A Bivy Adventure in the Brecon Beacons
At OceanRock Adventure, our commitment to outdoor education goes beyond simply teaching others; it begins with our team. We’re a group of people who love the outdoors – it’s the reason we do what we do. So, midweek in October, we bailed out of the office, put on our rucksacks, and headed to the Brecon Beacons.
The Journey
Recently, our team all went on a memorable bivvy adventure in the heart of the Brecon Beacons. The adventure kicked off early in the morning, with the team traveling to the start point north of the Llwyn-on Reservoir. From there, we organised our kit and began with a hike, refining our skills of navigation, pacing, and timing. The weather was temperamental throughout, we had lovely moments of sun and clear sky as well as lots of time with our waterproofs on, navigating through the boggy terrain to find a the perfect location for camp.
Bivvying
After a few hours hiking and looking at multiple potential spots to camp, we settled on a location which had a supply of fresh running water. Now it was time to sort out our campsite. We’d opted to try a new form of camping for most of us: bivvying – a minimalist form of camping that involves sleeping without any shelter. You are simply in a waterproof bag which surrounds your sleeping bag.
Once we were at camp, we unpacked, set up our little tarp and stoves to cook our evening meal, and shared hot drinks after collecting water from the stream nearby. Then for dinner, we enjoyed our Firepot dehydrated meals, testing out their new flavours out in the wild, so that we can give participants the best recommendations for their expedition foods.
As it got dark, the team settled down to enjoy some much needed “tarp time” (only to be kept awake by the sound of snoring from one member of the group!), but we were blessed with a beautiful, clear, star-lit sky. As the sun rose, the team awoke, enjoying the warmth of the sun after the colder nighttime temperatures. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast of expedition porridge and packed out our kit, ensuring we left no trace of our stay.
Looking ahead
Going out on adventures like this not only reinforces our love of the outdoors and commitment to outdoor education, but also provides valuable insights into the rewards of outdoor leadership. It’s also a whole lot of fun! Being out in the hills as a team allows us to practice what we teach to students, giving us the opportunity to develop and expand our knowledge, as well as being able to learn from each other’s wealth of experience. We look forward to taking these skills out with us on expeditions in the upcoming season.
