Having completed BAM in 2017 but then had a year off I thought I might have another go in 2019. Nothing too exciting for January, just a local ride out. I left home after dinner on Friday at about 20:20. It always seems a bit weird to be heading out on a ride after dinner but I soon got into the swing of it and rode all of 15 miles to a local woods where I've bivied before. In my bag just after 22:00 and settled down for the night. I was quite close to the edge of the woods and the adjacent field had sheep in it. This I took as a good sign as there is a shoot down the bottom of the valley on a Saturday but I figured they wouldn't be shooting from the field if the sheep were there so they wouldn't be driving the birds through the section of woods I was in. I also planned to be up early and away as I had a busy day planned for Saturday so would be away before they started even if they did come through this way.

I could hear the sheep occasionally but thought they'd nod off soon enough. It turns out that they like to keep eating late in the night. This in itself wasn't an issue but it turns out there was the odd pheasant hiding in the long grass/cover at the edge of the field.They obviously had also worked out the guns would be in a field of sheep When one of the sheep disturbed a pheasant they would take off making a racket I did also hear something walk through the woods which I'm going to guess was a fox so perhaps this was what disturbed the pheasants? Despite this I did have a good night sleep and was snug inside my winter bag and myog bivi bag. I didn't bother with the tarp as there was no rain forecast.



I had arrived after dark and was up at 06:15 before it got light so the above dodgy phone camera pic will have to do. I had selected a flat spot under a fir tree and this also had a handy branch to hang my dry bag with my clothes on It also protected me from the weather as when I rode home in the morning I discovered it was actually raining, albeit only a fine rain. Took a shorter route home of only 10 miles and I was home before 8 for breakfast.



As the year goes on I'll see if I can get further afield and I have started work on a plan to achieve this... more to follow.

Boom, January 2019 done, I was starting to think it may never happen

It feels like I haven't been in a bivvy bag for ages now, what with the winter bivvy last december I bailed on as I needed to fit some new wheel bearings to the car, the winter event where I cam down with a cold at the worst timing possible, and a couple of school nights I gave up on because I was either at work too late, the weather was a bit sub standard or I had zero enthusiasm.

Anyway, last night (about 2100), I grabbed a rucksack, threw in my bivvy bag and rollmat, made a cup of (decaf) tea in my flask, strapped my pipedream 400 into my seat harness, grabbed some insulated clothing and pedalled for a whole 20 minutes to a spot I'd eyed up on the satellite mapping. It was minus 1 degrees C, but it was dry, I far prefer that to a bit warmer but wet.

After a bit of faffing, got my bivvy out, realised it was on some thorns, did some re-landscaping, settled into my bag, drunk some tea, and fell asleep to a lovely star scape.


029 (29-01-2019) by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

Woke up a few times in the night, I actually needed a pee which was annoying and meant the faff of getting out - I'm getting old!. Anyway,10 minute pedal home, and now back to work.

I've been keeping tabs of who's been out too, so will report some initial stats once we're into Feb.

This is my January '19 BAM. Just in time, as I was recovering from a road incident that stopped me riding for over 3 weeks

Left very late after dinner and went to a place in Epping Forest I've bivvied before, just 20-30 minutes away from home.
First time sleeping with quilt + sleeping bag combo. It was very warm indeed.
The morning after was great, crispy blue sky and the bonus was the place was facing the morning sun (previous time I left in the dark). My mind was fully restored

Another late one for me, did my usual head out after getting the kids to bed and went up to a wind farm not far from Aberdeen. Temperatures were very low and my feet were thawed out painfully in the showers at work!

Packed up in the morning:


Super icy descent:


More words at:
http://highlanddrifter.com/bam-2019-january

welsh winter bivvy dec with stu, jay, ben, January winter event 2/2 with jay tim and mart

Loving that photo paramart. Mates. Bikes. Proper view. Does it get any better?

After a poor show last year, nearly got caught out again.

In the heart of Sherwoode, well away from the Merrie Men.

Can concur with others that a 3 season bag with a Cumulus 150 quilt is plenty warm enough at -7.

TheBrownDog wrote:Loving that photo paramart. Mates. Bikes. Proper view. Does it get any better?

it was great when we got up there some other lads were following us just see 1 coming round the hill

A very last minute start to my BaM attempt. Left home at 630 for a short ride up to Mellor Cross. -6 when I set off, brrrr!
Lessons learned - my meths stove doesn’t work well at those temps and bare skin sticks to tent pegs!
Bag and quilt combo worked fine. Up and away early, home before 6 and off to work.

I took up the BaM challenge for the first time last year and completed just before Christmas. My intention is to repeat the series this year and I kicked off my 2019 effort last week in Rothiemurchus Forest near Aviemore. A cold, biting wind made its presence felt on the ride in to Loch An Eilein but I managed to find a nice sheltered bivvy site in a (surprisingly dry) hollow amongst the heather. Overnight sleet came and went and the next morning was cold, bright and windless. There's been some decent snow up there over the past week and I need to head up soon for some more fat bike fun.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

So Boners,

I’ve been tallying up who’s been joining in (to the rules on the first post) as we go. So now we’re into Feb, based on what’s been posted, assuming everyone who’s taken part has posted and nobody changes their username partway through the year….
We have 38 people who put their hand up to say they’re taking part in BAM 2019, and 36 people (well number of posters) who have managed to complete a Bivvy in January. (That's a 5.3% drop out rate thus far).

Next update, er June I reckon.

In terms of data I’m collating, I literally am just going “tick” for anyone who posts up, I’m not totting up more than 1 bivvy in a month, not this year anyway.

Nice one Zip. Was going to be out tonight for a bracing 0degC-er (maybe we need a BaM subgroup - "the Sub Zero Brigade" ), but had to defer until tomorrow, thereby gaining 8 degrees apparently it sez 'ere, albeit a wet 8 degrees. We'll see.

Still up for march reg ,paramart is going out scouting a few pubs tomorrow to make sure they have a decent vegie option for you

Yep, should be a laff MaM. Ta for pub recce - a right chore but someone has to do it . Confined to barracks here for rest of Feb.

2/12
Started with a rainy trundle to the quiz-night-packed Black Lion to meet RIP for some choice beers, posh crisps and pondering a selection of philosophical conundra, culminating with the conclusion that Stu is quite possibly the "John Peel of bikepacking"...

Attempts to kip on the beer garden tables under the halogen sky heaters were scuppered so we bimbled to the local woods; surveyed a few damp sheds and massive fir trees before selecting a large, upturned, "boat hull" that was only slightly leaky.

7am...I left Reg to enjoy his porridge and trundled home to work.

culminating with the conclusion that Stu is quite possibly the "John Peel of bikepacking"...

So much better than the "Jimmy Savile of bikepacking".

Yep cheers Pete, that was a bit of fun. Quite a moist evening when we left the pub at midnight. It was rather strange setting off into the rain with one's "need to find a spot" head on; it was an unusual way of appraising the local area - "we need somewhere to doss outdoors in the rain fairly quickly please". Just felt different somehow to doing it in an "unknown" place. Anyroad, as Pete says we found this curious wooden structure in the local woods:

20190206_002253

Beddybyes, courtesy of PHD Hispar 400, Montane down hat, bamboo baselayer, Exped Winterlite, Exped H/L pillow, bit of tyvek. The down bag's got a drishell outer, first time I've got it quite badly rained on but I was bone dry inside. Brushing my teeth properly like mum told me to.

20190206_003055

Brekkie, courtesy of Stu Hyperstove(TM), 400ml Ti mug, Ti windshield, 18ml bioethanol, Waitrose cream pot, 189ml milk bottle, spork, porridge, ovaltine:

20190206_071839

Now then, now then, guys and gals.

2/2 (or 2/12 or however we're 'sposed to write it!), 37/37.

(PS: Ta Stu for that recent shield template - it's much better. Far less "conical" than the one a while ago, and fits into the mug just like the "flat" one above!)

My bam has ended already sadly. I did not ride in the ice last week (we had no snow) and waited until yesterday. On a sharp bend I have done many times before my front wheel slipped out and I fell hard on my right knee which is grazed and bruised. Somehow I have broke a bone in my left hand wrist (banged against frame?) and am in plaster up to my elbow for next 6-8 weeks

I have not completed a full year since 2012 and was quite motivated this year as I turned 60 a few days after the January winter event and bam was a challenge for this year. These things happen I suppose and although disappointed I know a lot worse things happen.

Good luck to the rest of you still going. Will keep an eye on the thread as I usually do.

Blackhound wrote:My bam has ended already sadly. I did not ride in the ice last week (we had no snow) and waited until yesterday. On a sharp bend I have done many times before my front wheel slipped out and I fell hard on my right knee which is grazed and bruised. Somehow I have broke a bone in my left hand wrist (banged against frame?) and am in plaster up to my elbow for next 6-8 weeks

I have not completed a full year since 2012 and was quite motivated this year as I turned 60 a few days after the January winter event and bam was a challenge for this year. These things happen I suppose and although disappointed I know a lot worse things happen.

Good luck to the rest of you still going. Will keep an eye on the thread as I usually do.

Bugger!

Remember though that the new rules allow you to start at any time in the 12 months and just do 12 consecutive BAMs

Just start again when you're mended Kevin - saves having to wait a full 12 months.

Thanks both. Yes I can start again in April but I would have liked to do the full year. I won't beat myself up about it as beyond my control really. If you ride enough you are going to come a cropper at some point.

2/12. 26 in a row

Live bam in progress! my lad John was well chuffed with the inbred I bought from stu and decided that his first ride should be a night out with me. 8 miles along the canal and them the climb up to Hinton airfield, quick beer with my old skydiving mates then off to an abandoned farmyard just off the field.
Hopefully we can score a breakfast at the airfield Café in the morning.

Well it started raining about 8pm and continued through the night, we awoke to wet gloves which had snuck out the edge of the tent, disappointingly the cafe was closed so we rode down to the village whose only cafe closed on Sunday! John was freezing by now so we jumped in the train for the one stop home.
Apparently not only do I have to buy the bike and service it I also get to clean it for him.....I’ll break him in gently.


enjoying the new bike

An Antonov AN-2, years ago i got my skydiving licence out of this thing!

im a happy camper!

Im in Will try to do a different location every month
January Blea Tarn
50984033_10157133687441474_5047990369975795712_n by Richard Munro, on Flickr
February Buckstones Jump
51039977_10218559600281720_294150236949970944_n by Richard Munro, on Flickr
Blea Tarn Again
51596314_10218568461543246_5034487052926713856_n by Richard Munro, on Flickr

2/2. Rode in to Abyssinia bothy last night with Fraser (11). Went for a ride to Loch Sloy then the back of Ben Vane. A bit wet and miserable but had a good ride. Abyssinia bothy was only opened in 2017 and is a great wee place situated in the Arrochar Alps. Always loved going to the area since I was first taken there as a member of the BB. I remember walking past the place when it was a ruined cottage on my way to climb Ben Vane in 1987.