2/4 for me and the boy.

Sunday was sunny so the boy and I put our new bikepacking gear to the test on a wee overnighter to Over Phawhope bothy.

Fitting the bags took me ages, mostly due to a stuck bolt on Joe's bottle cage, so we didn't manage to leave til 2.45.

Springtime in Hawick's Wilton Park....the boy is yawning on account of sneakily being up half the night on his computer



The route gently climbs for most of its length...



Well, it had to be done.... (apologies to anyone easily offended).



A more wholesome sign to warm the heart of a weary cyclist. This is the menu outside Tushielaw Inn...



Our newly bikepacked bikes outside Tushielaw Inn. I have ended up with the lions's share of the clobber once again.



By the time we had eaten and left, the light was a bit poor so I don't have any more photos from that day. We got to the bothy at around 9pm to find three retired miners from Bonnyrigg in residence, very drunk, having been there all day. The conversation was a little odd, but they had the place lovely and warm and were very welcoming. Next day they cleared out and I wandered about taking photos while the boy slept in. The famous sofa is gone, but the bothy is a cosy wee bolthole none the less.









A few snow flurries arrived, so I got the boy up and moving. This is him climbing up the short (1km) gravel section of the road with the bothy behind him.



It's a remote and beautiful part of the world, made slightly less beautiful for now by all the timber harvesting that has been going on.



The snow flurries stopped, the sun came out and our way home was nearly all downhill, with a strong tailwind on empty roads. We flew along at up to 47kmph with big grins on our faces, in a very happy place.



Ettrick Water, along the route of the Southern Upland Way.



Half-way home in record time



Getting pushed uphill by a strong tailwind is a fantastic feeling.



Bonny Roberton ahead, but with big black clouds lurking above - we arrived home just seconds before a short-lived blizzard began. We got back in just 2.5 hours - less than half what it had taken on the way out.



It was a cracking trip, 46km each way, so a perfect distance. Insiduiously uphill and into a headwind on the way out, we reaped the benefits with an easy ride home the next day. The boy started out tired and grumpy and came home grinning and saying how much he had enjoyed it. Result.

If anyone is thinking of giving this route a bash, then those of a campervan persuasion can find free designated campervan parking (yes, overnight!) in Hawick by the river. The town has lots of supermarkets for stocking up on supplies and also a Wetherspoon for cyclist-sized meals on the return.

I thought the Tushielaw Inn closed years ago, has it been sold and changed hands or is it still weird?

No, you are correct. Friends of ours bought it and let it out and now it is open again. Sadly it is closed on a Monday though, so we couldn't sample the all day breakfast on the way back.

Great thanks, I was only interested in it as a beer stop anyway

Is that the place that had a bad fire then discovered they were under insured so the locals rallied round and helped get the place back up and running again.

I think you might be thinking of the Gordon Arms no?

Borderer wrote:I think you might be thinking of the Gordon Arms no?

Oh yea, that's the place.

4/4 for me. Great night out with some clubmates.

4 out of 4 for me.
Friday morning i rode the loaded up single speed into work. I got away in the afternoon and headed out towards the Peak District, via a few easy going tracks and trails, with a trip through Roych Clough added in for spice. After passing the Ladybower reservoirs I headed up the West End valley and over the top to Ronksley Cabin, arriving just as the light was fading. 65km.
My first visit to this cabin, it's very small and basic but has a couple of chairs and benches and two tables. You could sleep maybe 3 in there. A lovely spot and feels very remote for the Peak.

(Not my picture). Saturday morning rode down to Hathersage and feeling lazy, had a bacon butty at the Pool Cafe and got the train home.

Bit of a cheat this one for April's bivvy a month, slept in bivvy but "fully catered" on Charlie the Bikemongers Dorset Gravel Dash 50/50 ride, great route and beautiful scenery. Goat stew and foraged mushrooms, scrumpy and good banter for tea, thoroughly recommend it.

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What the hell is the head on the BBQ from? I assume a cow but looks odd. It also looks strangely satisfied with itself.

Edit: second thoughts, maybe a pig.

OK for me and Wayne this is Bivi 4 of 12 X 2 .... we did a wee one night trip to Doethie Valley to a cracking spot i've used before and number 2 bivi was the stonking WRT 2017

The campsite



Top Secret Spot


Anyone care to guess where this is???


And finish with a little bit of WRT 2017

Not very good at these portable electric telephonic device things esp after WRT-worn fingers, but returned to Caersws just now to bivi somewhere before tomorrow's earlydoors train home. Picking up some potnoodle-style comestibles in Spar (of course), get chatting to a nice lady as you do, and now instead of bivvying next to the sewage works I'm now bivvied in her disused conservatory which must be one of the more eccentric BaM locations....

You're very good at this " chatting to these nice ladys " thing Reg

. I'd better point out there was no access to the house from the conservatory thingy, and there did seem to be a disproportionate number of locks and bars on the back door judging by the number of clicks, scrapes, clangs and rattles from behind it immediately after she closed it! Curry flavoured potnoodle since you ask :).

Anyone care to guess where this is???

At a guess, Lynne Brianne.
(and the last one is the ford at the end of the track that heads west from Bearbones Towers)

BAM04 - 4 out of 4 for me.

Having ridden straight through on the Braunton I still needed to get a bivi in for April. They say a change is as good as a rest so instead of the usual mountain bike I attached my luggage to my do it all super-commuter (manufacturer's description) for a mainly road based ride. I only had to make a small bracket to hold the straps at the fork crown and the rest fitted without any effort. Leaving home after dinner on Friday it was just getting dark. A quick 18 mile loop to end up only 3 miles from my house. I found a spot under some trees to get some shelter from the wind as I was on one of the highest points on the Island at a giddy 225m



An early start on Saturday morning and up before 6am for breakfast. I took a gas stove and had forgotten how load they are in comparison to 8g meths but the birds in the tree above me had been keeping me awake since about 5 so they'll just have to suffer the sound of me making porridge. Despite the early rise I still saw a dog walker nearby as I was packing up but they either didn't spot me or thought better of coming over for a chat. I headed off into the cold morning with my plan of riding far enough to clock up a century over the course of the trip, which would require another 82 miles today. Heading west to the far end of the Island I passed the start of the Isle of Wight Challenge, a running or walking event which involves a circumnavigation of the coast of the Isle of Wight which is just over 100km long. It looked like there were hundreds of them just starting which is a bit crowded for my liking. A quick google shows there were 1700 starters so way too crowded for me. I continued my own circumnavigation of the Island but on 2 wheels, stopping for a bacon bap and coffee and then continuing round. The chain ferry which runs between Cowes and East Cowes in not running at the moment so I had to cut inland to get across the river but I did get to go past the remains of the Ryde Queen at Island Harbour.



They have been trying to raise the funds to save her for some years but the local paper this week says she's likely to go to scrap, a sad end for a boat which such a history. More info here for anyone interested in that sort of thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_Ryde

I pushed on and after stopping quickly at the in-laws to fill up my bottles (not in the self supported spirit I know but needs must as the sun was shining and I refuse to pay for bottled water when it's 1000 litres for about £1 out of the tap) I headed onwards on my loop.



It wasn't all tarmac with the cross tyres allowing me to use the odd green land and bridleway when it meant sticking nearer to the coast or missing out busy sections of road. I headed up to the top of Culver for a lunch stop, which meant extra climbing but I was rewarded with a warm beef and veg pasty.



I might sleep under hedges but I eat my pasties with a knife and fork, I do have some standards Whilst riding during the morning it had occurred to me that I could push on and extend my planned ride to achieve a post bivi century. So re-fueled I carried onwards, cutting inland as I passed the point of my start that morning and finishing back at home after 103 miles for the day and 121 in total. For anyone who thinks the Isle of Wight is flat (which is most people I meet who've not ridden here) the total elevation gain for the ride was 8822 feet so not too bad either if not quite on Wales terms. Another square ticked off my list SZ5070.

Just realised I've not claimed April, I cycled part of the Capital trail from Edinburgh to Pebbles with an overnight stop just outside Melrose. Planning on a proper write up on my blog when I can find some spare time!

Also spent a lovely evening in Burly whag bothy with Gill at the start of the month

That's 4/4 for me and hoping to squeeze Mays in next weekend but it'll be on the road bike as the capital trail proved to be the end for my front wheel!

Blair512 wrote:Just realised I've not claimed April, I cycled part of the Capital trail from Edinburgh to Pebbles with an overnight stop just outside Melrose. Planning on a proper write up on my blog when I can find some spare time!

Also spent a lovely evening in Burly whag bothy with Gill at the start of the month

That's 4/4 for me and hoping to squeeze Mays in next weekend but it'll be on the road bike as the capital trail proved to be the end for my front wheel!

Look forward to reading about it.

Was through your way yesterday. Spent a couple of hours pedalling about Callender Trails. Do you ever bivvy up there? Seems like a few possibilities.

RIP wrote:Not very good at these portable electric telephonic device things esp after WRT-worn fingers, but returned to Caersws just now to bivi somewhere before tomorrow's earlydoors train home. Picking up some potnoodle-style comestibles in Spar (of course), get chatting to a nice lady as you do, and now instead of bivvying next to the sewage works I'm now bivvied in her disused conservatory which must be one of the more eccentric BUM locations....

Nice of you share your lusty capers with us.

Did quite well for April, along with the bivy on our Pennine Bridleway attempt we managed the last two nights of the month in the north of Scotland.

Saturday night was under tarp in the woods behind the split boulder at Lone on the track to Arkle.



We followed this up on Sunday night with a stay in Suileag bothy between Lochinver and Suilven.

4/4 at the WRT
One night at Nant Syddion, with this bunch of " 'Boners"

Thanks chaps, it was great to spend an evening with you.

And one night in my hammock in the Esgair Ychion forest, only a couple of miles short of Nant Rhys.

I don't care that it takes so long to set up, it's worth hammocking to get a comfortable nights sleep. Sure, I do have to keep shifting to get back on the neoair - I have to do that when sleeping on the ground, but without the aching bones. The side of the tarp is lifted up like that to give me room to sit and eat breakfast. It was pegged down low for sleeping under

May! Bring it on..

Alan63 wrote:

Blair512 wrote:Just realised I've not claimed April, I cycled part of the Capital trail from Edinburgh to Pebbles with an overnight stop just outside Melrose. Planning on a proper write up on my blog when I can find some spare time!

Also spent a lovely evening in Burly whag bothy with Gill at the start of the month

That's 4/4 for me and hoping to squeeze Mays in next weekend but it'll be on the road bike as the capital trail proved to be the end for my front wheel!

Look forward to reading about it.

Was through your way yesterday. Spent a couple of hours pedalling about Callender Trails. Do you ever bivvy up there? Seems like a few possibilities.

Spent a couple nights up there when I've been short on time Alan, I'm slowly learning my way about and finding some good riding locally so hopefully get a few more nights out there soon.

That's 5/5 for me as I got in early this month with a very late notice (please please please can you take the dog Saturday night ... thanks). I put in about 30km which included riding past what I suspect is the only lake in the Chilterns, before finding a pub which fed me a pork chop that was so delicious I am salivating now at the memory of it. Lacking imagination I camped in the same spot as last weekend, but used different trees for my hammock, which gave me a bit more room. I had a bit more time to experiment with my underquilt and seem to have cracked it - it has added another level of comfort to my hammock. Love it. I had to be home early to collect my boy from his mums to go to the London Motor Show which I will never ever do again (utter poor show. Some nice motors but £17 each and £9 for a burger and chips. Nope).

4/4 - nice place to wake up to... on the edge of a reservoir in Mid Wales*

Bivi spot... 4/4 by Norway Calling, on Flickr



* cant say where as its naughty to sleep next to some English town's water supply apparently