Saturday 11th of October 100 miles

It was put up as a Thistle weekender but as it happens it ended up with only two Thistle riders ( Brian and Ali) and three Wheelers (Dave, Ian, Sheila) saying they were up for it. So it's the usual, meet at the gates at Camperdown, Saturday morning for nine and then head to Edzell and eventually Braemar.

We gather at Camperdown Gates and wait. He said last Sunday he was a definite, he said at the Thursday night club meeting he was a definint - but where's Darren! We wait until 9.30 and then decide to go by his house as it's on the way. With no sign of life we head off for Newtyle. Waving goodbye to a deserted looking Darren's house where despite Dave's booming voice not a soul had stirred we push on to Newtyle two thistle and three wheelers actually it was three thistle but Steve king was just going to tag along until we got to Edzell. We had also hoped to have the usual Saturday morning bunch to sit on, at least up to Kirrimuir, as none of us had used panniers for several years and the bikes didn't half feel heavy! Sadly they had other plans.

So the weekender was starting well with one rider down and no bunch wheels to sit on! Happily at this point we were blissfully unaware of Dave's idea of navigation. The weather on the other hand was being extremely kind with loads of blue sky and hardly a breath of wind. It actually felt as warm as our Fort William weekender back in May.

At Newtyle we turned right and then cut across to the back of Kirrimuir and our first attempt at looking lost. Now we knew we wanted Memus it was just a question of which road! We looked so confused a passing motorist stopped to ask if we needed directions. Having had it confirmed we were on the right road anyway of we headed again still feeling very uncertain. The confusion only got worse when apparently we'd lost a Wheeler and gained a Thistle rider. In an attempt to travel light Sheila only had her heavy rain jacket not ideal when it was so warm. So Brian came to the rescue with a spare top and the Thistle gained the only good looking Wheeler! Lunch was at one of the café's on the main road through Edzell. We all squeezed round the table and stuffed our selves with bread, soup and coffee. We also discovered just how long Steve's arm is as it snaked from one side of the table around the backs of Dave and Ian and reached into the cake trolley foolishly left to near our table. Steve decided not to retrace our trail back to Dundee as like the rest of us the several about turns, and Dave's scenic (for scenic read hilly) route via Edzall castle meant we were all a bit relieved to actually get to Edzell.

After waving goodbye to Steve at Edzell, we pedal off towards Fettercairn. As we rolled along the conversation turned towards the oncoming Cairn'O'Mount and if you've ever done it you'll know how it was described. Now up until now I had never done it so the tales of horror were coming thick and fast. With panniers on the bike it began to feel very heavy. This heavy weight of panniers and big climb was being to make me feel very weary made only worse when it was pointed out that Ian had come prepared with triple chain rings! Then after a quick fork left the dreaded moment had arrived and with no messing about the road went UP at an average of 12%. In its favour the road surface is good and I'd really like to go back and do it without panniers but at the time it was a real Fetterciarn of a climb. I stopped three times and got the camera out but with steamed up Rudy Projects and a breathing and heart rate so heavy I couldn't see what I was taking or hold the camera very steady. (As you can see from the pics) On the road continued varying from long straight drag up, where you try to give a cheerful waive when passing picnicking couples, to snaking sharp bends that were so steep you knew you'd be faster walking but only pride kept you forcing the pedals over and over. And then you're there, one thousand feet higher in just a couple of miles! Cairn'O'mount should have been called Cairn'O'dismount. As I headed down the road with my camera, to get Dave and Sheila as they reached the top, round the corner comes Dave pushing his bike. No he hadn't given up but a snapping chain had forced him to walk the last hundred yards. In case you were wondering Brian was of course first to the top.

Having all re grouped and with Daves chain fixed we head down a long and fast descent with sections being on average 20% I didn't fancy trying to climb it. At the bottom we wait by the old phone box to regroup again. As if a broken chain wasn't enough Dave has a 'speed wobble' which so he tells us had him thrown from one side of the road to the other scaring the life out of several drivers and Dave himself. From the old phone box we turn left away from the Aboyne road and head for Ballater. The tiredness is beginning to show in the legs of us all and Sheila makes a request for any spare grub to get those few miles left till we can refuel at Ballater. The population of Ballater can't be that great but just when you need to nip into the local CO-OP for a snack and something for breakfast in the morning the whole town appears to go shopping. The queue went round the shop twice which meant I'd eaten most of my purchases before I got to the till.

From Ballater it was just a surprisingly lumpy south road to Braemar which was a case of heads down and grind on and on. With several gliders going overhead and of course one car overtaking us on a blind bend doing a emergency stop to avoid slamming into an on coming car there was at least plenty to keep our minds of sore legs. Drivers don't you just love them. And then there it was, It was 5'o'clock, but it wasn't Crak-a-jack it was Breamar and after a quick visit to the local shop for more food we head to the Youth Hostel and a welcome hot shower.

After unpacking and heading for a shower a cold shiver ran down my back at the sight before me! At the time I put the site of a ghostly white and naked figure wandering around between our room and the shower area down to exhaustion. After repeated sightings Brian decided to try and capture this scary apparition on film. Luckily by the time Brian found a camera Dave had got his pants and vest on! (Visit the gallery if you want to take a closer look of Dave's Superman impression)

Later we hit the highlights of Braemar for something to eat only being driven away from the hotel bar by the oncoming Saturday night disco and tired bodies. Instead we return to the Youth Hostel and share knitting tips with a mother and daughter also staying there. The other occupants were mostly groups of walkers, a Japanese family and of course the one odd ball who spoke to no one. Even though he was sharing our room he never stirred or shared so much as a good evening although next morning he was more than happy to share any food we were leaving almost before we could put it on the spare food shelf.

Sunday 12th of October. 56 miles

Sunday was a much colder day from the start. But before we even got going Dave got a puncture in the bike shed. It just wasn't Dave's weekend. Once fixed we headed off down the A93 heading for the Glenshee Ski Area and the Cairnwell. The weather was definitely turning for the worse as we started the long drag up to the ski area. It's not a steep climb it just goes on and on sapping the strength from your tired legs. Over the first 10k from Braemar you climb 450m and then in the next 6k you reach 665m. Sheila was worn out by half way up the climb and received a helping push from Brian to the top. From the top down you drop 260m in 3k. It was by now miserably wet, not helped by passing cars going throw puddles and throwing up what felt like buckets of ice cold water at you! After a few miles no one felt like a detour over the Moulin Moors so we decided to aim straight for home via Blairgowrie. On the way there we were met by Frankie and Big Ian from the Wheelers who joined us for a snack at the Granary Café then home to Dundee.

Despite the crap weather on Sunday it was a great weekender, even with panniers, and one I'm looking forward to doing next year.

Ali Chisholm