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So had been planning my first solo bikepacking trip for sometime, to coincide with a few days off for my birthday. Evenings spent googling routes and places, hours spent scanning the OS map and then plotting my route on Komoot. The living room ended up being covered in my gear, packed, repacked and added and taken stuff out.
The day came, so started my trip from Bishops Lydeard, alighting the 1950s steam train, slightly later than I wanted after missing the first train. It took about an hour and half to get to Minehead, but who cared?! Travelling through beautiful scenery and snoozing from the rhythmic chug of the train.
Finally arrived in sunny Minehead, and off I went. The first climb was a killer, up along the coast on a bridleway. Some of it had to be pushed due to the sheer gradient, and rather chatty couple laughed at me as they said they were doing it the correct way as they headed in to Minehead.
As I came out on the the Moor not too far from Selworthy, the sun was shining still and the views were stunning. The bridleway was an easy pedal as I headed up to Selworthy Beacon. As I reached Selworthy, the views were fantastic, and I could not wait to descend down in to Bossington. Here the trail was great fun, rooty and rocky single track. I descended quickly in to Bossington, then along the road to Porlock and finally Porlock Weir for lunch. Blue cheese toastie, lemon drizzle and a pot of tea. I did grab some mini chocolate croissants to go with my coffee the next morning...these would later be a god send!
The climb out of Porlock Weir was a killer. Up via the toll road then off along a Bridleway, which was so narrow and steep I had to push my bike with me straddling either side of the tiny track. As I came out on to the road near Culbone, the heavens opened and the wind was whipping in.
I descended from Culbone along a track with fantastic views, but the weather really was howling now with the rain driving in sideways. I descended down to Robbers Bridge, where I then headed up a bridleway which would take me right up on the moor. It was awful.
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Once on the moor there were no clues as to where the bridleway was, along with the soft long grass making cycling a nightmare. I scanned the horizon (or what I could see of it due to mist and rain) for a gate. I luckily found this and the moor got a lot worse!
Over a high exposed part of the moor, the bridleway again disappeared. Komoot saying one thing, the OS map saying another and my eyes not agreeing with any of them. The grass became a really thick and knee high, the ground a black quagmire. I skirted the field, along a 5 ft high wall with another ft of wire atop. I found the spot where the OS map said the bridleway was. Chucked my bike and gear over, only to find a sign on the other side saying 'Bridleway Gate 250 yards left'. B**ger.
Again, no sign of the bridleway, so used my compass to head down through the fields of bog and thick grass. Luckily I found a track dissecting my route. I found where I was, then followed the new trackway. Now the wind and rain was biblical! I also found a lucky horseshoe...wasnt to prove so lucky though.
Along the beech lined track, branches were falling off, the mist made visibility very limited and I was drenched. After a few miles, it was clear making my campsite could be tricky, along not knowing if it was an all beech tree area. I didn't want to camp under beech trees in this wind!
Here, I made my decision...I phoned my other half and she would pick me up in Exford in an hour. It was getting dark, the rain and wind not abating. The last few miles were a slog, but luckily the final part was down a road off the moor and in to Exford. Where I quickly got my gas stove on for a hot chocolate. I changed out of my waterproof jacket and top and put on my dry baselayer, fleece and down jacket. Those chocolate croissants went down well with the hot chocolate as I sheltered and waited at Exford bus shelter.
I completed 24miles with nearly 4000ft of climbing.
I will do the route again, but avoid the top of the moor and skirt around the open moor using the valleys.
I may look in to some decent waterproof trousers.
I think I was a little too ambitious with my planning, so a scaled down route next time.
Was gutted to have failed on my first solo trip, but I'll give it another crack in finer weather.
Has anyone else had a failed bikepacking trip like mine?
I failed to start, so you are already doing better than I did!
Oh yes! As the saying goes: "The man who never made a mistake never learnt anything"!
Any route out of Porlock is steep!
I've been up that BW onto the moor on the Braunton 150 ITT, only to promptly head back to the same valley you've just left about 3km downstream. I got hit by one of that year's named storms as I got up onto the moor. Heading across one of the fields I decided to use the fence to steady myself to get past a boggy bit. Unfortunately it was an electric fence and live!
A general tip is that those sweeping lines of green dashes on the map tend not to exist on the ground. Use the OS 1:25k maps, the green dashes signify a ROW, black dashes (single or double) a physical track, you want the two together (or nearly so) and you'll have a better chance of being able to ride. There's no guarantee of course that the track isn't a metre deep in mud.
The best stuff I've found to bivy behind in that area is gorse. Breaks the wind up nicely and tends to be on drier ground. Farmland just tends to be exposed and the woods are in steep sided valleys so finding a good spot isn't easy.
Still you got out and had an adventure.
File under “character building”.
🙂
It's not a failure if you learnt anything for the future.
I started a 300km trip a few weeks ago and only managed 35km of it before calling it a day.
Mate, you got out and had an adventure so #winning. Maybe get OS locate app on your phone so you can quickly relocate and be sure where you are on the map.
Top trip I’d say, you got out and had an adventure away from normal routines, what it’s all about for me. Best worst day ever!
It's a success if you get out and do something.
Check the forecast next time tho 🙂
Best worst day ever!
Sums it up really. Well done
Reminds me of the day when I bivied on a slope near the base of one of the higher gritstone crags in the peak district and woke up 10m further down the slope having sledged down the hill in my bivy bag ripping holes in the bag in the process. I’d also assumed that I would wake early with the sun but not counted on it being foggy and sleeping in a couple of hours later than planned and being late for work (and still very muddy).
You live and learn? The biggest mess ups make the best stories (The only Chris Bonnington quote worth repeating: ‘Think of the book rights’)
had mixed fortunes with komoot, it does sometimes link "paths and tracks" together that don't actually exist in the real world. bikepacking sure is a learning curve. my first trip my waterbottles froze overnight, but i was on a trail i knew well so it worked out ok!
Old climber's trick: if it's going to be cold overnight turn your water bottles upside down then the ice forms at the "bottom" of the container leaving the neck clear. 😉
I usually go and recce an area first, then pack appropriately depending on what i find.
I’m finding nowadays though that im just as happy to go out for a brew then head home late in the evening (like 1-2am).
No such thing as a wasted trip, even if the only thing you learned is that particular spot wasn’t suitable.
I also use OS locate.
Whitestone, i like your thinking.
It was a great day I must admit. With the hours spent planning it, that also made it feel like a real adventure.
I'll look in to the OS map app. I did map the route with Komoot along with a physical OS map, trying to avoid the footpaths and 'other' routes it tried mapping out for me.
Stupidly I did think I could avoid the incoming weather while out on the moor just long enough to get me down in and along the Barle, where it would be sheltered. How wrong I was!
Strange time of year for it. Not that summer was any drier! Personally if I was doing bike packing I'd stick to surfaced tracks as grass and mud are shite when you're carrying your life on the bike.
When you're old and can no longer get on your bike you will look back on this as a good day.
Exmoor is my local patch, sounds like you had a proper adventure and if this was last weekend then fair play as that weather was terrible! You did the sensible thing in not camping. Start planning the next trip I say...
Cheers NT. Going to redo the planned one, but avoiding that high bit of moor. All a learning curve though, so onwards and upwards (though no Porlock climb upwards!) All the gear on the bike worked out well with my bodges etc. Plus I think I packed everything I would have needed.
<div class="bbp-reply-author"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.8rem;">It was a great day I must admit. With the hours spent planning it, that also made it feel like a real adventure.</span></div>
<div>Read to me like you had a great time 👍</div>
Looks like to forums gone wonky 🤷♂️🤪
Sounds a great memory 🙂
I like Strava for route planning. You can set the route planner to show the global heat map.
If there is nothing on the Strava heat map I'd want to see something that is obviously a track on Google maps before riding my bike there 🙂
Calling it in daft weather is better than calling mountain rescue or 999
Good job OP, I sometimes like being out in those conditions, if only because nobody in their right mind should be!
If I learned anything from my forays with the camping gear, it is:
1) Enjoy the planning stages, they might be the only bit you enjoy!
2) Similarly, enjoy the talking about it after!
3) Don't use backpacking trips as an opportunity to explore mythical 'forgotten roads' or suspected hidden singletrack, here be hike-a-bike!
4) If it's longer than a couple of days, don't entirely eschew the company of others, 5 days by yourself can get miserable...
Sounds like a type 2 fun trip. I learn still learn something on pretty much every trip, sometimes big, sometimes small
Better to get out than not
Given the choice between the wrong bike packing route and the the wrong gender neutral toilet
No choice
I'm envious of your 'failure'* OP as I've never done a BP trip & but wished I had when I could be arsed with tents.
Like I've said for years, 'If you don't go, you'll never know'
* you didn't fail.
Well I enjoyed reading your post and you’ve still had a proper adventure! I like the OS maps app when I’m not sure if I’m on the trail or not.
Thanks, I enjoyed that, I've not had a bikepacking adventure this year and think now might be too late in the year for me.
I think you just needed more chocolate croissants! As you know bro, the worst times are the times most told about afterwards (think man with shotgun!)
I've just got into bike packing this year. Had enough trips out now to start each one wondering whats going to go wrong this time 😂 just roll with it. It's part of the fun and makes for a good story when you get back.
That’s not a failure in my book, and we’ve all done similar, the important thing is you learnt things.
I scratched from Tuscany Trail 2016 on day 1 with concussion. I’d gone prepped for sunny days and hot temps, I got flood warnings!!!
In 2017 I scratched from Act5 #1 day 1 after badly packing my saddle bag and blowing my knee out, took 36 hours before I could walk again.
Well done OP, file in the adventure category.
I popped my bikepacking cherry this year with a trip to the lakes in September -a few observations from me:-
1. Started quite late in the day (4pm) reckoned on 4 hours of daylight being good for a first trip, 3 hour (ish) ride followed by setup/ food prep etc...
2. Used trails I knew quite well, so no real navigational or rideability issues
3. Kind of expected it, but riding a loaded bike was a bit of a pain - no dropper due to bag and the hills dragged a bit
4. Checked for a nice kind forecast -probably would have just done a day ride if the forecast was bad
5. It was a long night - dark by about 8, listened to a podcast and watched the stars, poss could have done with more 'entertainment'
6. Should have practiced tarp setup at home - worked ok, but Ray Mears need not fear for his job 😉
7. Kit was OK, mainly used what I have, only thing that annoyed me was my stove and gas cannister which were a pain to pack and not great quality.
8. Not sure solo bikepacking is for me, have bivied in small groups before and a lot more fun, plus can split the load a bit, I found the evening dragged though, think I like company...
9. Clear night and no moon - stars were flipping awesome (and I had plenty of time to look at them!)
Pretty sure I'll do it again, might look for a partner in crime though, and will invest in better kit for cooking.
There's a good thread over on Bearbones about the differences between solo and social bivvies. Happily, I like both options. Solo gives the flexibility to change plans and pace according to mood without needing to compromise. It can mean long nights though, especially up here in the Winter.
Think I probably just need to adapt to it a little bit, I generally prefer solo riding for the reasons you listed, and it was nice not to have a faff around in the morning. I'll pack a jigsaw next time 😉
@andyxm - this time of year possibly isn't the best time to be learning these things!
Tarps: I find you just need one or two setups that you can have dialed and that you can do when tired and in the dark.
A good whisky helps as well.
I had packed a half whittled spoon and a knife as I thought the evening may be long and lonely.
It does give me time to practice tarp setups. I had worked out one way with the bike if camping on the ground, but was really hoping to use my hammock. Next time though.
Has anyone seen the overnight bikepacking trips on bikepacking.com?
Has anyone seen the overnight bikepacking trips on bikepacking.com?
Yes, I'd noticed the project. The problem here in the UK is that since wild camping is illegal in England (apart from Dartmoor) publicly posting such routes has the potential of creating problems in the areas around the bivy spots. At the moment many landowners are either ignorant of people bivvying on their land or turn a blind eye to the low numbers, true some are the archetypal "get off my land" but thankfully they are the minority (or lumped in with the ignorant!).
As for using the bike to set up a tarp, this is how I do it. The angle in the back of the tarp is caused by the line to the bike's handlebars. You might think the bike would lift up but it takes a surprising amount of pull to do that.
Seriously - get over to the BearBones forum for all the trip write-ups, hints, tips and general shit that gets discussed 🙂
https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/index.php
Just registered Scotroutes. Cheers for that!