Is it impossible to get a TN to pitch well ?

Admittedly it's had a couple of mods but a tight pitch can be achieved.

Not normally, but when your pissed and its dark yes but not sure what Chews excuse was :D

The morning after, straight to the pub. Thats how we roll

The way back via Elter water was a great descent


Maybe the Dales for March's adventure!!

Getting my stuff together for tonight. First outing in my new Bivi Bag & for the front wheel bearings I fitted last night. Will one/both fail me?

currently sat under my tarp on the sarn helen below moel sibod. what a fantastic evenin theres no wind no noise nothing!! off to dulyn bothy tomorrow night but if its like this then I'll be under the stars again. happy days pictures to follow.....to all those bivying out this evening ENJOY

Wildgecko, zomarzi and I are hanging in the woods above tintern abbey.
Pictures from us tomorrow.

Bearings OK, Bivi bag on the Beach at Aldeburgh great! I think I need to put less air in my mat so I fit in the bag better but otherwise no problems. Drifted off to sleep looking at the stars on a beautiful clear night and awoke covered in frost. Much less faff than packing away a wet tent to boot. I'm sold on Bivi bags!

We cut short the ride to make sure we made it to the pub. I swore I'd be awoken by a dog being walked licking my face but no sign of anyone before 7.30 am.

Frosty start to the day:


Beautiful sunrise:


Did I mention it was frosty?:


Jan & Feb sorted. Roll on March! :D

Heading to Wales the weather looked lovely. Theres a bridge there somewhere.

Wildgecko after a bit of enthusiastic nose picking.

Zamorzi's minimalism took me by surprise.

I found a weirdo, lurking not far from my camp this morning.

Zamorzi had frozen to death overnight.

His eyes were just toooo strange for my liking.

By this point Zamorzi was loving the hills.

Heading back to England. The sun made a nice appearance for me too as I approached home. I felt quite smug.

Zamorzi's bike plans for his Central America trip.


2/2 for 2013

Glad to see the lightweight message hasn't been lost

I've screwed up big style!

Plans have changed and it now turns out that we're heading to the alps this coming weekend which, on the surface, might not seem like too bad a life but when we go to the alps it's my time to repay Nikki for all of the nights out bikepacking and so I'll be on baby-duty for the duration of the trip.

This means that I've now got one night and one night only that I can do my February bivi trip - the 27th - no second chances, no delay - it's then or never (and that's assuming there's room in the car for my bike/kit as we head alp-wards.

I realise that my whining about going to the alps won't provoke strong feelings of sympathy from the masses but, in this instance, it's a right royal pain in my ass.

Instead of a weekend of bikepacking ahead of me I've got a weekend of repaying bikepacking-debts and babysitting - bugger!

Has everyone else managed their February trip already?

gairym wrote: Has everyone else managed their February trip already?

I haven't yet but I should be ok to get it done in time. I missed Jan as my other half was in hospital so my 12 months wil be Feb-Feb!

You could always bivvy outside where you're staying!

Dan_K wrote:You could always bivvy outside where you're staying!

Yeah, I've had that in mind - will see how feasible that is once I arrive.

Looks like I missed the lovely weekend just gone for a bivvy, next weekends forecast is around freezing (which is fine, but the nice weather would have been nicer!).

Haven't got mine in yet ... plenty of time though. Reckon I'll tie it in with some WRT scouting

I tend to forget to take photos but missus demanded some this weekend, so here is my Feb bivvy.

Dulyn bothy

image by MM-on-POINT, on Flickr

gairym on wrote
Has everyone else managed their February trip already?

Not yet either Gairy - missed a great weekend's weather due to family issues last week and this weekend but still planning on a short notice trip as the forecast is looking good for a few days yet.
Either a trip round the Lleyn's Iron Age hill forts or maybe down Stu's way to complete the Elan Back I missed. Looking like last weekend was pretty active in the good weather.
Gairy - your Alps trip sounds good - I did the same last month and made it out on the one night I could manage with a half decent forecast. Up to the wire

gairym wrote:Has everyone else managed their February trip already?

not yet, off on a wee trip friday though so its should be sorted.

Got a date set for march too :D

So here we are a few pics from my Feb bivy expo no.2

The weather was amazing this weekend just gone, i headed out from Betws up and over the Sarn Helen after finding a great spot below Moel Siabod i got the tarp up and settled in for the night under amazing starry skys. The morning sun was fab if not a bit chilly!!



I then headed back into Betws for a belly buster before climbing upto the Marin trail. After much fun on the single track and downhills i made my way to Llyn Crafnant pushed up and over into Capel, had a coffee then realised i was running short of time as i wanted to get to Dulyn bothy. After a horrid push up and over a bog to Llyn Cowlyd res and a bit of chuntering to myself i then hit the single track again. I then climbed up and over to Llyn Eigiau res. As i was coming up the valley i could see 5 cars at the car park and thought id have some company at the bothy as by this time it was 530pm. Walkers.... Got to the bothy at just turned 7 my legs were shot and its was cold and very dark!! The descent down from top res to bottom res was horrible..

waking up to this was amazing though as couldnt see anything on the night!!

well worth the climbs to get there

luckily others had left rubbish so i had a huge burn up on the morning and left the bothy nice and tidy for the next visitor ( i had it all to myself )

You definetly tided that up. It looks totaly differnt to when I was there the day earlier.
Just out of curiosity what was amongst the rubbish you burned, empty bacon packets, 8 beer bottles, torn up coal bags, empty pot noodles tubs and other bits???
That is what the group that stayed the same time as me had.
Also was there two all day breakfastes on the side dated 2014 or had they vanished?

yeah all that stuff u mentioned i burnt plus loads of empty fuel bags. old bits of food n cartons to i wish people would treat bothys with little bit more respect. i away do my bit and the fire needed cleaning out. i think the breakfasts were amongst the other dried food packs still on the shelf :)

Managed to bag my February bivi, a very quick ride out into the woods in Ewden valley. Would have managed more of a ride if id not slept until 10am this morning - but happy with that as it was my first night in a bivi bag and I was toasty



A very happy looking Chew - I Think the fire did make the world of difference as it was a little nippy!

edit - a happy chew's right elbow, im sure you can see the whole pic if you open the image in a new window (easier than me shrinking it on my phone anyway!)

A very happy looking Chew - I Think the fire did make the world of difference as it was a little nippy!

He looks like a poseable action figure

Since it was gonna be cold I thought I'd head over to Gameshope bothy which is off of one of my favourite roads in the Borders. There is no fire in the bothy, but then there is nothing to burn anyway! -1c outside +0.5c inside so not actually that warm but it's a lovely bothy in one of the best spots in the Borders.

(2/2)


Megget Reservior on the evening ride in


home for the night


rum, a candle and a good book


morning, cross the burn then a freezing 34 mile ride home