Your most memorable trip?

[Bearbonesnorm]

What was your best or most memorable night out under the stars? ... When? Where? Why?

I think the night that best sticks in my mind was the STW winter trip last December. It had a bit of everything that makes trips good.

1/ Interesting weather ... minus double figures is interesting
2/ Good company ... some of whom I'd not met before but now consider to be friends.
3/ Some of the riding was a little challenging ... think snow and ice.
4/ Much laughing ... brought about by all of the above.
5/ Decent breakfast at the end!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Here's a picture taken by Matt on the return leg ... yes it really ws as cold as it looks!

[Ian]

Most trips are memorable.

Had a really wet and memorable trip with flatfishy back in Feb. He'll likely remember that one for a long time - that lump behind my wheel is flatfishy in his bivi bag under a collapsed tarp:



Winter bivvy was good - enjoyable company and riding and a relatively safe way to experience some extreme conditions.



Welsh Ride Thing 2010. Perfect conditions on Monks Trod:



Welsh Ride Thing 2011. Trying to hang onto Aidan's wheel!

[valleydaddy]

I totally agree Stu this trip was the start of my addiction - I blame you all!!

you can see me on the right of the photo with the massive panniers

How I have learnt the art of bikepacking this past 7 months - amazing.

plus I have joined the 29er gang

That winter bivvy was vaguely exciting, no-one in the right minds would pedal out in weather like that, but we did and survived and have made great friends out of it - brilliant :D

my bike was so heavy it took 2 of use to lift the back wheel off the ground, no wonder it was like an articulated truck on the ice and jack knifed at every opportunity, I still have the elbow scars to show for it too.

[Stevemorg]

Have to agree - the December bivi trip was a cracker! Great company, got talked into the WRT and found another excuse to buy kit!
I learned a few things on that trip
- a 5 inch Full Sus bike with a 45l daysac is not the ideal kit to go on a winter bike bivi!
- get your place under the tarp as soon as it's pitched!
- I'm never going to sell my Rab 4 season bag despite now only using it a couple of times a year
Now the big decision is to go 29er or stick with 26

[valleydaddy]

very good tips there Steve

29er you know it make sense

[didnothingfatal]

Best night I ever had was sleeping high on this lump of falling down rock, calm clear night, great company, and a view to remember until I pass away.

[Bearbonesnorm]

DNF, that's some proper hike-a-bike

[didnothingfatal]

Well if it's memorable trip with a bike, I'll say the WRT, wet, windy, tent flattening on a regular basis, decent breakfast in Mach, great cup of tea back at the start :D
Digging out that picture has had a bad influence on me, I called climbing the other year, but I can feel the pull of my crampons every time I look at that picture! :)

[Blackhound]

For me it has to be the Tour Divide, here are a few of the photo's:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12617230@N ... 284450765/

Sleeping at Schinzel Flats at ~11,300 feet was a good night. Late afternoon on the way up Indiana Pass I thought I was not going to finish. My energy returned on the upper slopes and the next day did 143 miles.

(Schinzel Flats is the one with my Western Mountaineering bag thrown over my TN tent.)

the bearbones event may eclipse the TD though....