Scotland
So with a little inclination and some time off from work Mrs Fat Lad, Tiff,Danny and I headed north of the border for a week just outside Fort William. The plan was for a bit of riding, plenty of boozing and lots of fun. Non riding events included, the purchase of a light-sabre (not a real one unfortunately…),drunken Jedi impersonations, pissed up Jenga tournaments and my amazing idea to let two very very drunk girls try to shave me a mohican. (I looked like a short fat bearded Travis Bickle…
then when they “tidied it up†I looked like a escaped mental patient.)
Anyways riding:
Great Glen Goer
So first ride of the holiday and we load our gear into the cars to head for Leanachan Forest at the base of Ben Nevis. Only when we arrived there was a bloody XC race on, doh, scratch that then. We have a wander over and watch a few ride past grimacing as they went and decided to head for Neptune Stairs lock to follow a bit off the Great Glen Cycle Path. So back into the cars we were off again. Now I’m used to rain. Living in the north of England you get used to it. (With the exception of Thursday Bad Brains rides because I think stAn has sold his soul to the rain god). But, feck me it was wet. It rained and rained and then rained a little more. We set off from the car and had made little distance when we noticed (I can’t remember exactly how) that Tiff’s front brake was rubbing against the tyre. Not good. So with me riding Tiff’s bike, Danny and I rode back to the car to my toolbox to fix it. All done we rode back to the girls to set off proper (mental note SPD riding shoes and cheap nylon pedals do not mix, I had to pedal with my heels on the only bloody uphill bit of the entire ride)
Despite the weather and that Tiff and Danny ride even less than I do we carried a fair pace and again despite the biblical rainfall met a few smiling faces coming the other way. Now anyone who knows me, will tell you that I don’t really like canal rides, great for fitness but they’re so bleeding dull. This was different however… the stunning Scottish surroundings could make even a road ride bearable.
After a few miles we turned round as in all honesty we had no bleeding idea where we were going. On the way back to the car Tiff had obviously had enough and she did her Lance Armstrong bit and fired away into the distance. Nearly back at the car we stopped to watch them open the final lock and the swing bridges (the little boy in me still finds that shit cool) from their it was back in the hearse and the bimmer to the chalet.
Never say Nevis Again
Cheers Dan for the route name, on this day Dan and I left the girls to their own devices to ride other/shorter trails. So first climb of the day and oh boy was I suffering, and it was an enormous effort to keep my breakfast down.
At the top we turned right and climbed a little more to find that they had closed that particular path due to the logging operations…. so back down we went…
We followed the path with no particular plan, just letting it flow and taking gut decisions at crossroads on the way. Highlights of the day incuded two sheep that we thought were rocks until we rode past them and one very scary looking bullock in a field.
Back into the forest to make our way back to the Nevis Centre we followed the mostly downhill paths grinning all the way. At one point we crested a short climb and on the following descent passed through a warm rainbowed mist. Words can’t describe how cool and magical it was to ride through this and come across the awesome view that was ahead of us.
Back in the car park the angelic Sarah and Tiff had asked the cantina staff to leave the soup on for us, so a hot bowl of soup and a sandwich later it was into the car park to fly kites. We managed to get one stuck in the trees 🙁
Leanachan Loop
For the final ride of the holiday we follwed the girls round the trail they had done the day before. After a short climb Dan and Sarah went to play around on some wooden trails they had found. From there it was a cool little down hill section and a steady climb to the top. This being Scotland however the sun decided to come out as we started the climb. About half-way from the top Sarah’s handlebars came loose (they had almost rotated all the way back…) and no sooner had we said “Fat Lad’ll fix it!” we were off again. From there it was into the downhill bermed section for playtime, every body clearing it with no problems although Tiff managed to graze her arm coming over the bridge to the car park. (Her first riding war wound).
A short ride but very good fun.
And Sarah is still the undisputed pissed-up Jenga Queen.