Bivvy a month for 2013

[restlessshawn]

I've not been yet, left it late in the month in the hope the weather would be better and it's just got worse :(

[gairym]

Done.

Phew, that was close as I was about out of options until I decided to just head a little distance away from the house yesterday evening.

Not an adventure by any stretch of the imagination but another night out under the stars and another month ticked off!

[InspiredRamblings]

Good effort - I liked the time lapse. What camera did you use.

I considered a night under the tarp in the back garden to test things out a bit (London here so hard to nip out 15 minute from the house) and wondered whether that would count...! The neighbours might think it a bit odd tho. And I'd probably have to turn the security light off so I that didn't get woken up every time a cat/fox/or I moved...

[gairym]

Thanks - it's a Canon '600D' with a cheap knock-off intervalometer (a tenner as opposed to £100+ from Canon).

There are places you can get to from London for a nights sleep (obviously depending on where exactly you are) - I did a few overnighters from our old place in Hackney just out towards Epping Forest or up the Lea Valley.

[InspiredRamblings]

Yeah - I know... I'm in the south and so its relatively easy to get out to the North / South Downs. I just don't know the area that well and so don't have any spots earmarked...and its dark and cold and I've been ill etc etc...blah blah blah... Have a trip to the Peaks at the beginning of May with some friends. They will be mostly walking and camping but I've decided to bike pack it and do a longer route in the day to then meet them at night. Would like to get out closer to home over a weekend before then though...

[Dan_K]

Yeah - I know... I'm in the south and so its relatively easy to get out to the North / South Downs. I just don't know the area that well and so don't have any spots earmarked...and its dark and cold and I've been ill etc etc...blah blah blah... Have a trip to the Peaks at the beginning of May with some friends. They will be mostly walking and camping but I've decided to bike pack it and do a longer route in the day to then meet them at night. Would like to get out closer to home over a weekend before then though...

LOL Very similar to me. Just feels a bit pointless in the South. The views aren't as good, the areas aren't as remote and everywhere I seem to scope out is surrounded by dog sub standard. Just got back from a hiking weekend in the Brecon Beacons and I spent the whole time thinking how great it would be to have it on my doorstep.
I'd love to have somewhere an hour's ride from home that worked but anywhere remotely decent is an hour's drive.

[InspiredRamblings]

Its tricky isn't it - especially with trying to get out of London in the evening (a bike on a train in the evening rush hour does NOT go down very well, and they are mostly banned on trains into London in the morning rush hour which makes a weeknight overnighter virtually impossible)... I still think there are lovely places to go, and places with good views, both in the North and South Downs.. its just the logistics that are a PITA here... Maybe Friday nights are the way forward - either taking the afternoon off or (in summer) waiting until just after the rush hour... I think I'll feel more like doing it when I've scoped out some likely places and am reasonably confident that I won't be wandering around the sub standard suburbs of Guildford in the dark and end up sleeping in a bus shelter...

There must be options to train or even drive out to the N Downs and then ride & camp somewhere around Leith Hill? I've started a couple of day rides heading out of Guildford up to Pewley Down and onto St Martha's church. Although its busy, there must be possibilities there as long as you're there late / leave early etc...?

I do dream of being able to ride straight from my back door without having to fight with half of London in cars / on trains for a few hours before I get anywhere nice... However... as Al Humphreys points out (in short ride 4 I think) - none of us is actually that far from somewhere green that we've never slept in before, so maybe we should just suck it up and go do it...

[gairym]

Absolutely - I don't always think about just how good I've got it living where I do now!

When I lived in London I constantly dreamt of living somewhere I could ride from/to and now that I do I find other things to whine about :?

I often would just leave on Friday after work (even if it meant riding for the first hour or two to get out of London whilst waiting for 'rush hour' to end so that I could jump on the train and head somewhere nicer/greener for the night.

Heading up to Woburn Sands (Milton Keynes) was always an easy option and there's some semi-decent riding to be had as well as enough forest to hide a sneaky bivi-er (though again it's North).

[pushbikemike]

March Bivi was my first night in a hammock. It was pretty chilly and there was plenty of snow.
Camp for the night.

Hammock bivi. 25032013 by pushbikemike, on Flickr

My homemade underquilt and hammock. Pretty cosy.

Hammock bivi. 25032013 by pushbikemike, on Flickr

Obligatory self portrait.

Hammock bivi. 25032013 by pushbikemike, on Flickr

As it was my first time in a hammock it took me a while setting it all up. Used whoopie slings with Marlin spikes and lay on the diagnoal for a comfy night*

No plans for April as yet and trying for a pass to do WRT.




*Been lurking on hammock forums, can you tell?

[gairym]

that looks like a proper night out - nice one fella!

[pushbikemike]

that looks like a proper night out - nice one fella!

Cheers Gairy. Loving the time lapse footage. And the location. Nice spot.

[Taylor]

Woohoo, another hanger. :D

[pushbikemike]

Woohoo, another hanger. :D

Seriously comfy. Although a little bulky for me with the equivelant of two sleeping bags to carry.

[Taylor]

Hammocking is always going to be heavier than your lightest ground set up but I can get to within 500g so not a great deal of difference for the massive comfort bonus.

[Ray Young]

No plans for April as yet and trying for a pass to do WRT

Pass for the WRT would be good Mike. Restless, you n me. Scottish contingent in Wales.

[restlessshawn]

That looks brillaint Mike. Hanging up must be the way to go in this snow!

[pushbikemike]

No plans for April as yet and trying for a pass to do WRT

Pass for the WRT would be good Mike. Restless, you n me. Scottish contingent in Wales.

Got the time off work. Made my Paypal payment for WRT. The Scottish contingent will be coming to Wales. :D

[pushbikemike]

That looks brillaint Mike. Hanging up must be the way to go in this snow!

It was very comfy restless. I was lying down quite happily for the best part of ten hours. Only took a three season bag to reduce bulk as I was carrying a converted sleeping bag to under quilt too. Used my bivi bag to up the warmth and I was toasty. Bit of a faff getting in and out of it for a pee but otherwise very comfy.

[restlessshawn]

Got the time off work. Made my Paypal payment for WRT. The Scottish contingent will be coming to Wales. :D

Nice one! Wanna lift then?

In fairness the Scottish contingent is only about 33.3% Scottish isn't it?

[pushbikemike]

Aye*, a lift would be good. What transport have you got? Van, car something else. I've got an estate and roof racks if need be.

In fairness the Scottish contingent is only about 33.3% Scottish isn't it?

I'm from Yorkshire, officially. Left when i was 2


* I can speak the lingo

[restlessshawn]

I've got an estate, we'll sort something out.

Better actually ride my bike a bit, all I've done this month is run due to the weather.

Officially least Scottish contingent ever

[99percentchimp]

March done 4/4 - forecast wasn't too bad for last night and this morning, although the planned ride around Clocaenog was stopped by deep snow and local roads being closed. My guess was that without a fatbike the forest tracks would be drifted over and pretty impassable.
So quick change of plans at the last minute and off to CyB for a bit of an explore. I've not done the Dragons Back so I thought I'd base the ride around that and aim to get up and over (and camp near) Bwlch Goriwared with a loop around this and back in the morning. Managed to get half way up and eventually snow stopped play on the forestry tracks on the way to a planned 'sheltered' site. Didn't look too good (fatbike territory OR a long push!) so I retreated to the bothy at Penrhos Isaf (where I'd surprised two people earlier).
Was made very welcome and had dinner with two Swedes (nationality not veg ) and talked till late. Nice guys and they shared some whisky they'd lugged up there. I camped in the deep mossy carpet behind the bothy and was greated with snow flurries through the sunshine this morning.
Up and about at 7 and followed the Dragons Back and bit of other tracks back to the car and home. Surprisingly pleasant ride given the conditions everywhere else in North Wales.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99percentc ... 594433975/

March-Bivi-14 by 99percentchimp, on Flickr

March-Bivi-25 by 99percentchimp, on Flickr

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'm sorry to say that yesterdays trip was aborted after 8 hours of riding and frostnip

Conditions were still pretty ropey and the higher I went the worse it got. This 3km section took about 2 hours to complete. The snow was pretty much knee deep the whole way, some was frozen enough to support my weight and some wasn't.



The mountains still have a full covering ... Maesglase looking menacing



The road home was a nightmare, although the ploughs had been through the roads were still like glass and pretty much unrideable ... for mile after mile!

[Taylor]

Don't fail us now!!!

[Ian]

Conditions are a bit better in the Beacons. Currently at 700m just off the summit of Fan-y-big. Lots of snow, but well consolidated. Pics in the morning...