With fine weather forecast all day, I headed for the hills for some XC riding with my friend GS. Neither of us has ridden this route before, but confident with the trail presented before us on the map, we loaded the bikes & headed for Dallas as a base for the day. Let the adventure begin....
Grinding up the first climb of the day
I took a slight detour to see if this bog was ridable....well it wasn't. Splash...feet soaked in freezing water, not the smartest idea I have ever had, especially at the start of the ride. Doh!
Swampthing
GS with his new trail guide
Nice autumn colours, not long till there is snow up here
Once a bridge, but long gone
Not the last time I would be pushing today!
GS trying out the fatbike.....
...Leaving me to get the coiler through this muck using my superior bike skillz...aye right!
Well, the map shows it as a trail
GS quickly finds out that what looks like a trail, may not always be ridable!
Nice! Right up to the knees!
Swamp-tastic! Ok, think we are going to have to leave this trail for a moonlander! Back to the map..
Pit stop for rear puncture on the coiler
Yet more forestry work going on
Romach Loch, look nice eh? Well looks can be deceiving.....
Hmmm that trail looks a bit close to the water..
So does that, someone could fall in there...
Oh, too late! GS smiling after climbing out of loch. Bike & rider went for swim after front end got stuck, thankfully it was not too cold today
Quickly turning into trail from hell. Hike-a-bike went on for miles
Not much traffic comes through here!
Other side wasn't any better, where exactly is the trail supposed to be?
Finally off the hill & enjoying a well deserved downhill section
Looking over the Moray coast, with Findhorn Bay & Culbin in the distance
Bike looking as tired as the rider by this point
Things are starting to get pretty muddy, really happy with the nate tyre in these conditions
Finally made it back! Really long day, nearly 7 hrs riding, walking, pushing & swearing! Excellent day on the hills proving how capable the bike is
