Bear Bones Winter Event 2024
In early January I travelled over to Wales to ride the annual Bear Bones Winter Event, an annual event since 2012. I have made it to the start every year somehow avoiding poor health, weather or travel conditions making the trip perhaps unsafe.
The organiser, Stuart, sends all entrants a list of grid references on Christmas eve based around a theme. Themes have included Spar supermarkets, river fords, churches and chapels, or a trip to a remote bridge in the Elan valley or the town of Machynlleth. Riders set off in small groups or solo with no defined route to spend two days in early January pottering around mid Wales visiting some or none of the grid references that the organiser has put together.
Start is at a community centre with tea, coffee and toast supplied along with a memento associated with the event. Caps, flasks, buffs have been handed out, this year as power sources was the theme a powerbank was handed out. A number of the riders only meet at these get-togethers so start can be delayed as past months are caught up.
Eventually everyone sets off to return to tea, toast and cake the following day.
This year I ended up doing the same ride as last year up to the Nant Rhys mountain bothy. I had missed five of the previous eight weeks on the bike due to health or holiday and I was not feeling fit. I would be carrying plenty of warm clothing and food on my loaded bike.
I set off about 1030am heading south along lumpy roads before the long climb from Pennant to Staylittle in sunny weather. The forecast was for a few showers during the day but it was lovely, if a bit cold. It was 19km before the first off-road section but I had already been out nearly an hour and a half. Heading up the familiar track through Hafren Forest I recalled my first time here in 2008 riding the Trans Cambrian route with a friend, Nigel, headed in the opposite direction. Also, around 2015 arriving late on in the evening of the RAC car rally knowing that a reroute for us was a long diversion. We decided to ride the few hundred metres to our turn, we would hear any cars coming, wouldn't we? All passed off fine.
The climb through the forest is long and steady and looking to my right I could see across the valley and up towards the source of the river Severn. Climb over, I could see down to the Sweet Lamb moto cycle complex and the other side of the valley where I was headed. Now, though, I could also see dark clouds ahead of me but also some blue to my left and right. It was colder too. I ensured all my zips were up and plunged down the hairpins and onto the gentler slopes down to the main road. Across the road and I started my third long climb of the day. It was a gentle enough start but further up I began to struggle and eventually I was off the bike and pushing, something I have not had to do on this climb before. Eventually I reached the top and just a descent to the bothy. A local fella out for a couple of hours caught me here and he said he caught some rain as he was leaving home only 4 miles from where I had been. It was almost warm now as I reached the bothy and my home for the night. I dumped some stuff and headed back out to collect some water for the night from a nearby stream.
I thought I might be alone as most people were likely riding further north of where I was. There was also the chance of other adventurers but I hoped not, first weekend of the year and maybe folks wanted a relaxing weekend at home. I had bought my KIndle and was planning to enjoy Claire Keegan's 'Antartica' during the evening over hot chocolate and whisky.
I was settled in, had read the notice board regarding walkers and cyclists only and not being permitted to arrive by vehicle driving, and the kettle was on when a car appeared outside! Have I stumbled into a party weekend? The bothy has a reputation for it. A fella emerged from the vehicle and he did not look a party animal and then two more middle aged outdoor type guys and I relaxed a little. It turns out the assistant Maintenance Officer for the bothy and three of his chums were here to clear up any mess after Christmas and New Year and stay the night.
The bothy was clean, surprisingly so. the week after Christmas and New Year. The bothy book showed a few people had been around and all the wood had been used. The Asst MO and chums had come ready with supplies, wood, 20kg of coal and plenty of beer, burgers and steaks. We spent a pleasant evening together talking about the outdoors, other bothies in the area, past and future trips and putting th world to rights - if only people would listen to us. One of the crew had bought a thermometer. At one stage it was -2F outside but hit 28F with the stove going. The next morning it was still 14F in the room.
It was a slow morning having breakfast of porridge and coffee and packing up.The ground was hard with frost and intended to be very cautious on the descents and even the road which had a little ice on it the day before. However, it turned out a glorious day as I returned on the more downhill route and back to base for tea, toast, cake and more chatter with the other riders.
For anyone with 17 minutes to spare this is a link to a Youtube film made by one of the other riders who was out that weekend who rode further and stayed in more luxurious accommodation than I did: