Microadventuring, mini tours etc

should be fixed now, ta

Sounds amazing, no cabins available though, which would mean bunking down in a chair/on the floor?

Is anyone ever going to organise a bit of a forum bikepacking trip? A couple of over Nighters?

I'm up for this, could even do a midweek bivy overnighter

would also be happy to organise in a few weeks!

Nice one.....July 13th I'm doing the West Country way, so it might have to be after this?

Sure, something late July/early August? Have fun on the WCW!

Bearstock was great. Recovering in pub.

Anyone ever wild camped nr cheddar gorge? Anything to watch out for?

yep. In Rowberrow Warren. It's lovely, up high but out of the wind so you'll stay plenty warm, loads of great spots off the trails to pitch a tent or sling a bivvy.

@platypus looks perfect, thanks.

51°19'10.3"N 2°46'21.3"W

or thereabouts!

Stop being so vague! (scribbles down coordinates for trip planning...)

Last week I went for my first tour.
Bristol -> Falmouth over 3 days.
The route was cobbled from the Exmouth Exodus route, LEJOG routes that avoided a roads and a deep seated desire to cross Dartmoor. Not much of a camper before but bike packed (too much) and took a bivy bag. Set off late on the Monday with the run blazing down and aimed for about 60 miles and turned off when there were signs for a campsite, which was empty and I learnt the moon can be offensively bright.

With more sun aimed for 80-100miles, pleasant trundle into Exeter for breakfast before the slow ascent over Dartmoor. A part of me died when I stopped at a co-op in Mortonhampstead which my mind thought was the centre and not the beginning Dartmoor. It was hot and I found myself jealous of the ponies crowded under what little shade there was crossing the top.

I had thought about wild camping but hadn't the confidence, having not planned stop points I ended up in a town that reminded me of how poor Cornwall can be: Doublebois (pronounced boys) with a campsite overhearing the beautiful A38 and on a light industrial estate. Having woken up that day to pure blue skies the next days murk and mist and half out of the bivy bag spurred me on to find somewhere better for breakfast. Making coffee over Carylon bay and wishing I'd continued the day before to what looked like less right next to the a38 campsites.

Arrived in Saint Mawes for 1 for an ice cream and an attempt at finding a crab.

Things I learnt: at least think about where you're going to stop to sleep or commit to wild camping.
I don't completely hate camping and should pluck the courage for wild camping.

Have a few days off next week so might head to the Breacons.

Sounds cool. Route pls?

an attempt at finding a crab.

Did you find one?

Day 1: https://www.strava.com/activities/652146963
Day 2: https://www.strava.com/activities/652145843
Day 3: https://www.strava.com/activities/652105826

And unfortunately despite a further day clambering around the rocks, not a single crab was had.

Cheers, looks good!

The more I wild/stealth camp the more ballsy I get with it. With a bivvy it's so easy to be inconspicuous.
Slept on a beach of a p populated town in France last night - rocked up after dark, left at sunrise. Perfect. (Well, perfect apart from waking up shivvering cause I was right next to the sea, it was cold as ballz, and my sleeping Matt had punctured so was laying straight on the rocmy beach)

I went to go see the stars in Wales. Cobbling together a series of routes from a gifted lost lanes book. Pontypool - Hay on Friday evening.

Started off on canal path to Abergavenny, before the hillier parts. Set off a little too late and ended up racing the sun knowing that trying to pitch a tent for the first time in the dark would be a recipe for tears. Learnt from last month and had planned where I was going to sleeping. Naturally punctured on the path to the campsite next to the Wye. Just about managed to put it up as the owner made comment that most places wouldnt be serving food anymore as I fixed the puncture. Two teachers nearby took pity and offered me the remains of their dutch oven which I sopped up with the remains of some bread I had.

Saw the stars, saw the milky way faintly. Slept happy.

Next day started with a little loop north before breakfast.
https://www.strava.com/routes/6057119

I guess the problem of using the book's routes was that each one had a sort of "feature", and being Wales these were all climbing. Combining the 4 just made for unpleasantness. I was slow but enjoyed the views from Gospell.

Around 6, I ended up cranky and despite the circular route I'd planned ended back on the canal and opted to pootle and watch the herons with a cornetto without worrying about traffic.

Next time: see more stars, plan a better route maybe and start doing audaxes again.

I had a quick 3 days away in the Auvergne region with my Wolverine.

First day, 90km. Easy start in Vichy before heading into the hills forests of the parc naturel régional Livradois-Forez. Sure I planned just short of 1700m of climbing, resulted at 1800, and after adjustment Strava has it at 2100m. Hmm. Been a chilly wet few days and whilst it doesnt rain it is still wet in the forests, and incredibly cold descending.

Second day, 76km. Big climbing day coming over one side of the hills, down into the valley then up, down and up again. Supposed to be just over 1900m, recorded at almost 2000m Strava has it at 2350m. Hmmm. Weather is mostly hot but the forests are still cold and there's some large descents, plenty of stopping - windbreaker on, windbreaker off.

Start the day with these little Japanese filter coffees and some porridge:

Third and final day is an easy downhill, totalling just 70km and planned at 1100m climbing and 1600 down. This time the Garmin and Strava all agree. Day starts with almost all the climbing to get out the valley before heading down into the rolling countryside of the Rhone-Alpes. Hot day and it's nice to leave the cold forests behind

More photos here.

Looks nice!

Looks wonderful!

What was your sleeping arrangement?

Looks like a great trip!

Got anymore info on that coffee? Not seen it before

Slept in campsites, I just took a sleeping bag (440g) and a bivy bag - (450g). Reasoning mainly being that I sleep like crap in a tent regardless - no matter the size, type of floor mat etc. I slept no better no worse than normal :)

For cooking I had a small esbit ti stove, vargo wind stopper, Terra Solo pots and ti fork. came in about 260g + fuel, lighter pushing it over 300g.