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i'm up for it ... will just share a lift with other edinburgh people heading up and probably camp as it saves have to organise anything! any length / level of gnarrr is fine with me 🙂 hopefully get a bit fitter by then
Apologies - wrong email address above. It should be:
stuart_campbell40 AT tiscali DOT co DOT uk (it's correct in the profile)
Quality routes! Count me in (on the proviso that I don't draw the short straw, and have to work those dates).
Fitness: variable...very variable - with a large chocolate bar aboard, I have been known to keep going for ages 😆
Email: innerhavenATgooglemailDOTcom
Accommodation: camp, bivy, bunkhouse, kip n car - whatever's easiest, but given the volume of interest so far, the bunkhouse'll be at capacity pretty soon!!
Would be travelling from Innerleithen, possibly with my missus too
I could definitely be in, but it would require me upping my fitness massively I fear, or I'd be left way behind on the ups 🙁 I'd be in Glasgow with room for 1 or 2 more in the car, depending on how tightly we pack the car.
Forecast's looking good around the Glen Clova area this week, and it's been years since I've had a crack at these routes, so got an itch to head up later today and revisit them (snow cover permitting). Driving up later on today from Innerleithen - room in car for one more bike if anyone fancies it (mobile's 07713151773).
Oh, and does anyone know if the bunkhouse is open as it goes straight to voicemail. 😀
I emailed the [url= http://www.clova.com/index.cfm ]Clova Hotel[/url] to enquire about the bunkhouse. Here's the exchange
[i]Can you tell me if the bunkhouse will be available on
the weekend of 2nd/3rd May? Group size TBC at the moment, but possibly
10-12 people.
Can you also tell me if it is possible to camp anywhere nearby?
Many thanks.
Stuart.[/i]
[i][b]
Yes at the moment we have plenty of availability for that weekend
Regards
June[/b][/i]
I'm going to leave it to individuals to sort out their own accommodation arrangements. If you are definitely coming, get your place booked up soon as it's likely to fill up quickly. I'll reply to June to tell her this arrangement and that people can use my name as a reference. I'll also ask the question about the camping again since she seems to have neglected to answer it... 😕
I know a few people expressed a preference for camping, but I've got a feeling that it's not as straightforward as just turning up and pitching your tent beside the hotel (it used to be so, but it has changed hands in recent years and they've tarted it all up).
You might want to book yourself into the hotel itself, if you're feeling flush (I quite fancy this myself, despite being chronically skint)
Anyway - there are your options. I'll try to clarify the camping situation, unless anyone here knows the beta
Clova Hotel website is [url= http://www.clova.com/index.cfm ]here[/url].
Can you let me know when you've made your mind up and keep me updated on your travel/accom. plans just so I know who's actually coming (got 5 emails so far)
Cheers guys!
i'm kinda keen, allowing for exams etc. i'm in st andrews and would more than likely need a lift.
i camped at the hotel in november for a uni field trip, so it is possible, but i dunno how to arrange that.
i'd be the one providing incredibly dull info on the south esk river, which runs through glen clova :s
tam8 AT st-andrews.ac.uk 🙂
tom
Thanks Tom.
If you decide to go, let me know by email. I'm in Dunfermline and there are a few others who are Fife-based too so we can get lifts sorted out nearer the time.
LOL. check the scenery in those pics! why leave the country when it gets this good?! if i was fit enough i`d be into it. how many miles are you talking for each day?
Hi Martin,
The Bachnagairn-Capel Mounth route is 24km and around 1000m of climbing. This is the Sunday ride, though there's no reason why we couldn't have two different rides each day.
The basic Prosen-Kilbo circuit, which heads up the road from Glenprosen village to Kilbo is around 33km with 1400m climbing. If you add on the optional bit over the Cateran Path to Glen Markie I'd guess it's around 45-50km and nearer 2000m of climbing. North Scotland Memory Map runs out here, annoyingly, and I'm too stingy to pay for South Scotland, so this is an estimate.
Been a while since I was last up that way so I nipped up for a couple of days riding last week and stayed at the Clova bunkhouse (mega value at just £11 a night). In good weather like I got, as stunning a setting as anywhere in Scotland.
Took a bit of a gamble with the snow, and had a crack at the Kilbo path route on a sunny but v.blowy Thursday: mostly doable except for the odd snow drift; worst was lots of patchy snow on the Kilbo path descent which was a shame as it meant more carrying than riding 🙁
On the lower section, snow was all gone 😆
New since I was last up, is the Glen Prosen Hostel at the end of the Minister's path - looked really nice(£18).
Roll on April!
April? I meant May 😳
Hi guys,
I've made some enquiries about accommodation for the weekend of 2/3 May. The bunkhouse is available and you might want to book yourself into the hotel (posh option!). I eventually got a response re. camping and the party line is "no camping" in the hotel grounds or surrounding fields... I not sure if they are able to enforce this under our access laws, so you might want to take your chances. Tom (hungrymonkey) was camping hereabouts in November, so he might be able to shed some more light on how to go about it discreetly. Tom? I've certainly seen people camping around here in recent years.
I'm basically going to shift the responsibility for arranging accommodation onto individuals. Best do it soon because it's a popular area and a holiday weekend.
I'll put together a rough outline of the arrangements over the weekend and post it here next week. It should be pretty straightforward - rendezvous place and time, route details etc.
Cheers,
Stuart.
UPDATE - so far I have emails from 8 bods - please get in touch if you are going to be there because I'll send updates by email which will have more detail in them than what is posted here.
BUMP.
is anyone else planning on camping? Alternatively, has anyone booked into the bunkhosue, or is it all individual rooms at the hotel?
I'm in the bunkhouse, but I might upgrade to a room in the hotel since I'm a bit of an anti-social sleeper (I swear and fight in my sleep...). That's you all warned.
I don't fight when I'm awake, BTW, just in case anyone is coming along just for a rumble.
There are a group of us (6approx) from the Kirkcaldy/Glenrothes area that have booked space in the bunkhouse. Fancied the camping option but the lure of a postride shower won out.
Mcmoonter,
good news. Can you drop me an email with names etc. so I know who/how many to expect in total?
Cheers.
(I'm sure I'll know some of them)
Stuartie-c YGM
Stuartie_c
I plan to be up in that area that weekend with a few folk from GMBC. Planning on Beunn a Bhuirdd and Ben Avon on one of the days but the Clova area is on the cards for another of the days.
Can you keep me informed of where you will ride from and when (roughly) so I can see if we can hook up with you guys?
Cheers
Sanny
Sanny,
A you staying on Deeside? Ben Avon from Glen Clova is a huuuuuge ride.
Sanny,
Glad to hear you're interested.
I'm putting a plan together which I'll email out to my mailing list (currently standing at 14!). Send me an email and I'll add you to the list.
I'll just repeat the accommodation arrangements - it's DIY. Bunkhouse filling fast (mostly Fifers!) and camping "discouraged" but you might want to make up your own mind about that...
Cheers,
SC
Inspired by the pics, I re rode the Loch Muick, dubh loch, capel mounth circuit on Friday in scorchio heat (I ran out of water in March in Scotland!), tshirt and shorts with factor 30 on and it was awesome. It is quite simply one of those rides that if you like big mountains and technical trails, you'll be hard pushed to beat. I had planned to head up the Kilbo path on a hike just to ride back down but my mate Ross was pretty tired feling the effects of lots of training for a quadathlon. A storming day out. Oh and the Glen Clova hotel is great for post ride refreshments and food.
Out of interest, has anyone rideen from Braemar to Ballater via Jocks road or up onto Lochnagar. We spotted some interesting trails when we were riding and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the possibilities?
Cheers
Sanny
it seems ill have most sats off so im keen !
ill just bivvy up somewhere after the ride , i know the area so if any one fancys that option just let me know
Hi All we've two room's booked in Bunkhouse Friday & Saturday night £11 per night a few of our group can't make it now, anyone interested in sharing (single bed's obviously ) 😆
I might be on for this again now. Please add me to the email list.
Will do Devs.
I'm putting a plan together which I'll email out sometime this week (I know I said that last week as well, but I promise this time...)
Standing at 15 people so far.
Get those emails to me folks if you're interested.
My riding buddy has let me doon, again, so I've booked a single bed (hope not to get landed next to the fighting snoring stuartie!, although I've been known to utter the odd snort myself, so i'll bring some top notch ear plugs.)
Looking forward to it, though I'll need to get some proper miles in, only been running in preparation for a couple of 10k's this last wee while.
Excellent.
Andy@Innerhaven - I replied to your email but your mail server has bounced it (mailbox full apparently). Do you have an alternative?
SC
Booked 8)
I'm opting for the breakfast as well, several portions of porridge hopefully!
Time to install the new forks, build the new wheels and maybe try and shake off three months of overtime behind the desk...
@stuartie_c - I just saw this thread. I'm running around London on the 25th/26th April, and then having a long-organised birthday barbecue on the 2nd of May. Have a great time, and I'll be looking forward to seeing the photos.
Just booked us into the bunkhouse 🙂 Looking forward to it. Hope the weather is nice...
Ditto.
Sorry, Jo, but they've put me in with you... will bring some whisky as recompense.
Hi Stuartie c
Could you add me to the email list please. Should hopefully get the Saturday ride. Will confirm once Iget the wifes off duty.
Stuart c, add me to e-mail list + 1 (poss 2) others. Try and make the (long) saturday ride, weekend off is too hard
Hi Guys,
Sorry I've not been responding to this thread recently. I'll add new respondents to the list and I'll get The Plan out soon... (it's the last week of skool term and I'm up to my eyes in it)
Due to numbers, I'm proposing to split the group into 2 or maybe 3 smaller autonomous groups provided I can find others who know the area well. This will hopefully speed things up as large groups are just inherently slower.
Cheers,
SC
I'll be there with radoggair ^^^ for the Saturday ride 🙂
Just stumbled on this thread, could you let me know when and where as i live in inverness and its only a spit away....can give a lift if someone need one