Summer ’22 – your pics

As the meteorological autumn starts, and with a wet September forecast, I thought it would be good to have a pics thread.

The ‘rules’ – three pics and a short explanation of your best Summer ’22 adventures and rides.

On my sons 17th birthday we spent a day *sweating* our way around the steep and thorny Basque Country in humid 30*+ – but discovered steep, dusty and lovely trails as a reward.

Spain – Basque and Picos 2022 by Matt[/url], on Flickr

A lovely overnight tour on quiet lanes from Beauly to Affric with friends.

Beauly and Affric overnighter by Matt[/url], on Flickr

It is not often that you take extra water on what is a local loop from the door – or that I go full lycra due to the heat. The Ochils felt like Spain, with dry grass and baking heat meant it was like riding into a hairdyer.

Cauldhame and Menstrie loop by Matt[/url], on Flickr

I don’t have 3 good pictures because I haven’t had a lot of action this year. I’m just trying to force myself back into it after a long break.

We did get this father and son shot a few weeks ago. Hopefully the first of many.

Hopefully in 40 years we can recreate the same picture with him on the bike and me in my wheelchair.

Evening out with friends at dirt farm (formerly BMCC). Hot, dry and dusty with some terrific trails.

First day of riding in the alps, first time for my 13 year old. Again, hot, dry and dusty and an amazing experience riding with him. It’s fair to say he’s fearless.

A big snowdonia gravel adventure with Alex from here. One of the hardest/ biggest days I’ve done this year.

An unexpected trip up to the Nevis Range to pick up a new bike to me and the first time riding there. Weather was perfect and set the scene for the rest of the summer

The deferred from 2020 trip was now on and after a few days riding in Lugano we moved on to lake Garda for a week. We have wanted to go here for well over 30 years when our main passion was windsurfing. It was hot, trails were dusty and in most places full on

One of our stops was in Aosta which gave us a few days riding up in Pila and some of the surrounding trails before we moved on to Samones. First visit for us and again the weather was great. It was dry, the off piste stuff was hard and rewarding. never ridden as many roots

I have loads of riding and not riding memories from a near perfect summer. Its not over yet. Finale is in a couple of weeks followed by some exploring in South East France

Despite still suffering from nerve and tendon damage from having my collarbone plated I’ve had an absolute belter of a summer.

This might be a crap pic that makes the trail look flat* but it was the first time Mrsstu got down Nae Spleens at the Golfie. Her heart rate was showing 190 at the bottom. 😂

*It’s a pretty committing trail in places.
Nae Spleens. by StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr

We were lucky enough to get a few days away up at Dunkeld and Pitlochry a few weeks back.
Never been before but are very keen to get back up there again. So many good trails to go at and so few other people on them.
Yer Maws Erse by StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr

Then this one. Some of my old mates from back in the Midlands came up to visit for a week.
So good to see them again and even better to show them round my new local trails.
Multiple consecutive 1700 meter days and I still didn’t manage to show the anywhere near all our trails.
Ebike ****. by StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr

We’re trying to extend summer with a trip to Spain soon.
Its been on hold for two years so can’t wait to get back there.

Took the road bike to Italy last month – a week in Cavallino (across the water from Venice) spent island hopping (Murano, Burano, etc) then 2 weeks in Lake Garda.
It was really hot the first week (36C) but cooled off a bit when we moved on to Garda.
I had planned to try and ride a lap of the lake – but as it was 30C by 8am some days, and i’d be ridding on my own i bottled it – still on my bucket list though.

Reserving my submission until I actually get a ‘summer 22’ holiday – hopefully starts in 2 weeks time 🙂

Despite the global circumstances regularly resembling National Sh**e Day, we have had a wonderful summer.
In April/May I took a ten day bike tour from home in Calderdale to Tarbet Ness on the Cromarty peninsula – it would have been Durness/Cape Wrath, but last minute delays meant it had to be a day shorter to get my train back. Pennine Bridlewayish to Dufton, Dun Fell, Kielder, Tweed Valley to meet my son, bits of Capital Trail/GNT to Crianlarich, top half of WHW, HT550 to Contin, round Ben Wyvis, Tarbet Ness and back to Inverness through the Black Isle. Took full camping gear, but cold (dry) weather and general lazyness tipped me to generally using camping pods and Hostels which proved pretty cheap..
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9 dry days, one wet day but the sun seldom shone, still a magic trip.
In May we took a three week road trip in Scotland, starting in NethyBridge, then Findhorn, Tongue, Durness, Achiltibuidh, Strontian, Eigg and Rum. Swimming every day, usually in the sea, and apart from a couple of days the sun shone. Sea Eagles, Golden Eagles, pine martins, common and bottlenosed Dolphins, wonderful. Heres Sandwood bay, a life’s ambition..and another wonderful trip.

Two weeks ago my son dragged me out on a bivvy loop from home, him trying out his cx bike loaded up on south pennine trails… one of those magical evenings, pub meal in Stanbury and a bivvy on the back of Lad Law. Next day we dragged ourselves round the Mary Townley loop to complete a great bikey weekend…

and a fantastic summer.

his might be a crap pic that makes the trail look flat* but it was the first time Mrsstu got down Nae Spleens at the Golfie. Her heart rate was showing 190 at the bottom. 😂

Every time I used to ride it I would try pickup loads of dropped water bottles in the steep sections but was hard to stop and collect haha.

Salcombe trip around the Queens jubilee. Great time camping, swimming walking, paddleboarding.
Harold enjoyed a trip on the paddleboard dodging faster big boats in Salcombe harbour.

Glencoe at the end of July.
Just absolutely love it up there.
This is the Pup of Glencoe and was a walk up the Pap of Glencoe, below which we were camping.

I’ve been paddling the whole of the river Avon (Shakespeare’s Avon) in sections when I can, and this leg I paddled the last section as it flows into the Severn at Tewkesbury.
I took my camping gear and camped by the river the night before which was cool.
Eckington bridge

Had a great summer in Austria, plenty of riding with my lad and his Austrian & German shredder mates. Only one big crash with no broken bones which makes a change.

A couple of lovely days in Saalbach & Hinterglemm, it’s a change of riding style and pace from Leogang. Mainly rocky, technical tracks and some amazing views. Here’s me on the road gap.

Throwing old man shapes on Hot Shots, the main jump line in Leogang.

The motorway section where the WC/FR lines combine.

Some good stuff. Looks like most have made the most of the great weather

Was thinking about visiting Saalbach and Leogang next year to tie in with the Enduro and DH. What’s it like for campsites

Indeed, looks like a good summer for lots of us.

More pics!

We had literally around 5 or 6 rainy days in 6 weeks there.

There are plenty of camp sites around, there’s a great one at Zell Am See (end of the valley from Saalbach) on the lake. It’s closed at the moment due to a gas explosion but might be open again late summer next year.

https://www.seecamp.at/en/

Another nice one by us, so 15 minutes drive to Leogang or around 30 minutes to Saalbach

https://www.gasthof-saalfelden.at/

You can actually ride over and back Leogang to Saalbach on enduro bikes, E-bikes make it a doddle. Hell on a DH bike though.

There’s been loads of new trails added in Leogang in the last few years, mainly more enduro style.

The lifts open earlier and close later in the year than France so the May/June and October half terms are a possibility.

Forgot to mention that you can also camp in the Leogang car park. Good facilities under the lift station (showers etc) and a Spar shop/cafe there.

Yeah for fat pad impingement

My 3 starts with an ebike turning up at the beginning of Summer 22 which has allowed me longer rides in them there local hills…

This Summer, we also started our (to be continued) rides along the Southern Upland Way… just doing it in (out and back) short sections but we have managed to bike Portpatrick to St Marys Loch so far and its been great. We don’t have any time goals so we can pick and choose good weather days…

And finally 3 weeks MTB road trip back to AZ/UT/CO – a sort of “greatest hits” trip revisiting areas we really liked and biking some new and some previous trails (including GF’s first time down the Whole Enchilada). Yes, it turned out expensive and not as smooth as previous years but so glad we made the effort.

Been a bizarre summer in many ways – that 40 degree stuff was a bit disconcerting…

Our summer holiday was a return to camping in France and, after a lengthy descent into the welcoming arms of sedentarianism, it was just wonderful to be out on a bike every day. 🙂

Just back from a few days at the Mach Loop and, whilst there wasn’t much air traffic (I think spring’s the thing…), the house we stayed at had a view to die for.

2 months in Spain, France & Italy here’s a sample

@skellnonch – we need two more pics…

It’s certainly been a cracking summer for me!

Firstly, summer holidays in Pembrokeshire and an early morning ride on the in stunning weather:

Then, a cracking weekend in the lakes tackling Helvellyn:

And lastly one of my best riding experiences – I’m privileged to work with children in care who have lived through significant trauma, and I got to introduce one of those lads to mountain biking. I took him on a 15k ride to include a ‘random pile of rocks’ 😉. It was amazing to see his face, loving butterflies in the long grass, learning to ‘love the climbs’ and just being in beautiful countryside. An experience that will live with both of us for a long time. Sadly his smile can’t be in the picture so you’ll have to put up with mine:

I missed basically the entire summer with a loooooong recovery from Covid. Just as I thought I’d got my energy levels back, I had a slipped/bulging/prolapsed disc. Been off the bike for another 8 weeks. And now it’s lashing just about every day.

But love seeing everyone’s photos. I hope that’s me next summer.

26 ain’t dead hotel bike in Majorca
First trip to afan and BPW
First trip to wharny
First and probably last enduro – DNF 🙁
Great day out on cadair Idris (walking)
And a rare trip to hebden
Some other bits
Mostly on the new flaremax this year which is awesome.

Edit: sorry, didn’t read the 3 pics rule 🤦

Looks like most have had a great time and some amazing photos to look back on.

Our summer finished off with fantastic riding in Finale followed by exploring just over the border in France.

It’s now back to local riding and planning for 2023

Exploring Islay by bike. A great few days with some walking, riding, Whisky & kitesurfing 😎

Did my father in-law’s last Munro with him. He didn’t leave the easy ones to last 🙈 wife did another 4 with him that week – tough week for the pair of them. I just joined them for the last one.

One of my favourite days on a bike, up above Crans Montana 🙂

Not sure how I missed this thread when it started, but its a cool excuse to have an Autumnal look back at my summer photos…

Most of my summer riding this year was local, so sun dappled woodland singletrack rather than big open hillsides…

skellnonch – we need two more pics

Based on the sheer awesomeness of the first one, we sure do.

@colournoise
I absolutely love the creativity of your pics. Please keep posting them. 👍