A wee winter ride in the alps

After the fantastic weather of last weekend, which was my working weekend, this week has been a bit unsettled. I had been planning all week to head out somewhere rocky on a solo ride, as all my usual riding buddies were entombed at work, and I needed some proper riding and fresh air. The Ayrshire mud can be tiring during a spell of weather like this.

I had considered a few options, but most rides I had thought of were too high, as there is snow everywhere above 4 or 500 metres, and anything lower than that that ain't rocky is a bog at present. I could have headed to the all weather, yet familiar trail centres in the borders or Galloway, but I wasn't inspired. They can be good fun in a group, but a bit dull on your tod.

So, I decided to head up the A82 to Arrochar, just west of Loch Lomond, to do a loop I haven't done for what must be around 8 years, the Glen Lyon circuit, also known sometimes as the allt coire grogain due to the fording of that particular 'allt', more on that later.

As I had did this route before, and started on the dull fire road climb out of succoth, by Arrochar, I opted instead to head up the beginning of the cobbler path, which links into the aforementioned fire road. This presented a problem. When I reached the junction, I was keen to see how far I could get up the cobbler, as the weather wasn't as bad as it was when I left the shire. It transpired that the path was clear of snow right up to just before the Narnain boulders, at around 500 metres high. Good stuff.

This was really the first ride that I had the Yeti out on the type of terrain that I really wanted it for, big rocky, steep and techy descending, but riding on your lonesome tends to make you hold back a bit, but the bike felt way more capable than the guy sitting on it!. I look forward to a summer of riding stuff like this on a bike that feels it was made for it, indeed, it also felt pretty capable in the climbs too

After that, I peeled off north along the forestry drive to my original intended target, loch sloy. After a mile or two, I noticed a ribbon of trail peeling off down towards Arrochar, so I stopped to have a look. Wow. It looks a pearler, like something that has been designed for fun, so a mental bookmark taken, and I'll be riding it next time!.

By the time I made the long uphill trudge to the top out point, I realised that I had another problem! The fording of the burn, which unbeknown to me had become a river, not a burn, and due to the snow melt, didn't look too welcoming either. I pondered it for a few minutes, had a look upstream. Nothing. Had a look downstream, again nothing. Aw naw.

It was too deep to have a run at, and I didn't fancy wading through with boots on, and having freezing wet feet for the rest of the ride. Ah well, only one thing for it. Socks and boots off, trews rolled up and get the feet wet. In the name of Christ it was cold, but not as cold as the snow that coated the far bank!. It was also far deeper and faster flowing than it looked, thank god I had a bike to act as a crutch.

Onward and downward, a mental fast rocky wide track that leads to the highlight of this loop, the rolling descent into Arrochar. Really good, but all over within twenty minutes really. I think that this loop is now only worth the drive north of it's combined with the cobbler, I suppose I was a different rider 8 years ago.

Good day though, and great to get out in the mountains, despite the sleet, rain and wading.

 

 

Not much point going up there.

 

 

Signs of spring!

 

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Fairlie grim.....

 

I'd been looking forward to a wee Saturday ride up the moor all week, and the blue sky in the morning promised a fine days riding, even though we knew that due to the previous weeks rain that the trails would be challenging. About an hour after the blue morning skies were sighted, the grey, cold rain and wind moved in for the day. The tone was set.

Anyway, after getting the train to Dalry to meet robin and mejulie, we headed up on the long Tarmac climb to the good stuff. The only downside of gaining height (the Kaim hill trails climb to over 1000 feet, and descend to sea level) is that if there is a wee wind at sea level, you can guarantee that it'll be blowing a hoolie at the top. And it was, a really cold south easterly too.

There was a wee bit of snow up there too, hopefully a sign of things to come, as I for one am a bit fed up of riding through mud, and want some crispy, frosty trails instead. It didn't last long, as soon as we descended from the quarry, back to the mud. :-(

All the trails were riding really tough, the tyres squirming for grip all the while, but I don't know if there's a tyre about that would have made much difference today. We than headed down and rode the kilruskin sweet singletrack stuff, that has suffered a wee bit with fallen trees due to the recent winds. I'll need to get up with the chainsaw soon, and clear it again.

Back up the road, and then a final descent down fairlie glen. Which always delayed due to Julie being a wee Jessie, not wanting to ride over the burn, or walk over it, as the stepping stones were covered because the water is really high. Cue our ulster knight in shining armour!.

 

We were all getting bloomin cold waiting for her!.

There is only one thing that gazumps the final descent into fairlie glen. The village inn, good food and awesome real ale. The liver and bacon was in my thoughts from about Thursday!.

 

 

 

 

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Finally, some winter weather

 

Julie and Martin

On Friday, Julie, Martin Wheeler and I headed down through straiton to stinchar bridge, for a familiar ride, but one we hadn't done in a while. It was great to see some snow on the ground, instead of the usual rain and gloomy mud we have gphad for the last wee while. After long though, we were getting hammered with hail and sleet, and that wasn't as welcome. A true grimfest of a ride, one which will surely earn plenty points in the karma bank for the summer ahead.

In summary, we did the Cornish loch loop, over the forest drive, or as the local roadies refer to it, the 'strada giglia', on to loch doon, then up and over the nick of the loup to loch bradan, before back to the car. Frozen toes, soaked, but still smiling. 19.5 miles, not a bad wee ride to get the post puffer legs going again.

 

Martin descending to Cornish loch

 

Cornish loch

 

Almost done.."

 

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The legendary Strathpuffer

 

Calm before the storm....

So, after giving a week to digest the madness that is the 'puffer, I thought I better post up my thoughts. I don't intend to write a lap by lap account of the event, as I think that would be both bio ring to reader and writer alike, so I'll just share some thoughts.

Klaus and I set off later than planned for the 5 hour drive to contin, near strathpeffer on the Friday morning, as it's well known that the best spots to set up camp are snapped up pretty early on. We had booked a bed and breakfast in nearby beauly, but first had to get registered and set up our base for the event. We had a decent sized base and team for the race, five of us riding - Tom, Robin (a different one), Alan, klaus and myself all going solo. Tom had volunteered his dad, Ron, to be our pit monkey, and he didn't let us down. An absolute gem of a man that really couldn't do enough for us, whether it was making hot drinks, keeping the generator going with petrol or just a smile and a word of encouragement. Top bloke.

After getting set up, we were both ravenous, as we hadn't had lunch, so the carb loading began...

We then headed to the bed and breakfast, which turned put to be way better than expected, we only payed £55 for a twin room for the night, but the place was lovely, had a 15 metre swimming pool, games room and even (rather oddly) it's own church!. If your ever around the Inverness/Black Isle area, I'd seriously recommend springburn lodge, perfect base and the breakfast the next day was ideal too. We then popped into beauly to the comm bar for another pile of carbs, as we'd need them....

So, onto the event. Butterflies, lots of butterflies... I really was taking a step into the unknown, doing a 24 hour event, and both klaus and I agreed this would probably be a one off, as it takes a bit of organising, training and money too. I was really nervous wandering down to the start, as you have to leave your bike on the hill and partake in a Le Mans style 500 metre sprint start. Luckily, I met a few friendly faces on the way, which took my mind off of what was to come, one guy I hadn't seen for probably 7 or 8 years, which was brilliant. Billy Leckie, a big smasher of a guy, just kept telling me I was mental!.

So I never got to the start til right before the gun, and ended up in the 2nd row, right behind the guys who were in it for the victory (including TT legend and TV star Guy Martin) and got completely swept up into a fast start and too fast first lap, but I realised I was off too fast and slowed down for the next few. It's a long game, riding for 24 hours, no point in blowing your backside off early on.

I ended up doing the first 4 laps in 4hrs 10 mins, well ahead of my schedule. Klaus and I had discussed the previous evening, that a strategy of allowing 90 minutes per lap, including eating and changing stops, would see us around our conditions neutral target of 15 laps. So I then eased off, took some time to get some proper food, and did another lap before it was time to get the lights on.

It's a long night, you feel as if you've been churning away in the darkness for an age, just concentrating on the wee pool of light from your helmet lamp, and then chase king the time, it's only 11pm, and there's nearly half the race still to go. I probably should describe the course too.

It starts at the foot of the fire road, which climbs on and on for about a mile and a half, then a wee muddy track back through to another fire road, which undulates for another couple of miles, but mainly climbs, to the first technically tough section. A wee skinny bridge leads to a short, sharp rocky climb, and then a cracker of a lumpy, rocky trail across the top of the moor, which gets a hell of a lot tougher in the dark, especially with tired legs and mind. There is then a nasty wee zig zag climb, before a really nice descent from the picnic bench viewpoint. Then a flat section for a bit, then another nasty wee up, before an über fast descent into the main camp area again. 6.2 very tough miles all in.

There are also an unbelievable amount of people out on the course cheering you on, clapping, ringing cowbells, and all sorts, which is brilliant, really brilliant. This really drives you on, especially the thought of flying down the last descent with all the whooping and wailing.

I had a bit of an off on a very innocuous rocky section on lap 6, the first dark lap, and landed heavily on my knee, and couldn't believe it when I did the exact same, on the exact wee dip on lap 9. I stopped for food after this lap, and probably sat down for too long. When I stood up, the knee was stiff, but I wasn't worried, I'd just cycle it off, as I'd done many times before today. It was not too bad on the fire road climb, but when faced with a steep wee up which required a bit of power, the knee was screaming with pain, and felt like it was going to explode!.

Not helping the situation, was the fact that my free hub bearings had packed in on lap 2, meaning I only had 3 useable gears, 1,9 and 10, in every other gear, the chain jumped up and down as the cassette was wobbling from side to side with all the play in the hub.

So, at forty four minutes past midnight, at the top of the final descent on lap 10, I chucked in the towel. Which was really gutting, as fitness wise I felt okay, it was only the bloody knee that was stopping this. I headed to the tent for a few hours kip, with klaus, who was about to hit the wall and needed a couple of hours rest.

Knee injuries seemed to be de rigeur in our group, with Tom managing 8 laps before succumbing to an old one, and Robin doing 13 before also retiring. Klaus manfully headed back out to complete another two laps in the morning, go on the big hairy fella!.

The winner was Jason miles, who had also won last year, with a ridiculous total of 31 laps, with Guy Martin one lap back in second. Awesome stuff. Lots of lessons learned, not least to get more sleep before driving back down the A9!.

All in, it's an amazing experience, the atmosphere, quality of riding, shared siege mentality and just down right madness of it all is very, very addictive. Did I say that we would only be doing this as a one off?.

 

Nonsense.... See you next year!.

 

Note - the adventure show on BBC Scotland usually shows the puffer sometime in March, both Klaus and I were interviewed for the show, but who knows if the masses are ready for our broadest ayrshire dialect.

 

 

 

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It's puffer time....

Well, that was it. The last week of riding before the big event. I had a good week, out locally on Monday, again on Tuesday with Julie (her first ride back since breaking her collar bone) day off on Wednesday, then spin classes on Thursday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday, Maria had play dates both afternoons, Maz was working, so this meant I got out up dundonald hill with Robin both days. Excellent.

I'll only really ride to work this week, just to keep the legs turning, and get all my energy built up for Saturday. The strathpuffer is a 24 hour event (I avoid the word race, as I'm not racing! Just looking to endure!) which begins at 10am on the Saturday and finishes at 10am on the Sunday. It's done on a 7 mile course and the winner is whoever does the most laps in that time. There are solo, duos and quad races, but I've went for the solo, along with my fairlie massive buddy Klaus, and a couple of mates from GMBC.

There is around 7 hours of daylight, and 17 of darkness, so mentally it's tough. One thing I feel I have on my side though is that I'm pretty well used to the lows that come at 3 or 4 in the morning, as I've been doing shifts for over 15 years now. Circadian rhythms won't be my undoing, I'm quite sure of that.

Were pretty well organised too, with a couple of borrowed generators for power, as lights need recharging and food needs cooked, as well as a big industrial UV heater. Bring it on.

If anyone is interested in following the event, sportident do live time updates of lap times, just google strathpuffer lap times, and you'll see how poorly we are all doing! Look out for me, klaus Schlesiger, Robin Jamieson and Tom Downie, all puffer virgins and all solo.

Funnily enough, it's not the actual event I'm most worried about, it's the drive home! We'll get the heads down for a few hours first I reckon, then hit aviemore and the mountain cafe for a monster breakfast, before getting home. I'm pretty sure my first woman will have a belter of a dinner for me, possibly her speciality chicken pie, and then I'll sleep the honest sleep!. Then I've got a whole week off to recover. It's all falling in nicely.

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The return of the 3 amigos!

Des, Robin and myself rode together for the first time since the lakes weekend in October today, great way to start the year and a marker laid down for keeping it going. We just did a variation of one of my local loops, up the river to Stair via Auchincruive and Annbank. 

Stopping at the Stair inn for refreshments is always on the agenda when Robin comes down, you all know his 'thing for soup' by now, and today was no different. Then back down through the mud and slurry to Ayr and along the beach front to prestwick. 40K and lots of mud. Bring on the puffer.

I then rattled together a nice Thai prawn curry for myself and my wee women. Mmmmmm.....

Where's winter?

This mild, blustery weather has definitely overstayed it's welcome, it's about time we had some frost and clear skies. I headed off for a few hours up the river today, as Maria had her wee pals round for the afternoon.

It's only really the 15 minute ride round the airport that is open to the wind, the rest of my local riding is generally in the trees, so pretty calm usually. The trails are unbelievably muddy at the moment, and with lots of trees down, and the amount of little branches that lodge themselves in wheels and derailers, progress is slower than usual.

Still enjoyable though, as ever. I went as far as stair, then did a loop out through the diamond wood and found another new trail, which was cool. I was only out for a couple of hours, and covered 15 miles, which shows how the trails have slowed up with the surface conditions.

I'm also still getting used to the yeti, but it's getting better all the time. I need to bleed the front brake, but I'm waiting for olives coming through the post, and I'm really looking forward to getting my own rear wheel and tyre fitted. Then it'll be 'my' bike, in my mind.

Back out tomorrow with the fairlie massive, as I want to beat my mileage for 2013!.