Well... What a day of two halves...
After yesterday's failed attempt to cross the pass due to blizzard conditions, I spent a lot of the evening looking at weather forecasts and umming and ahhing.
The Met office mountain forecast for the area was Red risk for wind- gusting 60mph gale force withred risk for temperature- minus 5 down to minus 18 with wind chill.
With more pretty hideous weather forecasts on the national news I was really considering postponing the trip and feeling very, very blue.
One option was to travel down through the islands of Oban and Arran- quick call from mum to say that Arran has snow drifts as high as houses and has been without power for 4days. One less option.
Phone call from my good friend Phil (mountain bike trail builder extraordinaire and general bike afficionado) in the morning helped talk through the options. There was no way I could cross the pass and couldnt just hop on a bus.
In the end had to back pedal to Spean Bridge 35miles from where I had reached the previous day. Train from here looped round the mountains over the bleak Rannoch Moor to Crianlarich. In doing so I missed out the mountain pass section- 25 miles. Which would mean- miles wise- i'd be making up for rhe mountain pass.
Bleak, grey, windy view out of the train window towards the pass I had avoided...
(see photo)
As the energy crystals from the energy bar i'd just eaten dissolved into my blood stream, or something like that, I zoomed off the train that i'd been on for an hour and a half.
34mph on the flat didn't last very long.
Beautiful cycle past Loch Lomand and even time to stop for a game of golf.
Busier roads on the outskirts of Glasgow but managed it through unscathed and further south to the bed and breakfast.
Pleased Id almost made my target miles today even with the late start and train...
Off the bike at 8pm!
Big day ahead tomorrow to cross the border and on to Carlise then Penrith.
After yesterday's failed attempt to cross the pass due to blizzard conditions, I spent a lot of the evening looking at weather forecasts and umming and ahhing.
The Met office mountain forecast for the area was Red risk for wind- gusting 60mph gale force withred risk for temperature- minus 5 down to minus 18 with wind chill.
With more pretty hideous weather forecasts on the national news I was really considering postponing the trip and feeling very, very blue.
One option was to travel down through the islands of Oban and Arran- quick call from mum to say that Arran has snow drifts as high as houses and has been without power for 4days. One less option.
Phone call from my good friend Phil (mountain bike trail builder extraordinaire and general bike afficionado) in the morning helped talk through the options. There was no way I could cross the pass and couldnt just hop on a bus.
In the end had to back pedal to Spean Bridge 35miles from where I had reached the previous day. Train from here looped round the mountains over the bleak Rannoch Moor to Crianlarich. In doing so I missed out the mountain pass section- 25 miles. Which would mean- miles wise- i'd be making up for rhe mountain pass.
Bleak, grey, windy view out of the train window towards the pass I had avoided...
(see photo)
As the energy crystals from the energy bar i'd just eaten dissolved into my blood stream, or something like that, I zoomed off the train that i'd been on for an hour and a half.
34mph on the flat didn't last very long.
Beautiful cycle past Loch Lomand and even time to stop for a game of golf.
Busier roads on the outskirts of Glasgow but managed it through unscathed and further south to the bed and breakfast.
Pleased Id almost made my target miles today even with the late start and train...
Off the bike at 8pm!
Big day ahead tomorrow to cross the border and on to Carlise then Penrith.
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