Has anyone else been finding it hard to switch into autumn/ winter bivvy mode (apart from the BB200/300 folk of course...)?
Well I have.... my last BAM seems a VERY long time ago, and it was, right at the beginning of September in the Forest of Dean...and I've had a proper hot and sunny week in the Pyrenees in between too....but the end of October has been looming large, so I thought I'd better get my act together.... Saw this last week and thought, National Crumpet Week, that's as good an excuse as any....let's go Thursday.
IMG_20231018_130746 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Thursday came and went without a BAM, mixture of not having got anything packed and ready (apart from crumpets, butter, and a couple of coffee bags), and CBA.
II have recently started cuban salsa dancing with a few people from work, and there was a salsa party night Friday - I had considered going out after that, thinking that might make quite a funny sort of cinderella type story, me turning into a pumpkin at midnight as I slip my waterproof trousers and buffalo over the top of my frock, testing out the R value of sequins, that sort of thing... but nah, CBA and the weather forecast won....
But last night I finally made it, and of course as soon as I had actually made it out of the door, it was brilliant!
Short ride up to the common, and this time I opted for a spot I have often wanted to try, there's a really beautiful big old dry stone wall, with some very big equally beautiful beech trees along it, and in a few places the wall has partially collapsed, creating a gap to sneak through and duck in behind the wall, out of sight from any possible passers by, into a gap before the stock fencing for the next field, and with a good view of the morning sky.
I'd gone for tarp, just because it's so nice and open, and a simple low lean to design. It had been dry riding up, but as soon as I was in my sleeping bag, it started raining for much of the night.
IMG_20231024_062731 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
It did occur to me that this looked like a bit like I was sleeping in a cage.
IMG_20231024_061612 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Ah well, I thought, all the better to keep the (non existent!) wildlife out
!
No such luck though, as I rolled onto my left side, I swear something was trying to make its way into my right ear...
When I woke up after my first round of sleep, I thought I felt a drop of rain had landed on my eyelid. I went to wipe that away, but my fingertips instead landed on a cold, slimey thing which was of course - a fully grown slug!!!!!
Apart from that, I had what I think was the bestest ever night's sleep on a bivvy. For once, everything was perfect, the pitch was flat, I was warm and toasty, the pillow stayed put, and the best thing was the huge fluffy scarf I had brought, which meant I could keep the wet soggy bivvy bag away from my face, stay warm and still have face out to feel the fresh air.
National Crumpet week had of course ended on 22nd, but I had still brought my breakfast that I had packed for last Thursday.... alas the crumpets had by now grown more mouldy that I was willing to risk, so coffee it was, then home....
IMG_20231024_063704 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
While I was packing up, the cloud was rising up to meet me, and I found that I had been sharing the common with these guys
IMG_20231024_072733 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
The ride home was really quite magical, with a cloud inversion going on.
IMG_20231024_083010 by
Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
So yes, chuffed that I've made it out for the first of the autumn and winter BAMs, I loved it!
10/12
) for a full calendar year of 12 bivvies in a row, such as this very thread.....
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