Had a really brilliant, if exhausting and quite chilly ride with Trekster today. I am not too sure if you could call this off-piste at Ae, but this loop can certainly be tacked on to the very north part of the red route for an epic day out if you wanted.
Here is near the start. We are going to cross the river in the far distance, go up one side of the valley, then we will come back on the right hand side.
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6981996747/ ]IMG_3636[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6982078799/ ]DSCN2962[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
Steeper than it looks - there is a fair bit of hiking to get up to the higher tracks
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6835865842/ ]IMG_3645[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
After quite a bit of pushing by me, John then went to look for the way down
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6835859216/ ]IMG_3653[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
Here it is
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6981980083/ ]IMG_3655[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
Stopped half way down for some shelter and cake and a cup of tea
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6835855684/ ]IMG_3659[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
And then we continued
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6836016198_3750e0dd48_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6836016198/ ]DSCN2975[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6981957371/ ]14th March[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6982165093/ ]DSCN2982[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
Stopped off for more tea and snacks
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6836047964/ ]DSCN2997[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
Here you can see the bridge we crossed on the way out, and the track at the top of the hill which we took.
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6835827914/ ]IMG_3675[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
And then a nice downhill back to the farm where we had parked
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6982180281/ ]DSCN3007[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6836059520/ ]DSCN3011[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
Full set of photos here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/sets/72157629583767087/
Looks good that 🙂
Nice one, looks a bit further out than last time. Is that the track in the distance you can see from wee queensberry?
Aye. Easy enough to drop down to that wee bridge at the T-junction when coming off Wee Queensberry. Shepherds are touring the hills(with shotguns!)so quad tracks may be getting bedded in again.
There is a "walk" marked on the OS map which goes up to the left nearer the end of Branburn Bash which could be substituted for the Wee Queensberry hike 💡
Next trip will be to find out where that road terminates, think I know, just got to prove it.
This is where we were. As Trekster said, there are a lot of quad bike tracks which do not show up on the map - so lots of potential loops up there.
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6836541778_eb780fc4a5_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/6836541778/ ]IMG_3680[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/simonralli/ ]simon ralli[/url], on Flickr
That looks fantastic - I bet those moors make for some heavy pedalling when wet! I'm pretty sure I would get myself into big trouble out there. 😀
Fantastic job on the photos, and the words. Today, I went riding in Scotland from my desk. Readers Rides. Brilliant. Thank you!