2 days riding in one post as I was beat last night.
The ride from Dingwall to Newtonmore was tough. Six big climbs in the first part of the day took a lot out of me. The weather was cold but clear for the most part.
I didn’t get too many pictures as I was slogging my way up hills and trying to keep warm. I stopped for lunch at a cafe and treated myself to soup, pate and oatcakes, putting a bit of warmth into the body.
The afternoon riding was slightly easier and I got to enjoy the scenery a bit more rather than just swearing at roads which went ever upwards. Although some periods of rain had me reaching for waterproofs for the first time on this trip.
I arrived at a campsite, picked so that I could use the laundry facilities, and set up for the night. Settling in for a dinner of dehydrated chicken curry and a hot chocolate before retiring early.
The following morning I awoke to a frost on the tent and quickly had a breakfast of hot muesli with hot chocolate before doing my laundry.
Heading out, later than anticipated I figured I was ok for time as Garmin had told me it was an easier day on the legs. I passed one of my favourite distilleries at Dalwhinnie before ascending up into the Drumochter pass. The scenery on the way up there was stunning.
The afternoon riding after the pass was pretty hard, again. The profile suggested it was pretty flat – it was anything but. By the end of the afternoon my chain was playing up, slipping all over the place, limiting me to about 4 gear. I limped the bike into Perth and found a hotel for the night.
First stop in the morning; a bike shop.