Krampus in the Yorkshire Dales

A couple of weeks ago I had a few days mountain biking in the Yorkshire dales. Its been a regular destination over my whole life as my Parents used to visit my Dads Aunt and Uncle who lived there, then when me and my brother appeared we started renting a holiday cottage there every year. Finally we ended up with a static caravan at the site where the cottage was. Bikes quickly featured in my visits starting with a Raleigh Grifter, then a 10 speed racer, then in 1987 I bought a Raleigh maverick with 5 gears and suddenly a whole new world opened up - mountain biking. Since then I've ridden all of the bridleways (and a few footpaths) within a 30 or so mile radius of Upper Wensleydale. After leaving home I had a few years break but then as a regular at the Heriot Watt Uni cycling club I once mentioned that I had access to free digs down there and immediately it became an annual destination, usually at easter. Many an experienced Scottish cycling acquaintance has turned up assuming that as its England, the terrain will be easy, only to be appalled by the hills. Even on road they are brutal with plenty of 25% grades. Off road its worse and any route involving more than a few miles means climbing out of, into and back out of the countless valleys. As friends dispersed and moved around the country my visits became more sporadic, usually only staying as a stop off on the way to the Isle of Mann by motorcycle. More recently I visited a few times with an ex to do some touring and hill walking. Then I pretty much stopped going for a few years. Finally in 2013 I had a few days holiday to take and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to revisit my old haunts (and test out my recently healed collar bone). Better yet I was back on rigid steel, as per my first biking visits!

My 2013 trip was fairly short and I did the same rides as I'd done on so many previous occasions but the bike was spot on. I knew I'd be back 

Scroll forward to September 2014. By a miracle I'd booked a weeks holiday right in the middle of a fabulous heatwave and run of dry weather. It had been a year of ups and downs - I'd failed to ride the Highland Trail, done a couple of long rides, then finally done the Cairngorms loop in somewhat challenging conditions. So after all these long and arduous rides it was time to do some 'normal' mountainbiking i.e. on easy trails with regular opportunities for tea, cake and beer stops, all in blazing sunshine.

As per the previous year, I drove down early morning from Fife (its only 3 hours or less) and did a similar ride in the northern part of the Dales around an area of land bounded by the M6, the A66 and A685. This little used area of fells are criss-crossed by numerous bridleways and it forms a pleasant pre-cursor to the main dales, i.e. the hills aren't too bad and the going is easy. I started in Orton and my route followed a series of Bridleways zig-zagging across Great Asby Scar, a large area of limestone paving - a popular geographic feature hereabouts. I then did a section of cheeky footpath (actually a good track), looped back round to where I'd been previously then dropped down another smooth grassy descent to the start - distance 30 miles.

Looking north to Cross Fell.

Limestone paving - quite surreal if you've never encountered it before

I drove down to Hawes where my parents caravan is and settled in. Hawes is blessed with no fewer that four good pubs all selling good beer so of course I wandered into town to sample a few.


Day two I did what I would call my classic Yorkshire Dales circuit. One I first attempted in 1987 on that Raleigh Maverick (now sporting a triple chainset) which involved punctures, lifts with old ladies, free repairs from a garage, and a very nervous ride back. I finally rode it all  the following year and I've done it countless times since. Its an easy route to trace, you start in Hawes, ride up a long byway climb south west to join the Pennine Way then follow this pretty much all the way to Horton in Ribblesdale with a few minor detours to avoid footpaths (or not, who cares). 


This is on the climb up the West Cam Road from my 2013 trip. I got up this in 1988 on a rigid bike but failed today (I'm sure it was smoother then) As it happens I rode the lot today and then realised it had obviously been re-surfaced.

A lot of this route is on old Roman roads. The West Cam Road joins the Cam High Road which goes from Bainbridge to Ingleton. It used to be rutted to hell when it was open to vehicles but is now pretty smooth. In fact on one amusing occasion many years ago I came across a chap in a range rover who had bottomed it out on such a rut and got stuck. The local farmer (on an ancient BSA M20 outfit) was in attendance and had that look on his face of "yes you are indeed stuck, I don't really care but I could go and get my tractor and charge you a fortune to pull you out".... I gave them all a cheery wave and rode past, 1 Wheel drive is better than 4.

After tea and cake in the ace Pennygent cafe in Horton I climbed up on the 3 peaks cx route to Pen-y-Ghent but left this to follow a bridleway over to Foxup. This used to be a RUPP but is now shut to vehicles and has recovered to a nice grassy trail perfect for a rigid bike.


Hull Pot below Pen-y-Ghent, basically a collapsed cave with several holes leading to the underground.....

I passed a group of older folk on all sorts of bling bouncers here. They seemed to be really struggling so of course I made an effort to blaze past the lot of them on the Kramp. From Littondale there is a humongous climb up and over to Langstrothdale and then you do another big road climb followed by a further climb over a BOAT (still used by vehicles but fine as its a gravel road) to Semerwater. Yet more leg burning follows up a road then bridleway climb to rejoin the Cam high road on its long climb from Bainbridge. You follow this for a bit and then bomb down a great bridleway descent to Burtesett, thence back to Hawes. Its around 44 miles and makes for a good days ride.

Day 3 would be a mix of old and new - a few trails I'd done many years before and some new stuff along the Pennine Bridleway. This was developed a few years ago by a group made up of NGO's, the YDNP and various Councils. Its taken a lot of work and was only officially opened a couple of years ago. But I have to say its a bit of an oddity. Its created a lot of new trails, defined new rights of way, extinguished vehicular rights from many other ROW's but starts and finishes in the middle of nowhere. Don't get me wrong its made some great trails and upgraded many that had become impassable swamps down to excessive trail bike use but its not clear what the motivation to do it was, given that there was already a lot of bridleways around....

Who knows; you can do it as an ITT and register it on selfsupporteduk.net if that's your thing, but I get the feeling that not many ride it as a route in one go, self supported or otherwise. Anyway today my plan was to bag a few bits to the south of Wensleydale to see what was what.

First up was a few road miles west out of Hawes on the A684 to the turn off to Cotterdale, you then pick up a former Byway which used to be a vague / boggy trail but is now a made up path, albeit somewhat overgrown. That's the problem. The trail bikes kept stuff like this in regular use but ended up wrecking it in the process. Nowadays its clear that there aren't enough walkers and cyclists using it to beat back the vegetation. But its nice to not have to fight your way round bottomless muddy holes.... Anyway its a ('nother) big climb straight up the ridge and then a long traverse along the hillside above the Eden Valley. As you start the long descent you pass a funky sculpture (no photos, sorry) which is one of those frame type things that look at the view through.... the descent was smooth and fast, a far cry to my last trip along here (confession, this bit still has vehicular rights and I have ridden my DRZ along it). 

From the valley bottom there is a bit of road riding and then you pick up a bridleway that climbs up and around Wildboar fell. I'd done this many years previous and it had been an absolute mission. Today, whilst a big climb, it was easy going on a good trail. I'd climbed Wildboar Fell on a memorably fabulous day with parents and brother many, many years before and its a good walk. So I twiddled up the lengthy climb reminiscing on this and enjoying a similarly sunny day. 


The top looking west

Looking back to Mallerstang edge.

The descent is a long one but again on this smooth trail, so a bit dull. Oddly, where it ends is also the end of the PBW - i.e. in the middle of nowhere..... I traced a couple of wee roads and a fine, if little used bridleway, another dead end road and then a bridleway to link to a another nice route that skirts the Howgill fells below Caultley Spout. There are three BW options to pick up this trail and of course I chose the vaguest / boggiest one behind Wandale Hill...


Single track Yorkshire style (well it might actually be Cumbria as this is the eastern edge of the Howgills) Many of the bridle paths in the YDNP are actually double track so trails like this are a pleasant rarity. I followed this to just above Sedbergh and then linked a few roads and trails to another moor crossing into Dentdale. This also used to be a RUPP which pretty much only got used by trail bikes but is now another improved path with only non-motorised access permitted. A few full knob tyre marks indicated the general dissatisfaction with this state of affairs but for me it was an nice, long and sunny climb.

The top looking back to the Howgills.

After a smooth and fast descent into Dentdale I ground up the long road climb past Denthead Viaduct and onto the moor above Widdale. New mapping shows a section of PBW which roughly follows the line of an old public footpath but links up to the Cam road that I had passed the previous day. More made trail and a nice easy climb in a series of sweeping S bends. The top section is a pure grassy trail and just fab. Despite having hammered the Krampus on the full monty of rocky / techy / nadgery trails in the Scottish Highlands earlier this year, I have to say I love riding this sort of stuff and the Kramp is the tool for the job. I rode along the Cam High road and then turned off on the West Cam road that I'd climbed the previous day. This time I stuck to the Pennine Way which makes for more great riding and yet another grassy descent. Nigh on 50 miles today so my beers were well earned!

Day 4 was another old route favourite taking me into Swaledale. To get there involved road riding to Askrigg, up a truly horrendous road climb and then a mix of road and gravel into Swaledale. From here I climbed out of the north side of Swaledale up Gunnerside Gill on some nice techy bridleways. Then a steep climb to a big track through the desolation of Merry Field. Despite the name this is a wasteland of old lead mine workings dating back to the 18th century, proof that industrial devastation of the countryside is nothing new. 

In 2013 I'd also done this route but then had decided to bag a new trail to Low Row. The first bit was fine but your following an estate track and at a point, the bridleway leaves this and strikes across the moor. Much riding back and forth and peering at the map revealed that this trail was long gone. Given the volume of tourists in the Dales it still amazes me how many bridleways have faded into none existence due to lack of use. Eventually I'd given up on this and followed the estate track (actually shown as a public footpath!) until it hit another bridleway which got me back on track. I'm just too used to Scotland these days where you just go where you please and ROW status is irrelevant. I also decided that at long last I should get myself a GPS as it would make finding such obscure trails so much easier. 

Today I avoided all of this (despite now having a GPS) by following the track out of Merry field to Hard Level Gill and down to the aptly named Surrender Bridge (mile 19 on the Swaledale Marathon). Thence another bit of Bridleway to Nova Scotia. A road ride to Reeth and food and then it was big climb number XX (lost count) out of Grinton. From here you pick up a track which contours and climbs above Swaledale before you climb up and over into Apedale. This whole area is former lead mine central with numerous old chimneys snaking up the hillside, large areas of spoil and the odd old building. Nowadays its a grouse moor so there are tracks everywhere, not all on the map. A blast down Apedale and then up and over again descending to Castle Bolton in Wensleydale. I then followed one of my favourite trails hereabouts - a mix of byways and bridleways that trace a route along the mid slopes of Wensleydale, eventually coming out at Askrigg again. 



All easy riding with fine views. The only downer was numerous rabbits I encountered with mixamatosis. This was introduced in the '70's as a form of chemical warfare against bunnies. Its a horrible thing and the poor rabbits suffer terribly when they get it. Eventually most rabbits became immune and the agent was banned but as usual the fucking land owners hoarded as much as they could and its clear that they are still using it. I tried to pluck up the courage to put one poor wee thing out of its misery but I just couldn't.

So the day finished with a leisurely cruise along the back road from Askrigg to Hawes. It was late afternoon and sunny so I couldn't resist a couple of pints in the sun, courtesy of the Fountain hotel.  

More beers that evening obviously but for day five I fancied a bit more trail bagging. First up was some road riding up and over to Widdale and then I picked up another former byway that goes up the side of the valley across from the road. Previously this used to be a real mess thanks to many trail bikes. It was then done up extensively but it took a few years before it was closed to motor vehicles and then got hammered by floods so several sections are seriously washed out. This has been a common occurrence in the Dales, thanks to the YDNP. They spent a fortune doing up many Byways and then closed them to vehicles but often, as for this one, cocked up their timings as they didn't it to vehicles until it got ripped up by 'duro bikes and then got bleutered by a storm....

Whatever, it makes for a technical climb and as the sun was blazing, it was all very pleasant. Near the top you join the PBW which follows a way that had dubious vehicular rights. This is now a mix of new gravel path and grassy trail up a big climb and then down an engaging (and fast) descent to the road out of Dentdale.

From here I went along a bridleway that heads roughly south to join the road at Gearstones. I followed this past Ribblehead and turned off under the viaduct to pick up another great trail that skirts Whernside and eventually dumps you in Ingleton via some great riding.

More limestone paving on the final fun descent to Ingleton.

I hit one of many great cafes in Ingleton and ate lots of food whilst sat in the sun. A brief road ride took me to Clapham and from here picked up another great bridleway. You actually go through two tunnels on this climb - there is no reason for them, the rich landowner simply wanted it that way so that the plebs using this ancient ROW wouldn't spoil his view.... The trail climbs steadily with views of Ingleborough and the steep gorge of Clapham beck to your left. The ground is hollow hereabouts and there are numerous potholing opportunities as well Ingleborough Cave - a show cave for those who wish to be guided underground rather than crawl there themselves. The highlight (lowlight?) is Gaping gill. This is basically a huge vertical shaft that leads into an even bigger space, capable of holding Durham Cathedral in it if you could move it there. The local caving club used to offer free lifts down into it but you had to pay to get hoisted back out... Personally the thought of crawling into a narrow (or wide for the matter of that) hole into the ground gives me the heebie jeebies but people flock here for the many caving opportunities the area presents.

Anyway my route took me above all of this until I topped out above the stunning expanse of Moughton Scar. This is a vast area of Limestone paving overlooked by crags and hills. I've been through here many times and its a fabulous place.



This is all on the PBW again. You descend to Selside but then there is another new section of trail on a former footpath. This descends to the river ribble whereupon I came across this beauty:-


No expense spared - Stress Laminated timber arch bridge over the river ribble, about 250 grands worth. Again the trail either side seemed a bit over-grown and under-used. You then climb up onto the dead end road out of Horton. From the end of this is a long, long climb back up to the Cam High Road (that I had descended three days ago) and up onto Cam High Pasture. Rather than drop back down the Pennine way I continued along the roman road and reprised the descent to Burtesett as per my day two ride. So that was another 45 miler. I had to get back so packed up and drove home, thoroughly pleased with having done 5 days great mountain biking in dry and sunny conditions.

I was also pleased to see all of the bunting and flags as well as the road graffiti from the Tour-de-France was still there. Also the attitude towards cyclists seems to have persisted from my TDF tour in July - many favourable comments and greetings from hill walkers and even car drivers! The krampus was the ideal bike for this place. Funny to think I started my biking here on a steel framed rigid bike with slack angles and wide bars, and here I am again 27 years later...

A tale of thirteen rivers

On the night of 10th of August 2014 the tale end of hurricane Bertha swept across Scotland leaving a trail of devastation. Not quite on the magnitude of what it had wrought in America but the damage it did seemed out of proportion to its magnitude. The problem was a rare dry summer which left the ground iron hard and impermeable. Several hours of torrential rain therefore went straight into the numerous rivers originating in the Cairngorms raising their levels in a few short hours to way above what even a winter storm could produce. Roads were washed away, bridges damaged, properties flooded. Within 24 hours rivers were back to normal and the clear up began.

This was in my mind as I approached the Fords of Avon deep in the heart of the Cairngorm Mountains. The sound of rushing water seemed loud in my ears. A group of walkers in front of me seemed oblivious and were more intent on enjoying the stunning scenery - maybe they weren't needing to cross. For me, this would be my biggest barrier, both physical and psychological, on this route I had undertaken. I knew if I could get across, nothing would stop me. If I couldn't it would be yet another failed attempt.....

That morning and thirteen days after Hurricane Bertha had done her damage I was getting my gear together in Blair Atholl ready to start a final assault on the Cairngorms Loop ITT. The number 13 was auspicious as this is the number of significant river or burn crossings on route. A previous attempt on a bone dry July weekend failed due to a combination of factors and a lack of motivation. Today my motivation was at its peak. I'd failed to do the Highland Trail earlier in the year and I was determined to do it in 2015. Route planner Alan Goldsmith was now requiring people wanting to do the group start to do one of several ITT routes to prove their worth. With daylight hours reducing daily time was running out. If I didn't do this route this weekend then I wouldn't have another chance and there would be no more Highland Trail. Friends added to the pressure with threats of much slagging off if I failed again.

I knew I could do it. I had the legs and the gear, I just needed to get my head in order, set aside weather and trail conditions and, in the words of my mate Rob, "Get your waterproof man suit on!" So at 7.30am I set off into a bright but fresh morning heading north. 

Riding up the glen by the Edendon Water a large grey cloud rolled in and produced a dense fine drizzle. Not what was fore casted which put me in a grumpy mood. In fact the forecast for the weekend was good with a return to the weather that persisted for most of the summer and made everything so dry before Bertha struck. The drizzle soon blew through as I approached Sronphradruig Lodge and river crossing number 1. 

This was the point where I got an inkling of what I would be facing. The route makes you cross this river twice in quick succession. On a visit here a couple of months previously this had involved stepping over a narrow channel for one crossing and riding though a shallow gravel bed for the next. Today the river was flowing swiftly though a deep but narrow channel at least thigh deep. Further up it looked worse. There is a way up the steep bank to avoid this but in the end I decided to keep to the route as near as possible by picking my way along the river edge and climbing up where the Gaik pass path starts. I put this to the back of my mind and also tried not to think of the many other rivers the route crosses. The trail through the Gaik was pretty damp but the sun was shining so my good spirits were back.

I'd kind of guessed the trails would be pretty wet and this had determined my bike choice. Not the Krampus this time but my beloved Salsa Mukluk which I knew would ride over everything in its path and hopefully wouldn't be too much of a drag on the easy sections. River number 2 is just before the Gaik lodge and usually no more than a shallow gravel bed. Once gain at the crossing point it was a deeply eroded channel in full flow but fortunately I was able to cross feet dry 50 meters further upstream

As I rolled out of Glen Tromie it was sunny but clouds lurked over the hills where I was headed. I knew all of the route having done it at various other times but I was feeling somewhat apprehensive about the passage through the main Cairngorm Massif and the infamous Fords of Avon. Riding alongside the Feshie revealed more devastation with a large section of the bank (and trail) gone since my attempt in July. The pleasant trails of upper Speyside and Glen More kept spirits high but everywhere I looked was flood damage. River number 3, the Druihd is crossed via the Cairngorms club footbridge. The trail after had clearly been underwater during the flood and was still wet. More rain came in as I reached the Glen More cafe so I sat inside and ate whilst it beat against the windows. 

Climbing up to Ryvoan at 2pm seemed slightly bizarre as my first ride along the next section had started here at 7.30 am several years ago. Having done it the previous month I knew what was coming however so I cracked on up the long Climb up Bynack More. Descending into the long strath up to the fords of Avon was harder work than previously. The trail was saturated with peat under the gravel surface so wet even a 4" tyre was sinking in. This made for more pushing but I guess my pace was similar to previous when it had been bone dry, given the terrain. The sky was grey as I made may way up to the fords but no rain was falling. I waved at the group of walkers but made an effort not to chat as I was fully focused on the river ahead. River 4, the Avon is a significant watercourse draining a vast area of peaks above 1000m. Its a geographers heaven around here. In fact the wee burn the route crosses after descending off Bynack more, which is only a few K from the Fords of Avon, flows in the other direction and doesn't join the Avon until near Tomintoul, some 30k downriver and over 120k further along the route!

With my heart pounding I surveyed the river in front of me. The stepping stones I had picked my way across several Weeks ago were covered by at least a foot of water. "Don't think, do" I thought. Boots and socks off, socks into shirt, boots back on, bike on shoulder, go. Balancing on a series of round rocks with fast flowing water calf deep and 40lbs of bike and gear on your shoulder is not for the faint hearted. The front wheel dipped into the water and nearly had me over. I faced upstream and side stepped across. Getting out on the other side was a massive relief, I was on my way. 

The next section of trail is hardcore as previously noted in my tale of my failed attempt. That time I was on a mission to ride everything I could. Today I was taking it easy and was happy to push knowing this would give contact points a rest and stretch aching muscles. Topping out on the Lairig an Laoigh was a good moment as I now faced a long descent and some easy pedaling.

I should have known. The trail was wet and much more washed out than previously. Then came the next problem. The side burns. This aren't counted in my 13 rivers total but they were major obstacles. Not because of their depth - now no more than splashing wee burns but due to the massive scoured out channels they now ran in. One in particular took a deal of time to get through. It was a 6 foot drop down, across the burn and then a 6 foot scramble back up. With the bike this was hard work and seemed to take ages. Further down a vast area of mud and rock had slid down the hillside. There were footprints across it but my feet sank ominously as I tiptoed across, terrified of disappearing into a gooey mass, never to be seen again. The huge dips in the track down to Derry Lodge were a pain but at least I was making progress again.

At the Linn of Dee I stopped to eat food, use the loo and contemplate the next section. It would be hard and wet but I was on a fat bike. The muk had swallowed everything in its path so far and I knew it would take the infamous moor crossing from the Geldie to the Feshie in its stride. As I headed down from Linn of Dee the sun was shining and the sky largely cloud free. An NTS ranger in a truck seemed bemused by my bike - "I've never seen one of those before and we get all sorts up here!" I laugh and smile and talk about the weather. Several footbridges had gone and many miles of path. No idea where the cash was coming from to sort them. Hmmm that's the problem trying to build things in these places, nature just laughs at your efforts and destroys them at a whim. I had a quick glance at the Geldie (River number 11) to check out the level and it looked OK. Good I wouldn't be riding over the Cairnwell the next day then!

As I pedalled up towards Bynack lodge I was alone in the vast wilderness. I remember doing this in 2006. We had a map and no real idea of what was to come. In that event it was fine, a fair bit of path work had been done recently and the route was reasonably straightforward. Time and weather have taken their toll but even with the wet ground I made good progress again this fine evening. The fat bike justified itself purely on this section. Bogs were pedaled across with ease and the few rocks ridden effortlessly. The Feshie glinted in the evening sunshine down below me and a gentle North Westerly breeze kept me cool. Despite its grim reputation as a bog fest this is one of the wildest traverses in the British isles you can do on a bike. The landscape with its wide river valleys and huge rolling hills seems vast. I've been through here a few times now and ridden other routes in the area many times but it never fails to impress.

River number 5 is the Eidart and crossed with a seriously rickety looking bridge. Given its precarious location it would not be good news if it failed underneath you. I'd not done this route in this direction since our ride in 06. Its a great descent. An argocat track has appeared in recent years but this should be avoided as its very wet. The line of the path is mainly gravel or rock with only a few wet bits and great fun. When you eventually hit the double track you'd be forgiven for thinking the worst was over but the best is yet to come.....

Oddly even recent editions of the OS map show this double track all the way to the now washed away bridge near to Glen Feshie Lodge. In reality its a tiny goat path of a trail with some rather hairy sections. The first bit is the worst - a narrow flywalk of a trail across a scree filled chute with several large rocks perched precariously above you and the roaring Feshie below. Its possible to miss this out if you can cross the Feshie but this evening there was no chance - waist deep and fast by the looks... Thereafter its a mix of fabulous single track, random bits of double track and the ever present river beside you. The Feshie is a monster and regularly changes its course during the frequent storms the area sees. The trail had been undercut in a few places and washed out in one but thankfully Bertha had forced the Feshie mostly in the other direction. 

At Ruigh Aiteachain Bothy a new path has been built right along to the road. The GPX track follows the original route but a quick check showed that this had gone into the river... The new path was a peach with a smooth surface and only a few steps here and there. Oh and river number 6. This shouldn't be on the list as its only a side burn really but I got a shock when I approached. The new path had been trashed and the 'burn' was a wide flow with loose rocks, tree trunks and other debris littering its once smooth and narrow bed. The worst bit was fighting may way up the bank on the other side. Numerous small sitka spruce trees seemed determined to grab hold of the bike and refuse to let it pass. I finally swore my way up and back onto the path and pedaled off relieved that this time I really had got out of this lengthy section.

A couple of k later and I hit the tarmac. The route stays on road to Aviemore which might seem a little unimaginative given that it could follow the outward route or several variations thereof, all off road, however after a long day, finishing the inner loop with some easy pedaling on a deserted road was spot on. It was 8pm and I was riding with a huge grin on my face. Mileage was coming up to 100 and I was in fine fettle. The worst of the trails were done, rivers ahead were of a much smaller scale and I would reach Aviemore in time to get the chippy.

Rolling into town at about 8.30 I noticed rather a lot of large Harley Davidsons and their larger riders all strutting around the place. It was Thunder in the Glens - one of the biggest Harley Owners Group events of the year. I was on a mission to eat so ignored them all as I dived into the Happy Haggis Chippy on the edge of town and not far off route. As I ate a truly amazing fish supper I noted with amusement the reaction to the fat bike. It still amazes me that people seem to be, well amazed by the 4" tyres, especially as this is old hat now with 5" being the new fat. Oh well I guess these guys related to them given the size of the things adorning the back of some of the bikes parked up. 

Heading back to the route I looked into the Bridge Inn thinking I might have a pint to celebrate my first successful day. As it happened my pal Iona was having dinner with a few friends and they had ridden the next section to Dorback that day so it  was good to catch up and get the low down on the trails (and rivers) ahead. All seemed to be good so I left them to their puddings and rode of into the now warm and dry evening well pleased with myself. It was now nearly 10 so a stop was in order. I had my tent with me so I was fairly flexible as to where I could get my head down. A few miles later I passed by Loch Pityoulish. A wee path entrance at the side of the road caused a screech of brakes - this would be perfect. And it was - a couple of hundred meters along, out of site of the road, was a nice level grassy area next to the loch. Up went the tent and I snuggled in for a nice long kip after my days efforts - 106 miles in 14 1/2 hours.

It was not to be. No sooner had I settled down when there was a loud bang from the direction of Aviemore. Not a 220 x 16 tyre letting go but the first of many fireworks. Worse, after they had finished all I could hear was the strains of various '80's heavy metal tracks wafting through the air from the Rally site which I'd assumed I was well away from but was actually only a k away on the other side of the Spey. Oh well ear plugs and the days efforts meant it didn't disturb me for long.

When I woke up it was to that feeling you get when you know you've slept in. Actually 6.30 am, around 2 hours after I'd hoped but the ear plugs meant I missed the alarm. Oh well too late now and I was in no mood to rush. A leisurely breakfast and a brew set me up perfectly. It actually rained for about 5 minutes as I was packing up but as I headed into Abernethy it was a fine clear morning with the promise of sun ahead. A special mention should go to the first bit of road into Abernethy. This is now unadopted so not maintained. Evidence of this was the enormous flooded section just after the turning of the main road. Bloody hell it was too deep to ride so I had to pick my way along the verge determined not to get wet feet right at the start of the day. I suspected that this wouldn't be the first obstacle the day would offer. Boy was I right....

Abernethy Forest is as fine a place as you could ever hope to ride a bike through on a sunny August morning. Its all Scots Pine and various other evergreen breeds excepting the serried ranks of Sitka which seem to make up so much UK forestry. Red Squirrels abound as well as Capercaillie which a cyclist will often see due to our quieter passage over the ground. A portaloo next to some forestry works provided a welcome pause and then it was up towards the Egg path, a particularly favourite trail of mine. River 7, the Crom Allt, was first but for a change a breeze as this too can be a bit wild. The egg path is a narrow defile between Eag (egg) Mhor and Carn a Loinne with views to the eastern 'gorms and the route ahead. It was a bit boggy still but the sun was starting to burn. It occurred to me that within 24 hours this route could be so much drier. Hey ho, them's the breaks. 

The route to Tomintoul is a classic with generally easy trails and great views. River 8, the Dorback Burn, after the Egg path was much easier than I had feared. After a climb and a descent I contemplated river 9 and felt a now familiar sinking feeling. The river Brown is another smallish river where the route crosses it but it (and the route) follow a steep sided glen for about a mile in which its written its path with many variations over the years. An old double track is largely gone and the best way though is to follow a narrow winding trail which crosses the river once and then hugs the eastern bank. Hmm. The river had obviously multiply burst its banks and carved new channels everywhere. Deep pools and holes and countless loose boulders littered the valley floor. The GPX track just follows the old track but I headed towards what I knew from previous visits was the best way through. No longer. I found the path eventually after picking my way through the debris and a tip-toed crossing of the river. At first all was well but the last 200 meters were gone and I had to fight may way though a narrow strip of land between the river and the fence which was covered in Sitka spruce trees that once again seemed determined to prevent my passage. Finally I got out of it and picked my way round more scoured out channels and holes before climbing out of the glen.

Phew, it was a relief to get out of that. Now at this point in the route, scratching isn't to be thought of as the best way out is through. But it never entered my head in any case. Something had changed in me. I was now treating these obstacles as challenges to be overcome, not threats to success. I guess a bit of desperation played a part as its not like I could have back tracked at this point. Not so long ago that last challenge would have had me shouting and swearing but now I was just taking it all in my stride. Having a bike that would go over (or through) anything was also a big help....

Tomintoul is a key town on the Cairngorms Loop. Its a strange place - 2 dead straight main streets running up a ridge of land with only a few short side streets. Its elevation is about 340m in the middle and it fights for the claim of Scotland's highest village. A wild and bleak place in the winter but friendly in the Summer with many tourists and cyclists enjoying its facilities - a few good pubs and shop and the fire station cafe which supplied me with a fine second breakfast and lunch rolled into one.

Suitably fortified I started the long grind up Glen Avon. The Avon is huge here, even during normal levels. Damage from its flood was everywhere. The public road becomes private but its surfaced for several miles. A couple of sections had obviously been washed but these had already been repaired - this is a rich estate. The good news was the wind, fresh but firmly behind me all the way up this long, long climb. Past the lodge it gets steeper and rougher but I was feeling good and made good progress. The Avon defile had turned off heading up to the fords but the route keeps on south along a lesser burn (The builg) which gets crossed twice but only counts as one river (9) in my count as the lower crossing is easy, oddly enough. The dry weather was having an effect here too as the burn was low and my feet dry. 

The loch Builg singletrack is nice and was finally showing evidence of drying in the sun. I turned into the wind thereafter but it was a cooling breeze not an impediment to progress. The river Gairn is number 10 but has a fine bridge across it. I knew what was coming - a big climb out of Glen Gairn and over to Invercauld. In the event it was fine and I got up it in good order and blasted down the other side knowing that I was getting to a point where nothing would stop me. 

On the descent I made my one nav error of the route missing a lesser track turning off a wide gravel motorway. No choice but to backtrack up a hill. One last descent and then the only section of A road on the route. But the A93 was pretty quiet for an August Sunday and passed quickly. Braemar provided a final food stop and then I was off back to Linn of Dee some 20 hours after I'd been there yesterday - the price of a lie-in.

River number 11 is the Geldie. This also has a bad reputation for stalling walkers and cyclists in their tracks thanks to its huge catchment and fickle course. At the crossing point it flows through two engineered channels, one of which is typically dry. I've been riding through here for nigh on 20 years and the crossing had changed little over that period. Not now - both channels were heavily scoured and the river had trashed most of the grassed and rocky berm between them. A couple of walkers were busy dropping stones in the river to create stepping stones. They looked at me as if expecting me to help. No chance - I didn't like to say but they were wasting their time as it would all be gone that winter. (2017 edit - in Winter 2015 another storm wiped out more of the channels and left a mess of rock and mud through which the river flowed in several courses. In 2016 Storm Frank annihilated this and left the river in a wide and shallow bed) I got though dry again (more tip toes) and headed down a strong contender for my favourite trail in Scotland, Glen Tilt. 

This is a cracker with some really nice riding down a narrow trail clinging onto the side of a ravine containing river number 12. In a just world the route would roll out of Glen Tilt back to Blair Atholl but its not to be. Near to the bottom of the single track it takes you across river 12 (The Tilt) and up a gruesomely steep trail out of the other side of the glen and over a boggy moor to Fealar Lodge. I passed a guy out on a day ride coming the other way (sensible) he made a comment about the suitability of my bike on this bog fest and I refrained from telling him what I was doing. Funny really some people feel the need to boast of such things but I tend to feel quite self conscious about it as people tend to think your mad for doing such a big route for no other reason than its there....
 
Whatever, the final climbs were coming. In terms of big steep climbs, the CL is actually blessedly free of them. This may seem odd when you eye up the Cairngorms on a map but in the main the route follows the bottom of long glaciated glens which make altitude slowly over many miles. The climb over Bynack More and out of Glen Gairn are the only real monsters but the two climbs after Fealer are pretty hard, given there appearance right at the end of this route. I was starting to feel the distance and there was a deal of huffing and puffing out of both Fealar and Glen Loch. The last is always the worst.....

The descent saw a further comical nav error as my tired brain failed to equate the purple line on the GPS to anything on the ground. In the end I just rode in the general direction of the route over whatever was in my way. River 13 is the Allt Coire Lagain - actually an un-regarded blue line on the map but today provided a final opportunity to get wet feet which I took with enthusiasm. I just couldn't be bothered trying to pick my way across feet dry I guess and so stumbled across any old how. The last track dragged interminably but finally I hit the road, a final track and then rolled out onto Blair Atholl Main Street, 34 hours and 54 minutes after I had departed the previous day. I took the mandatory photo at the station clock, threw the bike in the back of the car and drove home with an incredible sense of achievement (and relief) that I had done this route at long last.

In some ways I was glad of the challenging conditions. I had definitely turned a corner both in terms of the physical ability to ride for long hours but also being able to deal with obstacles in my path (and in my head) in good order. I knew that this would set me up perfectly for next years Highland Trail.

Phil Clarke August 2014

Cairngorms inner loop

So the plan was to do the Cairngorms loop adventure race www.cairngormsloop.net as an Individual Time Trial, in order to qualify for next years Highland Trail. I'd hoped to leave Saturday am but a forecast of torrential downpours for much of the eastern Cairngorms along with the potential for thunderstorms kiboshed that idea. The forecast for Sunday into Monday looked better, particularly Monday so I decided a 24 hr delay was in order. OK to avoid undue suspense and drama I didn't do both loops, just the inner and an exit via glen Tilt. My main goal for this ride was to do the Bynack Stables to Glen derry path, the rest being optional depending on my level of arsedness. To avoid unnecessary weight and maximise fun I went without camping kit, only a cheapo bivvy bag for emergencies - ie I was looking to do the whole route in more or less a oner give or take the odd power nap. Given that the longest bike ride I've ever done was 190 miles on road, this presented something of a challenge hence the lack of determination to do the whole lot as the ride progressed. A poor nights sleep on Saturday didn't help either.



Ready for the off - poor old Krampus dragged out again!

The morning forecast of mist and drizzle was nowhere to be seen - the sun beat down and my decision not to bring sun cream suddenly seemed like a deal breaker... Oh well it won't last... At the inauspicious time of 9.48 am I hit the trail. The route starts at the Glen Tilt car park and heads north to the Gaik pass. I'll not go into the route details for a change but the single track up the Gaick showed signs of the previous days rain being by far the wettest I'd seen it this year.


In the Gaik

However over the watershed past the lodge the landscape became parched once again - it looked like Aviemore had missed the worst of the rain as forecast - a good sign for the route ahead. After various wrong turns through Inshriach and Rothiemurchus forest I got to the Glen more cafe for some much needed coffee and calories. I'm crap at following a line on a GPS as I tend to keep riding by the line of least resistance in a world of my own. This not helped by my sat maps extremely quiet beeps when you reach a turning...

The cafe had cairngorm ales on tap which I steadfastly avoided, instead fueled and rested I headed off into the depths of the Cairngorm massif. I and three friends did this route in 2007 as a circuit from Aviemore - we started at 7.30 am and took 14 hours to do the 60 mile route which we thought was pretty bloody impressive at the time. Now here I was starting it at 2.30pm which seemed madness given what I was about to tackle. I guess this was the point I knew I wasn't going to do the outer loop. My hands were already hurting despite only having done 50 miles or so of easy riding and the approaching trail seemed like a perfectly satisfactory challenge for a day ride.


The climb ahead - I remember this from my 2007 ride and knew it to be the biggest climb of the cairngorms loop. If you didn't know this route you'd be forgiven at this point for uttering the prayer of the adventure racer following someone elses GPX file - "Oh god where the f*** is he taking us!" There are plenty of opportunities for this in the next 20 odd miles...

The climb is steep but in general not hard. All of the path up to the shoulder of Bynack beg has been improved and the only challenge is hopping over the stone cross drains. I failed on a couple which had steps immediately after them, and was forced to push on one section with several steps but overall I was pleased with my riding. This boded well for what was to come. The first part of the descent is pure natural trail - in this case a wide-ish line of large bolders and ruts, all bone dry on this fine summers day. Confusingly after a spell it goes back to a made path before dumping you into a large wetland area at the head of Coire Odhar. On this day it was largely dry with barely a squelch from under tyre.


A wee tasty - this looks hard but you aint seen nothing yet. The trick is to jam it in your granny gear and to try to thread a line between the worst of the rocks. that said, some times hoisting over one large boulder is a way of avoiding several others. My riding was accompanied with the constant sound of knard scraping off rock. The granite hereabouts is incredibly grippy wet or dry but rather hard on tyres.

Onwards and upwards over the shoulder of Bynack more into the main event - a long strath actually comprising 2 watersheds and a valley but with no serious gradients - all praise glaciation. Interesting point for all you Geographers out there - you follow the first river upstream for a km to its source which is about 2k from the fords of Avon. However it flows the other way and joins the Avon at Tomitoul some 30k downstream - good eh? I paused to dunk my head in the river and wash out my lid. It was incredibly warm - 25 degrees at a guess and the sun was beating down. I was drinking constantly but still my head ached with dehydration and cramp kept hitting hands and legs suggesting salt and mineral deficiency....

What looked like a cluster of huts resolved itself into... a cluster of huts - a couple of guys were working on the path and this was their accommodation. Fortunately the work they were doing was all of the 'Light Touch' variety so no gargantuan cross drains, just some nice sections of path with the odd stone feature entirely in context with this boulder field maskerading as a path. This was also the scene of my first hike a bike - they were busy levering large rocks to make a stone causeway over a wet area but it was work in progress and my bike skills don't stretch to back wheel hopping... I got back on again but I knew that this would not be the last time I carried the bugger.

About 2k short of the fords of Avon the trail becomes utterly hardcore. The whole landscape is basically rock covered in rocks and the trail no exception. Suddenly my whole attention became focused on the ground in front of me, sussing out lines, hoisting the front wheel over boulders, moving my body around to counter balance an unwieldy bike determined to hit every rock in its path... fantastic! I have to say this is my favourite kind of riding and the whole reason for being here. It seems in recent years every trail worthy of the name has to 'flow' which in my book means its easy; the only challenge being to see how fast you can go and how high you can get over the jumps. This is fine (in moderation) but its only part of the picture that is mountainbiking and its easy to get suckered into the hype surrounding them. Tight, nadgery, techy trails are the antidote and this path was the creme de la creme of such riding. Of course its utterly knackering and the sweat was pouring off me but I was in seventh heaven. The odd times I did stop was to take in the amazing panorama of cairngorm mountains around me.


The fords of Avon at last and low enough to cross with barely wet boots - The 6km from the summit of the main climb had taken me nearly 2 hours...

There was a brief interlude of easier trail for a bit after the ford and then it was back into it

The Krampus was proving its worth but I'll be back with the fat bike as it would make such terrain a much easier prospect, or at least reduce the amount of bodily input into the riding. When I did this in 2007 I was on an Orange patriot with 6" of bounce at each end. I can't remember how much I rode of this back then but probably not any more than today, albeit in a bit more comfort.... Finally the last km before the col over to Glen Derry defeated me. The rocks suddenly became a lot bigger and the sections of smooth trail between them a lot smaller. I was happy with what I had achieved however and the pushing / carrying to get me to the top was done without much drama.

Looking back north to the Fords - only a few k but a lot of the best kind of hard work. Descending into Glen derry was the reward. In 2007 this path had just been done up and the water bars and cross drains were brutal but 7 years of erosion had softened the path with many sections reverting back to a natural rocky trail.


Looking up to Corrie Etchachan - another trail for another day. Should be doable from Linn of dee as a loop over to Fords of Avon, up into Loch Avon and then over a wee rise to the top of this. Now that would be hardcore!

The last section of trail to Derry lodge would be a blast if it wasn't for a series of huge dips with wheel (and face) destroying rock channels in the bottom. Fortunately most of these have neat little bypasses caused by years of cyclists gleefully ignoring NTS's anti bike policy (they still have a sign up at the Linn of dee car park telling cyclists not to ride on 'footpaths' aye right!) so you can ride through all of these, not at speed, but without the need to hop(!) The track out of Derry lodge was a blessed relief but it was clear that it had been seriously raining here and recently. I'd actually had a few sprinkles of rain coming out of Glen derry but the cause of all this rain wasn't clear - above it was cloudy but nothing too ominous. I stopped at the Linn of Dee for some serious calorie consumption. I'd been experimenting with different types of foods in recent rides and today was the turn of a new discovery - rice cakes - pretty good all in all particularly as a jam sandwich as the jam soaks in resulting in a satisfyingly gooey mess. Snack pork pies also featured heavily in my repetoire along with my latest favourite energy generator, the humble banana. I'd managed to keep this one in reasonable shape despite several hours of battering and it went down a treat.

This was also the point I finally decided to miss the outer loop. My legs were good and I knew I had the energy (and food) to get to Aviemore and its 24hr petrol station. However my sore hands (and derriere) were of greater concern. Carrying on would require serious pain management and the prospect of long term damage to nerves in my hands. I'd thought my current set up of high(er) bars and thick grips would sort the problems I had with my hands on the Highland trail but in fact they had started hurting long before I hit the serious rough stuff. This was a problem for another solution, another day and wrecking them today for the sake of a technically easy but physically demanding 120 miles seemed stupid. There would be time yet to knock off the whole route in a more reasonable 2 and a half days to qualify for an official time and a ticket into the highland trail.

Riding out down Glen Tilt in the evening sun seemed a far more pleasing way to end what had been the best days biking I'd done for many a year. The only thing that would change my mind was the Geldie burn being an un-fordable raging torrent but it was low enough to cross without incident or wet feet (aside - whilst crossing a tiny wee burn somewhere before the fords of Avon, my foot slipped and dunked my left leg in above both goretex boots and sealskin socks resulting in wet tootsies - hey ho)


Flat, smooth and fast. This is one of my favourite places in the Cairngorms / Scotland / UK - hard to say why, something to do with the vastness of the landscape with hills on all sides and little evidence of civilisation. That and the various routes leading away from it into places both wild and extreme.

A large rain cloud was passing to my right over the Geldie, further justifying my decision to head home. I did catch the tail end of it however but the short lived deluge of hail and rain just served to cool me down to a tolerable level. The only downside was the effect it had on the single track in the upper Glen Tilt. Its an ace descent with plenty of rocks and rock to keep you on your toes but these are of the slippy when wet variety which makes an unplanned excursion into the deepening abyss to your left as you descend all the more likely. Furthermore there were frogs all over the path, obviously brought out by the rain shower after such a scorching day, and I was determined to avoid them. That morning riding out of Glen Tromie I'd been about to ride over what I thought was a twig when it suddenly moved. A desperate hop meant I just skimmed the slow worm that had been basking in the sun which wriggled off hissing curses at all cyclists no doubt but I feel terribly guilty about mowing down wildlife at the best of times hence the need for me to avoid wholesale frog squashing.


A last look back at the rain storm that would have been making my traverse of the geldie / feshie watershed rather damp.


And looking ahead down a sun drenched Glen Tilt. The single track passed without incident (or squashed frogs I hope) and soon it was the usual transition of rocky trail to easy trail to rough track to easy track, all with a gradual descent to Blair Atholl. I got back to the car at 8.48pm, exactly 11 hours and 90 miles after leaving and was happy to drive home and finish a fabulous day with a large glass of whisky. It don't get much better than this!

Touring to The Tour

I took a few days off last week to head down to Yorkshire to see the first stage of the Tour de France. I'd planned this a while ago as a relaxing recovery ride after the Highland trail and at one point I was going to continue on into Belgium. In the event I rode to Yorkshire in back in 6 days with one day spent sat on a hillside waiting for a bunch of blokes on road bikes to fly past....

My route down involved training it to Paisley via Glasgow and then down NCN 7 to Ayr, cut across to Galloway forest and doss down in the trees somewhere. Thereafter it would be a leisurely ride east then South to the (hopefully) sunny Dales.

Arriving in Glasgow Central I noted a train leaving for Ayr in 5 minutes - hmm cheat time? Instead I got the slow train to Paisley canal as the station platform leads right into the cycleway. NCN 7 follows an old railway line for around 20 odd miles from Paisley. This was meant as a bit of memory laning for me as the last time I was here was in '99 when I worked for Sustrans. I spent a lot of time on this route doing upgrades, bridge repairs and putting sculptures in so it was nice to see how it was looking 15 years later. There were tons of folk on it - all ages and bike types.



This thing was a total nightmare to erect - I was young and stupid in those days and trying to co-ordinate a crane and two excavators to get it in place was a bit of a challenge. Its supposed to represent the northern lights...

After Glengarnock your on a back road to Kilwinning and then its a mix of cycleway and back streets to Ayr. The route gets a bit convoluted in places but its better than the A78. I came down this way on a bike tour in '92 before the cycleway was put in and ended up on said A78 - total nightmare! In a couple of places I did take a few on road short cuts just to chop a couple of k off my run. Ayr sea front was mobbed - I had chips but forgot the mandatory food photo - sorry...

From Ayr NCN 7 heads up over the heads of Ayr in a big loop south so I headed on a more direct route to Maybole. This was the end of the flat riding and the road climbed in earnest. Maybole provided food for the night and a couple of much needed bananas. There was a bit of respite for a few miles to Crosshill then it was climb, climb, climb on the wee road to Glentrool. This is quite a bump - in fact 2 bumps as you go up to  340 m, down to 145 and then back up to 345m.

Looking up to the Nick of the Balloch - 345m

As per the rain arrived at the start of this climb but I didn't need to put waterproofs on until the way down to Glentrool when the rain came down in sheets. It eased off as I went alongside Lochtrool and stopped as the road ran out and became an easy track. This is signed as NCN7 with a dire warning about needing a mountainbike and all manner of kit to survive but the fargo handled it with ease. In '98 I lead a team of volunteers to build a path from the bottom of this track along the line of the Southern upland way. All I remember was the horrendous midges, the hassle getting plant and materials as you were so far away from everywhere and continuous rain all week....

Climbing out of Glentrool over to Loch Dee.

The rain kept coming and going, albeit fairly lightly but worse, the midges were horrific - every time you stopped they materialised instantly. I'd say that Galloway midges are actually worse than their West Highland cousins - maybe its due to there being less victims to feed on around here. Just over the hill from Glen Trool I'd sussed out a bothy on the MBA site - White Laggan. I suspected it would be full of folk doing the Southern Upland Way on this damp evening but lo and behold, it was empty. I could have gone on as it was only 6pm put the rain and midges made up my mind. No wet tent to manage and the ability to hang up damp kit and have a relaxing evening reading and eating. Total distance for the day was 90 miles.

Thursday dawned with the forecasted sun shining and much mist rising off the hills.

Loch Dee, blue sky and sun.

I cruised down to Clatteringshaws loch and tarmac, made a quick diversion to the visitor centre for some ablutions and then headed south east along the Raiders Road forest drive. All day Wednesday I'd had a head wind but now heading east it was giving me a gentle but welcome helping hand. The raiders road was super smooth gravel. At this time there was no other traffic on it and I made rapid progress to Loch Ken. You can follow estate roads and then an easy track through the RSPB reserve to the bottom of the Loch, then pick up a wee road which avoids the A762. This was followed by a couple of B roads, one short but extremely unpleasant section of the A75 (turning right across a busy trunk road with a climbing lane in the other direction and no central island...) and then I was back onto NCN 7 along the old military road - a quiet C road that undulates gently toward Dumfries. 

Dumfries provided food courtesy of Greggs and a tin of gas courtesy of halfords. Thereafter it was more C and B roads along the Solway Firth to Gretna via Annan. Into Englandshire then more wee roads and one A road to Brampton. This had been one of my possible places for a camp but it was only 4.30 so I settled for a cuppa and an incredibly good scone with jam and cream, bought food for tea and then spun gently up the hill heading due south. This area between the M6 and the North pennines has a network of B, C and U roads which I've explored extensively on a motorbike so it was nice to be pedalling gently along them in the early evening sun. I'd sussed out a campsite from Cool Camping about 15 miles south of Brampton and this seemed a good place to stop. As I headed through the village of Kirkoswald I spotted a fine looking pub with benches outside - there followed a screech of brakes then refreshment!



There was a lot of chat in the pub about where people were going to watch the race - from normal people!

1 mile later and I pulled into Mains Farm campsite. This is a top spot and very quiet. It also had a bunkhouse and did baggage transport along the nearby C2C route. As I was eating tea a bunch of guys appeared on road bikes - they had cycled down the A7 from Edinburgh to here in one day - pretty good going as its about 125 miles and they had headwinds all the way. The next day they were heading for Leeds to see the grand depart - nice one. For me the total distance was 101 miles.

Friday dawned overcast with rain clearly coming. I got packed up dry but it started as soon as I set out. Only 50 miles to do today to the town of Hawes in Wensleydale but I knew I would have to fight for it. Soon it was lashing down with a strong headwind - head down and pedal. The good news was that I was staying in my folks static caravan in the town so at least I would have a dry night. After 3 hours of this the weather cleared and the sun came out for the last few miles. There were signs of the race everywhere and loads of cyclists out. Cars were giving me a wide berth and thumbs up signs and the town was mobbed with thousands of bikes and people - fantastic! I stopped for a jar from one of several good pubs in the town watching all this cycling culture. If only it was always like this...


On the hillside above the 'Col du Buttertubs' (honestly, I ask you!)

I'd just got into my luxury digs when the heavens opened once more. It lashed it down non stop until the early hours of the morning. The forecast for Saturday was good but I had my doubts... In the event it dawned warm and sunny. The buttertubs road was already filling up with people so I got my gear together sharpish and headed up there. Rather than take the easy way up the road I followed a Byway / bridleway I knew to avoid the crowds and bring me out near the top of the road climb

Apparently you can go mountainbiking on a fargo

After much waiting, several hundred cars and bikes, the bizareness of the caravan and various team cars, the race arrived...

WTF?

Jens Voight - age 42 and smashing 'em up the hill - star!

Cavs backside heading out of shot...

'Oh my legs hurting, give me medical attention!' hitching a lift up the hill is allowed apparently

From Jens going through until the broom wagon went by was about 10 minutes, after a 4 hour wait. It was well worth it though. The town was still buzzing until the wee hours, so I soaked up the atmosphere and a few beers while it lasted.

Sunday was 45 miles of easy riding up to my folks near Darlington. For forms sake I rode over the butter tubs road (fully loaded I kicked numerous roadie ass up it) to Swaledale. I was amazed at the number of campsites along the road set up just for the tour. Also loads of cyclists and people giving me thumbs up and smiles. All cars that passed me gave me loads of room a fair few gave thumbs up and waves - I wonder how long this will last.... I picked up a few easy bridleways along the valley then rejoined my route home of old from Richmond.

I Spent some QT with the folks for the rest of the day and then on Monday headed for home. First up was a ride to Kielder. My route was more touring goodness - firstly via the old waggon ways linking Bishop Auckland to Durham and Consett - 28 miles of continuous off road on a mix of tar and dust cycleways; followed a by a few of the famously fierce road climbs from Derwentside to Tyndale. From here I picked my way through a route of quiet roads, bits of cycleway and rolling country to Bellingham then finished with the lakeside path round Kielder water. Finally I pitched up at the Kielder campsite another 90 miles done.

Funky bridge on the Kielder path.

Kielder campsite is another famous midge spot but the breeze was just enough to keep them at bay. After tea I wandered along to the nearby Anglers Arms and was gratified to see they had a couple of ales on. So I sampled a few before retiring to the tent for a sound sleep. 

Tuesday dawned  to the unwelcome sound of heavy rain, contrary to the last forecast I'd seen. It kept easing off to allow the midges a go at me (Kielder midges are indeed nasty) but looked set in. No messing about I just got my head down and rode. I'd vaguely scoped a route out at Mum and Dads but winged it on the tiny GPS screen and actually it was pretty good - mostly on quiet roads with only the odd busy(er) bit near Hawick, which I bypassed on more wee roads. The weather cleared up at Lilliesleaf so I had sunshine passing through the borders tracing roads I'd last ridden when I lived in Edinburgh, many years ago. I did do one bit of the A7 north of Gala which was less than pleasant but got off this on the old road which goes as far as Heriot. Of interest was the works going on to re-open the railway line to Galashiels - quite an undertaking as lots of new bridges are needed as well as re-aligning a couple of bits of the A7. At Heriot I took a chance on a trail I had done before but couldn't recall what it was like. The alternative was more A7 so off I went. In the event it was easy and led me onto the route we'd used to get to and from Innerleithen when I was a student in Embra. Heading through Scotland's capital was also a bit of memory laning as I'd not ridden a bike through busy city streets since 2005. All good fun but I'm glad I don't have to do it anymore. I got home just before the rain clouds came back in. Mileage for this day, 100!

So in total I did about 500 miles. The fargo was brilliant - comfy for long hours in the saddle and just at home on forest tracks as tarmac. The wtb nanos also seemed the ideal tyre for this kind of riding. I was carrying kit in my now usual bikepacking set up of frame bag, bar harness and saddle bag and it worked great. I was surprised at the number of people checking the set up out and a fair few folk asked me about it having never seen anything like it before. I tend to think this set up is common these days but it seems we are still niche...