Long weekend… A lap and a half of Golspie on Thursday, then out on Friday with my brother at Carbisdale and Balblair (what a brilliant trail, no idea why it’s so overlooked), then saturday over to fort william for a day on the downhill. Fab.

A ride a couple of miles out the village to watch the SDA happening: our mate got third, only 6/1000 behind second place…!

Killin SDA by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

Killin SDA by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

Killin SDA by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

Killin SDA by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

Killin SDA by matt_outandabout, on Flickr
Jamie on his way to third, showing how it is done at 12…!

Killin SDA by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

82k’s of the wettest, windiest welsh wilderness at the Red Kite Élan Valley Callenge. Rain was horizontal. Wind seemed to be jn your face whichever way you faced. River crossings at thigh depth, moorland ankle deep in mush (I’m sure someone rode it but it wasn’t me). An entire day getting wet, cold and tired. Brilliant.

Bimbling about the local trails with the local lads for a couple of hours. The rain has made the limestone and dirt trails slidy and challenging again! Then I headed over to cheddar to cheer along some friends as the fell race set off. Was rather wet at this point. Then picked my way back to my car for a hour followed by a pub lunch. Climbs that were doable last week were not this week, due to the soapy limestones. Ho hum.

Solstice ride but unfortunately the summer bit was a little absent.. Started at Queens Head Askam for some pre-closing time ale before riding over towards Howtown, Sandwick along the shore to Paterdale and up to Boredale Hause where our optimism was dashed by the weather and we took the easy route back not on High Street but down in the valley via Boredale. Got back to the van at 3:30am for beer and bbq.

A tad late for Monday! 🙂 We did a Solstice bivvy adeventure in the Black Mountains.

You can read a few words on it here if you are bothered: http://www.sushkelly.co.uk/summer-solstice-2013-a-microadventure/