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!