A light breeze blew from the east, and the overnight low sat at an almost unheard-of 18 degrees; unusual for the UK at any time, let alone June. Inspired by friends who had bikepacked from Bournemouth to Stonehenge for sunrise on the summer solstice the year before, and under a forecast of literally perfect conditions, we knew we couldn’t squander the opportunity to spend the shortest night of the year on our bikes. Cue a last-minute plan with some up-for-anything friends (thank God for those).
After work on the 20th, Harry and I met Nick at Waterloo Station and took the train to Basingstoke, where we were joined by Caroline. A quick forage for snacks and dinner, followed by a pint at the pub (a familiar ritual for any bikepacking trip), and we rolled out into the warm night, my Badjelly Bar Bag carrying a warm layer, one litre of pre brewed coffee, a cow bell, so many snacks, and my swimmers and towel (just in case).
Stitching together as much gravel riding as we could with quiet back roads, owls swooped ahead of us as we rode into the dark. We stopped to watch the moonrise, paused for snacks in the woods, and rested under the neon glow of a Tesco Express with a much-needed coffee. Whether open or closed, it turns out no bikepacking trip is complete with out a convenience store stop.
The sky slowly lightened as we crossed the Salisbury Plain. Around 4 a.m., we followed the ribbons of people toward the stones, joining the kooks and revellers and families and drummers and lovers, all there to watch the solstice sun rise over Stonehenge. A powerful crescendo for our short but memorable trip.
Afterwards, we found a quiet spot in the meadow to brew a hot coffee and lie amongst the grass and early sunbeams, before cycling, not quite home, but to the nearest station. It feels sacrilegious to say I slept through most of the longest day of the year, but I did so very deeply, feeling grateful for friends, for owls, for kooks, for humans and for the sun.
I am not from the UK, and maybe I won’t be living here forever, but while I am it’s great to lean into the things that make bikepacking in the UK so special. This was one of those times, a faultless trip: last-minute stoke, great friends, perfect weather, good snacks, multiple coffees, very few cars, my first owl, and the weight of ritual performed by countless others before us, and hopefully long after we go.
Here are some photos from our adventure.
Enjoy.
