mini adventure # 2
A couple of days in Edinburgh for the start of the tennis programme at Craiglockhart and then off for another wee adventure...
So with this new bike I got the train to pitlochry - really nice bike ride via tummel bridge to Glen Foss, and a quick climb up Schiehallion - an easy climb with clear path most of the way, then rocky for the last 20 mins. Beautiful weather in the valley but its a very exposed area and the wind was wild at the top! Ran back to the bike and continued on past Kinloch Rannoch to Rannoch station. Got there a bit too quick - 6.30, no train till 9.07pm! But I'd seen a hotel marked on the map & thought it'd be perfect for a drink, food & clean up/change. No such luck - only open to residents, and no bar - what's all that about?! Managed to sneak in and change into clean warm clothes but then had to hide in the old station waiting room & cook dinner on my stove!! Funny, and yet not that funny ;) Eventually got the train to Roybridge where there was a campsite really close by...
I biked to Fort William on Fri morning - spent a while in town getting info/maps, some food, a couple of things for the bike, generally faffing around trying to decide what to do...it was raining & visibility was really poor even in FW so climbing any mountains seemed a bit pointless. I decided to bike up Glen Nevis & possibly do something low level - however, as soon as I got going the sun came out! It was beautiful up there, and I ended up going on a bit of a mission - biked as far as possible up the glen (to the upper waterfall carpark), hid my bike & started climbing ;) It was a magical route through a gorge-like area to an open valley, followed by a fantastic circuit in the Mamore mountain range - 7 peaks and 4 munroes later I bush-bashed my way back almost directly to the main track (totally unintentional but a nice surprise after a slightly dodgy piece of navigating!). Had a quick clean-up on the river crossing, ran back along to my bike and free-wheeled most of the 6 miles back to Glen Nevis campsite before it got dark!
A quick cycle to Glencoe to meet Mark & Ben where we started up the Aonach Eagach ridge - the weather turned out much better than expected and at times we had pretty clear views along the ridge. Its a great scramble in parts, with a steep descent through rock/scree & heather at the end! Mark's a bit of a mountain goat - he just leaps about on the rocks as if there was a crash-mat 2 feet beneath him, instead of 1000 feet of air either side :) Really enjoyed the walk, and my bike & I got a lift back to Edinburgh as well, bonus!
To see all the pics, go to this web album!
So with this new bike I got the train to pitlochry - really nice bike ride via tummel bridge to Glen Foss, and a quick climb up Schiehallion - an easy climb with clear path most of the way, then rocky for the last 20 mins. Beautiful weather in the valley but its a very exposed area and the wind was wild at the top! Ran back to the bike and continued on past Kinloch Rannoch to Rannoch station. Got there a bit too quick - 6.30, no train till 9.07pm! But I'd seen a hotel marked on the map & thought it'd be perfect for a drink, food & clean up/change. No such luck - only open to residents, and no bar - what's all that about?! Managed to sneak in and change into clean warm clothes but then had to hide in the old station waiting room & cook dinner on my stove!! Funny, and yet not that funny ;) Eventually got the train to Roybridge where there was a campsite really close by...
I biked to Fort William on Fri morning - spent a while in town getting info/maps, some food, a couple of things for the bike, generally faffing around trying to decide what to do...it was raining & visibility was really poor even in FW so climbing any mountains seemed a bit pointless. I decided to bike up Glen Nevis & possibly do something low level - however, as soon as I got going the sun came out! It was beautiful up there, and I ended up going on a bit of a mission - biked as far as possible up the glen (to the upper waterfall carpark), hid my bike & started climbing ;) It was a magical route through a gorge-like area to an open valley, followed by a fantastic circuit in the Mamore mountain range - 7 peaks and 4 munroes later I bush-bashed my way back almost directly to the main track (totally unintentional but a nice surprise after a slightly dodgy piece of navigating!). Had a quick clean-up on the river crossing, ran back along to my bike and free-wheeled most of the 6 miles back to Glen Nevis campsite before it got dark!
A quick cycle to Glencoe to meet Mark & Ben where we started up the Aonach Eagach ridge - the weather turned out much better than expected and at times we had pretty clear views along the ridge. Its a great scramble in parts, with a steep descent through rock/scree & heather at the end! Mark's a bit of a mountain goat - he just leaps about on the rocks as if there was a crash-mat 2 feet beneath him, instead of 1000 feet of air either side :) Really enjoyed the walk, and my bike & I got a lift back to Edinburgh as well, bonus!
To see all the pics, go to this web album!
posted by Mhairi
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