Scottish
Cycling Mini Adventures 2019
Sometimes
you don’t need more than a couple of days to disconnect from the
routine of daily life, recharge your energies and refill your
soul with the beauty of nature.
Over the last few years we had a few of this “mini adventures", sometimes they are bike packing kind of trips, and sometimes just improvised last minute ideas, no matter what, so far they always turned out to be valuable experiences which have enriched our memory bank.
Over the last few years we had a few of this “mini adventures", sometimes they are bike packing kind of trips, and sometimes just improvised last minute ideas, no matter what, so far they always turned out to be valuable experiences which have enriched our memory bank.
Inversnaid to Pitlochry
Trossachs traverse
05/06 April 2019
Day 1 – Inversnaid to Killin – 74km - 993VM
We
had this planned last year but had to cancel it due to flooding. Then 10
days ago I asked for a day off and we decided it was time to give it
another go. On Friday morning we got on the 7.09 train in Edinburgh,
and 2 hours later we were in Tabert, on the west shore of Loch
Lomond, boarding the ferry to Inversnaid. The surrounding hills were
still covered in snow, and despite being a sunny day, the wind was
fierce and the air quite chilly – the cycling curse wants that the
wind is always against you, no matter if the prevailing wind is
always south-west, this time it came from the east....grrr
The boat was super cute but the door was open and I was freezing. I resisted the temptation to get a hot chocolate with whiskey to warm me up just because the crossing only took 30 min. Finally, at almost 11am, we were ready to start the day! Surprise surprise the day started with an unexpected steep climb that broke my frozen legs. It was not long but the effects on my legs would last all day.
That
was a tarmac private road with little traffic. The headwind was
fierce but the views amazing, loch after loch – in order we passed
by Loch Arklet, Loch Katrine, Loch Achray and finally Loch Venachar.
We haven’t met a single car up to the junction to the A 821 to
Callander, and all the road is well surfaced, I felt like how is it
that we have never done that before?? Being Friday there was no
much traffic on the main road either, so that we really had a
relaxing day...despite the headwind, did I mention the headwind??
We had food with us and although we were running out of water we decided to get on the NCN7 to Killin and skip Callander (if you can avoid 500m of headwind you just do that!). The 40k to Killin were all known territory. We have always cycled that stretch from the other direction, and I think I prefer the south-north one, the gradient is better, basically flat, and the views are better too. We stopped at the small shop in Stathayre (never stopped there before but it’s really a nice wee village). Paul got crisps, me I was dying of thirst...and ended up getting an ice cream, the first of the year! By that stage the wind was not bothering us so much, and with the sun out it did feel hot.
Refreshed we kept going on the beautiful path up to the top and then on a crazy descent down to Killin...can't believe we usually climb it! Finally at 4pm we were checked in our small but cozy room at the Falls of Dochart.
Day 2 –
Killin to Pitlochry – 60km – 800VM
We
knew it wouldn't have been a sunny day and got our waterproofs ready.
We were originally planning to try a different/longer route – up to
Bridge of Balgie and Tummel Bridge – but given the depressing
forecasts we decided to go for the shorter way via the NCN 7, and
have a late start. This means we had a cooked breakfast...a huge bowl
of porridge and berries gnam gnam
We
set off in pissing rain at 9.30am and in 20 min I was already socked.
To be fair only the bit below the knees was drenched, I have tried
any kind of combinations to keep water out of my shoes (waterproof
sock + waterproof shoes + gaiters + plastic bags...) but nothing so far has proved
to be Scotland proof...will need to keep searching or just give up and wear sandals like Paul does.
The
first 23km along Loch Tay were magical. The rain definitely added to
the drama of the autumn colours (no spring there!), and despite the
foggy background we could still see Ben Lawers covered in a mantel of
snow, and thought last year we were walking up there! The bouncy road
along the Loch has always proved challenging, but with fresh legs
(really fresh...) it felt easier than usual and in no time we reached
Kenmore at the other side of the Loch, were we rewarded ourselves to
a hot cappuccino and a fire!!!
The
next bit was quite uneventful and wet. Not only water fell from the
sky, being on a road full of potholes camouflaged as puddles meant
lot of water splashed by coming cars too...good stuff it only started
raining that morning, really don't want to be there when it has been
raining for days! 50Km after breakfast the far away memory of the
porridge bowl was fading away and with it my energies...hunger
crisis! We had been cycling for a good 10km hoping to find some
sheltered place to get some food in vain, and 10km to our destination
my legs started shivering for food. The 1000Kcal I shoveled down in
10 min did the trick and easily we got to our final destination,
where we even managed to get on an earlier train. It felt soooo good
to sit down on a warm dry chair and see the gray world pass by, still
can't believe calendar says April!
Stonehaven
to Pitlochry via Glen Tilt
20
Oct 2017
Lairig
Ghru
01 June 2019We basically took the train to Aviemore, and the day after we walked from the Ski resort down the Lairig Gru to the bothy and back. We were meant to go back covering 3 munroes but the weather was not the best and we were relaying on very scarce public transport, another time will be!
200km
day cycle
15
June 2019
This
has been in the “to do” list for quite some time now. One reason
or another (...mainly the weather) it never felt like the right
moment. Then we saw a window of decent weather and we went for it, it
was not ideal but we felt like it's now or never.
The
hardest part of it all was to get Paul out of bed at
4am...after some “gentle persuasion” we left the flat at 5.20am
on a gray Saturday morning. The city and streets were empty, and at
6.10 we were already on the Queensferry bridge. We pushed on to
Kirkcaldy and had a quick stop there at 7.20am. That was the known
territory, the next bit, up to Dundee, was a bit of a question mark
blurred by roundabouts and country roads. In my head I knew if we
made it to Dundee before midday, it was done. I was also thinking in
blocks of 25km, and that helped a lot as 25km it's a short manageable distance, and it was only 8 of them, and I would get a treat smoke for
each of them!
Up
to Ceres it felt like a continuous climb, then we stopped there for a
quick homemade focaccia...gnamm...and kept going to Leuchars, after
which we really had no clue where we were heading! It turns out the
route was quite nice as it lead us to Tayport through the Tentsmir
Forest, on a 14km unpaved and rough track that was actually a good
change from the roads we cycled on before (and it was mainly
downhill!). Out of the forest we had another nice break on a bench
with the view of the sea, and a few cute doggies passing by and
stopping at the smell of food (we were quite smelly too at that stage
so that maybe they were intrigued by our smell instead...)
We
were already reaching the 100km and we thought the bridge to Dundee
would be right after the forest...we found out later that we would
need to cycle 10km more to reach it! Still, getting on the ramp that
leads to the cycling path in the middle of the bridge, with the view
of all the city and the sea around, was really unexpected and
priceless! Once in Dundee we already had 100km in our legs and felt
pretty strong so that we pushed on on a nice cycling lane along the
sea, then along the main road, and finally on a secondary road
paralleling the sea (we kind of missed the turn and spent a few more
km getting back on track...).
At
km 125 we had a very pleasant lunch stop sitting on a garden by the
road, blessed by the sunshine and enjoying our sandwiches and apple
juice. We decided to have a good 30 min break to recover a bit, and
while laying down I was doing some maths and realised that we could
actually reach the 200km mark in Dumfermline rather than Edinburgh!
We were both feeling strong, but my motivation level was dropping and
I was considering bailing out, but Paul knows me too well and just
didn't give me the option...thank you!!! Sometimes what you need is just a kick in the ass!
Back
on the saddle we kept on going, on a long flat stretch, preparing
ourselves for what we remembered was a very steep climb...20%
gradient it was, fortunately not too long, and it lead us up to a
beautiful road from where we could see Perth, and 155km with it!
Morale was high as we knew at that stage we would make it. We had
another short break by the river, refilled our bottles (we drank 3l
each!) and kept going towards Kinross.
We
finally entered Kinross and I could feel my legs shivering = hunger
crisis! We stopped at the Coop and in order I ate: a falafel wrap + 1
banana + 1/2l milkshake + 1 potato scone (it's so true that you
shouldn't go shopping when you are hungry, last time I ate a potato
scone was 17 years ago!!). We had already 180km in our legs by then,
and we knew it was only 12 miles to Dumfermile, so that we knew we
would hit the 200 there. We took a good 30 min break to recover a bit
and prepare for the next hill (my favourite!!).
The
weather was still a bit unstable, and all of a sudden I got very cold
(Paul was still in tshirt and me with 3 layers...). We moved on for
our last stretch and slowly faced the last hill, which is very steep
to start off but it then gets more human. The views on Loch Levens
and the hill (and the thought that it as the last hill!) filled us
with joy. Once you reach the top you still go on for a bit on high
grounds, and then start a long decent (kind of up and down really but
I like it so much that in my head is all downhill...) until
Dunfermline. We headed to the train station and stopped the tracker
thinking we would get the train but...the train got cancelled!! So
that we had to get back on the saddle (uch!) and add another 10km to
the next train station in Inverkeithing, where gladly we managed to
get the train otherwise it would have been a 230! We made it (and
I've never pushed the bike!!!!). The final stats are 212 km and 2000m
positive elevation, really feeling proud of ourselves!
Physically
we actually felt quite good, the day after I woke up feeling like I
had the worse hangover ever but after a couple of hours I actually
feel alright. What I realised is that the 200km are not as much
physical as psychological, it's really all in the head!
Newtonmore
to Edinburgh / The Lochs Way
We are
coming from the Hghlands (yes we are!)
21
to 23 June 2019
What
a blast of a mini trip! Already on day 1 I felt totally disconnected
from day to day life and just enjoyed the present (for once, while
cycling in the Highlands, the present didn't suck!).
We
took the train on Thursday afternoon so to get an early start the day
after, and got at the Highlander Hotel at 8.30pm. Big hotel mainly
for big groups = totally impersonal and service poor, but who cares
really...the main objective was to sleep, get an abundant breakfast
(kind of...), and keep going!
Day 1 –
Newtonmore to Kinloch Rannoch (via Currour) – 105km / 1231m up
This
was rebaptised “the day of the lochs”, as we would pass through
Loch Laggan + Loch Ossian + Loch Rannoch, and what a treat it has
been! We woke up with dubious weather, and got washed on the first
paved leg up to Loch Laggan, but after that it got better and better.
At
7.30am sharp we were at the breakfast table, and before 8.30 on the
go. The first 20 miles or so were on the road, mainly quiet roads
apart from a few km on the main A one. We then reached Loch Laggan,
on a nice track by the loch alongside rhododendron trees of any
colours. It started off as smooth but by the end of it it got
rocky...my favourite!
At
the end of the Loch the track started climbing, and we were entering
the remote part of the route. We already had more than 30km in the
legs, and when we eventually joined the road we did a couple of
months before, I started to worry as I realised it would be at least
20km before we would get to Currour...a bit out of schedule but given
it was the longest day of the year I was not too worried. It was nice
revisiting the same wild places, on a sunny day, and by the time we
get to Loch Ossian it was lunch time, at our favourite place, the
Currour station!
Next
bit was the unknown one. We were told that the boggy path had been
replaced by a dirty track due to hydroelectric works but we were not
sure if that was true, and to what “good condition” meant. The
road started climbing and we were entering heaven, wide views until the
eyes could see from every directions, and beauty beyond measure. The
road kept going on an on, until we finally started going down on the
best downhill ever (smooth surface!). At some stage we started seeing
Schiehallion emerging from the horizon, which we were planning to
climb the day after. The sun was out and finally we reached Loch
Rannoch. We then had 30km on paved road to reach our day destination,
the Macdonald Loch Rannoch Hotel. The service was a bit poor to say
the least, however we got a room with the best view so that really
can't complaint!
The
day started in sunshine, which would soon turn to clouds...still, 2 days with no rain was really unexpected. We set off at 9am to cover the
7 miles to the staring point of the walk in Braes of Foss. The first
few kms were flat and then a long and steep ascent started. I was
quite glad really as in between dinner and breakfast I felt like I
had to burn some extra energies... Plus, this is a quiet secondary
road and it was a pleasure to ride! The best bit was getting in the
packed full car park and locking our bikes at the “cars pay here”
sign, we could feel the eyes of all the other people getting ready
for the walk...anybody feeling guilty??
The
walk to Schiehallion
was more of a morning stroll, and in 1h 15min we were on the top. A
few years before we tried the same route and had to abandon almost on
the top due to high winds...what a difference the weather makes in
Scotland! From the top we could see where we came from the day
before, and it was really rewarding thinking we managed to do so on
our own power. We didn't linger much on the top and started the
descent, another 1h 15min and we were at the starting point thinking
of an ice cream in Aberfeldy.
It
was a long and sweet descent to get there, and we also rejoined the
very familiar NCN 7 and civilisation with it. After a big and fat ice
cream we got on the saddle again and kept going towards Dunkeld, our
day destination being the Royal Dunkeld Hotel (again...the service was a bit unusual...what's happening to people??). The legs were definitely starting to feel tired, the
thought that it was only 1 more day, on well known grounds, somehow
made them feel better.
 |
| Cheers to the Baby Seal! |
Day 3 –
Dunkeld back home – 103km / 1146 m up
This
was the least epic day, and the most psychologically challenging
too... The 18 miles to Perth were new ground (I've ridden them 10
year ago but really couldn't remember much). First the NCN 77
leads to quiet and bumpy country roads, and over the last bit you
parallel the canal and end up in a huge park, with a gate to the
centre. We cycled the rest of it the week before, and resigned at the
hills to get to Kinross we just kept going... Before reaching
Dumfermile I was already burnt out and really couldn't be bothered,
but one thing that running and cycling thought me is patience, so
there we go, we made it home to Edinburgh in a beautiful and hot
Sunday afternoon, I've never been more relieved to get off a saddle!
Torridon
Torridon
boasts some of the most magnificent landscapes in the West Coast of
Scotland. We have passed through the area twice during our cycling
adventures, but never had the chance to explore the place. I remember
cycling past Liathach and looking up in awe at those towering
intimidating giants, and thinking one day I'd be back to see them
again from the top.
The
time finally arrived. We decided time ago that we can only use the
car once a year, and decided to use our token on the Torridon trip.
With October come the coloured leaves and few crowds, the weather was
a bit unstable, but we decided to give it a go (if you look at the
weather in Scotland you just go to the pub...) and drove up on a
Wednesday after work to arrive at Kinlochewe Hotel at 8.30pm, the
only hotel in the area. We would spend 3 nights there, the hotel is
alright but a bit basic (no TV, no wife...I can't believe I lived 30
years without wifi, I don't even remember how people used to live
without it!).
Luckily
I brought a very good book, “The Mountains of the Mind” by Robert
Macfarlane, (strongly recommended!) so that we had a few pleasant
evenings reading (about mountains of course!) and playing cards (I
won the Torridon championship!). I'm glad I brought that book, as the
first chapter go through the perception of mountains through time,
and how science and geology helped shape our understanding of them,
and of us in the world. Geology was surely something Torridon has
something to show us about, the conformation of rocks is so striking
that you can't but think of the thousands of thousands of years
that took to shape them like we see them now.
Day 1 –
Beinn Eighe
03
Oct 2019
This
was easy one of the best walks of my life. The path was good, the
landscapes absolutely stunning and the weather kind of ok. We didn't
get any rain but the wind was strong, and was expected to build up to
hurricane force in the afternoon. We decided to walk the loop
anticlockwise, so to be on the ridge in the late morning and
hopefully avoid the worst of the wind.
We
parked the car at the car park in front of Loch Bharrabch and walked
up a straight vertical. The more we went up the better and wider the
views became. By the time we reached the first ledge I was already
breathless as it was hard to take it all in. Wherever we looked it
was just stunning.
Soon
afterword we reached the first rocky top, Spidean Coire nan Clach
(993m), and we then descended along the scenic ridge to the other
junction to top number 2. In the last bit of the ridge we got side
wind and the gusts were so strong that we had to walk down to our
feet not to lose balance. It was a bit scary, and we knew the wind
would grow stronger, so that at the bealach we abandoned the idea of
reaching the second top, and went down the steep and narrow (but
sheltered!) scree gully instead. That demanded some careful thinking
as it was steep and unstable, but gladly it was short and by the time
we were at its feet we could admire new horizons and new rock
formations all around us.
We
could see Loch Coire Mhic Fhearchair just below our feet, and thought
we would reach it in 5min, but actually it was quite a walk to get
there, we soon realised that the perception of distance was really
altered in that landscape, possibly because of the kind of terrain
and its colours. We walked by the loch and then finally saw the
Triple Buttress, but even better than that was the view of the
infinite wilderness unfolding in front of our eyes, it was so
beautiful that no words can give it justice.
Back
to the path it was another 5km on the road to reach the parking and
the end of day 1. I still can't believe we have been so lucky as to
find such great visibility, this is truly one of the best corners of
Scotland!
Day 2 –
Slioch + Pony Train
04
Oct 2019
After
the blast of day 1, we were very optimistic we would get another
equally glorious second day. The weather was not as good as the day
before, strong wind and lower clouds, but no rain in sight. Hoping
the clouds would lift, we set off for Slioch.
The
first 5km were flat along Loch Maree, and then it started climbing on
a rocky and boggy kind of path...we soon realised how spoiled we were
the day before on that rocky highway!
 |
| Pine martin!! |
At
first we got a bit lost, then we rejoined the route and started to
negotiate our way among bogs and rocks. Progress was slow, and by the
time we reached the big corrie I could hardly believe we only climbed
600m!! The views were dramatic, but not as open as the day before. We
could hear the wind roaring on the above ridge (and the stags too!),
and the top was covered too. We realised we would not see much from
the top anyway, and given my troubled eye (it turned out it was a
piece of something stuck in my cornea, how????), we decided to avoid
the worst of the wind and turn back to lower ground). The best bit of
it all was an eagle flying 20m past us.
By
1.30 we were back to the car, a bit tired but with the feeling we
didn't make the most of it, so that we went to the visitor centre for
inspiration and as per the lady's suggestion we walked up the Pony
trail on the other side of Loch Maree. The trail would bring us close
to where we were the day before, and I'm so glad we did it as we got
again top views and the morale went up.
We
were planning another short walk along the Mountain Trail on
Saturday, but my dodgy eye was not getting better so we decided to
go back home instead, and by 6pm I was in the Eyes Hospital to get
the thing out of my eye. I'm glad we did that, but at the same time I
feel like I have some unfinished business up there...
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