Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Lost in the hills.

I've not put much on my blog recently. I've been out on a few cycles at night with Extreme and Sweeney but I wouldn't want to piss about trying to take photos in the freezing cold. When I say cold, its not cold enough to freeze the trails, which are fucking horrible swamps, but you'll freeze your balls off if you stop cycling for too long. I wish it would make its mind up and get colder, or just warm up a bit.

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Cycling home at 3 in the morning.

I've still been cycling to work, its much easier than I thought it would be. Faithir got me a waterproof and windproof jacket which makes a massive difference in the cold, as does my merino wool base layer. Its not been off my back since I got it at Christmas!

Lost in the Lammermuirs.
Anyways, yesterday I got my finger out my arse and headed for the Lammermuir hills. I figured that the trails up there would be relatively mud free. The cycle up was a bit of a fucking slog. I headed for Stobshiel on the road. Now many people will disagree with me here, but cycling on the road is dull as shit. I don't mind it so much when I'm commuting, but when I'm on my day off its shite. I eventually got to Stobshiel and followed the track up into the hills, after a wee while I realised that the track was going a bit futher into the hills that I wanted to go, so I cut across a field, jumped a wee burn and started crossing the moors, sometimes cycling, sometimes pushing. It was a bit squelchy but the tracks and the snow were a nice change to the mud and shite. It was an ace day, I took a few photos and watched the buzzards flying about and the hares running around. Great fun, the sun was high and I had loads of time left to explore.

Lost in the Lammermuirs.
Lost in the Lammermuirs.

My plan was to head across the hills and join the trail to Lammerlaw but after a while the sun got pretty low and I didn't have a fucking scooby where I was. The thing about the Lammermuirs is you can see most of East Lothian. I could see a quarry that rung a bell and after a while I popped out at West Lach, exactly the same place as I came out last time when I was up on the C90! My sense of direction may be shite, but its consistent. I got home just as it was getting dark, I was well fucked. As always I had the Gopro with me, I forgot my helmet cam mount, so no Giant Floaty Heid Cam this time. The chest mount is a bit Blair Witch, bouncing about a fair bit but I think I've got that sorted for next time by fiddling about with the straps.

6 comments:

  1. Nice pic looking out over EL Mike. I do like the Lammermuirs for some peace and quiet. Not somewhere I'd go without a map/compass or the Garmin though. Or with Neil as he seems to know his way about.

    We'll get a trip sorted up there in the warmer months, better tracks if you drive into the hills a bit.

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  2. Look like to much hard work if you ask me....kudos to you though for getting out in the cold. You willy must be really small afterwards!

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  3. You sir are hardcore. Every time I watch one of your videos it makes me want to get back to mountain biking.

    Of course I'd be knackered before I got to the top of the first hill and would need a backpack full of inhalers, but you are inspiring just the same.

    ..........@Raftnn - Bahahahahahaha!

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  4. Trobairitz- i'm usually knackered before the top of the first hill too, always have a supply of inhalers on hand!

    Rog - Damn right! It was like a small shrivelled ant eaters nose!

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  5. Lovely countryside mate. Well fucking jealous.

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  6. good film shit music - get yersel a compass - ya dunderheed

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