Archive for Mountains
Brig O’turk to Strathyre
November 16th, 2010 • 2 comments Cycling, Mountainbiking, Mountains
So with the girlfriend and the kids going visiting in Strathyre I took the chance to ride over from Brig O’Turk. The first section up Gleann nam Meann was well known after it had been done in the other direction a matter of weeks ago by a crew of us – see glenfinglas post.
The climb was long but not unpleasant with plenty of loose steep bits to keep you on your toes. Once near the top and still bearing north you join the faint , but perceptible path – which has a nice carved signpost to Balquhidder to mark it’s head. At 408m you’re in the foot of the big hills and there’s a real sense of wilderness going down the brilliantly named Glen Shoinnie. The trail is natural, wet and has the slipperiest rocks I’ve come across in a long time. The riding is hard going with lots of burn crossings and super technical bits. The rocks caused so many offs, there was just no way to avoid them and hitting them anything other than square on resulted in washing out. This was however great fun and a real challenge and by far the highlight of the trip. Swinging right at a big nose of rock, joining the Fathan Glinne which had views up to the west of snow filled corries and peaks. The path down here was equally challenging with little paps undulating along it length high above the river, it was probably wetter and boggier than the path before and presented some pretty stiff challenges in slow speed bike handling skills, verging on trials at points, I fell of repeatedly.
Joining the road at Glen Buckie and passing through a couple of cattle farms a another handy sign pointed the way to the very faint path that skirts the summit of Beinn a t-Sidhein to Strathyre. This was a bike a hike affair and keeping the path was difficult, once levelling out near the shoulder it was ridable but more or less just hacking across open hillside. The view down Loch Lubnaig showed a swathe of peaks that look bigger than the map would suggest. The descent down to Strathyre looked amazing on the map and started out with an excellent pitted singletrack through open woods, just as I reached the tree line proper and the descent was due to get steeper I was assaulted by the apocalyptic scene of forestry operations. The track was descimated, hidden under a blanket of murdered Spruce, I was a bit miffed (but we all need wood and paper). Skittering down the tracks made by heavy plant catepillar tracks was pretty entertaining however and although it wasn’t the steep wooded singletrack i’d hoped for it was good craic, if a tad muddy.
I’ll definetly be back to Glen Shoinnie in the dry if i can, it’s a great wee ribbon of mtb joy.
Here’s the route.
Devil’s Staircase / Ciaran Path
November 11th, 2010 • Cycling, Mountainbiking, Mountains
Tags: blackwater dam, ciaran, devils staircase, kinlochleven, Mountainbiking, outdoor, scotland, sorley, spad, video
The Devil’s Staircase was apparently named by General Wades soldiers because of the difficulties of carrying building materials along it – its a steep, rough, rocky path which is dangerous and unrelenting… and thats why its great for mountain biking! Well going down it anyway.
We left Glasgow early and congregated with the rest of the 9 strong group at the bottom of the Staircase. The climbing is tough from the offset, but great for getting the circulation going on a cold November morning. We made it to the cairn in pretty good time and so we continued to fire down the first of the fantastic descents on the route. Very fast singletrack, with lots of different lines to choose from and wee jumps if you wish to get in the air for a moment… So far there had only been one puncture, which is pretty good out of 9 on a rough path like this. We turned right and cycled along the huge concrete piping that leads you up to impressive Blackwater Dam.
The next section is the Ciaran path which is 8kms of rough and very technical downhill. There we’re a number of bogs to jump over, as well as 1 or 2 ‘over the handlebar’ maneuvers… but no big injuries! A few broken spokes, a bent derailleur hanger and another puncture though… Eventually we made it to Kinlochleven for a coffee stop. Only 3 wanted to do the return journey. The others had decided to to take the long route by road and meet at the Clachaig Inn. Bowie, Sorley and myself headed back up towards the devils staircase. It was getting dark but as long as nothing went wrong then we would be back at the car soon… of course something went wrong! The path claimed another inner tube and so we spent ages trying to mend it with crap repair patches… after much faffage and eventual success, we set off down the staircase with bike lights on full beam. My hands we’re now completely numb, but it didn’t matter as the descent back to the car in the pitch black took no time at all and was amazing.
SPAD
A Weekend in the Cairngorms
September 17th, 2010 • 5 comments Cycling, Mountainbiking, Mountains
Its the first time i’ve visited the Cairngorms direct from the south – usually its via Aviemore and surrounding area, not Dundee and Kirriemuir… It makes you realise how big the Cairngorm mountain range actually is. We arrived at the Camping spot in Glen Mark late Friday night. Up with the Tipi! Saturday started with a catalogue of schoolboy errors – Whilst myself and Robin fixed a bike light, Chad and Ray went a wandering… of course we thought they’d headed off down the route so once we’d finished repairs, we boosted off to catch up. After 3km we started to wonder where they were! They caught up eventually and they brought with them news that I’d left my passenger window wide open on the car! What a muppet. So I did the extra distance back to car and arranged to meet them at Tarfside.
After the morning faff, we we’re back on track and enjoying the 52km loop from Glen Mark, north along the Fungle Road, up to glen Tanar and back down the Mounth to Glen Mark again. A mixture of forest track and fantastic single track is to be had here and its well worth the morning climb.
The Second day took us up Glen Clova to start a well recommended 25km route – after a tricky climb and bike carry, we made it to the much praised decent towards Loch Muick… Amazing! I went over the handlebars twice and i think the other 3 had similar crashes too… but it was well worth it! The track takes you round Loch Muick and back over to the Capel Mounth decent which was one of the highlights of the weekend.
This area is well worth a visit and the tracks are fantastic. Im already looking forward to getting back there as soon as possible.
SPAD
Out on the Cuillin
June 25th, 2010 • Hill walking, Mountains
One moment I was in Glasgow, the next I was standing on the Cuillin Ridge. It seemed that all I did was blink and there I was, 8pm on Saturday night. Quite why it took me so long to come to these mountains I don’t know, but my reaction was not one that I expected. Up on the ridge I felt constricted, like I couldn’t move backwards, forwards or any which way without going over some kind of drop to a seemingly certain death. This landscape is intimidating, it took me almost an hour to make any kind of move along the ridge, fighting an overwhelming urge to go straight back down. I had no guide book, no advice on which way to go, no rope, and no partner to belay me even if I did have a rope.
Three who were bedding in for a Bivi on one of the tops found it amusing that I had a fishing rod ‘Fishing trip gone out of control’ I said. I edged my way along the ridge but got spooked at an airy gap. I couldn’t see any sensible way round without climbing a short section of rock with a large drop beneath it, which I wasn’t confident enough to commit to. In an attempt to find a way round it I ended up going further and further down, almost unintentionally finding an escape route off the ridge, but also quite glad to be on safer ground.
Down in the Coire, and held hostage by a cloud of midgies I slept in. Back at Sea Level I was a spare part hanging about at the Glen Brittle campsite on my own, and so I went for run, out to the point, on by the island of Soay, where I shouted down to a sea Kayaker, and round the back of the Cuillin towards Coruisk following a deer. After a few hours of running through the bogs my legs tired.
At Sligachan, having a pint with a new friend Terry, we planned a trip up Am Basteir the next day. The cloud would spoil our plan, and I watched the old and new chief clash later that night, when Billy got knocked off his feet.
Jen gave me a lift back and we stopped by the Cluanie Damn, where I caught no fish, but she did take some photos. Another Highland adventure.
It’s massif
June 11th, 2010 • Mountains
Tags: dumbarton rock
Here’s a wee picture based on a little part of a big boulder I saw up at Dumbarton castle on a nice day out with the family. I was fascinated by some of the boulders and rock faces up there. Lot’s of different forms and images hidden within. It struck me that this little detail of one boulder looked like a big ol’ mountain. The perception of scale is pretty interesting in concern to mountains and people, just think of standing in the glen coe then the himalayas. The range of difference on the ground is huge but when placed in the frame of a picture the true nature of scale is harder to fathom…
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