January Bivvy

I'd high hopes that this would have been a snowy one and it could have been if I'd headed north. However the prospect of making my way across the Cairngorm Plateau or any other unknown high ground in the dark didn't appeal. Maybe it was because of having just read an account of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue team's operations over many years ('Cairngorm John, A Life in Rescue' - well worth a read), most involving winter, crap weather and darkness.

Anyway after some thought I decided to head for a spot I'd scoped out the previous weekend in the Ochills. I did a (snowy) January bivvy in Glen Quey a year ago so this seemed appropriate. I departed at 4 into the fading light and made my way by various trails and back roads to the hills. It had been frosty that morning but the sun had thawed most of it so there was a fair bit of mud in evidence. I took it easy not wanting to spray mud all over the bike only to have it freeze. Eventually as I started the long climb up to Innerdownie hill I was on firm, frozen ground.

This is a solid push but about the quickest way to my destination. After Innerdownie the trail follows a wide ridge line and passes a small plantation. I had a quick look for a plan B bivvy if my destination proved too drafty. The wind had got up substantially as I gained height and with the just below zero temps it was chilly.

I was aiming for a lone spruce tree which I'd discovered on one of my ski expeditions up here in 2018 and had become a lunch spot on the several other ski trips I made that year. I'd stopped off the previous week on the bike to shelter from a brief snow shower and noted that in amongst the branches there was space to lie down, hidden (hopefully) from the weather. I got to roughly where the tree is and headed off path to find it, conscious that I wasn't totally sure where I was going in the dark. After a couple of false starts the tree loomed suddenly in front of me.

A bit of a kit faff ensued, thanks to this being the first bivvy I've done for a while, but eventually I was settled into my bivvy bag (no tarp!) A groundsheet strung between two branches provided a bit of a wind break but it was pretty bloody chilly. I fired up the stove - a petrol soto which I've hardly used but I wanted something more controllable than my mini meths burner - and made tea. I then lay back reading and drinking the two beers I'd hauled up with me, finishing with a dram or three of whisky from the hip flask. Despite the noise of the wind I went out like a light. I woke briefly at one point to note the wind had dropped then flaked out again. Next thing I knew it was 8am and dawn was breaking.

Morning view, sleeping in the middle of a tree is a new one on me but highly recommended...

Hmm. The stove wasn't playing, I'd just about managed to bring water to the boil when I knocked the pan over. Grinding my teeth I ate a cold breakfast, packed up and got out of there.

The tree. Its self seeded from a large plantation a hundred yards downhill which Ironically has now been clear felled so its all alone.... I've never really seen a sitka on its own as they are usually in the middle of thousands of other ones. They grow much wider and the lower branches are huge.

Looking down to Glen Sherup. There was an inversion which was lifting as I departed leading to much view obscuring cloud appearing.....

In light of my stove incompetence and lack of my usual morning cuppa I headed for Whitewisp hill and an oft used descent down towards Dollar, turning off to pick up my outward route (now frozen solid) back to the house for a much needed breakfast and tea. Total distance only 30 odd miles in about 4 3/4 hours but not bad for a season opener. Hopefully I'll be in the snow next month!