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What an end to last night - Sweet Home Alabama sung by Father Jack live at the Ferry Bar and dedicated to the Highland Adventure by The Ironman. Technology is amazing today and the quality of sound through a Nokia mobile phone as the band played has never been experienced before.
After much snoring by an unknown person in our room, and another unknown person deciding to get up dressed and packed at 05:40 only to find him having breakfast in the dining room at 08:30 made for a restless night for the team. Being athletes at heart, we skipped the bacon croissants this morning and opted for an extra large dose of porridge distributed inequitably. Stories of the three bears were being banded about.
The weather was calm, despite forecasts au contraire. Only a slight wind kissed Loch Broom as it passed in from the west. The climb from Gairloch was steady up to the famous Corrieschalloch gorge. The broom was in full bloom and the adventurous rhodedendrums shooting buds early were amazing to view. Hanging a left and onward and upwards we climbed into the sunshine. A magnificent rainbow pointed our direction towards Aultbea and Guinard Island. As we headed west, the view down on Loch Broom confirmed we were on top form to have climbed so far, so fast. The Fit One would have been impressed, .........The Ironman would have been long gone!
Having crested the watershed, the downhill was longer than an Alpine championship run and ended with a coffee shop in Dundonnell overlooking Little Loch Broom, providing a superb variety of cakes, freshly brewed coffee., and a magnicifently warm welcome. 28 miles completed of the 80 target with only 2 hours gone which was a good pace given the terrain. The wind was to achieve everything that was promised in the forecast.
Back on the road and climbing again, the views were breathtaking (or was it just the climbing). We raced the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to the mouth of the loch. Across the crest of the hill, and Guinard Island exploded in front of us. Sandy beaches glowing in the sun, ocean blue sea melting into the blue skies and the only thing of concern was the coffee shop owner's warning of the Aultbea Ascent that would require even the world renowned Ironman to submit to a walk up. You could taste the apprehension in the air. With the Wingman shooting anything that moved .............with his camera ............... it would have been so easy to be tempted by the taxi service he was offering to the top of the ascent. We were made of tougher stuff! Whilst the Bigman managed on his lowest cog, the Duracell completed the ascent with cogs to spare. On the other side of the mountain the wind has developed significant strength and the sea was whipped up to a frenzy with significant white horses. We were slapped around like lottery balls on a Saturday night as we fought manfully to hold the bikes stable. The journey to lunch in Gairloch was going to be a long one. Lunch in the Mountain Coffee Bar was a very solid Sweet Potato Soup rammed down by the biggest Prune Scones witnessed in the history of mankind. It is just as well we had a solicitor in the company as his credit was not good. The Credit Cruch is spreading faster than you can say Swine Flu. 50 miles done. It's three o'clock and time to hit the trail again. With a galeforce wind from the west we were fired out of Gairloch like a cork out of a bottle ................ but more of that later! Loch Marie and the mighty Slioch, what a sight in the majestic sunshine. The Duracell has scaled twice in the past however we did not have time for the treble today. As we approached Kinlochewe, the skies darkened, the rainfall promised for today started to fall faster than a bank share price. After a quick committee discussion, the Duracell wanted to keep going ......... quel surprise, time for some sense and the Wingman was given the casting vote. 79 mile done, A warm A6 beckoned, and the chariot carried us over the bridge to Skye and the warm welcome of Saucy Mary's guest house.
It is everything we had imagined! Enough said :-)
Live in the bar, we are currently enjoying a light applejuice listening to a blues band called 'Wing and a Prayer. Which takes me onto tomorrows 76 mile trip to Fort William and a rocking Saturday night in the Fort.
After much snoring by an unknown person in our room, and another unknown person deciding to get up dressed and packed at 05:40 only to find him having breakfast in the dining room at 08:30 made for a restless night for the team. Being athletes at heart, we skipped the bacon croissants this morning and opted for an extra large dose of porridge distributed inequitably. Stories of the three bears were being banded about.
The weather was calm, despite forecasts au contraire. Only a slight wind kissed Loch Broom as it passed in from the west. The climb from Gairloch was steady up to the famous Corrieschalloch gorge. The broom was in full bloom and the adventurous rhodedendrums shooting buds early were amazing to view. Hanging a left and onward and upwards we climbed into the sunshine. A magnificent rainbow pointed our direction towards Aultbea and Guinard Island. As we headed west, the view down on Loch Broom confirmed we were on top form to have climbed so far, so fast. The Fit One would have been impressed, .........The Ironman would have been long gone!
Having crested the watershed, the downhill was longer than an Alpine championship run and ended with a coffee shop in Dundonnell overlooking Little Loch Broom, providing a superb variety of cakes, freshly brewed coffee., and a magnicifently warm welcome. 28 miles completed of the 80 target with only 2 hours gone which was a good pace given the terrain. The wind was to achieve everything that was promised in the forecast.
Back on the road and climbing again, the views were breathtaking (or was it just the climbing). We raced the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to the mouth of the loch. Across the crest of the hill, and Guinard Island exploded in front of us. Sandy beaches glowing in the sun, ocean blue sea melting into the blue skies and the only thing of concern was the coffee shop owner's warning of the Aultbea Ascent that would require even the world renowned Ironman to submit to a walk up. You could taste the apprehension in the air. With the Wingman shooting anything that moved .............with his camera ............... it would have been so easy to be tempted by the taxi service he was offering to the top of the ascent. We were made of tougher stuff! Whilst the Bigman managed on his lowest cog, the Duracell completed the ascent with cogs to spare. On the other side of the mountain the wind has developed significant strength and the sea was whipped up to a frenzy with significant white horses. We were slapped around like lottery balls on a Saturday night as we fought manfully to hold the bikes stable. The journey to lunch in Gairloch was going to be a long one. Lunch in the Mountain Coffee Bar was a very solid Sweet Potato Soup rammed down by the biggest Prune Scones witnessed in the history of mankind. It is just as well we had a solicitor in the company as his credit was not good. The Credit Cruch is spreading faster than you can say Swine Flu. 50 miles done. It's three o'clock and time to hit the trail again. With a galeforce wind from the west we were fired out of Gairloch like a cork out of a bottle ................ but more of that later! Loch Marie and the mighty Slioch, what a sight in the majestic sunshine. The Duracell has scaled twice in the past however we did not have time for the treble today. As we approached Kinlochewe, the skies darkened, the rainfall promised for today started to fall faster than a bank share price. After a quick committee discussion, the Duracell wanted to keep going ......... quel surprise, time for some sense and the Wingman was given the casting vote. 79 mile done, A warm A6 beckoned, and the chariot carried us over the bridge to Skye and the warm welcome of Saucy Mary's guest house.
It is everything we had imagined! Enough said :-)
Live in the bar, we are currently enjoying a light applejuice listening to a blues band called 'Wing and a Prayer. Which takes me onto tomorrows 76 mile trip to Fort William and a rocking Saturday night in the Fort.
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