Scottish Winter Bivvy

Given my somewhat lame bivvy performance this year, it seemed inevitable when my motivation to leave the house for this years winter bivvy dissolved in the heavy rain beating off the window. The venue was Dryfehead bothy in Eskdalemuir forest. I was keen to go (before the rain started) as its not one I've been to before and had heard good things about it. Bridget, aka Borderer on the bear bones forum, had suggested it after a trip she and her son had made there earlier in the year. I'd originally hoped to start at Peebles but the weather (and forecast) made this less than appealing. The Edinburgh city bypass would also be a drag on the drive down.

So after a certain amount of grumbling I got my gear together, threw it all in the back of the car and headed down the road to Moffat. The rain was torrential as far as Glasgow but lo and behold, it stopped as I headed south and the skies cleared. At Moffat I grabbed a snack and eventually hit the trail at about 3.45, pedalling off into the gloaming, heading for the Southern Upland Way.

My route was short - follow the SUW east to the Wamphray water and then the Romans and Reivers route up a fearsomely steep climb before descending a good track to the bothy. As usual I left my lights off as long as I could. On a good track with the last vestiges of light in the sky you can do this way beyond the point that you can see anything clearly but its become something of a ritual for me on a bivvy trip. I was grinning from ear to ear as its been far too long since I did an overnighter and I'd forgotten that feeling of freedom heading into the wilds in the dark. Not only that but it was dry!

The track finally ran out at Garrogill - a ruined house that would make for a good bivvy spot - and I contemplated the climb ahead. I'd gained the impression from others tales that it was a schlep though a fire break with not much a path on the ground. In the event it was a nice made trail, albeit pretty steep. Of course the dark always makes hills look (and feel) steeper and 4 cans of ale, a pint of milk and a fire log; on top of my usual load out; didn't help. I kept expecting it to get worse but in the event its pretty straightforward and with the right combination of leg and gearing, you'd actually be able to ride a fair bit of it.


On the big push....

I eventually topped out onto a dark moor covered in a thin dusting of frozen snow. I turned my lights off and contemplated the night as a few flakes of snow swirled around me. On dropping down to the track I figured I would ride up it a ways to see if there was any sign of the others. Tyre tracks were revealed in the snow but looking down to Eskdale didn't reveal any lights so I did an about face and bombed back down the hill, bothywards.

The first building I saw was the recently installed loo. The bothy itself looked dark and there was no immediate signs of life. Lights shone out at me however and I went in to meet Jimmy, Dave and Jamie. A convivial evening followed round a bit of a reluctant fire which livened up with the fire log, justifying its extra weight dragging me back down the big climb.


Jamie watching the bothy TV

It didn't look like anyone else was coming which was a shame given how the weather had turned out, but suddenly at about 9.30 or so, a light appeared outside and in came Bridget. Not only that she was carrying a bag of coal, something that should merit some kind of civic award, and made my earlier moans about carrying a mere fire log somewhat lame. Soon enough the fire was blazing and more chat and drink was partaken of. I was slightly alarmed when I realised that I'd drank everything I'd dragged up with me. Oh well less weight to take home.....

We eventually turned in at 1am (!) and I was instantly asleep, only waking briefly a few times to turn over. Finally I became aware of grey daylight filtering through the window so staggered outside to a misty but dry morning, my head feeling somewhat fuzzy in retribution for drinking too much whisky. Bridget was still out for the count so the rest of us sat in the main room eating breakfast, clearing up and contemplating our routes home. 


The bothy

At a decadent 10.45 we went our separate ways leaving Bridget to have a leisurely breakfast. I backtracked up the hill with a vague idea to head down to Eskdalemuir, over the road climb to Ettrick and then follow the SUW back to Moffat. However on reaching the turn off for the R&R route I couldn't resist the descent so abandoned the original plan and tore off down the trail noting that it was indeed not as steep as the previous nights push had made it feel. Pedalling along the Wamphray glen revealed many snow covered hills above me. On a whim I turned up the Southern Upland Way trail with a vague notion to pedal up it for a bit and then bomb back down. This is a nice section as its on a good trail which climbs steadily up by the burn. 

The last time I was here was on my ill-fated attempt on the Borders 350 in July 2017. That evening I was in a back pain induced foul mood so didn't really appreciate this fine route. The landscape hereabouts is interesting as well with many narrow glens all joining up and splitting off over various watersheds. At one such confluence, the SUW leaps up a steep slope to avoid a substantial ravine and this was as far as I would be going. 

Looking east on the SUW

Then I noticed a sign indicating a high level route of the SUW back along the way I came. This would rejoin the main track shortly before it leaves the forest hopefully via some nice singletrack. After a bit of map appraisal I thought to myself "how bad could it be?" and started another long push up a big hill. 

This takes you up to the summit of Croft Head at 642m and the path isn't marked on any maps. Odd as it is actually substantial, carved into the hillside in a serious of switchbacks. Soon enough I was into the snow line and the depth steadily increased until it topped out at about 6" as I crested the ridge with evidence of some drifting. The path became quite narrow and the mist came in again hiding the 'best views on the Southern Upland Way' that the sign board at the bottom had promised. Hey ho, it was winter and I was in winter conditions so I wasn't complaining.

Eventually I summited and jumped on the bike, picking my way along a narrow snow filled slot with a substantial slope to my left falling steeply down to my outward route. 



A few ups and downs along a bare ridge surrounded by forestry then led into a fun descent on a grassy trail with plenty of twists and turns. Just out of the snow line it dumped me on a new looking fire road. "That was good" thinks I, only to see another sign off this track down another singletrack. Off and down again, more twisty-turnies, duck down through some trees and out onto another fire road. This then came to a dead end and yet another section of single track followed, descending steadily along the opposite bank of the river to my outward route of the previous evening. Eventually I rejoined this track well pleased that I'd discovered and bagged such a great trail. Then it was an easy roll out back to the road and an easy pedal back to Moffat and a much more pleasant drive home.