A day out in the hills . .

[Steve T]

Phone call from Lowflyer – Friday evening - “I need to get some fresh air into my lungs – fancy a ride out on Sunday”
“OK” says I.
A.N.Other phone call from Lowflyer – 24hrs later –“ Can’t go, got to sort out youngest sons car – BUMMOCKS”.

““Never Mind” says I.


So I decided to go for a ride today anyway, seeing that the Vara needed a run, as it’s been laid up since I tried to get to John O Groats on Hogmanay.

Tomintoul was the destination – just 40 miles, via a distillery or two for some photo’s.

The road from Tomanvulin to Tomintoul got progressively more & more covered in snow & slush as I got nearer Tomintoul – but I got there.

The local coffee / bacon roll establishment was open – does a good trade at this time of year with snow boarders & skiers popping in from the Lecht slopes.


The road from Tomintoul to Grantown on Spey has the same covering of snow . .



The hills in the background of this next picture are the Cairngorms



I’ve got to say that the Michelin Pilot Roads behaved brilliantly on cold, wet & slimmy roads, with never a slip or slide. Loads of confidence in them, allowing good progress to be made when the snow / slush was left behind.


All in all a great little ride into the hills

Steve T

[Kjell Lindberg]

You are a brave man riding in conditions like that


I would be affraid that I would drop the bike in every corner...

[ross1176]

nice report mate hope all went well...

[Steve T]

. . . . . hope all went well...

Trust me, if owt had gone wrong, those pictures would have been here as well

[Steve T]

You are a brave man riding in conditions like that . . . .
I would be affraid that I would drop the bike in every corner...

Kjell,
The other phot from that location gives a better idea of wha the road was like . . .


Just had to stay out of the center of the lane where the slush & snow was.

Oh, and take all bends kinda slow using the lower gears to control the speed and not use the brakes! Just after the position the above photo was taken at there is a series of downhill, off camber hairpins. Best practice you can get into the skill of gripping the bikes seat with your butt cheeks .

For the real spotters, the above picture was taken just above the Bridge O Brown cafe on the A939. Check out the gradients on an OS map for that location

[largewayround]

Great Report Steve..

I have not been out for a while , too white for me,..

Pity , I am having withdrawals

Bike tucked up in shed..

[lowflyer]

Well Steve my boy,

What can I say ???? ---- annoyed to have missed out on what looks like a cracking day out due to having to work on my son's piece of horrible french s**t


GRRRRRRRRR must calm down - watch the old blood pressure

Anyways, looks like this weekends out also Maybe as well, snowing heavily here again.
Coming back from Skye yesterday - caught up in a white out at the top of the hill, then remembered I put my shovel in the garage last weekend
Cursing myself for being such a dick in going over the top road and going PULEEEAAAZZEEE not on a Friday - not on the way home. Don't mind getting stuck on the way to work, but not on the way home and certainly not on a Friday

We shall have to get something arranged shortly before I start taking up creative embroidery at home again.
It was such a drag the last time