February’s BAM+ was much closer to home. Back out on the bike I had a route of about 25km planned, but I ended up cutting one of the extra bits off because the ground was so wet I couldn’t be bothered. The off road sections that remained were so waterlogged I was wheelspinning across flat grass fields, pedalling very gingerly through pedal deep flooded sections of path, and hugging the edge of the path trying to keep my socks dry while pushing my bike through hub deep puddles.
Somehow, despite my shoes not being waterproof I managed to keep my feet dry through it all – I felt certain that at some point a single misstep would make all the effort pointless.
Later than expected due to my slower pace I arrived at the campsite – though campsite is a bit generous really, it’s a strip of land at the edge of a farmers field on which you’re allowed to camp.
A farmers field which turned out to be completely waterlogged. Which was unexpected given its location at the top of a hill, but I guess it is just really poorly draining ground.
I was surprised to find I wasn’t the only one there – a group of teenagers were already set up in the giant mud pit.
Between the sodden ground and the existing residents I briefly thought about giving up and going home. But I picked my way across the field and stopped to chat to the group and despite them freely telling me that they were very high on mushrooms they seemed nice enough! They thought they were going to be the only ones and I was the interloper who scared them and disturbed their peace!
This was my first time out on the bike after a while off due to being ill and by the time I found a spot to pitch my tent I realised I was pretty knackered. I’d unexpectedly started to reach that stage of tiredness where I couldn’t make a decision.
I managed to find a sheltered and relatively dry spot in the deep hedgerow at the end of the field, which was more of a strip of woodland as a boundary between the fields. I assumed this was fine to camp on as well.
I rationed the water I’d carried with me, reluctant to traipse back across the field in search of a tap and had just enough for dinner, breakfast, a coffee and a sip of drinking water.
Because my spot was so sheltered and the weather very mild I ended up only needing the four corner pegs for my X-Mid, which made bringing my extra ‘storm kit’ of extra pegs etc feel rather silly – I should have actually looked at the wind forecast!
I was glad to have my new winter bag though as despite the forecast being for low single digits I woke with frost on the tent and my Garmin said it was below 0º, I think -2º.
I packed up leisurely, made some coffee and ambled out of the trees to the edge of the field and was met with a subtle but lovely view over the local area with some low lying mist in the shallow valley ahead.
On the way out I chatted with my mushroom friends and gathered they’d had a good but chilly night.
I chose a different way home, avoiding the Kentish bogs I’d struggled through the night before. I followed a direction I thought felt about right and soon enough I recognised where I was.
It felt great to get out – really refreshing. I laughed and whooped to myself as I rode home. It had been much less than 24 hours but it felt like so much more. I still get surprised by the effectiveness of an overnighter out on foot or by bike.