RideEatCamp

So many climbs

Europe

In the morning we took a ferry from Islay to the mainland at Kennacraig. There were camping options near Kennacraig or about 50 miles away in Oban. After four days of little cycling, we were ready for a good ride, so we decided to go the distance.

Carrie emerges from a 5000 year old tomb in an area south of Glen Coe that was littered with ancient artefacts.
Carrie emerges from a 5000 year old tomb in an area south of Glen Coe that was littered with ancient artefacts.
Here I am in a different tomb just down the road.
Here I am in a different tomb just down the road.

This ride could be named “Death by 1000 Rollers” or perhaps “The Devil’s Abs.” Never have I ridden on so many roads that went up and down so steeply and shortly. I also had the challenge of trying to keep up with Carrie, who turned on the afterburners on every climb.

We ended up riding 70 miles with about 5000 feet of climbing. But the ride felt much harder. Since the climbs were so consistently steep, my legs turned to rubber with about 20 miles to go.

Despite the challenging terrain, oh and the intermittent drizzle, the scenery was spectacular. Scotland has trees! We felt like we were riding in the Santa Cruz mountains, except with views of lochs instead of the ocean. And of course the Santa Cruz mountains don’t have sheep farms. We know when we’re on good roads when we pass more sheep than people.