Cycling Trip - Sept 21

We planned this trip 3 days before heading off, and surprisingly this last minute mini adventure worked out great. It was a combination of bits already cycled and new ones that we had in our radar for a while. 

Day 1 – Inversnaid to Killin – 82km / 915 m up

20 September 2021

We left Edinburgh early in glorious weather and got the train to Arrochar and Tarbert. The clouds started to build up half-way to Glasgow and by the time we got off the train it was raining (all the windows in the train were open so that it was actually warmer outside than inside...). We hopped on the 30 min ferry to Inversnaid and with the freezing memories of this trip still fresh in my mind, I put on a few layers and got myself a hot chocolate. Either it worked, or it was not that cold as this time my legs were not a piece of ice by the time we reached the other side of Loch Lomond at 10.30 am.

We also remembered that it was a steep start and prepared the lowest gear. Up we went and by the time we reached Loch Arklet the road levelled out, it stopped raining, the clouds were starting to lift, tail wind, and there were plenty of blackcurrants to pick, can life get any better?

 

We then reached Loch Katrine. I lost count of how many times I've cycled this route on the turbo, I must admit it was quite weird to be there in real life... It was a roller coaster but it was getting warmer, no people around apart from a few cyclists and it felt just a pleasure to be out there, I did miss a good cycle up North!

We soon reached the end of the Loch and the touristy part of it. We didn't linger and kept on the road to Aberfoyle, but after the first climb we turned left on a forestry road which took us down to the South bank of Loch Venacher where we joined the NCN 7. I forgot how lovely that bit is. We stopped half way through the Loch to get our sandwich and watched the wild swimmers and kayakers in the cold waters, all my respect to them as in my life there is no way I'll ever do that.

After lunch we kept going on the NCN 7 up to Killin which is one of my favourites, there were a couple of steep bits but overall it was nicely graded. The trees were starting to turn colours and with the wind it was a rain of leaves flying around, this is truly the best time of the year to cycle up there (and no school holidays means no children around!!).

The sky opened on our way up and down to Killin. It started to feel cold but with the end of the day in sight we were not really that bothered. We had a nice room at the Courie Inn and spent a pleasant afternoon warming up and chilling out. Overall the total route of the day was a plain 5 star, I enjoyed every single bit of it!

Day 2 – Killin to Pitlochry – 90Km /1300 m up

21 September 2021

Happy Autumn. We woke up with a devastating news, we found out that Iohan Gueorguiev, the greatest of the bikepacking world, our source of inspiration and entertainment over the last years, has left this world. It is still hard to understand and accept this, and I don't think I'll even manage to. The best tribute we could pay him was by going on a fucked up cycle to the middle of nowhere, and so it was.

The morning was as cloudy as my mind, and in silence we left Killin. We turn left on a small road to Kenknock, from where the road (closed to cars) climbed up steeply. Even if paved I had to push at times (I blame breakfast), but steep gradient means we were on the top in no time. It was so vast, desolate and beautiful up there, and needless to say we haven't met a soul. 

 

 

The road went on for a good while on high grounds, and then it was an equally steep descent to the Loch Lyon dam which we reached in sunshine. There was a farmer with his 4 Collies who were at work gathering the hundreds sheep scattered all over the hill. Nobody else around and no cars, it felt we teletransported ourselves to the 50s.

From there it was a 9 miles flattish / bumpish road which I enjoyed immensely. Huge trees everywhere, the feeling of remoteness, and just the ride itself put a huge smile on my face, it's one of those cycles where you feel you are like a child again! We reached the Glen Lyon Post Office and Tea Room, the only one in all the area, and felt obliged to stop. A couple of cyclists were passing by and stopped too. We had a chat and they were coming the opposite way. The guy was carrying an insanely huge amount of crap as per his own admission (they were cycling for a month), so that when we asked how next bit was, and he said you will fly up there with those bikes, I felt relieved (and slightly skeptical...I've heard that before...)

We wished them a safe trip and carried on. We turned left for the next pass of the day, on unpaved tracks. It was steep and there was some pushing involved, but again it didn't last long, and once we reached the top the views made up for all the sweat. Pity that the rest was not that cyclable to my standards... big rocks, rough and boggy in places...we would fly here hey? Anyway, we were in no rush at all, the sun was out and we were just making the most of the day.

What goes up goes down, and soon we were shooting down in the forest to reach the South bank of Loch Rannoch. Along the way we met a solo backpacker on the Badger Divide, he looked happy and it still amazes me that we met someone up there!

Once we reached the Loch it was a few kilometres of quiet road from there to Kinloch Rannoch. We were on a paved and flat road, it felt good to be cycling again with speed! We stopped at the shop and had a snack on the bench outside it, remembering the last time we were sitting there, we would never have thought we would get there again, and from a different direction!

We kept on the main road to Pitlochry, but then took the small road on the South bank of Loch Tummel and followed it all the way down. I was starting to feel tired and the motivation was going too, but then the sun was out, I could see Ben Vracky, we had a great cycle and we were only a few km to destination, life felt good!

We reached Pitlochry at 4pm and waited for the check-in at 4.30pm in the sunny benches of the Youth Hostel, which offered a brilliant view of town. It was another success of the day, and another 5 star overall route.

Day 3 – Pitlochry to Braemar – 62km / 1100 m up

22 September 2021

Day 3 was the one that scared me the most...only one thing in mind: Glen Tilt! We have done it twice before but this time we had a bit of a variant, which would make it even more challenging... The forecasts were not great but improved so that thankfully we started the day in clouds rather then pissing rain, and we still had tail wind!

We started on the A924 to Glen Shee, and it was a very steep climb for the first 5km which then turned into a 10km flattish and mostly empty road with black clouds all around us.

After that we turned left on a small road to Daldhu, which thankfully was still paved, of a decent gradient, empty of cars and with gorgeous views everywhere. And we still had tailwind, honest it never happened before! That was about 8km, and when we reached the gate to Hell it also started to rain...here we start!

The next 10km were a mixed quality off road, mostly cyclable although it would climb steeply in places. When we reached the top it really got wild, with gale wind, rain, and desolation everywhere...oh Bonny Scotland! The descent got rough and rocky but then we knew that the bad bit was still to come and just pushed on. We finally reached the pink houses of Fealar Lodge, the most remote and continuously inhabited place in the UK, truly in the middle of nowhere. From there it would be a 10k push bike on tiny paths of mixed quality but with the common denominator of being fucked up!

We had a 2km path on grassy and boggish slopes that would bring us to Glen Tilt. The stream level was low and we managed to cross it with the shoes on. 

 

From there it was known territory, the path first goes along the valley and it's stony and thin (my legs were all scratches and bruises by the end but at least the bikes made it in one piece) then it opens up a bit, gets more boggy and then it turns into a bad landrover track. Then there are 3 stream crossings, and after years of experimentation I've finally found the perfect combination to ford them: socks + water shoes + waterproof shoe cover to the knees. Not a drop of water passed by! Paul had a different approach and got soaked but he looked happy, and at least his muddy shoes got washed and cleaned!

After the streams the track is decent and made for a quick cycle to Lynn of Dee. The tail wind was still strong and we didn't even have to pedal! We had a little stop there sheltered by the trees and I was very proud of myself. Despite all we went through, I was still clean and dry!! My efforts to get to the guesthouse and be presentable vanished as soon as we hit the road. It was only 10k on a paved road to Braemar, but the sky opened and it was buckets of rain pouring down! We were socking wet and 1h ahead of time, but the lady at the Cranford Guesthouse was so welcoming despite everything, she let us in and even offered to dry our clothes! We absolutely love that place!

The rest of the day was spent drying up, chilling out, and dreaming of the day after...the forecasts said it would be sunny, with gale force wind pushing us and all descent, the dream cycle day, I've heard this before...

Day – Braemar to Aberdeen – 100km / 530 m up

23 September 2021

It turns out that it was not really such an easy day after all...

When we woke up it was raining, then after breakfast, on the farewell to our hosts, my glasses broke, but oh well, it was our last day and tail wind, and I could still use them. It was 8.30am and our train was at 2.52pm in Aberdeen. We knew we could make it easily, but many things could go wrong so that felt a bit of time pressure. We put on the turbo gear and cycled as fast we we could until we reached Ballater 26km later. I don't remember any downhill, and not much tail wind either, it felt more like I was on a turbo session with constant hard pedalling!

We then got on the Deeside Way and it was all known territory from there. It mostly goes on an unpaved cycling path which used to be the railway to Aberdeen, the only exception being the bit up the forest before entering Banchory, which we reached at midday. By then we knew we could chill out a bit and stop pushing like mad, and just enjoyed a very pleasant cycle on this nice path, all the way to the train station.

Overall it was a great trip, and I'm glad we went for 4 days only. I don't know if I'm getting soft or it was harder that expected but today I really feel ruined and glad I don't need to get on the saddle again!