I was hoping RIP or Raggedstone would get going on our trip-in-the-peaks report, but nothing happening so...
I drove up to Macclesfield on Friday night to meet Reg and Kev at the station for the start. It would have cost £15 to park for two days on the station car park so I opted for a cheaper (free) option of parking in the street. Found a spot, unloaded bike and oops, found I'd forgotten my cycling jacket. I'd still got my rain coat and a down gilet and hoodie so not a disaster. Jumped on the bike, then, for the short hop to the station, quite forgetting to make a note of where I'd left the car. I would regret this three days later, oh yes!
Anyway, having gathered, we crossed the road to the chippy - that Reg said was world class - for erm, chips. Very very good they were too. After spending a little time on t' internet to select the best-sounding boozer we puffed up the hill to the Silk Road pub for a couple of scoops before really, really puffing up hill to the Macc forest to find somewhere to kip. It was a bit drizzly, though not actually raining, but the wind was going to make life difficult to set tarps/tents up and we were looking for somewhere sheltered. The weather forecast was for heavy rain in the night so we were relieved (well me 'n Reg were anyway) to find a tin shed full of big sacks of sheeps-wool that promised a comfy bed for the night. Kev chose to take the hard-man option and sleep outside, but in the shelter of the trees a little higher up the hill.
Regs' bed...
While looking around, I found a caravan. It was in a sorry state and when I tried the door to see if it was locked, the bottom half fell off. Inside there was devastation with stuff chucked everywhere and dirt on all the surfaces. It was dry, though, and by moving some junk from the middle of the floor, there was enough space to take the cushions from the couches and make a bed.
Bed...
In bed with my new friend... Will you still respect me in the morning?...You won't tell anybody, will you?
Home , sweet home...
That's Manchester or Sheffield or somewhere in the background. Reg'll know.
Teddy waving goodbye...Come again soon... Don't be a stranger
There followed a lot of hills,
...passing a (closed) cafe and a closed Cat & Fiddle before second breakfast at... somewhere. (I forget the name) before more hills. It was a very good breakfast. After that and a mammoth-sized piece of Bakewell Tart, I was as full as a tick. Then there came a lot of pointing at the horizon and "See that tiny dot on the skyline on the other side of this deep valley? That's where we've got to get to".
Oh Goody...
Eventually we rolled up at the Red Lion...somewhere...for evening meal. I had a slice of their famous (they said) steak and ale pie with chips and seasonal veg...
...and followed it up with bread-and-butter pudding with custard. After that and a couple of pints, thankfully, it was a flat pedal to our bivvy spot. I don't think my full stomach would have allowed any hills.
In bed.. again..
Kev had gone for the hard option again and slept outside in a bivvy bag.
The morning after - all set and champing at the bit for more hills
We called in at Buxton for lunch on the pavement outside a small cafe where we were entertained by a chap doing stunts on a bike - things the likes of Danny MacAskill does- up and down a flight of stairs on just his front wheel 'n such-like.
Show-off! I was glad when he gave up and stopped me feeling inadequate with his smart-alec shennanigins.
Later, outside a cafe on the Cat 'n Fiddle road after coffee and scones with jam and clotted cream. You can see our first nights bivvy from here. It's just by that band of trees that you can see on the hill above Kevins head.
Then more hills and forest tracks before rejoining civilisation along the Macclesfield canal..
Final Photo, before going our separate ways, and my problems began...
Remember I said I hadn't made a note of where I'd left the car? Well it took me three hours to find it again. I'd remembered that I'd turned left and left and left again, to get to the station. It wasn't far, just a few hundred yards, but unfortunately I miss-remembered the turn into the station car park and instead of turning right, I spent two and a half hours searching on the wrong side of the railway tracks until my phone battery was almost flat. In desperation, I returned to the station to see if anyone with local knowledge knew where there was a little lay-by by a busy road with an extensive car park in front of a tyre or tile shop. The kind lady put my phone on charge and they let me take my bike into the waiting room. I waited for my phone to charge for half an hour, but then I thought I might as well be riding around and searching. After a couple of circuits, Hallelujah, there she was. What a relief - I'd begun to think I'd have to bivvy another night and resume my search in the daylight.
How stupid am I? You won't ell anybody will you? Will you?
After all that, That's BaM done for February 2023. 2/12.
Back to some woods I've been to before and ended up a spot I'd used before* as it would be more sheltered, or so I thought. Soon set up, used the electric pump for the mat which speeds things up.
The myog bivi bag has a flap that can go over the mesh for just such occasions, but if I moved too much the gap it leaves for ventilation would expose the mesh and the drips would come in. Slept well despite this, it only got down to 8 degrees so fairly mild. I took the Ultralight 350 which has a comfort temp of -3 but I was only just warm enough, metal note that after 40 years of camping I've finally realised I'm a cold sleeper and need to prepare accordingly 
Plus, makes me feel better about my -5 bag now which really doesn't keep me warm at 0c 
, apart from waking once to a barking dog nearby, except it was a deer....
.
.
I will remember the bivvy spots though. Silly, or what? I like silly. Silly makes the world a better place, or at least more bearable. 
