Bivvy a Month 2021

[ledburner]

If I go for a really long bike ride then 'bivvy' in the back of the car does that count?

Didn't when I did that in 2018

What if it's somebody else's car I wonder?

I think that would be treated like kipping in someone else's back garden so yes!

without permission?
thats vagrancy!
--retracted--

like kipping in someone else's back garden so yes!

but surely we are doing that any where it the UK. Since all land is 'owned', its some ones property or back garden. so every Bam is in some ones back garden.
---so that's allowed then! ---

So We're glad we're cleared that on up.
Go for it Reg, sleep well [seconded]

[sean_iow]

My busy DIY schedule meant I'd not had a chance to get out yet for October. Earlier in the week Ralph had asked what the date was as he was keen to get out again. I don't think he believed me when I said it was the 49th of September

Left home after dinner and headed to some local woods. Frozen on the descent down Newchurch Shute as it's a 30mph+ coast and the air was colder than I'd anticipated but luckily there was a climb after to get the blood flowing again. This was pattern of the ride out, freeze on the descent, just about warm up on the next climb and then freeze on the descent again.

Arrived at the woods and headed off the path. I'd been here earlier in the year but upon arrival it was apparent things had changed, the recent rain meant the ground was wet everywhere, lots of the trees (firs) were leaning over and the ground was now covered with branches blown off of them. Didn't fancy that so I'd need a plan B. Rode to another small section of wood that is surrounded by roads on three sides, it's a little nature reserve and I'd never been there before. Had a nose about and would be suitable if the traffic died down overnight except there's a gas regulator compound just up the road. I think it reduces he pressure from a high pressure main down to the pressure for distribution, whatever it does it produces a non-stop high-pitched screeching noise doing it so that spot was ruled out. Having ridden round to the top of the original woods I headed back in to see if it was drier up this end. Found a spot in amongst the firs, not ideal as there was a bit of a slope but it would have to do. Got the trap up, no rain forecast but thought I'd bring it for a change as this is what I made it for. Had my Criterion Ultralight 200 bag and I was just warm enough, I'll be using the newly acquired 350 next month (thanks Phil) and putting the 200 away until the spring.



Not a bad nights sleep I did wake up a few times as I slid down the hill. There was also the feint noise from the recycling center up the road which is running 24 hrs a day, which gives and idea of the volume of rubbish to sort. Ralph said he didn't hear a thing.



Awake at 05:50 before the alarm went off. Decided to get up and away. Breakfast of waffle and caramel latte (both cold) and packed up by 06:30. Just as I was getting ready to leave I could see the head torch of a dog walker going by on the track, there's always one now matter how early I get up, but they didn't see me as it was still dark. On the ride to work I decided to go down a permissive bridleway I've never been on that runs along the boundary of the land-fill. It's not used much and would make a good bivi spot if you like the smell of rubbish It's also not very clear where it runs and not well signed. I ended up in the land-fill site, the green sign I'd spotted was actually a direction to the current tip face and not the bridleway, a quick U turn in the tip office car park and I was back on course. I decided to cut through the new estate to avoid the last bit of the main road and the 3 lane roundabout at Newport. The last time I was there was when we undertook the site investigation for the Council when they were trying to attract a partner for the scheme. Building 900 houses has changed it a bit from the fields I remember. I didn't actually know the way through but saw the road in was Godric Road and I remembered the road at Adsa where I wanted to end up was Godric Road so I'd just follow that through. No sooner had I started than I came to a T junction Spotted another Godric Road sign so headed down that. This continued all the way through the estate, the road would end at a junction and start again immediately. Arrived at work just after 7, had breakfast number 2 and was on site at the Quay whist the tide was still out.

That's 10/10 for this year. Only 2 to go. I'll have to try and get away for at least one of them to make it more interesting, gate crash the Leighton Buzzard Winter Bivi maybe?

[Raggedstone]

10/10 for this year
Last Friday I had to wait in for 3 western power men as it turned out to put a new screw into my main fuse so that another branch will be able to remove it ! As a result I had most of the afternoon free and with the lack of any recent rain and a reasonable forecast it seemed like a good opportunity to do the southern half of the Cotswold tour
I parked the van at some friends house near Andoversford who were away in France and set off to rejoin the route where I left it last time I had thought of missing the loop down towards Bibury as I know it well but decided if I was doing it I would do it all . After the usual pretty but lifeless Cotswold villages I got to Cirencester for fish and chips just after dark , meal eaten and out of town with the intention of finding somewhere to bivvy on the Fosse way loads of spots but a bit early so carried on to a part that was closed to vehicles and had a bit of history and a nice river with a flat grassy section out of sight of any lights bivvy bag out and in bed quite quickly the usual fitful sleep until 5ish when it started raining .
IMG_20211016_044549696 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I got packed quickly and set off in the dark the route description said that the section in and out of Bath was hilly that was a bit of an understatement I had breakfast on Box common chatting to a bloke who asked permission to sit on the bench and smoke I was in a good mood so agreed !
IMG_20211016_083142757 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
He told me that the stone for the Box tunnel came from quarries in the wood just down the road which happened to be on the route
IMG_20211016_085420996 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I quite enjoyed the route through Bath somehow or other over the years and many visits I had not seen the Crescent before
IMG_20211016_095811686_HDR by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
Second breakfast was a bacon sandwich and tea at a bakery on the outskirts of town I bought some food for later and went off on a really nice section of the Cotswold way to the first crossing of the A46 which roughly went descend miles into a valley climb back to the main road descend miles into a valley on that side climb back to the main road etc etc . I had begun to think about keeping going to the end I stopped at a café in Marshfield and ate a burger and chips and ploughed on I was lucky enough to get onto Uley Bury in time for a stunning sunset this was followed by the only part I didn't like a long muddy churned up descent followed by a long steep push to arrive at a road and sign saying Uley Bury 1/4 mile I may have swore . I was starting to feel pretty rough by now I couldn't eat anything as I felt so bloated and could just about keep sips of water down . Having read the BB200 plans of action the just keep moving forward theory seemed like a plan so I did I got back to the van at 1am . Got the sleeping mat and bag out and slept in the van until heavy rain woke me about 7 tried eating but it wasn't until the evening that i could face food I think it was a mixture of dehydration and eating to much infrequently rather than little and often i will get to test this theory in a couple of weeks .

[RIP]

Enjoyed the tip diversion there Sean. Bit different.

LB Winter Bivvy? Ah well, I believe Mr Pie is in charge of that one. Bit nearer you as well - Princes Risboro. I would imagine a 15 mile haircut of your mileage won't go down well though . Idly thought of a Peaks WB but that would be a bit silly with a 'local event for local people' on the doorstep. February is my traditional icy Peaks caper month anyway.

That sounded quite a tough ride Kev!

[sean_iow]

The tip was a bit of a concern at the time, you need an appointment to go there at the moment and you can't get out of the car unless you're over 18 and you certainly can't get in on a bike.

To suddenly find myself in the inner sanctum without passing even a no entry sign let alone a gate was a shock. I made my escape quickly before the tip special forces arrived to cart me off, you know the type, the blokes in high-vis jackets that appear from nowhere if it looks like you're going to put a bit of chipboard in the natural wood skip

[ledburner]

... tip special forces... in high-vis jackets that appear from nowhere if it looks like you're going to put a bit of chipboard in the natural wood skip

'boardering on the edge of re-sin'
Oops dad joke, I ll get my coat on the way out.
(being way out my modus operandi ).

[sean_iow]

Very good

[fatbikephil]

Fairly bog standard bivvy for me this month after my labours last weekend. I was actually going to go out next weekend but the forecast was looking good and the thought of another night stuck in the house didn't appeal so bags on bike, stuff in bags (inc. new quilt!) and off we go into a cool but clear evening. A few random turns took me to the hills and an easy run to the spot I've used twice before deep in the woods above Dunning. Once in (new quilt v cosy) I utilised my culinary skills to boil water and bung it in a bag of suspicious powder with lumps in. This re-constituted into a a remarkably reasonable chilly and curry. Thereafter relaxed with a couple of beers and my book.

My dead to the world sleep was interrupted with the heart-stopping sound of a dog barking close by. Given I was in the middle of nowhere and it was two early for even an early dog walker, this was of concern. Thoughts of some rabid mutt attacking my bivvy loomed in my mind. Hmmm, it sounded like a collie type bark rather than a hell hound hunting dog bark so maybe its a stray. Then it occurred to me - its a fox. I've seen one a few times round here and I'll bet it was this very one. Of course the next thing to worry me was what the fox was barking at. Bears?

Comforted I zonked out once more to wake to a tweety bird in the tree above me chirping for all its worth. No owls tonight..... Anyway further lazing around followed, including a large cup of splosh and the unwelcome sound of my exped pillow bursting when I lent on it (must lose weight). Got going eventually and went home via various hills and trails.


It was dry!

Hidden in the trees for this one.

View from on high to (in order) lower glen Devon res, my village and the forth estuary.
Had plenty of slithers in the mud so I reckon its time for the 'duros again - so much for the dust dry trails of summer.

Two more to go I'm on the home straight!

[JimmyG]

A couple of months ago I explored Devilla Forest in West Fife on my bike and thought at the time it would make a good venue for a BAM. On that occasion I’d driven over there but, after a bit of GE and Komoot study, I worked out a route from my home in Edinburgh to the forest using a mixture of off-road trails, the Forth road bridge, road sections to get me through Dunfermline and then westwards along the West Fife Way. The WFW is a decommissioned railway line, now converted to a car-free tarmac path running between Dunfermline and Clackmannan (and conveniently passing my BAM objective).

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I left home in the mid-afternoon but later, as darkness rapidly approached, I was wishing I’d left a bit earlier. Once I’d crossed the bridge and threaded my way through Dunfermline I picked up some nice off-road trails before heading up on to the WFW. This made for much swifter progress but I still didn’t reach Devilla until just as darkness was falling. On my previous visit I’d spotted a wooded knoll overlooking Peppermill Dam Loch loch. It's pretty overgrown up there but I managed to find a flat enough section clear of vegetation for my bivvy. With there being no obvious paths on top I was fairly confident the likelihood of being disturbed by walkers/dogs was slim.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I’d decided to trust the various weather forecasts I’d looked at (well, they were 'promising' a dry night ) and didn't take my tarp, instead relying on my bivvy bag and sleeping bag. There were clear skies to start with and the temperature did drop noticeably. Later, however, some ominous clouds rolled in and I did start to wonder if I’d regret lightening my load. Despite two brief and very light sprinklings of rain, though, the night did stay dry and relatively mild. Once the petrol heads had presumably grown bored with ripping up and down the nearby roads, peace and quiet reigned and I was finally able to settle down and enjoy a decent night’s sleep.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

A note re the lack of a 'proper' pic of my bivvy site: I’d misplaced a brand new liner glove the previous night and in my feverish search for it, I absentmindedly packed most of my kit away. Oh, and the glove did finally turn up – under my ground sheet, strangely. Anyway, the helmet marks the spot!

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Next day dawned dull and windy but at least it was dry as I retraced my route back home.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

That’s 10 from 10 BAMs this year and 46 consecutive months.

[ScotRoutes]

Still looking quite green there. It has definitely started turning up here.

[JimmyG]

Aye Colin. Gradually getting that way here in some places, too. Incidentally, I'll need to get back up your way before too long. Probably for one of the Highland fat bike crew meets - it's been far too long since I've been on one!

[fatbikephil]

Jimmy I quite often go to that bit in Devilla for a snack. I used a good bivvy spot about 200m further west and I've just directed Alan and Son to it we may need to organise a rota

[JimmyG]

Definitely a good location for a bivvy Phil and I’m sure they’ll enjoy it. As long as the weather behaves itself, of course...unlike their recent Tentsmuir experience!

[Charliecres]

October’s been busy and yesterday I realised there was biblical rain forecast for the rest of it.

Last night looked like my last chance to at least start the night in relatively dry conditions, so I headed out for a pleasant but uneventful loop around the Surrey hills before setting up camp in a spot I’ve had my eye on for a while. A quick hot chocolate, a disappointing freebie hotel flapjack and bed.

I used the Lanshan for the first time in ages and, as usual, it stood up well to the gusting wind and the rain. I slept deeply (including a dream about my cat joining me on the BB200!) and woke shortly after 5am to a steady patter. It was forecast to get much heavier around 7am so after lying a little while to come to, I packed up quickly and got going by 6am.

The ride home was increasingly wet but still mercifully mild, so not unpleasant. And I was showered and drinking tea by 7.30. Result.


Leith Hill tower and the lights of Gatwick in the distance.


Home sweet home.

That’s 10/10 for me in 2021.

[Bearlegged]

I'll do a full write up at some point, but this week saw me tick off October during a tour through Shropshire and Mid-Wales. One night in a bunkhouse, one in Claerddu bothy, and one in a church porch.





I carried my Gatewood tarp, Borah bivvy bag, one of Stu's finest poles, and a set of pegs over 200 miles, and never used them.

2021 BAM 10/12
2021 total bivvies 13
Current streak (months) 35

[RIP]

Nice porch there BL. If you slur it a bit you could tell people you slept in a Porsche for the night...

[frogatthefarriers]

My October BaM done last night - in the Berwyns, in somewhere completely different. More details to follow, when I’ve uploaded the photos to Flickr.

Here's one for now...


So now I can fill in the details.
I got my dates mixed up and thought it was Halloween on Saturday night, so thought it would be a spiffing wheeze to spend it in this disused chapel I'd found a couple of years ago. To that end, I pedalled (and pushed (a lot of pushed)) up the Berwyns ending up in a village with two pubs, at around 4:30. I presented myself at the first, and asked if I could get a meal. I got a shrug of the shoulders and shake of the head and told that they don't serve food until six o'clock.

"Oh well" I thought, "Maybe the other pub can help me out".

Nope! They don't start serving food until 6:30, but I remembered from a previous (very wet) visit, that I'd had a very tasty, home made, large, sausage roll and was relieved to hear that I could have one. I had a pint (Butty Bach) to go with it, and sat by the open fire to eat.

Time passed, and I began to think it might be worth waiting until 6 o'clock, so trudged back across to the first pub. Another pint (Cheshire Cat) and when asked, the landlady said they were fully booked, but she might be able to fit me in, if it were just me.
Result! I sat, once again by an open fire and ordered "Treacle-braised ox-cheek on a bed of mashed potatoes, with treacle gravy". A bit pricey at £17.50, but when I popped the first morsel of ox-cheek into my mouth I knew it was well worth the money. Delicious! Another pint (not Cheshire cat, but another hand-pulled ale) helped the meal go down. By then, I was as full as a tick.

There was rugby on on the big TV in the bar so I decamped there to watch Wales get a thrashing by New Zealand. A pint of Guinness was drunk. Eventually it was time to leave and I filled my water bottle for a morning cuppa and while I was getting dressed, one of the ladies from the bar popped out of the door and said,
"If you hang on a few minutes, Rhiannon (one of the other ladies who I'd told I was going to camp out), says she's got a field you can camp in"

I was quite touched by this. A truly kind, friendly offer. I said "It's fine, I've got somewhere in mind that's dry and sheltered and I've been meaning to use it for a while".

Out of the pub, now, and off to bed. It started to rain so I stopped to put on some waterproofness. A few minutes later, the rain stopped and so did I to take the coat off again. When I looked up I was amazed by the number of stars - far more than at home. Beautiful, and the longer I looked, the more I could see. Avvesome! (I guess the swear filter won't let me use the word I tried to use )

Anyway. Bed, in abandoned chapel on (not) Halloween. All the white bits are pieces of the plaster-work that have fallen from the ceiling due to the damp.


Morning photos:-





Onward then, into the increasing wind, (mostly from behind, thank goodness) for some more pushing up tracks and down to Chirk where I thought to take the Llangollen canal towpath for what was to be a nice level 10 miles back to my car in Llangollen. Before Chirk though, I was puffing up a hill when I heard a loud crack and a dead branch some 15ft long crashed on to the tarmac about ten yards in front of me, and broke into pieces. Just as well I was going up hill - if I'd been going faster, I could have been late. As in "The late Frogatthefarriers". I stopped, picked up the pieces and chucked them back over the wall. My good deed for the day - I felt pretty smug.

Soon after starting the towpath I was halted by a bed of fallen sweet chestnuts from a tree overhanging the towpath.


I love free food - blackberries, mushrooms, beechnuts, that kind of thing - and I just couldn't leave them there without taking a few.


Finally, on the home straight, having avoided the rain for two days ( it had rained plenty, but I hadn't been out in it) at Froncysyllte, it caught up with me. If I had not stopped to pick the chestnuts for twenty minutes, I'd have got back to the car still dry, instead of like a drowned rat. Ah well. I felt sorry for a poor dad with two small children - maybe aged four or five - that had got caught out and were trying to make progress into what must have been forty+ mph wind and horizontal lashing rain. Poor things. Dad was hanging on to the kids so they wouldn't be blown away - it was that bad.

So that's 10/12 BaMs for 2021 and,best of all, it's now November and time to start thinking of where to go next.

[Verena]

My October BaM done last night - in the Berwyns, in somewhere completely different. More details to follow, when I’ve uploaded the photos to Flickr.

Here's one for now...

Ooo, nice one!! Looking forward to the full story and pics....

[Blackhound]

My current run of 4 is over. I should have gone out at the beginning of last week but kept putting it off because I was informed a house move was imminent. By Friday I was going down with an infection (had it before so knew the signs) and thanks to NHS111 managed to get some antibiotics yesterday. Anyway, October missed so hope to start again in November or December depending on the flipping house move (sale agreed in April!).

[frogatthefarriers]

My October BaM done last night - in the Berwyns, in somewhere completely different. More details to follow, when I’ve uploaded the photos to Flickr.

Here's one for now...

Ooo, nice one!! Looking forward to the full story and pics....

Thanks. I’ve edited the original post and made a full report! but it has stayed on its original date and hasn't “bumped”

[RIP]

Fabulous that Frog! Sounds like you had a fantastic evening in those boozers - food, fires, frolics.. well food and fires anyway. With the offer of a field spot being, as you say, the friendly icing on the [lemon drizzle] cake. Exactly how I like my BaMs to go too. And that chapel! Superb! Did you tinkle the ivories? Sounds like you had a few narrow escapes though what with the trees and plaster cascading about your ears.....



Still on the list for a visit .

[frogatthefarriers]

[quote=RIP post_id=275874 time=1635799957 u

Still on the list for a visit .
[/quote]

Chris- I'm dying to show you "my" chapel before it gets found by scrotes who'll just wreck it.

[RIP]

Might have to swap my normal Peaks visit in Feb ... yes, surprised it hasn't been sussed by the urbex mob.... maybe it has, the pros LNT of course...

[Alan63]

Fraser and I completed our October bivvy on Sunday night. As with September, we tried to fit in a bivvy trip with a packed weekend. Fraser had a 4hr cyclocross training session in Dundee on Saturday then Fife College cyclocross race in Dunfermline on Sunday. Our plan was to bivvy in Devilla Forest on the Saturday night, a short distance from Dunfermline. Fatbikephil was very kind in sending suggested bivvy spots and routes to the forest.

We changed our plans after the Saturday session as I felt he would be better spending the night in his own bed. At the race on Sunday, the rain was battering down so we came home and bivvied in our neighbour's garden instead. Didn't bother with pics.

We'll get through to Devilla at some point in the future. Looking at Jimmy G's recent TR has inspired us to visit.

[JimmyG]

We'll get through to Devilla at some point in the future. Looking at Jimmy G's recent TR has inspired us to visit.

As Phil will have told you Alan, it's well worth a visit.