This one was marginally less dull than June (from a readers perspective that is, I enjoyed it immensely!) and as the crow flies, not too far away from my spot then. As usual I'd ignored a good forecast for the Sunday into Monday (local holiday) which would have made a fine night to sleep out. Instead I figured on grabbing one this weekend, knowing it would be my last chance for July.
Inevitably the forecast all week was showing much rain for the weekend. Various local sheltered spots were considered but suddenly the beeb was going on about 0% chance of rain from 6pm Friday onwards after a dry day with maybe an odd shower in the afternoon. This equated to a heavy shower coming in just as I got ready to go, as per every working day recently - how does the weather know! Anyway after getting sprinkled on a bit I managed to avoid any serious rain on a (marginally) different route into the hills. I was after a bit of elevation again and possibly somewhere breezy to keep the midges away.
Which took me to here, after a couple of hours of pedaling and pushing...
Berry Hill looking down Gleneagles, alt 430m. I'd actually scoped out a couple of spots lower down from here on a walk I'd done the previous week. But the large number of flies around suggested this wouldn't be very pleasant and a higher and breezier spot should keep them off me. In view of a couple of bivvy epics last year in this same circumstance I stood for 5 minutes gauging the wind, figuring it should be OK given a forecasted drop overnight.
Tarp up and in, water on to boil. I noted a large cloud slowly advancing and sure enough, it started to rain. This went on and off for around two hours eventually drying up properly at 9. This was a bit annoying given the forecast but I was dry under the tarp and given that this is the first rain on a bivvy I've experienced since March, I can't complain. I'll moan though! The breeze also increased - good for chasing away the squadron of flies that had followed me up the hill, but the tarp was flapping somewhat and the ultra light pole bending alarmingly. Shades of my July '22 bivvy...
Thereafter I was able to check out the views to the Perthshire and Stirlingshire hills until sunset. By the time I was sipping some whisky as a nightcap, the breeze had dropped off and a pleasant night followed. Oddly; at first light when I got up to go to the loo, it was completely still but not a midge to be seen! I lay awake watching the sun rise thinking I should get going as it was due to rain at 11 but as usual zonked out again.
Clouds lifting out of the Almond Strath, much as last time. The sharp eyed will note these three photos are largely the same, I told you it was a dull bivvy! Breakfast was made followed by some of the multitude of blaeberries in the heather around me (a well named hill then) So off up more hills, then down the Gannel Burn descent which is actually pretty techy in places - about the only one hereabouts and actually a good-'un, including a couple of rocky, steppy chutes worthy of Torridon back in May! Then home via various trails.
Compared to last year my riding has been pretty local over the last 7 months, HT excepted. Mind you it was 30 degrees this time last year and the wildly variable weather this summer has made trip planning a bit tricky. Next month I might try and get up to the Cairngorms and September should see my usual cycle tour so hopefully a better read over the next few months!
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