So once again Shaffiq on the Bearbones forum kindly organised an alternative winter event for those unable to make the real one in Wales. I'm in for the Welsh Ride Thing this year so two trips down there in three months seemed a bit much. As per last year, protagonists get paired up with somebody, send them a handful of grid references in their local area, get some yourself, then ride round and bag them all.
As it happened, like last year, I had to send Shaff a load round the Peaks and Justin, fellow Scottish Winter Bivvy crew member, sent me mine. I provided a bit of guidance and inevitably, my local hills were Justin's focus, as they had been when John sent me GR's last year.
I'd grabbed a Friday off work in the vain hope I'd get some skiing, but after a spectacularly crap winter, and some truly horrible weather, the temps were once again on the rise and there was nothing worth traipsing up a hill for, other than for walking or biking. So on the strength of a mild and dry(ish) forecast, I figured I'd go out and bag my GR's - 10 points all within a reasonable shout of home. After a certain amount of map gazing, I plotted a route to take them all in with a couple of options depending on how timings worked out - roughly 80 miles and a chunk of climbing, including the local high point on the summit of Ben Cleuch at 725m, on a variety of surfaces. After a leisurely morning and pack up of bike I got going, just after 12.
First trail, a nice single track by the Black Devon, a river I'd encounter a few times over the weekend along with it's big brother, the Devon. Note sun, not seen much of this of late and it made an already mild day positively spring-like.
GR1, listed as 'The Sunken Garden,' by Gartmorn Reservoir. Been past this loads of time and never noticed! Jones looking reasonably svelte given the mild temps, so yet again no winter gear or snowy bivvy. The made trail by the res was properly slurry-like so rather than follow it round it's north shore I cut through Alloa and due West, linking up with the River Devon just near where it emerges at the Forth. Later I would pass it's source.
Sunshine looking up to GR6 and a few bits of snow only - actually more than this time last year but still very little, hence me using the Jones rather than the Ice Cream Truck. I can actually see the summit of Ben Cleuch from my upstairs bedroom window so I can accurately gauge snow levels!
After various cycleways and trails (and more mud) I entered the grounds of Stirling Uni, GR2 on the bridge over the pond. A fair bit of route faffing ensued as it wasn't at all obvious how to get round the place. It was rammed with young people (obviously) and I felt slightly out of place until I passed some local dog walkers.
Quick snap before anyone wondered what I was doing. Wallace (as in Bill) Monument behind, also visible from my bedroom window if I lean out!
A bit more route faffing got me back to where I'd been earlier and then I backtracked a ways before commencing the days first of several large climbs up the flanks of Dumyat. I could have hoofed it straight up the Sheriffmuir road out the back of the Uni, but instead did this lengthy diversion off the straight route in a quest to maximise dirt time! The track up here used to be pretty rough and often covered in cow shit but it's recently all been planted with trees (mixed I'm pleased to say) and the track done up so it's now a good all weather through route, paralleling the one on the opposite side of the valley I'd first done last year.
I joined the Sheriffmuir road eventually after a fair bit of huffing and puffing and then spied my next GR, The Atlantic Wall. This, somewhat amusingly, is a length of concrete wall and bunkers built during the war after spies sussed out the German beach defenses and re-created them here (of all places) so they could practice blowing hell out of them, in order to determine how easy it would be to breach said defenses during the Normandy Landings. The Military had quite a presence hereabouts back then - there are various bits of infrastructure still just about visible, included a bombing range.
GR3 - One of the bunkers. Inevitably I gauged it's value as a bivvy spot but concluded that I would never be that desperate!
The remains of the wall. Well and truly hammered!
GR4 was advertised as 'Lifting Stones.' Apparently these are located all over Scotland so that brawny young people can prove their mettle by lifting them. Given my age and dodgy back, I'd no intention of indulging in such nonsense but in the event I could find no sign of them or the stone circle marked on the map at the same location....
I missed a further road section and two crossings of the A9 by following a track past three empty farms. I first passed this way 10 years ago and couldn't figure why they were empty, only to twig that this whole hillside is owned by Highland Spring as it's where they lift their water from. Although some of the land is still farmed, most of it is empty of livestock to avoid polluting the spring water (which is manifestly not 'Highland'!) One house was getting done up the last time I passed, but it was still empty. Another had been demolished and the final one looked about ready to fall down. A shame as I'm sure someone would live there if they were offered up for sale. Anyway, I splashed along the track down to the road and then started up an oft used climb which is a real killer on singlespeed - not steep enough to warrant a push but steep enough to require a big effort to get up. I was feeling a bit weary by this point and further climbing was in the offing so walked a chunk of it...
Upper Glen Devon Res, the source of the River Devon and my water supply. It's just over the watershed from the Highland Spring infrastructure so in effect, I get Highland Spring water out of my tap!
Scottish Water actually have a campaign to get people to drink tap water rather than buying over priced bottles of what is effectively the same stuff (up here and the North of England at least) even putting public drinking fountains back in! Of interest is the trail, which is a cracker.
GR5, or thereby. It's actually in the res itself - I'd mentioned to Justin I had a packraft! In the event I wasn't going to be humpfing another 5 kg with me so this was a close as I got. Another stone circle lurks under the water apparently. Last year this had been a very small puddle and the old walls, farm remains and road were visible. Full up today!
This trail popped me out at the dam. I crossed this and faced something of a dilemma. GR 6 was just in view, the summit of Ben Cleuch. This would be the best point to stage an ascent from, being at 400m, plus I could use the windfarm track for a chunk of the climb. But it was now quarter to five and 6 would be Dark O'Clock. Not a big problem but from the summit it would be an hour or more to my next GR, in the grounds of Glen Eagles House and I figured wandering through with lights a'blaze might lead to adverse comment (and a rifle shot...) But if I missed this climb out I'd inevitably bottle doing it the next day and fail. So with little thought I turned the bars right and started up.
GR6, 725m AOD. The climb actually went OK, the only annoying detail was mist flowing over the hill after it having been in the sun all day. That said it cleared somewhat at the top revealing the Forth valley and lots of lights. It was still largely light but heading down, darkness quickly fell. I ruminated on whether to keep on route and miss GR7 but on a whim decided to change course and head off the south side of the hills to get food at the Dollar co-op. I'd then ride up to my bivvy spot (close to GR 8) then grab it and 7 the next day. This would mean a loop and extra miles but would get me to my bivvy spot the quickest. A lengthy descent followed (yet another pair of Uber pads burnt out) with two substantial climbs thrown in. As had been the case all day, the trail was properly soggy. My feet were feeling damp and the bike plastered in gunge...
Dollar Co-op provided a cold tea and a couple of beers for later. Then off up the back road, a bit of main road (quiet as it's shut just east of my current location) and up the Dunning road, finally entering the woods of Glen Devon Forest at 8. There was a hint of rain in the air so I pushed on but got to the spot dry (dry!), got the tarp up sharpish and collapsed into my bag with some relief, having just ridden 90k in 8 hours. But all in all a great day and all in the dry (!!!) in spite of a somewhat marginal forecast.
Top spot this but only in an easterly. By rights there should be a good view but I woke to low cloud, mist and drizzle. It had rained (lightly) for most of the night but my labours of the previous day, plus the beer, led to a solid 8 hours kip. I had a leisurely breakfast then got going just after 10.
GR7, the amusingly named Fanny Burn. I bivvied on Fanny Hill last year... I was effectively reversing my route - hoof up the last of the Dunning road climb then down the big track through Corb Glen and down towards Auchterarder before a back road to the bottom of Gleneagles. As I descended I dropped out of the mist and it dried up.
The nearest I got to GR8 - Glen Eagles Castle. At first I couldn't see how to get in, but as I reached a gate and a fairly obvious mowed path heading towards it a guy in an ATV turned up enquiring as to my destination. I instantly figured that the castle was probably off limits, being in the grounds of the big hoose, plus I couldn't be arsed getting into a rammy with the guy as he was pretty cheery, asking about the bike and what I'd been up to, so I headed up to the start of the drove road, grabbing this pic of the castle (and my thumb) - just a low mound.
Another long track climb followed (a lovely grassy one, this is a great route) various bits of trail and even a bit of the main road (also very quiet) as a penalty for changing my route the previous evening. I got to the start of the climb to GR9, however despite a sign pointing the path out, I faced a well tied up gate and no obvious path. Stuff it, I was not missing this GR out! So heave bike over the gate and push up a lengthy climb over sheep dung encrusted fields.
GR9, Hoods Hill, near to Crook of Devon. There should be a trig point here but it seemed to be next to the service res which was barriered off due to being a construction site. So I sploshed down yet another sodden and slurry filled track, the last GR nearly in site. I rejoined the Devon once more on a nice trail...
GR10 (at last) The Devils Mill - no mill, just a local name for the large gorge the Devon drops through here.
Rumbling Bridge - or two bridges! I've been over this hundreds of times but I don't often have a nosy at the gorge these days, which is surprisingly deep and rocky, considering the largely benign landscape hereabouts.
So that was it. A few miles of cycleway, trail and backroad got me home just after 2. I'd done 145k with 2500m of climbing in about 12 hours of riding. As with last year I enjoyed the whole thing - plotting the GR's, working out various ways of bagging them and then riding it all. The bike was absolutely filthy, thanks to the extreme wetness of this winter but as usual it was flawless. Just as I finished washing it, the rain came on.
Cheers to Justin for coming up with the GR's - they made a good solid challenge of a route, plenty of ace riding and a few new corners in my gaff I'd not been to before. Also cheers to Shaff for organising. March next and a desire to hit the Cairngorms as per 2022. We'll see what the weather pans out like...
