Bivvy a month 2023.

[redefined_cycles]

Reg, Reg Sir (only referencing your good self as you're the BAM stats keeper it seems this year).

I think I need to go yo the doctors to get a Ramadhan Note

Wnded up not doing it with bad time management and then fasting set in. Then the clocks changed and even though I spied a beautiful little bus shelter bothy yesterday, it's 18 miles away and the nights are short with too much other stuff to do

I did think I'd just tap out already but then realised it's bivy a month and not, BEM (Bivy Every Month)

I'm still in though, but I guess just won't be able to earn my badge this year Here's to 60 consecutive BAMS to take the title from one of you lot

I'm just the stats keeper I think (jobshare with Phil ), not the Rule Book manager .

But it's a harsh world Shaf, you've cocked up mate . Still got four days to go though, and there's no Rule about having to eat owt out (*) there....

(*) eat owt to help out? eat out to help owt? I'm confused now.

You're a hard stats man to keep entertained Reg

Oh my days...

[RIP]

So while we're checking the stats, we usually get quite a high drop-out rate in February but this year is not bad at all.

Unless I've missed a post, the only contestants not checked in for February are Javatime, Jose, Kumquat, and Zippy I think. I believe Pip's in?

I don't think there's a Rule about when write-ups should be posted by, but lumping the whole lot into one big December post is probably not quite in the spirit . Oh, Rule 6 says one post per month, although it also says you don't have to post at all if you don't want to but that's only going to confuse the stats keepers even more than they already are .

[sean_iow]

Oh, Rule 6 says one post per month...

This was your 26th post in this thread in March, so far

[RIP]

Guilty as charged Sir. I've used up my whole year's ration there and more. Ah well! .

[Lazarus]

When it turns winter I find it harder to keep going hence doing this as a goal to get me out in Oct Nov and Dec.
Been rather efficient after two last day of the month BAMs ( even done two this month )

[RIP]

Yep a couple of good cliff-hangers there Laz . Agreed, the "discipline" of BaM is meant to give us that push to get out no matter (almost) what else is going on.

[redefined_cycles]

Yes. Discipline to kerp riding. I need some o that. Uncle Reg, I'm gonna do it Watch this space...

[RIP]

[ergaster]

Friday night and the first bivvy of the year. And in ages! Absolutely lovely to get out again.
Luxury sleeping quarters...


...in our hotel...
Just fantastic to get out again. Looking forward to seeing what the year brings. Happy hunting folks.

I think we took a ferry from Liverpool and end up walking to a place like that. Similar views, Near Pt.Erin?
well done with the myog bivvi stuff

Cheers ledburner. Yeah the spot is next to Port Erin. I'd never been before. If I can find my photos (new phone recently) I'll post in the MYOG forum

Pictures or spec to the MY OG forum would be great!
I remember some thing about faded refreshment/cream prices on walls but the very unclear about which walk we did ooh I just found somewhere similar south of Cregneash [Edit:The Chasms]?. Was that near the folk museum?

Picture from the back.

Not sure about the folk museum. Cregneash is a museum and they do folk music and dancing

[ledburner]

Picture from the back.

Not sure about the folk museum. Cregneash is a museum and they do folk music and dancing

A museum of traditional rural life and crafts...it was over 10years ago..

[samwise]

3/12 - Another after work outing to a hedge in North Essex.

Left the office at 5.30pm and headed to a local pub for a pint and some thai food.



We then cycled out to a nice field edge spot on the edge of some woodland and enjoyed some whiskey, the sunset and watching the deer in the nearby woods.




Overall a warm and dry night. Up at around 6.30am for a coffee and the short 5 miles ride back into work.

[Blackhound]

I got out Sunday night. I had decided to ride out to a memorial to Ada Lovelace, a chum of Charles Babbage and all round clever clogs who died aged just 36. She had been brought up nearby.

I was feeling tired from the start and into a headwind. I stopped at a cafe around 3pm and then carried on a few miles to the church where the memorial is. I was thinking of going straight to my bivvy spot but decided it was too early so stuck with my original plan to head to the bright lights of Hinckley and Nuneaton and then head north to the National Forest with a tail wind. (I was trying to extend my Veloviewer tile score). When I turned north I still had a headwind!

I got myself to a bird hide around 1930, where I stopped twice last year, laid out my bag, had a meal, and read 'Ordinary Wolves' and drank some Tullamore Dew whiskey.

Next morning I headed to the golden arches in Ashby and then headed home quickly as we were at the cinema on Monday afternoon. In total I did about 80 miles and was very tired.

3/12 and 15 consecutive months.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/6rlvW1YYwyb

(Hopefully link works this month, I did edit last months entry)

[JimmyG]

Mrs G and I spent last week in a cottage up north at Cragganmore, right next to the Speyside Way. The weather was better than predicted and I managed to get four days out on the bike. On one of those days I rode north on the Way as far as Craigellachie, exploring left and right from there as I went along. Having enjoyed that, I’m planning on bikepacking the Speyside Way, Moray Coastal Trail and Dava Way triangle at some point.

The recent thread on the Pictish Trail (which passes along the Speyside Way) has piqued my interest, too, although should I do it I’d start at Inverness rather than do the full shebang from Dunnet Head.

Last Wednesday Mrs G kindly agreed to me heading out to tick* off my March BAM. I kept it simple – chucked all my gear in a daysack and rode 11 miles north on the Speyside Way to a spot I’d pre-recced. No need for any cooking gear on this occasion since I’d be eating before and after 'at home'. Made a nice change I must say.

Speyside Way 1 by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Speyside Way 3 by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Dalmunach Distillery by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Scurvy Avoidance Drill by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Heavy rain at around 3 a.m. kept me awake for over an hour but other than that, I had a pretty good sleep. I awoke to a crisp, clear morning, quickly packed up, stuffed everything in the daysack then headed back to the ranch for a big breakfast.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Speyside Way 4 by Jimmy G, on Flickr

That’s 3 from 3 for ’23 and 63 consecutive BAMs.

* One tick spotted crawling across the back of my hand once back at the cottage. A more detailed search ensued where I located another little bugger sooking on my ankle. It wasn’t for much longer, though!

[fatbikephil]

Nice part of the world that Jimmy, friends of mine live at Blacksboat farm - just opposite Blacksboat station, a couple of miles up the SSway from Cragganmore. For future reference the woods above Blacksboat station contain many trails!

I've also done the SSway / Moray coastal trail / Dava way circuit, with an extra bit up the Dulnain, over the Burma road and back into Speyside via the Cairngorms loop route and SS way again - A fab route!
https://philsbikepacking.blogspot.com/2 ... yside.html

[Retiredtester]

I believe Pip's in?.

Yep, he certainly is. Thanks for keeping up with the admin!

[JimmyG]

Nice part of the world that Jimmy, friends of mine live at Blacksboat farm - just opposite Blacksboat station, a couple of miles up the SSway from Cragganmore. For future reference the woods above Blacksboat station contain many trails!

I've also done the SSway / Moray coastal trail / Dava way circuit, with an extra bit up the Dulnain, over the Burma road and back into Speyside via the Cairngorms loop route and SS way again - A fab route!
https://philsbikepacking.blogspot.com/2 ... yside.html

Just read your Trail Tales report Phil. Yep, I need to get that done! I passed Blacksboat station a few times last week and (having read your previous reference to your friends' plans to set up a caff there) I bet it'll go like a fair most of the year round.

[ergaster]

Mrs G and I spent last week in a cottage up north at Cragganmore, right next to the Speyside Way. The weather was better than predicted and I managed to get four days out on the bike. On one of those days I rode north on the Way as far as Craigellachie, exploring left and right from there as I went along. Having enjoyed that, I’m planning on bikepacking the Speyside Way, Moray Coastal Trail and Dava Way triangle at some point.

The recent thread on the Pictish Trail (which passes along the Speyside Way) has piqued my interest, too, although should I do it I’d start at Inverness rather than do the full shebang from Dunnet Head.

Last Wednesday Mrs G kindly agreed to me heading out to tick* off my March BAM. I kept it simple – chucked all my gear in a daysack and rode 11 miles north on the Speyside Way to a spot I’d pre-recced. No need for any cooking gear on this occasion since I’d be eating before and after 'at home'. Made a nice change I must say.

Speyside Way 1 by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Speyside Way 3 by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Dalmunach Distillery by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Scurvy Avoidance Drill by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Heavy rain at around 3 a.m. kept me awake for over an hour but other than that, I had a pretty good sleep. I awoke to a crisp, clear morning, quickly packed up, stuffed everything in the daysack then headed back to the ranch for a big breakfast.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Speyside Way 4 by Jimmy G, on Flickr

That’s 3 from 3 for ’23 and 63 consecutive BAMs.

* One tick spotted crawling across the back of my hand once back at the cottage. A more detailed search ensued where I located another little bugger sooking on my ankle. It wasn’t for much longer, though!

Very pretty camp! I've not bivvied in proper rain yet but it was enough that I doubt I'd sleep. I'm planning on making a bivvy that raises the fabric off my face. Do you have any thoughts or advice on what might make things comfortable enough?

[redefined_cycles]

Hi.

My name is Shafiq and I am a missed-the-BAM-again-oholic.

Next time (if I'm still alive) I will:

*Start in January.
*Head out at the start of the months.
*Not think about luxurious BAM plans and keep em simple.
*Take more cold showers!

All the best everyone and it's been nice whilst it lasted

[Cheeky Monkey]

Why start in January? Just carry on and your 12 months will roll around again when you complete it next (squints, counts on fingers, sticks out tongue) March (?).

For some BAM is a great motivator, for others it seems to be (or become) a millstone. Just roll with it man.

I've never managed it and am just happy to bed down with the slugs as and when it happens. In truth it'd probably be better more often but I'm not going to get in a tizzy about it.

[JimmyG]

Mrs G and I spent last week in a cottage up north at Cragganmore, right next to the Speyside Way, etc, etc.

Very pretty camp! I've not bivvied in proper rain yet but it was enough that I doubt I'd sleep. I'm planning on making a bivvy that raises the fabric off my face. Do you have any thoughts or advice on what might make things comfortable enough?

Thanks, it was a nice little spot. Re heavy rain: Rest assured I'm unable to sleep through it, too. However, it's a nice, cosy feeling being safely under cover while listening to the raindrops smacking off my tarp. Ideally not all night, though!

I'm assuming you're referring to making your own bivvy bag? We've all seen hooped bivvies that go some way to keeping the material off your face, etc. but if it's raining or threatening to, I much prefer being under a tarp. Gives you much more room to move around and you can also orientate it to create a degree of protection from the wind/wind-driven rain. I've slept in a bivvy bag on several occasions in varying degrees of rain and whilst I stayed dry inside, it wasn't pleasant feeling the rain drops constantly hitting the bag. I definitely didn't sleep through that!

[redefined_cycles]

Why start in January? Just carry on and your 12 months will roll around again when you complete it next (squints, counts on fingers, sticks out tongue) March (?).

For some BAM is a great motivator, for others it seems to be (or become) a millstone. Just roll with it man.

I've never managed it and am just happy to bed down with the slugs as and when it happens. In truth it'd probably be better more often but I'm not going to get in a tizzy about it.

Thanks Tim I am gonna try and continue with my plans but Jan didn't happen for me then this month is missed again So may as well sit out of the official thing until I can get a proper streak going

[frogatthefarriers]

BaM March 2023...

I was short of time (again) so another dash-n-crash local

Left home after shopping, at about 4:30, heading to a spot near Llangollen that I'd scoped out a couple of years ago. En route, I would take the canal towpath to Llangollen, find something to eat then go the extra six miles or so to sleep in the tumbledown shed that I hoped would still be there.

I reached the start of the canal, at Trevor Basin at 5:45. A bit early, I thought, and the Telford Inn was just sitting there, waiting. Well why not? A pint of Black Sheep and a read through a canal/boater magazine passed a half hour before riding the canal to Llangollen.

Still too early. I needed to kill some more time, so I did repair to the Wine Bar for a couple more pints until it was at least dark. It was at least hissing down too, which put a bit of a damper on things, but hey-ho, a bit of rain wasn't going to stop me. So, to the Dee Pizza shop for a chicken kebab wrap, with salad, chips and garlic mayo and another short stretch of towpath to Llantisilio church lychgate where I could at least eat my wrap out of the rain.



When I'd eaten it was still chucking it down with rain. I didn't have the willpower to go back out into it, knowing there were at least two nasty hills to climb and maybe finding that my bivvy option had gone, so I stayed put: In the dry, and out of the wind. (is that a correct use of a colon, I wonder?) (No, not that sort of colon - that would have been disrespectful in a church-yard)(What do you take me for?)

Bivvy...


Lychgate...


View from bed...


Once I was up and ready, I thought to ride up to see if my bivvy spot was still there, but it was raining again and it meant heading further from home. An alternative was to ride up the Horseshoe pass to the Ponderosa cafe for a hearty breakfast. Didn't come off, because I got there at just after nine and the cafe wouldn't open until ten. I was hot and sweaty and wet with the rain, so didn't fancy sitting around for an hour getting colder. The next nearest cafe is at the Llandegla forest visitor centre - up and over Cyrn-y-Brain and down through the forest, but at least heading towards home.

Nowt else for it, so loins were girded and off we went. For a brief couple of minutes, the rain stopped...


LLandegla bacon bap. Look at the size of that puppy...


So, March Bam done.3/12 for '23.

[redefined_cycles]

is that a correct use of a colon, I wonder?

I often wonder that very thing Mr Farriers. But I believe there has recently been a change in whats accepted in the english language and such a coln preceding the 'and' is now becoming more used/accepted. Looking forward to hearing from the (english) language geeks.

Good find of shelter btw

[Wotsits]

3/3

Boxelders Lakes Spring Break with some other geese bothering lunatics

https://imgur.com/gallery/NI7n6qG

https://imgur.com/gallery/fNQUjfL

[RIP]

Telford Inn was just sitting there, waiting. Well why not?

Erm, trick question there?

Llantisilio church lychgate

Cracking bit of improv there. Good job no wedding at 6am

LLandegla bacon bap. Look at the size of that puppy.....

That puppy's sticking its tongue out at you! Bizarre place for an adder to slough its skin off too.