Inspired by the team at Alpkit and by Alistair Humphreys I decided to go for a microadventure. By chance my diary had an 18 hour slot with appointments either side of the Brecons and it seemed logical (which says a lot!) to spend the night part of it on top of a hill in a bivvy bag. After poring over maps I settled on Llangattock as a good place to go.
Leaving work I looked like a technical consultant (or as close as a technical consultant as I ever look), but a quick change in the gents at Waitrose in Monmouth, and I was MicroAdventureMan. (For the record: Tech T-shirt, Ronhills, Inov8 Roclite 315s). I stocked up with snacks for the night and drove over to the carpark at Llangattock and packed my stuff ready for a (maybe drizzly) night on the top.
Into my much loved Osprey Talon 33 went:
- Hunka bivvy bag and Snugpak summer sleeping bag, all in a drybag.
- Thermarest Prolite 3 Short
- OMM Kamleika Jacket and Trousers
- Spare mid layer
- Helly leggings
- Odds and ends (Swiss army knife, M&S plasic spork, headtorch, folding bowl)
- Micro brew kit (100g Gas cylinder, Markill Peak Ignition Stove, the ingenious Halulite micro potholder, 4 teabags, all stuffed into an Alpkit MyTiMug)
- Food (couscous, dried sausage, snack bars, porridge)
- Water bottle
- Whisky
I also had my new toy, a cheap tiny waterproof mini video camera from Kodak, which I used to record my exploits.
Setting off at about 1900, I walked along under the cliffs and then up onto the open moorland. The sun was shining, although there was rain forecast for early evening, followed by a dry night. I was soon up on the top, enjoying the freedom and wide open spaces. I has originally planned to walk up and round the lakes, but as I was heading that way the drizzle started and the fog rolled up from the valley, and I decided to look for somewhere to sleep for the night.
Setting off at about 1900, I walked along under the cliffs and then up onto the open moorland. The sun was shining, although there was rain forecast for early evening, followed by a dry night. I was soon up on the top, enjoying the freedom and wide open spaces. I has originally planned to walk up and round the lakes, but as I was heading that way the drizzle started and the fog rolled up from the valley, and I decided to look for somewhere to sleep for the night.
It took me longer than I'd expected to find somewhere with a bit of shelter from the wind, and that wasn't knee deep in sheep poo! Having wandered down a couple of side valleys (nice sleeping spots, but no view in the morning!) I found a little crease in the ground just on the top edge of the escarpment. Grassy and more or less flat, it looked fine. I dumped my bag and waited for the rain to stop.
It didn't! So I made a brew and had a wander in the drizzle and wandered back. And it was still raining. I was starting to get a bit worried. The prospect of having to set up a bivvy in the pouring rain wasn't a great one, but eventually it stopped... and the wind came up! My original spot suddenly felt a bit exposed, so I moved 50 yards to a slightly deeper crease in the moorland and set about making a place for the night.
I got out my bivvy bag (sleeping bag already inside) and put the thermarest inside it, and set about making some supper. Flavoured couscous with lots of sliced sausage, all made in a bowl. It rained again on and off as I ate, but I pulled the bivvy bag, stiffened by the thermarest, over my head, and enjoyed the quiet and the dusk.
Then to bed. Wet ronhills off and dry hellys on. I found that with the thermarest inside the bivvy bag space was limited, and the bag crushed the sleeping bag against my thigh and hip, making me cold. So after a short while I took the mat out and slid it under the bivvy bag. Much more room and warmth. The insects were biting, so I pulled my buff over my face. Insect repellent or a head net would have been better!
Despite a distant rumble of thunder, the night was dry and I slept well and awoke to sunshine and blue sky and singing skylarks and croaking ravens. I made a brew and looked at the view and then snoozed some more, in no hurry to get up (or down off the hill). I was still full from the night before, so skipped porridge and just nibbled some more sausage for breakfast. At about 0730 I got up properly. By then the sun was shining on my little valley, and I spread everything out to dry before packing it all up and heading back to the car. As I got going a Red Kite ghosted along the ridge, riding the updraft. One of my favourite sights!
I got down at about 0900, having not seen a soul since I'd left the previous evening. A wash and shave and some clean clothes in the services on the M4 restored me to my daytime alter ego, and I went off to my next meeting, relaxed and smiling.
A great night :-)
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Things I learned:
Here's my video log:
Despite a distant rumble of thunder, the night was dry and I slept well and awoke to sunshine and blue sky and singing skylarks and croaking ravens. I made a brew and looked at the view and then snoozed some more, in no hurry to get up (or down off the hill). I was still full from the night before, so skipped porridge and just nibbled some more sausage for breakfast. At about 0730 I got up properly. By then the sun was shining on my little valley, and I spread everything out to dry before packing it all up and heading back to the car. As I got going a Red Kite ghosted along the ridge, riding the updraft. One of my favourite sights!
I got down at about 0900, having not seen a soul since I'd left the previous evening. A wash and shave and some clean clothes in the services on the M4 restored me to my daytime alter ego, and I went off to my next meeting, relaxed and smiling.
A great night :-)
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Things I learned:
- the solitude of a night on the mountains is lovely (ok - I already knew that!)
- take spare socks for sleeping in (and plastic bags for keeping them dry in the morning)
- Roclites make good walking shoes!
- I need to work out exactly how to keep the rain out of the Hunka, without suffocating!
- insect repellent and a headnet would be useful!
- for my bivvy (Hunka) and mat (Thermarest Prolite short) it is better to have the mat outside the bag.
- find a spot where the sun will hit you in the morning.
Here's my video log:
Enjoyed that thanks
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