Did my first ride on Bennachie in Aberdeenshire today. Fab weather and jolly nice rocky riding on some bits.

Rest of them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jocarda1/sets/72157622630431359/

I do like bennachie though the climb is brutal. will maybe try for a ride up their tomorrow, haven't been up for ages. You should try the oxen crags decent as well it is pretty good, though a bit washed out.
Oh and good pics btw.

Looks ace – v jealous. It's raining here and I'm ill 👿

We did intend to do it, but there was a bit of a knee/rock interface further down (not me, thankfully). Had to take an escape route back to Rowantree Carpark via the visitor centre rather than back up the Gordon Way and down the Oxen Crags descent.

The climb up from Rowantree was a slog but some fun testing bits to try and get up.

Grumm, I'm just recovered from the Flu, so was good to get out. Feeling it in my chest a bit from the climb now though.

Grumm, I'm just recovered from the Flu

You mean a cold? 😛

I had a nasty virus a few weeks ago and it's taking forever to get better, biking seems to make me ill again. 🙁

Fantastic clarity in your fotos j, wonderful north air. Pretty good expressions-of-gnar too!

Looks great jo. So dry! Was freakin wet, muddy and v. slippy where I was today down Stirling. You'll need to show me this route.

I like the look of that place…how long is the trail, is it a mtb centre or just a normal hiking route?

'Proper' fortnight-off-work-with-a-week-of-it-unable-to-move-from-the-sofa Flu. At least that's what it said on my sick note…

It's the 'walkers' paths on Bennachie, North of Aberdeen. You can link several together to make a good ride. There are several different descents from the summit with paths across the 'plateau' between the three tops up there.

Coogan, you're welcome on our sofa anytime 😉 xx

Bosh!

Like the Sarge said, it looks great Jo…

Looks great – too nice to count as 'puffer training tho – even if you do have your race face on

TJ, not nearly long enough for 'puffer training. That's tomorrow (prays for sun).

Nice pics,looks a great ride!

Cracking effort Jo. Must get down there. Say hi to Matt.

Done that run a few times (15 years ago, before the slabs went in!) but I always thought that hill was called Clach-na-Ben?! We called it Tit Hill, cos it looks like a tit.

Pretty sure there was a Killer Loop in MBUK or somesuch which took it in along with a few other summits. We tried it and got lost, but in our defence, we were stoned witless..

Nice pics by the way!

Also called The Mither Tap, cos it looks like a lady bump, Is that what you used to call it, userremoved? "Ladybump hill"?

Swayndo, Matt says hi back. Shame you couldn't make Balblair the other weekend.

user-removed: Done that run a few times (15 years ago, before the slabs went in!) but I always thought that hill was called Clach-na-Ben?!

Your getting confused with a hill called Clachnaben. Its visible from the top but is off the Cairn O Mount road You were obviously more stoned than you thought…

jojoA1 – Member

Also called The Mither Tap, cos it looks like a lady bump, Is that what you used to call it, userremoved? "Ladybump hill"?

It should, of course, be called Mither Pap. I'm guessing those pesky Victorians decided that was a bit racy.

'Proper' fortnight-off-work-with-a-week-of-it-unable-to-move-from-the-sofa Flu. At least that's what it said on my sick note…

Sorry only messing – saw you mention it on PP's thread about people claiming to have flu. 😛

Those pics look ace – one day I will move to Scotland.

cracking pics. Hope it was warmer than Inverness way!

ona29er – Member
… Hope it was warmer than Inverness way!

It was beautiful sunshine this morning around Dingwall. We were sweating while our wheels were crunching through the thin ice in the pools on the tracks.

Yup – riding and toking went hand in hand back then for our merry bunch of addicts.

You are quite right – Bennachie it is. There used to be a sunken stream where the stone steps are now. It had a number of hidden underwater potholes which made for hilarious over-the-bars moments.

As you reached the base of the hill, there was a massive felled tree, just before the wooded section which was bunny-hoppable (just) even on a Muddy Fox Courier, or later, a fully rigid Lavadome. Is it still there?

Aaah! The nostalgia! (stuck in Sunderland now 🙁 )

Hey Jo, Bannachie was my local riding for a while when I was up in Aberdeen. My first experience was being taken down that way, and I got shown up by the local MTB club 😳 Ace ride, but never got round to repeating it – preferred the route off the north of the saddle, which is faster, looser and less technical. Really wish I could get back up and ride it again.

Looks a bit like the M1, they have really sanitised that from 10 years ago:(

Superb pic's and the weather looks alot better than it was on the west coast!

epicyclo – Member

ona29er – Member
… Hope it was warmer than Inverness way!

It was beautiful sunshine this morning around Dingwall. We were sweating while our wheels were crunching through the thin ice in the pools on the tracks.

that wasn't an exaggeration, It didnt get above 1 degree here yesterday. hey ho, at least the firetracks are freezing up (getting faster) =)

that staircase looks mental – good stuff

Looks very nice.

Saw ice on some of the puddles in the Pentlands this morning – first time this winter.

Videos from the ride I did (you can see me standing watching…) in May with the Ecurie Neeps. The videos do not do justice to how steep it is, but you do get to see how rocky the trail is. Awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Ukxe74ay4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRNXEVKLiU8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPJsFKudTj4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxkjC1An0pk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGQ_Oap50hY&feature=related

nice photies jo. that looks a smashing wee run.

stunning photies jo, hope ballater weather is as good
looking forward to riding with you guys at the weekend

looks good. i like that sort of riding. i had to scrub a bike for 2 hours and hang around for a potential buyer.. that never made it from Fraserburgh. Grr.i only managed a short ride. first one in weeks. i stayed off the bike to get rid of that chesty tickle/cold thing that everyone seemed to catch last month.
feel spot on now after staying off bike for ages.