Bivvy a month 2022

[JimmyG]

Lying in bed on Monday night last week, I suddenly remembered I hadn’t chucked my down winter sleeping bag in the various Ikea bags containing my gear for a few days (two days gravel riding plus my March BAM) in Aviemore. “No problem. I’ll do it in the morning”, I said to myself. Er… needless to say, I didn’t and it was only as I’d already driven northwards for an hour or so that it occurred to me. Bugger! However, I do keep a bulky synthetic fill winter bag in the back of my van in case of emergency… and this was an emergency. There was no way it was going to fit in my Apidura bar bag, though, but fortunately I also keep a daysack hanging in the van ‘just in case’. So their moment had arrived! On that note, I normally carry all my gear on the bike but on this occasion I must admit I did rather enjoy the novelty of being able to stuff the doss bag and various other odds and sods in the daysack rather than cram them into specific places around the bike.

Truth be told, after a couple of days’ worth of gravelly stuff in and around Rothiemurchus and Inshriach forests I was feeling pretty tired and not feeling a great deal of enthusiasm for a BAM outing. However, after a pizza and a pint dinner I felt a bit more upbeat and once I got in the saddle and headed off into the darkness, the missing mojo made a cautious reappearance.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I’d decided to bivvy at a spot I’ve passed many times over the years – a lochan sitting at the junction of several Rothiemurchus gravel tracks and the beginning of the Glen Einich track.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I arrived at my chosen spot after a mammoth 4.4 miles . I then dumped my daysack and saddle pack and enjoyed a random spin around various tracks in the vicinity, finally bringing the mileage up to a slightly more respectable 9.5 miles. I must say I did enjoy the novelty of riding trails I’ve ridden many times before but this time in darkness. Must do more of it!

I had an excellent sleep on a coldish but wind-free night. The next morning dawned bright and sunny and after a leisurely breakfast (as all my BAM breakfasts are!) I headed back to town for a second one. Their coffee wasn't as good, though.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

In summary, that was 3 of 12 for this year and my 51st consecutive BAM.

[ScotRoutes]

I've not camped by that particular lochan - mostly on the basis that it's too near the busier paths. A buddy and I were heading down into Aviemore (OBI) from that area around 7pm last night but I guess you were eating around then?

[JimmyG]

Yeah, that junction does see a lot of ‘traffic’ at times right enough. I saw nobody that night, though, and in the morning saw only a lone mountain biker and then, when I was riding out, a Forestry Commission 4 x 4 heading up Glen Einich.

I actually camped out on Thursday night. You certainly had glorious weather up your way last week and it was a real wrench to drive away from it!

[Blackhound]

Enjoying the reports. Last night I got out at last. The last week or so has had nice days but I never got my act together. Yesterday, I took a train to Fiskerton and rode into Southwell to grab a Veloviewer square I 'lost' when I moved house, except I had never been into it anyway. I then continued to grab a few more new ones near Newark before heading to one tile I needed on the Grantham canal. I was thinking of stopping (it was almost 8.30pm) and noticed I had a puncture and as I was by a little bridge decided that would be my home for the night. This morning I fixed the puncture at first light and then headed up to Bingham and found a Waitrose at a Shell station and then made my way along the Trent and up to Shardlow where I was hungry again so stopped at a small cafe for something like 3rd breakfast. 3/12
https://www.strava.com/activities/6891091467

[Blackhound]

Any of the WRT'ers brave enough to wait until 30th April for April BAM? A great opportunity to get April and May on the same WRT weekend but I don't think I am that brave and will try and get an early one in in case anything goes wrong.

[fatbikephil]

March done and a doubler
Friday to Saturday (5 miles to the bivvy, beat ya Jimmy )


-3 overnight, was +16 later

Saturday to Sunday (after a bit of a longer ride)


-6 overnight. Hit 18 later

More later

3/3, 27 month streak.

[edwellz]

Left it until late this month but was worth the wait. After an early finish in work this past Friday I parked up in Talybont on Usk then set out across the Brecon Beacons to Tywi Forest, staying in Moel Prysgau bothy. A fair bit of climbing but worth it for the epic gravel and views! Arrived eight hours later to an empty (and somewhat spooky) bothy and got the fire on for a warm and cosy night. Returned the next day via Beulah and Builth Wells for a total of 120 miles to a well deserved cold pint on the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal.

[Bearlegged]

March got ticked off last week.

It was meant to be Tuesday, but Ang forgot she had a Zoom meeting. It rained quite heavily on Wednesday morning, so this wasn't the worst outcome imaginable.
Then it kept on raining throughout Wednesday.
But on Thursday, things improved. And we both had time to head out, through the woods, up the path, and onto the moors. The ride out and accompanying conversation covered trail access, steps and navigating in the dark.
My original intended spot seemed devoid of sheep (good), but the gate had been padlocked (bad).
Finding an alternative spot involved a bit of local knowledge plus keeping a wary eye out for livestock, but we ended up with a den that 4-year-old me would have been very pleased with.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbkV3K6sdTq/

We snacked, we drammed, I admitted I couldn't remember which whisky it was in my little bottle. Maybe Talisker? And then eventually, we turned in, and slept. So far, so good, until approximately 5am, when a crow took up residence in the branches directly overhead.
"KAW-KAW!!!" (Brief pause. Answering "Kaw-kaw" from across the field.)
"KAW-KAW!!!"
"KAW-KAW!!!"
(Muttered cursing from within our bivvies)
And then a sheep turned up, and started sniffing around. "Sod off!" I grumbled, and clapped my hands at it. It sodded off, the crow eventually shut its beak, and we dozed a little longer.

Dawn light started with a pale haze, and frost on the ground outside our den. As we breakfasted, the rising sun started to pierce through the mist, the sky above waxed azure, and golden highlights glimmered in the canopy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbnLKfSs_MZ/

Ang started to pack up, giving me strict instructions not to do likewise (as she thought she'd be faffing a fair while). Once she felt she'd had a sufficient headstart, I too left the comfort of my bag and commenced Operation "Where did I leave that stuff sack?".
And then we headed for home.
Ang's head exploded in the morning rays before we winched up onto the moors and basked in the warmth of spring.*
We bimbled across the tops, zoomed down the hill, and made the most of the bus lane on our way to school runs and bike workshops.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbnp8sJsnNG/

2022 BAM 3/12
2022 total bivvies 3
Current streak (months) 40

*Yeah, I said it.

[RIP]

Any of the WRT'ers brave enough to wait until 30th April for April BAM? A great opportunity to get April and May on the same WRT weekend but I don't think I am that brave and will try and get an early one in in case anything goes wrong.

That's Reg's current plan. But as you say, we all know that 'plans' always go horribly wrong! Feels a bit like cheating too so any comeuppance would probably be well deserved .

[Verena]

Any of the WRT'ers brave enough to wait until 30th April for April BAM? A great opportunity to get April and May on the same WRT weekend but I don't think I am that brave and will try and get an early one in in case anything goes wrong.

Same here, not that brave, plus it's too long to wait....

[benp1]

Had my annual end of March trip. I've gone away roughly the same weekend in March every years for the last many years, except for last year when I moved house. My work goes a bit mad for the first 3 month of the year, it's calmer now so it's my little reward. Fun fact - two years ago I finished the trip in lockdown, although started when it wasn't lockdown. Didn't have any signal so didn't know

Anyway, for this year's trip I wanted to stay local seeing as I now live somewhere with decent riding. I was out for 3 and a bit days, so bagged 3 bivvies, although all in March so only counts towards one month.

My original plan was to do the KAW, but I've lost quite a lot of fitness from when I fractured my knee cap last Autumn and didn't think I'd be able to get around the full loop in the time I had. I came up with a different plan, the SDW

Day 1 - Rode from home to Winchester mostly on the road, then picked up the start of the SDW. Rode back towards home and bivvied in a spot just past the bit of the SDW i knew well and ride quite a lot. 58 miles in total. Excellent weather, dry and warm in the sun, mild in the shade. Cracking bivvi spot, will probably head back to this one again. Not many food places en route so carried stuff from home and bought some bits in Winchester

Day 2 - Woke up to an inversion, well it was misty below me so that counts right? Carried on down the SDW, what a cracking route. about 55 miles in total. Wasted a little time backtracking for the fuel bottle I'd dropped when I was sorting some kit out. That was quite annoying but I lost it on the morning of the 2nd day and I needed to boil water for dinners and coffees. Amazing views, was cold in the morning and pretty chilly in the evening but the daytime was lovely. Slight headwind the whole day but the sun was out. Didn't pass any eateries that were serving when I wanted/needed. Lots of taps around so water was easy. Resupplied from an M&S in a petrol station, that was a handy stop. Bivvied in some woods. 56 miles in total

Day 3 - Continued along to Eastbourne, some of the climbs felt better this day. Picked up some food in Eastbourne, then turned around and headed back the way I came. Still good weather, had more of a tailwind on the way back. Bivvied in some different woods. Had only done 46 miles by this point and there was still more riding time and light if I wanted it. But having come along the track the other way I couldn't remember anywhere good to bivvy so stopped a bit early. The ride the next morning thankfully confirmed my decision as right, I'd have been riding a fair bit before finding somewhere as good, and my bivvy spot was nicely out of the fairly cool wind

Day 4 - Continued westbound to see how far I got in the time I had. Got back towards Upper Beeding, then picked up the Downs Link south to Lancing station where I got the train towards home. 20 miles back to the station. Annoyingly there was a rail replacement bus service from Chichester so that meant I couldn't take the bike. Rode home from there. Got home in time to go out for a big mothers day pub meal with the family

Some pics

Bivi spot sunrise and inversion



Had to smile at this sign



Little lamb had got lost. Jumped off my bike, picked him/her up and helped them get back in the right field. Felt like I was in Wales having to rescue sheep



Was a bit of a climb to get to this bench, I didn't know at that point the climb continued. Was a nice view though



This greeted me at Chichester station. I was heading for a pub meal and had only recently had a sausage and egg sandwich from a cafe but how good is this? 24/7 pizza, like a bikepackers dream. Wish I'd found this on the SDW!

[Blackhound]

Nice write up Ben. Not been on SDW since 2013 and keep meaning to return. I do recall food being less frequent than you would imagine in the South of England.

I scouted out a possible local bivvy spot today that I might use next rather than waiting for WRT.

[frogatthefarriers]

BaM 3/3 for 2022

I had meant to make a much bigger ride of it for this months' BaM but events conspired against me (covid, work, family stuff), leaving me no choice but a dash-n-crash bivvy; local, late, and unplanned except for a desire to find some wild flowers to doss in.

Dunnit!

I had an idea that there'd be some primroses at this spot... but found wood anemonies too.


I had a swathe of primroses on one side of my bivvy and the anemonies on the other. Primroses...


The view from bed in the morning...


As can be seen, it was a bit misty, but this burned off as I was having breakfast (baked beans & bread 'n butter). As I sat, perched like a squirrel on a tree stump, my eye caught movement in the top of a tree down a steep bank leading to a river. A heron, building a nest. Too far away to take a picture but I'll have to remember to take binoculars next time I'm there.

This was my first time in the Gatewood cape I've had for a month but not had chance to try out. It didn't work out too well - I had a lot of condensation. I think my pole is too short because the skirts were too close to the ground, so not enough air circulation. I got dripped on. As you can see from my bed picture, the air was very moist which would have made the problem much worse. More practice needed, obviously.

Still, that's another BaM ticked off.

Another wildflower picture to finish off - a bank of celndines on the way to a bacon butty before heading home. I always look for celendines as a first sign that spring is here.



I guess that's a yes, then.

[Bearlegged]

Love the flower pics. Saw anemones, narcissuses and snowdrops on this evening's ride.

[Raggedstone]

I made an executive decision last Monday night that due to the weather being so good a couple of days on the bike was a far more attractive proposition than work with I worked out a route from home to Hopton woods and then back through Bringewood near Ludlow . I had to wait around for a dental appointment on Tuesday so packed the bike l then looked on here only to be confronted by some more of Jeff's wonderful pictures of Snowdonia and with the weather set fair maybe a change of plan was in order . While in the dentist's waiting room and for reasons unknown I re-read Reg's Better Slate than Never report and came across the reference to the Snowdonia heritage trail so I got the route and set off for Blaenau Ffestiniog Wednesday morning . I got going around 2 and after a while i spotted this rare beast clearly a mother and child but no idea what it is probably something to do with a re-wilding scheme .
PXL_20220323_162703333 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
After a few more enjoyable and varied hours riding I thought about looking for a bivvy spot but due to the two back to back storms that we had the forest routes I was supposed to be following were impassable and the only way forward was the A5 so instead I followed a forest track that went up into the woods looking down on Capel Curig and with great views of Moel Siabod , a night plagued by gravity ensued things weren't as flat as they looked I managed to slide into the pole of the tarp twice with amusing consequences still the sunrise was ample compensation .
PXL_20220324_065510864 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
Breakfast at the cafe named after the aforementioned mountain was followed by a pleasant ride to the Ogwen visitor center for coffee and a chat with some day trippers from Anglesey who told me about the uncontrolled controlled fires which probably explained the amount of helicopters . I felt obliged to keep an eye out for a discarded helmet as I made my way on to Llanberris for tea and cake before the climb upTelegraph valley to look for the nights resting place . The last time I was here it was to complete the decent of Snowdon having come down the rangers path and it was great fun with loads of bits to launch off now it's so smooth you could push a pushchair all the way I have seen worse paths in the local park . I went up the ranger path and found a place that looked ok maybe a bit of a slope but the location was amazing it turned out to be flatter than it looked must get the eyes re-levelled
PXL_20220324_181527925.MP by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I woke about 6.30 to comments from below such as is that a tent from people on the way up for an early summit . You could only see me on the way up and I was amazed by the amount of people who were coming down after a night out while I was packing up and having breakfast . I caught a few up and had a chat mostly locals making the most of the conditions and who could blame them . More interesting industrial sites and it was over and time to head home .
3/12 for 2022

[RIP]

Nice one Lu and Kev - thanks for looking for my helmet :). Live emergency BaM in progress here. Tough month same as Lu but finally had to get out. A chilly 2degC but below zero forecast tomorrow.

Anyway, needed a short-n-sweet so slung some stuff into the Brompton bag and headed out for a mooch round town. I missed out on the Undertones Brompton-based gigpacking jape earlier in the month so thought I should at least try again.

Lived here over 30 years but thought "I know, I'll see if I can spot something interesting actually within the town boundary". Aimlessly cruised around for a while with my 'spot radar' on its minimum distance setting. Industrial estate didn't turn up much, nor the river. Kept wandering and headed a little further out to a slightly more wooded housing area. Finally spotted a disused garden shed in some bushes just next to a main road so pushed through the twigs and in we go. Only about 6' x 4' but quite high. No old veg or tomatoes for breakfast, just a hole in the floor which I presume is where the rats come in!

Don't want to draw attention with a flash photo so will try in the morning.

2degC forecast. Reg and the rats (*) bid you goodnight!

(*) good name for a band that

[MuddyPete]

I've just discovered some old geezer with a folding bicycle kipping in my shed . I wonder what that's all about .

[Johnallan]

Finally spotted a disused garden shed in some bushes just next to a main road so pushed through the twigs and in we go. Only about 6' x 4' but quite high. No old veg or tomatoes for breakfast, just a hole in the floor which I presume is where the rats come in!

This is wonderful

[RIP]

Sorry not to tip you off Pete but I suspected that wherever I ended up there'd only be room for one at the inn. Hopefully life calming down a bit too now, ha ha, and not given up on sorting a ride.

Cheers John, well the rats didn't get me but the cold nearly did - thermal base, fleece, down jacket and sleeping bag. Apologies forgot customary photo of 22g on fire for breakfast.

Goodness knows what the commuters thought of me staggering out of the bushes this morning. Also turns out the shed was situated at the overgrown end of someone's garden. Suppose the clue's in the name really - 'garden' 'shed'. Oh well.









R

3/3, 3/12, 74/74 (or is it 75/75? Lost track. Need to check)

EDIT: blimey. It is indeed the three-quarter century. 75/75 it is then.

[sean_iow]

Also turns out the shed was situated at the overgrown end of someone's garden.

I did wonder why a shed would be in some bushes.

[fatbikephil]

First quarter clock's a'ticking folks

[whitestone]

OK Very last minute March’s BAM now in progress stayed very local for this one as we both need to be in work in the morning

[Verena]

Some really great late March BAM stories there, enjoyed that as a bit of bedtime reading

[fatbikephil]

Right then....
First quarter of 2022 is done and we have the following full completions:-
Sean_iow
Verena
jimmy G
RIP
Blackhound
Frog
Scotroutes
Bearlegged
Summit toppler
Raggedstone
FBPhil
Benp1
Whitestone
Cath
Gone Caving
Lune Ranger
Edwellz
JohnAllan
LinkPin
SLarge
NeilA

Wotsits is an official late starter in February and SR is an official late starter in March. Any additions let me know.

Bit of attrition there which I suspect the foul weather in February was largely responsible for. Remember there is always the option to do a financial year BAM!

In terms of the competitive side of BAM (there is one you know) I have unilaterally decided on the following league table in the various approved BAM categories:-

Stupidest place to Bivvy - Reg has pulled out a tremendous lead in this category firstly with his bivvy on the side of a canal in full view of half of Wales, and then in someone's garden shed (without asking first, or indeed without knowing he had which gains bonus marks)
Culinary flair and class - Jeff / aka Summittoppler has forged ahead in this one with his February piece de resistance of toasted tea cake and steak au Stella hand cooked and served on a rustic slate plate with a side serving of rabbit dung. Jeff is also showing an near insurmountable lead in the high altitude stakes.
For the 'Most photogenic' category; in the lead is Scotroutes whose never afraid of posting a 'grizzled selfie' where most of us are content to hide our good looks under a bushell
Best Organ recital (Bachs Tocata and fugue in D minor I believe, clearly designed to inspire Reg to get up another huge Welsh climb) - Frog aka Lu
Best breakfast (and perfectly poured pint) John Allan on his Feb bivvy.

Overall lead - me, in a kind of "its my party so I'll cry if I want to (if I don't get my way)" style of thing, although happy to be booed off the podium for this one.....

Whilst bivvy newbies may be intimidated by the experience and expertise in the competition, there is always a chance to a pull a lead with a particularly fine act of bivvy mayhem so don't be put off. You also have to complete the full years BAM to win!

Spring is here and the easy quarter (cue epic storms and torrential rain) so lets see some fine bivvy tales. Also I've noted a few camera shy types in the above - come on folks, we don't need any of that moody backlit scenery with the shades of the evening sun westering over the hills nonsense like what you see over on the photo thread, blurred snaps including thumbs are perfectly acceptable, and in fact preferred as they prove we are too hardcore to stop to take a decent photie.

[Bearlegged]

Spring is here and the easy quarter...

Oh FFS, that's done it.