BAM 2018, the review....

I decided to do Bivvy a Month in order to get me out under the tarp / tent in a range of weathers, in a range of locations and, in keeping with my overall plan for this year, to take it easy and do some good riding.

Weatherwise I've been absurdly lucky with barely a sprinkle of rain or snow to contend with. In fact I only really did two damp bivvies, one in a Bothy in August and one whereby the rain only fell overnight, in November. Not bad going seen as all but one of my bivvies was in Scotland. I suppose this then is my only failing i.e. I had visions of pitching tarps in wind and rain, a skill I wanted to improve upon, so in the event I missed out on this. My two favourites were also the ones in the company of others so I need to be more sociable next year...

I've done a few local ones, a fair few in the cairngorms area and fair few in new places. I've ridden some ace trails in the process and also become a dab hand at site selection.

Overall I spent 17 nights out this year, under the tarp for 14 and in bothies for three. Not huge numbers in the grand scheme of things but more than ever before in a year for me, and none of them involved paying!

So in no particular order....

Best spot - Bynack Lodge

Most remote spot - Corrour Old Lodge (also highest bivvy at 540m)


Poshest bivvy - Falkland woodland craft space


Windiest Bivvy - Loch Rannoch


Best banter - Culbin Forest with R&I (and lowest bivvy at about 5mAOD)


Best bothy - Flittingford (and only bivvy south of the border)


Coldest bivvy (-4)


Best trail - Old road to the Isles

Best morning view - Blackwater res and Glencoe munroes

 

Best overall view - Cairngorms from the south

Longest day prior to a bivvy - 115 miles (Shortest day after a bivvy - 3 miles!)

I'm in again next year and hope to improve in a few key areas:-
More bad weather bivvies
More beer drunk
More socialising....