Bivvy a month 2018.

middleagedmadness · Post by **middleagedmadness** » Fri Oct 26, 2018 6:48 pm

Not quite Cannock mate it's just off Cannock wood gentleshaw common ,it's just a DD small ,bought it back for for Jenn ride but this is only the 2nd time I've used it cause they had forecast lashings and although I love my Bivi bag can't eat breakfast inside of it

ScotRoutes · Post by **ScotRoutes** » Fri Oct 26, 2018 11:27 pm

October BAM currently underway. Lieing here listening to the sound of snow on the tent.

Taylor · Post by **Taylor** » Sat Oct 27, 2018 10:52 am

ScotRoutes wrote:October BAM currently underway. Lieing here listening to the sound of snow on the tent.

Ruthven barracks?

How much snow is there?
Will be passing tonight.

Alan63 · Post by **Alan63** » Sat Oct 27, 2018 12:05 pm

ScotRoutes wrote:October BAM currently underway. Lieing here listening to the sound of snow on the tent.

Looks great. Always fancied a bivvy at the barracks. Is it floodlit through the night?

ScotRoutes · Post by **ScotRoutes** » Sat Oct 27, 2018 1:26 pm

A few more...

P1050312 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

P1050316 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

P1050323 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

P1050324 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

P1050327 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

P1050328 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

And from Loch Insh Boathouse

20181027_100349 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

Inspired choice of location, though finding a sheltered spot away from the floodlights was an issue. Our first choice turned out to be too small and draughty but setting up in the main part of the stable building gave us shelter from the piercing NW winds. The floodlight meant we didn't have to use torches, helping to make sure we didn't attract unwanted attention. Luckily, I'm a side-sleeper so I just rolled over so that the light didn't bother me. Woke up through the night to some proper snow (and lightning at one point) but the skies cleared overnight and wee were left with a heavy frost, and some very icy roads.

The floodlights went off just after 8 this morning.

With a bivvy bag, the main barracks would be fantastic. Lots of wee alcoves to shelter in. Just nowhere to peg into the ground for tent or tarp. A summer expedition is already being discussed.

whitestone · Post by **whitestone** » Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:38 am

With strong northerlies blowing we fussed over a suitable site for this month's bivy. We eventually settled on top of the local hill

We headed out on our fat bikes which gave Cath a chance to try her new tyres. It was about -3C when we set out but warmed up a bit through the night to around or just above freezing this morning. We used the same site, some old quarry workings, that we'd used on our Feb bivy as they are reasonably sheltered. We used the new Pole-a-Bear poles we got earlier in the week from Stu along with a carbon pole he'd made for me last year. What we didn't realise was that they came out about 150mm shorter than our normal reused old tent poles so the setup wasn't quite right.

In the morning a group of very chatty women fell runners went past but didn't see us either heading to the summit (we were only 100m away) or back down from it. Cath thought they were geese! Once packed it was over the top (cheeky bit of the Pennine Way) and back down to home.

That's 10/10 for the year and a run of 12 since last November.

psling · Post by **psling** » Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:31 am

In the morning a group of very chatty women fell runners went past but didn't see us either heading to the summit (we were only 100m away) or back down from it. Cath thought they were geese!

Makes me think of last weekend. I bivvied near the top of a hill between Talgarth and Brecon, about 50m from a very quiet, grass-up-the-middle lane that serves a few isolated cottages. Set up camp about 19.30, settled into bag about 21.00, star gazed 'til about 22.00 when I dropped off. Not a sole to be seen or heard all night.
02.43 (the time is still burnt on my retinas) I have to stand out for a pee - just as a taxi comes over the brow of the hill, lights blazing. Judging by the drop in revs he must have seen me standing amongst the bracken but is probably still wondering what he'd seen through the mizzle! Didn't hear anything else all night.

Ray Young · Post by **Ray Young** » Sun Oct 28, 2018 12:16 pm

Was supposed to get out today for this month's BAM but diarrhoea and a cold have put paid to that. Hopefully I'll manage something before the actual end of the month.

Pickers · Post by **Pickers** » Sun Oct 28, 2018 7:02 pm

I've managed to miss August and September BaMs, life and stuff not playing ball generally. BigDummySteve dropped me a text on Friday night and duly arrived on Saturday afternoon and brought the rain with him! Yay. We'd planned a couple of short local loops, but decided to try and escape the rain by heading westish. This worked, eventually. Parked up at Wyre Forest, loaded the bikes up and off into the woods for a quick ride. Life and stuff looking good!
There's loads of good riding matched with loads of prime bivvy spots in the Wyre. Such a prime spot was earmarked, the the spot marked and saved. We headed off in search of sustenance, the Button Oak Inn duly delivered.
Not just food and drink though, a chalk board advertised live music later in the evening! We laid a claim to join Reg's Gigpacking party. Sort of....
A nippy night followed, under a clear sky and a spectacularly bright moon. A brief bimble down into Bewdley for a decent brekkie (two cafes open at 8:00 on a Sunday!) and then back into the woods for a few more miles. The weather had picked up hugely from yesterday, sunny and a clear blue sky showed the forest and autumn colours at its very best. It was stunning.
8/10 here now.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/107347896 ... 598320301/ by Richard Picton - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Not a bad day!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/107347896 ... 657246597/ by Richard Picton - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Pub band.....

RIP · Post by **RIP** » Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:10 pm

That looked a very pleasant little caper there our Rich. You look good in that devil outfit too. Suits you. Ace that you managed to get out at last

. And yes that deffo counts as a valid Gigpacking entry!

BigdummySteve · Post by **BigdummySteve** » Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:49 pm

10/12....22 in a row now

very agreeable little bimble,

Carefully chosen bivvy site

fatbikephil · Post by **fatbikephil** » Mon Oct 29, 2018 3:51 pm

Bam 10/12.... Sun, great trails and fires (gasp!)
Seemed to have been on the back foot this month so ended up being a last minute affair yet again... Lobbing my motorcycle and injuring my thumb and knee in the process didn't help. In the end I managed to blag a Friday and Monday off so I could combine a bam with an already planned weekend trip to Lochgoilhead in Argyll. This trip involved 'conservation work' i.e. chopping down things and burning them, along with the consumption of a lot of beer. Wasn't sure how my thumb would hold out so instead of biking it all the way I went for a shorter route starting in Aberfoyle. Left the car at 11 and pedalled south west through the forest and then picked up NCN 7 to Balloch on Loch Lomond - all very pleasant forest tracks, back roads and one bit of cycleway

NCN follows a bit of disused railway (also the WHW) which includes this natty pipe bridge over what used to be a viaduct. I had some involvement in this scheme back in the '90's in my Sustrans Days. In the end Stirling Council built it but I recall meeting one of the Engineers to discuss the details. Her name was (I kid you not) Fay Fife, a joke lost on those who aren't fae Fife, or Reg.

From Balloch I headed north then west towards the grim abomination that is Faslane, then picked up a new trail on the 3 lochs way. This follows a track of varying standards just below the boundary fence of Britains very own world domination centre (big underground cavern, lots of railways, lots of people in matching uniforms and enough nukes to turn the whole of the UK into a radioactive puddle). Its quite at tough route in places with a fair bit of climbing.

Start of the 3 lochs way section, the Arrochar Alps in the background and faslane just out of shot to the left. To the right are lots of warning signs advising you not to touch anything...

Arrochar and Loch Long
Chips in Arrochar preceded a steady pedal round the peninsular between Loch Long and Loch Goil. This ends in a fine made path (with more climbing, lots of climbing) and then a plunge down to Lochgoilhead itself, 7 hours after I started.

Thereafter it was beers, chopping down and burning sitka spruce, more beer, more chopping and burning...

A proper fire. Over the last 20 years we've converted a section of rather stale mixed woodland (lots of Sitka when we started) into something more like what should be - Atlantic oak woodland with hazel, birch, beach and oak.

Finally the BAM bit!
There are actually two bothies near Lochgoilhead but both are close by and I fancied a decent bike ride so I pedalled into the fading light over the rest and be thankful (on a great track which has a large quarry in the middle of it = much scrambling and swearing to negotiate), did some footway bashing to miss out the A83 then picked up the Loch Lomond cycleway back down to Balloch. This is pretty good following long sections of the old road linked with bits of fairly remote cycleway. Chips in Balloch fuelled me back along my outward route into an increasingly cold evening. In the end I made back into QE Forest, only a few miles from the car before I found a space between the trees to bivvy. It crossed my mind to bottle out for a night in my own bed but that would have been the end of my campaign.... As it was I stuck with it and actually had a warm and pleasant night, moon and stars shining down through the trees into my abode. I reckon it hit about -3 or so as it was properly frosty and frozen this morning so I was glad that I'd packed my winter bag. Back to the car in no time and home for a large breakfast.

Another blurred bivvy shot, think I need a new camera....

RIP · Post by **RIP** » Mon Oct 29, 2018 7:53 pm

"Over the last 20 years we've converted a section of rather stale mixed woodland (lots of Sitka when we started) into something more like what should be - Atlantic oak woodland with hazel, birch, beach and oak" - nice one. Used to do a lot of that type of work and it's very satisfying isn't it? Hope nobody ends up thinking the giant fire patch was caused by bikepackers or we've blown the LNT campaign before we've started

.

"Her name was (I kid you not) Fay Fife, a joke lost on those who aren't fae Fife, or Reg." -

Scattamah · Post by **Scattamah** » Tue Oct 30, 2018 8:33 am

Brrrrr....that was a chilly night out! 10 from 10 in a new spot....found a bird hide down the lane from me. Big enough to possibly squeeze in 4...1 inside, 1 outside and 2 underneath. Bivvy bags only though. I got myself 'n Lois inside with a bit of effort. Time to get some hot coffee on and thaw out.

Greetz

S.

Bearbonesnorm · Post by **Bearbonesnorm** » Tue Oct 30, 2018 10:00 am

What we didn't realise was that they came out about 150mm shorter than our normal reused old tent poles

Do you want me to make you an additional section Bob?

whitestone · Post by **whitestone** » Tue Oct 30, 2018 10:10 am

Bearbonesnorm wrote:
What we didn't realise was that they came out about 150mm shorter than our normal reused old tent poles
Do you want me to make you an additional section Bob?

No, it's fine. We did a laying stuff out on the living room floor comparison and figured that using the Pole-a-Bear with a couple more sections than we had used at the front and my carbon pole at the back would work. We'd put them the other way round on the night as I'd thought that my carbon pole was as long as the old front pole when it wasn't.

frogatthefarriers · Post by **frogatthefarriers** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:02 pm

BAM 2018, 10/12.

This was a making-up-the-numbers bivvy, very local, less than a mile from home. Earlier this month I had a crash on my bike, broke a rib and cracked my pelvis. I've been laid up since, but pains have subsided to manageable levels, so rather than failing this years' BAM I trundled down the road to our village and spent the night in a large shed in the playing field. So:-
Going out at 9:30 pm

Note the crutch - I can't manage without it yet.
The Bivvy..

Luckily there was a table left for me to make tea and heat beans on, and an old tub for a seat, so no squatting down and straining my poor ol' bones. I heated some water for a (platypus) hot water bottle (I'm a martyr to cold feet). Luxury! the water was still warm in the morning, saving on fuel for my morning cuppa. I was toasty warm, though when I woke there was a hint of frost on the grass. Didn't sleep too well due to the noise from the factories on the industrial estate just across the field. Then the crows started cawing and dancing on the shed roof before daylight.

The village hall..

No breakfast to make/eat. I was back home for 07:30. Job Done

fatbikephil · Post by **fatbikephil** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:05 pm

Oochya, good effort there FATF

RIP · Post by **RIP** » Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:08 pm

Yep, top stuff. Kept the flag flying anyway. Guess the crutch would save taking a tarp pole anyroad....

summittoppler · Post by **summittoppler** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:11 pm

10/12
Well that was getting a bit twitchy! For the second month in a row I left it till the last night of the month.
I picked the Arenig Fawr bothy as I'd not been before and as the weather has been turning a bit I thought it'd be a good shout. A cosy night in what has to be one of the smallest MBA bothies, luckily I had it to myself.

No trick or treaters came knocking and the only book on the shelf was.....

20181031_145513 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Some more pics...

20181101_083909 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Why have hydrated meals?

20181031_171506 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20181031_174531 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20181101_075527 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

BigdummySteve · Post by **BigdummySteve** » Sat Nov 03, 2018 7:07 pm

11/12
Currently setup by a lake after a gentle 10 mile ride, the tent is a little crowded as my 9 year old son decided that it was about time we went on another trip

He even turned down an offer to shorten the ride insisting that we ride from home, got a big pot for hot chocolate later

Taylor · Post by **Taylor** » Sat Nov 03, 2018 7:29 pm

Last night was spent above pitlochry is a cracking bothy.

Maybe a couple of pics when I get to a proper confuser rather than an iPhone on the side of the motorway waiting for recovery.

summittoppler · Post by **summittoppler** » Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:28 pm

Here's my video from my Halloween bothy trip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_nqbPWiDqM

benconnolli · Post by **benconnolli** » Wed Nov 07, 2018 12:52 am

October effort
This was totally unplanned and unprepared and I thought I was going to end up missing out October altogether.

A chaos filled, but mainly irrelevant backstory lead me and my brother to miss the last bus and mode of transport from Sofia to our destination of Dimitrovgrad. It was only 2pm. We didn’t have much stuff to carry. It was about 50km. If only we had some bikes...

As with most bad ideas you end up doing, this started out as a joke and then we were like, you know what it is crazy but it just might work. So we set out looking for a rusty bike shop that would sell us a banger we could dump upon arrival for not too much, but ended up renting a bike for 24hours at 20lev (£8) We were off!

Rucksacks tucked in the handy baskets we rattled along out of town on our town bikes. Packing wise we only had the running clothes on our backs, litres of energy drink, two phones with no way to charge them, an alpkit headtorch with questionable local batteries, and 500 Bulgarian lev which would probably be no use in Serbia.

Google maps was clearly very out of date round these parts as the dirt road that street view promised us had two lanes of cars going each way at big speeds. We spotted a cobbled path 20m to the other side of the road so made our way over to it. These were in no way gravel bikes optimised for this terrain, but they sure as hell were adventure bikes as we rode West toward the growingly mountainous horizon.

Finally the speeding traffic was slowing down, the road split into many many lanes, we had made it to the border. Now to flash out passports, blast the final 5km and we would be basking in hapless glory at out hotel. It was not to be. Turns out this is no France to Italy and back of the TNR. This was a proper border with muscular men stoically holding guns as if they were guarding an entire country or something.

This day had started with only about an hour and a half sleep so as soon as we stopped and hit a comfy curb it was naptime. We took turns to keep one of our eyes open as the queue slowly depleted. Security forces in rural Bulgaria/Serbia have very little opportunity to chat to daft Englishmen so they weren’t very good at it. We didn’t stand a hope of explaining what we were up to but our British passports and constant grins in the face of scowling got us through eventually.

It may have not been a “full nights” rest, but I had as much shut eye as the day before and I feel the story had a right to be told so there it is.

We got the coach back the day after, paying almost as much as the bike to transport it and said our farewells to possibly the best distance to price city rental bike you will ever see

Ray Young · Post by **Ray Young** » Wed Nov 07, 2018 8:54 am

^^^

Bivvy a month 2018.

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