Audax rides

commemorate the solstice this past weekend, I rode George Berwick's Twilight 600 perm. This is a perm version of a route originally put together by Duncan Peat.

To avoid peak tourist traffic on the A82 over Rannoch Moor and to enjoy the West Coast section during the day I started at 9pm Friday by first departing the Edinburgh Area and heading North to Aberfeldy and then West through Crianlarich, past the Green Welly in Tyndrum and then over the Moor to the Coast. Unfortunately there was nowhere to control at 4am in Crianlarich so a selfie at the station was the best I could do. As an aside, long distance perms are becoming increasingly difficult in Scotland with the reducing number of ATMs and 24 hour services. I grabbed a ticket for my control on the Corran Ferry (first time getting proof of passage while afloat) and then onward to the wee filling station in Strontian for my first refuel 230km in. A loop of the through the West Highland Pennisulas of Ardgour, Sunart, Ardnamuchan and Moidart reacquainted me with the West Coast Midge especially when stopped at the wee shop in Acharachle for second breakfast. A quick return east to Ft William for lunch before a 50k blast down the coastal road to Barcaldine where some audax friends put on some food and a bed for me, feeling like I wanted to keep moving forward with the light I only managed 30mins of sleep. Come 8pm I was ready to head East again with about 200k to go. Once back at Crianlarich the regular audax hotel (Train Station Waiting Room) was locked due to Covid, so somewhat like Mary and Joseph I was to find shelter in the station's toilet. As public toilets as sleep stops go this one I'd say gets 3.5 stars - Warm, enough, room for me and a bike, fairly clean and open 24/7. After about an hour of dozing in and out of sleep I decided best to push on and road into the few hours of darkness at midnight. By around 2am I was getting towards Callander, my next control, but suffering from the dozies found the shelter of a covered patio around a locked up tourist info center on Loch Lubnaig. The temperature was down at 6deg so my foil blanket and light down jacket did a good enough job, but when I woke up shivering after about an hour and a half I knew I had to press on to warm up. From there it was a rather uneventful final 75km through Stirling and the Skinflats to S. Queensferry for a celebratory pancake breakfast at McDs.

Keen to do this ride again, but perhaps with a central start at Crianlarich with a bunk house, or a morning start and take the risk of hellish traffic on the Moor.

https://www.strava.com/activities/5498877916