "Why? Are you homeless?"
Me "No, I'm practising for a bike race"
Them "What sort of bike race?"

By this time I'm getting tiered of shouting into the dark so get up and wander over to the edge of the woods to see who's taken issue with me sleeping there.

It turns out it's too blokes out shooting, they say I shouldn't be there as it's private and I could get shot. It turns out it's open access land but I wasn't sure at the time so didn't argue. They said they'd seen my light roaming about and wanted to know what I was up to. I explained I was training for a 550 mile self supported bike race (sort of true but not until 2018 at the earliest) and I was just out for a bivi as a practice. I said I'd pack up and move if there was an issue. Once they'd heard this and seen what I looked like they didn't seem too bothered and said they'd not fire in my direction. They said it was private but not up to them if I stayed there or not.

Took a while to get to sleep after that waiting for the shooting to start but never heard any shots. In the morning when I left I spotted a hammock and a small tent about 50m from where I was but out of sight the night before as it was down a slope. I'm guessing that was where the shooters were staying and when they saw me in the same area they thought I might be poking about their camp. Once they knew I wasn't they either didn't care or on hearing I was the sort of person who would think about riding 550 miles on a bike and sleeps in the woods in lycra that I was too much of a nutter to take on, even if they did have guns I left at first light with a slightly flattened area of leafs as the only clue I'd been there. 3 out of 3 done far and another grid square ticked off, SZ5090. Home before 07:00 ready for 2 days of gardening.

[RIP]

"Just having a kip mate". Yep, five simple words but 99% of the population seem to take huge issue with it. We've been through this before but where's the dividing line? Kipped out on a public bridleway? Inside a bivi bag but not in a tent? Tarp? Sleeping inside a tent in daylight? Sleeping overnight between high and low tide marks so long as you have a fishing rod with you (perfectly legal apparently but you'd better have a good alarm clock )

At least us SEChilterns guys found the gamekeeper/parkie before he found us....

3/3 for TheBrownDog/Reg

[sean_iow]

Once I saw how close the other 'camp' was to the location I'd decided to 'kip' I can see why they would of wanted to know what was going on when they saw my light moving about in the vicinity as I looked for the illusive spot where the ground was flat, no roots or plants sticking up and the trees were the right distance apart for my tarp. Next time I'll go with sloping and uncountable but without upset shooters I'd ridden through the woods in the week on a ride to check it out as I've never been in that bit before and there was the remains of a fire (but no rubbish so not kids) and this is near where the 'camp' was so they might be in there on a regular basis. I'll cross it off my list as a potential spots. Where I live it is quite hard to get more than 20 minutes walk away from a road so I guess I've done ok as this is the first time I've been disturbed in over 3 years of bivying.

[Chew]

We've been through this before but where's the dividing line?

Not getting caught

Sometimes easier said than done, but either away from civilisation, natural cover (behind a wall), away from any paths/bridleways etc.....

[RIP]

"Not getting caught" Succinctly put.

PS> Although as you've sussed, I was hinting more at the what's-the-fine-line-between-a-snooze-by-the-wayside-rather-than-a-full-on-kip rather than the actual location itself...

[Chew]

Still comes back to the above.
If you dont get caught, you dont have to have the conversation.
Tbh, if I saw some people kipping in the local woods i'd probably ask what they were doing.

[ScotRoutes]

We've been through this before but where's the dividing line?

Between The Solway Firth and Berwick.

[sean_iow]

Sometimes easier said than done, but either away from civilisation, natural cover (behind a wall), away from any paths/bridleways etc.....

I'd been to the section of woods I was in a couple of weeks before to check it out as I'd never been there before. To get to the bit I was in from the entrance to the woods requires climbing over endless fallen trees and forcing through undergrowth as the paths don't appear to have been used for some time. On the night I entered from another direction, off a footpath, across a field and over the fence to save fighting my way through the woods. I think the blokes who wanted to know what I was up to had chosen the same spot because it is so hard to get to/out of the way and the fact that I was there on the same night was just bad luck. When they saw my light they were suspicious.

In the past I've been out riding with a mate and as we rode through another local woods someone had built a shelter from natural materials and lit a fire in front of it.. about 2 feet from the bridleway in a clearing. We couldn't see who was in it but didn't stop to ask... assuming he would be a doomsday prepper or ray mears wanabe we made swift exit fearing ending up as his dinner

[Gari]

Managed to get out this weekend on the Scottish spring thing. 3/3 then. See write up in the SST thread, if one desires.

[Al]

3/3 - bit desperate, lots of child illness has written off the past few weekends nice weather.
Kipped on a nice bit of heath land last night and then continued onto work in the morning for a shower feeling smug as I'd dodged the rain.

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[Blair512]

March's bivvy a month was on the Scottish Spring Thing with Gari and Ray, the write up can be found here if it is of interest: http://www.blaircaldwell.co.uk/single-p ... ring-Thing

[ScotRoutes]

Thanks for the write-up Blair (you're now on my reading list too).

Interesting mix of tracks, most of which I'm familiar with. When I lived in Balerno I started to map out lots of the Pentlands stuff.

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/p/pentla ... outes.html

[Ray Young]

Thanks for the write-up Blair (you're now on my reading list too).

Interesting mix of tracks, most of which I'm familiar with. When I lived in Balerno I started to map out lots of the Pentlands stuff.

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/p/pentla ... outes.html

Thanks for that Scotroutes, a few tracks on their I'm not familiar with so will get them checked out.

[Blair512]

Thanks for the write-up Blair (you're now on my reading list too).

Interesting mix of tracks, most of which I'm familiar with. When I lived in Balerno I started to map out lots of the Pentlands stuff.

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/p/pentla ... outes.html

Cheers Colin, I've enjoyed reading you blog the past few months. I really enjoyed the Pentlands and it's not to far away that I'll definitely be back soon, there's probably loads of hidden gems up there that require local knowledge though

[jaminb]

3/3 South Downs

I was determined not to repeat the format of the first two BAM trips - riding from home has many positives but an hour plus of cycling through Surrey suburbia is not one of them !

I was working in Portsmouth on saturday so threw the bike and partially packed bags into the back of the van with the intention of driving to the South Downs Way and cycling from there to a suitable bivvy spot. As it was I finished late in Portsmouth so drove to Findon for my start.

My resolve was again seriously tested as the sun set leaving a cool and clear but very windy evening. It took many Stop Being Soft moments as I sat in the van forcing myself to venture out into the evening. I eventually made the sensible choice to buy a pint of Harveys in the aptly named Snooty Fox and drink it in the beer garden whilst loading the bike. The well healed diners must have thought I was very odd as they peered out from behind their food especially when I had two mini tantrums at bringing a flat main light battery and forgetting my Garmin mount!

I set off into the dark evening immediately climbing steeply on to the South Downs, I had a spot in mind that I had seen on many rides before but had never bivvyed before. I found a great sheltered pitch out of the wind and had the chance to experiment with the tarp configuration to ensure that I was as comfortable as possible. I settled down with a coffee, hip flask of Drambuie and an amazing array of stars in the clear skies and soon nodded off. I was awoken at 07.30 (new time) by a group of young enthusiastic orienteerer's chatting as they passed closely by. A steady stream of cheery ramblers continued to pass as I packed up with coffee and porridge followed by a brief chat with an interested runner. I enjoyed a couple of hours sunny riding completing a circular route back to Findon and then home in time for brunch and chores.

I think BAM is going to be easy from now on until November which reminds me, assuming successfully completed, does WRT count as an April and May Bivvy?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/147112040 ... res/5Ai3WW

[ScotRoutes]

Thanks for that Scotroutes, a few tracks on their I'm not familiar with so will get them checked out.

Do you also know the wee track that leads from Newbridge Industrial Estate, under the railway alongside the M8, past Claylands Farm and onto the canal at Wilkies Basin? That was the way I'd expected you to go on your way back from Sth Queensferry.

[RIP]

'BAM easy from now on' - many have tried to cross the Bridge of Doom before you, brave Sir knight .

'WRT counts as April+May' - nope, not the WRT itself, only if you're riding and bivvying the Monday night on the way home ... check the dates carefully . There was some discussion a while ago about whether '(30/31st)+1st' was 'cheating', and a higher authority deemed it fine. But as others have said it may not be in the spirit of the endeavour because a/ we shouldn't really be trying to 'avoid' a month and b/ if it's easy where's the fun in that :).

Anyway, sorry, this is sounding like a personal heckle. So long as we stick to Stu's Rules (hurrah! Another rhyme like Stu's Brews!) then it's only you who have to agree your own morals....

It is of course entirely beside the point that I shall be bivvying near Caersws on Monday 1st May

R

[Taylor]

Leaving it late again this month.
Down by the seaside on the southwest coastal path near Budleigh Salterton.
Using an old RAF observation post as my shelter tonight.
3/3
63/63 months
Next will be WRT.

[Mariner]

Hi Taylor
I rode through Buddleigh twice today.
You will be almost local.

[Taylor]

Hi Taylor
I rode through Buddleigh twice today.
You will be almost local.

I expect you know where I am tonight then.