In June 2019 I embarked on my first ‘proper’ (by my standards) solo bivvy bag adventure – Bristol to Lands End. It was a straight forward two-day, two-night, two-hundredish mile road bike affair. It was a hoot.
I pretty much took the route, but flipped, starting from my front door in Bristol, and finishing at the heavily touristified hotspot that is Lands End. I travelled light with a big saddle bag and small rucksack. But not as light as would have with hindsight. I packed a book that I didn’t read a page of.
On day 1, I passed through the Mendips and the Quantock Hills. Classic English countryside, as nice as anywhere else to ride a bike. I reached Okehampton by the evening, where I queued up with the Saturday-night takeaway crowd to get a Chinese, then headed down the road to a reservoir on the edge of Dartmoor for a sleep. It was quiet and comfortable, except for the sheep and thistle bush that I was snuggled up with.
Day two got off to a sluggish start, but after a footlong veggie delight at Cornwall services I was feeling enthused for another day of riding. The route that day was lumpier and therefore slower. Which was great because the scenery was so lush. Hillside villages of white houses, and coastal views. Very Cornish. The weather was so nice that I stopped for a nap on an appealing patch of grass. Making it to Lands End itself was somewhat of an anti-climax. Its status as a notable geographical location has led to it being heavily developed, which in my opinion tarnishes the natural beauty of the area. Nevertheless, it is Lands End, so it’s cool. I picked a spot just off the coastal path to sleep.
The following morning I cycled back into Penzance. I washed my armpits in the station toilets, then got a train back to Bristol. Job done!
Here they are two days’ activities if you’d like to take a gander or use for your own trip. I would thoroughly recommend.
Written by Evan Griffiths, BBP Volunteer & Coordinator