Having no rugby to officiate at last weekend (18th/19th December 2021) due to cancellations, I was at an unexpected loose end, with no rough weather forecast. And so I found myself drawn to the prospect of a last pre-Christmas trip to my go-to destination. There is little packing involved, as my bedding is still stashed in the van – stock the fridge, fill the water, pack warm clothes, and we’re off! The beauty of the Bongo for short notice getaways makes it just so easy, and a quick detour to the forecourt to tank up and I was on my way.
The roads were pretty quiet until the usual bottleneck around Ayr, busy with folk out shopping trips etc, but it kept moving and we were soon heading past the hospital on the A713. The weather changed several times on the journey. One minute it was gloriously sunny and clear, then into a pea-soup fog. The rapid temperature change over the last few days, and no wind, was leaving the fog and low cloud to gather in hollows and low-lying areas. The air was dry and crisp, though, and the autumn colours were stunning in the low sunlight. I turned off at the Ken Bridge Hotel for Newton Stewart on the A712 and passed through the village of New Galloway. From here the route is called The Queen’s Way through the Galloway Forest Park, and climbs onto the high moor before weaving in to the Forest proper.
The Bongo was purring along, I had music playing, the sun was shining and the scenery is just uplifting, beautiful part of the world. I reached the mighty dams at Clatteringshaws Loch, and turned off the main road up the lochside. The low sun was painting the trees dark green and the shades of yellow through brown on the hillsides contrasted the sparkling loch. Brilliant!
And so I reached my chosen, preferred spot. I won’t give the location away completely, but it is past the end of the tarmac, and hidden round a bend, screened for now by trees. I say for now, as the landscape in the Park changes over time. The trees are every bit as much a crop as the wheat in the fields, and as they reach maturity they are harvested. Therefore some areas are new growth, some mature woods, and some bare ground, only the stumps and brush remaining, until the shoots of new growth poke through, and the rows of little trees begin the cycle over again. Most of the mature trees around this area are down and gone, but there is healthy growth in the young trees nearby, reaching over a metre now, so in the next few years the illusion is preserved of a “natural” forest.
The light was fading fast – it was now around 4pm – so I decided to wrap up and get some walking in before it got dark. The air was bitingly cold now, certainly well below freezing, and the distant river was the only sound as I walked the timber trails. Tendrils of fog could be seen on the far hills, dropping into the valleys as the temperature fell. This with the rising moon made for a quite magical scene. I reached the end of one trail, and headed back. It was now nearly 5pm, and it should have been completely dark, but the moonlight was replacing the fading daylight, and it never actually got dark. The cold was actually pressing around me as I walked, and the still air felt thick to walk in.
I reached the van, and climbed in, starting up the diesel heater. It was still warm enough inside after the journey, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before the cold crept in. I set to preparing my dinner – a dehydrated ready-meal, of course! – a tasty chicken tikka and rice, and had a cuppa while it reconstituted in the packet. From inside, it looked pitch-dark out, unless I turned off the lights, but the fog had reached my spot now, and there wasn’t much to see at the moment. I fitted the thermal screens to the windows and got the bedding and my warm clothing out from under the seat, then tucked in to my meal – delicious!!
I watched a bit on the tablet for a while, lovely and cosy now the heater was doing it’s thing. Without doubt, the best value addition to my van is the diesel heater. For what I feel is a very reasonable £130 for everything I used to instal it, and a day of carefully fitting it, it completely transforms the van. Having a leisure battery is great, for lights, charging your phone or tablet, and running a fridge, but to make the van comfortable year-round it has to have heating. It’s such a basic human comfort that makes the difference between just surviving (like being in a tent, all wrapped up to stay warm, but unable to do much for the cold) and being really comfortable in your comfy seat, eating, watching a movie, and then tucking in for the night. I will say that I don’t run the heater overnight. Once tucked in for the night, there isn’t any need, and it will drain the battery in time as well. If I do wake up too cold to sleep, then I can always just hit the switch for half an hour to warm up again.
Anyway, after dinner, I decided to take a look outside again…..
It was time to head indoors again, the cold was really setting in. I wondered just how cold it was, as I sat enjoying the warmth, having a few…refreshments, before turning in around 10pm. I wore extra layers and curled into my sleeping bag, soon falling soundly asleep. I woke once through the night needing the loo, and was pleasantly surprised to still be comfortably warm enough. I got back into the sleeping bag and drifted off once more. There wasn’t a sound outside other than the distant river passing over rocks.
I woke as the first fingers of sunlight cam in under the blinds – what time was it?! Had I slept half the morning? I opened the blind, to be greeted by ice on the INSIDE of the window! I looked at the clock. It was just after 8am, and the sun had just started to rise over the farthest hills, picking out the very tips of the tallest pines nearby. I quickly chucked on shoes, hat and jacket, and went outside. Well, if it had been cold the night before, it was now positively Arctic! The air burnt the lungs going in, and made the skin on my face shrink instantly, my eyes watering – wow! The scenery, though, was absolutely stunning. The frost picked out every individual needle on every branch, every blade of grass, the whole vista was delicately tinged with white.
Time for breakfast!
I got the stove going again, kettle on, and had a coffee and a granola square. Needless to say, the diesel heater was now blasting hot air into the van, but I started the engine as well, and set the fan on full directed to the windows. I had a bit of trouble removing the thermal blinds…the suckers were trapped in the ice on the glass! So, they definitely proved effective at keeping the worst of the cold on the other side of them, and although it was cold in the van when I got up, it has felt colder. It would take a full hour, and another brew, to completely clear the windows, but I was in no hurry, and took a stroll in the still clear air again. The sunlight was now just brushing the top of the pop-top, and melting the frost from the upper branches of the surrounding trees. Beautiful.
It was an easy job, prepping the van for the journey home. I stacked all the thermal screens on the rear shelf to air, packed away the sleeping bag and pillows, plus my bag of clothes etc. I lifted down the kitchen pod again onto the floor, and strapped it in securely. And that was it. Just the stove to stow under the bed, and re-adjust the driver’s seat, and I was away. The windows were now clear, pretty much, and I turned off the diesel heater, and opened the side windows to air the cabin as I drove slowly out. I stopped frequently, taking photos and admiring the views. I passed the Forestry worker cottage, and found the occupant outside chopping firewood. We exchanged a wave as I passed on my way.
As I reached the main road again, and turned for home, I thought over my stay. It was only an overnight, and back on familiar ground on one of my go-to spots, but each visit is slightly different, and the change in the seasons brings different charms, as the scenery changes colour and the light changes from brilliant sunlight in summer, to the low, golden light of winter. Shorter days mean more time in the van, rather than exploring, but that in itself is nice sometimes. After all it’s a very comfortable place to be.
As we approach the year-end, and the likelyhood of further restrictions to our daily lives looms large, it is more important than ever to grab the opportunity when it presents. I intend to keep the van stocked and ready to go over the winter. Who knows what is in store for us? I really hope we can carry on, socialising, playing sport and travelling. The recent times past, and the uncertainty of the future, make my wee Bongo all the more important to me, and each trip away more precious, to be savoured and remembered.
Thank you for reading this far, and for following Ali Bongo’s adventures to date! I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and I hope you are inspired to take the “road less travelled” as often as you can. I’m hoping for another wee trip during the holidays, I hope you are too?
Happy trails!
Ali Bongo's adventures 