• Bivvy a Month 2025

Posted: **Thu Feb 20, 2025 10:19 pm**

I’m comparative new here but I can’t help thinking that he looks younger in the photos.

Posted: **Thu Feb 20, 2025 11:25 pm**

Mr Sparkle wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 10:19 pm I’m comparative new here but I can’t help thinking that he looks younger in the photos.

Mental age v physical age

.

Cheers Gecko... it's such a deeply embedded part of my life that I worry I might suddenly lose it for no obvious reason and not be able to restore it... I'm sure we all get those feeliings sometimes...

Posted: **Thu Feb 20, 2025 11:27 pm**

Like that Gecko (The BAM Bard)

Posted: **Thu Feb 20, 2025 11:53 pm**

Thanks. My maths might be slightly out and last May was actually your 104th Reg, but it didn't fit the rhyme. I don't only write sonnets but enjoy the challenge.

Anyway you're right that you had some absolute crackers last year. Onwards and upwards.

Posted: **Fri Feb 21, 2025 8:03 pm**

RIP wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 11:25 pm
it's such a deeply embedded part of my life that I worry I might suddenly lose it for no obvious reason and not be able to restore it... I'm sure we all get those feeliings sometimes...

Yes. It's a bit scary. I recently have a minute or so on most rides, about cycling in general, as in a little moment of feeling scared at the thought of, what if one day I just find that I don't enjoy it any more and don't want to ride any more?

Oddly enough

usually while slogging up some hill... and so far such thoughts immediately disappear once I crest the top of the hill and start rolling along easily, or even downhill

Posted: **Fri Feb 21, 2025 8:08 pm**

RIP wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 10:53 am Know what you mean Sean. I had a number of absolute stonkers last year, which I'm worried I won't be able to top, which ain't good for the motivation. All my local ones are noisy which doesn't help, so like you I have to fork over loads of cash to get somewhere 'nice'. From the top the only way is....

I'm just an old wizened husk of a bikepacker, maybe it's time for us old farts to hang up the drybags and make way for the new generation of trendy 'packers with their flash gear and them there new fangled ways... Get a grip Reg.

Dear o dear Sean and Reg.... sounds like you may need a little help from the community? Do we need a theme? A competition? A virtual get together BAM where a few of us go out on the same night and have a chat from our respective spots?

How about for March (not that I've done my February yet), a St David's Day BAM? With whatever suitably themed accessories we can come up with?? Leeks, one of those giant daffodil hats, clogs, welsh cakes???

Posted: **Fri Feb 21, 2025 8:37 pm**

Raggedstone wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2025 4:40 pm I thought i better attempt to go somewhere other than the Malverns this month as i was getting a bit fed up of the view so after some thought i worked out a not to challenging route starting from Talybont on Usk. This involved a long steady climb up the Taff trail on a forestry road which unexpectedly provided this view as the trees had been harvested.
PXL_20250218_144802589 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
Just before the track meets the road there is an old railway tunnel that you can apparently go through to the the other side of the hill which would have once joined the Brecon mountain railway near here
PXL_20250218_154451567 (3) by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
It was early so i had plenty of time to explore the two empty resevoirs Lower and Upper Neuadd the Upper one ia a grade 2 listed structure and they were worried about it so was drained it is certainly a very impressive place
PXL_20250218_162216623 (2) by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
PXL_20250218_162242677 (2) by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I also found this rather impressive house in the undergrowth unfortunately it has been used as target practice by the dead of head and is nearly glassless now
PXL_20250218_162948381 (2) by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
After a look at the other side of the dam wall with a great view of Pen y Fan and with a bivvy spot located it was time to drop down to the pub in Pontsticill
PXL_20250218_164715576 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
As i rejoined the tarmac i was stopped by a couple of lads who asked me if they could get a taxi to the Storey arms car park they had gone very wrong i left them asking a lady in her car if they could have a lift to somewhere more taxi friendly. It was getting dark and by the time i got to the pub i was frozen and had to have a cup of tea not to drink but to hold for better or worse. Peter Reg and myself had visited one of the two pubs a couple of years ago so i tried the other one the Red Cow and what a good choice great beer doing food early and very friendly result other than i was going to have to leave which i did at eight after a serious battle of wills another pint would have been nice. I had been a bit bothered about the lads so really didnt want to see them again on the way back up which i didnt so one way or another they had made it out. I set up camp on what would have been the wet side of the dam and out of the wind and listened to some stuff slept well until nature called on the way out of the sleeping bag i managed to jam the zip totally so had to deploy the quilt to help keep warm which turned out to have a mind of its own the pillow then went flat so the rest of the night was a bit of a drag.
PXL_20250219_071706598 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
While i was in the pub a group chat broke out and it turned out Psling was in the area and suggested breakfast at the cafe in Talybont an idea which Verena also found appealing so it was up and away in the refreshing freezing cold rain i was going to take a longer way back which after the initial climb is mostly downhill all was going well until the top of the Brinore Tramroad where a few smallish sticks were across the track
PXL_20250219_100057803 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
and then the sticks got bigger
PXL_20250219_100402734 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
After an unpleasant reroute down a slippery boulder strewn path/river i got to the cafe just after Peter had arrived and just before V got there a very impressive bit of rescheduling on her part Breakfast didnt last long some imagination required
PXL_20250219_115648568 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
We drank plenty of tea and coffee and had plenty to say what an unexpected and wonderful end to the trip.
PXL_20250219_115704350.MP by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
2/12 for this year

Nice one Kev, great photos, must venture up there again one day soon....it was certainly a cold and windy night....

Brilliant to have that spontaneous get together, sitting next to empty plates

Posted: **Sat Feb 22, 2025 11:06 pm**

So, with a few days off work, I thought Friday night would be a good time to get out. Slightly warmer, no rain and no obstacles getting in the way.

Had decided to head to a place I went to last year but as I left a bit later then I hoped, I decided to stick closer to home. Tried to head to a small lake I'd used for my first overnighter a few years ago but the way in was completely overgrown. I plan to complain to the landowner about it. Instead I went to another wooded area, only about 4 miles from home. I might win the award for the most low-key BAMs over a year.

Pitched up on the edge of a slight clearing and under an oak tree. All was very still with a faint noise of vehicles from a road, wind and a bunch of Canadian Geese flying over. An owl hooted away in the distance. A couple of beers were had and I just lay reading a bit before turning in.

Slept ok even though I woke up a couple of times. Up at about 5.30 to get packed away. Pointed the bike in the opposite direction to home and then rode around the lanes and trails for about an hour and half before getting home for a coffee. Just had to make my way around this bleedin' bike. Imagine leaving it in the middle of a trail!

Chuffed with myself that I've made it 2 in a row during winter. Looking forward to a little brighter evenings from now on.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2025 8:52 am**

Local is good. Took the new frame and forks out last night lightly loaded as a proof of execution, and nothing broke.

Good to see the standing stone still there. Note the cage: it's there to keep it from wandering (it's not particularly dangerous but it has been known to move).

From there into the local park and a far corner between the allotments and the hockey pitches where I was unlikely to be disturbed. Slept on a bed of wild garlic, intermittently until 4 then soundly until 7.

So yeah, the bike seems to be fine (some rubbing of the bar bag on the front wheel needs sorting, oh and the front brake squeals something wicked) but the acid test will be NAWE next weekend, though depending on how this week goes I may be a Did Not Start.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2025 1:14 pm**

I’m still in. 2/12 done. Did a tour of the moor and decided to drop down lower and head for shelter. Literally a shelter! Known as the Bandstand (but it isn’t). Will do a report in Mostly Coasting next week.

Posted: **Sun Feb 23, 2025 4:25 pm**

BaM under the stars.

I've already got one for this month, on the Winter Event, but I'm posting this one as my February BaM.

You may have heard of the Great Planetary Parade that's happening now? I thought I'd see for myself, so I packed a bivvy bag and small tarp and pedalled up to the Llandegla moors to find some Dark Sky. I thought I'd catch it now - the next time it happens I'll be 116 years old.

The weather forecast was for a clear sky, but winds getting up to 40 mph in the night. I'd wanted to go higher up - to the Airmen's Memorial for a full 360 degree view of the sky - but it would have been too exposed and I settled for a more sheltered spot lower down.

Arrival...

Bivvy...

I won the lights in a raffle ages ago and they've been taking up space in the shed since then. They look nicer than I'd expected and certainly shed more light.

A meal fit for a king. Noodles, Lady Frog's corned beef hash pie, Chalva for puddin' with a cup of tea and 100ml Jaegermeister for a nightcap...

Some stars. Well Orion and Taurus, anyway. Did you know that Betelgeuse - the star that's Orion's left shoulder - is going nova sometime soon? Well, in the next thousand years or so. ( that's soon in astronomic terms)

Views from bed...

I didn't get a good nights sleep. The wind got up in the night and I kept getting woken up by the tarp flapping noisily. I'm not complaining (much) - it did stay up and kept the wind off me.

A cuppa and a breakfast bar followed, before crossing the moor on the Offa's Dyke Path to Llandegla forest for an egg 'n' bacon bap and two cups of tea at the visitor centre. Then a rainy but mostly downhill ride home.

So 2/12 for 2025.

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:01 pm**

: Darwen Moor 6.jpg (45.43 KiB) Viewed 9304 times

Mr Sparkle wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 1:14 pm I’m still in. 2/12 done. Did a tour of the moor and decided to drop down lower and head for shelter. Literally a shelter! Known as the Bandstand (but it isn’t). Will do a report in Mostly Coasting next week.

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:55 pm**

So what is it then?

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2025 1:31 pm**

My money's on this: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4754081

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2025 1:57 pm**

So is mine!

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2025 7:43 pm**

Verena wrote: ↑Fri Feb 21, 2025 8:08 pm

Dear o dear Sean and Reg.... sounds like you may need a little help from the community? Do we need a theme? A competition? A virtual get together BAM where a few of us go out on the same night and have a chat from our respective spots?

How about for March (not that I've done my February yet), a St David's Day BAM? With whatever suitably themed accessories we can come up with?? Leeks, one of those giant daffodil hats, clogs, welsh cakes???

Thank you for the concern Verena, appreciated

. I think I might try and get my enthusiasm up with a bit of gigpacking. I've found something in Worcester on 5th June, so would be handy for SWWB-ers, and also in Chesterfield at Halloween in October. So that's a start. I've also got another potential gigpack on 23rd March, but March's BaM is already covered - I pressed the wrong button on my phone by mistake the other day and ended up having a very nice chat to long-lost Mr Tim BrownDog himself, the result of which is we're going to have an Aussie-style BBQ early Chiltern Spring Thing in, er, March

.

I like the sound of some clogs - I used to have some Lancashire ones - but any ideas for April?

I still have very fond memories of our "An Englishman, a Scotsman, and a, er, Welshwoman" National Tea Day caper from a few years ago

.

Posted: **Mon Feb 24, 2025 11:14 pm**

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 7:43 pm
I still have very fond memories of our "An Englishman, a Scotsman, and a, er, Welshwoman" National Tea Day caper from a few years ago .

Could do a tea themed bivvy!

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:30 pm**

February 2025 Bivvy Little Sea Studland
With my bivvy packed, I set off from Iford, following the Stour Valley Way towards the coast.At Hengistbury Head, I met my cousin Peter, and together we continued westward, hugging the coastline as we made our way toward Sandbanks. The strong easterly wind was in our favour, offering a welcome boost, but the crowded promenade meant we had to stay alert, weaving through walkers, cyclists, and excitable dogs chasing the surf. The sea, rough and restless, added to the atmosphere of the ride, its whitecaps glistening in the late afternoon sun.
Upon reaching the Sandbanks Chain Ferry, Peter turned back for home, and I rolled aboard for the short crossing to Studland. My original plan was to bivvy at Newton Heath, a remote and peaceful spot I’d scouted before. However, on arrival, I was met with the unwelcome sight of extensive logging work, the once-secluded woodland now disrupted by felled trees and churned-up earth. With the tranquillity gone, I decided to backtrack and head toward Little Sea, a freshwater lake nestled behind the dunes.
I pushed my bike through the sand and into the shelter of unmanaged willow and birch woodland. Fallen trees lay scattered throughout, creating a wild, untouched feel. After some searching, I found a perfect mossy knoll to set up camp, a small clearing with a conveniently fallen tree that would serve as a comfortable seat.
With my tarp pitched, I brewed up, taking a moment to enjoy the fading light. Once refreshed, I lit my wood stove and began preparing dinner shoulder of pork slow-cooked with celeriac, leeks, and carrots in cider and orange. As the meal simmered, the comforting aroma filled the cool night air. When it was ready, I savoured every bite, with a delightful glass of Pinot Noir. The richness of the dish, combined with the warmth of the wine, made for a perfect outdoor feast.
After dinner, I treated myself to a glass of Glenmorangie, accompanied by dark ginger chocolate and another cup of tea. Sitting by the fire, I listened to the distant crash of waves beyond the dunes and the rustling of wind through the trees. The flickering flames cast shifting shadows, adding to the sense of solitude and immersion in nature.
I woke before dawn to a still, crisp morning. Rekindling the fire, I cooked shakshuka for breakfast, eggs gently poached in a spicy tomato sauce. After eating, I packed up camp, ensuring I left no trace, and set off back into the strengthening easterly wind.
As I rode through the Studland dunes, I passed the site of a newly established beaver lodge. Though I saw no sign of its elusive residents, I couldn’t help but wonder if they had spotted me.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... K1gRyyArxO

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:31 pm**

: Breakfast feb 25.jpg (263.82 KiB) Viewed 9211 times

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:32 pm**

: HotPot.jpg (106.22 KiB) Viewed 9211 times

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:33 pm**

: Left no trace.jpg (214.04 KiB) Viewed 9211 times

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2025 3:23 pm**

Dorsetshirelad - BBB Michelin 3*

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2025 5:49 pm**

Dorsetshirelad - up here in Derbyshire, about an hour way from home, is a platform overlooking a pond that otters habitate. Thinking of a bivvy there in a couple of months.

Posted: **Tue Feb 25, 2025 7:46 pm**

dorsetshirelad wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:30 pm I lit my wood stove and began preparing dinner shoulder of pork slow-cooked with celeriac, leeks, and carrots in cider and orange. As the meal simmered, the comforting aroma filled the cool night air. When it was ready, I savoured every bite, with a delightful glass of Pinot Noir. The richness of the dish, combined with the warmth of the wine, made for a perfect outdoor feast.

After dinner, I treated myself to a glass of Glenmorangie, accompanied by dark ginger chocolate and another cup of tea.

there is a hint of R L Stevenson in this!

very impressive and a lovely part of the world, Purbeck is one of my favourite places.

the little stove, could you say @dorsetshirelad which one it is?

cheers,

Keith

Posted: **Wed Feb 26, 2025 10:33 am**

RIP wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2025 3:23 pm Dorsetshirelad - BBB Michelin 3*

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