Thurs 18 May
Blue = bike; red = foot
Left to my own devices I probably would have gone completely against the last paragraph of yesterday's post and taken advantage of another blue-skied morning by leaping onto my bicycle first thing and cycling back up to Loch Moraig for some Munroing.
However, with a Challenger on board who was reluctant got get his usual early start (perhaps because Blair Atholl was his only luxury accommodation of the trip), I stuck to plan and did nothing this morning. Nothing, that is, except to hatch a new plan: once I had extracted my full money’s worth from the campsite (i.e. by staying until noon) I would bike to the road end and just do one of the Munros. It didn't entirely make sense to only do one, but it would give me something to do with a few hours as I wanted to stay around Blair Atholl to catch up with Louise (gemini-challenge.blogspot.com), who was due to arrive this afternoon.
Learning that her plans had changed, I swiftly changed my own, to focus on Deuchary Hill instead, and off I tootled to Dunkeld.
A few seconds after the SatNav told me to turn off the main road for my chosen parking area (Cally Hill car park), I had a horrible sinking feeling that it was misdirecting me. Bertie found himself crawling up a forest track and I felt sure that it was nothing more than a forest track. Belatedly, I realised I hadn't seen a car park sign at its entrance and nor was there any prospect of turning. Hoping that no-one would witness my trespass, onwards I continued gingerly ... until suddenly I was in a car park! (And, contrary to my expectation, there was no other possible approach).
I could easily (and happily) have just walked to this hill, but working on the basis that if I cycle more then I may eventually come to like the activity, out came the bike. It was an easy ride in today, although I did switch from bike to walking at the lochan, Mill Dam...
...even though I could have continued further. From there a slightly rougher track took me to a junction with an old grassy track whose boggy sections were easily avoided.
I'd love to know the history behind this bit of machinery
The hill before me seemed to be craggier than the map suggested, but I could see an obvious line through the first bit. Great minds think alike and at the exact place I'd put a pin in my map, where I thought I'd likely leave the track and head up the hill, I found a narrow but very obvious trodden path. Bonus! It took me the whole way to the summit.
The least obvious bit of the path, but still unmissable
I stayed on the top longer than is my norm, as it was so lovely and warm and the views so extensive, then I made an about turn and down I went.
I had walked 3.7 miles with almost exactly 300m ascent and had biked 4.3 miles.
Blue = bike; red = foot
Left to my own devices I probably would have gone completely against the last paragraph of yesterday's post and taken advantage of another blue-skied morning by leaping onto my bicycle first thing and cycling back up to Loch Moraig for some Munroing.
However, with a Challenger on board who was reluctant got get his usual early start (perhaps because Blair Atholl was his only luxury accommodation of the trip), I stuck to plan and did nothing this morning. Nothing, that is, except to hatch a new plan: once I had extracted my full money’s worth from the campsite (i.e. by staying until noon) I would bike to the road end and just do one of the Munros. It didn't entirely make sense to only do one, but it would give me something to do with a few hours as I wanted to stay around Blair Atholl to catch up with Louise (gemini-challenge.blogspot.com), who was due to arrive this afternoon.
Learning that her plans had changed, I swiftly changed my own, to focus on Deuchary Hill instead, and off I tootled to Dunkeld.
A few seconds after the SatNav told me to turn off the main road for my chosen parking area (Cally Hill car park), I had a horrible sinking feeling that it was misdirecting me. Bertie found himself crawling up a forest track and I felt sure that it was nothing more than a forest track. Belatedly, I realised I hadn't seen a car park sign at its entrance and nor was there any prospect of turning. Hoping that no-one would witness my trespass, onwards I continued gingerly ... until suddenly I was in a car park! (And, contrary to my expectation, there was no other possible approach).
I could easily (and happily) have just walked to this hill, but working on the basis that if I cycle more then I may eventually come to like the activity, out came the bike. It was an easy ride in today, although I did switch from bike to walking at the lochan, Mill Dam...
...even though I could have continued further. From there a slightly rougher track took me to a junction with an old grassy track whose boggy sections were easily avoided.
I'd love to know the history behind this bit of machinery
The hill before me seemed to be craggier than the map suggested, but I could see an obvious line through the first bit. Great minds think alike and at the exact place I'd put a pin in my map, where I thought I'd likely leave the track and head up the hill, I found a narrow but very obvious trodden path. Bonus! It took me the whole way to the summit.
The least obvious bit of the path, but still unmissable
I stayed on the top longer than is my norm, as it was so lovely and warm and the views so extensive, then I made an about turn and down I went.
I had walked 3.7 miles with almost exactly 300m ascent and had biked 4.3 miles.
hjat machine is for automatically re-tying your bootlaces in case they have come undone.
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