Bivvy a month for 2013

[Bearbonesnorm]

Is that a mytimug cookset/stove/windshield in field testing?

It is ... well spotted

[jameso]

Just finished eating a king's banquet after getting in from a late Feb bivi.. late, but quality ) a trip plan that I'd had in mind for a while, the weather looked ok and I had a catch-up bivi to do.
I rode the Ridgeway from the Chilterns end (starts about 4 miles from where I live) to the other end then started to ride back, wanted to see how far I'd get - made it to about 10-12 miles from Goring on the return leg before noodles and sleeping bag called.. A great ride, fitted in more than a week's worth of bike-time in one trip. And I remembered that nothing beats the feeling of the first early-morning miles after packing up your bivi kit onto the bike and rollin' out somewhere far from home.
More lame camera phone pics to follow.. and cheers for the pro-tarp pics from Chew and S8tannorm who I have been making notes and learning from. No matter how easy a tarp is in the garden (I used to sail so can tension and knot and all that) with a 100+mile hypoglycemic fuzz affecting my mind, it all seems to go a bit droopy in the field haha

[jameso]

1x6 with an oval ring and no guide - 34 front and 17-32 rear. Worked fine, seemed a good idea in the 'Mountain Mayhem' sticky clag sections. New Wildcat Tiger bag has done a couple of longer trips now, very pleased with it. Totally stable and very adaptable. Needs a bit of faff with the rear 3-way strap when the bag contents changes - no issue, part of a good feature, just something to get used to / faster at fiddling with. My morning porridge bag goes in first to pack out the bit that's always tricky to fill, helps the stability of the bag at the post strap area.

A pre-dawn brew, really needed coffee to get up this morning.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Some cracking stuff ... really looking forward to seeing what March turns up :)

[Blackhound]

I failed in February. Busy at home and a bit cold early in the month but a few things got in the way in the last week and I never got out. I had managed 14 consecutive months so will just start again. Good luck to the rest of you.

[Cheeky Monkey]

Finally off the blocks after a night with FF in the Lakes last weekend.

1 of 3.

[gairym]

Sorry to hear that Kevin but I'm sure that the many nights out in May will make up for it.

Also, nice work having made it to 14 months in a row up until now!

[Taylor]

3/3

See the FF/CM frozen arse hang.

[Blackhound]

Indeed gairy. Also Scotland and North America so this is likely to be a near record year.

[Mike]

Stipperstones in the shropshire hills, 1st bivvy of March done what a good one we had!!

Hux setting up his tarp

The final pitch after many variations on my behalf

finally i got the fire going - a warn night was had

[johnnystorm]

Tonight's the night. It's rained all day, the roads are flooded & it's started snowing. Yippee!

[gairym]

Sounds perfect - good luck!

[FLV]

Made it out. 3/3 so far.

Headed out packing as light as I though i could get away with. Under 6kg.

Headed from home in Glossop up the monks road, over lantern pike and over chinley churn.


Had a mechanical which saw me have to change the planned route.
Popped up onto the pennine Bway and then up to edale cross and down jacobs ladder.


As it pretty much rained all day I went to the pub before a climb up jaggers clough and a bivi whilst it had a good go at snowing.



Brekkie and a descent off win hill (with a good stack), then a muddy climb up whinstone lee tor, a spin round derwent / howden and a back bap at fairhomes.


Final off road over Lockerbrook / Hagg farm and a big old road haul up the snake and home for another brew. Hard work as the stack left me with a buggered rear wheel and about 4 working gears.

[Mike]

looked like a very wet n cold trip... but good effort for getting out, which dry bag are using up front??

[FLV]

looked like a very wet n cold trip... but good effort for getting out, which dry bag are using up front??

That one is a Sea to Summit, evac / event 8L.
Squeezed in my winter bag, undies and dry socks plus down booties that I stole from the missus last minute :D
I use that one in winter and a 5L alpkit one for summer stuff as my sleeping bag is much smaller.

[johnnystorm]

Sounds perfect - good luck!

I'm alive!

In retrospect a cracking night out, at the time...hmm. :?

Our plan was to leave at sunset and ride the 15 or so miles cross-country to Thetford Forest, do a lap of the trails and then pitch up. The rain, snow and road works led to some minor alterations but otherwise as planned!

1st up......
Bridleway crosses the A11 which is, as we speak, being upgraded to a dual carriageway. Who moved the Bridleway? Nothing a quick sprint across the quagmire that is a half made road can't sort...


After finding an "alternative" route we arrived in the Forest and set out to ride the Lime Burner trail (The old black route) this is knocked on the head after 4 miles as the rain and snow have turned the trail into one long puddle. We choose ourselves a spot in some densely packed trees. Amazing how much colder it is out in the snow covered "open"


It's so cold I throw the tarp up thinking that with the tree cover I won't really need it. In fact throughout the night the snow would repeatedly build up, then fall through in a big clump. Annoying enough it woke me up with a thud without it actually falling in my face!


I'd set my alarm for the next morning but it wasn't necessary, the howling huskies that arrived by the van load made sleep impossible! We brewed up, packed away and rode off into a winter wonderland.



Roll on April!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Anyone else still have to get their March trip in ?

I managed to miss the brief break in the weather, so now it'll have to be a snowy and cold one ... I'm sure this time last year I was riding in a T shirt

[gairym]

I've yet to do mine.

Have pencilled in this coming weekend but failing that I'll do a swift one next week sometime.

This time last year I was riding in shorts/t-shirt and now am wading through snow-drifts and still in full longs - bugger!

[ScotRoutes]

Anyone else still have to get their March trip in ?

Yep - me.

I was sure after the last one that it would be the 29er and the summer sleeping bag for March. It's looking like the fatbike and the winter bag again!!

[99percentchimp]

Still need to get mine in... winter bag, careful route choice and a lee spot to aim for! Might break out the MSR flame thrower for this one!
Tuesday night looking like the night for me http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/W ... /long.html

[adjustablewench]

Still have to do mine, this weekend would have been perfect if I weren't totally shattered from a silly busy week.

Argh was going to ask if anyones out this weekend - but wrong thread! Bed time me thinks will considrr tomorrow

[Zippy]

Crums, where has march gone

[adjustablewench]

Bivvying tonight but no bike - should be interesting

[adjustablewench]

Managed to get out last night and it was definitely worth it, no chance of riding. So took a walk out to where id done my feb bivi with chew - as I knew it was flat and clear under the snow.

Had a brilliant time - although walking through foot deep snow seems to have worked muscles I haven't usued for a while!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... d8f2c8f827

[ianfitz]

I'm still to get mine in this month. But I do have the next ten days off work.

After the XC skiing trip back from todays pub lunch at I'm wondering about heading out on to bleaklow for a two day trip on skis.

May chicken out and sleep in one of the cabins or a snow hole!