As per Chilterns Spring Thing.

10/10, 10/12, 82/82

Reg

My plans for this month were somewhat derailed by catching covid at the beginning of the month I had identified a window where a bivi at the Needles would be viable as the wind would be from the north, sadly I was stuck indoors that week. Having recovered (I thought) last week I'd planned a school night bivi on Thursday on the north coast of the Island. On the night a combination of forecast high winds (60 mph) and total lack of energy meant I didn't make it out of the door. All of the kit was out ready to go so rather than risk missing a month I decided I get a bivi in at Mum's as a place holder, but hopefully I'll get out again as it does feel like cheating even though it's within the rules.

Headed out after dinner Saturday, it's under mile away but went the long way to feel less guilt any it looked like a nice evening. I had under-estimated how warm it was and had a base layer/BB jersey and a windproof on, too lazy to stop and take a layer off I opted for trying to reduce the effort enough not to overheat. As I passed the rear entrance to Sandown Station (the only road access to the track for lorries to Island Line so the location where the new rolling stock was delivered last year) there was a group of lads hanging out by the subway so I had to abandon my very slow peddling and speed up for a bit. At the end of the road there was a group of 'young ladies' walking the other way, I assume to meet up with the lads at the subway. Their attire highlighting how over-dressed I was for the warm autumn evening.

As I cut back off road to my chosen spot I rode past Mark King's house, out of Level 42. I go along this track quite often but I mention it now as later that evening I saw on my FB feed that it was his 64th birthday on the Thursday, I could have dropped off a belted card from Ralph and myself.

Once at the bivi spot I had the shelter up and was relaxing with a beer in no time.



Whilst drinking those I was also watching a Walk With Wallace video on Youtube where he was in the Cairngorms. He went past the section from the CL300 where you go up the bank and the tricky path to avoid crossing the Freshie twice and remarked how sketchy he thought it was. He wants to try it at night, in the rain, with a bike

I aimed to get an early(ish) night as a thunderstorm were forecast and I knew I'd get woken up so wanted to get some sleep in first. I did indeed get woken up as it chucked it down! Despite the intensity of the rain none came in which was nice as it's a home made shelter and I never got round to seam-sealing it. I'd taken the mtp (camo) deschutes-alike and the mk1 inner. There's something satisfying about spending the night in a homemade shelter in a storm and not getting wet. I spoke to my mum the next day and the lighting had woke her up. As she didn't have her hearing aids in she couldn't hear the thunder so at first she was worried the light was a burglar's torch.

Didn't rush to get up as it was still raining in the morning so had a relaxed coffee in bed. Ralph decided just to have an extra half hours sleep.



He was only in his bivi without any quilt/bag but as it only got down to 15 degrees at night he was fine.



I'm sure on previous October BAMs it's been much colder? The design of the inner means I can unclip it and pack up without having to go outside so everything was back in the bags apart from the outer. As soon as I ventured outside, wearing waterproofs, it stopped raining



This may be my favourite shelter for bad weather as I made the doors longer than a Deschutes so it feels that bit cosier.

Bags back on bike I headed off and as the sun was now out I decided to get some miles in on the way home as well, only about 5 but that's 6 times the distance of riding straight home. Also still had the waterproofs on so had to deploy the slow peddling/minimum effort tactic again. I did consider taking them off but I knew the ground would be wet and muddy in places after the rain so left them on more as protection from the filth coming off the wheels.

When I was a lad this byway would be un-passable in winter, although mainly chewed up by horses rather than 4x4s. A few years back the council started seasonal closures of all the green lanes to protect them from damage (red sign in the distance) but as it's been surfaced now I'm not sure that's justified.



The top surface is road scalpings but I'm not sure the sieve is set correctly as some quite large bits have got through...



I wonder if the workmen laying the surface found that cats-eye in the material when unloading and put it in the track for a laugh It would be quite a thing for it to have got there by luck. Once home i took the opportunity to wash the bike in the sun so the frame would be clean before putting the winter mudguards on. Given the forecast of rain for the foreseeable future, and that I've got covered in filth commuting last week, it's time for them to go back on even if they are aesthetically challenging.

That's 10/10 this year and 30 in a row.

Nice work, Sean

I bagged my October bivi at the Chilterns Spring Thing so I'm 10/10 so far

Found myself slightly ahead of schedule, so have made a pit stop.

Schedules are meant to be broken .

Just back from the shops and spotted that Northern Monk's choc/caramel/biscuit porter is back. When I arrived to pay I discovered that a load of them had fallen into my basket by mistake and it was too far back to the shelf so I had to buy them.

Just been trying to catch up....some nice ones here, I like the beach bivvy a lot Jimmy!

Sean and Ralph, glad to see you made it out despite covid

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 10:30 pm

This looks like a nice spot. Love an in-progress BaM update

It's gonna be touch or go for me this month. Tested positive on Sunday so might only have the 30th or 31st to get it done if I'm over it.....

Verena wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 7:03 am Just been trying to catch up....some nice ones here, I like the beach bivvy a lot Jimmy!

Glad you liked it Verena .... but that sand got everywhere!

Well, that all worked out very nicely.
What started out as a slightly-pressed-for-time school-night special turned into a very relaxing night in the woods, with a bonus Diwali fireworks display across the city as I sipped on my beer. I woke with the gentle onset of daybreak, and enjoyed a glorious autumnal ride home. More pics here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkJP6x9s_hu/

2022 BAM 10/12
2022 total bivvies 11
Current streak (months) 47

With the current warm weather it seemed like a good idea to get out last night for this month's bivvy as some showers were forecast the bivvy bag was left at home in favour of a bit more shelter . I have been struggling with a bad knee for a few weeks but was determined to make a bit more of an effort than last month's very local one . There is a wood about 12 miles of flatish lanes away with a bridleway running through it so that seemed like a plan , there has been some torrential downpours in the last few days and having enjoyed a gentle cruise I reached the bridleway to the wood the first section was across a field welcome back to sticky mud ! Through the gate into the wood was the next obstacle I was told the old bridge over the stream is guarded by a Troll I am not entirely sure of the correct protocol where Trolls are concerned so strode on confidently and as luck would have it he was otherwise engaged : I thought I would have a look around for a suitable spot before going into Pershore for food, I found a couple of places that were ok so carried on along the track which was so slick it was unrideable and barely walkable I made it to town fish and chips eaten outside the Abbey and then decision time I was a bit worried about coming off or falling over and undoing the recovery if I went back to the wood . Bredon Hill was close and the decision was made more quiet lanes and a long push to the spot I used last year seemed a good idea, after a couple of miles a crack followed by a loud hiss resulted in a broken spoke that went in and through the tubeless tape , after a struggle I managed to break the bead and get covered in sticky stuff I had sensibly packed the tube in the bottom of the seat pack ! a little while later I was off with a very wobbly wheel and puncture proof shorts . I found a sheltered spot set up home and retired about 10 for a very uncomfortable night due to stomach issues it did get very windy as a shower went through making me wonder if i was in a sensible place under trees .
PXL_20221025_070354779 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

Morning finally arrived I forced some porridge down packed up and set off for the long usually fun decent which I went down very slowly as I didn't want the wobbly wheel to get worse I made it back despite all the creaking and groaning fortunately that drowned out the noise's the wheel was making . It was the first bivvy I haven't enjoyed which is a pretty good return .
10/12

JimmyG wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 10:06 am

Verena wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 7:03 am Just been trying to catch up....some nice ones here, I like the beach bivvy a lot Jimmy!

Glad you liked it Verena .... but that sand got everywhere!

Yep, sand is a sand does...one of my happiest bivvy memories though, sleeping in a little hollow of dunes by the beach, very much like your picture, at Pendine, surrounded by warning signs of unexploded ordnance and listening to curlews...

summittoppler wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 9:02 am It's gonna be touch or go for me this month. Tested positive on Sunday so might only have the 30th or 31st to get it done if I'm over it.....

O no...
Get well soon...

Johnallan wrote: ↑Sat Oct 22, 2022 2:45 pm

ledburner wrote: ↑Sat Oct 22, 2022 2:19 pm I've got a hip flask like that. I hope it had something good in it..

Indeed! Glenmorange 10, the dregs of last year's Christmas present. Fortunately it's almost that time if year again

Whisky in titanium hip flasks seems to have an acceptable strength/weight ratio to satisfy TLS criteria

Sounds good,
(But I'm not a whiskey face), Mines last had tawny port in it.
My flask is a 'Lixada' a knock off Fire Maple, as the were no UK ones in stock 2 Xmas's ago.
But it works the same

Whisky in titanium hip flasks seems to have an acceptable strength/weight ratio to satisfy TLS criteria

I find a 250ml plastic bottle (Co-Op spring water IIRC) makes for an even better whisky/weight ratio.

Verena wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 10:32 pm

JimmyG wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 10:06 am

Verena wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 7:03 am Just been trying to catch up....some nice ones here, I like the beach bivvy a lot Jimmy!

Glad you liked it Verena .... but that sand got everywhere!

Yep, sand is a sand does...one of my happiest bivvy memories though, sleeping in a little hollow of dunes by the beach, very much like your picture, at Pendine, surrounded by warning signs of unexploded ordnance and listening to curlews...

Pendine. I know it well from my former life.

Just back for breakfast from my October bivvy. Had planned to go further afield, but lack of motivation meant I took the easy lazy option and chucked the basics into a backpack and took the CX bike out to a local nature reserve about 5 miles away.
Rain was forecast during the night so I spent 10 minutes setting up my square tarp in a diamond shape, but then didn't like the sagginess and loose feel, so changed it to a half pyramid instead. Felt like a lot of faffing.
In my bag for about 9pm, then realised there's no network coverage there, so couldn't read the Internet (that's probably a good thing!).
A decent night (almost all dry) and got up after 7am, a quick pack away as rain was in the air and home for 8am for breakfast.

That's 10/10 for this year, and the BB200/300 will sort November and hopefully the winter bivvy for December and I'll have the year complete (first time!!)

October
Nothing drastic, just a run to an oft used spot in the woods above Dunning Glen. First Friday bivvy for a while and what a great thing - finish up at work throw some stuff at the bike and head out into the dark. Despite my prediction that this would be a wash out, the weather was once again dry and fine with more of the same all evening and tomorrow morning. A few trails and back roads later I climbed up through the forest and reached the spot just after 8. Tarp up in jig time, make tea, drink beer, read book, listen to owls - bliss

This is actually my only proof of bivvy shot as I forgot to photo the tarp the next morning.

This is what happens when everyone gets obsessed by halloween...

It was still pretty breezy but apart from an occasional draft all was calm around me. That (and the beer) led to a solid 8 hours sleep before I woke to the dawn chorus of many tweety birds. (no barking deer this time) Then I crashed back out for an hour or so - 9.30! After a leisurely breakfast I packed up and had a further wander around these woods.


A new trail (of sorts)

Further wanderings followed and I got home just as the rain came on - another dry bivvy!


You are envious of my tyres aren't you. You should be!

Just back from quick night out late in the month as been off on travels. My partner came back with covid so when solo last night. Popped to a nice church porch on the hill out of town. Quite a windy night. I forgotten how noisy the owls are at this time of year. No photo as took them on my phone and have to figure out how to make the file smaller

October done

October BaM in progress. Not much of a BaM, this. Just making up the numbers - not much of a ride and not far from home, but it's the only chance I'll get this month. I've had a pint of something nice at the Credington Arms in Tilston, with a convivial half hour with the locals then a not-so-nice-but-ok pint in the Bickerton Poacher where I eavesdropped, but not engaged with the closed clientelle.

A moment of excitement when I came upon a badger on the path through the woods. He was trotting along without a care in the world when he suddenly spotted me not ten feet away. This was in total darkness and I had my lights on, so how he didn't see me earlier I'll never know. When he spotted me he bolted through a sheep-netting fence. Who'd have thought that something as big as a badger could squeeze through such a small hole. Anyway, it's a big highlight for me - it's the first badger I've seen. (Apart from dead ones, that is).

Currently sitting in the Queen's Parlour cave near Bickerton, well past my normal bedtime, with 100ml of spiced rum. The last time I was here was four years ago. Then, it was easy to find by following the obvious trails through the wood but it looks as though the local party-goers have abandoned this. I had to climb up and down the bank a few times before I found something I recognised that pointed me in the right direction.

Life is good!

Photos to follow....

OK, here are the photos:-

Trig point on Raw Head...just after the badger.


Bed time...


Looks like a satanic ritual - all it needs is the hooded and masked figures...

The morning after...



All packed up and ready to go home..


So 10/12 BaMs for 2022.

SR wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:18 am Just back from quick night out late in the month as been off on travels. My partner came back with covid so when solo last night. Popped to a nice church porch on the hill out of town. Quite a windy night. I forgotten how noisy the owls are at this time of year. No photo as took them on my phone and have to figure out how to make the file smaller

October done

I bet you weren't the only one having a hoot.
Commiserations to your partner.

I can recommend 'Image Size' , an reliable app,
You can tell it to what file size or resolution you require...
Its available for h'iPhone or h'android.

I'm out
Despite testing negative for covid on Friday, I still feel completely ruined!
Walked to Conwy and back on Saturday and I felt like I was going to pass out on the way back. Its only a 3 mile walk!
Gutted tbh

I have had a difficult few weeks and time to get out has been a problem. However I got myself out last night. I only went 3 miles from home to a small wood near an industrial estate but overlooking a pond. There were frequent lorries all night which was unexpected.

I was surprised how warm it was. I sat outside the tarp on my new stool reading and did not bother with the down jacket I had bought all that way. This morning I had a smoothie as I took my camp down and ventured to a cafe for breakfast.

Bam 10/12 nearly there!

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/xm3BqerBzub

@summittoppler Sorry to hear having got so near. Most important is that you make a full recovery so you can go again.