Bivvy a Month 2021

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psling
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by psling »

RIP wrote: Tue Nov 09, 2021 10:59 pm Have you kipped in the 'bothy'?

That's the first time I've seen a caramel slice taller than it is wide :-S
I have had the pleasure of a night in the bothy some years ago whilst backpacking. It is 'bijou'. Space for two at a squeeze, one over the other :grin: and quite a steep path down to it.

Hope the ride sorted you out V, that track up Grwynne Fawr is nice and bumpy on a rigid bike but the valley is lovely :-bd

EDIT: Just read V's link too. That's a recent visit, the writer may be surprised to learn that the bothy was refurbished and improved with the mezzanine floor a few years ago... before their visit to "the horrible bothy"!! :shock:
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
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ledburner
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by ledburner »

Verena wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 8:07 am
RIP wrote: Tue Nov 09, 2021 10:59 pm Have you kipped in the 'bothy'?

That's the first time I've seen a caramel slice taller than it is wide :-S
I know - it's basically a sweet brick.
I'll have no problems with that ,post me the cold coffee aswell ,just screw the lid on tight , :lol: Post it to me! paypal ready.
more appealing than the bothy, puss-head dossiers paradise. (ill leave that typo in). obviously too good for 2 wheeled tram(p)s.
the flip side of more access able bothies they gate more likely to get abuse :sad:
Last edited by ledburner on Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by redefined_cycles »

Blackhound wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:46 am Shaf - I am Kev C, thank you Stuart.

I wanted to add that this is year 10 of the challenge, so if you keep putting it off this is your chance -especially when you can kip in your garden for the first two months!

Stu - out of interest how many BAM patches have been claimed? I am interested in the number of different riders rather than one rider claiming for multi years. Not after an exact number as perhaps people have done it but not claimed a badge anyway.
BAM21, Issue 11, just in. Can't believe I've made it this far and only one more to go to have completed the 12 sittings. It's also one of the most unusual one's and I actually managed to bivy within the congestion zone or not very far from it. Satisfaction rating was right up there and I believe I'm now on 4 or 5 consecutive without actually deploying (BB200 as I did carry the tent) or carrying a bivy in case it rained.

The story starts when I got the message on one of the cycle clubs that another edition of the protest for the Uighers would be held outside the China embassy and consulate (in Manchester). I knew I needed to attend but moneys currently a bit, 'overspent' and work was almost coming in the way. Long day Friday, Saturday demo-day off and then Sunday back for another ling day.

The plight of the Uighers being too ciritical to ignore - forced sterilisations, organ harvesting, men being removed from the family homes and a soldier out in his place to live with the wife and children as the compulsory partner, concentration camps and the list goes horrifyingly on - I messaged some of the northerly cyclists who didn't really seem to respond or maybe they never got the memo. Not wanting to be the only one that turned up to the Manchester Chinese consulate on my own and then being raped and tortured by their secret police myself, I decided on London.

How could I get there and back on such a tight budget and between 2 work days that span almost 15 or 18hours depending on which mode of transport I used. Tickets bought and remembering I had my BAM of November to complete, that could be my refuge. Bag packed and slept (almost) on time on Friday night, I was woken by the alarm at 0335ish with a second alarm being the missus telling me I'd set it too early.

Considered her point for a split second and took her word for it. Despite knowing I was putting myself into bother, I reset it for 0350 and then by 0415 I was out the door. 15 minutes behind schedule and a commute bike that was fully laden... Oh deary dear...

Got to work almost in the nick of time and most of the commute had me thinking about how I'd get past my associate manager for storing it in the changing rooms. I had my story all set in my head and he'd be fine with it that I was gonna move it to the bike parking bays ASAP. But the security guard had other plans.

"Not going that way with a bike"... "We've got our orders and it's come from the very top", and so came my first altercation ever with any security or staff at this place. My supervisor was understanding and I got through the shift as well as apologise to the security-guy once I learnt he was just as rude and threatening to all staff and not just me. Work finished and the ticket I'd booked to Peterborough had been extended to Stevenage which would then leave me 35 miles to central London during which I'd complete my bivy and emerge a victor.

Train caught at 2230 and just before Stevenage as I prepared to alight, my body robbed me of all consciousness and I woke up to see some folks waiting with their bikes. Asked how long to Stevenage and realising i'd missed my stop, I was slightly gutted. How does one sleep secretly in a corner of the city that never sleeps. I decided I'd retrace my route to Stevenage and find a suitable spot 10 or 15 miles out.

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I headed out and within just a few miles I spotted somewhere that might work. Missus had joked earlier to 'watch out for the foxes' and so when I saw the fox on the cycle path I'd use for sleeping it did take the rats out of my head briefly. I'd spied an area of cyclepath that was in the making. Cordoned off at both ends and a mound of mud blocking me from the view of passengers alighting at the busstop just 40 metres away. I hoped it'd work and surely with it being a weekend in the morning I'd not encounter builders. After jumping the fence without catching my privates I set myself up and took some pics for the report.

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That mud could work, right.. and that fence is surely jumpable!

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This really doesn't feel a smart move at all but I'm too knackered to go digging further afield.

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Is that clouds or it it smog and how is it that there's stars visible just 4 miles from the centre!

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A solid 4 hours of snoozing later I woke to this. How pretty are them autumn leaves afterall and Alhamdulillah there's no builders coming and it's 0630. Plenty of time for prayers so i packed away with the plan to make ablution after. But no sooner had I packed away and I spotted a builders flatbed truck-van-thingy. Oh shucks, is yhis gonna be my second altercation with a person of authority and was I gonna be in alot of trouble. In an instant I had the bike flung over and I was navigating the fence with my privates wondering what was going on. Thankfully no damage done and I rode off quickly to a spot round the corner and in/on the park bench.
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As I made ablution and made my prayers then tidied up the gear with breakfast, the sun came up. With it, so did the digger which was filling in the mud that had given me cover earlier straight onto my bivy spot. The bivy spot being some sort of industrial plastice mesh and I was thankful that it wasn't a mud digger I'd been woken to. Would've been an interesting experience especially if it was someone rude and horrible...

BAM11 done and I just needed to wait for the demonstration. At the demo I shouted and made as much noise as I could to try and raise the awareness of the atrocities these people suffer. I was gonna finish the report, without this last sentence with 'and they all lived happily ever after'. But it hardly seems appropriate saw one child who looked just the same age as my AbdurRahman and I'm pretty certain he had some Uigher heritage. He looked really proud that there were people put there speaking out and he shouted the slogans (Laa ilaaha Illallah) louder.. Something that the few Uighers left in Turkmenistan dare not do even under their breaths...
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by RIP »

Well Shaf, that has got to be one of the most balls-out, if you'll forgive the expression, which isn't a comment on your sleeping arrangements, BaMs of 2021. A hell of a long day to start with, a missed stop, kipping inside the CZ (lots of extra points for that, Central London next?), nearly getting bulldozed awake.... etc etc.... Up at 0350, work, caught the train at 22.30, 15 mile ride... what on earth time did you get to the spot to crash out?? Excellent effort. Been some quite wacky ones this year I think.... Verena's A40 roundabout... I suppose even my graveyard toilet block.... what else have we had? Oh yes, Frog's disused chapel was good.

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Last edited by RIP on Sat Nov 13, 2021 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by redefined_cycles »

RIP wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 7:39 pm Well Shaf, that has got to be one of the most balls-out, if you'll forgive the expression, which isn't a comment on your sleeping arrangements, BaMs of 2021. A hell of a long day to start with, a missed stop, kipping inside the CZ (lots of extra points for that, Central London next?), nearly getting bulldozed awake.... etc etc.... Up at 0350, work, caught the train at 22.30, 15 mile ride... what on earth time did you get to the spot to crash out?? Excellent effort.

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It was supposed to be roughly 15 Reg as I thought by that point I would be at Epping or elsewhere else less dense Reg. But (goes to check Strava) by 5 miles I spotted that cycle path and thought I'd give it a shot. Yes, having the privates over that fence was rather scary, twice... Had I been half a foot shorter it's might have been another story with lots of laughter...

Slept by about 0200 (fall asleep quickly especially since I was tired) and awaoke by about 0620 :smile:

Just one more month to go and I might just have finally completed my first ever complete BAM challenge :o
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

Marvelous stuff Shaff, well done
It occurs to me that bivvying on the summit of Ben Macdui (alt 1300m) as a random example, is fairly straightforward, requiring only the right kit, and probably weather, and a modest amount of oomph to get up it. Whereas bivvying in the middle of London requires a whole load of challenges to be overcome, a whole load of circumstances to be right, and a great deal of nous to pull of. Chapeau buddy! If you fancy an easy one and can get a train north feel free to join the Scottish winter bivvy for December :-bd
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by RIP »

redefined_cycles wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 7:57 pm Just one more month to go and I might just have finally completed my first ever complete BAM challenge :o
Reckon you'd best get out there pronto on December 1st to forestall any potential shenanigans later in the month matey! You really don't want to be falling at the last fence after all your efforts so far.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by redefined_cycles »

fatbikephil wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 8:00 pm Marvelous stuff Shaff, well done
It occurs to me that bivvying on the summit of Ben Macdui (alt 1300m) as a random example, is fairly straightforward, requiring only the right kit, and probably weather, and a modest amount of oomph to get up it. Whereas bivvying in the middle of London requires a whole load of challenges to be overcome, a whole load of circumstances to be right, and a great deal of nous to pull of. Chapeau buddy! If you fancy an easy one and can get a train north feel free to join the Scottish winter bivvy for December :-bd
Thanks Phil... I did briefly look at that but reckon my 7 year old will be very unhappy with me for not taking him (I'm not allowed... missus-orders). Reg... yes, that's indeed good advice mate ta
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

November.
Well after all those expert bivvy shenanigans I did a dull conventional one. Hey ho.....
Off I went into the face of a surprisingly decent forecast (we keep getting hints of horrible late Autumn weather but then it fairs up again) doing my usual trick of making random turns onto random trails. Tracked East to the hills then north to the woods.....
Fine sunset! In November! and on a bivvy ride!
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I ruminated on a few spots but a cold nor'westerley was building so I headed deep into the trees for this one. It was a clear night with a near full moon so this was all good stuff. No church doorways, no urban sneakiness, just my usual....
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Insect interlude. I've had a few close encounters with ticks this year. Usually just as I've gotten set up and into the bag I look down to see one ambling across the mat, prompting much screaming and nabbing, before squashing it between fingernails. So tonight I looked up at the underside of the quilt (which I was under obviously) and spotted one of the little bleeders right above me. However on reaching for it it de-materialised, I kid you not! Can't recall ticks being able to do that so after a bit of searching I returned to my book. Then about an hour later there it is wandering across the screen of my phone as casual as you like. I was quicker this time and grabbed it. Except it wasn't a tick but one of those wee bugs that jump so fast they look like they have de-materialised :roll: It was ejected firmly but politely out of the bag.

As usual I had a very long sleep (powered by whisky) only waking up in the middle of the night as the wind was now strong. I was sheltered but it was a bit drafty. Thank god I got the extra long quilt as this enable me to retreat completely under it and zonk out once more. After my usual leisurely morning I set off in search of water. The map showed a cluster of springs in a field just by the woods so off I went, bottle in hand. Hmm there has been cows in here and no sign of any water whatsoever. Eventually I realised a large area of gorse covered the area of springs. A bit of nosing around lead me to a gap in the gorse liberally plastered in cow dung but with a dribble of water flowing through it. I pushed further in beyond where the cows had got to and I was able to fill my bottle from a crystal clear spring bubbling out of the ground.

So it was off up more hills and a new trail or two before a usual route home.
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Hoo rah, 11/12 (23/24) months done and looking like a possible doubler for December!
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by ScotRoutes »

November BAM in progress.

It's been a shitty couple of weeks (literally). Mrs S has been ill and I had to take her for an emergency admission to Raigmore Hospital in the early hours of Wednesday morning. We weren't sure if it was an infection or a bad reaction to her latest chemo. Either way, I've been trekking back and forward to Inverness daily. She is much improved and should be discharged tomorrow morning. I'm taking advantage of the lull in proceedings by getting out tonight. Not far from home, it's only 10km by bike, but it feels like a different world.

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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by ScotRoutes »

And home.

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I decided on the Scarp for a change, but also because I'd had it out earlier in the week setting up the winter/crossing poles and I haven't used it in almost a year. It's quite the different experience; for one, I'm a lot less organised with my kit as I have a whole tent to mess up rather than keeping things neat so they don't get misplaced or are exposed to bad weather :-)

I was woken just after 1:30 by the sound of something sizeable by the tent. I reckon it would have to have been a deer or a badger. Unfortunately, I'd only left one of the tent doors open so I couldn't see out the side that the disturbance was on. The sleeping bag/quilt combo seems to work better in the tent too. I guess it's just that there's more loft without the constraint/weight of a bivvy bag to contend with.

I had a very relaxed lie-in until 9:00, with coffee and a cereal bar, before packing and heading home.

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It was down to 1C overnight and the snow levels have dropped a bit. Here's hoping that's a bit more permanent than the last 4 attempts!

Edit: I'm also very impressed with the camera on my new phone.

That's 11/12 for the year and 60 consecutive.
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by Bearlegged »

"Are you sure you want to sleep outside? It's freezing!"

Honestly? I was in two minds. However, I had company tonight - a friend I'd not seen in a while until a chance meeting in a pub at the weekend. We ummed and ahhed about destinations, routes, and stoves. B brought a flat-pack wood burner, I brought gas. Between us, we'd have both convenience and something pretty to look at.
Up the big hill we bimbled, enjoying the quiet roads, dark skies and tales of touring.

Possible destination no. 1 came up trumps! Quiet, sheltered, a nice flat surface, seating, and a convenient supply of twigs. We started unpacking and laying out our beds. At this point, it became clear that B had forgotten their mat. Oops. At least B is relatively short, and we had a couple of sit-mats with us...
We fired up our stoves, I made a brew, and B broke out a couple of slabs of fruit cake. Beers were clinked, and a nearby owl had a good squawk.

The night's sleep was pretty uneventful, and definitely one of my better kips. We were up, breakfasted and away pretty early, enjoying the big hill in downwards mode along with the earlier commuters. I was back home less than 12 hours after I'd set out, but even just a short trip out like this really perked up my mood.

Image

2021 BAM 11/12
2021 total bivvies 14
Current streak (months) 36 (ETA: That's 3 years. :YMPARTY: )
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by ledburner »

:-bd
Bearlegged wrote: Wed Nov 24, 2021 11:48 am "Are you sure you want to sleep outside? It's freezing!"

Honestly? I was in two minds. However, I had company tonight - a friend I'd not seen in a while until a chance meeting in a pub at the weekend. We ummed and ahhed about destinations, routes, and stoves. B brought a flat-pack wood burner, I brought gas. Between us, we'd have both convenience and something pretty to look at.
Up the big hill we bimbled, enjoying the quiet roads, dark skies and tales of touring.

Possible destination no. 1 came up trumps! Quiet, sheltered, a nice flat surface, seating, and a convenient supply of twigs. We started unpacking and laying out our beds. At this point, it became clear that B had forgotten their mat. Oops. At least B is relatively short, and we had a couple of sit-mats with us...
We fired up our stoves, I made a brew, and B broke out a couple of slabs of fruit cake. Beers were clinked, and a nearby owl had a good squawk.

The night's sleep was pretty uneventful, and definitely one of my better kips. We were up, breakfasted and away pretty early, enjoying the big hill in downwards mode along with the earlier commuters. I was back home less than 12 hours after I'd set out, but even just a short trip out like this really perked up my mood.

Image

2021 BAM 11/12
2021 total bivvies 14
Current streak (months) 36 (ETA: That's 3 years. :YMPARTY: )
:-bd At least you had the proper mat.
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by Bearlegged »

I think if it had been me, I'd have ridden back home to pick it up!
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

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Time constraints meant another school night bivi. Getting off the sofa and heading out required a lot of will power, especially Jane as had come in at 7:30pm and said the car said the temp was 2 degrees then. I did wonder why I hadn't gone out 2 weeks ago when overnight temps were still in double digits, which Ralph had pointed out at the time :lol:

As it was local and no rain was forecast I took the minimum I could, bivi bag, mat, pillow and sleeping bag in the bar harness. Long sleeved base-layer top, down jacket, long johns, hat and down bootie/sock things in a rucksack. Other than the tooth brush and head torch that was about it.

I'd decided to head to the old chalk pit near Brading (is this a quarry Shaf/Reg?) which is a sort of nature reserve/amenity area now. I'd bivied here before in 2019 and that time I took the deschutes and used the grass area by the stage - think slightly raised flat area with grass. This time I headed off a small side track and got in amongst the trees as I new it would be warmer. From leaving home to being in my bag was less than an hour.

Woke up a few times in the night, at one point my shoulders were cold but the down jacket arranged over the top of me cured that. New bag kept me warm enough so that's a win as it's still small enough to fit in the smaller front bag. It did rain briefly at about 4am but not enough to be an issue and the tree protected me from all but a few drips. Up at 6am to head home, I was keen to get back for coffee but also because I'm working from home and couldn't be sure of my login to connect to the server and thought I might have to go to the office to look it up as I forgot to bring the bit of paper with it on home :roll: Luckily I remembered it correctly so didn't need to go out again. Dark when I arrived and dark when I left so not much of interest to see but obligatory pics as proof were taken.

Minimal kit taken

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I thought I'd moved all the stones I needed to (put them back in the morning) but must have missed one :roll: Wiggling about enabled me to avoid it.

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Ralph is now only 1 away from a full calendar year in one go (Jan to Dec) and on his 20th consecutive bivi.

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That's 11 for me this year, only 1 more to go. I think I'll see if I can get a better trip in and make more of an event of it.
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by ledburner »

sean_iow wrote: Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:18 pm Time constraints meant another school night bivi. Getting off the sofa and heading out required a lot of will power, especially Jane as had come in at 7:30pm and said the car said the temp was 2 degrees then. I did wonder why I hadn't gone out 2 weeks ago when overnight temps were still in double digits, which Ralph had pointed out at the time :lol:

As I think I'll see if I can get a better trip in and make more of an event of it.
Edit IF did one tonight? Would I get the pegs out? . Is a bivvy ith the shed allowed.Just thinking aloud/allowed?
Last edited by ledburner on Fri Nov 26, 2021 11:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by RIP »

ledburner wrote: Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:49 pm is a bivvy ith the shed allowed
IMHO - nah, unless it's someone else's. "Emergency C19 Rules" ("own garden allowed") were rescinded by Stu a while ago. Although with the new variant I wonder for how long... ho hum....
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by ledburner »

RIP wrote: Fri Nov 26, 2021 8:13 pm
ledburner wrote: Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:49 pm is a bivvy ith the shed allowed
IMHO - nah, unless it's someone else's. "Emergency C19 Rules" ("own garden allowed") were rescinded by Stu a while ago. Although with the new variant I wonder for how long... ho hum....
Its not my shed. The wife purr-chased it and its full of her gardening stuff. The cat squats in it and thinks she owns it. :wink: And she is her own mistress, no body owns her... that applies to both, all part of cat & spouse game.
it's also on a separate leasehold and no on our free hold

So that is enough proof it is not mine :grin:
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by RIP »

wife
Sounds strangely familiar that situation :smile: .

Still infringes the "not own garden" rule though :wink: .

If you're really desperate has your neighbour got a shed?

Welcome to use mine but it's 150 miles away.
Last edited by RIP on Sat Nov 27, 2021 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

Remember - its all about whether you feel you've done a de-facto, bonafide, genuine, pukka bivvy. Did you ride you bike into the unknown? (or known) did you brave adverse weather? (or was the weather nice) were there slugs or was it the cat that drooled on your face?
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by ledburner »

fatbikephil wrote: Fri Nov 26, 2021 11:35 pm Remember - its all about whether you feel you've done a de-facto, bonafide, genuine, pukka bivvy. Did you ride you bike into the unknown? (or known) did you brave adverse weather? (or was the weather nice) were there slugs or was it the cat that drooled on your face?
the cat will try to take my side of the bed.
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Last edited by ledburner on Fri Dec 03, 2021 2:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

All together now? Aaaahhhh!
Top cat
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by ledburner »

fatbikephil wrote: Sat Nov 27, 2021 12:25 am All together now? Aaaahhhh!
Top cat
and a bugger she brought in a Robin x( . Robin doing OK. it flew off later, but weather may ail it harshly.
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Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by Boab »

Have been on a real low since my BB200 experience last month. Little joy in many things, full on can't be arsed on most. I even considered letting my BaM run go I had so little motivation. I finally extracted some form of motivation yesterday evening and switch my wheels over, strapped the bags to the bike and headed off into the night. No idea where I was going, so ended up going in a big circle, before spearing off to a spot I'd been considering for a while. Started to relax more and more as the easy peddling went on, tent up, in and off to the land of nod. Disturbed a couple of times in the night by rain showers and mental hooting owls and what I thought was high winds, but turned out to be road noise from the A11.

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Up at 06:00 for a gentle pootle around some back roads before heading back of a meeting filled morning. Feeling much betterer after spending a night out. To the point where I'd almost forgotten punching a Chelsea Tractor that just had to get passed on the narrowest bit of road going, rather than waiting for another 10 seconds.

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2021 BaM: 11/11
Streak: 23
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/6324662599
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
frogatthefarriers
Posts: 777
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:31 pm
Location: Wrexham

Re: Bivvy a Month 2021

Post by frogatthefarriers »

BaM 11/12 for 2021. A local ride out to a place I'd spied a few years ago. I started out at 4 pm with 13 miles of lanes and 7 miles of canal towpath to Whixall Moss.
It was dark by the time I got to Ellesmere for chips, before joining the towpath heading South-ish. Pretty soon I was stopped by a fallen tree lying across the path. A quick lift over, but a sign of things to come. The next tree was mahoosive and I had to take my back pack off to wriggle through towing the bike.

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There followed multiple fallen trees to negotiate (at least eight) of varying difficulty, but eventually I found my intended bivvy spot. The last time I was here, there was just this...
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...which I'd thought would be a good spot for a bivvy. I was much surprised to find that it had been upgraded to this...
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...Photos from this morning after packing up.

The bivvy..
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I had intended to continue along the canal for breakfast at the Locks Cafe at Grindley Brook before laning it back home, but decided I had to return the way I'd come, to take some pictures of the fallen trees. They ranged in difficulty from this..
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...to this... :shock:
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This wasn't the worst of them, but a logging crew had already started to clear it with a digger and chainsaws and a lot of it had already gone. So, breakfast in a cafe before pedalling home the way I'd come.
Konia kują, żaba noge podstawia...
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