Getting fed up of local and hate turning out when it's dark, and I'm fed and warm...
and losing motivation for BAM

so decided to go to Cross Fell, 85 mile drive, set off Monday morning after 11 and parked in Dufton, and set off at 1:15 heading for Milburn... 5 miles of very quiet road, met two cyclists, one tractor who gave me a wave, and no other vehicles

Finding the BW from Milburn was a bit tricky, but found it and got going.
A marked track which a tractor had been on, rideable for 5 minutes then it started going up, still rideable but soon had to push.

Then left the tractor tracks and pushed through a field to a BW sign at the end, then pushed again, riding a bit, then pushing a bit, through another field. going upwards now, and the tussocks were starting.

BW sign in the corner of the field where there was a pond

so a bit of a balancing act to get through that one.

Then tussocks chest high... no sign of any BW

Grim to say the least, but kept checking my line on the map, and ever onward....

I was trying to reach Silverband Mine (at about 2200 feet) from where there appeared to be a track going east and level.

It took me about 3 hours of pushing through tussocks and sphagnum moss and all the usual tundra vegetation.
But the sun was out

It looks lovely on the map when you see these lovely red lines in what looks like good remote country, but tbh I half expected this...

It must have been over 1700 feet of mainly pushing from Milburn to Silverband mine, No trace of a BW except a few hundred feet at the start.

When I reached the track at the mine, it had gone 5pm and I was getting worried that my objective of getting the tent up before dark might not happen.

But after about half a mile at Green Castle the track met a road ! Actually it's a BW !! And it's supposed to be the highest road in Britain, tarmacked to get to the Civil Aviation Radar Station on top at just short of 2800 feet.

So I found a spot and got the tent up, and got my meals in and a brew and was in bed for 7:30PM.
With 5 layers on !
It was zero degrees.
2019-10-21 17.53.04 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr


I peeped out a bit later and it was a magnifcent starry night, but later on the wind got going and it was very strong.
I was fairly comfortable despite all the blowing (it's a Zpacks Hexemid, so it lets a lot of air in, but only 10 ozs (about 300 grams)

Up when it was light at about 7:30am and the wind was very strong and there was a thick mist too.

2019-10-22 08.43.57 by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

My original plan was to get to the top, and head over to Cross Fell, and take a track to Garrigill, then head back south on a small road and some cheeky, to get the track leading past High Cup Nick, and back to Dufton.

After all the pushing on Monday I decided just to get to the top, and weigh up options fron there.

So I packed up and started up the BW of a road... spectacular... and steep !
I managed to ride it all helped by the wind !

On top at the radar station it looked like more pushing to get to Cross Fell, and I'd had enough of that, and it was very misty, so I decided to go downhill about 8 miles to Dufton.

I had to descend quite slowly because of the wind, which I was now going into.
I stopped at one point to check my handlebar or wheel wasn't loose. A horrible front wheel wobble caused by the wind.

Cold hands and feet since breakfast, all the way up and down.

Found a cafe on Orton, then set off home.

There are only a few BWs in these parts, but the on from Milburn is to be avoided

I remember years ago going up to High Cup Nick, and it was ok..

Stout effort with the tussock battle that man . Imagine it felt pretty remote up there, not for the faint-hearted Cross Fell....

I think I might be bowing out this month.

This weekend is my last chance for my BAM but tomorrow (Thursday) our dog Archie goes in for a very major operation.

I've promised the wife that I'll be home on Thursday and Friday nights and depending on how he (and she) is and if I can be bothered I'll think about going out on Saturday night at a short notice bivi but it's all down to how Archie is TBH.

41 months in a row and I'm possibly out

JohnClimber wrote: ↑Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:58 pm I think I might be bowing out this month.

This weekend is my last chance for my BAM but tomorrow (Thursday) our dog Archie goes in for a very major operation.

I've promised the wife that I'll be home on Thursday and Friday nights and depending on how he (and she) is and if I can be bothered I'll think about going out on Saturday night at a short notice bivi but it's all down to how Archie is TBH.

41 months in a row and I'm possibly out

He's home and although he has the lampshade of shame on he's almost back to his normal self



I'll be staying in tomorrow night but might be able to escape for a quick on on Saturday (depending on his recovery)
So it's not over just yet

It's just his bollocks man, it's not that major.

Borderer wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2019 9:12 pm It's just his bollocks man, it's not that major.

It is at his old age and one was massive because of a possible tumour, it's going off for a biopsy to see if it's anything else.

John, if the lampshade of shame gets annoying for all parties, and your door frames and furniture are taking a beating, you can get an inflatable collar that works just as well but is much better as it’s much less impactful and doesn’t bother them as much

benp1 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2019 11:13 pm ...an inflatable collar that works just as well...

Hmmm....that would make an excellent "bivi-pillow-that-never-slides-away-from-you" .

He does look very cross....

Borderer wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2019 9:12 pm It's just his bollocks man, it's not that major.

On behalf of all the chaps ....

Oi! No!





Good to hear the dogs doing OK John. More attached to mine than the family (sometimes, not really, joking (maybe) etc etc)

Cheeky Monkey wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2019 9:34 am

Borderer wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2019 9:12 pm It's just his bollocks man, it's not that major.

On behalf of all the chaps ....

Oi! No!





Good to hear the dogs doing OK John. More attached to mine than the family (sometimes, not really, joking (maybe) etc etc)

You talking about your bollocks or your dog here Monkey?

Sorry John, wasn't meaning to belittle the tumour - just poking fun at the males of the species...

Wishing Archie a speedy recovery, John.

after about half a mile at Green Castle the track met a road ! Actually it's a BW !! And it's supposed to be the highest road in Britain, tarmacked to get to the Civil Aviation Radar Station on top at just short of 2800 feet.

Eric .. thats good going that . I remember doing The Gt Dun Fell up to the radar station and being stuck in the cloud/mist most of the time...

Just a quick ? about your mention of highest rd in Britain... I always thought that was Great Dun Fell but a google search shows the radar station at top of gt dun fell is only a stones throw away from the peak you mentioned...

Anyway, well done dealing with all that gust and if anyone's able to "shine a light" on the matter it'd be greatly appreciated (not that I'll be attempting a bivy at such altitude any time soon as I'm a 'climb high, sleep low' type

You talking about your bollocks or your dog here Monkey?

Errrrr

the Dog's?

All I can say is this conversation is the dog's bollocks . Would be much more entertaining if was happening in persons though!

Cheers all.

I don't know if I have the motivation to force myself out on Saturday night now.

I'l have a think tomorrow but I'm not going to head out if I'm not going to enjoy it.

I may pack raft on Sunday instead

You've done a bloody good job at keeping it going John. I hit a similar impasse a few years ago during my first BAM run and realised I was simply ticking a box rather than planning an enjoyable evening.

Shaf, I’ve just checked my OS map, and Great Dun Fell is 848m (2781 ft), and where the radar station is, that’s the top.
Towards Cross Fell 893m (2929 ft) is Little Dun Fell at 842m

It looks like Great Dun Fell is the highest road in Britain, higher than any in Scotland surprisingly.

There are other ‘tempting’ red lines up there (BWs I mean), and at some point I’ll give them a go BUT I’ll take the BW to High Cup Nick (done that years ago) and get to Garrigill, so my BW exploration if it’s all tussocks and tundra, will at least be going down

The equivalent in Scotland is Lowther Hill Radar Station, at a paltry 725m

Eric... thanks for the investigation ans update. Well done on them tussocks and (waiste high one) I'm gonna leave em to you ... I remember when I got to the top of Gt dun Fell. Its a perfectly laid rosd if ever you did see one and apparently (i believe so) a military one. I didnt know the top was a civil aviatioj radar station and I jad assumed it was military. Hence we didn't stand about too long (being 2 muslamics that is) and I'm not even sure if we went round the whole structure for fear of the old home office being there at oir doors when we got home (or being shot at point blank cos they feared for their safety )...

Might see if I can maybe get a bivy in somewhere closeby (one day)...

Got back this morning having completed this month’s trip (10/10). I opted for Straight Outta Door-style this time and decided on Blackness woods, just to the west of South Queensferry on the Firth of Forth. From my home in Leith I mostly stuck to coastal off-road trails initially before heading inland and picking up the Union Canal. About an hour into my outward journey I got caught in a heavy downpour (totally unpredicted by any of the online forecasters, I should add). As luck would have it, I’d just passed a small, partially covered doorway in a bank of ivy. Despite passing that way many times previously, I’d paid it no notice before. I rode back, crouched down and ventured inside to find a small WW2 air raid shelter. I sat there for around twenty minutes until the rain had passed and now have it logged as a possible ‘last day of the month/bad weather/no frills/not much camping kit needed’ BaM site should the need ever arise. Anyway, around 20 miles later I arrived at my chosen bivvy spot shortly before last light and passed an uneventful night (apart from confirming beyond doubt that I now need to substitute my 3-season sleeping bag for my 4-season!) before taking a more direct home back along the coast.

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Unfortunately Fraser and I are out of the running. October has been a busy month and tonight was to be our BaM no10 for 2019. Had to keep Fraser off school today through illness. A pity as we've got close to our 12 BaMs. These things happen. We've agreed we'll be back for 2020. We've had some great trips, seen some great places and met all sorts of folk!!

Good luck to everyone still in the chase especially Joe(Borderer) who will now be representing the Scottish youth section.

41/41 and I'm out

I was going to give up BAM after The Winter Event in January anyway.

The weather is good I have the kit but I simple CBA'ed heading out tonight just to tick a box.

Good luck to the rest of you trying to complete this year.

Over and out

JimmyG wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2019 10:02 pm
Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Untitled by Jimmy G, on Flickr

Wow that's an amazing find! Did it smell of pee? I always think places like that will just be used as urinals. If it doesn't then I would quite like to find it sometime!

Alan63 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2019 10:14 pm Unfortunately Fraser and I are out of the running. October has been a busy month and tonight was to be our BaM no10 for 2019. Had to keep Fraser off school today through illness. A pity as we've got close to our 12 BaMs. These things happen. We've agreed we'll be back for 2020. We've had some great trips, seen some great places and met all sorts of folk!!

Good luck to everyone still in the chase especially Joe(Borderer) who will now be representing the Scottish youth section.

That's a real shame Joe and I also did 10 months in 2017 I think it was but the same thing happened - we were floored by bugs in the winter months and couldn't complete. We are hopefully out on Monday night to claim No 11, so yeah, keep everything crossed for us. If he can complete it this year there will still be plenty of time for Fraser to steal his crown...

JohnClimber wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 3:41 pm 41/41 and I'm out

I was going to give up BAM after The Winter Event in January anyway.

The weather is good I have the kit but I simple CBA'ed heading out tonight just to tick a box.

Good luck to the rest of you trying to complete this year.

Over and out

That's a shame but well done on an epic run. I usually find that the BAMs I do 'just because' are often the ones that I end up enjoying the most. I need that kick in the pants to get out there sometimes.

No evidence of pee Borderer. Nor, thankfully, were there even more offensive deposits (human or otherwise). In truth, it was actually surprisingly clean.