August...
Once again I was out under clear blue skies and blazing sunshine. Fair to say there has been an awful lot of this kind of thing this year!
I was up for a reasonable ride and a bit of mountain viewing so I high tailed it to Blair Atholl amongst a large volume of end of school holiday traffic. This meant it was 1:15pm before I finally got going into the heat of the day. I was heading up the Gaik pass as I've not been up for a while and whilst fairly straightforward actually one of my favourites due to the scenery and lots of nice low key landrover track.
Perfect cycling as I had a nice cool breeze blowing into my face.
After the long roll out down Glen Tromie I diverted to Kingussie for fish and chips. All of the park benches in the shade were full so I retired to the station concourse and sat under the canopy out of the sun but in a nice breeze. An oldish bloke turned up and started wandering round. I kept my eyes firmly fixed on my fish tea as he looked the kind to engage in random and obscure conversation. To prove my point, he started stamping his feet, clapping his hands and shooing the pigeons who were innocently and harmlessly roosting on the canopy roof beams. People at work say I'm weird for wanting to ride my bike long distances and sleep under a sheet of nylon. But if I'm weird that doesn't leave a word for the people I meet...
After a lengthy stay I departed back to near Ruthven barracks and another traverse of wades road to phones lodge, as per my May trip. In the now cool breeze it was fab, upper Speyside scenery all around.
Climbing away from phones lodge, quite a pull. A less TLS load out for this as I had my stove with me as well as the Deschutes rather than the flat tarp. This proved to be a very good move.
Dalwhinnie was shut and I couldn't find a tap at the garage so proceeded down Loch Ericht feeling a bit dry. Fortunately there are quite a few burns running off the hillside across the track. Whilst everything is incredibly dry and any drinking water res low, I was surprised that pretty much every burn was still running. I grabbed a bottle of incredibly clear water, drank it, filled up again and headed off into the cool evening.
The wind was dropping but Loch Pattack showed signs of a breeze. After negotiating the now very rickety suspension bridge over the Allt a Chaoil Reide I headed across the grass to the end of a small peninsular which looked like it might be breezy. It was but the instant it dropped the midges appeared. I actually got the tarp up OK but as I faffed around grabbing stuff and filtering water out of the loch for the evening the wind dropped completely and midges appeared in force.
First time I've seen ponies here. They won't be wild as such, probably managed by the estate.
Thanks goodness for head net and smidge. Eventually I was ready so wandered around for a bit and then made a dash for the tent. I got in largely midge free only to realise I'd forgotten to grab my phone. Cursing inwardly (and outwardly) I dived out, did a roll, grabbed the phone, rolled again, ran off flailing at the cloud of midges and then dived into the tent. This time a fair few were in with me so I spent some considerable time flailing at them until most were dead. My mat was covered in dead ones that had attached themselves to my arms and legs, only to expire in the coating of smidge....
A massive cloud of midges lurked outside the door, the sound of them pattering against the tarp sounding like rain. I was happy though as apart form an odd one I was midge free. I lay back to snack, read and drink some whisky as the sun set and night fell. Better yet I dropped off to sleep straight away and slept well until first light. One more snooze until the sun shining on the tarp woke me. Earlier the midges were absent but as the sun warmed things up and I started moving, back they came. I managed to finesses three stove boils for porridge and coffee by sticking a hand out of the door with the zips tight against my arm. My bladder was calling so my (1l) water bottle made the ultimate sacrifice...
Finally I had to get moving. Pack up as much as possible, slather on the smidge and go. A breeze was building but not enough. Probably my fastest pack up to date and it was with some considerable relief that I hared off on the track to Culra Lodge.
So next up was the trail round the side of Ben Alder, but North to South. It's actually pretty good this way and the bog hop seems to go easier this direction. The fact that it was largely dry helped and the swamp and massed wheel ruts from the Highland Trail group start were no more.
The boat house at the loch end provided a suitable second breakfast venue then it was off down the fast descent to Loch Rannoch. I'd vague plans to do some of the trails round Rannoch and Tummel forest but I had a sudden desire for some easy pedaling and an early finish so twiddled along the lochside road, over into Glen Errochty and back the way I'd come.
I suspect that's the last of the summer looking at the weather forecast but I'm pretty happy I've cashed in on it this year. September next and hopefully a bit cooler and with less bugs!
20220730_211205 by Robert Smith, on Flickr
20220731_083030 by Robert Smith, on Flickr
20220731_084445 by Robert Smith, on Flickr
20220731_083632 by Robert Smith, on Flickr
20220731_105840 by Robert Smith, on Flickr
20220731_121703 by Robert Smith, on Flickr
. Maybe you could have shopped the previous evening then you'd have had all those yummy croissants etc for breakfast 
.
very good will have to test your knowledge again soon Psling
