My LEJOG day 7 - what a day, getting close to if not the best day I've had on a bike and I’ve had a few in my 43 years of riding.
Started damp and cold with a visit to the Rest and be thankful - a better name for a place I could not imagine.
Shame the old military road was closed - I recon I could have ridden it .... Then onto some great roads matched only by the landscape they wind their way through and the best bit - so little traffic. The Himalayan is spot on at 50-60 sweeping through the bends and for miles and miles there was nothing in front or behind - a sort of motorcycling nirvana.
I can't really describe how I was feeling, it just felt so good, so right, it was almost a spiritual experience in such beauty with the beat of the Himalayan accompanying the view forward of curving strips of tarmac encased in natures Sunday best.
Loch Long, then the other side of Loch Fyne ( a route I did with a good friend Les Bishop a few years ago) then up and round the very aptly names Loch Awe. A leg stretch under the bridge at Loch Creran then on to Fort William via the A828 hugging Loch Linnhe.
I re-acquainted myself with Ben Nevis ( Climbed it twice as part of the three Peaks - best time 23 hours 11 minutes !!) Had a break and sent the drone up ....
Then off on more roads than I can recall ( glad I have the route saved) When I turned left at Invergarry onto the A87 it literally took my breath away as the landscape changes to mountains tall and mighty which makes you feel so insignificant in size and time - these landscapes have seen so much and existed for so long in their unaltered beauty, I could be nothing but humbled by their might.
Then I took the 'mountain' route to the Glenrig ferry. Views, gravel, passing places, switchbacks, drops ! The Himalayan almost purred its way up the track/road.
Then the ferry, what an experience, watching it ride the tide between the mainland and Skye got me wondering if I had made the right decision, but again on a Himalayan you can make these decisions and it turned out nothing like the log flume ride it seemed from the land. Up and down the other side was as exhilarating as on the mainland but this time I had the Mountain views of Skye to temp me to look at while picking my way thru bits of gravel and patched tarmac.... what a ride, what an experience.
If you can you should make whatever effort is needed in your life to get up to the west coast of Scotland on your bike - ideally your Himalayan. Im finding it so comfortable, so capable and so frugal it takes you to these places in comfort and safety then buys you your beer at the end of the day in fuel saved.
A few more pics today as the internet in my Hotel (Dunollie Hotel Skye) is much better... and I have a bath again - perfect.
Tomorrow is the penultimate day to Ullapool - a bit of route tweaking tonight
2 comments:
Glad you enjoyed Option 2, Nev. The only downside is that you miss the five sisters of Kintail, but perhaps you will get them on the way back? If you do, you have the option of staying on the A82 and approaching Glencoe from the north, which I always think is the most dramatic way.
If it's on your route please drop off in Paisley for a cup of tea.
Graham, so much not done I am going back in July ! Thanks for the kind offer
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