Bivvy a Month 2025

[gecko76]

As mentioned further up the thread I was running out of month, though not for complete lack of effort. A couple of nights on cub camp where, the weather being glorious, the tarp was more for show, then a night in the bothy at Barrisdale in Knoydart to get away from the midges, and finally a night under the stars on the shoulder of Ladhar Beinn, the wind having risen sufficiently to keep the biting beasties at bay.

Having failed to get out last weekend, I'd done something to my back this week (getting out of the car in a tight spot I think. Cars are bad, m'kay? So is a trapped sciatic nerve which is what I think it might be*) so seeking a spot that was above all flat I decided to take a leaf out of Big Jim's book and pay a call on a local widow.

Your own back garden does not count but that of your friend or neighbour does, right? It was all a bit overgrown but I was kindly given the key to her summerhouse.

Things quietened down after 11 when Robbie Williams went off stage and I retired to my sleeping bag. There's a family of foxes so I left the doors open in hopes of seeing them but in the event there was only an annoying fly, plus the mat developed a puncture which I'll need to fix before daughter number one's bronze DofE expedition this week.

That's if she survives the inaugural run on the tandem this afternoon.

* I grow old ... I grow old ...
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled

[fatbikephil]

Bit of a contrast to sleeping accommodation - sun kissed mountain to damp shed
Well done for getting to Knoydart in that weather, midges or no. A place I've been meaning to return to since a similarly sunny (and midgie) expedition in about 1995.

[gecko76]

That was the last weekend of that long stretch of good weather. Can't believe how it flipped for the HT550.

[fatbikephil]

That was the last weekend of that long stretch of good weather. Can't believe how it flipped for the HT550.

Neither can I!

[javatime]

Late write up for BAM May. Dahon-packing for me

I have a semi regular meet up with an older friend where we take the folders on the train, have a potter and a good chat, find a cafe or brew our own and hopefully include a beer too.

With May a bit squeezed decided to include BAM too, so took the Severn Beach line and detrained at Yatton for a push across the fields to join the newish Pier to Pier Route at Kingston Seymour. Quiet lanes to the DIY Cafe in the church at Wick St Lawrence then onto Weston super Mare.

Birnbeck Pier looked good, if crumbling, in the sun and a first visit to the slightly bizarre Sunset Bar of The Captain's Cabin. the background "music" is The Shipping Forecast on a loop, and 2 occupied flats share the terrace, albeit with plenty of Private signs...

Onto the Fat Head Brewery (and Tap) nearby where they are happy for you to get in your own food (had picked up Fish and Chips near WsM pier en route) and later a mad rush for the last train home for some, but a ride along the prom to Uphill Quarry and a warm night for me.

Woke up early, the WsM station cafe opened at 6.45. Coffee and Bacon sandwich and back home in Bristol by 8.00


Birnbeck Pier WsM still awaiting development

Sunshine and a chocolate sea below The Captains Cabin terrace

Fish and Chips to go

Crooked pitch at Uphill

[JimmyG]

My plan for May’s BAM got well and truly knocked off kilter a couple of weeks ago* so I ended up squeezing one in at the weekend (Fri 30th/Sat 31st).

* Keen to enjoy the last few days of our recent spell of excellent weather, on 14th May I'd set off up north in my van for a planned two-day outing. My loose plan was to park up in Dalwhinnie and head southwest along Loch Ericht then via Loch Laggan to Loch Ossian and eventually along Loch Garry back to the mother ship. Anyway, the best laid plans of mice and men and all that… my 18 year-old van finally decided it had had enough of being a scruffy but reliable workhorse and gradually ground to a halt on the A9, not far short of Dalwhinnie. Struggling along in ‘limp mode’ at 20 mph in the inside lane was not a pleasant experience! Fortunately, I finally managed to reach a lay-by before it conked out and was then recovered by the AA all the way back home to Edinburgh. Update: The van has since been consigned to the great scrapyard in the sky and I’m now looking for a replacement. With the used vehicle market being a potential minefield, it’s not a process I’m enjoying tbh.

Moving swiftly on, with two nights left in which to fit in May’s BAM last week, I chose the Friday night since it was forecast to be a dry night (er, it wasn’t!) and Saturday was to bring heavy rain (it did!). Truth be told, I wasn’t feeling in the mood for it but, determined to keep my streak going, I forced myself out the door. Not that I travelled any mammoth distance or gained any height.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

After chucking in a few extra loopy bits to increase the paltry mileage, I arrived at Musselburgh Lagoons on the eastern outskirts of Edinburgh (a total of just over 10 miles) just as it was getting dark.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

After scouting around for a suitable spot, I ended up in one of the numerous copses in the area, finally managing to find a patch of ground that didn’t have a thick carpet of (probably tick-ridden** due to the number of deer in the area) undergrowth. ** Just the one as it happens, discovered when I got home.

I settled down to sleep around midnight and it promptly started to rain, light drops at first and it then got gradually heavier. Oh well… having trusted the forecast and not brought any overhead cover, I lay there in my bivvy bag with rain jacket draped over my head. That combo did the job to be fair and I stayed dry and fell asleep fairly quickly. By the time I woke up for a 3 a.m pee the rain had stopped thankfully and it remained dry for the rest of the night.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I next awoke to the sound of a rather boisterous dawn chorus.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

I’d brought no cooking kit for a change so it was case of get up, pack up and head home. It certainly wasn’t my most interesting BAM but it did the job. All being well, June’s should be in France as I set off on another ride to my sister’s place in Carcassonne sometime later this month. Date and route still to be decided.

In summary, that’s 5/5 for 2025 and 89 consecutive BAMS.

[NeilA]

May 4th...WRT 2025 and BAM May
BAM 5 of 5, 41 of 41
I love the annual pilgrimage to WRT so this years attendance was always going to happen for me, but nevertheless filled me with some dread.
The reason, a knee injury and fairly long lay off.
Soon after my arrival in the car park AndreR located me for the handover of a 'Alpkit Tarpstar 1' in response to my wanted ad on the Forum. Thank you kindly AndreR
Pleasingly the raffle favoured me with a Widefoot Bottle Cage and 1 litre bottle.
My kit and bike weighed 63lbish. In respect of carrying plentiful survival fluids my luggage load was lighter than previous years!!
No tales of 'derring do' from me this time.
A favoured wild camp spot, above the footbridge over the Afon Hengwm, using an old trading route of acceptable distance.
En route: Plenty of willing, some navigation blips, the occasional walking and general taking things easy.
Set up my Tarpstar on a midge free, breezy plateaux.
Well impressed with its spacious interior, allowing a seated position for cooking etc. My intention for the future will continue without the extra bulk of its inner.
Meal time, tea, beer and whisky muchly needed, soon after rest and sleep.
A good night.
Morning saw a lazy breakfast, lots of tea and porridge. Self preservation led my decision to head back to Ceulan, legs feeling ragged and knee slightly filled with fluid.
More walking this day and the monumental downhill run in to the finish.
Enjoyed a great chat with Stuart and Dee. Most importantly I was first to sample Dee's cakes, perfectly sublime
I have to say a thoroughly enjoyable WRT, well pleased my knee didnt suffer too much, and a month of rest since, with plenty of walking is hopefully making a difference.



Provisions for survival...whisky, beer and milk

[RIP]

Nice to see the correct usage of a frame bag there

[Raggedstone]

I thought it was a bar bag

[RIP]

I thought it was a bar bag

Very good

[NeilA]

Nice to see the correct usage of a frame bag there

brilliantly put Reg

[NeilA]

I thought it was a bar bag

never will this frame bag achieve such notoriety again, so its time to eulogize my years old Uraltour (a cracking piece of kit from Russia ) for its great worth as the garage and larder/fridge of my heavily laden machine

[RIP]

Time for another session of.... yes!.... BromGigPacking .

Mentioned to Mrs P that I was intending to a/ do my June BaM, and b/ attend yet another Young Persons Popular Music Concert. "What? TWO outings in a month? Have you even looked at the leaking shed roof yet?" quoth she. Aha, says Reg, playing his trump card (not Trump card), I'm combining them for maximum efficiency and minimum wife nagging. Momentarily snookered, Mrs P goes off to consider her next evil move in the marital game.

Taking advantage of the lull in hostilities I ram some overnight gear in the Brompton S bag, and exit clandestinely by the back door. Down to the station, quick hop from Leighton Buzzard to Milton Keynes, then over the bridge for fast train to Brummagem New St. After breaking my journey for a very tasty felafel at Top Felafel in a massive but short downpour, it's back to the station for a train to Worcester. Worcester greedily has three stations, and I opted for the furthest one from town, Worcesterercesterershire Parkway, so that I could scope some bivvy spots on the 5 mile trip down to town.

A hastily fabricated RegMap (TM) should help with navigating the mean streets of Worcester...




[cont'd, as don't want to lose this post with this dodgy connection....

[RIP]

I followed NCN442 and various gravel tracks into town, remembering as ever that the standard 3-spd Brom is too highly geared for my riding, and noted various bivvy possibilities including some woods and a couple of mothballed NHS sites.

The gig at Drummonds didn't start until 7.30pm and I was an hour early so had a bit of a toddle round town beforehand. Now maybe Worcester was having an off-day, and I apologise to Kev and GTR for dissing their nearest metropolis, but TBH I found the place to be more careworn and initimidating than last year's outing to Stoke (which actually wasn't intimidating at all).

Upon entering the venue, the nice promoter chap showed me me a secure place to store the Brom and bag, then promptly relieved me of a fiver for raffle tickets.

At this point it transpired that The Ramonas were due on last at 21.30, with four warm-up bands on first. No way this OAP can stand up for that long so I secured a chair and an evening's supply of alcoholic beverages, positioning myself in a plum location. Needless to say, after one number I abandoned the chair and stood up for the rest of the night .

Several all-women bands featured, which made a nice change.

[RIP]

Army Of Skanks...

[RIP]

Decay 87... the bass player literally fighting his guitar... all the bands were enthusiastic and approachable, encouraging audience participation... if I'd got an inch closer I could have reached over and helped him fight it...



Lead guitarist wandering around the audience... and why not eh....

[RIP]

Healthy Junkies...

[RIP]

And finally The Ramonas with everyone joining in the lyrics and generally getting a bit shouty and boisterous. Onetwothreefour! Fabulous .



What is Chloey doing down there? She'll put her back out for sure.

[RIP]

Kicked out at half ten, time to find a spot. Wandered the station yard, and then the industrial estate, looking shady and furtive. No old sheds, no hidden bushes, hopeless. So back up the hill we go. I checked out one of the mothballed group of NHS buildings, noticing the CCTV just slightly too late. It'll be OK. 5 minutes later Mr Secca rolls up in his car! Charm dial instantly set to maximum... a cordial conversation ensued, both of us refusing to relinquish eye contact...gently fencing, both secure in the knowledge about who was ultimately going to win... we agreed that my, er, 'interest in old buildings' was perfectly legitimate... although it was also agreed that 23.30 hours was a slightly unusual time of day to be pursuing the said hobby. We parted on good terms, although he did seem keen to depart the establishment after me for some reason.

Finally ending up in the woods right next to the hospital, I convinced myself that I was the scariest thing in them as usual, and used my rear red light to help set up under a cosy yew tree, well off the path. Summer bag, TN Moonlight overbag (I still can't really get the hang of this bivvy bag nonsense though - no rain = don't need it, rain = get the tarp up - but I've bought it so I've got to use it now), spinnaker groundsheet, lock Brommie to the tree.

A very comfy night on the leaf mould ensued, to be woken by a friendly robin and an equally friendly slug at 04.45. Dozed until 6, enjoying the birdsong.



With three stations to choose from, I select Shrub Hill which has an 07.03 to Birmingham; so back down the hill we go, with the capacious S bag handling all my gear with room to spare.



Station cafe closed, so I open my own cafe on Platform 2 and brew up some breakfast on a handy windowledge...



Home via Birmingham again, no problems with the trains at all, and I've almost got my hearing back.

6/6, 6/12, 113/113

[MuddyPete]

Time for another session of.... yes!.... BromGigPacking .

Mentioned to Mrs P that I was intending to a/ do my June BaM, and b/ attend yet another Young Persons Popular Music Concert. "What? TWO outings in a month?" quoth she. Aha, says Reg, playing his trump card (not Trump card), I'm combining them for maximum efficiency and minimum wife nagging. Momentarily snookered, Mrs P goes off to consider her next evil move in the marital game.

Taking advantage of the lull in hostilities I ram some overnight gear in the Brompton S bag, and exit clandestinely by the back door.

Excellent stuff Mr Reg . Delighted to see you found your mojo again, on a beer-sticky moshpit in Worcestershire, of all places.

Just for the record: Mrs Reg is one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet and has the patience of a saint .

[fatbikephil]

Just for the record: Mrs Reg is one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet and has the patience of a saint .

Well she would have to
Great stuff Reg

[Raggedstone]

Great stuff Reg I can honestly say you have had more nights out in Worcester than I have

[NeilA]

A brilliant incursion into deepest Worcestershire Reg