So after a quick navigational mishap and going to the wrong carpark, I was eventually corrected and we met Scott in the Car park atAuchallater only 30 minutes late.  The plan for the day was for Euan, Scott B, Scott M and I do go for a ride in the hills.

The morning was lovely and it looked set to be a great day.  We set off down Glen Callater.  The first photo was taken and Burnett set off the trend of the day with ‘Gun shows’

As we rounded Loch Callater we had a rude awakening.  The track went steeply up the hill.  It was lung and leg bursting.  I am pretty sure I heard Euan mention something about “a searing pain of oxygen debt”

The two Scotts (name and nationality) after the sharp 400m of altitude gain.  At around 900m we unfortuntaly entered the cloud and that was our ideas of day long views out the window.  We skirted along the Coire Loch Kander.  The vis was low and I was glad I had my GPS

Eventually we found the top of Cairn of Claise our first Munro of the day.  We sat there and ate some food.  The clooud at one point did actually clear for about 30 seconds and then it came back again for the rest of the day.

A rather good ‘Gun Show’ Mr Burnett definitely has a talent at this.  One I hope to learn off of him if he will take me under his wing and show me the way.

We set off East ish to navigate around the head of Glen Callater via Tolmount and Fafernie.  It is also Stalking season at the moment and there was a lot of folk out with guns.  No one was brave enough to stick some sticks in their helmets and charge off into the mist making deer noises to add the extra adrenaline kick!

This was a mixture of fun ‘off piste’ riding where we just went were the force was taking us and if it felt like it was generally in the right direction we would pick a line down it – or Peat bog pushing.  Both were strangely good fun in a sick perverse sense.

From here we skirted over to Carin An Sagairt Mor (no idea how to say it) and from here the descent was brilliant.  Hats off to Mr Muir for suggesting it

Was lots of rocky steps, tricky nagery (yes that is a technical term) and fast bits back out down the bottom of the could so after 3 and a bit of hours in the cloud we once again had a view.

We had three punctures on the descent, 1 mine, two Scott M’s and all within 300m of each other.  We all got back down to the bottom smiling giggling idiots with the normal “that was brilliant” “did you manage to get over that rock ” etc.  this followed a fast blast back down the fire road to the van and then home.  A great day out of real mountain biking.

All the pictures can be seen if you CLICK HERE