Bivvy a month 2023.

[Stinginglip]

Cheers Phil for the year's final review. Happy with making the last 15, wasn't easy but definitely enjoyable. Thanks for all the inspirational reports from everyone who had a crack this year.
I now can't go anywhere without scoping potential bivvy spots and hopefully that will lead me into being more daring for 2024

[Verena]

I now can't go anywhere without scoping potential bivvy spots and hopefully that will lead me into being more daring for 2024

Same here Martin , I always have a mental list way longer than there are months....

Challenge is to think carefully about who you're with at the time, before saying out loud "that would make an excellent bivvy spot that"

[RIP]

I now can't go anywhere without scoping potential bivvy spots and hopefully that will lead me into being more daring for 2024

Same here Martin , I always have a mental list way longer than there are months....

Challenge is to think carefully about who you're with at the time, before saying out loud "that would make an excellent bivvy spot that"

Aye you've now completed the SpotRadar(RegTM) installation procedure and it will run continously in the background

[gecko76]

It's remarkable, isn't it. 'Yep, I could totally sleep there' when viewing a car park, bush, cairn, bridge, bus shelter, uprooted tree, abandoned portakabin etc. It's like narcoleptic parkour.

[RIP]

narcoleptic parkour

Ooh that's a good one. Not to be confused with necrophiliac parkour though .

[gecko76]

[Stinginglip]

narcoleptic parkour

Ooh that's a good one. Not to be confused with necrophiliac parkour though .

I'll need to look that one up Reg

[Stinginglip]

I now can't go anywhere without scoping potential bivvy spots and hopefully that will lead me into being more daring for 2024

Same here Martin , I always have a mental list way longer than there are months....

Challenge is to think carefully about who you're with at the time, before saying out loud "that would make an excellent bivvy spot that"

Aye you've now completed the SpotRadar(RegTM) installation procedure and it will run continously in the background

I've slipped up and mentioned spots whilst walking with the missus..the look she gave me is all I needed to keep my mouth shut from now on

[NeilA]

Thank you Phil for a cracking register of 2023 BAM finishers and the coveted awards ceremony.
The perfect end to a long year.
Love it

[JoseMcTavish]

Sorry folks, I'm very late to the game but thought I'd add myself to the list!
It was a mad year, with very little free time to even browse the forums but I did manage some big rides and a whole set of BAMs at least. I only managed to get up to March posted initially so here's my catch up:

April

Took part in TransEngland (Very tough!) which was a through the night job without stops, so got my bivy later on with a local ride out to Durris Forest to see if I could get a nice sunrise view before riding in to work.

First tarpless bivy of the year


The view obliged nicely


Enjoyed the sunshine before dropping into the mist along Deeside


May

Wanted to go a bit further again, so headed out past Banchory and kipped in the forest next to the back road past Knockburn Loch before a pleasant road ride into work again.

That time of year when it never gets properly dark


Dry and quiet on the way back to town


June

Had TransScotland at the start of the month, but managed to do it right the way through, so no overnight bivy (4th fastest!). I had also finally finished the build of the Titus Silk Road I got on sale the previous year, so decided to give it its inaugural BAM ride right at the end of the month. I headed for the wind farm in Fetteresso Forest, but the weather was getting wetter the higher I got, so I went up and over before dropping into thick forestry to get some weather protection for the night.

Deep in the trees with a casually slung tarp


Morning turned out nice at least


July

On holiday in Nethy Bridge with very patchy weather, but managed to get out on the one dry night and found myself a cosy little hut in the the hills, which was more tempting than my planned summit bivy. Even enjoyed the increasingly soggy ride back to the cottage through some of my favourite bits of Abernethy.

Beautiful evening out past Dorback


Plush accommodation


August

Another down to the wire BAM, riding up to the wind farm at Meikle Carewe to try and get that sunrise hit I craved before rolling in to work again.

Back on the ground for this one


The sunrise obliged nicely


September

At the last minute I got myself signed up for Scotduro, which is a ride down the Badger Divide with timed segments that you can race on and add up at the end. I joined my mate Jon, who was keen to have a friend along, with the format meaning we could ride together for most of the time and just split up over the segments at our own pace. Our bivy spot was the shelter on Corrour Station to keep out of the wind - we were also sadly too late to get dinner at the Station House, which was the low point! It was a very tough ride, but I ended up 2nd fastest overall, which attribute solely to my choice of doing it on the Silk Road rather than a gravel bike.

The now and future fastest time I will ever ride up the Corrieyairack Pass - evil segment choice!


Halfway point accommodation - photo doesn't convey the incredibly loud noise emanating from the information board inside


Some lovely views further south in areas I don't normally ride


October

Atrocious weather and no free time resulted in a very close to home bivy in Countesswells Forest

Soggy forest


November

Very late 11pm start on the last night of the month to get an even closer to home BAM at the far end of the local park at -6, which was a great chance to test out my birthday gift underquilt. Cosy as anything, so the quilt is a winner!

Tucked up cosy in the trees


Nice chilly sunrise coming, but had to head back for work


December

Managed to get out post-Christmas, the night after a storm blew over a 30m tree at the end of our garden - if it had been blowing the other way, I might not be typing this. Got the mudguards fitted to the road bike and picked a forestry spot at random after riding for an hour.

Precautionary tarp for the odd rain flurry


Easy ride home on wet roads


So that was the calendar year completed for my 4th full set of BAMs. I'll be back this year and hope to get better at posting again!

[gecko76]

Great stuff, and great pictures.

[fatbikephil]

Well done Jose, last minute posting of bivvy pics prize as usual for you
Will we see you in '24?

[JoseMcTavish]

Cheers, yep - I hope to post with a little more consistency this year!