Sunday, July 22, 2007

Glencoe to Crianlarich - 73k - Fri 20 July

It is hard to give credit to such spellbinding magnificence as the mountain of Glen Coe. We were packed and riding just after 9:30am, wondering whether we were riding into steep climbs. But we had to ride nevertheless. The place was a photographic paradise. After stopping at the Glencoe Visitors Centre, we headed up the Glen. The bottom line is that for 27k we climbed in altitude, but we didn't mind because the road ran up the Glen, always gradually rising, and although it was low gears all the way, with Julie preferring her bigger gears but out of the saddle, we climbed out to the top of the Glen and through the PAss of Glen Coe. The views back were just spectacular, the mountains and their rugged beauty failing in words that capture them. We took photos knowing full well they would appear nothing like the scenes before us.

Through the Pass we entered Rannock Moor, nothing like below but still beautiful in its own way. Its here we passed the sign that said that at 28k we had climbed to 1140ft to the top of Rannock Moor. The moor opened out enabling the bikes to move along much faster, we were looking for a great spot to make lunch, which we eventually found alongside a Loch that lies in the centre of the Moor. We then pressed on with now heighted views of Loch Tulla still on top, but then we had a delightful long but steep descent that took us down and along the Loch for many miles.

We were keen to get to our camp by now, which was still a way off, and some 10k past the village of Crianlarich. The hamlet of Bridge of Orchy came next, from where we knew it was still a further 30k. Tyndrum had a TIC, so we stopped, and the fellow told us about the steep climb the following day, and the NCN alternative, saying Queen Victoria called that stretch (Glen of Orgy) the Khyber Pass of Scotland. We were grateful for the information, and couldn't wait for the moment to come!

Crianlarich is another lovely but small village at one end of Glen Dochart, along which we now turned, still on the A85, for the final 10k to the caravan park. It had been a solid day, especially the 28k or so uphill from Glencoe village to the top of the Moor. We were following the river Dochart, so the road was nice and flat, and eventually the welcoming signs of the Dochart Caravan Park enticed us finally off the road, as did the welcoming band of midgees who were lying in wait for us about which we could do little except cover ourselves in good old aussie aeroguard and stay in the tent for the night. Two days later we are both still scratching!

It was a great day, and as we prepared for bed in our tent we realised with some sadness that this would be the final night in the tent, the final meal on our fantastic little Trangia cooker, and the final walk to the shower block running the gauntlett through a waiting army of little midgees!

It was our third day in a row without rain!

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