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You mean to say you've not done the Merrick yet Trekster?, if there was one person in D&G who i'd have to bet £ on for previously riding this route then it'd have been yourself.
Do yourself a favour and do it soon before the rain/wet weather sets in, at the moment it is bone dry up there and just ideal conditions - i was up last month for an overnight Bivvy on the Merrick wi now't but a Stove for a brew and a 250ml flask full of Balvenie Doublewood - a perfect night with not a cloud in the sky nor a breath of wind, very warm as well so i didn't even need to use the Bivvy bag or the lightweight down bag. Stars as bright as led lights in the sky above me and the milky way was just a humoungus stretch of illuminated night sky, it was one of those nights where you have to remind yourself to breath in as you find yourself holding your breath as the nighttime views were just so eye wateringly/ jaw dropping stunning that you forget what you are doing 😀 (or was that the whisky?)
That was my #1 trip/experience this year, nothing will top it.
Next year?……we'll see what happens as i plan to take 6-8 weeks and ride all the way from Kirkcudbright up through all the Western isles and onto Orkney/Shetland so i should experience a good few sights along the way - i can't wait!...
Hiked it but not biked it! Was running a river when We hiked it...... Next time we hiked it we had a white out whilst practicing a search & rescue with the dogs from Galloway Hill rescue team just before F&M.
Guilty of not exploring the Galloway hills I must admit 😐
Yeah the weather can very suddenly take a turn for the worse, i've had to take cover on a few occasions behind the dyke on the neive of the spit as the wind/rain/sleet or snow howls up the gully and when it is safe to do so beat a hasty retreat back down, what can be a fair day down at Loch Trool can often turn into a situation up on the hillside, the speed at which the weather can turn nasty is always something to be aware of in the Galloway hills and the speed that fog/mist can roll in from the sea has caught me out a few times, they ain't the Cairngorms thats for sure but the weather can be just as wild and unpredictable for the unwary.
Aye, lots of folk underestimate the Galloway hills, as you say, the Merrick has it's own bloody weather system!. Best avoided early morning I reckon, if you want views. I can see it from the office, and it only ever seems to be clear in the afternoon/evening. It's a cracking descent, especially the rocky section coming into the forest.
Scapegoat - great post, very descriptive for anyone who hasn't ridden the western stanes before.
Soma, have you ever ridden the rhinns of Kells? The RoK challenge was on last week, 5 tops from Carsphairn end finishing down toward St Johns town of Dalry. Couple of guys from work did it, not cyclists, and as ever, my interest was piqued by comments of 'naw, ye couldn't take a bike up there' 😀