Way betterer this year ... Chilterns Winter Bivvy

[RIP]

Hi chaps. I'm now a newly-converted devotee of the Stuart School Of Detail, so here's the details: "1pm departure from Tring station" .

I've cooked up a route extension if we look like arriving at the boozer "too soon" (if such a thing is ever possible!).

[Richard G]

My challenge is that I might be a little time constrained as I'm going Lapland for a week from the following Friday, so it's my last weekend at home and I have loads of errands to run.

I'm tempted, but it's a question of if I have time to prep (I'm also going to Lapland the week after )

[Rich3rd]

I'll be riding out from Berko at some point, getting to Tring station for 1pm if anyone wants to join me. It'll be a quick bumble up on Ashridge, hopefully see some deer, flexible on start time.

[Taylor]

Where and when is everybody going to Lapland?
I'm off to Pyha Tunturi the day of the winter bivi, thats why the SW are having ours the weekend before.

[Richard G]

I'm in Finland from the 20th until the new year.

Helsinki, Rovaneimi, Oulu, Helsinki.

[whitestone]

I'm in Finland from the 20th until the new year.

Helsinki, Rovaneimi, Oulu, Helsinki.

If you are in Rovaniemi for more than a day it's worth heading out on the river - there's a marked "trail" upstream - just for the novelty of walking/riding on a river. The museum of the arctic, is also worth an hour or two. We didn't do the Santa bit

[Richard G]

Cheers.

[Taylor]

Think we only have a fleeting visit to rovaniemi both ways.

[benp1]

I'm flying in and out of Rovaniemi - 22nd and 29th Dec

2 nights in Rovaniemi, 4 nights in Levi, 1 night in the middle of nowhere half way between

Better bloody see some northern lights!

[whitestone]

I'm flying in and out of Rovaniemi - 22nd and 29th Dec

2 nights in Rovaniemi, 4 nights in Levi, 1 night in the middle of nowhere half way between

Better bloody see some northern lights!

The weather can be quite overcast with zero view of any clear sky. The one day we did have clear skies was the day and night of the race and they duly appeared at about midnight. They were strong enough that you could see them from the edge of the river in town.

[Richard G]

If I see it, it will be a bonus. It's not what I'm there for. :)

(That would be snow, and huskies! )

[Old Aliens]

Hello all, first time posting...but I am the grumpy landowner. A few points of note. To assist with your individual planning.
1. There will be plenty of fresh drinking water available on site.
2. The round house with stove will sleep approx. 3 or 4. (One space already taken by Tim).
3. If the weather is set wet I will pre string a couple of tarps in the woods.
4. The woodshed gives space for 2 or 3 more.

Otherwise there are grass pitches and general ground dweller areas all over.

See y'all at Tring Station on the 16th.

[benp1]

Hello all, first time posting...but I am the grumpy landowner. A few points of note. To assist with your individual planning.
1. There will be plenty of fresh drinking water available on site.
2. The round house with stove will sleep approx. 3 or 4. (One space already taken by Tim).
3. If the weather is set wet I will pre string a couple of tarps in the woods.
4. The woodshed gives space for 2 or 3 more.

Otherwise there are grass pitches and general ground dweller areas all over.

See y'all at Tring Station on the 16th.

That is most excellent news. I remember schlepping 3 litres back from the pub last year!

I would love to blag a place in the round house please! I got completely soaked with condensation last year

[Old Aliens]

Roundhouse bagsies posted on here, first to post gets the spot. Saves fighting on the night...of course I have no idea who anyone is so it's an honour system.

[RIP]

Far too comfy . May I take out an option on the woodshed please, preferably not the bit where Javi had his head under the lawnmower last year though . Will be bringing tarp etc anyway then I might trade my woodshed place for someone's spare nightcap beverage

[MuddyPete]

Wood shed again for me too, please .

[Richard G]

I'm bringing the tent, which will be fine as long as it's not stupidly windy.

I'll just need to make sure I'm not too drunk at setup time...

[BigdummySteve]

I’ll be bringing the tent although the wood stove option does sound tempting

[BigdummySteve]

Wood shed again for me too, please .

http://youtu.be/ZFjfa_RB6Pc

[RIP]

Don't forget yer earplugs then Pete

"I'll just need to make sure I'm not too drunk at setup time..." - time for a Plan B on that one methinks Rich

Tents? Woodstoves?? What are you guys, mice or men?! Squeak, squeak .

[RIP]

Hmm. I've just realised I'm counting this as my Dec 12/12 BaM2017. It seems to fulfil the "using a bike" and "not inside my house or own garden" Rules, but I'm fairly sure that hidden in the very small print somewhere is a "actual bivvy spot should be unplanned" Rule. I believe it's Rule 26a(3)-ii but I stand to be corrected. And I've stuck to that Rule for the Jan-Nov BaMs I think. So maybe I should withdraw my specific request for the woodshed and just turn up and see what happens as per last year (where I did indeed end up in the woodshed). Well, I say "in", it was more lying outside it on a load of woodchippings under my tarp, but I suppose I could have retreated under it in a weather-based emergency. No doubt someone will remind me that there's only one Rule anyway, but I don't think that's true - there's at least three others I'm aware of which seem to be generally accepted.

It also raises the question of exactly what "unplanned" means in a BP context. What's the "resolution" of it? I'm not personally into obviously-pre-planned route events or following "official" xx200 or yy500 Routes etc, but I mean presumably one "plans" to go out for a general ride round with a rough route in mind and possibly a rough final "spot" area. Having said that, I'd argue that my Feb2017 BaM was totally unplanned in that I realised almost too late it was Feb 27th so next day I steamed to the station and got the cheapest ticket I could, which was to Macclesfield. I ended up sleeping in a graveyard in the Peak District which was totally unplanned and very scary ;-). That type of outing was a "classic by the Rules BaM" I think, even though I "planned" it a whole night in advance. So is knowing the, say, 10km/square bivi spot area in advance "pre-planning"? The 1km/sq spot? An actual ground "point" must be "a planned spot" surely? I'm very shy as you know, otherwise I'd have probably bunged this into a Philosophical thread in the General Banter forum.

Vaguely Confused Of Leighton Buzzard.

[benp1]

I think you're fine to count it Reg

It's not really that different from staying in a bothy is it? They count

[RIP]

Ta Ben . Although as you can see, it's the "preplanned spot" bit that seems to be bothering me rather than the type of abode .

[benp1]

Ta Ben . Although as you can see, it's the "preplanned spot" bit that seems to be bothering me rather than the type of abode .

It's broadly the same as saying I'm planning to kip in Lluest Cwm Bach. You haven't said which base, but there aren't many to choose from

It's as pre planned as that I'd say - you've bagged the area, not the spot...

[Is it obvious that I'm planning to count this as one of my BAMs yet]

[Zippy]

I fancy sleeping under a roof this time - why don't we just have it as a race?