This blog is a record of the activities of the various members of the TCA, a worldwide association formed in Titchfield, Hampshire (UK) in the late 1990s. Our mission is to seek out adventure and good beer using environmentally sustainable transportation, whatever the conditions...
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Guy Fawkes Night
The evening started in usual fashion with tea and cakes... but these were not just any old cakes these were hand-baked Welsh cakes which had been freshly made in the afternoon by Maalie. The evening then took a bizarre twist when Jimmy took exception to the holes in Jon's socks. He insisted on climbing the stairs and digging a pair of his Dad's out to furnish 'Other Jon' with a new set.... and supervised the donning of said socks.
Jimmy supervises Jon's sock change
Tonight the TCA had the honour of entertaining regular visiting rider Maalie who would be on Al's spare bike - Jon donated his old lights while John and Al relished the rare opportunity to give their road bikes an airing - this would be a road ride to TCA favorite 'The Hampshire Bowman' at Dundridge.
Unused to his son's spare bike and insistent on chatting to Jon about his recent birding exploits Maalie lagged behind. Still, the TCA is always keen to accommodatevisitors of any ability and regrouped at intervals throughout the ride. As the ride wended is way across the A31 and up hill towards Soberton the two Jo(h)ns became inpatient and pulled ahead and Maalie and Al enjoyed a chat.
It was with some surprise therefore that Maalie and Al found they had reached the pub first. Both plumped for a pint of Bowman's Nutz and settled down to continue there discussion. Some minutes later the back markers caught up and ordered their beers too. The the route was dissected until the point where the digression was made was uncovered, by which time beers were supped and it was time to move on.
Next stop Soberton, after the descent of Sheep Pond Lane of course. More Bowman's beers and an impromptu appearance by The Sloppy Porridge Maker. He was quickly forgiven for turning up in his 4x4 when he bought another round of Bowman's! All too soon it was time to head straight over the hill and back to base.
Dinner consisted of spag. bol. and home made apple pie (courtesy of Maalie again).
During the atrocities of the HungarianRevolution in 1956 more and more Hungarians fled to the western world over the border to Austria. Even though it was just a small wooden bridge over a small river, the Bridge at Andau was the escape route for about 70,000 Hungarian refugees.
The 9 km "Road to Freedom" is lined at regular intervals with sculptures in tree stumps depicting the escape of the Hungarian refugees
After crossing the border, fugitives had to walk a 9km long road, the "Road To Freedom", to the village of Andau, where they were received with great hospitality by the inhabitants there and the surrounding villages. On November 21, 1956, the bridge was blasted by Soviet troops, putting an end to the escape route. The bridge was reconstructed as a memorial in 1996.
Maalie on the Andau Bridge, at the Autria/Hungary border, Hungary in the background
On 16th May I hired a bicycle in the small Burgenland town of Illmitz and cycled the 30km to the Andau Bridge. The bike was a "Kettler" hybrid road bike with a 7-speed Shimano gear box in the rear wheel hub, very similar to that of my Giant Escape, so I felt at home. The 70 odd km I cycled that day was more than I had accomplished in a single day since my teenage years, and I confess to a little saddle-soreness during the evening. However, the ride was well worth the effort, not only because of the historical context, but also because I was able to see a flock of Great Bustards in the nature reserve that runs alongside the Road to Freedom.
For just 10 Euros for my 28-hour rental period, I considered it great value.
Detail of the Kettler bicycle hired in Illmitz for just 10 Euros for a day-and-a-bit.
Al arrived at John's early on Thursday morning. Both were nervous - this year the organisational duties for the annual Boy's Weekend had been left in the hands of the TCA. Over the last year there had been a string of 'Extraordinary General Meetings' to discuss The Route, The Beer, The Food, The Rugby etc.. and now it was all coming to a head. The bar had been raised by last year's Scottish outing and the biker boys were keen to do their best to emulate the experience. For the first time the bikers were dragging the institution west, across the border to Wales. The Llandeusant YHA, once The Red Lion pub, had been booked a year before.
Bikes were loaded onto the roof, holdalls and rucksacks into the boot and the pair made for their first stop, Devizes to pick up Ad. Another bike, another rucksack and a cup of tea before setting off once more for Sainsbury's Cwmbran. £300 worth of morning goods later and the trio were on on their way to rendezvous with Jim at the Breconshire Brewery to pick up 36 pints each of Brecon County Ale (3.7%), Golden Valley (4.2%), Cribyn (4.5%), Red Dragon (4.7%) and Rambler's Ruin, (5.0%). We were even treated to an impromptu tour of the brewery by the friendly staff before carefully stowing the 'polypins' in the back of Jim's X-Trail and heading off again. A bizarre misunderstanding also saw the group rendezvous with Phil and Graeme at the brewery.
Except a brief stop for a bacon butty the convoy proceeded without event, even as the roads gradually got more and more narrow, until the final turn of the journey. Al, leading the party, overshot the turn and insisted on a demonstration of his new reversing sensors. Sure enough - the beeps got closer and closer together as his car reversed towards Graeme's enormous Land Rover Discovery, which filled the rear view mirror. Similarly the beeps merged into a continuous high-pitch alarm as Al reversed straight into the 'Disco' with a thump! Fortunately no damage was done to Graeme's vehicle (although Al's boot remained stuck shut for the remainder of the weekend).
The Hostel is described thus on the YHA website: "A break in this rural retreat will restore your spirits. Set in the least developed area of the Brecon Beacons, the hostel overlooks the magical Sawdde Valley... Trails lead up to the legendary Llyn y Fan glacial lake and the heights of the Carmarthen Fans. Circular walks will take you to an Iron Age fort, Roman camps and standing stones. The hostel, a former inn built in 1789, retains many of its original features and offers a warm welcome with an open fire in the lounge". It certainly looked inviting and Jo, the Warden, was as friendly as she was efficient in her safety briefing on arrival.
"The Old Red Lion"
Llandeusant YHA
Beer and luggage were unpacked, bunks claimed and beer laid out in the 'drying room'. Beer was sampled and the first handful of arrivals enjoyed the real ale and glorious evening from the spectacular vantage point of the Old Red Lion beer garden. Ad and Al surveyed the spectacular ridges of Bannau Sir Gaer way above the Youth Hostel and remarked how much they fancied an assault the following day. And so it was that months of careful route planning by John went up in smoke over a couple of beers. John got stuck into preparing the lamb cobbler for the following evening as Jim and Al made a batch of Welsh cakes.
John's carefully planned routegoes
up in smoke over a beer with Al and Ad
Others trickled in and the bar system, consisting of tiddlywinks and a sheep-shaped piggy-bank, were explained increasingly incoherently to new arrivals by Al.
Al conducts the first of many briefings... ...as the sun sets on the first evening.
Friday 20th March Al was up first - if you discount the fact that Andrew Sloane had decided to crash in the living quarters after being kept awale by Jim & Peter's farm-anima-esque snoring - he knew that others would be expecting his Boy's Weekend Special porridge laced with raisins and his secret blend of spices. Ian was delegated the cooking of this vat while Billy-Bob and Jon cooked a splendid fry-up. Although chilly it was gloriously sunny and a few took advantage of breakfast in the beer garden listening to Graeme's running commentary on the latest Lambing Action from the adjacent field.
Ready to go!
The party then split in to its two component groups and the bikers were the first to set off: The five cyclists enjoyed the short downhill section on country lanes towards the track which heads up to Llyn y Fan Fach dam. The track was relentless - the 'granny ring' gear was the only option for mile upon mile. A brief respite was provided by a fish farm half way up - there was much hilarity at Billy-Bob's expense as, bringing up the rear, he stopped for a breath and toppled off his bike.
Eventually the dam was reached and energy gels were consumed (all except Jon who had brought a pot of jelly). The five then started the long walk with the ridge looming large overhead. The ascent was hard, slow work, hauling the bikes over the uneven terrain. However, the views across the Fan were very rewarding. Eventually the bikers reached the plateau and remounted for the first time in an age.
Ad takes in the view of
Llyn y fan fach
The gradual ascent to the cairn was terrific - with no marked trails and a sheer drop to the left. The group were smiling so much their faces started to ache. Once at the top Jon and Ad dangled their legs over the precipice. The group were treated to a spectacular fly-past by a police helicopter as they drank their isotonic drinks and made an ad hoc lunch of Welsh cakes and chocolate bars.
Time for holiday snaps
After the obligatory group photo the bikers simply pointed their mounts downhill and let go of the brakes. What followed was 20 minutes of sheer adrenalin - punctuated only by brief stops to say 'hi' to Mags and Peter, and to admire the Llyn again on the way down. Ad had a close encounter with a dog which was taking it's owner for a walk and Jon complained about the fork malfunction that he had experienced.
Team Photo at the Summit:
Jon, Al, Ad, Billy-Bob, John
In a fraction of the time that it took to reach the summit the bikers were once again back at the Old Red Lion, beer in hand enjoying the afternoon sunshine. It was not long however until their minds turned to the evening's entertainment: Jim and Al made another batch of Welsh cakes, Ad and Paul put the finishing touches to the dessert and John put the lamb cobbler in the oven.
Bikers' Route Map (click to enlarge):
Bikers' Elevation Profile (click to enlarge):
The more intrepid walkers kitted themselves out in shorts for what was a sunny but breezy day and a testing 20km (12.5 mile) walk.
The walking party set off at 10 am albeit with the usual dawdlers of Alan, Brian and Phil at the back. The first part of the walk was a stroll down the road to the filtration station before a steady 1.5km walk up the shale track to the lake, Llyn y Fan Fach gaining some 250m in elevation along the way. The steady slog saw the walkers strung out with those at the front hell bent on getting to the lake as soon as possible and others taking in the scenery, the Red Kites, Buzzards and Ravens to name but three species.
Start of the ascent up to
Llyn y Fan Fach
It was on the approach to Llyn y Fan Fach that the peleton of bikers were observed walking and pushing their bikes up the first 170m ascent to the Bannau Sir Gaer ridge. At the lake the walking party split into three with Mags, Pete and Andrew following the bikers up onto the first part of the Bannau Sir Gaer ridge. The speedy walkers with Ian and at times Barry, Chris and Jack at the front blazed a trail along the foothills of the ridge with the bikeless peleton of Jeremy, Graeme, Matt, Michael and twitcher Jim faithfully following close behind. The perennial backmarkers of Alan, Brian and Phil were left in our wake. The undulating trek along the foothills of the ridge took the group to the south end of Llyn y Fan Fawr and at 10 kms and after just over two hours a refreshment stop was called for.
Welcome refreshment
Refreshment break over the group, now joined by Jim, faced the 200m ascent to the summit of Fan Brycheiniog, 802m above sea level. The climb wasn’t to everyone’s liking with the group becoming strung out but Ian tested his new aortic valve and was one of the first to the trig point. Reunited at the trig, others of the group remarked that Ian’s performance had set them thinking about surgery too! It was at the summit that the panoramic views across the Black Mountain and beyond could be best appreciated even though the long distance views were spoilt by a smog-like haze. The back marker group were spotted at the foot of the ridge making their measured way to Llyn y Fan Fawr. From the summit there is a fine ridge walk of some 4km taking in three distinct cairns at 781, 749 and 677 m with the escarpment ever present on our right hand side.
Graeme practicing for
his next catalog shoot
The group was fast approaching the final cairn above Llyn y Fan Fach with various members trying to cast stones into its blue waters to no avail! It was also the opportunity to snap off those Max Boyce photos to record the “I was there" moment.
The Walkers' Advance Party
sporting mainly navy blue and khaki
There then followed the long 4km descent and return to base. Once everyone was home and hosed a menu of lamb cobbler, followed by Welsh Whisky Trifle with raspberries was served and the instructions for the bar were once again related by Al. The evening saw Peter tear up his 'dry weekend' plan as he could also no longer resist the lure of the 180 pints in the drying room.
John's Lamb Cobbler
In keeping with the history of our accommodation Al and John had constructed a traditional Pub Quiz - consisting of 3 general knowledge rounds, a picture round and a music quiz set to pictures from previous Boy's events. At times things got a little fractious but on the whole there was less disruption than previous Scrabble encounters so the exercise was deemed a success.
The Picture Quiz (click to enlarge):
One point for each individual pictured
The Music Quiz (click to play):
1 point for the right artist/composer and 1 point for title of the track
Saturday 21st March Saturday morning saw more superb weather over the Brecon Beacons and (after Graeme had conducted his customary update on the overnight lambing movements) various parties had different itineries for the morning before the afternoon’s final Six Nations matches. Ian had planned an 11km (7 mile) walk through farmland and then onto the moorland with Carreg Ogo at 565m above sea level the target, the bikers (minus Jon) planned to circumnavigate the Usk reservoir, where a birding party of Jim and Jon were also heading.
The group of Ian, Barry, Brian, Chris, Jack, Graeme, Matt and Michael set off in anti-clockwise mode – Alan and Phil, it subsequently transpired, tackled the route in a clockwise fashion. To reach the moorland the group tackled various obstacles consisting of loony sheep, frisky Highland cattle and crossing a river not helped by on the one hand an absence of footpath signs and on the other no footbridge. At the river it was Graeme who showed us how not to cross by losing his footing and having an impromptu sit down. After that example it was boots and socks off and paddle across.
To the strains of bleating new born lambs in the air and the stripped carcasses of sheep on the ground we made it to the open moor at which point we faced a 350m steady climb over the next 2kms. Thinking on his feet (literally!) and mindful of the stern talking to from Big Al the previous afternoon and then before and after breakfast about not getting back later than 1:30 pm Ian led his group upwards to about the 480m contour and then around the northern slope of Carreg Ogo for a refreshment break at a point where we could see both where we had walked and our destination. The summit will have to be tackled another time.
Saturday Bikers: Al, John, Billy-Bob and Ad
The bikers had a more leisurely day in mind - a bimble around the Usk reservoir. Bikes were strapped onto cars and driven the short distance to the car park adjacent to the lake. The route comprised well maintained track and tarmacked lane with passing places. However, a ford provided some excitement and the dam at the head of the reservoir served as a sprint race track - an event which Ad and Al both launched themselves at with relish (...for the record Al winning both legs, Ed.).
Billy-Bob splash-down
Immediately after the sprinting Grand Prix, on a perfectly level and straight section of tarmac Billy-Bob managed to wrap his handlebars around Al's and eject himself from his bike. In an incident which saw a role reversal from the previous year Al patched his pal up with the first aid kit he had brought along.
Ad enjoys some rare off-road action
Approximately 3/4 of the way round the lake John contrived to get the group lost with a 'shortcut' through a dense section of forestry. Soon the bikers were carrying bikes in what felt like a reenactment of jungle warfare. Eventually Wrong John found a way out of the woods and we joined the track again to meet up with the car park and the waiting twitchers.
Biker's Bimble Map (click to enlarge):
Meanwhile Jim and Jon's birding splinter group had walked part of the way round the reservoir where they were rewarded by sightings of Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, and a national rarity, a Great Grey Shrike. Bikes were once again strapped to cars for the short journey back to base and the remaining beer for a cheeky pre-pub snifter.
The Saturday Bikers enjoy a post-ride drink
withthe Birdman of Llanddeusant (Jon)
Walkers drifted back to the hostel in dribs and drabs, prepared for the fixtures ahead and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine before the mass exodus to the Red Pig pub about a mile down the road.
Barry makes the most of the light
Richard, the landlord, had promised Al over succesive weeks that he WOULD be open in time to cater for the party. An unannounced inspection on Friday afternoon seemed to suggest the contrary with tables and chairs piled up and several individuals brandishing paint brushes. However, when the group arrived after the short (but very hilly) mile walk beer was on tap, the telly was installed and the pub looked as if it had been open for years, although a note in the window announced that they were to open for one day only - we were guineapigs! Richard served up pint after pint of Tomos Watkin OSB as the group arrived at the pub in dribs and drabs - some had taken advantage of feeding time at the local Red Kite feeding station opposite.
A Red Kite homing in to the feeding station
Others were more desperate for a beer, and/or the pre-match build-up. As the beers kept on coming the buffet lunch was arranged in the dining room - what fantastic fare. Those connoisseurs of pastry based products amongst us agreed that a finer pork pie had never passed their lips, while the local cheese came in for numerous complimentary Mmm's and Ahhh's. Meanwhile France demolished Italy in a game that played largely to an empty bar in the other room.
Italy 8 - 50 France
The buffet out of the way and attention turned to the rugby. All except two of the Boys were supporting England and there were only a few locals in the newly opened pub. The atmosphere was partisan and fortunately the result went the 'right' way for the majority.
England 26 - 12 Scotland
The ecstasy of Scotland taking an early lead....
...and the agony of the final result.
Towards the end of the Calcutta Cup match the ranks of locals began to swell for the main event. England fans switched their allegiances to Ireland, but the locals evened things up and the atmosphere was tense for the Six Nations decider. Sadly Ireland came through to win a closely contested game but the final whistle also signalled dinner time for the Boys.
Wales 15 - 17 Ireland
Dinner was a three-course affair and, although the service and some of the dishes were a little rough around the edges (it was their first night after all!) the fair was mostly good, honest local nosh. We could not fault the warm welcome, the brilliant atmosphere and extraordinary lengths that Richard had gone to to open up in time for our visit. A couple more beers after dinner, and (complimentary!) bottles for the walk home for some, and we wandered back to spend our last night in the Old Red Lion.
Sunday 22nd March After a breakfast of hot cross buns and toast with Al's home-made Seville Orange Marmalade activities turned to the traditional clean-up operation. Various individuals were reunited with clothes and equipment that had been mislaid since the first night, polypins were crushed and binned and the left-overs distributed with the efficiency of a UN aid initiative. Eventually everyone had packed themselves into their cars, said their goodbyes and it was up to John and Al to close the door on a fantastic weekend in Wales.
On behalf of the TCA we should like to thank the Old Guard for inviting us again to participate in this institution. We trust the arrangements met with your satisfaction and we hope to see you all again next year.
(Posted by: Al & Ian; Photos by John, Barry, Ian & Al)
With Maalie arriving at dawn and John, Mrs John, and Billy-Bob turning up at Al and Tee's straight after work it was an early start for the most anticipated ride of the year. Tea and shop-bought buns would not suffice on such an auspicious occasion and it was out with the (almost as eagerly anticipated) bottles of Santa's Sleigh Stopper which Al had brewed especially for the event. Maalie had baked a veritably array of cakes to accompany the beer including 'sub-prime' Welsh cakes, mince pies and snickerdoodles. As each guest arrived Al issued the wager that he had cooked something for dinner that all assembled would have heard of but yet never have consumed. Cue a variety of ridiculous suggestions ranging from partridge to rook pie!
Jon arrived shortly afterwards and refused to rush his beer and cake as the others fettled equipment enthusiastically. Billy-Bob and Al felt that the festive occasion merited use of the tandem (and also helmet fairy lights) while John had bedecked his bicycle in truly spectacular fashion - with a fully-functional Christmas tree, baubles and fairy lights! Jon had also gone to town on the tinsel and fairy lights in customary fashion, although it was like waiting for Christmas (as usual) for him to make the final adjustments to his running gear.
With Maalie complaining as usual that he wasn't sufficiently 'warmed up', and the tandem boys making an early dismount, we struggled up Cam's Hill. However, there followed an easy coast to the Horse and Jockey where 5 pints of Hardys & Hansen's Rocking Rudolph Ale were ordered. Jon and Maalie soon got stuck in to 'bird talk', while Billy-Bob and Al turned to their usual comparative critique of nappies and puke; John was feeling a little bit out in the cold.
Birders at the Bar
The Horse & Jockey had spared no expense on this year's Christmas Tree
There was a mile or so of re-traced steps as the boys headed for the Traveler's Rest and another 5 pints of beer at a long table in the comfy bar. The bottles of 'Triple S' (as Al's home brew had affectionately become known), the cold air and exercise were starting to lubricate the conversation by now.. although Maalie and Jon were still sat in the corner discussing their various twitches.
The Drinks Start to Kick in at the Traveler's Rest
Having once again made hearty toasts to Absent Friends, and wishing the punters and staff a hearty Merry Christmas, the TCA made for the door. We had a relatively long stretch to the next watering hole therefore a full check was made to fairy lights and baubles before the off.
Deck the bikes with bells and baubles fa-la-la laaa, la-la-la laaaaaaa...
The White Lion was uncharacteristically quiet - in fact the landlord confessed he was in two minds whether to keep the place open. There was a solitary pair of middle-aged women enjoying a quiet drink. Having all ordered various pints of the obligatory Bowman's ale Maalie set about chatting up the ladies in the bar on the pretense of explaining the culinary riddle set by the host. Needless to say the pair left almost immediately!
Finishing their beers the group slogged up the hill from Soberton before enjoying the leisurely and somewhat merry ride to Hambledon. They were soon back at base enjoying more Triple S beer, a turkey curry and, for the finale, a genuine figgy pudding.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! (Left to right: John, Jon, Al, Maalie, Billy-Bob)
With the smell of cordite from the previous night's Guy Fawkes fireworks displays hardly cleared from the night sky, three intrepid TCA explorers Al, Jon and Maalie set of on a regular circuit that took in Droxford and Soberton. Maalie had arrived from Cumbria with his Giant Escape in the back of his X-trail. However, being dosed up to the hilt with antibiotics, he was concerned that he would not be worthy to join the team on account of his enforced abstinence form alcohol. However, the Director offered a dispensation provided that he paid for the chocolate walnut cake required for the pre-ride cake-eating rituals.
Above: Al quarters the cake in anticipation of the pre-ride cake ritual
Below: Jon tucks into a slice of chocolate walnut cake before kitting up for the ride
The ride invariably starts off with a near-vertical sprint up the side of the valley because the TCA headquarters lies in a valley. Maalie immediately observed the tail lights of Al and John disappear rapidly up the hill round the corner and out of sight as his bike boasts only seven gear levels (compared to the 132 or so of the others),. Once on the ridge track,it was most pleasant cycling along narrow country lanes with autumn trees already half denuded, windless and an overcast sky keeping conditions mild. Tawny Owls were hooting in surrounding woods and the odd owl and fox were seen by the leaders. Maalie, being on "away ground", was more concerned with avoiding patches of fallen leaves and tricky bends on steep descents that threatened hazards of deep puddles and loose gravel.
All too soon the Hampshire Bowman in Droxford was reached; the first stop for a toast to absent friends.
Al, Maalie and Jon make the toast to absent friends
Back in the saddle it was just a short ride to the next watering hole at the White Lion at Soberton where the sign on the door was an invitation that could not be resisted (even if it was only pineapple juice for Maalie).
While Maalie stayed outside to capture some piccies Jon and Al made for the bar as usual and, somewhat on autopilot, ordered three pints of Bowman's Wallop's Wood. Reluctantly Jon and Al shared the third pint having been reminded of Maalie's course of antibiotics.
TCA cyclists dismount to accept the invitation on the door of the White Lion at Soberton
After the initial stepp slog from the White Lion it was more or less downhill to TCA Headquarters in Hambledon where a superb chilli con carne was awaiting in the oven.
On this occasion we did not feel the need to partake of the services offered next door to the White Lion
Like Copenhagen and some other European cities, Vienna is endowed with a fabulous network of dedicated cycle paths with which you can get anywhere, from a quick city-centre tour to a spin round Johann Strauss' eponymous Vienna Woods that surround the city. Visitors may hire cycles from various outlets, including a city-bike station where you can insert your credit card into a machine, select your bike and then release it from the stand. You can return it to any of the 50+ such stations located around Vienna.
A typical city-bike station. The credit card control unit is in the centre of the row of bikes
After a quick buzz round the inner ring to see some of the palaces and state buildings, I headed off east to the Danube. There is a long flat low-lying island that runs down the centre of the river, which is effectively dedicated as a 30-mile long playground where you can do cycling (from 'professional cyclists' to tourists like me), walking, roller-blading, kite-flying or even messing around with radio-controlled models.
City bike ride on the Danube island. Bikes are simple but robust, with front brake and fixed wheel as rear brake
A delegation from the TCA were fortunate enough to be invited on the 11th Boys Weekend outing (a historical account of this institution can be found in the introduction provided in last year's visit to the Quantock Hills). An added twist to this year's Boys Weekend was that Peter, one of the founder members, was to host the activities at his home in Strontian, in the West of Scotland. Sadly, some weeks before the trip, Peter sustained injuries in a road accident and was unable to participate.
Thursday 17th April
Ian, Quilts, Jeremy, John, Matt, Jon, Billy-Bob and Al met at Southampton airport at some ungodly hour; having taken the day off work they had originally seen no good reason why they shouldn't make the most of it and get up to Edinburgh early. On arrival the party caught the express coach into the city and split into two factions - a delegation would pay our collective respects to our stricken host while the remainder enjoyed the delights of Edinburgh.
Peter complains of a 'stiff neck' after a 'prang' in his car.
Having enjoyed a pleasant bus ride through Morningside Ian, Quilts and Al were treated to generous slices of home made cake and steaming mugs of coffee when they arrived at Peter's house. The meagre offerings the trio had bought in Tescos seemed a paltry token of gratitude under the circumstances but Peter nevertheless seemed to appreciate the TCA’s gift of grapes and the flowers and wine which were also delivered in grateful thanks for Elspeth’s culinary exploits – more on that score later. Hungry and tired the remainder of the group flogged across the city according to Ian's directions towards the Commonwealth swimming pool where the party were to be reunited. Coffee and cake with our incapacitated host took the well-wishers a little longer than expected however, so the main party were already half way up Arthur's Seat by the time the trio arrived. All were reunited at the summit.
The advance party enjoy the view of the city from Arthur's Seat- Above(From left): Matt; John; Jon; Paul; Quilts; Ian), Below: Al
After the first disagreement about which route to take to leave the summit we descended via Salisbury Craggs down to Holyrood and on to the Guildford Arms to arrive just as they had stopped serving food and to be met by Ian’s daughter Ellie and boyfriend Jack who had escaped from Brum for a break (with Peter & Elspeth). A couple of pints of Harvistoun's Ptarmigan later and it was Big Macs for some and scotch pies for others and we were soon on our way down Princes Street to catch the return bus towards the airport from the Haymarket.
Bags were retrieved from the left luggage kiosk while Ian and Al completed the paperwork for the rented minibus. Evening meals typically consisted of pies and pasties from the various outlets in the terminal building. Fortunately the Gatwick flight carrying the Surrey Three - Alan, Brian and Graeme - was bang on time and we made our getaway in a timely fashion. The road up past Stirling, cross country via Callendar and Crainlarich to the highlands was spectacular and we were treated to a sunset over Glen Coe as Ian steered us carefully towards our rendezvous with the Corran Ferry and the last two members of the group.
The Road to Stronian, Glen Coe
Jim and Phil had independently and separately headed north in advance of the main group in order to check out the beer. In his eagerness to smell the tangle o’ the isles, Jim camped at Easdale on the Isle of Seil where he was able to visit the Oysterbar pub on his bike during the evening and sample local ale; breakfast the next morning was nothing less than a Loch Fyne kipper cooked on a trangia camping stove - more on his pre-weekend visit can be seen by clicking here. Jim and Phil caught up with each other in the Ardgour pub to receive the main party as they disembarked from the ferry from Corran at about 8.50pm , and the barman had been given the duration of the ferry crossing to pour 12 pints of beer!
The Corran ferry at Dusk
Friday 18th April
The amenities of Spring Cottage were appreciated by all and in the morning the vista over Loch Sunart and the snow topped mountains in the distance were impressive – especially as the weather in the West Highlands was sunny and warm throughout our stay. After Big Al’s porridge accompanied by bacon, sausage and black pudding butties for breakfast we were off to Nevis Range, minus Alan who had succumbed to a fever he brought with him.
This ain't no YHA hostel!
It was back to the Corran ferry in the bus and another 30 minute drive to the Nevis Range where the bikers and walkers split.
The Cycle: Having reached the car park at the base of Aonach Mor early the bikers paced up and down nervously. It was a cold, sunny morning and they relished the warmth and comfort of a cup of tea as they watched skiers and snowboarders gear up and take the gondola up to the slopes. The Witches Trails has a certain ring to it and phrases such as "fast flowing forest road together with technical single track climbs" and "tests the super fit of the World Cup circuit" gleaned from the brochures were adding to the sense of anticipation.
The Biker Boys 2008 (Left to right: John; Matt; Al; Jon; Billy-Bob)
The van from Off Beat Bikes rolled into the carpark at 10.30 and the 5 Specialised Rockhopper Sport bikes were unloaded. Billy-Bob listened intently to the briefing provided by our local contact and, in true TCA fashion, dismissed it out of hand preferring our own home-brewed plan: We would warm up with a longer (19km) 'blue' graded route in the morning (Route Map 1), before tackling the 'red/black' World Cup XC course in the afternoon. Helmets were donned, seats were adjusted and, with the maps stuffed into Billy-Bob's pocket, the gang of five shot off.
Route Map 1 (click to enlarge):
The intrepid riders got all of 200 yards before encountering their first technical hitch; Matt's seatpost was slipping badly, rendering his bike fit only for comedy acts in the circus. Al pressed on ahead to retrieve Jon and John who had pressed ahead while Billy-Bob did his best to assist Matt. Al rounded the corner only to find that Jon had also come to a halt with malfunctioning brakes.
Billy-Bob and Matt hit the trail
Thank heavens for John's multi-tool and Leatherman! After a few minutes delicate tweaking we soon decided that the only thing to do was to over-torque the seat post clamp and then rip the rubber sheathing from around Jon's brake cable. Let the ride resume! The ‘blue’ run consisted of a gentle (if unrelenting) climb on forestry tracks with spectacular views on either side of snow-capped mountains. There were a few niggles with the bikes; the odd loose seat post and crunching gears but on the whole the boys got to grips with their hired steads. Towards the top of the accent the trail turned into a pleasant single track through the woods high above the glen. The brochure had described at length the TTFs that would challenge the riders on the Witches Trail a phrase that, once we had worked out this stood for 'technical trail feature', was soon appropriated into the TCA vernacular with gusto.
Jon tackles another TTF
On the blue run the TTFs seemed limited to the occasional bridge across a burn but as the single tracked turned sharply downhill over rocky ground the ride became more challenging as it followed the course of the river Cour. Turning for home the trail once again followed the forest tracks as it wended it's way back to base. Apart from Al's over-the-handlebars dismount while trying to overtake Billy-Bob on a narrow downhill section (thankfully into a soft mossy bank), the ride remained incident free and we cruised into the car park after about an hour-and-a-half in the saddle.
Billy-Bob pauses for breath in the shadow of Ben Nevis
Lunch and liquid refreshment are always high on the TCA agenda and today was no exception - we had already planned to take the gondola up to the restaurant at the base of the ski runs. John negotiated a storage area for our bikes amongst the spare gondola cars and we joined the sallopette-clan throngs in the queue for the cable car.
Luncheon Transport
The short trip to the Nevis Range base station afforded us spectacular scenery and a bird's eye view of the trails below. On the accent we spotted two hardcore downhill mountain bikers pushing their machines up the 2000ft ascent of the World Cup downhill course. In the summer access to this 2.82km track is allowed via the cable car: Like us they had missed out on this facility by a couple of weeks but were obviously more dedicated to the cause. While the pair far below kept pushing we ordered butties, pies and pints of heavy (lager for Matt, obviously) and enjoyed the refreshing breeze on the veranda.
Above: Who ate all the pies? Below: The Founding Fathers enjoy a beer.
After lunch it was back down the mountain by cable car and a swift re-mount before we tackled the World Cup XC course (Route Map 2). The heavy and lager, while providing a certain degree of Dutch courage, could not entirely suppress the anxiety of the group. Al's rear mech hanger snapping off within the first 100 yards provided some distraction - Matt kindly offered to sit the ride out and swapped bikes with Al so the ride continued.
The outward portion of the ride was a steep, unrelenting climb which, without exception no-one could complete without a dismount. It seemed to take forever to reach the apex of the ride just below the snow line and we took a welcome breather before the descent, the first section of which appeared at first to be impossible to traverse: We wondered what was in store for us as we looked down a near-vertical drop of approximately 2 meters of rock face, down which it was implied that we ride our hired bikes! Al went first but his bike refused on the first attempt. John showed the way as he fearlessly picked his way through this particular TTF... the others followed gingerly. This would set the pattern for the afternoon.
John excels on the technical circuit
The next stage of the course was a set of vicious switch-backs with steeply burmed corners which Al attacked with gusto, to his cost. He carried too much speed into a sharp jump built into the course on the descent out of the last burm. The distance of the first mark on the ground which Al and/or Al's bike made from the top of the jump was estimated at 4-5 meters. Al had not counted on the 'radical' degree of 'air' he would attain off the jump and, panicking to some degree, failed to execute the 'landing' effectively. He slid to a halt, a mangled wreck of man and machine and lay still. John and then Billy-Bob were first on the scene and assessed the extent of the damage: John proclaimed the bike unharmed; Billy-Bob told Al to stop whinging about the deep grazes which now covered his right arm from wrist to shoulder and similar wounds to the knee. The embedded soil seemed to stem the flow of blood reasonably well and the four were off again... somewhat more cautiously.
Route Map 2 (click to enlarge):
There followed a largely downhill course packed full of obstacles that provided a thrilling adrenalin-fueled hour's entertainment. Back at the car park once again we managed to catch up with the downhill pair we saw during our lunchtime excursion; it turned out that they were Polish sailors on shore leave while based in Glasgow. They had completed the 2.82km, 2000ft accent in a little over two hours, and the descent in a little less than 5 minutes. Al washed his wounds down in the toilets before enduring Billy-Bob's special form of triage. The injured party and nurse then found some comfort in the generous portions of Dundee cake and flapjack that the bikers had been packed off with courtesy of Mrs Webb. Once we had called Off Beat Bikes it was not long before we were all back in the van bound for the Ben Nevis and our rendezvous with the walkers.
The Walk: The walking party of Quilts, Graeme, Jim, Jeremy, Brian, Phil and Ian were following a walk recommended by Pete and Elspeth that took us 2km west, through Leanachan Forest and then south and upwards for 5km and some 1,900ft to the climbers’ hut under the north face of Ben Nevis. At this point we had gone about 150ft above the snow line. The walkers arrived in two parties but it was the venue for a short break and refreshment that included Elspeth’s Dundee cake and flap jack. The scenery was fantastic and it was topped off with sightings of Snow Bunting (above left) and Crossbill (below right) to keep Jim happy and ignite the nascent twitcher in the rest of the group.
The Walkers 2008(left to right): Quilts; Ian; Jeremy; Graeme; Phil; Brian; Jim
The second leg of the walk took us 3 km north west then south to the 2,000ft cairn on the tourist path to the summit of Ben Nevis just before which we were treated to our own fly past of a pair of RAF Tornados. 3kms later and the welcoming doors of the Nevis Inn greeted us and with pints of Red MacGregor we soaked up the afternoon sun. It was whilst supping the first pint that a rare sight greeted the early arrivals, Phil broke his long standing habit of being last man in and arrived ahead of two fellow walkers. Our walk organisers said it would take 5½ hours and they were right but what a fine walk – forest, upland, mountains surrounded by snowy slopes with more snow topped mountains and the Great Glen in the distance.
Once the TCA party had been reunited with the walkers (above) it was shopping for essential supplies – beer, whisky, cheese and porridge – in Morrisons and then home to Mrs Webb’s beef in ale followed by sticky toffee pudding. Wrong John just couldn’t go wrong with that! Praise for Elspeth’s great food was a feature of the day, first with the Dundee cake and now the evening feast.
Jon and Matt make light work of washing-up
Saturday 19th April
Saturday saw both factions united but without Alan, who was still ill, and Jeremy, nursing blisters from the previous day's exertions, who took to a bike rather than put his feet through more punishment. Breakfast followed the previous day’s menu but the porridge lacked the Fowler touch. The party of 11 set off from Spring Cottage and, following a minor altercation with the landlady of the local pub relating to desecration of her lawn, into the community woods above Strontian and alongside the Ariundle National Nature Reserve.
St Andrew's Cross ordered especially!
In characteristic fashion the party was soon strung out as various groups and individuals adopted their own pace. The terrain was more southern Spain that northern Britain as the day wore on and the sun climbed higher in the sky. The morning’s Dundee cake and coffee stop was had close to a bridge over the river we had been following and provided an opportunity for everyone to catch up with the leading party.
Big Al used his pocket rocket to brew tea, Ian passed around his homemade sloe gin. With refreshment over we left Phil to follow his own route whilst Ian lead the main group upwards and onwards assuring them that they could turn left onto another path soon and make our way back to the café. Some 5km and 1,400 ft later we were at old mine workings and, despite the singular non-appearance of 'another path', the decision was taken to turn left anyway and yomp uphill onto open moorland to find our way back to Strontian. Just as the decision was made Jim shouted “Ring Ouzel!” and we all saw Turdus torquatus (above left) take to the air - with that Jim turned back and headed downhill saying nothing could top that!
The party of ten became strung out across the mountainside (below) which was basked in sunshine and afforded tremendous views of the mountains around Loch Sunart and the old mines.
The party eventually found itself on a public highway back to the café at Ariundle, although Ian took himself off down the long road on the other side of the valley. He continued back to the cottage eschewing the café stop so he could attend to Mrs Webb’s chocolate tiffin and flapjack and have an impromptu afternoon tea ready on the terrace sun trap (below).
After a wash and brush-up, an update of the sporting scores from the 'real world' and a couple of cans of beer the party ventured to the Ben View hotel for an evening meal. Local produce of scallops, Stornoway black pudding and venison being very popular choices, although there was disquiet in the ranks as ceg beer was served. It was probably the latter which precipitated a rather more early departure than usual and the 'walkers' were bundled back in the van for the 2 mile trip home. The 'bikers' decided to walk back and pay a visit to the local pub, The Strontian Hotel en route. The local boozer offered a slightly less than warm welcome and a pretty average pint of heavy. There was also a distinct air of imminent violence therefore drinks were finished promptly and the remaining Boys also beat a retreat for beer, whiskey and The Shawshank Redemption back at the ranch while Phil, Brian et al. upheld the ancient custom of non-combat Scrabble.
The bikers yomp home from the pub (left to right) John; Jon; Billy-Bob; Matt
Sunday 20th April
Al and Billy-Bob woke in the double bed of the master bedroom to yet another glorious morning, enjoying the magnificent view down the loch from where they lay. Under any other circumstances it would have been quite romantic but Al's seeping wounds had bled all over his sleeping bag liner and Billy-Bob's voice was ruined after another evening of heavy snoring and too much Ardbeg. The pair got up and cooked breakfast - Al back on porridge duty due to popular demand and Billy-Bob in charge of yet another fry-up.
After breakfast and the customary 'deep clean' of lodgings the 'bikers' were keen to fettle the host's small fleet of assorted bicycles. Graeme was also keen to join the ranks of the TCA and took the place of Al as his frantic repairs to a vintage racing bike systematically failed due to a broken inner-tube value. Al joined the remainder for a mooch around the village to enjoy the last of the Scottish sunshine.
Billy-Bob enjoys the view across the Loch
After coffee and a bit more cleaning the whole party loaded up the van for one last time. Jim left ahead of the main party in his own car and we would leave Phil to savor a night alone in our digs. We were bound for the 12:00pm crossing to Corran.
Ian wears the same colour scheme as the life preserving equipment for the return trip
After a 'comfort break' for pies and a pint in Callander and having reached the airport safely we were treated to a surprise visit from Peter and Elspeth whilst waiting for our flights. It was great to be able to thank them personally for the loan of their excellent cottage and for all the arrangements made on our behalf. We all enjoyed our stay at Strontian made superb by the smooth organisation, excellent home cooking and baking and there will have to be a return in the future for Peter and Alan to experience the great time we all had.
2008 Boy's Weekend Left to right: (back row) Jon; John; Jeremy; Billy-Bob; Ian; Matt; Alan; Jim (front row) Al; Brian; Quilts; Graeme; Phil
On behalf of the TCA we should also like to add our thanks for the invitation to attend yet another Boy's Weekend - the best yet! We certainly have our work cut out to repay you all when we take our turn in organising next year's function.
Jimmy supervises Jon's sock change
Freshly Baked, by Maalie
