When would suit you between working and obsessive bike cleaning? I'm about to go away for a week, so very soon (wednesday night in the pentlands) or further afield after the 10th!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.
CCE Overnight Capables
(875 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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Oh for the love of...
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-49177918
Posted 5 years ago # -
This was on Twitter five days ago. Beeb only just caught up.
Presume the heatwave was the excuse for such behaviour, much like the Porty brawling and littering on the beach.
Hopefully the Pentlands don't become the new Loch Lomond...
Posted 5 years ago # -
The Pentlands beyond Flotterstone Harlaw and Thriepmuir - you can go days without seeing another person.
Some intrepid hikers will take the bus down to West Linton and walk up the Thieves Road then probably back down to West Linton and bus home.
Not aware of anyone as yet taking the train to Kirknewton then walking over to West Linton like the Victorians used to (see previous discussion)
Little Vantage does have some dog walkers and fell runners and indeed sometimes some fell runners with dogs attached but if you go beyond the B7008 and set off towards the Covenanter's Grave I would be astonished if you met anyone, even if you pushed on to Dunsyre
Loch Lomond has a train station at Balloch so I guess that is where most bad behaviour occurs??
Posted 5 years ago # -
We've done the reverse (West Linton to Kirknewton). Long day, exhausting, and we fell in the bog on the way down to Harperrig too often for it to be considered fun.
I'd class it as a Type-II day out.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@mediumdave can be very wet north of the saddle for sure. Water of Leith as a stream coming out of hareperig (tho the source is west of Harperrig towards Colzium)
Route works only when very dry or conversely when ground is frozen solid.
Did you come across the crows nest on the high stile? Did you meet any other folk?
Posted 5 years ago # -
@gembo We walked once from West Linton to Covenanter's Grave, then onto West Cairn Hill via a little dam, then Cauldstane Slap, Eastern Cairn Hill, then down to Listonshiels and somehow to Balerno. Plenty of people on the way to the grave.
Another time we did a walk from the car park near West Cairn Plantation (next to Shear Burn) onto Black Hill and then further afield. I can't remember how far we got to because I had very little enjoyment in that walk and was a bit grumpy at Mr Bill for that choice of route. Wet snow was still on the ground and it was all wet underneath.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Not walked from Kirknewton but have started at Harperrig and walked to West Linton, up to Carlops and back by the Bore Stane. It got a bit march or die towards the end. It's long way.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Ok, ok, if you start at the south side you will meet people on the road out of west Linton but few if any on the north side given issues of a. No path just poles in the ground or b. Wet under foot
Posted 5 years ago # -
Friends of the Pentlands have been improving the path from little vantage, wouldn't like to say it's cycle able til I've been to look though!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Still way too wet most days
Posted 5 years ago # -
Arranged with Dave C to go after work on Monday - only night I can make it,so going whatever the weather. Loose plans, but something like Balerno-Carnwath-Blyth-Carlops/West Linton and up to bivvy somewhere up on the ridge, then drop down on the Listonshiels path into work on Tuesday morning. Expecting to do a bit of hike a bike, but should be fun.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Nice route, listonshiels has been improved getting to it from Carlops will as you say involve a bike -a-hike.
Shame not tonight or last night the evenings have been soft
Posted 5 years ago # -
That went well. At Gogerburn I chatted to Hankchief while I waited for Paddyirish. We then had a mammoth headwind up the A70 to just before Carnwrath, where we turned south to meet the A702. Easy ride then to West Linton for a soft drink and some snacks before dropping into Carlops and up the track to North Esk Cottage on the reservoir. Then cycled along the west side of the reservoir past 2 bird hides and traversed the west side Cock Rig towards the Bore Stane. We bived overlooking West Lothian and ife beyond the blinking bridges in the lea of a dry stone wall on the rather lumpy heather.
This was something new for me, and was a good test of bags and kit. My bivi performed well and I was warm enough in my 25 year old Snugpack Merlin sleeping bag. I had a long sleeved HH top to fend off the cooling wind and was comfortable. The light shower through the night didn't dampen our spirits, but did our shoes. Up at 6 ish for porridge and tea. I need to pack a folding insulated mug next time and tome of that thick foil to shield my stove. The small gas canister I has left over from a privous trip was just sufficient but I borrowed Paddyirish's canister to reheat my tea at one point. Paddyirich had a new Jetboil which was super fast at heating his pot of water, but my old Vango served me well. I need to fine something better take everything in. The 8ltr Alpkit Drybag on my bars was good but the tail sack and carradice stacked on top was not ideal.
Then down the gravel track towards Balerno, where a large water rut got the better of me and I came off scuffing my left shin. But undeterred we headed down to the WoL where we parted at the Heriotwatt turn.
I've covered 110km since 4pm yesterday and will head home this eve to complete the loop.
Posted 5 years ago # -
All worked out pretty well- the Lang Whang part was hard into the wind, but once done the back of the ride was broken. Lovely evening light as we headed up to West Linton. Had a crisps and lemonade stop at the Gordon Arms Hotel which deserves a more dedicated visit. Were able to ride most of the way up to the Bore Stane area where we bivvied out in the lee of the wall.
Starter was wasabi peas with Highland Park, main was pasta with Highland Park and dessert was flapjack with Highland Park.
Sleep was a bit stop start with a little bit of a shower about 3am, but stayed pretty dry.
Coffee and Porridge in the morning- kicked myself that I didn't add the bit of Highland Park I'd saved to the latter.
The descent to Boreland was a bit trickier than expected- water damage had cut several large trenches into the path which made it impassable on the bike.
Very much enjoyed Dave C's company and thanks to him for indulging me in my choice of route and kit - this was very much a test of my kit and it has a pass with a few modifications. I decided to travel as light as possible and carry everything on the bike. If trying it again, I may take a rucksack and a warmer sleeping bag or get bigger bike luggage.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@DaveC @paddyirish sounds lovely! Well done yous two
Posted 5 years ago # -
Sounds fun. I should do something like that sometime.
Did you go all the way down to Listonsheils, or cut across on the higher track towards Bravelaw?Posted 5 years ago # -
@paddyirish
Lovely mini-adventure.
I may take a rucksack and a warmer sleeping bag or get bigger bike luggage.
Core problem in Scotland innit? Unless you're willing to do stuff squadie style or the weather is locked-in high pressure stable you really need to be kitted up a bit.
No single solution as everyone's tastes are different but I'd rate a rucksack as least attractive due to the weight being high and taken on one's backside.
Happy to loan out single-wheel trailer. Pain in the behind for crossing fences and gullies otherwise fit and forget.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@fimm - straight down to Listonshiels. I've done the path to Bavelaw (Yellow Brick Road?) before and it was beyond my skills to cycle in many parts (bouldery, trenchy and fords). I'm a big wuss on downhills.
@IWRATS
Will be horses for courses I'm sure- I was thinking about a rucksack to hold the sleeping bag only, so would be light and high (If I use the right pack). Must resist the temptation to pack other stuff in it.
One other thought was water- we both carried just enough water (two bottles) for dinner and breakfast and needed a refill at the pub to achieve that. Would have to think about whether a Camelbak with more water is the answer. In the highlands, streams would be fine, not so sure about the Pentlands and there weren't any up where we camped. If you camp high in the highlands, same issue applies. Would be interested to see how much you carry when doing that?
Re the trailer- read your book which I thoroughly enjoyed (need to make time to review it)- I can see it working, but for me it's an added complication (re the pins problem and fixing it en route- I'm not mechanically minded, but maybe something like that would force me to be). Not done anything on that scale (yet), so that remains an open question.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@DaveC @paddyirish did you have a sleeping mat or a bivi bag + a sleeping bag are warm enough to sleep without a mat?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Yes I wouldn't drink out of Pentland streams. I want water to be running off non-agricutural land before I'll drink it. Normally....
Water's a bit of a pest right enough. Heavy stuff, even when not deuterated. I do carry silver nitrate tablets and @unhurt has a cute filtration device. When I camped on a hill fort in the Borders I went and fetched six litres of water from a stream 2km away in an Ortlieb dry-bag. US bikepackers seem to have water as the majority of weight on their bikes. I think I had three litres for a night at Gullane...
Posted 5 years ago # -
May be useful to some:
Australians use goon bags for transporting water for dinner. It takes very little space when empty. I have a fancy version of that and also use it here when fetching water for dinner and breakfast.Another weight and space saver is this plate/bowl/cup set. I discovered it in NZ years ago and been using it every since. The mug is a bit fiddly (and I can never remember how to fold it) but the bowl and plates are excellent. To clean it you simply unfold it and rub on some grass/moss.
Posted 5 years ago # -
If I do this again, another water bottle cage or a filtration pump would be a good idea. I have n the past searched for Milbags, a military bag with you fill with water, which then trickles out of a corner filtered and treated. But I may see what Cotswold or Tiso have on sale, as we needed water yesterday. I had 2 500 ml bottles one for last night and one for this morning and would have liked more.
EDIT: I use a Goon bag (old wine bog bag, as a pillow.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Not sure if those military filters would remove the stuff I'd be most worried about. I liked my filter bottle (filter removed viruses etc), till it fell from my bag earlier in the year. It was easy to fill, you could then store the water in it and drink straight from it or decant into smaller bottles.
It was particularly great for one weekend through west where it was roasting but there were multiple wee burns that were ice cold, I just emptied and refilled the bottle every half hour and had wonderful cold water when I felt like it.
I've replaced it with a pump like Unhurts but I've yet to use it and having typed the above I'm thinking of getting another filter bottle for when space is less of a premium.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Steveo, oh I should have added you drop in a puritab once filtered.
Posted 5 years ago # -
If I understand them correctly the filtration techniques will remove a lot of biological nasties but aren't so good with chemical impurities. So you are unlikely to get disentry but still run the risk of being fertilised if using farm runoff.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Good point about chemical waste. They don't cope with stuff in solution so I suspect heavy metals and the like will also be a problem for them.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I wouldn't be worried about heavy metals anywhere but Leadhills and a bit of ammonium nitrate never hurt anyone except when mixed with powdered aluminium.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I suspect some poor fool will have tried to drink from the canal, at least to test it!
I have not.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Oh god no. There are things in there.
Posted 5 years ago #
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