Pics below: Looking up Glen Etive and the run back up to the A82, a stag in fighting mode at Invercharnan in Glen Etive, and my HR and Altitude graph for yesterdays run.
I went for a ride out along the A82 runniung the guantlet up to the glen etive junction then down to the pier. Early'ish start to avod the traffic on the main road, and then the steady climb up to 1,100ft from the get go to "Paraffin Liz's" lay bye. The run down Glen Etive was great with lots of roaring stags echoing around the hills. A funny moment at Allt a' Chourin when the keepers son had a herd of garrons (ponies used for taking the shot deer from the hill) on the road and they decided to run alongside either side of me for a mile with Alastair his dad laughing his head off.
The cycle back up glen etive from sea level is hard. All in, this is quite a hard ride for one so short. Mainly because you are climbing a lot and even the desecents are on the pedals. A good sportive training run. Really enjoyable ride and nice to meet up with the keepers many of whom I have been on mountain rescue with both as boy and man. The run up the glen left me reflecting on how much a loss it is to MR that these gents of the hills are less commonly involved now. I remembered a time in a house at 05.00am in a winters morning when I was 19. I had fallen a fair distance and had one trouser leg ripped off , a shredded leg and lost a glove and frost nipped fingers. After getting ourselves down off the hill and to the cottage for help I had venison piece, a dram and dettol soaked dressings applied in quick time. I still remember the kindness of the Elliots and the Highland tradition of help and not turning anyone away. It still lives on today but is maybe in further corners of the hills and glens.
The cycle back up glen etive from sea level is hard. All in, this is quite a hard ride for one so short. Mainly because you are climbing a lot and even the desecents are on the pedals. A good sportive training run. Really enjoyable ride and nice to meet up with the keepers many of whom I have been on mountain rescue with both as boy and man. The run up the glen left me reflecting on how much a loss it is to MR that these gents of the hills are less commonly involved now. I remembered a time in a house at 05.00am in a winters morning when I was 19. I had fallen a fair distance and had one trouser leg ripped off , a shredded leg and lost a glove and frost nipped fingers. After getting ourselves down off the hill and to the cottage for help I had venison piece, a dram and dettol soaked dressings applied in quick time. I still remember the kindness of the Elliots and the Highland tradition of help and not turning anyone away. It still lives on today but is maybe in further corners of the hills and glens.
