Winter Bivvy '24

[oakesme]

Hi Phil

Re :Actual bivi...
somewhere like Tentsmuir Forest or Culbin Forest which are coastal for less snow. Or Ben Alder cottage with inflatable skis or packraft as backup.

Max

[fatbikephil]

Tentsmuir works for me, trains now available to Leven from the south to knock some miles off.

[RIP]

Read an interesting write-up about your Leven project in my mate's Rail Engineer magazine the other day. I was hoping it might give you a mention but sadly not .

Tentsmuir? Surely Tarpsmuir?

[MuddyPete]

... my mate's Rail Engineer magazine...

Course it was. Your secret's safe with us .

[RIP]

... my mate's Rail Engineer magazine...

Course it was. Your secret's safe with us .

He had to hide it in a copy of Gentlemen's Entertainment Monthly

[Bearlegged]

He had to hide it in a copy of Gentlemen's Entertainment Monthly

When did you start hanging around with gentlemen?

[thenorthwind]

Are we agreed on the weekend of the 14th for the Scottish WB? I've made plans for the 7th now. Who's in? Appreciate you can't fully commit Phil, but hopefully you've a fighting chance that weekend.

[fatbikephil]

14th works for me so far...

I could do a true Tinpot Dictator Job and suggest a bivvy in Tentsmuir forest but I'd be feared of arranging something I don't then turn up to!

[thenorthwind]

I could do a true Tinpot Dictator Job and suggest a bivvy in Tentsmuir forest but I'd be feared of arranging something I don't then turn up to!

Better than no plan

[oakesme]

I would prefer a bothy if the snow depth is rideable. If it's very wet or windy a bothy would be essential.

If the weather was OK can anyone bring a teepee/yurt/bell tent with stove? We could haul it into the woods , praps with a Yak-Bob Ibex or big panniers. Somewhere to have a chat- otherwise we would have do a zoom call between tents, or build a huge camp fire to sit around.

I too am risking suggesting stuff before I know for sure I can (be bothered to ) come but weekend of 14th Dec is good for me.

[JimmyG]

14th December works for me. I've no firm ideas re a suitable location, though, and will just keep an eye on the discussion here.

[gecko76]

14th is good for me. Don't have a yurt (or a big tarp) but do have a trailer that used to be used for hauling the kids around. Wide-ish wheelbase though so no singletrack.

Bothy suggestion also good.

[gecko76]

So my mum's not doing well - hoping a phonecall with the GP tomorrow might give some indication of how long she's got. Tentsmuir would suit me well but I can't promise I'll make it.

Phil, how's things with your dad?

[fatbikephil]

Hi Justin
Sorry to hear about your Mum, coming to terms with parents getting old isn't easy. Dad is doing OK at the mo so fingers crossed no real need for me to head down here (I'm at Mum ad Dad's currently!) until Xmas all being well.

I'm probably going to have to do something fairly local as I've been driving up and down the M74 rather a lot of late not that fussed to hit a Borders bothy. I might even suggest an even more local bivvy in Devilla forest rather than Tentsmuir - it depends on the weather so we'll play it by ear.

[gecko76]

You're not wrong.

Devilla was a suggestion before as I recall, and works well for me. As others have said a bothy might be better than a bivvy (it certainly was last year) depending on the weather.

[oakesme]

The attraction of Tentsmuir or Culbin Forest was the beach where we might have a campfire without attracting attention or doing any damage, and the sea adds a bit of interest whether still or stormy.

[gecko76]

Good point. Tentsmuir is easier to get to for me, but could make it further north if that's the consensus.

Long range forecast for the 14th is looking cold (around zero) but wet (50% chance of rain), I think, which possibly brings us back to a bothy, or a really big fire.

[fatbikephil]

Fires are frowned on it Tentsmuir as there has been a lot of bother from baw bags in recent years. I was more thinking of somewhere in the woods to be honest in terms of shelter. There is a track up the western edge which passes a couple of spots I've used which should fit three or four tarps....

[RIP]

SWWB still on, albeit with a slightly fluid cast list .

The 'heavy rain' on Friday has now been replaced by 'cloudy' so where's the fun in that eh? Then again, possibility of -1c Saturday night so sn*w is not entirely off the menu. Well you'd hope so in the highest village in Wales in December!

So is that it then? SWB and SWWB? Nothing at all in Engerlandland? Bit of a poor effort really .

[godivatrailrider]

SWWB still on, albeit with a slightly fluid cast list .

The 'heavy rain' on Friday has now been replaced by 'cloudy' so where's the fun in that eh? Then again, possibility of -1c Saturday night so sn*w is not entirely off the menu. Well you'd hope so in the highest village in Wales in December!

So is that it then? SWB and SWWB? Nothing at all in Engerlandland? Bit of a poor effort really .

I'm still on for the SWWB.... with some trepidation.

[RIP]

You'll be fine GTR (I'm sure I used to have one of those back in the 80's... Vauxhall I think) - it's just a wobble between pubs and cafes basically. Still, nowt wrong being a bit trepidatious, keeps you on your toes .

[thenorthwind]

Long range forecast for the 14th is looking cold (around zero) but wet (50% chance of rain), I think, which possibly brings us back to a bothy, or a really big fire.

When the idea of a proper bivvy was mentioned I was a bit skeptical, but thought I should Stop Being Soft™. But having thought about it some more, I realised I'm happy bivvying in the winter, but it generally involves getting into a sleeping bag as soon as possible and staying there, which sort of defeats the point of a meet-up. So I've come full circle and would favour a bothy, but not saying I won't come if not.

If it were like the Saturday just gone, it wouldn't be a problem! But that seems unlikely.

[JimmyG]

Re the Scottish Winter Bivvy: It's obviously still too early to judge what the weather's likely to be but should rain make an appearance, I don't think the Devilla/Tentsmuir/Anyother Forest options would make for a particularly social (or enjoyable!) event. Might I suggest a site I used back in March 2019? It's in the remains of a castle in East Lothian, in the old kitchen to be specific, just to the east of North Berwick and fairly close to Tantallon Castle. It's evidently been used a fair bit over the years but probably unlikely on a Saturday night in December. Certainly less likely than a bothy, I'd imagine. Pics below.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Note the 'fireplace' in the foreground of the last pic. Just sayin'.

Incidentally, I checked it out yesterday and it's still in good structural order. The floor is bare earth but dry. Thoughts?

[fatbikephil]

Suits me Jimmy
Less likelihood of others in occupancy unlike bothies...
Wet woodland looking less appealing by the minute!

[thenorthwind]

Sold! Sounds ideal Jimmy