Bivvy a month 2023.

[fatbikephil]

July...
Marginally less dull than June, and as the crow flies, not too far away. After a forecast all week of rain, suddenly the beeb was going on about 0% chance of rain from 6pm onwards. This equated to a heavy shower coming in just as I got ready to go, as per every working day recently - how does the weather know! Anyway after getting sprinkled on a bit I managed to avoid any serious rain on a (marginally) different route into the hills. I was after a bit of elevation again and possibly somewhere breezy to keep the midges away.

Which took me to here, after a couple of hours of pedaling and pushing...



Berry Hill looking down Gleneagles, alt 430m.

I noted a large cloud slowly advancing and sure enough when I set to making food, it started to rain. This went on an off for around two hours eventually drying up properly at 9. It was also quite breezy - good for chasing away the squadron of flies that had followed me up the hill, but the tarp was flapping somewhat and the ultra light pole bending alarmingly. Shades of my July '22 bivvy...

Anyway, thereafter I was able to check out the views to the Perthshire and Stirlingshire hills until sunset.



A pleasant night followed. Oddly; at first light when I got up to go to the loo, it was completely still but not a midge to be seen! I lay awake watching the sun rise thinking I should get going as it was due to rain at 11 but as usual zonked out again.



Clouds lifting out of the Almond Strath, much as last time. The sharp eyed will note these three photos are largely the same, I told you it was a dull bivvy! Breakfast was made (porridge, no pancakes alas) followed by some of the multitude of blaeberries in the heather around me (a well named hill then) So off up more hills, down a nice techy descent (about the only one hereabouts and actually a good-'un) then home via various trails.

[gecko76]

Live bivi, in an abandoned farm near Burntisland. 'Ferry' from North Berwick worked a treat, then some cracking farmland/parkland/woodland/golf courses/nature reserves north of Anstruther before hitting Largo and needing to do some road miles to meet a friend for dinner.

Old farm was heavily used by teenagers until one fell through the roof. Lots of broken glass around but cleared a spot with my cap (took a brush on my first bivi, lol) and now ready to settle down for the night amidst the dripping and the creaking.

Note bottle of Austrian health drink. Bio = Organic = healthy, right?

[fatbikephil]

Can't place that farm though, and always on the look out for a foul weather bivvy!

[gecko76]

Some more pics






Got lucky with the boat as there was only space for four bikes and the three others (who were doing the same loop but starting and finishing at the bridge) had booked in April.
The farm is, or was, at Lower Binn village, herehttps://maps.app.goo.gl/SDaPUdh4BYSRsX4p7. It did rain during the night, but I'm waiting on a tarp from Alpkit hence taking the soft option.
Biggest trip for me so far, about 78 miles. Used Komoot for route planning and navigation and very impressed. Battery capacity on the phone was a worry though so trying to decide whether to buy a garmin or similar. Something I've never seen before was the Guiness pump in the pub had USB charging points so I used that to charge my wee power pack

[Blackhound]

Pancakes! I sometimes make a big batch, freeze them and stick them in the toaster. Maybe I should take some with me on a trip and cook them, not the same as making from scratch though.

I have done a July bivvy but been a bit busy with a trip to the TCR start and house work. Will catch up sometime, how people ever find time to work amazes me.

[Verena]

Gecko and Phil, both look great trips

Wish I'd gone out last night,.at long last one of those looking sunset nights...

And yes, pancake appreciation society is go - rather messy though

[Blackhound]

July: This weekend it will be 5 years since my father died and the germ of this idea came from a song I heard years ago by Christy Moore and more recently by The Mary Wallopers called 'Building up and tearing England down'. It is a song about men, like my father, coming to England for work post war. I decided to do a ride around the projects I was aware of either side of our stint in Ireland. So, I visited the power stations at Drakelow, now largely demolished and housing estate, Willington and Ratcliffe on Soar, the cement works near Southam and the Carlsberg Brewery in Northampton, the early 70's extension. Also a shopping centre in Derby.

I set off in light rain about 0530 and a cold day for July heading to Derby city centre for my first pic and then onto Willington which is where dad would have been working when I was born - it is now disused. I pushed on through Burton on Trent and got some pics as best I could, this was his first job after coming to England. From there I headed south via Meriden ( collecting a British Cycle Quest clue) towards Southam. I was getting short of drink by this time and ready for lunch, with some toilet distraction I forgot to take a pic of the cement works although I did not notice it on my route.

Onwards to Northampton where a cycle path took me straight to the brewery. It was now school leaving time and the roads got slow and busy as I headed north. I slightly deviated from the best route as I wanted to visit the cemetery where Violet Gibson is buried, in 1926 she shot Mussolini but didn't kill him. (All on Wiki, and there is a song by Lisa O'Neil who we saw recently). I couldn't see grave and did not stop for too long.

I soon passed a spot I recall from last summer on my traverse of the FURTHER route and I then followed some quiet lanes stopping at a pub for dinner. I continued through Leicester, again my route out to the North was not my usual route and I won't be repeating it, just busy with cars and no suitable cycle infrastructure.

On a ride a couple of months ago I spotted a sports field with little cabins for coaches and I thought this would do. When I went through the gate I saw a partially constructed shed with 3 walls and a roof, just what I needed so I settled down for the night with 247km in my tired legs.

Up again early next morning I set off north passing Ratcliffe PS which I can see from a bridge around the corner from home. I was home for 0730, another 43km ridden, with herself still in bed.

From the Insta:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu7sUQiMjq_ ... BiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu7uPIfMpJn ... BiNWFlZA==

7/12 and a run of 19 months.

[RIP]

An original theme there Kev, and an emotional journey no doubt. Nice one.

[psling]

An original theme there Kev, and an emotional journey no doubt. Nice one.

Seconded

[Blackhound]

Thanks Reg had Pete, it was emotional. I would not have memory of his first jobs of course but the jobs he did in the late 60's and early '70's I do recall. The last PS in particular because I see it so regularly I think of him.

[Bearlegged]

Another local trip for me, seeking out new spots on one of the edges.

Nice ride out, spotted rabbits, a kestrel, deer and a barn owl. A fair few people still out at dusk, but they soon cleared off as the sun dipped below the horizon. Was trying out a new bit of kit - a lightweight quilt. Rather than faff about working it out in situ, I'd done a practice at home. I then let the air out of my mat, and rolled up mat, quilt and bivvy bag together before stuffing it into my saddlebag. This made for a gratifyingly easy pitch at my sleeping spot, as I simply unrolled it all, attached my little electric pump, and hey presto! One comfy bed. The forecast was fine, and I couldn't see any obvious rain clouds in the sky, but I made a late decision to put my tarp up too. I was very glad of this in the morning, as it was rather misty and there was a lot of condensation.

A good night's sleep (I'm very much a quilt convert now), though some odd dreams. Despite having gone to sleep outdoors and alone, I awoke to a seemingly ever-expanding bothy, with more and more fellow riders appearing as I rose and packed up. May need to swear off the Manchego before bedtime in future. I supped my flask of coffee and nibbled on some breakfast, before rolling my bed up again and heading for home. The roads are so much quieter without the usual school traffic.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvO8s3ssT7y/

2023 BAM 7/12
2023 total bivvies 9
Current streak (months) 56

[redefined_cycles]

Bit of a philosphical question please... Lets say if (seems like the forum is still getting their/our head round exactly what the £20 subscription gets you) someone was to subscribe to this https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpB ... =7&t=23696

Then use the land that them landowners have given permission for to go get yer Bivy in. Would it class as 'paid for', so as not to be eligible for a BAM. Not subscribed yet but I'm keeping eyes on that there thread...

[RIP]

£20 subscription = 'paid for'

so...

not to be eligible for a BAM

[redefined_cycles]

£20 subscription = 'paid for'

so...

not to be eligible for a BAM

Simples

[RIP]

Simple[s]

That's Reg for you

[Raggedstone]

I thought that this month would have to be another local bivvy but I finished the job I was doing early so it was a chance to go back to the woods where I made a last minute dash to during last November's heat wave . So after a couple of hours of quiet lanes and tracks I arrived at the pub where I found out last time i was there that they have a wood fired pizza oven and said to myself I would return and see what they were like .
PXL_20230727_184552647 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
The answer is very nice but will add extra stodge next time
PXL_20230727_185658682 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
A couple of pints later and with enough daylight left for a decent look around the woods were I stayed last time of I went . I found a very nice level spot a long way into the woods so less chance of meeting dog walkers which I did on my last visit . I was expecting most of it to be overgrown this time of year but it was perfect and being level gave me a much better chance of waking up were I went to sleep unlike last month
PXL_20230728_050344706 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr
I slept quite well but I was woken by a very noisy deer three times and had few tickly interludes due to my accommodation suffering from a bad case of bed bugs but a better sleep than usual . Time for breakfast and not a pancake in sight though I am working on that
PXL_20230728_052045054 by Kevin Hawker, on Flickr

The ride back home was a longer and more relaxed affair and despite rain being obvious around me I missed it for a change !
7/12 for this year

[Verena]

Nice one Kev, especially missing the rain

And I don't know, seems a rather impressive selection there for breakfast

If you're after stodgy pizza by the way, I can recommend the Towpath Inn in Gilwern, bikepacking friendly outdoor seating area with cosy little wooden booth thingies.

And pizzas, for a mere £24 ( but they also do some by the slice) you get a massive dish of greasy thick sourdough stodge, with a topping of your choice...

Wasn't totally my cup of tea I must admit, I prefer mine thin and crispy ...

[Bearlegged]

£24 for a pizza???
I think Stu has the wrong word setting off the Crikey, how much filter.

[Verena]

£24 for a pizza???
I think Stew has the wrong word setting off the Crikey, how much filter.

I know!! it's designed for sharing to be fair, but still....

[KernowSteve]

July 7/12 Done.
Had all sorts of trips out planned for this month, before life, work and the weather conspired against me!
So a last minute "load up the bike and make it up as you go along" sort of trip. Rode out locally and tried a few spots I knew about, but had discounted previously due to anti social behaviour issues blah blah blah. Eventually settled on Wacker Quay on the River Lynher, a former 19th century Quay which was to be used for supplying the many military forts and gun batteries located in South East Cornwall to defend the Naval dockyard at Devonport. The poor weather forecast worked in my favour and I had the site to myself minus the usual local courting couples and youths getting p#**ed and burning things.
Found a nice flat spot right at the waters edge next to the aforementioned burning site.


Although it was dry at the time, I pitched the tarp as rain was forecast overnight and the cloud was going to obscure any stars anyway

Had a look around the site before it got to dark, as it's been a few years since I was last there. A local community group have done a fantastic job of restoring the old railway track bed into a footpath that takes you up to the edge of Antony village and you can see the area were the turntable was located for the train to turn around at the bottom of the inclined plane leading up to Scraesdon Fort and then onwards to Whitsand Bay and Tregantle Fort. I believe the 19th century plan was for a railway then to traverse along the clifftop at Whitsands before eventually arriving at Penlee battery. This plan was never actioned and the railway only reached as far as Tregantle Fort and a military road was constructed instead, along the clifftop linking all the gun batteries and forts.

Settled down for a reasonable sleep in the end, only got out twice for a wee which was better than usual. Glad of the tarp when a heavy shower hit about 2am and it kept the worst of the rain out.
Awake at 5am as it was starting to get light, all packed up and home by 6:30 before my Wife left for an early shift. She's starting to get the hang of it now and doesn't leave her key in the lock on the inside so at least I could let myself in without waking everyone else up!
Hopefully less wind and rain in August as I've got a week off and lots of ideas/plans.

[Wotsits]

7/7
18/18

A beach one with Mr Climber, Karl & others after Karls (enjoyable) talk in Southport.
Was the odd one out not being in a bivi bag & wasn't sure if it'd be a successful pitch on the sand, but it held up!
Met up with Bill & Pete in Burscough afterwards for breckie..

[JimmyG]

This month I decided to head over the Firth of Forth to FB Phil’s neck of the woods, the Kingdom of Fife. Late on Wednesday afternoon I rode west along coastal paths to the Forth Road Bridge. Incidentally, since the Queensferry Crossing was opened in 2017, the FRB has been downgraded to carry only buses, taxis, bikes and pedestrians. On my way along the coastal path through Dalmeny Estate some bad-tempered insect or other had evidently hitched a ride on my helmet strap. I only became aware of this when the little bugger stung me not once but twice, on my neck. Ouch! Fortunately, I don’t suffer any significant allergic reaction to stings.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I’d planned my route on Komoot, using bits of other people’s rides. In the main the going was reasonable but on several occasions I encountered overgrown paths and, for some reason, several padlocked field gates, entailing a bit of huffing and puffing to get my loaded bike over. The two fields’ worth of waist high grass, nettles and thistles late on in the ride weren’t much fun either. See below...

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I eventually arrived at my planned objective, Loch Fitty, lying just to the west of the M90, near the village of Kingseat. No sooner had I got settled down in my bag, than the rain started and continued on and off throughout the night. I was, however, pleasantly surprised that the overnight traffic noise from the motorway wasn’t particularly intrusive and I had a pretty good night’s sleep.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Next morning, I dallied a bit whilst waiting for the rain to stop. I then headed to the nearby site of St.Ninian's former opencast mine. On the top of a man-made mound is a piece of ‘landscape art’ featuring various items of mining hardware from back in the day. The top of the mound is reached by ascending a spiral gravel track… which was nice. The descent was even better!

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

View from the top by Jimmy G, on Flickr

From there I headed homewards, taking advantage of various cycle paths leading to Dunfermline and beyond to the bridge.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

That’s 7 from 7 in ‘23, making 67 consecutive BAMs.

Tick count: 3, all very small and all only discovered when I got home.

[fatbikephil]

Practically my back yard Jimmy! I keep meaning to do a bivvy in Blair Adam forest but they seem to be in the process of felling it all at the mo. Good spot that though.

[frogatthefarriers]

July BaM done, so 7/12 for this year, with a nice bit of three generational male bonding.

Pedal to Chester, to train to Anglesey to hammock-in-the-woods with my son and grandson. De-trained at Bodorgan and started pedalling. When I got to Malltraeth I realised I'd not had lunch yet. Then a chippy presented itself, so a fish bap was eaten by while looking down Porth y Dinas.



You'll have noticed the can of Fosters? I didn't want to drink it there, but only had room for 3 of the four-pack I'd bought in the chippy (that served as a miniature grocery shop as well). Ho-hum! Sometimes you have to make these tough decisions.

On the way into the forest, an oddity! A Christmas tree in a clearing, complete with decorations..


I was there before the others so set up my hammock in "our" bivvy spot (we've used it many times before)while waiting for them to arrive. Notice anything missing?


Nor did I until I looked for it in my pack. No tarp. Happily, a)there was enough phone signal to call my son and b) he hadn't left home yet. A spare tarp pulled me out of the doo-doo.

Anyway, once we'd eaten first dinner, it was too early to go to bed so we went for a walk along the beach by Llanddwyn island until darkness fell when it was time for top-up dinner. Gammon steaks and rump steaks and Chateau Fosters, cider and Captain Morgan spiced rum actually.

Beach photos:-



Moon between the trees...


Oh, and wind sculpted loose sand...


Now, to get home I'd meant to catch a train from Bodorgan again but when I got there I was faced with almost a two hour wait. There was a cold wind blowing and nowhere to adequately shelter from it, so "beggar it" I thought, "I'll ride to the next station (Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch, 12 miles) "to fill up the time instead of just getting cold"

Well I got cold anyway and wet too because it started to rain soon after I started and the rain followed me to Chester when it heaved it down for the 14 mile pedal home.

But... When I got home, Mrs Frog said,
"Get yerself a shower while I put your dinner out".

So a now squeaky clean me sat down to roast pork, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and the rich gravy that she makes, and

"I've put you a beer on the table"

The woman is a saint, I swear...

[fatbikephil]

Plenty tarping this month and no sign of an August heatwave so more to come methinks