March bivy sneaked in just before the end of the month and the first with my dog. Nice short pedal up from the house to my usual spot to sit and watch the sunset followed by a rather enjoyable Sunday night away from the usual Monday morning work panic. Made sure I had lots of stuff to keep the dog comfy and warm which allowed a rather nice sleep to be had.

Here's my March entry.

Been a busy month, so opportunities to get out have been limited. I think it was pretty much always coming down to the last weekend.

Headed out a little further this time. Had dinner with the family and then cycled out nearly 10 miles to a wood I'd been to before. Easy to get to and pretty quiet...we'll, apart from the wind that is. Couldn't pitch in the exact spot, so spent a little time looking around. Cut trees and stacked logs showd there had been quite a bit of work done. Made a mental note to get up, packed and out pretty early, just in case anyone is keen on an early start in the morning. It was a bit warmer tonight than my Jan & Feb camps, so that is appreciated. Settled down with a couple of cans and made some notes on upcoming BAMs to the coast and then, hopefully, Badger Divide at the end of May.

Woke at 6am...or is it 5am? Clocks changing is always an issue. Packed up while the coffee was on. Finished that and made my way home for the Wife's Mother's day.

Had an easy ride home. At one point a tawny owl flew low and close, about 12ft in front of me. Closer to home, I then had a buzzard also fly across my path about 12ft away. Closest I've seen them.

BaM for April - Done.

My daughter had made plans and hired an Airbnb for herself and partner to go to the Jurassic Coast and furtle on the beaches for fossils. As it happened, her partner couldn't go (work ) so she asked if I'd like to go instead. Erm, Yes! The digs only had one double room so it meant I'd have to sleep on the floor. She'd paid already, so I was going for free. Question - it would be not-paid-for, I would be dossing on the floor, not on my own property and if I arrived by bike for the last few miles, would it count as a BaM? Don't answer.

So, first day, we got there and had a little fossil hunt...


...before turning in for the night. Next day, she went off to look for fossils (I know what you're thinking - I'm not that old) and I loaded up my bike and went BaMming.

There are a few Hill Forts close to where we were staying - all within a 10 mile radius - so that became the plan. First I needed some camping food, so a slight detour to a convenience store before heading off to the first fort. My ride would be mostly on quiet lanes, but there was one short section of bridleway, maybe a mile long, with a nice flush of celandines.



First fort. Lambert's Castle...


It started to rain while I was looking around and the rain got heavier while I pedalled to the next fort - Coneys Castle...


By the time I'd got to my last fort, I was soaked - well my shorts, legs and boots were - the Paramo jacket held up well (enough).

Last one - Pilsdon Pen...


This involved a very steep push up to the top and the top would have been a perfect place to bivvy, but for the wind that had gotten up. The prospect of all that tent flapping didn't appeal, so I found a more sheltered place in the bottom of one of the defensive ditches. It was dark by the time I'd set up, but at least the rain had stopped.


I soaked some ramen noodles to eat with a pastie, but I'd not brought my spork so had to eat 'em with tent-peg chopsticks...


The rain came back in the night and woke me a couple of times, but I slept OK until 7:30

The camp in the morning...


The Trig point at the top. If it hadn't been so misty, the views would have been beautiful, but


When I got back to the digs my daughter had had her own adventure. She'd found this chap...


...on the beach. She guessed he'd come down from the cliffs above with a landslide, was stuck, and was likely to drown when the tide came in.
She dropped her fleece on him, wrapped him up...


... then carried him(her?) to the long grass at the top of the cliff and released him there...


I'm proud of her - not many women would be brave enough to catch an adder.

So, 4/12 for 2025 - Done.

Nice trip, and the adder story is brilliant!

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 10:35 pm Nice trip, and the adder story is brilliant!

You're tellin' me. I'd have gladly swapped my bivvy to have seen that...

The same two mates who I went out with last month were out again this weekend so I tagged along. I rode through to Newport (all of 8 miles) to meet them as they both live in town. The weather has been so good lately I even took the mudguard off the bike beforehand - so I declare summer is officially started here They were delayed getting to our meeting point but I sat on a bench in the sun so no rush. They had been delayed as Sheldon had to pump up his rear tyre, which was now flat again

His franken bike is a drop bar 26er. He's fitted new disc braked fork but the rear is still a V brake. The front disc wheel has a schrader tubed rim and the rear rim braked wheel a presta rim. Any guesses as to which valve is fitted to his spare tube Rich and myself rode the the half mile down the road to Halfords to buy a presta tube, me clutching the £20 he'd given me to pay for it... literally as I'd not put it in my pocket before setting off. I wonder if the motorists we saw on the way were curious as to why when turning left I indicated by holding out a £20 note The tube was a bargain in the end at £4.

Once fitted we were on our way. We planned to ride the cycle track to Cowes then around the coast towards Shalfleet and end up at a friends campsite*. As it was such a nice day we'd planned to stop for a pint on the way. The pub of choice was on the seafront just west of Cowes, so still in the 'posh' bit. They'd just have to put up with our bikes littering the place up. 3 pints came to £18.60 and it's not even Cowes week yet.



We were sat on the side of the building so didn't have a view out to sea so our bit was empty apart from us which was nice. We did have a view of some roadworks that are being undertaken by a Contractor I do a lot of work for and I'm good friends with the project manager, so I sent him a photo to complain about his fencing spoiling my view



To which he replied 'pick that barrier up' As I got up to walk over to it Rich asked what I was doing? Overtime



Upon submitting my evidence I get a reply that just says 'sandbag?' I told him he can't afford for me to go back, I am a consultant.

The only issue with our chosen location was that as soon as we set off there was a 20% climb up the road, luckily it's not very long. The original plan was to stop for one pint, but as there's 3 of us this had been revised to stop 3 times so everyone got a chance to buy a round. The next pub was only 4 miles away so not really time to burn off the effect of the first pint (daytime drinking in the sun) so I suggested crisps to help soak up the beer. I bought this round and 3 pints, 2 packets of crisps and a bag of nuts came to £18.15. There's no view of Cowes harbour from this pub so no yachty tax to pay There were also no patrons wearing red trousers here.

The next stop was only 3.8 miles away and there wasn't even any climbs to help burn off the last pint. This round was back up to £18.40 without crisps, we were getting closer to Yarmouth so back into the tourist traps. Resisting the urge to play on the kids assault course we amused ourselves watching people in SUVs try and get into parking spaces sized for 1970s cars We could only sit in the sun for so long enjoying this spectacle and all too soon the pints were finished and we started on the long ride to the campsite, just under 500 metres By now the sun and drink was starting to kick in and as we arrived my friend Thomas (the owner) was mowing the grass at the entrance and somewhat perplexed as to why we were in such high spirits. He's tea-total so when we explained our 3 pint trip he just rolled his eyes and pointed us towards the woods

Hammocks and tent soon up, stoves out and dinner on. Thomas arrived with a basket of wood for the fire-pit and as the sun went down we broke out the beers we'd brought with us, oh dear A great evening talking rubbish about a wide range of subjects although a surprising number were centered around bikepacking and cycling. The other 2 had packed their bikes before the decision to increase the pub count so had brought hip-flasks for night-caps, and who want's to carry all that weight home again? I did not partake in this and the difference this made was obvious the next morning.

I hadn't planned to put the tarp up as there was no rain forecast but in the end I did to keep the wind off which was quite fresh in the night. The low was only 6 but it felt colder. I was snug in my quilt but Rich had a cold night, at least he remembered his hammock this month. He did have to use his hat an improvised foot warmer.



Ralph also slept soundly, although he did say Sheldon's snoring woke him up a few times



The original plan was to ride back to Newport the off-road way but Rich and Sheldon's hang-overs plus getting up later than planned meant we just spun back along the road. I could tell by the pace that they were worse than me, the advantage of not having washed down the beer with rum.

Once back to Newport I continued on to home, so ended up doing 38 miles for the trip which these days I consider a bigger ride.

4/4 for 2025 and 62 in a row, I think.

* The location we stayed at is a campsite but I didn't pay and the only facility I used was a tap to get some water. I think this is technically allowed but if this is considered cheating there is enough month left to go out again. And when I say 'campsite' I mean woodland with some grassy clearings scattered about and a composting toilet.

Better late than never as they say, here’s March’s BAM report finally. My wife and I have just spent the last week up north on Speyside, revelling in some in glorious weather and getting in a mix of forest walks (both of us) and riding bikes (just me). Despite my best intentions, I never did get round to jotting down any bikepacking in March stuff. However, I got back home today so here we go…

I left home on the evening of Saturday 29th March and headed out into East Lothian. My route initially took me along quiet back roads and eventually led to the former Pencaitland Railway walking/cycling route. Note: All three of my BAMs have been in various parts of East Lothian this year so I really should inject a bit of variety for April.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

It was a wild, blustery night with strong westerly gusts which gave me a welcome boost along my route. Less welcome, though, were the squally showers which were coming and going regularly. To be fair, those conditions had been forecast so I’d decided in advance to go back to a sheltered spot I’d used previously back in July 2021. It’s on an estate that runs activity days for the likes of stag/hen weekends, birthday parties, corporate groups, etc.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

My bivvy was to be in one of a series of corrugated metal tunnels that form part of a quad bike off-road course. The tunnels provide solid overhead cover and because the tunnel floors are below ground I'd be sheltered from the worst of the wind. Incidentally, the afore-mentioned activities only take place during the day so I knew it was a safe bet I’d not get run over in the middle of the night.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

The rain finally abated sometime during the night and I awoke to find blue skies.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Unfortunately, the wind hadn’t dropped much. It was still almost as strong as the previous night which made the homeward ride a bit harder than I’d have liked.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Anyway, that’s 3 from 12 for 2025 and 87 consecutive BAMS.

Time for the first quarter Tally
By my reckoning I have the following:

Keith74
NeilA
Sean_iow
Frog
jimmy G
FBPhil
Doresetshirelad
Raggedstone
Javatime
Muddypete
Mr Sparkle
Rapideye
Bearlegged
RIP
Mr G
Gecko76

Still waiting on reports from Verena and John Allan

So winter is done, mainly dry and cool! Bonus points for those who got their April BAM in this weekend

frogatthefarriers wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 10:59 pm

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 10:35 pm Nice trip, and the adder story is brilliant!

You're tellin' me. I'd have gladly swapped my bivvy to have seen that...

Nice work Female, males are more brown than grey

Apologies Phil, March's BaM was done under the auspices of NAWE - should have cross-posted:

https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpB ... 25#p333636

gecko76 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:03 pm Apologies Phil, March's BaM was done under the auspices of NAWE - should have cross-posted:

https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpB ... 25#p333636

Whoops, should have seen that - I thought you'd got out!

I did get out, which is why I'm still in

April done, that was a good one!
This run of fine weather was due to come to an end sometime between Saturday evening and Sunday so I figured on a Friday evening / Saturday ride to cash in on what has been a very pleasant two weeks. Various Cairngorms options were considered but I suspected (rightfully apparently) that the place would be mobbed. Another option was Perthshire but a fair bit of road riding is needed to access the good stuff, or another drive north.

So local it was, again, but I was determined to get a bit further afield and up high. After some rumination I headed for the hills and the long climb up from Glen Quey was pushed in the fading light. The tree I bivvied under in January 2020 blew over in Storm Arwen in Nov '21 but just down from it was a level area in the bone dry tussocks with a fine view.


I'd gone with just the bivvy bag to maximise sky and hill viewing potential as well as a zero percent chance of rain across three forecasts. Plus I'd just re-read Ron Farmers 'the book of the bivvy' so was feeling inspired. It worked well but everytime I use it I wonder how it's possible to deploy one and get in if it's raining, without getting everything wet. Answer, you can't....

Anyway, a very strong beer followed - Torrside 'Too Many Devils' at 7.4% ABV! better than hauling up two normal strength beers. Then a dram as the sun set behind the Trossachs.



Room with a view. What a fab evening leading me to further 'stuff hotels' thoughts. Although it was dry... And cool, but I'd the heavy quilt with me so was snug as the proverbial. Moon and star viewing followed then a solid 8 hours kip, waking at first light and then the dawn chorus in the nearby tree.

Much fine mountainbiking followed, all on (mostly) dry trails. Auchterarder Co-op once again provided lunch but this time sat in the warm sun, rather than a freezing February day like the last time. Then more trails followed, the day finishing with 106k clocked up and 2700m of climbing!

BAM April completed at the start of the month - delayed write up here

As I would be away for a few weeks without my bike for most of April, a few days in I added bags to my regular local social hoolie run on the Tongsheng Parkwood - (usually self propelled for BAMs further afield but I need to keep up with my mate on his FS Overvolt)

Ashton Court, Belmont Hill Woods, Backwell and Wrington on local bridleways brought us back to the planned pit stop at Brockley Stores on the homeward leg where we had met the "Little Fire Pizza" boys the previous week. Not sure that the set up would have got past ATA 26 at Airbus (Fire Safety) due to the proximity of fuel tank and ignition source....anyway we were a bit early and they weren't up to temperature so we headed off to The Blue Flame to pass the time and another crew there also making pizzas in the garden.

There is a small campsite opposite the Blue Flame and as we left I spotted a cycle camper with a huge black bike - turned out I was right and it was an old friend I had not seen for several years who was on tour and just arrived from his home in Devon. A lot of miles....

Back at the Brockley Stores layby they were up to temperature, and the Landrover hadn't exploded, so we enjoyed several pizza slices with the shop staying open late for a range of local beers and ciders !

Then back up Brockley Combe to hide in my Gatewood in the woods, the flights from Bristol Airport seemed to end around midnight, and start as 6.00 am so I got a few hours sleep in. Forgot to take any pictures of my pitch, but a couple here of my fall back winter quarters nearby....Maybe useful for anyone here who doesn't fancy the Airport Hilton.

After a quick brew and flapjack bar back home by 9.00 for proper breakfast.

April's BAM completed. A bit more interesting than my others to date. North Norfolk coast was the destination. Tagged an extra day on the the bank holiday weekend for this. Weather was beautiful. Pretty much a perfect ride and overnight camp. This'll be an annual trip, I think. Dedicated post gives more details.

...no, not that way, this way...

Enjoyed reading the dedicated post

My April BaM was a bit less interesting than others to date and no pics because I didn't have my glasses. Threw the bare minimum into a rucksack and went back to a patch of community woodland I used in November 2023 and failed to reach in November 2024, which last time was mostly gorse. They've cleared a lot of that now and started planting trees. Had the usual problem of finding a flat spot in the dark and in the end settled by the bin shed, which turned out to be on a slope after all. I'd been hoping for a clear night and to wake covered in frost but in 28 months I think I've only slept under the stars twice. The overcast last night was underlit by the city in the distance like something out of Close Encounters with enough of a breeze to create patterns of darker patches that might have been breaks in the cloud or might have been something else (no glasses). Coloured lights along the treeline might have been a cyclist with LEDs in their spokes, but again... Slept badly, woken properly in the pre-dawn by a couple of blackbirds yelling at each other. Grabbed another hour's kip then headed home the long way in time to hide easter eggs in the communal garden.

https://youtu.be/HNn3Rl85yeI?si=KgpAOMhxc0Ry-Hv-

Very pleased indeed to be able to report that I'm actually out out.

Obviously I'm also out in the sense of out of this year's BAM run, having missed March sadly, but hopefully I'm back to starting another run of consecutive months...

Have opted for hammock in woodland, thinking that this is a lovely time of year to hear the birds in the morning.

More likely to be heading to open ground up top of something in the coming months.

Very cosy indeed, nice spot, secluded I hope from any passers by that hopefully there won't be, edge of woodland so I should be able to see a bit of morning sky.

Probably one of the worst hammock hanging upping I've done, I'm more sitting than lying down, but for now that's comfy enough.
I have a few prickly branches and brambles trying to poke me in the face, but I'm sure we'll coke to some amicable arrangement during the night.

I've missed this!

It's been a fair old while since I've had company for a campout. Previous bikepacking friend Varun and and new neighbour Adam joined me for a trip to my happy place. Hot drinks saw us snuggled up warm in our respective bivvy bags for varying degrees of success in getting some kip.

As a cool, grey light started to fill the sky, we were treated to wave upon wave of dawn choruses. At one point a Buzzard wheeled overhead, presumably checking out our bagged up forms, trying to ascertain what sort of giant grubs we were. Pairs of Jays bobbed between the branches, and a hush fell as a Sparrowhawk briefly alighted in a nearby tree.

As we packed up, I looked skywards; what in the half-light of dawn had appeared to be bare branches now showed the first splodges of green. Spring is well underway, and soon the Beeches will be raising a verdant canopy again.

Pics: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIzJCUENGrT/

2025 BAM 4/12
2025 total bivvies 4
Current streak (months) 77

"Fancy next Wednesday out for a BaM, Pete?". "Yes good plan, and that's St George's Day". Well spotted Pete, let's see what we can make of that. What better than The George pub? Sadly none in Leighton Buzzard so we jump on the train three stops to Berkamsted to visit the George & Dragon....



After a spot of jousting in the car park, we spent a pleasant evening chatting about this, that, and occasionally the other; an evening with Pete is always enjoyable with topics varying wildly and unpredictably until we completely tie ourselves up in anecdotal knots (probably on a bight).

Tray service... there's posh...



Pete mentioned he was off diving in Cornwall soon, and I diverted onto chat about the Scilly Isles and Mrs Perrin's desire to visit the place. I've explained that we'd have to sell the house to be able to afford a week on Scilly but she's adamant.

Anyway, I then moved on to the Isle Of Wight and this jogged a memory of a week's school trip there by train in 1969. I have a vivid memory of finding a telescope viewing tube in the guard's compartment which allowed you to see along the roof of the train as it was going along. Pete thought I was making this up, so we googled it and indeed this was in fact the case with some ancient Southern Region electric trains at that time. One search revealed that guards used it keep track of the train's progress and also "the environment" - surely they should be concentrating on the job not viewing the passing clouds.

As ever with what passes for our conversations, we wondered if the periscopes were a design feature planning ahead for when the tracks would be laid along the sea bed of the Solent to make the crossing from Portsmouth to Ryde faster. In the end, they decided against this and opted for something only marginally less bonkers: "Yes sir, we've designed this boat. But it's actually got air propellors and rides on a cushion of air". "Eh? How does something that big ride on air?". Well of course it did and I remember a journey across the Solent in an SRN6 hovercraft - incredibly noisy and exciting....



Just before we departed towards midnight we had the obligatory "are you riding back to Leighton Buzzard now then?" conversation with the nice barman and barlady. "Er, well it's like this....". We'd already earmarked our woodland spot nearby otherwise I might have played the "can we kip here please" game.

A quick ride up the hill to Ashridge Woods.... buffalo bag for Pete... good old Gatewood for Reg.....



Muesli for breakfast.... garnished with, er, carrots???



Then back through the woods to Tring station (finally we managed a Chilterns Spring Thing (At Tring) in Spring!) via the amusingly named (to simple-minded us anyway!) Dick's Camp. I'm sure he is. And he "lived in his trailer in the bushes near here". Maybe we should have camped there ourselves? We'd have looked a right pair of Dicks.



4/4, 4/12, 111/111

Wondered where you'd got to for a minute their Reg. I should have known, you were in the pub with Muddy Pete

I know, it's all too predictable isn't it .

Still battling with my hobo mojo though this year, I think I've burned myself out with last year's full-on collection of madcap schemes.

Your navigation/root finding skills are clearly coming along nicely.

Keep at it Reg. Sometimes doing a bog standard bivvy is the way as it doesn't take any planning or thought

I find Reg-BAMs, physically, are pretty easy. But mentally: very demanding

As renationalisation seems to be politically fashionable I suppose we can look forward to British Rail Mk2 placing a whopping order for a new fleet of hovercraft, made using British steel .

19/19

RIP wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 1:32 pm Still battling with my hobo mojo though this year, I think I've burned myself out with last year's full-on collection of madcap schemes.

Here you go: HoverBivi . Your challenge is combine a bivi with a visit to a hovercraft factory or musuem .
https://www.griffonhoverwork.com/
https://hovercraft-museum.org/

Verena wrote: ↑Wed Apr 23, 2025 9:34 pm Very pleased indeed to be able to report that I'm actually out out.

Obviously I'm also out in the sense of out of this year's BAM run, having missed March sadly, but hopefully I'm back to starting another run of consecutive months...

Have opted for hammock in woodland, thinking that this is a lovely time of year to hear the birds in the morning.

More likely to be heading to open ground up top of something in the coming months.

Very cosy indeed, nice spot, secluded I hope from any passers by that hopefully there won't be, edge of woodland so I should be able to see a bit of morning sky.

Probably one of the worst hammock hanging upping I've done, I'm more sitting than lying down, but for now that's comfy enough.
I have a few prickly branches and brambles trying to poke me in the face, but I'm sure we'll coke to some amicable arrangement during the night.

I've missed this!

Quite a busy night then last night BAM wise....

Here's a few photos from mine.

Nothing much to report as such... as I said, not one of my finest hammock setups - had stray branches prodding and poking me in various places, one knot came undone once and sent me plopping to the ground, and I fell out once when trying to get back in after a pee.... other than than, reminded me how much I do like sleeping in a hammock.

Got woken up around half past one by someone on an off road bike racing round and round at some crazy sounding speed, and noise, not too far away.... Made me feel vindicated about my hesitation to bivvy up on the nice open mountain ground close to me, for fear, turns out not that irrationally, of being run over by some crazy person off roading in the middle of the night.... Lucky I was inside the woodland nature reserve and in quite dense woodland....

IMG_20250424_052001 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

Had the dawn chorus I was hoping for. Tried to make coffee, but found I had everything with me apart from the actual burner - so instead I went for a little pootle and sit on a bench for a while, home for coffee at six.

IMG_20250424_052814 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

It is a lovely place.

IMG_20250424_054849 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr