Just made it by the skin of my teeth.

Post family dinner for my grandads 100th birthday I nipped up the top of the hill my parents house is on. No more than half a mile.

No pictures of the set up on my phone but a few firsts. Finally used a solo tarp and my honey stove in its smallest form with no back fuel source onlytwigs etc.

I woke up extremely cosey and then my nephew and mother arrived to say hello.

Taking it all down was blooming freezing.

So technically it counts but i must try harder next time.

So it started like this, (tues morning)

Her; 'Stop eating biscuit's and go and DO SOMETHING.....or you can paint the kitchen'
Me; ' I'm going to Wales'

So I quickly packed the Pugsley and headed to Llanwrtyd Wells in search of some snow. I wasn't disappointed.
Starting in the town I headed south into Crychan Forest and did a big loop up to Sugar Loaf Halt then headed north following the fire roads.
After 34 miles I set up camp on Cwm Henog. Luckily the FC had kindly left a huge pile of bags of saplings ready for planting that I used to secure the tent to as the ground was solid.
It was minus 2 first thing so after a lazy start I continued north heading for the chapel at Soar y Mynydd, from there I climbed up and over Cefn Coch to Abergwesyn. The feet were pretty cold by this point so decided to head down the lane back into town.
This was my first time on the fatty in the snow and I loved every minute of it. I couldn't believe how well it rode and how grippy the tyres were. The route was 95% ride-able and the snow was 5" deep in places. A couple of vehicles had been up around the forests so it was a case of trying to stay in the tracks.

Totals: 63.5miles , 8hrs 45min riding and 2hrs 50min faffing,taking photo's and looking at stuff.

Has to be one of my favourite solo trips! . . . . . . . . i've still got to paint the kitchen though






My footprints from fetching water for tea! I only saw 2 people.

Very Nice Hux.

Great looking trip out.

After my (very warm and comfortable) failure to sleep outside at the FF I went on to fail to sleep outside on two further occasions during January meaning that I'm already 0/1 in 2015 - way to go me!

In my defence the last time I tried (the night of the 31st) I got the tarp set up in garden but by the time I was ready to head outside there'd been 20cm of snow with as much again forecast throughout the night (it arrived with gusto).

My plan now is to actually try and make it 11/12 instead of giving up like I did last year.

Here's to February!!!

Cool looking trip Hux, nice way to hit 100 posts too!

My plan now is to actually try and make it 11/12 instead of giving up like I did last year.

That's right, just start a month late

B.A.M. 2 of 12

A short ride along the Ellesmere canal towpath and hammock in the woods. A slight setback when before starting out from the car when I realised that instead of a pair of gloves, I'd brought one ordinary glove and one mitten. Worse still, they were both for the left hand.

Morning view from my bed

IMG_20150208_080434256
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My camp kitchen, such as it is.

IMG_20150208_082951043


IMG_20150208_083004877

That's just steam from my morning brew-up. Breakfast was a little spoiled by my forgetting to bring a spoon to eat it with.

IMG_20150208_083253659


I thought I'd cracked the cold feet thing this time; I'd filled a Platypus bottle with hot water to go to bed with and yes, my feet were warm until the early hours, but then got too cold to allow a decent sleep.

Roll on the warmer weather, that's what I say

Lu

AW and myself headed out for the wilds of the Peaks last weekend for a night out in the tent. We rode through Chatsworth estate and along a nice trail through some woods high up on a ridgeline before skirting around Bakewell and heading along the Monsal Trail ( which is very nice ) to the quarry at Millers Dale. A quick look at the quarry to find a place to pitch befor eheading down to the pub where we stayed for as long as possible due to the temprature. As the quarry was covered in snow i spotted a grassy section high up in the tree line so having clambered up with the bikes in the dark the tent was up and in to our scratchers for the night. Morning came and we were greeted by a nice sunny day for our ride back to the car.




I woke up surrounded by females

3/2. Valentine night bivvy near Beardown Tors on Dartmoor.

They say romance is dead!

Si

We did 2 sub zero bivvies in Dec at altitudes of 1950m and somewhere above 1200m (in bivvy bags). It took me the entire month of January to warm up, so I've missed January's BAM. Yes, I wimped out.
Now, I'm tucked up on the sofa with a blankie rejoicing in the fact we succeeded in getting one in for Feb. F@@@!ng vaguely exciting!

We rode out the door and went on a 'cruise' to the Isle of Wight. Cowes to Newport along the Tennyson trail, camped out on the ridge at mottistone downs, bedded down as thick fog rolled in from the sea. Drank sloe gin (made by myself) and I snuck along some handmade chocolates by chococo as well for a wee valentine surprise. Superb off road riding with stunning skies. Wet, muddy, rocky, hilly and definitely type 2 fun. I'm totally jealous of anyone who lives and rides on the diamond Isle. Can't wait to go back.

In a play park/wood near Bristol with Taylor last night, walked in.
Rather icey walking back this morning.

Another two nights out with the macgregor clan over the weekend. Sat night at nant rhys and sun night in nant syddion. Plenty of hills, clouds and moans. Oh and some random snoring at syddion bothy in the night from a guy who wasn't even there? ? Spooky

Another two nights out with the macgregor clan over the weekend. Sat night at nant rhys and sun night in nant syddion. Plenty of hills, clouds and moans. Oh and some random snoring at syddion bothy in the night from a guy who wasn't even there? ? Spooky

Sorry, I couldn't make it ... I was up to my ears in plaster, now I'm up to my ears in paint

We were all hoping you'd make a guest appearance stu, but I'm sure the kitchen now looks great! Here's a ling to the album of photos

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... d4c4a93b44

but I'm sure the kitchen now looks great

Still looking like a bomb's hit it ... just whiter.

I see you found the little wooden bridge after you drop off the windfarm ... did you ride down the bridelway to it? I told Mike you might not appreciate it

s8tannorm wrote: after you drop off the windfarm ... did you ride down the bridelway to it? I told Mike you might not appreciate it

Drop off - yes that is the correct term, as for ride - i tried my best to get them to ride as much as possible - whilst being quietly terrified in places - i'm not good with steep things! it was a lovely view though

The boys weren't surprised to find out you'd recommended that bit!

adjustablewench wrote:
Drop off - yes that is the correct term,

At what point does a lump become a "drop off" for you Wenchie?

I think she meant "drop off the edge of a cliff" rather than a little lump in the ground.

I think she meant "drop off the edge of a cliff" rather than a little lump in the ground.

Yeah, it's a good old fall if you misjudge things.

Try doing it with a trailer on the back full or wood n coal. It was vaguely exciting. Best part was then I ran back up part way to jump on the kids bikes and have another blast down

Aaagh, I see. I found cliffs like that a bit dodgy when I was still learning clips and could only unclip left foot only...

To be fair Zippy since the age of 7 i have suffered a horrible phobia of steep slopes which gives me a vertigo sensation - and it is just slopes as heights and sheer drops don't seem to have the same effect - so sometimes if the angles are all wrong the smallest slope can be a struggle for me. I try and persevere though - but will happily admit i'm a lightweight in that way. . . I once had to ask my daughter to change the subject as she was describing where she lived in the alps to me over the phone and it was making me feel sick . . . .

2/2
As jBay said, we loitered round a kids play park for the night.

Saw the National Trust warden the following day whilst walking the dogs and he asked if I liked the new play park in the woods? Had a minor moment until I realised he was just enquiring if my kids liked it.

As jBay said, we loitered round a kids play park for the night.

Have you no shame?

2/2

Headed out lateish last night, about 8pm, two of us rode for a couple of hours to meet Mark on top of a big, windy hill. We ummed and ahhed for while about going to find somewhere more sheltered before deciding it would 'be reet'

After a cheeky beverage, mark retired



Sue had already given up and gone to lie in a hole (in a trekker tent too)

The weather gave it some effort most of the night but the new bearpaw lair stood up well, though I did get some spin drift under it but thats no fault of the tarp. Stu's carbon pole is spot on too. (the spot without much snow on is where mark used to be, but he's beggered off)



When the weather did break, it was lovely.



Home sweet home (more weather on its way at the back though)



Nice ride to the cafe for a full english and a pot of tea, then another few hours on the hills home, including plenty more 'weather'

cracker.