if your gonna sleep rough you have to do it right – 3 miles from your house dont cut it ! I had 2 options in mind with the friday off – one requiring reems of maps and lots of navigation or a signposted route requiring minimal mapping.
opted for a ride on the west highland way – the second option. Started at 8am friday morning and rode with no haste enjoying the epically beautiful weather over conic hill – nice descent going north then along loch lomond banks. I was told and all my research pointed towards it getting better riding after that …better is subjective, there were more ridable sections but still impossible to get into a rhythm for drainage bars and steep steps and gates – for a minute i thought i was in england – never seen so many gates on a ride! . North of tyndrum got better after a stop at the greenwelly shop for some pizza. Up to bridge of orchy was fast going – so fast it confused **** out of my cateye computer which decided to display error and reset ! trail was still rough and a combo of slr 135 and a loaded bag man rack meant my bike did not skip over bumps and instead clattered into things leaving me with 2 options – stand or get a battered arse i opted for both! Should have fitted my brooks.. The plan had been to get to fort william and bivy out but due to a late start and a sore arse i realized that wasnt going to happen so stopped at inveroran leaving me with the option for the train, down by the river just past the hotel. …. Minimal bivy kit worked well with only a +5 wynster superlite sleeping bag , my rab survival and a berghaus down vest- my waterproof became my tarp/midge protection – under arm vents provided adaquate ventilation to stop condensation Had slightly cold feet when i woke at 5am to the crap sun rise – driech grey day and rolled over till 7.30 before riding 3 miles back via road to bridge of orchy to catch the 9am train to glasgow. One of the best things about packing ultralite is the time it takes to pack up – or rather the time it doesn’t !
One things for sure i shant be making a speedy attempt at the double rob lee can have that honour all to him self- i am tempted to enter the trail run along it though !
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packed ,
wynster superlite 600 bag
rab survival zone bivy
berghause down vest – all in the red dry bag on the bike. Waterproof shorts and jacket strapped onto this.
bag had , torq , torq gels and torq bars , gilet , arm and leg warmers , dry socks , a cannondale polartec balaclava , camera , tool kit , lube.