Then came December's icy blast. I would have been up for camping, but not cycling, especially on the sort of quiet tracks and lanes you need to find wild camping spots. Eventually, a mini heatwave took temperatures up to unlikely double-digit highs and double-digit night-time lows, and I could not resist, despite the forecast rain.
I had some ideas of places around Esher-Oxshott-Claygate-Ashtead, so I packed for a one night stay and went exploring, in intermittent rain. The ice had mainly been replaced by mud, so I slithered around near Esher Common, and then headed over to a good looking (on the map, anyway) hill near Claygate. It was great until I came to a locked farm gate on the way. Tried an alternative cow path: very churned up - I only succeeded in covering my tyres, mudguards, brake blocks and chain with sticky mud.
⚠Warning: distressing bike photos. (This was after I'd "cleaned" the bike with a stick).
An alternative "straight up" walking route got me huffing and puffing to the summit with my muddy bike & full set of luggage. It was very windy and exposed, and worse, there were cows in the field, or maybe bulls. So it was a no go.
By now it was half an hour from sunset (3.52 today), so I decided to go back to a place I'd spotted earlier, when it was too early to set up camp. Decided against pitching my tarp under the massive bough of an oak tree, in case it fell, and found a nice secluded spot nearby. I put up the tarp and made tea, a dehydrated camping meal of Spicy Pork Noodles, very nice considering. Washed it down with a mug of tea, lovely. It was now just after 5pm, and it was dark. There were a few heavy showers on and off, but I was warm and dry under the tarp. I had forgotten to pack the TV, so it was time for bed. Sunrise was at 8am so I looked forward to a long night's rest, with 16 hours of darkness.
Squally showers and strong wind continued through the long night, roaring through the trees and flapping the tarp, so it wasn't a quiet night. The wind seemed to find its way under the tarp, and I couldn't get warm until I put on every item of warm clothing I'd bought: merino and fleece top and bottom and a down jacket on top. Finally at about 3.30am I slept soundly and didn't wake till 7.30, when the dog walkers were already out. Luckily they were mostly glued to their phones and I'm not sure I was spotted while I brewed tea, packed up and tried to dry the tarp. It was now calm and sunny and still around 10 degrees. Away by 9 am, just missing the rush hour for the short run back home and the long bike cleaning.
