Bivvy a month 2019

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Bearlegged
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by Bearlegged »

As we all know, having equipment you can rely on is very important when heading out for not the wilds. That's why I headed out for a first ride on a new wheelset (self-built, and set up tubeless that very afternoon (and which had deflated itself about 5 minutes before I left the house)), and my summer quilt (in the spirit of finding out how cold it needed to be before I dig out the warmer and bulkier sleeping bag).

Things started well, when I discovered nice beers reduced to clear at the local bottle shop, and this rich vein of form continued with wheels remaining true and inflated, and my bivvy spot being flat and sheltered. I'm even getting a bit better at pitching my tarp...

Things then steadily took a turn for the worse, as it became increasingly clear that my threshold for a light summer quilt had been well and truly passed. Cue a certain degree of running around at 2am to warm up and find any remaining clothing I could throw on. All somewhat offset by the clear skies giving me a lovely view of the stars.

Having reached the morning without turning into an ice cube, normal service was resumed, with a pot of porridge and a cup of coffee.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PL98LljKp/

Google reckoned the direct route would mean I'd get to the bakery 10 minutes before it opened, so I took the messing about in the woods route instead, and got there 10 minutes after. Turning up back home with a range of fresh pastries always keeps the family happy when I've deserted them for the night! :grin:

2019 BAM 10/10
2019 total bivvies 12
Current streak (months) 11
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BigdummySteve
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by BigdummySteve »

10/10 34 in a row :-bd

34 mile/ 4200 ft bimble over Long mynd and stiperstones in the rain. At the start of a detour down a muddy byway I asked myself ‘how bad can it be/ how much grip do mezcal’s have in deep mud. The answers turn out to be very and very little :lol:
Apart from the lethally slippery rocks up stiperstones the other obstacle to forwards progress were the huge numbers of hikers doing the long mynd walk, 54 miles of very up and downy trudging, they kept passing our bivy spot all night, surprisingly jolly in the pouring rain.
Fish and chips in Church Stretton then several pints of sports hydration butty with Scott in the ragleth, slightly over hydrated we couldn’t be arsed to climb the mynd so bivvied lower down, damp night followed by breakfast in church Stretton :-bd
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crewlie
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by crewlie »

Another last minute September entry. I'd like to claim that I followed Reg's advice above and left it until the last day to make the challenge more interesting, but it's really just down to procrastination and bad planning.
Anyway a quick trip up into the forestry to a little spot I've used before. A pretty wet and windy night not helped by the stitching on one of the corner ties failing which led to me being woken up by being slapped around the face by a soggy tent wall. Better I suppose on a short, close to home trip than something further away.
Otherwise an uneventful night and the tent's now repaired ready for October.
9/9
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sean_iow
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by sean_iow »

crewlie wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 4:16 pm A pretty wet and windy night not helped by the stitching on one of the corner ties failing which led to me being woken up by being slapped around the face by a soggy tent wall.
By coincidence I had a marketing email for these today


https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk ... clips-p447

As well as adding extra guys they can be used to replace a missing/damaged guy. I'm quite tempted to get some for longer trips as the weight penalty is small.
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by RIP »

Yeah they're good those. Bought a few for adding extra "mid" ties on a DD Superlight tarp that I bought ages ago. You'd think they'd scrunch up the material but didn't seem to noticeably.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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sean_iow
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by sean_iow »

RIP wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:29 pm Yeah they're good those. Bought a few for adding extra "mid" ties on a DD Superlight tarp that I bought ages ago. You'd think they'd scrunch up the material but didn't seem to noticeably.
With a recommendation like that I'll order some next week. I'll wait until after the BB300 in case I go off cycling :lol:
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by RIP »

Only thing is it took me a while to suss out how to install them 'cos I'm a bit fick like that sometimes/oftentimes :smile: . Man of your fabricating abilities will have them down in 2 seconds though :-bd .
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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sean_iow
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by sean_iow »

RIP wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:59 pm Only thing is it took me a while to suss out how to install them 'cos I'm a bit fick like that sometimes/oftentimes :smile: . Man of your fabricating abilities will have them down in 2 seconds though :-bd .
There was a video of how it's done linked from the email I had which showed how to put them on :smile:
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psling
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by psling »

They're certainly tidier than scrunching a small stone into the tarp and wrapping a line around it :-bd
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javatime
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by javatime »

October done 9/9 - I started in February
Patchway train on Friday lunchtime. Bikes on trains ?? …I thought I had it dialled by now as the 12.38 is usually a small thing, 3 carriages and with no booking and Patchway is a very quiet station (no competition !). So I got a bit confused when a HST rolled in (cycle reservations mandatory?) but luckily no problems, helpful staff and a whole 6 bike cycle compartment (empty)

Pie and a pint and a mug of tea in the Butchers Arms, Yatton, catching up with a chum, then onto the Strawberry Line to Churchill. Fire roads up through Rowberrow into the Mendip clouds and then joined the Wessex Way MTB route at Black Down. At some point the sand turned into deep peat, I was off, then down a byeway/river until joining the roads into Priddy. Found a nice spot just beyond with a water trough where you could fill straight from the ball valve !

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Followed the droves, then down towards Wells, where the descent of New Cut was sporting on the Escapade.

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Very pleased to find the street market in Wells city square (also where Hot Fuzz was filmed). Good coffee, savouries and those Portuguese custard tarts. Also found a coin operated milk machine in Horrington.

I took a route from the excellent cycle.travel website from Wells to Bath, all a bit unknown but quiet and picked up bits of Sustrans Routes around Radstock / Wellow to the 2 Tunnels and Bristol / Bath Path (it was the 40th Anniversary of the B-B Path with free beer on the Bitton station platform), so almost traffic free all the way home to Bristol.

Cycled back to my front door (if not from it )
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by RIP »

'free beer' - one of the more successful Oct BaM's :-bd
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
ScotRoutes
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by ScotRoutes »

October

metalhearts 12-in-a-row so he chose timing and venue (just getting that in early).

Pizza at the Woodshed then up to Bynack Stable (long since gone) for a spot he'shad his eye on for a while. Lovely ride up, clouds flitting across the almost-full moon. Loads of space for pitching tents. It got pretty cold though so we soon retired to sleep. I started with both side of the tent open but had to close first one, then the other as the moon was just so bloody bright. Overnight condensation chilled onto the tents and bike. I had a relaxed cup of coffee in my tent after heating the meths up in my armpits (still in it's bottle ya eeejit). Very cold packing up with frozen fingers trying to pack the tent away. Rode back to Aviemore for breakfast and my fingers had just warmed up by the time we stopped.


ImageDSC_0761 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

ImageP1060116 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

ImageP1060121 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

ImageDSC_0763 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

ImageP1060122 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

ImageP1060123 by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

10/10 for 2019. 35 consecutive months. 60/70.
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metalheart
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by metalheart »

As per^

10/10, 12 in a row.

My foot has been acting up (tendonitis or something). It's limited me the last couple months so with my 12th consecutive BaM we were supposed to do the Loch Ness 360. But, my foot...

So Aviemore depart to Bynack Stables it was with food (and a couple beers) at the Woodshed.
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People just plain lied to me and it being 16 deg C in Dingwall early afternoon I thought it was the end of summer... Oh boy.

The moon was sooo bright and it was clear and it got really cold. My sleeping bag says comfort at 5, the lunar solo was iced in the am. Fortunately I had had the sense to chuck in my R1 hoodie so I didn't freeze to death.
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But i was sporting my summer gloves... By the time we hit Aviemore I thought somebody must have borrowed my hands and bad used them before giving them back. I was ready to start screaming when we stopped, and one the pain subsided a bit I had to sit down or else I was going to be sick...

Breakfast at the highland line was decent enough though.

Thanks to Colin who has encouraged, cajoled and accompanied me on 3/4ers of these 12. Its appreciated.
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by RIP »

'Live BaM'....

Got off train at Cromford...

First choice.. graveyard.... security lighting!

Next.. riverside picnic site... too slopey...

Of course! How could we forget the old faithful... yes.... toilet block!! Sorted. Full moon too. Owls. Spooky.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
redefined_cycles
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by redefined_cycles »

Put me down for BAM October please Zippy... Actually managed to do 2 this month but I suppose its the Bearbones200 that should count... Slept under a Caterpillar from 0200 til about 0500... No mat so it was interesting trying to not get cold :-bd

The other BAM which I should mention was enroute to Bristol (didn't manage to make it) and slept under 2 trees 7 miles apart... Main highlight of that ride was the tiny slug trying to kiss me early hours (0400) of the morn :o
ScotRoutes
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by ScotRoutes »

redefined_cycles wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:33 am
The other BAM which I should mention was enroute to Bristol (didn't manage to make it) and slept under 2 trees 7 miles apart
That's some size of hammock you have.
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by RIP »

:lol:
Last edited by RIP on Mon Oct 14, 2019 5:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by redefined_cycles »

ScotRoutes wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:02 am
redefined_cycles wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:33 am
The other BAM which I should mention was enroute to Bristol (didn't manage to make it) and slept under 2 trees 7 miles apart
That's some size of hammock you have.
:lol: now i should elaborate... so, it was on last weekend and i departed at 1400 on Saturday. ... The sleep monsters hit me at midnight so, waterproofs on (it'd been raining since 1900ish), I took shelter here (wasn't very sheltered)...

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It was somewhat a tight squeeze but I was that naffed I didn't even need to pull out my bivy to get some zzz... managed 1.5H and I waa off. Wondering to myself whether I'd fulfilled the BAM criteria.

Didn't need to think for long cos after 7 miserably wet miles I started snoozing into the verge again so chose this here lovely motel...

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Lets call it Hotel Ditchia. This pic taken after my snooze of 2 hours inside my bivvy bag. Criteria fulfilled completely and rejuvenated and raring to go, I packed my bag (which wasn't hard) and now my appointment with misery started.

I only needed to get through the next few hours (it was 4am) but a message from the missus,

'I think you're daft to do this',

and another from my mate, with this screenshot and the message,

'go that way so I can pick you up'Image

meant a scratch was imminent. He was also heading to Bristol and at about 0730 he kindly picked me up from Nuneaton :-bd

It was a wet and miserable ride so a perfect 'last ride' before this weekends conundrum (not sure if I used that word correct... but who cares) and paved the way nicely...

:-bd
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RIP
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by RIP »

Couple of days on the High Peak and Monsal Trails.

As explained earlier, the graveyard in Cromford was rejected in favour of the riverside picnic spot….

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.. which was rejected in favour of the toilet block “lawn” behind the atmospheric terminus of the Cromford Canal…

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After a 4degreesC night of owls, condensation, but no slugs for a change; and some nicely relaxed morning ablutions in the warm toilet block; I met my pals at a place they called an “hotel” I think it was although I’m entirely unfamiliar with the term. As we were getting the bikes ready a very nice lady appeared and we chatted about our planned trip to Buxton and back. She explained she’d come to lead a ballet class in one of the hotel rooms. I instantly suggested we swapped – her ladies could borrow our bikes and do the trip and we’d come and do the ballet class. Surprisingly she was very keen on the idea, saying that “we need lots more men so you’d be very welcome indeed”. Arg! This was starting to become all very “Castle Anthrax” (Monty Python & The Holy Grail, remember?), and I wasn’t sure if our padded bike shorts were permissible ballet-wear, so we pedalled quickly away up the Sheep Pasture Incline on the High Peak Trail. I'd managed to cram everything into just my seatpack since there was no need to carry food, and we just wore all our rain-gear. The route is a little tame by my BaM standards but the whole point was a sociable wobble with some good pals, cafes/pubs/banter taking precedence over the biking. Plenty of sculptures and whatnot dotted along the trail, just after which I managed the Middleton Incline without stopping which mildly pleased me….

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The line was built in the 1830’s to join the Cromford and Peak Forest canals, only a few years after Stephenson’s “Rocket” reached the unheard of speed of 30mph. Unfortunately the designers hadn’t quite twigged how railways work and each end featured massive rope-worked inclines. Still, the top bit was flat and included some impressive earthworks and embankments….

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Very gloopy on the Pennine Bridleway down into Taddington…

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I’ve not been into the Monsal Dale station café before, very nice tea and cake it was…

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Followed by the insanely scenic Chee Dale section of the Monsal Trail, but instead of some scenery here’s the Chee Tor tunnels….

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By this time it was raining quite heavily and we headed into Buxton for the night. I’d already started scoping for my “spot” and found an interesting looking derelict house which could be “entered” without any associated “breaking”. In town we took the opportunity to top up with gen-yew-ine Buxton Spring water – for free instead of two quid a bottle in the supermarket. A lady who was filling up a million bottles told us the bottled stuff is now actually Ashbourne water!! So the warm spring outlet in Buxton is now the only kosher Buxton water – or maybe Ashbourne Water is now Buxton Water? All very confusing.

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After a pleasant Thai meal and a drink in the trendy “Bank” joint next door, they sloped off to their beds, and I retraced my steps to my own “bed”, pleased that it was actually indoors as the rain was setting in again… got a snap next morning while waiting for the lads to catch me up on the way back to the Monsal Trail….

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More lovely limestone gorge scenery….

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Then up into Sheldon, after which we passed the partially restored Magpie Mine, last open for lead mining as late as 1958 but now maintained by the Peak District Mines Historical Society….

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Bit of lunch in the café at Monyash and back along the High Peak Trail to Middleton incline with its preserved winding engine and other bits of railwayana. Quite fun screaming down the incline with red hot brake pads.

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We viewed the mill workers cottages built in Cromford by Arkwright in the 18th century. A very enlightened chap for those days, the workers were provided with schools, shops and even a pub. The cottages themselves had small top-floor rooms which workers could use in their “spare time” for more weaving – maybe not so enlightened then :wink: . Still, it was the Bell pub that interested us, and we were happy to continue the tradition of drinking ale instead of water to avoid lead poisoning from the lead mines. Curiously the public bar was posher than the lounge bar so obviously we retired to the latter and sampled the wares on offer…..

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I’m not entirely convinced the Derbyshire spelling is “Ay Up”, but the landlord reckoned “Ey Up” was the Yorkshire version and not to be countenanced in any circumstances. Derby Rams such as myself will note the “Mi Duck” perched next to the handpump….

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A bit of dinner was enjoyed at the Boat Inn, although I almost needed to call the Pickers Pudding Advisory Hotline because the pud menu was most confusing. Apparently we could have “flavoured” ice creams in their “standalone mode”, but only vanilla ice cream was permissible if ordered as part of a pudding. So my admirable chunk of STP duly arrived with its partner of VIC instead of the toffee flavour I was hoping for. Are they operating under some strange interpretation of Pudding Guidelines here Rich or is it actually allowed under the General Rules?

Dinner was followed by a leisurely stroll round the village, including paying homage to Scarthin Books, one of the top book shops in the world, where I’ve spent many a happy hour. Note the steps to the right of the shop – anyone else a connoisseur of “secret stairways”? These look particularly fine – probably a portal to a different universe or something….

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Back to their boring rooms for my mates, and a soggy scout round for a bivi spot for me. I soon hit upon the kids playground nearby – they always seem to have nice flat spots under the climbing frames. “Me? The 13th Duke of
Perrin? Erecting my pole? In a childrens playground? At midnight? With my reputation? Whatever were they thinking of?”

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I took the precaution of configuring my tarp in a “low profile” mode and adding a shower curtain, which made the 4am downpour almost pleasant. So not much to write home about as far as the technical biking went but a thoroughly pleasant way of spending a wet couple of days in October.

The only casualty is my irreplaceable Rab Demand smock which now seems to be showing its age :sad: . Cue yet another search for "best wind/waterproof" around here. Sigh.

‘Reg’

10/10, 10/12, 45/45
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Wotsits
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by Wotsits »

10/10 BB200, 3hrs in the Bikepackers Hilton at the bottom of the climb up to CyB..
Clean, a lock on the door & working hand-drier, but the deal breaker was the pir sensor outside the cubicle :-bd
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Escape Goat
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by Escape Goat »

10 / 10 Also for me in Gregs hut with Sam last night.

ImageIMG_20191019_171234_613 by Escape Goat, on Flickr

ImageIMG_20191019_165314_764 by Escape Goat, on Flickr

ImageIMG_20191019_161909 by Escape Goat, on Flickr

ImageIMG_20191019_105515 by Escape Goat, on Flickr

ImageIMG_20191019_165423_387 by Escape Goat, on Flickr
gallowayboy
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by gallowayboy »

10/10 with a "high altitude" Calderdale bivvy - 443m High Brown Knoll trig point. Its a grind up past (reluctantly) the Hare and Hounds, across the Calderdale Way, and ultimately through the wet peat of Midgely Moor. Another blurry dark photo of wet brown grass, a bike and a tent AND a trig point!:
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The thin air must have affected my cognitive processes - a ghost swanee whistle was sounding some way away, and I swear I heard a steam train chuffing down the valley....
Woke to a cold northish wind,
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Another attempt at an atmospheric BAM photo and a hoon down hill to sunday at work...
Edit - why is the first photo so bloody big!
Last edited by gallowayboy on Mon Oct 21, 2019 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TrepidExplorer
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by TrepidExplorer »

To be different

I could claim BB200 but instead, I'm claiming this weekend for my October BAM. An excuse to camp under Derwent Dam in full flow? :mrgreen: Please...
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Tent within a tent.

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On the buses and giving a day. Is Yellow my colour?

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whitestone
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by whitestone »

gallowayboy wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:06 am Edit - why is the first photo so bloody big!
Is that straight from a phone? If so you probably need to resize it first before pushing to imgur rather than rely on the forum to do it for you.

Resizing does two things: reduce the display size from whatever down to something sensible like 800x600 pixels; reduce the filesize down to maybe 250kb rather than 10Mb or 20Mb. In the latter case it means that people aren't downloading all that data just to see a shot which means the thread loads quicker - imagine if every shot was 10Mb.

I've checked the image, it's 3120x4160 pixels in size and has a filesize of 2.5Mb.
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gallowayboy
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Re: Bivvy a month 2019

Post by gallowayboy »

Is that straight from a phone? If so you probably need to resize it first before pushing to imgur rather than rely on the forum to do it for you.
Yup, made an assumption that somehow files were resized automatically (i'm a bit naive on media stuff!)
Makes sense - I'll start resizing photofiles before moving them in future.
Ta!
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