Post by hodgy on Jan 12, 2015 6:44:48 GMT
Take 2..having originally lost everything the first time I tried posting this !
Myself , Ian Bell & Dave Tasker( davet on here) did this route a couple of years back ... When most of Southern England was under water due to flooding .. Northern England & Scotland had also had it's fair share of water too but we had a rare gap in the weather and decided to go for it ...getting closer to the start of the ride at Innerleithen we noticed that the Tweed had burst it's banks so it was a given fact that conditions under-wheel were going to be extremely soggy ..although the day itself was overcast but not raining .
The ride started on the trailhead car park at Innerleithen and the initial climbing was done on the red trail straight out of the car park .. We also did a fun descent before linking into the Southern Upland Way to take us over Blake Muir/ Black House/ Stake Law/ Birkscairn Hill / Kirkhope Law/ Kailzie Hill and then a fantastic ridge ride on an old drove road to drop us down into Peebles .. Where we had to cross a burn at almost periscope depth which had burst it's bank before taking time out in the centre of town for a much deserved coffee and cake in a great little tea room.
This was about the half way stage of the route and bugger me but the conditions had been tough ..and about to get tougher ...
Setting off once again ..but not feeling too good ( cake overload! ) we then followed the main road out of town before taking one of the forest fire road back roads which eventually after climbing forever spit us out at the Buzzards Nest car park in Glentress ...where climbing still we took the black route to the top of Dunslair Heights and following this dropped down for a short section( Britney Spears) before leaving the trail ( not exactly sure where) exiting left for a horrendous little push alongside the treeline.. I think over Black Law..but definitely over Black Knowe/ Mill Rigg/ Lee Burn Head & Lee Pen before quite a techy drop back into Innerleithen . This last section of the route was done with each of us having to encourage each other as the energy levels had gone into the reserve tank and that was close to empty ...still sitting above Innerleithen before the final drop there was a carnival below ...no doubt for our benefit as the locals had heard of our fantastic achievement !
Back at the car park we each had the thousand yard stare..absolutely nowt left .. But what a ride!
We vowed to come back and do it again one day ..but only after there had been a drought for six months !!
Definitely one of the toughest ...if not THE toughest rides we had ever done
Myself , Ian Bell & Dave Tasker( davet on here) did this route a couple of years back ... When most of Southern England was under water due to flooding .. Northern England & Scotland had also had it's fair share of water too but we had a rare gap in the weather and decided to go for it ...getting closer to the start of the ride at Innerleithen we noticed that the Tweed had burst it's banks so it was a given fact that conditions under-wheel were going to be extremely soggy ..although the day itself was overcast but not raining .
The ride started on the trailhead car park at Innerleithen and the initial climbing was done on the red trail straight out of the car park .. We also did a fun descent before linking into the Southern Upland Way to take us over Blake Muir/ Black House/ Stake Law/ Birkscairn Hill / Kirkhope Law/ Kailzie Hill and then a fantastic ridge ride on an old drove road to drop us down into Peebles .. Where we had to cross a burn at almost periscope depth which had burst it's bank before taking time out in the centre of town for a much deserved coffee and cake in a great little tea room.
This was about the half way stage of the route and bugger me but the conditions had been tough ..and about to get tougher ...
Setting off once again ..but not feeling too good ( cake overload! ) we then followed the main road out of town before taking one of the forest fire road back roads which eventually after climbing forever spit us out at the Buzzards Nest car park in Glentress ...where climbing still we took the black route to the top of Dunslair Heights and following this dropped down for a short section( Britney Spears) before leaving the trail ( not exactly sure where) exiting left for a horrendous little push alongside the treeline.. I think over Black Law..but definitely over Black Knowe/ Mill Rigg/ Lee Burn Head & Lee Pen before quite a techy drop back into Innerleithen . This last section of the route was done with each of us having to encourage each other as the energy levels had gone into the reserve tank and that was close to empty ...still sitting above Innerleithen before the final drop there was a carnival below ...no doubt for our benefit as the locals had heard of our fantastic achievement !
Back at the car park we each had the thousand yard stare..absolutely nowt left .. But what a ride!
We vowed to come back and do it again one day ..but only after there had been a drought for six months !!
Definitely one of the toughest ...if not THE toughest rides we had ever done
