Bivvy a month 2020.

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sean_iow
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by sean_iow »

As we're allowed to go to the pub I assume we're allowed out now.... anyway I wasn't sleeping out I was looking for the comet and just brought my bivi bag to keep the wind off :wink: I'm not sure I saw the comet, I perhaps should have taken my binoculars :roll: but there were certainly plenty of stars to see. From Ventnor Down you can see both the eastern and western ends of the Island at the same time, well not the same time as you have to turn your head but you get the idea. One thing that is noticeable is the amount of light pollution.

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It was dark when I took this and it's massively over-exposed, I was experimenting with shutter times. It's looking north and that huge nuclear blast is the light from Portsmoth and the south coast which is just out of sight due to the shape of the ground. After a pleasant night only a few metres from the bridleway I was up early to make sure I was packed up before the first of the dog walkers made it up this far. Obligatory picture of my bivi as proof

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And of course not forgetting Ralph who is on his 4th month in a row

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Despite it being only 05:30 the sun was already up, another reason for me to get up as it was too bright to go back to sleep, so I decamped and moved to a better spot for breakfast.

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I had originally thought about biving here but the cow-pats looked a bit fresh and I didn't fancy getting woke up if the cows came by. It's also a bit more exposed to the wind than where I slept but the trig pillar gives just enough protection for the stove. The pillar has a plaque on it saying it's part of the gps network and damaging it is a criminal offence, I've never noticed that on any locally before. It's dated 1999 so I must have just not noticed.

Just down the hill from the spot is this

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Although lots of depressions this shape on the Island were chalk pits this one is an actual bomb crater from one of the raids on RAF Ventnor. I've often thought they'd be a good bivi spot and they are sheltered from the wind but they seem to have a higher density of nettle and thistle than the surrounding hills so have never bothered.

As it was still early I thought I'd better go the long way home so as not to get back too early and wake Jane up. This caught my eye as I rode past :smile:

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As I had time to spare I popped by my sunflowers to see how they were doing for the BB competition, I seem to have misunderstood the rules as I didn't realise it was height, I thought it was quantity :grin:

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That's me up to 5 months in a row this year and Ralph is on 4.
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by RIP »

:grin:
Charliecres wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2020 9:47 am It’s a small section of my patented cold-filtered artisan civet bean espresso beverage delivery system.

No, actually they are two windshields that can be used either one on top of the other (for dubious additional pot hugging benefits) or separately, so I can brew coffee and cook a fry-up at the same time.

They’re friends so I don’t like to separate them, even when I’m going on a trip where only one is needed.
:grin:
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Bearlegged
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Bearlegged »

Nice report, Sean, and very impressive sunflowers!
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sean_iow
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by sean_iow »

Landslide wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2020 4:33 pm Nice report, Sean, and very impressive sunflowers!
Thanks. I don't usually plan my local BAMs so on the ride I'll just randomly pass things and if I was with someone I'd point them out, perhaps that's why no one comes with me :roll: So instead I stop for a picture and bore you lot with unless facts :grin:
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fatbikephil
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by fatbikephil »

Given the focus on Perthshire with Robbies Perthshire grit route and now the perthshire gravel website and route, I figured a jaunt round this fine bit of Scotland was appropriate. I've not actually done a lot of riding in the hills north of Crieff and there were a few routes I fancied doing......

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The beast loaded (with a lot of food, I wasn't planning on spending any money. It weigh a flaming ton!)
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Big views (and sunshine! although the rain wasn't far away all day)
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The top of a very long climb into a blaster of a headwind
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The last trail of the day, a humongous climb followed by a (rare these days) nice rocky double track.
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The pitch - Dull Woods; a nice spot in the breeze but sheltered from the worst of the wind. As it happened the wind dropped and the midges appeared in force. I'd forgotten my smidge so thank **** for my nano mesh mozzy net thing
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Hello world. Isolation.
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This was an absolute gem of a trail - Glen Garr. I'd ridden it about 15 years ago but had no memory of this bit at all.
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Another nice double track - The Cat Road.

Did a lot of new routes and scoped out more for another trip. As this is all just up the road and not too much of a trek to ride to it from the house I need to go here more often. I Was finding the limits of single speed on this trip (trans. was finding the limits of my legs :lol: ) but I got there, albeit I am now pretty wrecked - yesterday was 80 miles and today was 70. I ate a lot of food....
ScotRoutes
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

That Glen Garr track is lovely. I've done it a couple of times and it's always been the last bit before finishing at Bankfoot. There's a lovely spot immediately before the descent proper that I've eyed up as a good bivvy spot.
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by fatbikephil »

ScotRoutes wrote: Sun Jul 19, 2020 10:19 pm That Glen Garr track is lovely. I've done it a couple of times and it's always been the last bit before finishing at Bankfoot. There's a lovely spot immediately before the descent proper that I've eyed up as a good bivvy spot.
Missed that although it was bracken central today....
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Bearlegged
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Bearlegged »

A rather enjoyable jaunt for July, with my fell running friend Mr S. He ran, I rode, and we met up at the chosen spot for the night. Dusk was drawing on, and the winged death were out and about. We did a little scouting round for somewhere a little breezier, but out of the cover of the woods there was little in the way of clear ground. We returned to whence we’d started, Mr S got out his midge net, and I slathered myself in Smidge. We then did our best to ignore the teeth, concentrating instead on beers, nuts and a slab of Gruyere.
We checked out the “how to spot Comet Neowise” guides (look east, hope for no light pollution, best time a little after 3.30am). We looked east, and noted that of all the directions available to us, this particular point of the compass was by far the most light-polluted. Ho hum. We also decided that we’d not be setting alarm clocks for quite that early.
A nice dram to round things off, and it was time to turn in. With a clear night in prospect, we’d opted for just bivvy bags, and we both nodded off for the usual series of almost satisfying naps beneath the stars.

There are benefits to series of almost satisfying naps, one of which being the likelihood of waking up at some point around 3.30am. Looking east to the glow of Sheffield, there was a distinctly large and visible comet:
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Well, there’s lovely now.

A few more dozes, and sunrise started to peek over the horizon. The view from our bivvy spot was a major factor in its choosing, and the hoped for cloud-free start didn’t disappoint:
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We packed up, getting away before the dog-walkers got going, and made our way over the moors via some paths of varying nadgeriness. I even managed to fit in a run down the red route at the local trail centre. A very enjoyable little trip.

2020 BAM 7/7
2020 total bivvies 8
Current streak (months) 20
Last edited by Bearlegged on Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
ericrobo
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ericrobo »

Set out local last night and got to where I tried to get to for June BAM ! (the short cut doesn't work)

Turton Heights at 1100 feet (329m), nice and windy which is good cos it stops the midge...
so didn't take midge net nor Smidge....

ImageUntitled by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

I took my Photon Laser 1 as it keeps the wind out...

ImageUntitled by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

Great views from up here, west is Winter Hill, east is towards Edgworth and Ramsbottom.

ImageTurton Heights by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

Winter Hill in the distance, trig point visible if you look closely.

Took a thermometer and it was 3 degrees in the night... I was fairly comfortable but a cold back in the night. I blame this Western Mountaineering sleeping bag, it was expensive and supposed to be good down to zero... maybe it's me :roll:

In the morning I got eaten by midges. Wind had dropped... I stuffed everything (including my Sandro bags) in my rucksac and fled !

Face all puffed out and one eye nearly shut due to bites...

Not fun, I should have known

Otherwise great fun :-bd
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JimmyG
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by JimmyG »

I left home on Monday afternoon, heading for the Lammermuir Hills to the southeast of Edinburgh. The weather was dry and breezy with sunny spells and was forecast to remain the same the following day. On a mix of and roads and off-road trails, I reached the base of the hills and commenced climbing up on to the moor on decent gravel tracks. There is a well-established network of such tracks across much of the area. Some are ancient trade routes but most are more modern, serving as access routes to the many dozens of wind turbines dotted across the landscape; and for grouse shooting parties to their shooting butts and lodges. A line of electricity pylons also stretches across the moor so, all in all, it’s definitely not the most pristine environment but nevertheless still worth a visit.

ImageUntitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I had no firm idea where I would camp for the night but knew I would have to descend into one of the valley bottoms to access water. At the 36-mile point I recognised one of the shooting lodges form a previous trip and reckoned there would be a suitable bivvy spot somewhere nearby. By now the wind had risen but I found a decent pitch near a small quarry that was reasonably sheltered. Not so much, though, that the midges were tempted to come out to play, I'm pleased to say!

ImageUntitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

ImageUntitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

After a good night’s sleep I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and watched as a heron patrolled majestically above the stream then two oystercatchers noisily chased each other up and down the valley. I couldn't delay the inevitable, however, and the homeward journey began with a hike a bike trudge up a steep, stony track until the gradient eased off enough for me to finally get in the saddle.

ImageUntitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

ImageUntitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Once I’d descended from the moor the remainder of the journey was completed via a mix of road and off-road stuff. I took a lengthy halt in the village of Gifford where I enjoyed a much needed coffee and double flapjack combo while sitting on a bench in the sun.

ImageUntitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

ImageUntitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr
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Borderer
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Borderer »

Looks like a grand trip Jimmy.

Joe and I went out overnight for the first time since Hogmanay. We did a loop south on the old Borders Railway as far as the border with England (yes Boris it is still there) at Kershopefoot. We then took Route 10 up and over to Kielder, from where we took the old Borders Counties railway home. 106 km in all but not too much climbing as we have both become very unfit during lockdown. We camped for the night just over the border - literally a metre in so that nobody could tell us to move on.

The midges were pretty fierce and killed a lot of the fun tbh. Roll on September when they all die off again.

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benconnolli
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by benconnolli »

Back on that fourth of July, when the pubs reopened, me and Jack decided restrictions had been eased enough that riding bikes together all day and sleeping in adjacent ditches would be as acceptable as it had ever been. We had months of catching up to do, and a long easy bike ride was just the way to do it.

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We set off from the sleepy streets of early morning Shrewsbury, but it was less than half an hour before we dived into a rabbit hole surrounded by wilderness where we remained for most of our journey. We were both on 90s mountain bikes. Jack on a Specilized Rockhopper that he had saved from becoming scrap metal, then built up for £50 and me on the Orange Clockwork that my Grandad had bought slightly too big for him, so passed onto my Dad for commuting duties, then onto me. Bikes overflowing with character to compensate for any competency that modern engineering could provide.

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After so clocking up so many solo hours it was so good to ride with another person. We were able to share those random musings about how long it can take to settle into a ride and the liberation of cycling without a bedtime. Inconvenient gates become amusing when you get to watch someone else struggle with their bike on one shoulder and the front wheel plotting mischief by threatening to swing into the way. That joke did get old in due time.

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Beyond being a fantastic riding partner, incredible friend, and all round top bloke, Jack has intricate knowledge of the Shropshire Hills. He could name each peak on the rotating horizon around our loop. This showed just how much of a who’s hill of Shropshire the route was. Consistently green, the landscape bubbled around us in lushous rolls and folds. These are the kind of hills who would tempt you in with a cuddle then squeeze all the air out of you.

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Being a natural introvert, the side to side, rather than face to face, conversations that stem from doing a low intensity activity such as cycling fit with me. The stark contrast from the starring of video calls, where silence could be either connection issues or worse social awkwardness. Freedom for emptiness takes the pressure off. This does not result in silence. Far from it. Stories flow, broken up as you dart down a teckie bit, only to be revisited on a hillside miles away. These pauses allow you to compose the conversation, almost an opportunity before the future to have those next day in the shower or lying in bed reruns, until it is satisfactory.

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We wore our anti-consumerism badges on our sleeves, claiming to be on the ideal adventure bikes and liberated from all that marketing nonsense. We felt phantom nostalgia to these 90s mountain bikes as the only bikes we had ridden in the 90s had stabilisers. Their short evolutionary path from road bikes meant that they jumped into action uphill, that is until my non-existent or Jacks small range gears ran out. They felt most defiant(ridiculous, but in a fun way) on the downhills as we carefully had to pick out lines in their aggressive head down bum up body position.

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One of the beauties of planning a multi day route close to home is discovering new tracks, and we found some absolute corkers. Grass path cut into the land by the hooves of hundreds of sheep before us, at that fantastic gradient where you can just about risk not touching the brakes. That was until the relentless rattling had the better of my seat pack strap. Thousands of miles of abrasion as well as saddle wagging and careless packing on commutes had had the better of it. It has served me excellently and I should note that I had ignored the manufacturers fitting instructions at my peril. Forever the resourceful bikepacker, I bodged a replacement out of the guy line for my tarp and we were back on our way.

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Between our cake filled brunch at Nipstone Rock, below the Stiperstones, and lunch in Bishops Castle was single-track so single that it had a place on top of the pops. Being distracted coming up with analogy took my eyes off the path and disaster struck. My front wheel slowly rolled up a rock, stopped, then rolled back and I fell off at negative speed. As I tried to put my foot down the true nature of the singleness hit me with a vengeance. The ground fell away into depths of bracken and my foot kept going into an unprompted cartwheel. Perfectly timed for Jack to snap me up with a massive grin on his face, and mine too in all fairness.

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Our trip was well punctuated with food stops. Ludlow came at dinner time. We guzzled massive portions of chips and were hit with that full belly glow of laziness. There is a time and a place for this glow, Sunday afternoon curled up on your sofa, we were at neither of those. A long queue in and out of Tescos for pudding and snacks allowed us to digest our way out of the food coma.

In attempts at making my bike more off road I had fitted the widest tyre possible. Turns out it was actually wider than possible. Considerately, it waited until the climb after a speedy descent to make its move. Bulged, then flopped right out, leaving me beached on my rim. This was a disaster waiting patiently to happen. It struck again on the bouncy grass descent from Titterstone Clee, but the bulging was gradual enough that I could safely slow down to see what was up. By some mystical magic the inner tube remained intact both times.

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Throwing caution to the strong winds I rolled away from my pit stop and popped off the first mound of earth, only for my bodged seat pack to slip and slam the handbrake on for a massive skid. Fortunately it was only my pride that took a beating as I wobbled to a stop. Threaded the string through some more loops until it was right tight and proceeded with my tail and seatpack between my legs.

Unfortunately, our hopes of camping right on the hilltop were shattered by the howling hoolie and hilly slope to lie on. We used this vantage point to scope out where would be a better place. For some reason both of us saw and ignored the massive barn clearly used for storing grain, therefore ideal shelter, and decided just off the path the other side of those trees would do. Our day felt complete as the sun faded away, grayscale but satisfying to us, having lived light to its fullest. A company of bats provided the evening entertainment, swooping and gliding feet away from our socially distant tarp set ups. Their species may have triggered all this muddle, but humans made it bad and can't do nearly as cool tricks.

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We both “remembered” what it was like to “sleep” outside. The wind through the trees was loud and disruptive. The ground was bumpy. It was not dark for long enough. Some time before six the gaps in our naps overlapped enough and we decided to call it a day. A symbol of our go slow and enjoy it attitudes was the meths stove and kit for proper coffee. Took several failures lighting to eventually erect a tyvek teepee windshield out of my groundsheet and stone stability circle to brew up. It is a well known fact that things taste better outdoors, this was exceptional.

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However, caffeine highs are not literal and we were still left with the problem of getting up a hill. As the gradient flicked up my thumbs would instinctively twitch to shift down a gear before I remembered that this bike didn’t have any. I was riding single speed. My options were; mash at an unsustainable effort exploding my lungs, carve wiggles to ease the gradient, grind a ridiculously low cadence which effectively reduced it to hundreds of mini hill starts and a battle to balance at low speed, or walk. All these methods were used to exhaustion on the 3800m of climbing.

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Nearing that tired point I would roar with frustration to kick some fire into the flagging legs as I grabbed the bike by the horns and wrestled it up. My lips morphed into the shapes of all the vowels as if I was warming up for public speaking, just with more of a gurn. Riding single speed with people who are geared can lead to an unbalance in pacing, but I always needed rest after these intense efforts which leveled us. This was a ride to enjoy being out rather than smash any speed records after all.

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The catchphrase of the, famous only to its niche, Rough Stuff Fellowship is "Never go for a walk without your bike" but the less iconic "Never go for a ride without your walk" is equally true of single speed or undergeared bikes. I enjoy the occasional hike-a-bike. Walking makes the ride feel wilder and justifiably difficult. In contradiction to that, the attitude of walking removes any notion of urgency so keeps everything more about the experience.

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One of the things I didn't realise how much I'd missed was the opportunity to be able to just talk rubbish. For me anyway, most of the virtual communication is much more to the point, discussing a specific subject matter. I think the face focus of video calls channel them to be direct. Equally the notification nature of electronic messaging systems makes talking nonsense feel like a waste of time. Lots of this was simply mindless chatter, and that is valid, but hidden away were sensitive tales that lack of self confidence suppresses the importance of. I am actively working on being more vocal about my emotions, and loving the journey. Every single time it has felt better. Never daft.

As we took a path from the final summit, the terrain cliff faced. Jack exclaimed "That's brave!" as I edged down these near vertical rocks at the bite point of my cantis somehow avoiding the ungracious leapfrog which would have resulted in an untimely greeting with the man on the bench at a corner who was completely unphased by the precarious situation.

It was early afternoon when we rolled back to Jack's. Going on trips like this is similar to blue sky thinking. You set out with little purpose but an open mind, then end up with answers you couldn't have imagined. I had set out to get my fix of the hills but gained so much in openness and human connection. It reinforced the messages I hear, then the masculinity in me tries to ignore. Talk about my feelings. Discuss mental health. Dismantle the stigma. Friends listen.



Photo Credits to Jack
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fatbikephil
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by fatbikephil »

:-bd
Good yarn as always Ben. Quality picture of you in the bracken :lol:
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

Live BAM in progr......



Actually, no it isn't. I was just strapping bags on the bike, after having prevaricated all day about a destination, when I got a call to say that my daughter had been thrown off a horse and hurt her back. She has been to the MIC and is currently in A&E in Inverness awaiting a scan. X-ray looks ok. Of course, we can't even get in to see her so we're now at home awaiting developments.
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sean_iow
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by sean_iow »

Sorry to hear that :sad:
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by fatbikephil »

At least she is in a hospital well used to dealing with numerous sports related injuries.... Hope all turns out well :-bd
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

We got her home at midnight. Broken coccyx. Painful but not, ultimately, that serious. Sleeping well today after the morphine-induced euphoria of last night :roll: :roll:

I have a couple of very local spots in mind for tonight. One high, one low. The determining factor will be wind/midge forecast.
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JimmyG
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by JimmyG »

Bad enough Colin but I'm glad to hear it wasn't worse. Have a good one tonight!
One day, you’ll wake up and there won't be any more time to do the thing you always wanted to do. Do it now. – Paolo Coelho
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

Hmm. Getting the bike ready earlier and the Mrs arrives back from an afternoon out. Her Mum has suddenly got poorly. An hour later, she's dead and I managed to get an emergency booking on the Ullapool ferry tomorrow.

Still hoping for a quick BAM tonight but thinking... Bad luck comes in threes?
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Boab »

First up, hope you daughter heals quickly Colin, sounds like she escaped serious injury. I have some unhappy memories of a trip to A&E at Raigmore, after breaking my leg skiing in Coire Cas.

I'd decided to head out for a bivvy on Wednesday night, but I had to ferry my wife around on Thursday early doors, so headed out Thursday night instead. Due to lots of faffing, I headed out over an hour later than planned.

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When I'd originally looked at the forecast, the night looked settled, but checking it before setting out, showed patchy rain. Undeterred, I decided to eschew the bird hides and art installations, and just use the bivvy bag. This has at least solidified in my mind the requirement to purchase a one person tent, at the earliest opportunity. Bugs scrabbling around on the Gore-Tex next to my ear, bugs landing on my face, water dropping off the tree I was sheltered under onto my face, the feeling of being confined and unable to escape, etc, etc.

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One positive, was that as I was late, I stopped earlier than planned, I wasn't going very fast, so I hadn't worked up a sweat either. This meant I could pack loads of kit into one of the dry bags and use it as a pillow. I slept better* than I have on the other bivvies, so I definitely need to take heed of the suggestions in the pillows thread.

After some adventure porridge and a coffee, I headed off into the wilds of Essex and Suffolk, before looping around back into Cambridgeshire many hours later. On the way, I checked out some potential future bivvy spots, like this spot, next to a bridleway near Little Yeldham.

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I took the opportunity to head for some, new to me, bridleways and byways. Some were lovely graded gravel, some double track farm roads, and some were overgrown monstrosities. The further South I headed, the wetter it became. So on the overgrown monstrosities, I got soaked. I really should buy some more Vaude bike gaiters and take them with me for this kind of eventuality.

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After passing close to Hedingham Castle, I turned and headed for Sudbury. Luckilly I didn't have to go into Sudbury, as I headed for a bridleway that runs roughly parallel to NCR13 (which is on an old railway line), before heading back towards Clare. there are only so many crossings over the River Stour, and I didn't fancy the ones near Sudbury or Long Melford.

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Once over the Stour, I headed for Maglia Rosso, again on new to me bridleways and byways. I really need to start making a note of potential bivvy spots, as there were many, like the one by that big tree in the distance.

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Loads of potential spots to the left of this bridleway, shame it's on some fancy estate. Given the attitude of a chap who shouted at me as I accidentally headed off towards a Private sign, rather than the adjacent bridleway a few minutes before this photo, I can't imagine they'd take kindly to people bivvying on their wider estate.

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After coffee, cake and the use of the facilities in Maglia Rosso, I headed for Phoenix Cycleworks and more coffee and cake. Some of the trails were new to me, some I'd ridden before, either many times, or just the once in the other direction. Some were superb, some less so, with one of those entertaining ones that just stops being a bridleway in the middle of nowhere and turns into a footpath; buggered if I was turning back though.

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The weather couldn't make up it's mind. Damp and dreary to start with, but warm at the same time. Then the sun would come out and it would be blistering, but really humid, as all the moisture was burning off. Soon I was taking a convoluted route back to the house, just so I could tick over 200 km for the trip.

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About 5 km from the house, I suddenly decided I wanted a beer. So rather than finishing at the house, I finished 150m earlier at the pub.

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I really enjoyed myself, although I spent most of the time trying to workout if I should double down on the gravel bike, or twist with a bikepacking specific bike. I also pondered my kit and the sheer bulk of it, I didn't feel like I took too much, yet I could hardly fit it all into the bags I have.

This trip also took a bit of a toll on the equipment, the bivvy bag Gore-Tex is delaminating and the seem tape has come away from one of the seems. I've also managed to wear a hole in the Restrap drybag that goes in the front harness; I'm assuming it was rubbing on the front tyre, not that I could hear that happening.

So I have lots to think about going forward, and there maybe a couple of posts in the next few days asking for opinions...

Fun breakdown: 60% type 1, 30% type 2, 10% type 3.
Strava: Distance: 201.52km; Moving time: 9:59:37; Elevation: 1,819m, plus more photos.
2020 BaM: 7/7



* that's not saying much though...
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

OK. Made it out. Only an hour from home but still worth it

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BAM by Colin Cadden - Flickr2BBcode
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

After some adventure porridge and a coffee,
And??
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by ScotRoutes »

ImageP1060620 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

ImageP1060623 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

BAM complete. I was beginning to think this one wasn't going to happen. Turned out to be a fine evening with just a wee overnight shower. There was a chilly wind when I woke up so I decided to pack quickly and head home. Just as I was finishing the packing, the sun broke through and it was suddenly a lot warmer, so I unpacked the stove and had a coffee while taking in the views.


ImageP1060630 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

I can't quite see home from here.


Had a bit of a shock putting the helmet on though (not the usual cold, damp one). I've been bitten/stung twice on the head and I actually had to loosen the adjustment in order to get it on without pressing down on the bitten/stung parts. Now on antihistamine cream and tablets to try to get the swelling down.

7/7 for 2020 and 44th consecutive month.
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sean_iow
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Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by sean_iow »

I think the getting stung counts as the 3rd bit of bad luck. Your weather looks better than I've had. I spent 6 hours yesterday riding in the 40 mph wind and rain, I kept telling myself it was good practice for the Cairngorms :wink: and then overnight it got worse, but I was tucked up indoors this weekend :smile:
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
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Boab
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Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land
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Re: Bivvy a month 2020.

Post by Boab »

ScotRoutes wrote: Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:44 am
After some adventure porridge and a coffee,
And??
I put too much ground cardamom in it, again, only as we'd run out of ground ginger. I've taken a bag of it on my last three non-emergency rule BaM's, and I generally hate porridge, so it's a 👍 from me.
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
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