Tuesday, 17 December 2024

Scottish Winter Bivvy 2024

A large amount of procrastination on my part preceded this ride. Various options were considered including an actual bivvy as well as various bothies. But bothies are becoming more popular so the chances of getting one to ourselves, or even space in one, were slim and the typically variable December made a real bivvy less favoured. Jimmy came to the rescue doing a fine job of Tin Pot Dictator and named Auldhame Castle as the venue, on the East Lothian Coast. Bothies? Pah!

After the epic tales from the South Wales crew, braving storms and pub outdoor seating areas, the weekend looked set fine, at least for the Saturday into Sunday morning. So I had a fine ride from home to North Berwick. The fog of the previous week had finally gone and it was a cool, breezy and sunny day.

Once again I battled through Edinburgh (third time this year) and noted a shiny new cycle route linking the end of the Roseburn Cycleway to almost Fountainbridge. I believe they intend to punch it right through to the Meadows one way or another. My route was as per a trip out to meet up with my folks back in September 2022 who had a holiday cottage near East Linton. It was strange to think a mere 2 years ago, Dad was capable of walking, driving and generally living life as much as his age allowed. Now is a very different story.

So as then, I followed NCN's 1 and 76 eastwards. Mussleburgh provided a Baynes Bakers (South of the river, I ask you!) for a late lunch then it was more fine cycleways including the Pencaitland railway path which is still nice and gravelly. Dark O'clock occurred on the back roads just before Haddington and I carried onto East Linton as I was in plenty of time for our notional 5pm meet up at the Ship in North Berwick. Sure enough, Justin was in residence, Dave incoming and Jimmy preparing our accommodation.

Beers were drunk and chips were eaten then off to the spot via the inevitable Co-op. A bit of nosing around then the castle loomed out of the dark. Jimmy had a fire going in the 'fire place' (ahem) and fairy lights up! Well I know what we say about fires but this would do no harm to any flora or fauna and given that the castle would have been built by local slave labour for some posh, rich git, it seemed fitting that four reprobate bikepackers squatted in it for a night, with a fire to warm our ageing bones. So there.

Much conviviality followed, probably why I ended up drinking too much as it's the first social I've had in a long time....


We crashed out at 12 (literally in my case as I tripped over Dave's sleeping bag heading for the loo and measured my length - I blame the whisky) and I slept soundly until just after 8.

Quite a pile in it's day.

I got packed up before the full force of the hangover struck. Dave, Jimmy and Justin were heading to Dunbar - Dave for his wagon and the others for the train but I felt I had to cycle all the way home as penance for abusing my body so. Plus, to be honest, I didn't trust myself on a train in case my breakfast made a re-appearance. 

So a lengthy ride followed, my body on a go slow, my head louping, and a stiff breeze in my face. This built as my hangover receded. I was trying to follow the John Muir Way East but the sections signed for cyclists just seem to be on the (main) road. Occasionally the footways were signed as shared use but it was all a bit haphazard, not helped by my limited mental capacity. The various walkers I encountered must have been horrified by this apparition cycling towards them - eyes like p*ssholes in the snow and a grey complexion... I stopped for a snooze near Prestonpans (it was now 12 or 13 degrees) but after a brief rest, sleep was far away so I kept going.

As I ground along, I made a ferverent hope - "please don't get a puncture" - I'd probably just roll off the bike into a ditch and stay there. Sure enough, pedaling along the innocent railway, there was an almighty hiss and sealant sprayed everywhere. Fortunately the hangover had largely receded by this time so I set to as it was quite a slash, caused by broken glass, no doubt. This lasted to the meadows and the plug actually came out - a first for me, leading to more sealant spray... I used one of those WTB bullets and that seemed to do the trick. 

Leaving Embra it was a full on gale. I stopped at the garage just south of the bridge for a much needed bottle of coke which my stomach accepted with reluctance, but this seem to settle it down. Not sure what the shop assistant and his mates thought of this stumbling wreck though! I nearly ended up in the Forth going over the bridge as huge gusts were battering me all the way across and the handrail suddenly looked somewhat weedy. Relieved to survive that lot, and with my appetite back, Greggs in Inverkeithing was a lifesaver fueling the final miles up the hill back home. Total distance 200k!

Cheers to Jimmy for organising and cheers to the others for putting up with me....

And another BAM complete! Fair to say there were a few close shaves this year with one thing and another. Roll on BAM 25!

Thursday, 5 December 2024

November Bivvy

Well I survived my November Bivvy although it was looking a bit marginal at one point. I'd meant to head out on Friday night but the weather looked better for Sat / Sun so I decided to delay, always a bad idea. Plus I got distracted by a motorbike but that's another story...

Still, it was dry as I left the house with stars showing, so I was feeling pleased with my timing decision at this point. But by the time I'd entered Glendevon woods there was a hint of rain in the air and I was a mite concerned that the stiff south westerly might make my planned spot (as per February, March and July) a bit drafty. When I got there it seemed sheltered enough so I got pitched up. Haute cuisine followed, B-in-B pasta and smoked sausage, and a few beers. By this time it was blowing a gale and although the wind wasn't hitting the tarp too much (the Deschutes thank goodness, given what was coming), it was noisy! I figured whisky would help me sleep, which it did.

Until 2.30am when I woke up to the sound of torrential rain and even more wind. I had a quick look around under the tarp and all seemed well, apart from a few drops of rain on the bivvy bag. I actually checked the weather forecast to get an idea of how long this would last - light winds and light rain until 6 according to the beeb... I contemplated abandoning wood, but I wanted to do a decent ride in the area the next day so buried my head under the pillow and tried to sleep, grumbling about the fact that this is the third time I've had a wet and windy night in these woods, and I really should choose my spots with more care. Anyway, the rain eased off after about an hour and although the wind was still fierce sleep followed. I eventually surfaced at 9.30, albeit having woken up a few more times when a particularly big gust hit me, so actually a pretty good kip all in all. A quick check suggested all was dry, bag-wise so I made tea, ate sausage and cheese then departed.


A perfect gap for the wind to blow in....

I headed to Auchterarder via various easy trails for a Co-op meal deal (I am now a member, wonder if they will sponsor me?) then it was off onto new ground.

I've pedaled past the start of a track off the Dunning road up the south side of the Ochills a few times over the years. It's a dead end but I was fairly sure I'd find an onward route off the end of it. A lengthy climb followed on a good track, dodging the prodigious cowpats, the perpetrators of which I'd passed at the bottom of the track, safely locked up in a byre. At the track end, I pushed up through a field, aiming for a block of forestry through which I hoped to find a route.


Riding the good stuff.
 I rode through this lot and contemplated my next moves.


This was where I wanted to get to - i.e. the summit of this hill - but how? The direct route looked to be a lot of descent then a large climb through more delightful tussocks so instead I contoured round to the forest. After climbing over a gate I found an old track down to a nice little pond. Windblow blocked one end but I picked my way round to the other end picking up another forest track and another lengthy climb for a view of lots of low cloud on the summit of Simpleside hill. Next time I'll use this track from the bottom... A bit of nose following led to a new track through a load of carbon credit scam forestry that went in a couple of years ago. I'd walked around here last summer so knew roughly where to go, although subsequent map appraisal suggests I could have avoided a long length of more tussock hopping. However I eventually made it to Corb law then another new track to where I'd been earlier. Odd patches of dreich blew in and it had been hard going at times but good training for
 the Highland Trail which I'm in for again next year. 

Home was via a usual route, reflecting that I was glad to get that one in, at the last minute. It's about the only crap weather I've had on a bivvy all year so I can't complain. But so much for a sub-zero bivvy, it was 13 degrees today!