Virtual Winter Event 2021

[RIP]

I think I'll just leave this here, for our members attempting it outside the UK. Or indeed within the UK once lockdown is lifted or if following the current C19 advice/laws.

Please post your stories and photos below.

[ton]

just got back from ride number one. a very icy, very cold 40 miler. rock hard frozen rutted mud a plenty. not nice.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4591571729

[whitestone]

Did a John Climber and didn't visit any of the GRs A bit picture heavy.

We had a bit of snow yesterday, even our lane had a couple of cm.



Went for the off-road climb, comes up past the barn in the distance, rather than the icy road.



The start of the descent.



After crossing the road this leads to a bit of moorland track, all too short unfortunately.



The next track, not technically a BW but no-one seems to mind as it follows a vehicle track was icy, even sheet ice in places, so we rode on the field to the side. Had a chat with the farmer at the bottom then did half the private MTB track in the woods (It's open to the public but not widely publicised).

Along the old railway then a steep climb. Cath nearly managed this. I was on the single speed and had to walk the steeper bits.



Back on to moorland and towards the Bridge of Doom. This is a wooden plank across a flooded ditch, today it was icy as F! and I only just got across on foot.





More moorland tracks. Just enough snow that you could push through if there was no trail but anything already padded down wasn't icy, perfect!







We normally ride on the bit over the road but they've but gates and big fences along with signs saying no horses or bikes so we headed back via the road.

It was -6C this morning and still about -5C when we set off. Probably just got to freezing by the time we got back home. Anyway a proper winter not that Mid-Wales mud

[summittoppler]

Went out to bag one of the GR's Sweary Dave sent me.
Set off from home and the 15 mile loop took me 3hrs 30mins with 2000ft of climbing.
The snow up on the mountain was a bit too deep and soft for the bike in many places so there was a lot of walking (and not cursing, promise).

Here's the GR:
A 6000 year old burial chamber
20210109_132241 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

within 1/2 mile of home and its up, up, up
20210109_101540 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

As you can see, plenty of people had been out before me so I managed to pedal through the snow where it had been compacted
20210109_111832 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210109_115113 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Virgin snow!
20210109_113837 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

But too deep for riding
20210109_114237 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Well hard these ponies are
20210109_115834 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Proper dumping of snow now!
20210109_121703 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

A nice spot for a flask of coffee
20210109_121724 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Snow patterns
20210109_123458 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210109_123430 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

A good day for the ski's
20210109_123927 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Still not much riding going on
20210109_124022 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210109_125316 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20210109_125321 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

All worth it to bag a GR
20210109_132309 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

I wouldn't have walked as far as I did but for me wanting to get to the GR.
Thanks to Dave for the GR and promise to do the full loop when we can

[Dave Barter]

Brilliant Jeff had you been there before? I'm running to two of yours tomorrow
Dave

[summittoppler]

Brilliant Jeff had you been there before? I'm running to two of yours tomorrow
Dave

Yes mate, many times. No map needed for this one
It could be a future bivvy spot tbh, your feet would stick out though and you might get spooked a bit

[fatbikephil]

Went out to grab a few local GR's, managed 2, one of which was my highest..... Many hours of pushing the ICT through Knee deep windlsab later (up and down hill!) I wobbled home after another ridiculously short distance / long duration ride and now collapsed on the couch. I was going to pitch up in the garden but its now raining and I've ordered a curry.....

Ooh and I also cooked a substantial meal (well a boil in the bag mixed bean and quinoa thingy from asda) but forgot to photograph it. Bugger.


GR1 Summit of Ben Cleuch (726m) This looks as bad as it was....

GR2 - Glen devon res

I'll have a better attempt when the snow recedes a bit and I can be arsed.....

[redefined_cycles]

Went out to grab a few local GR's..

Ooh and I also cooked a substantial meal (well a boil in the bag mixed bean and quinoa thingy from asda) but forgot to photograph it. Bugger.


GR1 Summit of Ben Cleuch (726m) This looks as bad as it was....
.....

Why not recreate the meal in your garden. Then edit it into the points where you cooked it up on high. Just a thought...

[fatbikephil]

I may well do that Shaff, depending on the weather.

[JohnClimber]

Well done to those who got and are out, or camping in their gardens today and tonight.

I did my DIY and home stuff today, plus some bike faffing.

I'm hoping that then forecast of it warming up overnight is correct as it's an ice rink here on our local roads with all the black ice.

Of course Sammy is out and I might be meeting him in the morning for a socially distance high point GR breakfast cooking meet up to try and win Shaf's honey in the morning

[redefined_cycles]

Of course Sammy is out and I might be meeting him in the morning for a socially distance high point GR breakfast cooking meet up to try and win Shaf's honey

I can assure you its gonna be some real good stuff. Might even be something limited edition...

[Verena]

Unexpectedly found myself back home about eight, rather than at my prepared bivvy spot...all my gear is very much not here, so warm bed it is....
Full story tomorrow, but I had a brilliant afternoon out, four and two half/nearly GRs in the bag and a substantial meal...

Fix bike or more likely swap bikes then heading out again in the morning

[redefined_cycles]

My first ever WE has started, kindof. Spent the last hour or so condensing my grid points to keep em close to home and only go for about half instead. Also a natural shortcut in there for once I think I've done enough exercise.

Egen (the bike) is indoors and so is breakky. Currently 'holed' up inside a lovely Trekkertent and the Tundra bag which I've maybe not used outdoors yet. Rated to minus5 with 400g of fluffy down from free-roam birds. Temp is showing as 1 on the phone and I'm not cold. That's without any extra layers of clothing - just the bike bottoms, a merino short sleeve and a berghaus synthetic base layer, without a hat but wooly HJhall socks insitu - so hopefully as long as I don't slide off the mat a decent sleep coming up (God-Willing)...

Erm... we gotta have a random pic don't we. So here's one, though totally unrelated to the V-WE...

A view of the Peaks (probably) I suppose... ain't they gorgeous... erm, you can look but you can't touch

[Verena]

Brilliant Jeff had you been there before? I'm running to two of yours tomorrow
Dave

Stunning pictures Jeff

[Verena]

Taking it easy kind of morning, and setting up my bivvy for the night in a privately owned woodland about 3miles from home, with the owner's kind permission - please don't hate me, yes I know how lucky I am...
IMG_20210109_120400 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
IMG_20210109_120916 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
En route to my first GR I saw this and thought of the BB200 experience.... turnips!!!
IMG_20210109_144735 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
The GR was a ford just past this farm. Which meant two gates, two sheepdogs and traipsing right through the farm. Even though I had met a proper map and gaiters sporting rambler on the track who assured me the farmers were friendly, I decided at this time it just didn't feel right to go through there. So I'll count that as half a GR.
IMG_20210109_144301 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Next GR was Pen Y Crug iron age hillfort, please see my substantial meal challenge post.
Very muddy track down (always is), picked up some substantial debris
IMG_20210109_160246 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Sun was definitely setting now
IMG_20210109_160742 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Next GR was this church, just off a lane I often ride, but had never been down there to have a look
IMG_20210109_161602 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Next one this bridge over to an old manor house, which as expected was very much "private" "keep out" "CCTV in operation"
IMG_20210109_163718 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
So back up the hill I went, which gave me nice view of a remnant of the disused railway line
IMG_20210109_163903 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Then it got dark... this one is my other half a GR, another ford on the other side, and through, a farm yard, in the dark. No thanks.
IMG_20210109_171152 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
About five minutes later I was even more glad I had made that decision. Two lights came towards me on the lane, I stopped and pulled over to let them past thinking it was a car. Turned out to be a quad bike which turned into a field; seconds later out of the dark right in front of me I had a sheep dog bark at me like crazy (it was a "good boy, nice boy" kind of moment).
My timing was a bit out, so I decided not to go up and over Cefn Llechid, as it was now dark and I would have wanted to have been there at sunset - saving that one for another time.
Two cars passed me on the minor road, as they did so I could smell lots of weed, so I was glad to get off the tarmac.
Purely for evidence, this is GR No. 6, in the middle of nowhere up on the common.
IMG_20210109_175338 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
I really enjoyed the next bit, riding off road proper under a starry sky with the milky way visible, and the ground getting increasingly crunchy and at least some of the mud firming up.

My drinking water turned first to slush then froze solid, and when one of my boot laces came undone, this too was frozen solid so that was a bit of a faff.
(my last two pictures won't upload to flickr for some reason, never mind)
Perfectly timed you could say, just as I got to the Mountain Centre, I got a flat at the front (o yeah forgot, my back brake at some stage had seized up so wasn't working any more). This being really quite close to home, I had to resist the urgent to phone home straight away. Bike mechanics are not my strong point, so all practice is useful.... I've never even tried to fix a puncture in the dark, at -2, but at least it was dry and not windy... I thought I had done an ok job (with patches, not sure of they're designed to work at those temperatures?), and was debating whether to choose the on or off road route options onwards, when another car turned up, clearly just out "joy riding", so I made way hastily over the common... only to find that my tyre was flat again.
So I decided to walk home, much shorter route than walking to my bivvy spot.
I sent the family a message to pre warn them that I would interrup their cozy father daughter evening in.
Some time later a car pulled up and I got a lift home.

Had a really brilliant time, evidence if ever it was needed that there are proper mini adventures to be had close to home, everything is that much different in the dark! But it all still felt really safe, which is a good thing at the moment especially.

Thanks John and Reg for organizing this

[RIP]

top drawer that Verena!

[TheBrownDog]

Indeed great effort Verena. I can't compete on distance or riding fun yesterday (trip to Tesco via one of my GRs) but I did manage a very comfortable night in my hammock in the garden. Had a nice dinner which I cooked in a pot on my newish fire anchor from https://www.tjmmetalworks.co.uk/store. Sure I could have put the pot directly on the stove, but where's the fun in that?

In fact, the fun began when I wondered what would happen if, instead of putting sticks into the side opening as usual, I filled it vertically from the top with neatly split and tightly packed hardwood pieces. It got a bit lively: most entertaining.

[RIP]

Blimey. I last saw something like that when I visited Stanton Ironworks in the 1970s!

[summittoppler]

Went out on the skinny bike this morning to get the other close by GR.
20 miles, 840ft elevation, 1hr 32m

A trip to the seaside GR, SH912786
20210110_113039 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Instead of heading into the hills were I was yesterday and where most of the other GR's are, I went to the coast. The first 4 miles were on my commuting lanes.
20210110_103926 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

I got married in there 21 years ago!
20210110_104536 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Once on the coast it was a nice flat pedal to the GR dodging all the dog walkers strewn along the path.
20210110_111721 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

GR
20210110_113053 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

My return was on the main roads as you always get a headwind heading back west on the coast.
Again another thank you goes out to all involved, I wouldn't have done a ride like this on a Sunday morning especially with all that snow on the hills. Cheers guys

[ton]

polished the remainder of the GR's sent to me by my oppo. all 10 completed.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4598024453


and it really is as sub standard as the photo's make it look round my way.

[redefined_cycles]

My first ever WE has started, kindof. Spent the last hour or so condensing my grid points to keep em close to home and only go for about half instead. Also a natural shortcut in there for once I think I've done enough exercise.

Egen (the bike) is indoors and so is breakky. Currently 'holed' up inside a lovely Trekkertent and the Tundra bag which I've maybe not used outdoors yet. Rated to minus5 with 400g of fluffy down from free-roam birds. Temp is showing as 1 on the phone and I'm not cold. That's without any extra layers of clothing - just the bike bottoms, a merino short sleeve and a berghaus synthetic base layer, without a hat but wooly HJhall socks insitu - so hopefully as long as I don't slide off the mat a decent sleep coming up (God-Willing)...

Erm... we gotta have a random pic don't we. So here's one, though totally unrelated to the V-WE...

A view of the Peaks (probably) I suppose... ain't they gorgeous... erm, you can look but you can't touch

Just to continue on from here... Slpept the night in TT double walled and the Tundra 400g of down bag. Was nice and toasty in 0 to 2 degrees. Woke up and after prayers set out to nab an abridged sectiom of the route. With only 6 GRs. During the ride I reviewed and got myself 2 instead. Will go back at some point for the rest... Here's some pics...


Just can't seem to get a taut pitch!


This imagery was definitely the highlight of the day.


Grid Ref 1 was just a few metres from here. A little bridge over to where all the touristy looking folk were at the waterpark or waterever it was. This capture was much better anyway so took instead.


I'd say about 2 miles or more worth of ice riding today. Happy with that but whats amazing is the cars (not many) that felt they needed to keep flooding over it to get closer to the Grid Ref..


Evidence that there was alot of ice... At one point I likened my Egen to the Titanic in frozen waters and any minute now the icy boulder wouldn't crush under her nudge!



The prize... Grid Ref 2. Ain't she gorgoeus...


Think it was a buzzard here I was trying to capture. Did get the shot but its just a spec so no need to faff trying to upload that now. Just use your imagination of what a joyful feeling it was. At first I thought I lost it as it appeared down-wind by about 400m. Then it came back and showed off its beauty...


Winter horizons over in Yaaarkshire... Ain't they pretty. Some people just don't know what they're missing (erm... no clever comments here please, I'm happy with the scenery so leave me be ).


Untouched...


Last but not least... Some hardnut Yorkshire sheep.

NB. I did take a couple o sarnies and had the tuna one at my grid ref. But didn't feel it appropriate to take a pic of that in case the substantial meal comp thread gives anyone any other cheeky ideas. Ralph is obviously spot on and totally within his rights as the buttons are indeed a substantial meal for him... Ask anyone

[Lazarus]

and it really is as sub standard as the photo's make it look round my way.

Round my way its just sheets of ice even on grass - not sure when it was ever this icy

I am due to do it next weekend but it wont be safe unless it gets warmer or i do it SS with icespikers [ wont happen]

[fatbikephil]

Went out today to grab my most iconic GR....

The actual GR is under the bridge next to the site compound pictured above. But this is a nicer view. Then had a trundle along the coast. Even at sea level many off road paths and cycleways were like a skating ring including that most lethal of combinations a large puddle covering a sheet of ice.....

[whitestone]

Part 2 ...

Got back from our sunny snowy ride yesterday and put up the tarp and hammock. Had evening meal indoors then headed out for a night's "bivy".

Started at about 0C and rose to 3C overnight. It was also pretty windy. A bit worrying in that you've a lot of airflow around a hammock and this can suck heat from you. As it turned out I was toasty warm all night. I was also a little damp, not worryingly so, but the snow melting meant the air was very humid and with the tarp flapping around meant the top quilt was slightly damp to the touch.

Today was a total contrast to yesterday - dreich as the Scots would have it. Also the police were driving around checking on people so we weren't going far. We went for a walk, got back home and it was time for Shaf's meal challenge.

Fired up the MSR and made Salmon pasta

[Verena]

Part 2

Set off from home at a civilized 9.30, straight up the hill from my house to what I believe is a roman road, and still one of my favourite views.
136067623_412275430112938_5676873379202345542_n by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
GR7 - a ford/bridge, with a bit of a gnarly track down to it, and despite what the OS map says, nothing obvious track wise on the other side, just a field and steep uphill.
135658128_473568500351562_2380314909788105614_n by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
136119410_447151426668749_8644266377052111759_n by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Straight on to GR8 - strangely similar, even longer steeper gnarly track down, pretty ford/ bridge, this time a well defined track the other side, also steep uphill - I tried it for a bit then decided that I CBA and need to just embrace my inner gravelw@nker, so I turned back, dragged my bike back up to the lane, and carried on to
135872258_439913300387030_613771750657282954_n by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
GR9 - the church. Had a little look, it was locked of course but the porch was open - by the way do any of you ever sleep in such church porches?
137092056_431518458042556_2653905477717618832_n by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Canal is starting to freeze over
136383217_453718779345014_5350276224105604369_n by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
CBA to carry on to the GR up in Talybont forest - will make that another trip sometime.

Back to "that" ford, GR10. Crystal clear water, could see to the bottom this time, it looked quite inviting and I reckon no more than thigh deep across. I'd be up for that actually, worst bit would be somehow heaving the bike up and down the banks - but with covid and all the no-risky-(water)sports, and the spot being overlooked by a house, again not one for today I decided.
136126812_724694215074977_2164858643881800425_n by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
And back home along the canal.
136721703_921209408621784_1249980274820449047_n by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
So that's 8 GRs properly, plus the 2 half-ish ones from yesterday - who's counting anyway? Apart for that jar of honey....

Which I may hasten to add is not down to my cycling ability, but to a suitably very local and closely spaced GRs - thanks Reg for going easy on me