2026 Bivvy a Month, again...

It's that time of year again, where I spend far to much time procrastinating on whether or not to start another BAM campaign, then procrastinate on when to do my January bivvy.

This year was my closest to a fail since I started this nonsense. Firstly, I had to miss the Scottish Winter Bivvy, moved to January from its usual December slot, due to family demands. This was a pity as it was at the end of the major snowfall that had blessed my New Year trip. The following weekend was very nice, weather wise. I'd been slated to do a music weekend but this got cancelled at the last minute and for some reason, I couldn't be bothered to go out for a bivvy...

Then I had had to go down to Mum and Dads the following weekend and suddenly, it was nearly February!

I finally made it out last night, on the last night of what has been a full-on month. Apart from the above I've also been written off with a shocker of a cold this last week. As it was the weather for this weekend looked to be yet more grey dreich driven by a cold easterly. This was not the weather to be out in with a head full of snot...

Anyway, I took the bike into work on Friday thinking I might get out later on but as I arrived home, the rain came on and I felt lousy. So in at the death. Saturday ended up being dry, pretty much, so I should have done a decent bike ride but I'm in the middle of a decorating project just now so cracked on with that, plus the Mukluk build (more later). Finally at 5 I headed out. The weather had cleared and it actually promised a decent evening. Of course it did rain, but just a sprinkle of light drops. No drama, just an easy ride along the Fife coast and yet another pitch in Devilla forest, much like last December. The night ended up bone dry and I did appreciate laying back listening to various night time birdies after 4 hectic weeks at work and a load of other stuff.

I do appreciate the opulent luxury of the deschutes when the weather is a bit iffy.

In view of an un-forecasted nice day, I grabbed breakfast at Kincardine and picked my way via various soggy trails to Dollar, grabbed a sarny from the Co-op and headed up one of the Ochills harder climbs.

View to the Forth, home in the middle near to the hill with the aerials on it. This climb is a brute, actually 600m of height gain from it's notional start on Dollar Main street. After a bit of tarmac you get the full joy of a steep track, a steeper path, more track and then the crux - a bars above head thrutch straight up the side of Saddle Hill, followed by a further grind up onto Whitewisp, pushed in it's entirety. 

The hills had been shrouded in cloud but it was lifting as I got up on high, reward for a huge effort to get here. Much sogginess followed to Innerdounie and on the long descent. Sat below the summit eating my sandwich, it was really quite mild as I watched the view opening up around me. As I twiddled the last miles home, the cloud dissipated completely and all the hills were revealed for the first time this year.

So off we go again. Once started, it's easy to keep going (until next November). I'm doing another Alternative Winter event for February, March I'll try and get up to the Cairngorms, although we appear to be having a proper winter so this could be interesting... In April, I've penciled in a Highland Trail ITT. I suspect this won't happen, but I'll try and get a few days away at least. Then it will be the summer...

2025, another year, another load of bike riding

This year has been another one that didn't go quite to plan although more due to my own fault rather than external factors - specifically, injuries and motorcycling! For the first year since 2010 I've failed to do any kind of bike tour / multi day effort and on the subject of failure, I also failed to get beyond Contin on the Highland Trail Group start and failed to make the start of the BB300. I've been down to see Mum and Dad a lot this year and that is partly to blame I suppose but holiday wise, the big news was a motorcycle tour with others, to the Adventure Bike Rider Festival plus a grand UK tour thrown in - my first for many years. 

I have done a lot of miles - 6413 - which is possibly my highest ever. I may have done more in 2015 and 2021 but I didn't keep a complete ride record for both those years so that's just a guess. Ironically, this high mileage was because of my many cycle-less trips south, as I tended to cram miles in at every available opportunity and also ended up doing many rides over 100 miles (18!) and a lot in the 70 - 95 range to boot. So overall a good year and herewith the highlights:

Highest Bivvy:

Near the summit of Tarmangie hill, alt 620m so quite high and a lot higher than previous years.

And another hill top bivvy - Coalcraigy Hill, alt 450m, in an unsuccessful bid to avoid the dreaded midge.

Longest Bivvy ride:

Total = 210 miles split equally either side of a brief kip in my favourite tin hut up near Loch Rannoch. I'll put this down as my best (only) tin hut bivvy and hottest (30 plus degrees)

Best bivvy:

My jaunt over the Monega was a cracker with some fab trails, a great bivvy spot and pretty good weather, despite it being a bit damp and breezy on the ride out. My Cairngorms tour was also a strong contender as yet another variation on the classic Cairngorms tour delivered ace riding, much scenery and even some socialising.

Glen Tilt remains one of my favourite trails.

Worst weather:

I've been rained on a lot this year, despite all the hot weather. The Deschutes has largely shrugged this off so no bivvy disasters, just a bit of dampness to deal with. I've managed plenty of totally dry bivvies and gone bivvy bag only once, so I'm not complaining. No sub zeros this year though!

In total I was out for 14 nights so not a great showing but they were all pretty good nights out, even the wet ones. Apart from the Highland Trail bivvy, all were done from the house and I've many times enjoyed a relaxing night away from home, on my own, with a couple of beers and a book whilst listening to much nature. I can feel myself heading towards being a recluse but part of me doesn't really mind this. That said I've been pretty social this year so there is hope yet!

Ride highlights:

As well as the above I've done a lot of good rides, long and short. In the main, these have also been round my local patch or at least started from home and I have cashed in on what was a stunner of a summer. Winter was a disaster in terms of skiing but the fat bike got a good work out.

Snow and sun is my favourite trail / weather combo

OK, not as much snow (but enough to lead to a hard ride later on) but sun and a temp inversion makes for a fab view during an early season sprinkle.

Sun on a mirror like Loch Katrine doing one of many long rides that the Stormchaser dealt with fabulously.

A blazer of a day (and ride) on NCN 7 between Callander and Killin.

Fun on the Grand Old Dukes gravel sportive in the Trossachs. Actually one of my harder rides this year, although HT Day 1 wins that prize.

Yet another traverse of the Gaik (my 20th or so) which is also favourite trail.

Fallen trees have featured rather heavily on my rides this year, thanks to a couple of big storms. Possibly as a result, I've also managed two catastrophic punctures courtesy of sticks:

Fortunately this one happened fairly close to home, albeit just as darkness was falling. The other happened about as far away from home as I can get whilst still being in Fife - 55 miles into a 110 mile ride...

In terms of other disasters, I've managed to break two ribs this year, one thanks to ice and the other thanks to a miss-timed log hop. I also gave myself a nasty back injury which wrote off one tour and took ages to heal. That said my usual dodgy knee issues haven't caused me much problems, despite all the miles.

So another year passes. I'm 55 next month and starting to formulate retirement plans. This year will hopefully get me out on some multi day trips, I've penciled in an ITT on the Highland Trail for the end of April / beginning of May and I'm off round the southern end of Ireland on the motorbike at the end of May. Visits to parents will continue in order to keep Mum sane and Dad amused. Other than that, I'll be doing another BAM, get out on one of my seven bikes at every available opportunity and also try to crack the 6000 mile barrier.

Happy trails!