Day 13 - 29th July 2002

Looking towards Glen Lochay, Killin to the left

The improved weather of the previous evening is a distant memory as today dawn dull and damp. Mark and Tim begin by attempting to clean up the bikes without a hose pipe (which isn't a big success) and the women are sent on their way ahead to follow the road South of Loch Tay. The route is spectacular even in low cloud and relatively easy with next to no traffic and we regroup in Kenmore. Our route is designed to take the "direct route" to Drumochter pass cutting out many miles and a long climb to Drumochter Pass. Instead we have two big climbs, one to get over to Tummel Bridge, another up to Trinafour then over to Dalnacardoch.

Tim at the high point

The first climb was tough but would have been pleasant with some fine views in good weather. In the rain it was pretty miserable! We got a respite on the drop into Tummel Bridge (from climbing, not rain) and kept going to attack the next climb. The first section was sustained but not as steep as expected bringing us to Loch Erochty, but after Trinafour there was a very steep section followed by some up and down bringing us to the high point of the whole trip (I think!). The drop back to the A9 was steep for a mercifully short distance (as no-ones brakes were working too well with the rain and the abrasion the brake pads had taken in the last 2 days from grit) and we didn't lose much height before joining the bike route on the A9.

Mark in Drumochter Pass

Drumochter pass is a notoriously forbidding place and it fully lived up to it's reputation today. Dark scudding clouds, steady rain and a cold wind made pretty much any other place seem attractive. At least the bike path is in good condition and we didn't have to worry about cars. There was nothing for it but to put the head down and slog and try to think of anything but the miserable conditions. There wasn't (luckily) much climb to get to Drumochter Summit and a slight drop beyond but we were a bedraggled crew when we dumped the bikes outside in the rain and staggered into the pub in Dalwhinnie.

We had the option of staying here but several pots of tea defrosted and fortified the more exhausted members of the group. We called ahead to the Newtonmore Hostel so they were expecting a very wet group and braved the weather once more. The final miles were a strain but we actually made pretty good time and were inside in the warm within an hour. Obviously a hostel in Newtonmore knows a lot about cold wet outdoors people and boasted a drying room that proved very effective and a good warm woodstove.

To avoid the problems of finding food we encountered in Killin we were soon ready to find food and didn't have far to walk to the Braeriach Hotel where we enjoyed friendly hospitality and good bar food despite the slightly spartan look of the bar. The store in town was open late so we invested in breakfast and a bottle of wine and retired to the woodstove. During the evening 2 Czechs arrived on bikes: they had lost their companions and their car and didn't speak any English. The car was nearby (it was towed out the way of a film crew from "Monarch of the Glen") and they went off to look for the other 2. Eventually all 4 appeared and Mike, Mark and Tim moved into a dorm with the women to fit them in.

By the end of the day everyone was mostly recovered, even if they weren't talking to Tim for his route planning.